Swanky Kong
| Swanky Kong | |
|---|---|
 Artwork fromDonkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! | |
| Species | Kong (gorilla-based) |
| First appearance | Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (1995) |
| Latest appearance | The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) |
| Member of | Kong Family |
- “Give them a big hand folks! Good evening, I'm Swanky Kong and you're tonight's contestants on my Bonanza! It's easy to play! Just pick a game and you're away!”
- —Swanky Kong,Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
Swanky Kong, spelledSwankey Kong on one occasion,[1] is a member of theKong Family and a game show host. He makes his first appearance inDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. He is notable for being a flashy entrepreneur; in his first appearance, he wears a blue coat and has an afro hairstyle. In his second appearance, however, he wears a fancy suit with a matching cane, his hair is covered by a bowler hat, and he appears to be much taller. His face resembles that ofDonkey Kong's.
History[edit]
Donkey Kong Country series[edit]
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest[edit]
Swanky is a supporting character inDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. He hosts an optional game show atSwanky's Bonus Bonanza; here, he provides three quizzes toDiddy andDixie Kong regarding the game's content, and he requires a fee ofBanana Coins if theKongs want to participate. Swanky rewards the Kongs withextra lives if they correctly answer all three questions within a quiz.
In theremake, Swanky now hasCandy Kong as his assistant on the show, but in the background only. When all of Swanky's quizzes are completed, Diddy and Dixie receive aphotograph of him for theScrapbook. Swanky additionally received another role where he charges ten Banana Coins if the Kongs want to rematch a boss, and when the battle concludes, Swanky rewards the Kongs with prizes, the value of which depends on how well they performed in the boss battle.
Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble![edit]
Swanky is a supporting character inDonkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!. He hosts a circus tent calledSwanky's Sideshow, where participants can compete in a ball-throwing contest for prizes. Swanky is only ever seen by his upper half, because he is always sitting inside of abarrel, which obscures his lower half, even within hisDixie Kong's Photo Album photograph. However, Swanky's entire body is seen in his official artwork. At his place, Swanky charges Dixie orKiddy a fewbear coins to compete in various throwing contests againstCranky Kong. If the Kongs can achieve a higher score than Cranky, then Swanky awards them with prizes, including bananas and bear coins. Like the previous game, Swanky's role is optional and is unrelated to the main storyline.
In theremake, Swanky is the host ofSwanky's Dash instead, where he allows Dixie to compete in a virtual reality-typeminigame where the goal is to collectstars on a rotating landscape. However, he forbids Kiddy from participating due to his young age. Unlike the original version, Swanky's outfit goes unchanged fromDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. Swanky rewards Dixie and Kiddy with aBanana Bird and aDK Coin when Dixie completes a Swanky's Dash challenge for the first time.
Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D[edit]
Although Swanky does not appear inDonkey Kong Country Returns 3D, for the game's marketing campaign,Nintendo UK's Facebook page postedan imageMedia:DKC Returns 3D DKC cartoon reference.jpeg titled "What is your Donkey Kong name?" with one of the names listed being "Swanky."
Donkey Konga 2[edit]
Swanky's artwork from bothDonkey Kong Country games sometimes appears on-screen in Freestyle Zone as the player drums, inDonkey Konga 2. InWestern versions, Swanky is also one of the selectable badges after finishing a song or in the Match That Badge! challenge, replacing one of thehuman badges from the Japanese release.
Mario Superstar Baseball[edit]
Swanky’s tent fromDonkey Kong Country 3 makes a cameo appearance on a wooden billboard in theDonkey Kong Jungle inMario Superstar Baseball.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
Swanky Kong is asupport spirit, depicted with his artwork fromDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate. The corresponding battle for unlocking thespirit involves battling Donkey Kong, who is easily distracted by items.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie[edit]
Swanky Kong makes a cameo appearance inThe Super Mario Bros. Movie, where he can be seen on akart slipping on aBanana Peel dropped by thedriver who drivesMario,Princess Peach andToad toCranky Kong's palace. In addition to that, in Donkey Kong's promotional poster, Swanky Kong can be seen in the audience at theGreat Ring of Kong. The film marks Swanky Kong's first physical appearance since the Game Boy Advance remake ofDonkey Kong Country 3 and his first physical appearance inSuper Mario media.
Donkey Kong Bananza[edit]
InDonkey Kong Bananza, one ofQuiztone's incorrect answers to their questions in thePlanet Core is "Swankytone", a reference to Swanky Kong.
Profiles[edit]
Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble![edit]
- Instruction booklet description:
- English:
'His show’s on the road now. Play the throwing game to win top quality prizes.[2]
- English:
- Player's Guide:Swanky Kong is taking his flashy games on the road. Cough up two Bear coins and take a chance on your choice of three different games. If you're playing in two-player mode, you can compete against your teammate. But watch out if you're playing in one-player mode: there's a grumpy old ape running around hustling players for Bear Coins.[3]
Rarewhere: DKC Trilogy Cast List[edit]
APPEARS IN: DKC 2, 3
The second great entrepreneur of the Kong family alongside Funky, Swanky has aimed for a career in showbiz since being bitten by the game show bug further back than he can remember. His original Bonus Bonanza trivia quiz proved popular but led to allegations of favouritism regarding Dixie and Diddy, prompting Swanky to branch out and tour the surrounding lands with a new sideshow featuring a triumphant Cranky as defending champion. Despite his love of competition, Swanky is a generous soul and, true to tradition, never lets anyone walk away empty-handed.[4]
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
| Spirit #143 Swanky Kong | ||
 | Series/game | Donkey Kong Series |
| Type | Support | |
| Slots | 1 | |
| Class | Novice | |
| Strength / effect(s) | Banana Gun Equipped | |
| How to obtain | Spirit Board | |
| Spirit battle | Opponent(s) | Donkey Kong |
| Conditions | Rule: Item:Beastball
| |
| Stage | Kongo Jungle | |
| Song | Funky's Fugue |
Gallery[edit]
Artwork[edit]
- For this subject's image gallery, seeGallery:Swanky Kong.
Artwork with the Kong Family (Swanky appears on the far right)
The Super Mario Bros. Movie poster, with Swanky Kong in the crowd behind Donkey Kong (bottom stands, right side)
List of appearances[edit]
| Title | Description | Release date | System/format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest | Non-playable character | 1995 | SNES |
| Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! | Non-playable character | 1996 | SNES |
| Donkey Kong Country 2 | Non-playable character | 2004 | Game Boy Advance |
| Donkey Konga 2 | Cameo | 2004 | Nintendo GameCube |
| Mario Superstar Baseball | Cameo | 2005 | Nintendo GameCube |
| Donkey Kong Country 3 | Non-playable character | 2005 | Game Boy Advance |
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | Cameo as aspirit | 2018 | Nintendo Switch |
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | スワンキーコング[?] Suwankī Kongu | Swanky Kong | |
| French | Swanky Kong[?] | - | |
| Italian | Swanky Kong[?] | - | |
| Korean | 스웽키콩[5] Seuwengki Kong | Swanky Kong | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate spirit |
| 스왕키콩[?] Seuwangki Kong | Donkey Kong Bananza | ||
| Russian | Свэнки Конг[?] Svenki Kong | Swanky Kong | |
| Spanish | Swanky Kong[?] | - |
Notes[edit]
- In a family tree posted inNintendo La Rivista Ufficiale, Swanky is consideredCranky Kong andWrinkly Kong's second son andDonkey Kong (Jr.)'s little brother. He also has a line connecting him withCandy Kong, though no further information on their relationship exists.[6]
References[edit]
- ^Robinson, Will, et al. (March 1996).Nintendo Magazine System (AU) Issue #36.Catalyst Publishing (Australian English). Page 22.
- ^1996.Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! instruction booklet.Nintendo of America (American English). Page 16.
- ^Owsen, Dan, Terry Munson, and Paul Shinoda (1996).Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! Player's Guide.Nintendo of America (American English). Page 9.
- ^DKC Trilogy Cast List.Rarewhere (British English). Archived September 1, 1999, 06:13:23 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
- ^https://youtu.be/PWLRJSg9R1E
- ^Andrea Minini Saldini (October 2002).Nintendo La Rivista Ufficiale Numero 5. Milan:Future Media Italy SpA (Italian). Page 15.
