Donkey Kong (universe)
Developer(s)	Nintendo Ikegami Tsushinki Nelsonic Rare Ltd. Namco Paon Retro Studios Monster Games Hamster Corporation Coleco[1] Arcana Software Design Forever Entertainment
Publisher(s)	Nintendo Rare Ltd. (Diddy Kong Racing) Hamster Corporation Ocean Software Atari Coleco
Designer(s)	Shigeru Miyamoto Gregg Mayles (Donkey Kong Country)
Genre(s)	Action adventure Platformer Rhythm Puzzle Racing Shooter Sports
Console/platform of origin	Arcade
First installment	Donkey Kong (1981)
Latest installment	Donkey Kong Bananza (2025)
Article on Super Mario Wiki	Donkey Kong (universe)

TheDonkey Kong universe (ドンキーコング,Donkey Kong) refers to theSuper Smash Bros. series' collection of characters, stages, and properties that originate from the subset of Nintendo'sMario franchise that is focused on the characterDonkey Kong. Originating as a series of arcade games starring rotating protagonists each with some kind of relationship to the titular non-playable, antagonistic ape on an urban setting (the first of which being the debut ofMario), the series would be reimagined by former Nintendo partnerRare under the title ofDonkey Kong Country, starring a reimagined and heroic version of the character in lush jungle environments, surrounded by anthropomorphic jungle and savannah creatures, alongside his own family known as the Kongs, as they protect their banana collection from various villains. The original arcadeDonkey Kong series would also continue with games featuring Donkey Kong's feud with Mario, as well as the new toy character Mini Mario, with most games in the continuing original series being fittingly titledMario vs. Donkey Kong. TheSuper Smash Bros. series saw fit to categorizeDonkey Kong and these related properties with its ownseries symbol, rather than the iconic image of aSuper Mushroom assigned to the "main"Mario series - much like the other Mario sub-characters,Wario andYoshi. The first twoSmash Bros. games featuredDonkey Kong as the series' only playable fighter, but then would includeDiddy Kong inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl and subsequentSmash games, whileKing K. Rool would debut inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate.Donkey Kong's representation inSmash is primarily based on Rare's work on theCountry series, but some content has been smattered in items, stages, and character portrayals from the arcade series,Retro Studios'Country games, andGameCube titles using theDK Bongos. Smash considers theMario vs. Donkey Kong series, which has only recieved very minor representation, as a part ofMario, but the original arcade series as part ofDonkey Kong.

Following the release ofTropical Freeze in 2014, theCountry series went on hiatus for over a decade, mostly receiving ancillary representation in theMario franchise and rereleases until the announcement ofDonkey Kong Bananza for theNintendo Switch 2 in 2025. Furthermore, theDonkey Kong Country series would stop introducing new Kongs after Rare's work with the franchise concluded, withDonkey Kong Jungle Beat as an outlier, and phase out fan favorite villain King K. Rool and his Kremling goons after 2007'sDK Jungle Climber, in favor of introducing new villains.Bananza would bring back King K. Rool and the Kremlings in a late-game plot twist, as well as introduce new Kongs as the game's primary villains, VoidCo. During this hiatus, the arcade series remained slightly more active - with an 8 year gap betweenMini Mario and Friends: amiibo Challenge in 2016 and the remake ofMario vs. Donkey Kong in 2024.

Franchise description[edit]

By the beginning of 1981, Nintendo had developed a series of cabinet arcade games that were moderately successful in Japan, but its efforts to market them to Western audiences had fallen flat. In the most spectacular representation of this performance, thousands of units of an arcade shooter namedRadar Scope, the first gameShigeru Miyamoto ever helped develop, were left sitting in warehouse storage. The president of the newly founded Nintendo of America division, Minoru Arakawa, faced financial disaster, so he pleaded with Nintendo CEO Hiroshi Yamauchi to provide him with a new game that he could install as a replacement intoRadar Scope machines. Miyamoto agreed to the task of "fixing" the game so it would appeal to gamers, and instead of tweaking the original, he designed an entirely new coin-op game out of theRadar Scope hardware, and created new characters that could then be marketed and used in later games. Miyamoto initially wanted to develop a game based onPopeye franchise, but Nintendo could not acquire the license to do so in time, so he combined the dynamic of Popeye, Bluto and Olive Oyl with the feature filmKing Kong. This game eventually released asDonkey Kong.

In this seminal entry, then-innovative techniques were used to tell the on-screen story of how the stubborn pet gorilla of "Jumpman" the carpenter (who would later become iconically known asMario) steals away his girlfriend,Pauline, and it is up to the hero to save the damsel in distress. The game became an unprecedented critical and financial success for the company, especially in international markets where they previously struggled to get a foothold in. This caught the attention of Universal Pictures, the rightsholder of King Kong at the time, who sued Nintendo for copyright infringement. Nintendo won the case due to being different enough to avoid plagiarism, and this court case is still being used as precedent for infringement cases to this day.

The success of the game prompted Nintendo to release two arcade follow-ups. The first,Donkey Kong Jr. in 1982, involves the gorilla's sonDonkey Kong Jr. embarking on a similar quest to free his father from the cage that Mario (in his only truly "villainous" appearance) keeps him trapped inside.Donkey Kong 3, in 1983, sees Donkey Kong invade a greenhouse to eat vegetables and stir up flower-devouring insects in the process; a one-time protagonist,Stanley the Bugman, must shoot bug spray both at the bugs and Donkey Kong to protect the flowers and vegetables. Donkey Kong would also appear in other media likeGame & Watch titles, television series, and many forms of merchandise.

While Donkey Kong rivals Mario relatively closely as one of Nintendo's most popular characters today, what was essentially an eleven-year hiatus awaited the character following the release ofDonkey Kong 3, as he never made a new "official" appearance in a release during that time period that was not some kind of port or compilation of the original games. Evidently, this was due to Nintendo's newfound focus on nurturingMario's new NES-based franchise that exploded onto the public spotlight as a result of the world-famous, industry-savingSuper Mario Bros. for the NES in 1985. Given that the seminal side-scrolling platformer had singlehandedly defined Nintendo's future styles and practices as a video game company more strongly and specifically thanDonkey Kong had four years earlier, Donkey Kong was, for a time, treated as a relic of Nintendo's past; in fact,Super Mario Kart, a 1992 release for the SNES, features Donkey Kong Jr. as one of the eight playable racers rather than his father. The hiatus was only partially alleviated in June 1994 when a Game Boy game titledDonkey Kong was released; while technically a remake of the original coin-op, it retooled the gameplay and provided an enormous increase in stage count (from 4 to 100), making it a standalone title that is considered to be one of the best Game Boy games of all time.

The hiatus for Donkey Kong was definitively ended later that year, however, thanks to the efforts of the British game developerRare Ltd.. Rare sought out a partnership with Nintendo as a second-party developer and appealed to them with their work at Silicon Graphics using pre-rendered three-dimensional sprites. Nintendo acquired 25% of Rare's stake (which gradually grew to 49%) and commissioned Rare to develop a new game centered on Donkey Kong using this technology. Rare would go on to releaseDonkey Kong Country for the SNES in November 1994. This game was a bold reinvention of theDonkey Kong universe; a 2D sidescrolling platformer that received widespread critical acclaim and became the third best-selling SNES game in the system's lifespan. It was also groundbreaking for being one of the first games on a home console to utilize pre-rendered 3D graphics, in addition to a widely praised score by British composer David Wise. Rare debuted the familiar modern-day incarnation of Donkey Kong with this game, which included his trademark red necktie (which was actually introduced in the aforementioned Game BoyDonkey Kong), and introduced a full supporting cast of expressive side-characters, animal buddies, and enemies all created by Rare during their affiliation with Nintendo. The most well-known of these new side characters isDiddy Kong, Donkey Kong's "little buddy" and partner. Originally intended to be a redesign of Donkey Kong Jr., the character came into his own after Nintendo expressed concern with how drastically different his design had become. Together, the Kongs must traverse their new homeland, Donkey Kong Island, and retrieve their stolen banana board from the clutches of the Kremling leader,King K. Rool.

Some retrospectives express doubt on whether the success ofDonkey Kong Country necessarily reflected the actual quality of the gameplay itself, but regardless Rare essentially became the sole shepherds of the Donkey Kong franchise during the rest of the 1990s, which included two sequels on the SNES:Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest in 1995, starring Diddy Kong and his newly introduced girlfriendDixie Kong, andDonkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! in 1996, starring Dixie Kong and a gorilla toddler namedKiddy Kong, both of which were reviewed as improvements. All threeCountry games were each accompanied by their respective Game Boy counterparts, theDonkey Kong Land games. This was a subseries of interquels translating the pre-rendered visuals of the SNES titles onto the original Game Boy. Moving into theNintendo 64 era, Rare would first developDiddy Kong Racing in 1997; the game was retooled from an N64 reboot of theR.C. Pro-Am series and featured a host of original characters starring alongside Diddy Kong, some of which would later headline their own video game series. Following this, Rare released the first fully-3DDonkey Kong title,Donkey Kong 64 in 1999, a game cut from a similar cloth to their previous work onBanjo-Kazooie. Meanwhile, Donkey Kong's thoroughly established resurgence in the Nintendo lineup guaranteed he would forever appear in either starring or side-roles not only in futureMario spinoffs, but in the Nintendo crossover seriesSuper Smash Bros. However, in September of 2002, Nintendo sold 100% of Rare's shares toMicrosoft and left theDonkey Kong Country brand and characters under Nintendo's full ownership. Several games Rare was planning to develop, includingDonkey Kong Racing forNintendo GameCube,Diddy Kong Pilot andDonkey Kong Coconut Crackers for Game Boy Advance, were either retooled into different original titles or canceled outright, the first of which was unfinished before Rare was bought by Microsoft, while the last two had set release dates but ended up being unpublished. None of the Rare games exceptStar Fox Adventures were showcased at E3 2002.

Donkey Kong remained a regular inMario games as always, and his contributions have included the fullMario vs. Donkey Kong series of puzzle games that pay homage to the originalDonkey Kong coin-op's scenario, particularly building on the foundation of the 1994 Game Boy version. The characters and setting originally introduced by Rare and associated with theDonkey Kong Country brand also made fairly regular appearances in games published by Nintendo, but are largely developed by a variety of second-party developers: Paon developed the Game Boy Advance puzzle gameDK: King of Swing and its Nintendo DS sequelDK: Jungle Climber, as well as the Wii racerDonkey Kong Barrel Blast;Namco, meanwhile, developed all three titles in theDonkey Konga series of GameCube rhythm games that use a unique bongo drum-themed peripheral for input (a peripheral also used as a controller for the Nintendo-developed GameCube platformerDonkey Kong Jungle Beat).

Throughout the 2000's, the mainlineDonkey Kong series was on hiatus not unlike the buildup to Rare's SNES trilogy. This second hiatus for theDonkey Kong franchise came to an end when Texas developerRetro Studios was approached by Nintendo and Miyamoto to produce a newDonkey Kong Country game. Having concluded their saga with the originalMetroid Prime trilogy, along with several core staff leaving the studio to pursue other interests, Retro jumped at the chance to revitalize another dormant Nintendo franchise. The result of these efforts wasDonkey Kong Country Returns, a return to the side-scrolling gameplay style of theDonkey Kong Country games released for the Wii in 2010. Critical reception to this game was incredibly positive, with points of praise going to the level design and challenge while criticism was aimed at the sometimes disruptive motion controls. A port ofReturns by Monster Games was released for the Nintendo 3DS in 2013 featuring an easier difficulty option and additional exclusive levels. Following the Wii version's success, Retro Studios felt there were many opportunities to seize on with a sequel on more powerful hardware. As such a direct sequel,Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, was released for the Wii U in February 2014. Reception was far stronger toTropical Freeze than it was toReturns, with points of praise going to the more ingenious level design, impressive visuals, and musical score by original series composer David Wise. The game was re-released for the Nintendo Switch in May 2018 with a new easier difficulty and featuring Funky Kong as a playable character. Since the Switch port's release, Retro Studios has no plans for a thirdDonkey Kong Country game as the team has since shifted focus to developingMetroid Prime 4: Beyond for the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. An HD remaster ofReturns by Forever Entertainment was released for the Nintendo Switch in January 2025.

The modern-day Donkey Kong seen in allMario andDonkey Kong games sinceDonkey Kong Country is said to be the grandson of the original "Donkey Kong" that was featured in the classic coin-op arcade games, who is currently depicted as an elderly curmudgeon namedCranky Kong. Donkey Kong's extended family and friends, all of them simians, are collectively referred to as theKong Family, living on an island shaped like Donkey Kong's head namedDonkey Kong Island. In many games focused around the Kong Family, they square off against a group of humanoid crocodilians known as theKremling Krew. Under the leadership of their demented monarch,King K. Rool, the crew constantly plots to steal the Kong Family's enormous hoard ofbananas for unspecified reasons, and to this end they have allies of different species, such asvultures andgiant, spiked wasps. Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, and many other Kong Family members embark on quests to defeat the Kremling Krew and protect their bananas, and the Kongs sometimes call onanimal allies of their own.

During the April 2, 2025Nintendo Direct, a new Donkey Kong game was announced forNintendo Switch 2. TitledDonkey Kong Bananza, the game is a 3D platformer with an emphasis on destructible environments with a release date of July 17, 2025. Donkey Kong notably supports a radical redesign, taking inspiration from both the arcade and Rare incarnations. A similar design also appearing inMario Kart World and on new pieces of merchandise suggests this will be the official design for Donkey Kong moving forward.

InSuper Smash Bros.[edit]

At the time, theDonkey Kong Country series was very popular. As such, theSuper Smash Bros. series treats Donkey Kong and his series of games as its own universe, separate from theMario universe. This includes the threeDonkey Kong arcade games, whereMario played a large role. TheDonkey Kong universe is represented with one playable character, one stage, and one item.

Fighter[edit]

• 
  Donkey Kong (Starter): Donkey Kong is one of the best-known video game mascots in history. He is a descendant of the original Donkey Kong from the arcade games, now known as Cranky Kong. Unlike Cranky, he is the hero of the franchise, and consistently appears in manyMario spin-offs as a "big, strong, and slow" archetype. This carries over intoSmash 64, where he is the biggest, heaviest character in the game, and one of the slowest. He has a unique grabbing and throwing game, in which he is the only character who can carry their opponent around on their back. Hisneutral special,Giant Punch, is a chargeable and very powerful punch attack. Hisup special is theSpinning Kong, a move where Donkey Kong spins his arms around, propelling him slightly upward. Hisdown special is hisHand Slap fromDonkey Kong Country, a maneuver where he strongly slaps the ground with the palms of his hands to cause small earthquakes.

Stage[edit]

• 
  Congo Jungle (Starter): This stage features visuals, audio, and layout designed in direct homage to the fifteenth level ofDonkey Kong Country for the SNES. It is named (albeit with a misspelling) after the first world of said game, Kongo Jungle. The stage is made out of a large, solid, wooden platform with two small semi-solid platforms on the top corners, and a pair of small rotating semi-solid platforms in the center. There is aBarrel Cannon moving horizontally below the stage which can be used by fighters to save themselves from falling.

Item[edit]

• Hammer: A giant mallet from the original arcadeDonkey Kong that could be picked up by Mario and compel him to swing it uncontrollably, pulverizing any obstacles in his way. It is used the same way inSmash 64, picking it up forces the user to uncontrollably swing it for the next ten seconds, unable to discard it. This hammer deals massive damage and knockback.

Music[edit]

• Congo Jungle Stage: A remix of the first level music heard inDonkey Kong Country. It is heard inCongo Jungle, and both the music and the stage were reused inSuper Smash Bros. Melee.
• 16: D. Kong Wins: The victory theme ofDonkey Kong is an orchestration of the "Boss Defeated" music or the theme played after clearing aBonus Level, first heard inDonkey Kong Country for SNES.
• Hammer: Sped-up chiptune music that occurs when a player picks up the Hammer, in homage to the music that would occur when Mario would pick up a hammer in the originalDonkey Kong.

InSuper Smash Bros. Melee[edit]

WhileMelee features an abundance of new content in general, theDonkey Kong franchise is still only represented by one returning character. However, what stands out about the franchise's representation is that it has a total of three stages, two brand new, and one ported from the previous game. The franchise also has two items, gaining a new one fromSmash 64.

Fighter[edit]

• Donkey Kong (Starter): Donkey Kong returns as a starter character, once again based on his appearance fromDonkey Kong Country. Donkey Kong gainsHeadbutt as his newside special, which inflicts the newBuried condition - immobilizing the target in the ground. DK has gained a general increase in movement and attack speed, but at the expense of some of his exemplary power and reach. DK is considered to be neither buffed nor nerfed fromSmash 64 because of this, but he is now ranked slightly better inMelee compared toSmash 64.

Stages[edit]

• 
  Past Stages:Kongo Jungle (Unlockable): The original Congo Jungle stage fromSuper Smash Bros. is one of three such stages to have been ported toMelee; besides a correctly spelled name, it is seemingly an exact replica of the stage, with a slightly larger size and a slight delay to the launch process of the Barrel Cannon that is underneath the stage.
• 
  DK Island:Kongo Jungle (Starter): This stage does not represent any specific location in anyDonkey Kong game, but is instead a general representation of one type of location in Donkey Kong's home jungle environment, which is on multiple wooden platforms built into the edge of a waterfall near a cabin. One type of Kremling enemy, aKlap Trap, sometimes flows down the river and snaps at players as it falls off the waterfall. Like inSmash 64, there is a Barrel Canon underneath the stage moving from side to side.
• 
  DK Island:Jungle Japes (Starter): This stage, though sharing the name of the first level ofDonkey Kong 64, more closely resembles the jungle level tileset fromDonkey Kong Country. It is set on multiple wooden platforms built on top of a fast-flowing jungle river, a river that makes it hard for characters to recover from if they fall in. The silhouette ofCranky Kong is seen passing by the window of a cabin in the background. Klap Traps that swim and jump out of the water to bite at players amount to very powerful stage hazards.

Items[edit]

Bold italics denote an item new to theSmash Bros. series.

• Hammer: Returns fromSmash 64 somewhat powered down. There is now a one-out-of-eight chance that the hammer's head will fall off its stick, forcing the player to be swinging a non-damaging stick helplessly for the entire duration. The discarded hammer head, meanwhile, can be picked up by a separate character and thrown as a powerful projectile until it disappears.
• Barrel Cannon: A portable version of the many empty barrels in the series that Donkey Kong and other characters can launch themselves out of like cannons. InMelee, a player can pick up a Barrel Cannon and throw it at another to trap them inside it, and the victim must wait until the barrel faces a proper direction before they can shoot themselves out of it with a button press.

Music[edit]

• Kongo Jungle: A cover band performance of the "DK Rap" made infamous in the opening sequence of Donkey Kong 64, with a much different assortment of instruments and rhythms from its original appearance. It is heard in theKongo Jungle stage. This is also used in one of Donkey Kong's credits theme. It is notable for being the first track with vocals to appear inSmash as well as the only one inMelee. It is Song 3 on theSound Test.
• Jungle Japes: A calm and atmospheric remix of the standard "Jungle music" in various stages of the originalDonkey Kong Country. It is heard in theJungle Japes stage. This is also used one of Donkey Kong's credits theme. It is Song 4 in the Sound Test.
• Kongo Jungle N64: TheSmash 64 remix of the standard "Jungle music" heard in the originalDonkey Kong Country. It is heard in the same stage,Past Stages: Kongo Jungle. It is Song 27 in the Sound Test.
• DK's Victory: The victory theme ofDonkey Kong is an orchestration of the "Boss Defeated" music or the theme played after clearing a Bonus Level, first heard inDonkey Kong Country. It is Song 39 in the Sound Test.
• Hammer: Sped-up chiptune music that occurs when a player picks up the Hammer, in homage to the tune that would play when Mario would pick up a hammer in the originalDonkey Kong. It is Song 76 in the Sound Test.

Trophies[edit]

InSuper Smash Bros. Brawl[edit]

Super Smash Bros. Brawl debuts the second playable character from theDonkey Kong series; these two characters occupy a column on the game's roster shared with the stars of the other twoMario subseries,Yoshi andWario, which neighbors the column devoted to the coreMario series itself.Diddy Kong andDixie Kong were originally planned to be a tag-team fighter and the player would have been able to swap between the two during battle like inDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. However, this idea was scrapped due to technical issues and Diddy Kong was left as a solo fighter.^[2]

Fighters[edit]

• 
  Donkey Kong (Starter): Donkey Kong returns from hisSuper Smash Bros. Melee appearance with a more natural look to his fur, but with no particular changes to his attack and movement patterns otherwise. HisFinal Smash is theKonga Beat, in which he enters an invincible, immobile mode and slaps on bongo drums to the beat of the DK Island Swing theme fromDonkey Kong Country - for each successfully timed button input by the player during this process, DK emits a large damaging shockwave. These drums are a replica of the bongo drum controller peripheral used for the GameCube gamesDonkey Kong Jungle Beat andDonkey Konga, which in turn was based on an "ultimate musical attack" DK could use inDonkey Kong 64. As a fighter, Donkey Kong has regained a good degree of power and force in his attacks and has better mobility, and as a result, he is now a mid-tier character; despite this, the differentBrawl environment and his ever-present weaknesses against projectile-using characters in high-level play cause him to remain in the mid tier in the competitive community.
• 
  Diddy Kong (Starter): Diddy Kong, a monkey, was introduced as Donkey Kong's nephew and best friend inDonkey Kong Country, and in that game and many games to follow, he has become the most prolific "secondary" playable character to Donkey Kong in the latter's games, even being the main character of some of his own games. Due to his introduction in a British-developed title, Diddy Kong is the only character made outside of Japan in theBrawl roster. His special move arsenal includes generating and tossingBanana Peel items that trip opponents, as well as some technology from his playable role inDonkey Kong 64 - hisPeanut Popguns give him a second projectile, while hisRocketbarrel Boost is usable for recovery. His Final Smash,Rocketbarrel Barrage, combines these two implements into a temporary flying mode that shoots very powerful explosive projectiles downwards. While this utility, together with Diddy's good overall speed, is offset in concept by his weak smash attacks and weak KO moves, the greatly versatile capabilities of his banana peels - useful for offensive maneuvers, defensive maneuvers, and stage control alike - more than make up for his shortcomings and manage to cement him as one of the game's best competitive character choices.

Stages[edit]

• 
  Melee Stages:Jungle Japes (Unlockable): The Jungle Japes stage makes a return appearance as part ofBrawl's collection ofMelee Stages, with one primary difference: characters are now buoyant in the rushing river underneath the platforms because of the newswimming mechanic. While the river is still dangerous and carries off characters very fast, it is possible for a character that falls into it on the right side of the screen to be able to jump back out and recover.
• 
  Rumble Falls (Starter): Based on the gameDonkey Kong Jungle Beat, Rumble Falls is a large level, filled with ladder-like layers of platforms, in which the camera and the blast boundaries continuously scroll upwards, forcing combatants to constantly climb up while fighting, much like theIcicle Mountain stage fromMelee. The stage is one of few in the game to includeladders that characters can climb, and also has various traps and buttons that can be hit to activate them. Once the top of the waterfall is reached in the background, the stage background fades into the starting waterfall and restarts itself.
• 
  75m (Unlockable): An almost perfect recreation of the elevator stage in the originalDonkey Kong arcade game, rendered in an identical 8-bit style. Another of a few stages that contain climbable ladders, the unorthodox, platform-packed stage includes many stage hazards: mobile fireballs, bouncing jacks across the long top platform, and the original arcade-style Donkey Kong himself at the top left.

Items[edit]

Bold italics denote an item new to theSmash Bros. series.
TheBarrel Cannon is removed as a traditional item, despite a black, metallic variation on it now appearing as a common stage element in various levels of theSubspace Emissary adventure mode. Meanwhile, thePeanuts that Diddy Kong can create are not available as items that can be switched off or on in matches, but while theBanana Peels he creates are official items in and of themselves, they are counted as representative of the coreMario universe instead ofDonkey Kong, representing the item from theMario Kart series.

• Hammer: TheSuper Smash Bros. Brawl version of the Hammer is virtually unaltered in function or specifics from itsMelee version, besides some slightly altered damage values for a hurled Hammer head.
• Spring: This item's design is taken directly from the second level ofDonkey Kong Jr., as well as the sound that plays when it is jumped on, though the concept of a spring that can be carried and hurled more closely resemblesSuper Mario World. As an item, this is a fairly weak throwing projectile, but while grounded, its purple-facing side can propel away characters that bump into it, whether the spring is left lying upright or on its side.

Music[edit]

Original tracks[edit]

• Jungle Level Ver. 2 - A fast-paced, jazzy, rock-tinged arrangement of the "DK Island Swing" music fromDonkey Kong Country. It is the theme of the Rumble Falls stage.
• Jungle Level - Another remix of "DK Island Swing". This remix is taken directly from theDonkey Kong Country soundtrack. It is used on the Rumble Falls stage.
• King K. Rool / Ship Deck 2 - A completely redone version of the song used during the battle againstKing K. Rool inDonkey Kong Country. It is used on the Rumble Falls stage. This theme is also played during both Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong's Classic Mode credits.
• Bramble Blast - FromDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, where it was known as "Stickerbush Symphony," this is a faster remix of said song, which played in all of the bramble-filled levels. It is used on the Rumble Falls stage.
• Donkey Kong - A techno arrangement of the themes from the originalDonkey Kong arcade game, composed by the original game's sound effects producer,Hirokazu Tanaka. It is the theme of the 75m stage.
• Opening (Donkey Kong) - A remix of several themes from the originalDonkey Kong arcade game. It is used on the 75m stage.

Returning tracks[edit]

• Jungle Japes (Melee) - Taken directly fromMelee. A calm and atmospheric remix of "DK Island Swing". It is the theme of the Jungle Japes stage.
• Kongo Jungle (Melee) - Taken directly fromMelee. A cover band performance of the infamous "DK Rap". It is used on the Jungle Japes stage.

Source tracks[edit]

• Battle for Storm Hill - Music for the first stage of theDurian Kingdom named "Battle for Storm Hill", taken directly fromDonkey Kong Jungle Beat. It is used on the Rumble Falls stage.
• DK Jungle 1 Theme (Barrel Blast) - Taken directly from the recently released racing titleDonkey Kong Barrel Blast, it is used on the Rumble Falls stage.
• The Map Page / Bonus Level - A combination of two themes taken directly from theDonkey Kong Country—the world map andBonus Levels. It is used on the Rumble Falls stage.
• 25m BGM - The music of the first level of theDonkey Kong NES port. It is used on the 75m stage.

Victory theme[edit]

• Victory! Donkey Kong Series - A whimsical-sounding remix of the victory theme played inDonkey Kong Country after defeating a boss or successfully completing a bonus level.

Trophies[edit]

Stickers[edit]

Masterpiece[edit]

• Donkey Kong

InSuper Smash Bros. 4[edit]

TheDonkey Kong franchise continues to be well represented withinSuper Smash Bros. 4. While there are no new characters, other content within the games has been updated to reflect such recent titles likeDonkey Kong Country Returns andDonkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. BothDonkey Kong andDiddy Kong return.

Fighters[edit]

• 
  Donkey Kong (Starter): He has once again received a furrier appearance than his prior game appearance. While most of his moves are the same, many of them have been buffed. For example, hisSpinning Kong now spins at an angle when used on the ground, andHand Slap can now be used in midair. His dash attack has also been changed to theRoll Attack from theDonkey Kong Country games. He sports more exaggerated facial expressions while performing attacks. When Donkey Kong is launched, his eyes will bulge out of his head.

• 
  Diddy Kong (Starter): He's back again, and it's about time too, and this time, he's in the mood. He was revealed to promote the Western release ofDonkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. His proportions have been tweaked to match his recent appearances, like his head being smaller. Due to his arms and legs stretching while performing attacks, several of his moves involving his limbs now have longer range in general. A significant nerf is that he can now only have oneBanana Peel out at a time. Much like Donkey Kong, his general expressiveness has been exaggerated.

Stages[edit]

for Nintendo 3DS[edit]

• 
  Jungle Japes (Starter): Staged beforeCranky's Cabin in theeponymous forest fromDonkey Kong 64. The cabin is positioned above a rapidly-flowing river filled withKlaptraps that snap at the players. Due to the limitations of the 3DS hardware, water is not swimmable, making the stage function the same way it did inMelee. This is one of the possible stages to appear in Level 1 ofAll-Star Mode as ahome stage for Donkey Kong. ItsΩ form is a floating platform likeFinal Destination.

for Wii U[edit]

• 
  Kongo Jungle 64 (Unlockable): A wooden complex in ajungle canopy fromDonkey Kong Country at sunset. A Barrel Cannon hovers back-and-forth underneath the stage and will launch fighters that fall into it. A flock ofNeckies flies in the background. This stage is large enough to accommodate8-Player Smash and is one of the possible stages to appear in Level 3 ofAll-Star Mode as ahome stage for Diddy Kong. ItsΩ form is columnar. ItsΩ form is a floating platform. It is one of four stages from the originalSuper Smash Bros. to be inSSB4, with the other three beingPeach's Castle,Hyrule Castle, andDream Land. Of the four, Kongo Jungle 64 is the only stage available in the base game.
• 
  75m (Starter): A construction site from the originalDonkey Kong. The eponymous ape periodically moves into the foreground and summons bouncy pixelated springs that cause damage on impact. Unlike inBrawl, the beams in the upper right corner of the stage are not walk-off platforms, removing the opportunity tocamp. It is one of the largest stages in the game and supports8-Player Smash. ItsΩ form is a floating platform likeFinal Destination.
• 
  Jungle Hijinxs (Starter): Staged in thefirst level ofDonkey Kong Country Returns. The stage has two layers, allowing a player to travel between the foreground and background areas viaBarrel Cannons. After doing so, the player will be covered in non-damaging flames. Attempting to use a barrel while in flames will cause an explosion, preventing stalling. While in the background, attacks will cause more knockback to compensate for the further distance from the blast lines. Occasionally, the middle part of the foreground will crumble away.Screaming Pillars occasionally appear on the right side of the stage between the foreground and background. Blasting into it from the one side will cause it to fall toward the other side and damage anyone it hits. Only itsΩ form can accommodate8-Player Smash, which is columnar.

Items[edit]

• Hammer (battering): A large mallet from the originalDonkey Kong. The player who picks it up enters a state of constantly swinging it, inflicting damage to opponents who make contact with its head. However, theHammerhead occasionally falls off, leaving the user vulnerable as they swing a useless stick. Other players can pick up the Hammerhead and throw it as a powerful projectile. The length of the attack is much shorter than it was inMelee andBrawl.
• Spring (throwing): a purple spring fromDonkey Kong Jr. It is a bouncy projectile the fighters can hop on. If it falls on its side after being tossed, it will bounce opponents from the side, like theBumper item. The base and top of the Spring is more stylized than before, with a yellow ring-like pattern on it.

Smash Tour items[edit]

• Hammer (Red): A large mallet from the originalDonkey Kong. The user starts battle with a Hammer.
• DK Barrel (Red): A wooden barrel with the "D.K." symbol on it fromDonkey Kong Country. It allows the user to have one of their characters as a CPU ally.
• Zinger (Blue): An aggressive wasp fromDonkey Kong Country. The user places a trap on the board that can launch an opponent.
• Dixie Kong (Red): A pony-tailed ape fromDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. It adds an extra jump to the user's number ofmidair jumps.

Enemies[edit]

• Kritter: One of King K. Rool'scrocodile cronies fromDonkey Kong Country. It lumbers around the stage and will attack nearby opponents. Its design derives from its more recent appearances inDonkey Kong Barrel Blast andMario Super Sluggers. There are two varieties of Kritter:
  • Green Kritter: A run-of-the-mill Kritter with green scales. It bites three times, and can turn around between each snap.
  • Blue Kritter: A Kritter with blue scales. It strikes opponents with a multi-hitting spinning tackle, which it can also perform while jumping.
• Tiki Buzz: A flying tiki drum fromDonkey Kong Country Returns. It drops down on opponents that walk underneath it. Like aGoomba, it can be defeated by jumping on its head. Doing so launches the player skyward.

Mii Costume[edit]

Outfit[edit]

• King K. Rool Outfit (DLC): This outfit is based onKing K. Rool, the reoccurring antagonist of the earlyDonkey Kong Country games and Donkey Kong's rival. He has been a highly requested fighter among fans sinceMelee, but a big collective push from the community resulted in him being a very popular candidate on theSmash Bros. Fighter Ballot. The outfit was released with a corresponding hat in K. Rool's likeness on July 31, 2015 asdownloadable content. The costume is covered in crocodile scutes, has a tail, and features a gold-platted belly. These are characteristics that have not been part of K. Rool's design sinceDonkey Kong 64.

Headgear[edit]

• King K. Rool Hat (DLC)

Music[edit]

Nine of the nineteen tracks included are derivative of "DK Island Swing" from the originalDonkey Kong Country, including three of the new music tracks.

Original tracks[edit]

• Jungle Level Jazz Style: Ajazz-influenced orchestration of "DK Island Swing" fromDonkey Kong Country. It plays on Jungle Hijinxs.
• Jungle Level Tribal Style: An arrangement of "DK Island Swing" fromDonkey Kong Countryled by ashakuhachi flute. It plays on Kongo Jungle 64.
• Gear Getaway: An arrangement of "Gear Getaway" fromDonkey Kong Country Returns and "DK Island Swing" fromDonkey Kong Country. It plays on Jungles Japes and Jungle Hijinxs.
• Donkey Kong Country Returns (Vocals): A vocal remix of the title theme ofDonkey Kong Country Returns, itself an arrangement of "Theme" fromDonkey Kong Country. The chorus is uncredited and the vocals are nonsensical. It plays on Kongo Jungle 64.

Returning tracks[edit]

• Kongo Jungle: A remix of "DK Island Swing" fromDonkey Kong Country. It plays on Jungle Japes and Kongo Jungle 64.
• DK Rap: an arrangement of "DK Rap" fromDonkey Kong 64 sung by James W. Norwood Jr. The piece was abridged inSmash for Wii U. It plays on Jungle Hijinxs.
• Donkey Kong: Anelectronic dance-influenced medley of pieces from the originalDonkey Kong, including "Radar", "25m BGM", "75m BGM", and "Game Start". It plays on 75m.
• Opening (Donkey Kong): An arrangement of the "Title Theme" fromDonkey Kong. It plays on 75m.
• Jungle Level: A faithful orchestration of "DK Island Swing" fromDonkey Kong Country. It plays on Jungle Hijinx.
• Jungle Level Ver. 2: An arrangement of "DK Island Swing" fromDonkey Kong Country with a faster tempo and a chorus. It plays on Kongo Jungle 64.
• King K. Rool / Ship Deck 2: A remix of "Gang-Plank Galleon" fromDonkey Kong Country. It plays on Kongo Jungle 64.
• Stickerbush Symphony: An arrangement of "Stickerbush Symphony" fromDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. It plays on Smash Run and Jungle Hijinxs.

Source tracks[edit]

• 25m Theme: "25m BGM" from the NES port ofDonkey Kong. It plays on 75m.
• Battle for Storm Hill: FromDonkey Kong: Jungle Beat. It plays on Jungle Hijinx.
• Donkey Kong Country Returns: Though sourced fromDonkey Kong Country Returns, it itself is an arrangement of "Theme" fromDonkey Kong Country. It plays on Kongo Jungle 64.
• Jungle Hijinx: Though sourced fromDonkey Kong Country Returns, it itself is an arrangement of "DK Island Swing" fromDonkey Kong Country. It plays on Jungle Hijinx.
• Mole Patrol: FromDonkey Kong Country Returns. It plays on Jungle Hijinx.
• Mangrove Cove: FromDonkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. It plays on Jungle Hijinx.
• Swinger Flinger: "Bopopolis" fromTropical Freeze, itself an arrangement of "DK Island Swing" fromDonkey Kong Country. It plays on Jungle Hijinx. The name of this piece is misapplied inSmash.

Victory theme[edit]

• Victory! Donkey Kong Series: A flourished fanfare of the victory theme fromDonkey Kong Country, after Donkey Kong defeated a boss or completed a bonus level. It is sourced directly fromBrawl.

Trophies[edit]

Masterpiece[edit]

• Donkey Kong

InSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]

TheDonkey Kong series has received a considerable boost in representation, with theDonkey Kong Country games receiving greater representation. In addition to the returning two veterans, King K. Rool makes his debut as a newcomer along with the first Assist Trophy in the series. This is the first title to have unlockableDonkey Kong fighters.

Fighters[edit]

• 02.
  
  Donkey Kong (Starter): The leader of the bunch returns once again as a starter fighter, this time with a new Final Smash calledJungle Rush.
• 36.
  
  Diddy Kong (Unlockable): Donkey Kong's little buddy returns as an unlockable fighter after being a starter inBrawl andSmash 4. During the transition, Diddy Kong received a new Final Smash calledHyper Rocketbarrel.
• 67.
  
  King K. Rool (Unlockable): The leader of the Kremlings and nemesis of the Kongs, King K. Rool makes his debut as an unlockable newcomer, sporting a design that combines his modern appearance with his original look fromDonkey Kong Country. He uses hisBlast-o-Matic fromDonkey Kong 64 for his Final Smash.

Stages[edit]

AllDonkey Kong stages exceptRumble Falls andJungle Hijinxs return.

• 
  
  Kongo Jungle (Starter)

• 
  
  Kongo Falls (Starter): This stage was previously known as "Kongo Jungle" inMelee.

• 
  
  Jungle Japes (Starter)

• 
  
  75m (Starter): The sound effects present in the stage have been changed to match the original arcade version.

World of Light Sub-World[edit]

• 
  DK Island: Based on theKongo Jungle world map fromDonkey Kong Country, DK Island appears as a sub-world inThe Light Realm. The player progresses through the map much like the original game, with all spirit battles hailing from theDonkey Kong universe. Once the player gets to the banana horde, they can unlockDiddy Kong.

Item[edit]

• Hammer (battering): A large mallet from the originalDonkey Kong game, functioning largely the same as it did in previous games. Aesthetically, the music that plays when a character picks up hammer now sounds closer to the original arcade game's corresponding theme, and if a hit connects, the corresponding sound and visual effects are shown.

Assist Trophy[edit]

• Klaptrap: A recurring enemy in theDonkey Kong games. When summoned, Klaptrap latches onto the opponent and bites on them, dealing damage.

Mii Costumes[edit]

Outfit[edit]

• King K. Rool Outfit

Headgear[edit]

• King K. Rool Hat
• Dixie Kong's Hat

Music[edit]

Original tracks[edit]

• Donkey Kong / Donkey Kong Jr. Medley: A medley of tracks fromDonkey Kong andDonkey Kong Jr., including "Game Start", "25m", "Hammer Theme", "Bonus Running Out", "Stage Clear", "100m", and "All Clear" fromDonkey Kong; and "Game Start", "Stage 1", "Stage 4", "Ending", and "Stage Clear" fromDonkey Kong Jr.
• The Map Page / Bonus Level (Remix): A medley of "Simian Segue" and "Bonus Room Blitz" fromDonkey Kong Country.
• Snakey Chantey: A new remix of Rattle Battle's music fromDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest.
• Gang-Plank Galleon: A new fast-paced funk remix ofGangplank Galleon's music fromDonkey Kong Country.
• Crocodile Cacophony: A medley consisting of a techno remix of "Crocodile Cacophony", Kaptain K. Rool's boss theme, and "K. Rool Returns", both fromDonkey Kong Country 2.

Returning tracks[edit]

• Jungle Level (64): An arrangement "DK Island Swing" fromDonkey Kong Country, the music played in jungle levels, returning from the originalSuper Smash Bros.
• DK Rap: A remix of the "DK Rap" fromDonkey Kong 64, sung by James W. Norwood Jr. Returns fromMelee.
• Jungle Level (Melee): Another arrangement of "DK Island Swing" fromDonkey Kong Country, returns fromMelee.
• Opening Theme - Donkey Kong: A medley of songs from the originalDonkey Kong, containing the title theme, the tune played when Donkey Kong appears, and the Hammer theme. Returns fromBrawl.
• Donkey Kong: An electronic dance-influenced medley of tracks from the originalDonkey Kong, including "Radar", "25m BGM", "75m BGM", and "Game Start". Returns fromBrawl.
• Jungle Level (Brawl): A third arrangement of "DK Island Swing" fromDonkey Kong Country, with a faster tempo and a chorus. Returns fromBrawl.
• King K. Rool / Ship Deck 2: An arrangement of the music that plays on Gangplank Galleon and King K. Rool's theme fromDonkey Kong Country. Returns fromBrawl.
• Stickerbrush Symphony: An arrangement of "Stickerbrush Symphony fromDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. Returns fromBrawl.
• Gear Getaway: An arrangement of the music in Gear Getaway fromDonkey Kong Country Returns, and "DK Island Swing" fromDonkey Kong Country. Returns fromSmash 4.
• Donkey Kong Country Returns (Vocals): A vocal arrangement of the title theme fromDonkey Kong Country Returns. Returns fromSmash for Wii U.
• Jungle Level Jazz Style (for 3DS / Wii U): A Jazz-influenced arrangement of "DK Island Swing" fromDonkey Kong Country. Returns fromSmash for Wii U.
• Jungle Level Tribal Style (for 3DS / Wii U): An arrangement of "DK Island Swing" led by a shakuhachi flute. Returns fromSmash for Wii U.

Source tracks[edit]

• 25m BGM: the music that plays in the first level of the originalDonkey Kong, now using the original arcade theme. Ripped directly from that game.
• The Map Page / Bonus Level (Original): "Simian Segue" and "Bonus Room Blitz", ripped fromDonkey Kong Country.
• Jungle Hijinx: The theme of the first stage,Jungle Hijinx, which itself is a remix of "DK Island Swing" fromDonkey Kong Country, ripped fromDonkey Kong Country Returns.
• Swinger Flinger: The theme ofBopopolis, which itself is a remix of "DK Island Swing" fromDonkey Kong Country, ripped fromDonkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, though still misnamed fromSmash 4.
• Ice Cave Chant: The music featured in the level "Slipslide Ride", ripped directly fromDonkey Kong Country.
• Funky's Fugue: The music played at Funky's Flights, ripped directly fromDonkey Kong Country.
• Battle for Storm Hill: The music for Battle for Storm Hill, ripped fromDonkey Kong Jungle Beat.
• Boss 2 - DK: Jungle Climber: The music that plays during the second boss, ripped fromDK: Jungle Climber.
• Donkey Kong Country Returns: The main theme ofDonkey Kong Country Returns. Ripped directly from that game.
• Mole Patrol: "Lift-Off Launch", ripped fromDonkey Kong Country Returns.
• Mangrove Cove: The theme that plays in Mangrove Cove, ripped fromDonkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze.

Victory themes[edit]

• Victory! Donkey Kong Series: An arrangement of the theme played when beating a boss or a bonus stage inDonkey Kong Country, unchanged fromBrawl andSmash 4. Used by Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong.
• Victory! King K. Rool: An arrangement of the first part of "Gangplank Galleon" fromDonkey Kong Country.

Spirits[edit]

Games with elements appearing in theSuper Smash Bros. series[edit]

TheDonkey Kong universe has media represented throughout theSuper Smash Bros. series with a total of 23 games. The latest game represented in this universe isDonkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, released on February 13, 2014.

Trivia[edit]

• InUltimate, Pauline is now classified as part of theMario universe instead of theDonkey Kong universe, unlike pastSmash games; Pauline is represented with her appearance fromSuper Mario Odyssey. However, her appearance from theDonkey Kong arcade game (as Lady) is classified as part of theDonkey Kong universe.
• TheDonkey Kong universe is the first franchise inSmash Bros. history to have more than one playable character created outside of Japan.
  • It is also one of the only four universes (alongsideMetroid,Banjo-Kazooie, andMinecraft) to feature playable characters that were created outside Japan.
• TheDonkey Kong universe is one of three universes that currently have multiple playable characters without anyclone archetypes, the others beingKirby andFinal Fantasy.
• TheDonkey Kong series was the first universe to introduce a music track with vocals, that being theDK Rap inMelee.
• TheDonkey Kong universe is the only series to have all of its fighters not have traditional voice actors, but instead realistic animal noises for their voices.

References[edit]

v • d • e Donkey Kong universe
Fighters	Donkey Kong (SSB ·SSBM ·SSBB ·SSB4 ·SSBU) ·Diddy Kong (SSBB ·SSB4 ·SSBU) ·King K. Rool (SSBU)
Assist Trophy	Klaptrap
Boss	Giant Donkey Kong
Stages	Kongo Jungle ·Kongo Falls ·Jungle Japes ·Rumble Falls ·75m ·Jungle Hijinxs
Items	Hammer ·Barrel Cannon ·Peanut ·Spring
Enemies	Kritter ·Tiki Buzz
Other	Dixie Kong ·DK Barrel ·DK Island ·Pauline ·Stanley ·Zinger
Trophies,Stickers andSpirits	Trophies (SSBM ·SSBB ·SSB4) ·Stickers ·Spirits
Music	Brawl ·SSB4 ·Ultimate
Masterpiece	Donkey Kong
Related content	Mario (universe) ·Banjo ·Barrel

• Universes
• Donkey Kong universe