Donkey Kong Island
- This article is about Donkey Kong Island in general. For the same island as a world after it was taken over by theSnowmads inDonkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, seeDonkey Kong Island (world). For the island as a layer inDonkey Kong Bananza: DK Island & Emerald Rush, seeDK Island (layer).
- "Kong Country" redirects here. For the landmass initially named "Kong Country", seeNorthern Kremisphere.
- Not to be confused withDonkey Kong Land.
| Donkey Kong Island | |
|---|---|
Donkey Kong Island as seen inDonkey Kong Bananza | |
| First appearance | Donkey Kong Country (1994) |
| Latest appearance | Donkey Kong Bananza (DK Island & Emerald Rush) (2025) |
| Greater location | DK Isles |
| Rulers | Donkey Kong Cranky Kong Tiki Tong (Returns) Lord Fredrik (Tropical Freeze) |
| Inhabitants | Kongs Animal Friends Tikis (Returns) Snowmads (Tropical Freeze) Fractones (Bananza) |
| Iterations | Donkey Kong Bananza Donkey Kong Country (television series) Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze The Super Mario Bros. Movie |
- “This is where you're from, DK? This island is beautiful.”
- —Pauline,Donkey Kong Bananza
Donkey Kong Island (also known asDonkey Kong Country,[1][2][3]The Kingdom of Kong,[4] theLand of Kong,[5]DK Country,[6][7]DK Island,[8][9]Kong Country,[10] andKong Island[11][12]) is a location inhabited byDonkey Kong and theKong species in general. It first appears inDonkey Kong Country. Just like theMushroom Kingdom, Donkey Kong Island is frequently invaded, usually for its resources and treasures such as itsbananas and theCrystal Coconut.
History[edit]
It has been requested that this section berewritten.Reason:Donkey Kong Country,Donkey Kong 64, andDonkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze are too flowery; splitDonkey Kong Land fromDonkey Kong Country; "Other appearances" should be incorporated into the main body of the section.
Donkey Kong Country series /Donkey Kong Land series[edit]
Donkey Kong Country /Donkey Kong Land[edit]
Donkey Kong Island is first seen in the gameDonkey Kong Country. One night,Diddy Kong is assigned byDonkey Kong to guard hisbanana hoard when a group ofKremlings led byKlump (aKrusha in theGame Boy Advance remake) appears and steals all of the bananas. Setting off at once, DK frees Diddy from a barrel and begin a long quest to take back Donkey Kong'sbanana hoard from the thieves, leading them through the island's many areas. The journey sends them through jungles, caves, glaciers and a large factory operated by the Kremlings before the two heroes finally locate the source of the problem. Finding a ship docked in the waters near Donkey Kong Island, theKongs board the vessel and defeat King K. Rool, allowing them to take back the banana hoard while driving the Kremling Krew from the island.
Every time the Kongs complete a world, the Gang-Plank Galleon slowly approaches Donkey Kong Island. It is not shown on the map until after the Kongs complete the first world,Kongo Jungle. By doing so, the Gang-Plank Galleon is faintly depicted in the horizon. By the time the Kongs complete Chimp Caverns, the Gang-Plank Galleon is docked right next to Donkey Kong Island, allowing the Kongs to go aboard.
The Donkey Kong Island map also shows a head icon of Donkey Kong located just before Kongo Jungle. At the start of the game, Donkey Kong walks from it to Kongo Jungle. It represents the starting point of the Kongs' adventures instead of a world itself. The head icon before Kongo Jungle is not shown in both theGame Boy Color and Game Boy Advance remakes.
In theoriginal renderMedia:DKC DK Island.jpg the in-game map is based on, there are a few locations that differ in position from the game itself, likely to make them easier to see in the game, or to adjust the order they are traveled to. Notably,Kremkroc Industries, Inc. is behind some trees in betweenVine Valley andGorilla Glacier in the render, but on top of the DK head's eyebrow ridges between Gorilla Glacier andChimp Caverns in-game.
In the Game Boy Colorremake, during theCrosshair Cranky mini-game, Donkey Kong travels to some smaller islands located west of Donkey Kong Island.
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest /Donkey Kong Land 2[edit]
Donkey Kong Island appears only sparingly inDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. In the SNES version, it can be seen fromCrocodile Isle in the distance, specifically while on the maps ofGangplank Galleon andK. Rool's Keep;Klubba's Kiosk in the latter world is located on Donkey Kong Island itself. These cameo appearances were removed in theGame Boy Advance version, as the maps are now viewed from a top-down perspective. However, the opening cinematic of the Game Boy Advance version takes place on a beach on Donkey Kong Island, where Donkey Kong retires to relax from the previous adventure before he is kidnapped and flown to Crocodile Isle by the Kremlings.
Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! /Donkey Kong Land III[edit]
While DK Island does not appear inDonkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!, it is mentioned in the instruction booklet, where Dixie traveled to the southern shores of the island and swam to the nearbyNorthern Kremisphere in search for Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong.[13]
Donkey Kong Country Returns (3D /HD)[edit]
The island is the main location ofDonkey Kong Country Returns, itsNintendo 3DSport, and itsNintendo Switchport. There are fewer Kongs on the island in this game, as the cast only includes DK, Diddy, Cranky, and, in the Switch port, Dixie. Cranky Kong runsshops across the island. The mountains of the island have been redesigned, as they include an active volcano and are no longer shaped like Donkey Kong's head. Many new characters are present on the island, be they allies like elephants, zebras, andtutorial pig or enemies likeAwks,Chomps, andToothberries. Temples are more prominent in this game, being a level archetype used once in each world. Artifacts calledRare Orbs are the goals of all such levels. Having them all and beating the game allows access to the interior of theGolden Temple, which is not of the level archetype but is thematically linked to it.
The game's story has the volcano on the island erupt, releasing theTiki Tak Tribe. The tribe sets out and hypnotizes the island's wildlife, using them to steal bananas all across the island. TheTiki Tong Tower also rises out of the volcano, looming over the island for the entire game. The game has Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong travel across the island to retrieve thebanana hoard, with each world being a region of Donkey Kong Island. They progress counterclockwise and trend upward, though theBeach and theCave are outliers to the "upward" portion. The final world is theVolcano. The events there end with the Tiki Tong Tower being knocked out, the Tiki Tak Tribe defeated overall, the volcano erupting countless bananas, and the animals being freed from the hypnosis.
One of the game's features is a FreeLook Camera on the World Selection Screen, which enables the player to look at Donkey Kong Island from many different directions instead of having to select worlds and use their specific camera angles. Its limits are that the camera cannot move upward past the zenith of Donkey Kong Island or be lower such that Tiki Tong Tower is scrolled offscreen.
The worlds ofDonkey Kong Country Returns have similar themes to worlds of otherDonkey Kong franchise games that take place on Donkey Kong Island. When senior designer Kynan Pearson was asked if the worlds are depicting the same locations on the island, he approved of the idea.[14]
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze[edit]
- Main article:Donkey Kong Island (world)
Donkey Kong Island reappears inDonkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze and itsNintendo Switchport, largely retaining its appearance fromDonkey Kong Country Returns. The island is first seen in the game's intro, where Donkey Kong's birthday party is interrupted by theSnowmads.Lord Fredrik summons anice dragon to cover Donkey Kong Island in ice and snow, blowing Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Dixie Kong, and Cranky Kong away in the process. With Donkey Kong gone, the Snowmads then station their command ship on top of the island'sVolcano.
Donkey Kong Island serves as the game's final world (not countingSecret Seclusion), opened after defeatingBashmaster inJuicy Jungle. With the exception of the optional stages, every level within is based on a world fromDonkey Kong Country Returns.Lord Fredrik serves as the final boss, and his defeat leads to the destruction of the remainingSnowmads. Donkey Kong then uses Lord Fredrik's horn to summon a breeze of flowers that melt the ice and snow, returning the island to its natural state.
Donkey Kong 64[edit]
Donkey Kong 64 featured a return ofKong Isle as the primary location of the game's levels, also featuring several different environments similar to its portrayal in previous games. The island is revealed to be part of an archipelago consisting of smaller islands known collectively asDK Isles, several of which are accessible as a part of the story. At the beginning of the game, King K. Rool appears in a mechanized version ofCrocodile Isle with a plan to destroy the homeland of the Kongs.
Tired of his constant defeats at the hands of the Kong family, King K. Rool pilots his metal monstrosity into the archipelago with his new secret weapon: a giant, island-destroying laser cannon named theBlast-o-Matic. He plans to use the device immediately, but a malfunction caused by his incompetent underlings short-circuits his plans and delays the machine's activation. In a bid to distract Donkey Kong while they repair the Blast-o-Matic, the Kremlings invade the island in force and kidnap Donkey Kong's friends, stealing his Golden Bananas and blocking off several locations on the island in order to further impede the hero's progress. After another quest, Donkey Kong frees his friends and reclaims the banana hoard. With the help of the Blast-o-Matic's inventor, a crafty weasel namedSnide, the Kong family deactivates the doomsday weapon and saves their home from destruction.
The island is smaller in size in this game than in previous installments, although this is likely due to technical issues, such as making it easier to roam the island. The vast locations accessible through portals on the island are different areas of Kong Isle, and what is seen on the surface is not the entire landmass. Since the events of this game, Kong Isle has been missing a boulder in its right ear, as it had been blown off byK. Lumsy.
Donkey Kong Bananza[edit]
- Main article:DK Island (layer)
InDonkey Kong Bananza, a silhouette of Donkey Kong Island (simply referred to as "DK Island" in this game) can be seen at the surface of the planet a distance away fromIngot Isle as the player selects a layer to travel to. It closely mirrors the shape of itsDonkey Kong Country incarnation, although the mountain representing Gorilla Glacier is reimagined as a volcano, reflecting the island'sDonkey Kong Country Returns depiction.
In theDK Island & Emerald Rush DLC, DK Island is an explorable layer, located above theIngot Isle Cave-In.
Other appearances[edit]
Games[edit]
Donkey Kong Island is also where the events ofDK: King of Swing and theDonkey Konga trilogy take place. The jungle portion of the island appears as a setting in severalSuper Mario sports games, such asMario Golf: Toadstool Tour,Mario Power Tennis,Mario Superstar Baseball, as well asMario Strikers, and in theSuper Smash Bros. series, where it is parted into four playable stages:Kongo Jungle,Kongo Falls,Jungle Japes, andJungle Hijinxs.
In the 2003 iteration ofDiddy Kong Pilot, Donkey Kong Island makes a cameo appearance in the background of beach-themed races. Donkey Kong Island was replaced with a specific background in the final version,Banjo-Pilot.
InSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, a view of the entire DK Island appears during K. Rool'sFinal Smash, in which he blows it up with theBlast-o-Matic. In this game, it appears similar to theDonkey Kong Country incarnation in design (though withDK's Tree House in Vine Valley, rather than Kongo Jungle) and theDonkey Kong 64 design in size, and is notably the first time in several games that it is depicted as resembling Donkey Kong's head. Additionally, a recreation of the originalKongo Jungle world map fromDonkey Kong Country appears as asubarea in the game's Adventure mode, World of Light, under the name "DK Island."
Television[edit]
Captain N: The Game Master, which predatesDonkey Kong Country, instead features a jungle area known asKongoland as Donkey Kong's home, appearing in several episodes relevant to Donkey Kong.
An island based on Donkey Kong Island, namedKongo Bongo Island, is the main setting of theDonkey Kong Country television series.
Films[edit]
A kingdom based on Donkey Kong Island, named theJungle Kingdom, appears as a location inThe Super Mario Bros. Movie.
Books[edit]
Donkey Kong Island is the main setting of both theDonkey Kong Country novel andDonkey Kong Country: Rumble in the Jungle. In both books, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong pass throughTree Top Town at the edge of the jungle, before reaching a snowy mountain location. InDonkey Kong Country, the Kongs continue through a circuit of underground mines before reaching the Kremlings' factory, whereas inDonkey Kong Country: Rumble in the Jungle, the Kongs travel through the caves of a mountain in order to reach the factory inBig Ape City, which appears to be located near the island's center.
InDonkey Kong Country: Rescue on Crocodile Isle,Diddy Kong andDixie Kong borrow a sailing ship at the docks of Donkey Kong Island, before arriving atCrocodile Isle after a full day of sailing.
Areas[edit]
Donkey Kong Country[edit]
Donkey Kong Land[edit]
Donkey Kong 64[edit]
Diddy Kong Racing DS[edit]
Donkey Kong Country Returns[edit]
- Jungle
- Beach
- Ruins
- Cave
- Forest
- Cliff
- Factory
- Volcano
- Golden Temple
- Cloud (Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D andDonkey Kong Country Returns HD only)
Neighboring islands[edit]
- Northern Kremisphere
- Banana Fairy Island
- Crocodile Isle
- Kremlantis
- Juicy Jungle
- Secret Seclusion
- Ingot Isle
General information[edit]
Inhabitants[edit]
TheKong family are the governing species of the island. Donkey Kong is the leader of the clan, and the other Kongs often turn to him for leadership. TheDonkey Kong Country cartoon states that Donkey Kong has not yet become the ruler of Donkey Kong Island, but is slated to be its future ruler.Cranky Kong appears to be the patriarch of the family, and his main role is to give advice and orders to the Kongs. A lot of Donkey Kong Island's architecture is themed after the Kongs.
TheKremlings are another prevalent species on Donkey Kong Island and the main rivals of the Kong family. The Kremlings have established several outposts and an industrial plant known asKremkroc Industries, Inc. The ancient temples inMonkey Mines andVine Valley depict visages of Kremlings, suggesting that they constructed the temples. Many other species on Donkey Kong Island are enemies to the Kongs, such asGnawties,Zingers, andNeckys. While many of the island's native species are fictional, such as those previously mentioned, many real-life animals live on the island as well such aselephants,giraffes, andzebras.
Several other groups have taken over Donkey Kong Island. During the events ofDonkey Kong Country Returns andDonkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, theTiki Tak Tribe and theSnowmads respectively have represented significant parts of the population, the former planting several bases of operations and the latter claiming it as their territory. The Kongs eventually exiled each group from Donkey Kong Island. During theDK Island & Emerald Rush DLC inDonkey Kong Bananza,Void Kong andFractones take residence on the island.
Geography[edit]
Donkey Kong Island was originally shaped like Donkey Kong's head, complete with features such as his ears and hair swirl; this is also the case inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate andDonkey Kong Bananza. InDonkey Kong Country Returns andDonkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, the frozen mountaintops and the giant Donkey Kong head are replaced by a huge volcano. The island has many climates, with some areas being jungle, frozen wasteland, or a desert. There are several mysterious ruins on the island resembling ancient South American architecture.
Starting withDonkey Kong Country Returns, the fauna and geography of Donkey Kong Island has been changed. There is also a larger variety, with groups of animals living in select habitats. TheJungle is mainly inhabited by bird species such asAwks andRawks, as well asFrogoons, while theBeach is occupied by crustaceans likeSnippys andPinchlys. TheCave hosts a population ofSqueeklys and is also home to a large demographic of sapientMole Miners. TheForest commonly houses spider-based creatures such asSkittlers andmunchers, butWiggles are also present.
The species that are closer to the summit have a less organic appearance. TheCliff area of the island is populated by live dinosaur skeletons, although fossils inlaid within the rocks hint at prehistoric inhabitants such as enormoustrilobite lookalikes, gastropods,placoderm fish, andeurypterids, which suggest that Donkey Kong Island was once underwater from the Cliff beneath. TheFactory has various types of robots, and theVolcano typically contains fire-based creatures such asChar-Chars andleaping flames.
Profiles[edit]
Donkey Kong Country[edit]
- Instruction booklet:You'll find a wide variety of ecosystems in Donkey Kong Country. Though the island itself is mainly tropical, there are great pine forest on the slopes of snowcapped peaks. The mountain are riddled with mines, tunnels and caves. Surrounding the island are many tropical lagoons full of reefs and colorful fish. Following are general descriptions of each area.[15]
- Nintendo Power vol. 66:This key lets you know what types of areas to expect while you try to re-establish your banana hoard and rid the island of King K. Rool and his evil band of Kremlings.[16]
Donkey Kong Country Returns[edit]
- Prima Official Game Guide:Donkey Kong Island was a peaceful place where a banana-loving ape could enjoy himself. However, the Tikis have come and taken away all of Donkey Kong's bananas. In order to defeat the Tikis and get back his bananas, Donkey Kong, with the help of Diddy Kong, will have to traverse eight different worlds and drive the Tikis from the island. Donkey Kong Island is full of items, hidden collectibles, and lots of adventure. There are places to jump, things to climb, and areas to explore. Of course, there are also lots of enemies that will try to prevent Donkey Kong from saving his bananas. It is important to learn about the island and what it contains, or the Tikis will take over and Donkey Kong Island will no longer be a home to its namesake.[17]
Gallery[edit]
Donkey Kong Island in the background of K. Rool's Keep inDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
Donkey Kong Country (Game Boy Color)
Donkey Kong Country (Game Boy Advance)
Diddy Kong Pilot (2003, removed inBanjo-Pilot)
Theme[edit]
- Main article:Simian Segue
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Names in other languages[edit]
Donkey Kong Island / DK Island[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | Dīkē Airando | DK Island | |
| ドンキー Donkī Tou | Donkey Island | KC Mario | |
| ドンキーアイランド[?] Donkī Airando | Super Donkey Kong 2 (GBA) | ||
| ドンキーコングランド[19] Donkī Kongu Rando | Donkey Kong Land | Donkey Kong GB: Dinky Kong & Dixie Kong | |
| ドンキーコング アイランド[?] Donkī Kongu Airando | Donkey Kong Island | Super Donkey Kong 2: Dixie & Diddy (SFC) | |
| ドンキーコングカントリー[20] / ドンキーコング・カントリー[21] Donkī Kongu Kantorī | Donkey Kong Country | Super Donkey Kong | |
| Chinese(Simplified) | 咚奇刚岛[?] Dōngqí Dǎo | Donkey Kong Island | |
| Chinese(Traditional) | 咚奇剛島[?] Dōngqí Dǎo | Donkey Kong Island | |
| French | Île de Donkey Kong[?] | Donkey Kong's Island | |
| German | Donkey Kong-Insel[?] | Donkey Kong Island | |
| Italian | Isola Donkey Kong[?] | Donkey Kong Island | |
| DK Island[22] | - | Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! | |
| Isola DK[23] | DK Isle | Donkey Kong Bananza | |
| Portuguese(Brazilian) | Ilha DK[?] | DK Island | |
| Spanish | Isla de Donkey Kong[?] | Donkey Kong's Island | |
| Isla de DK[?] | DK's Island | ||
| Thai | DK ไอส์แลนด์[24] DK Ailɛɛn | DK Island |
Kong Isle / Kong Island[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | Dīkē Airando | DK Island | |
| French | Île Kong[?] | Kong Isle/Island | |
| German | Kong-Insel[?] | Kong Island | |
| Italian | Isola Kong[25] | Kong Island | |
| Spanish | Isla Kong[?] | Kong Isle/Island |
Notes[edit]
- InDonkey Kong Country Returns, if one were to move from an earlier world to a later world using the map,Donkey Kong will be positioned at the first level of the later world. However, if one were to move from a later world to an earlier world, Donkey Kong will be positioned at the boss level of the earlier world. The only world that breaks this rule is theJungle. Being the first world, it does not have an earlier world. In order for DK to be placed at the first Jungle level, he will have to move from the final world (Golden Temple) to the Jungle.
References[edit]
- ^1994.Donkey Kong Country instruction booklet.Nintendo of America. Page 12, 13, 16, 20-24, 26, 27, 30.
- ^"The Kremlings were a race of nasty lizardlike creatures that lived in Donkey Kong Country." – Teitelbaum, Michael (1997).Donkey Kong Country: Rescue on Crocodile Isle.Troll Communications (American English). Page 7.
- ^"Usually one of the most restful and laid-back places imaginable, Donkey Kong Country had become a hive of activity in recent days." – 1997.Donkey Kong Land III instruction booklet.Nintendo of America (American English). Page 2.
- ^"An Incredible 3-D Adventure in The Kingdom of Kong!" –Box artMedia:Boxart dkc front.png.Donkey Kong Country.
- ^"Grab a vine and join the thrills in the Land of Kong!" –Back coverMedia:DKL cover art back.png.Donkey Kong Land. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
- ^November 1994.Nintendo Magazine System (UK) issue 26 (NMS Special). Page 22.
- ^Rare.K. Rool - Rarewhere: DKC Trilogy Cast List.Rarewhere (British English). Archived July 5, 1998, 01:27:45 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 24, 2024.
- ^1996.Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! instruction booklet.Nintendo of America (American English). Page 4-5, 19.
- ^1997.Donkey Kong Land III instruction booklet.Nintendo of America (American English). Page 23.
- ^"A playful young tiger, Timber has been left in charge of the island while his parents visit their old friends over in Kong Country." – 1997.Diddy Kong Racing instruction booklet.Nintendo of America. Page 23.
- ^Hodgson, David S. J. (June 17, 2003).Donkey Kong Country Prima's Official Strategy Guide.Prima Games (American English). ISBN0-7615-4334-1. Page 2.
- ^Konga Coliseum description.Super Mario Strikers.
- ^"She made her way to the southern part of DK Island and swam to the nearest mainland." – 1996.Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! instruction booklet.Nintendo of America (American English). Page 5.
- ^KynanPearson (August 12, 2021).Tweet by Kynan Pearson(Archived).Twitter. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- ^1994.Donkey Kong Country instruction booklet.Nintendo of America (American English). Page 20.
- ^November 1994.Nintendo Power Volume 66.Nintendo of America (American English). Page 9.
- ^Knight, Michael (November 21, 2010).Donkey Kong Country Returns Prima Official Strategy Guide.Prima Games (American English). Page 16.
- ^Kazuki Motoyama (9 Jan. 1995).Super Mario: Donkey Kong 1.KC Deluxe (Japanese). ISBN4-06-319559-7. Page 13.
- ^ストーリー.Nintendo (Japanese). Retrieved June 24, 2024.
- ^1994.Super Donkey Kong instruction booklet.Nintendo (Japanese). Page 16, 18, 21, 23, 24, 28.
- ^1994.Super Donkey Kong instruction booklet.Nintendo (Japanese). Page 31.
- ^Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! Spanish-Italian booklet.Nintendo of Europe (Italian). Page 32.
- ^Mariuigi Khed (July 17, 2025).Donkey Kong Bananza ITA [Live #1]. Italian. Retrieved from YouTube.
- ^"ที่นี่คือเกาะที่ห่างไกล จากชายฝั่ง DK ไอส์แลนด์..." – Narration (October 17, 2025).Donkey Kong Bananza demo at the Thailand Game Show 2025.Facebook (Thai). Retrieved November 13, 2025.
- ^Carlos Jose Castro Quinga.In-game name from the ending ofDonkey Kong Country. Italian. Retrieved from YouTube.

