Essay: Donkey Kong, from monster to hero and back again.

Sir Grodus

King Bowser
Retired Wiki Staff
Your probably wondering WTF is this? I'll tell you, this is the history of Donkey Kong, and no I don't mean a time line (savin' that for later :wink: ) this is Donkey Kong and just Donkey Kong.

In nineteen-eighty one a game named Donkey Kong was released, it had a simplistic plot, a hero has to rescue his girlfriend from a crazed gorilla (Donkey Kong). And he did. Next came Donkey Kong Jr., which had the roles of characters rearranged. Now the hero (now known as Mario) as the antagonist and Donkey Kong as the prisoner. It was up to Donkey Kong Jr. to save the day! And he did.

Next, Mario and DKJr. dissappeared, replaced by a spray-can weilding man known as Stanley. For the third time a great battle insued between gorilla and man. This time man prevailed.

After that Donkey Kong vanished while Mario went off on his own. Aside from ports, remakes, Donkey Kong Jr. Math and various cameos Donkey Kong was virtually dead.

Several years later Donkey Kong reappeared in Donkey Kong (Game Boy), better known as Donkey kong '94. This game was a combination of the original Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr. (poor Stanley :cry: ), and seemingly a retcon of earlier games.

In actuality Donkey Kong '94 was, more or less the calm before the storm. For a few months later Rare, a British company managed to get their hands on Donkey Kong, then the ressurection occured. For with Donkey Kong, Rare created the masterpeice, Donkey Kong Country.

Donkey Kong Country introduced a new Donkey Kong, one whose ties were severed with Mario (much like how Mario went his seperate way). Donkey Kong was transformed from a beastial monster into a swirly-haired, tie-wearing, intelligent hero.

Of course Donkey Kong Country was not without scorn, several groups called "unworthy to wipe my @$$ with", even Shigeru Miyamoto, Donkey Kong's creator called this game "mediocre".

Later Rare re-attached Donkey Kong's ties to Mario in their game Donkey Kong Land. Mario didn't originally fight Donkey Kong in Brooklyn, New York as so many assumed, he fought him in [dkwiki]Big Ape City[/dkwiki]!.

Suffice to say, this only pissed off the DKC haters even more.

Despite this Rare continued to make critically aclaimed Donkey Kong games.

It was only in the two-thousands that disaster struck and Donkey Kong's universe was shattered into itty, bitty, tiny peices by the shoe of reality destruction. Rare was sold to Microsoft.

Since then Donkey Kong games have been, lets just say considered "sub-par". Nintendo, it seems has pretty much decided to mostly ignore Donkey Kong's character development over the last few years and have decided to regress him to his original form: that of a shambling beast.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Donkey Kong, peeved he didn't get a Mini-Mario, decides to break into the factory and steal dozens of the toys.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis: Jealous that Pauline rejected his Mini-Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong decides to kidnap her and go on a wild trip through an amusement park.

Donkey Kong Jungle Beat: One day Donkey Kong randomly decides to go on a kingdom destruction tour and beat the crap out various beings for little or no reason.

From here you can see where the "back again" part of the title comes from. Sure, Donkey Kong has a few games were he isn't like the above, but come on, those are either remakes or "Donkey Konga" like games. Though Donkey Kong and his pals appearances in Mario spin-off series games and DK: King of Swing are pretty faithful to the Rare Donkey Kong, but that those are rapidly changing back to the Nintendo Donkey Kong (or "toothy grin Donkey Kong" as some have dubbed it).

What will happen to Donkey Kong in the future? I dunno, but our favorite ape is either gonna be the rightous, reptile beating, defender of Donkey Kong Island or the monstrous kidnapper and villain to Mario.

Signed: -- Sir Grodus

P.S. Don't mention the whole Cranky Kong/Donkey Kong thing. Its too complicated, it would take pages to write on that, what with Baby Donkey, Donkey Kong '94 and various other factors.
 
Anyone would be turned to evil by the mini-marios and pauline. There awesome and shes hot.Not that I pay attention...

Stop looking at me like that.

And there are countless explanations for Jungle Beat. Just pick one.
 
Not saying it was bad, just... that it was lacking somewhat. No other Donkey Kong characters aside from Donkey himself and a lack of storyline, the whole "King of Kings" thing just seemed so, unlike Donkey, goin' around beating the crap out of others for a "champion" title.
 
Bah. Worst storyline EVER. Phhhht. Ninjapes, cool. Only cool part. But the graphics and gameplay, :lol:! Nice. But it COULD have used a storyline. :wink:
 
Reaaaaaaaly weird. But as previously stated, I think it's some kind of competition. And Grodus, I thought you did'nt have the game yet.
 
Rented it, didn't gey much plsy time, but I did get some. I guess Donkey Kong may be freeing the kingdoms he travels through or something since the things he fights look pretty sinister. That doesn't really explain the "King of Kings" part though, oh well.
 
Back