Ape-Nesia

"Ape-Nesia" is the twenty-third episode of the Donkey Kong Country television series and the tenth episode of season 2. In this episode, Donkey Kong is stricken by amnesia and is soon drafted into the ranks of the villains.

Plot synopsis
Donkey Kong is relaxing while eating bananas in his treehouse when Diddy pops in for a visit to ask if he wants to see something before accidentally slipping on one of the peels littered around the treehouse. He turns out okay and jokes about bruising his posterior, which DK takes as a hint that he should clean up before anything else happens. As he is cleaning, though Donkey Kong slips on a peel and slides into the elevator, causing it to crash down. Diddy jumps down and asks DK if he's okay, but DK replies "Who are you?" Diddy believes him to be joking at first before realizing that he really has amnesia and runs off to find Cranky.

Elsewhere, Candy is impatiently waiting for DK in the jungle. She becomes furious and declares that "the big ape doesn't know it, but he's in big trouble!" She doesn't notice DK wandering around in the background, nor does he overhear her complaining.

On the beach, Kaptain Skurvy's crew is digging for treasure that Skurvy believes they have buried there, but is not entirely sure where it is. Green Kroc then asks Skurvy why they bury treasure, prompting Skurvy to have Kutlass quote The Pirate Handbook for the answer. Green Kroc still doesn't see the point, since they will dig the treasure up again, but before Skurvy can say anything more, DK comes up to them, asking if they know who he is. Green Kroc attempts to answer for him, but Skurvy interrupts and declares that he is his first mate, "Donkey Croc." (promptly demoting Kutlass to "second mate.")

Meanwhile, Diddy and Cranky are at the spot where Donkey Kong fell. Diddy has explained the situation to Cranky, who advises using Funky's plane for aerial surveillance. As Diddy wanders off, Cranky then states to himself that he hopes it isn't a trick so DK doesn't have to owe him twenty bananas or else he'll give DK "something he'll never forget."

On Skurvy's ship, Donkey Kong is not sure that he is really a croc, instead believing himself to be an ape, but Skurvy convinces him (during a song) that he is a croc by putting a large frame between them and mimicking Donkey's actions, giving the impression of a mirror. Shortly following, "Donkey Croc" is given his own pirate hat and eye patch, and eagerly awaits his first task as a member of Skurvy's crew. Skurvy orders him to go steal the Crystal Coconut, but since he no longer knows where is is, Skurvy has to make a map for him first.

Diddy and Funky, meanwhile, have been searching for DK by air in Funky's plane. They don't find him, but they catch sight of Skurvy's ship below and head back to Cranky's Cabin to alert him of this news.

Donkey Croc sets off in his task, along the way stealing Candy's necklace, Eddie the Yeti's club, and King K. Rool's "throne", leaving banana peels in their place. However, at the moment Donkey Croc leaves with K. Rool's throne, Klump, Krusha, and King K. Rool emerge from behind a pile of crates, confused at the event that just occurred.

At Cranky's Cabin, Funky and Diddy report that the pirates are on the island, as well as that Donkey Kong is still missing. However, at that moment, Donkey Croc breaks into the cabin, steals the Crystal Coconut, and leaves with Funky's plane. It is at this moment that the three realize that DK believes himself to be a pirate.

Back on the ship, Skurvy is congratulating Donkey Croc for his impressive amount of loot, and then tells the crew that they are now going to bury all the treasure minus the Coconut. Unbeknownst to them, however, K. Rool, Klump, and Krusha are spying on them; upon finding out that DK believes he is a pirate, K. Rool begins to think of ways to use this turn of events to his advantage.

In the cabin, Cranky researches a cure for Donkey Kong's amnesia and finds it in one of his books, but then dashes off before telling it to Diddy and Funky.

Back on the ship, Donkey Croc is eating from a pile of bananas as the pirates debate what to do with him. After the brief discussion, Skurvy orders Donkey Croc to "go ashore and capture a scurvy sea-dog [who] goes by the name of... Donkey Kong!" Donkey Croc then heads off while Skurvy and his boys laugh at their trick.

Cranky meets up with Candy and explains the situation to her, as well as that they cannot find Donkey Kong. Cranky states that his book tells him there is only one thing they can do. Candy suggests hitting him on the head to restore his memory, but Cranky states that isn't that easy.

Soon, in the jungle, Donkey Croc loses his way and crosses paths with K. Rool, who acts like he has been looking for him. K. Rool then convinces the ape (in song) that he isn't Donkey Croc, but rather a relative of his named "Donkey Rool". Convinced of this, "Donkey Rool" tosses away his pirate gear and, after K. Rool asks him if he knows the location of the Crystal Coconut, volunteers to go fetch it for him.

On his way back to Skurvy's ship, Donkey Rool is stopped by Diddy and Funky (still thinking he is Donkey Croc), who try to restore his memory by having him recall past events (showing scenes from "Booty and the Beast" and "Orangutango", respectively). This doesn't work, but Donkey Rool lets them know that he is working for King K. Rool now, the news of which the two find even worse. Donkey Rool doesn't get much further, though, before he runs into Cranky, who tries to help him remember another event (showing a scene from "The Curse of Kongo Bongo"), which doesn't work either.

Cranky then has Candy come in, talking sweetly to Donkey Rool in an attempt to jog his memory. Donkey Rool, however, insults her by not recognizing her as "his old sweetie-pie" and hitting on her. Furiously, she knocks him into a nearby tree, causing some coconuts to drop on his head. After shaking his head, he asks "What did you hit me with, Cranky?" Cranky is angry at him, but Candy realizes that he called him by his name, though Donkey Kong does not think much of it (stating that he couldn't call him "something else" with her around). This sends the message that DK has regained his memory, but Cranky tells him that he has to get the Coconut back, and he comes up with an idea to accomplish this task.

A few minutes later, DK rushes up to the pirates, pretending to be Donkey Croc again, and tells them that K. Rool is on the loose with a band of killer crocs, and the pirates aren't safe. DK then takes the Coconut and says he will hide it for them, giving Skurvy a map that he, naturally, follows to an X. Then, as Donkey Rool, DK tells K. Rool that he has hidden the Coconut from the pirates, and gives him another map.

After returning the Coconut to the Cabin, Diddy reminds DK that the entire situation began all because Donkey Kong was careless with his banana peels. Donkey Kong then states he has learned his lesson and that he has put them where they belong, and Diddy asks where that is. At that moment, K. Rool and Skurvy cross paths while looking for the Coconut, and they insult each other before noticing a barrel at the end of the mine. Believing it to contain the Crystal Coconut, they both dash for it, but slip on some laid-out banana peels and fall onto the ground below by accident, taking the barrel with them, with the barrel revealing that there is nothing but bananas inside. When they come to, they both have amnesia and, thanks to the bananas all around them, believe they are both monkeys.

Lyrics
SKURVY: ''Arrh! Feast your eyes Look into the mirror, arrh, it never lies! You're a pirate! Can't you see that this is no disguise? You live to loot and pillage, maim and terrorize!
 * "" (Sung by Kaptain Skurvy and Donkey Kong)

''Your reflection tells the story of a pirate's life of glory Trust your eyes! Arrh! The mirror never lies! Arrh!

DK: ''How can this be? I faintly recall swinging tree to tree! Now I see a pirate that's in front of me! With slimy skin and beady eyes, what a surprise!

''The reflection tells the story of a pirate's life of glory Trust my eye! The mirror never lies!

SKURVY & DK: ''The reflection tells the story of a pirate's life of glory Trust your eye! Arrh! The mirror never lies! The mirror never lies...

K. ROOL: ''Well! Listen here, while I make it clear! I can't believe you can't see what we see here! A crocodile, the superior species You're Donkey Croc, initials D.C. Looking at your claws You could be one of my in-laws!
 * "" (Sung by King K. Rool and Donkey Kong)

'''Cause you're one of us! One of us! You're mean and green, scaly sheen Can't you see you're one of us? You walk the walk, my brother Croc! Arm in arm, together we rock!''

DK: ''Well, if what you say is true... Then I guess we're brothers, same color with a similar hue With these fangs and this scaly skin... There's no question that we're family, next of kin

'''Cause I'm one of you! One of you! Same crew, nothing I can do! I can see I'm one of you One of you! One of you! The same crew! I'm really one of you!''

Animation and continuity errors

 * Right when Skurvy convinces DK that he's a member of his crew, Kutlass and Green Kroc have switched voices.
 * While Donkey Kong is lying on the ground after falling out of his treehouse, most of his left arm is missing. Additionally, when the camera is zooming in on Donkey Kong when he opens his eyes, his left elbow is not connected to his arm.
 * Just after Donkey Kong stole the Crystal Coconut, the coconut is on the safe as Diddy, Funky and Cranky run to catch DK and watch him fly away on an airplane.

Trivia

 * The title of this episode is a pun on "Amnesia".
 * DK breaks the fourth wall right after Diddy leaves by directly addressing the viewers and saying "I'd say he's the one with the problems."
 * This episode is included in the direct-to-video compilation film "Legend of the Crystal Coconut", but is placed before "Booty and the Beast" in the film, which causes a continuity error with the flashback to that episode.