donkeykong.com
| donkeykong.com | |
|---|---|
 The main page | |
| Release date |  1999[1] |
| End of service | 2025[2] |
| Language | English (United States) |
| URL | https://donkeykong.com/ |
donkeykong.com was a website maintained by Nintendo beginning in 1999. The website contained details pertaining to the most recent Donkey Kong franchise game to be released at the time, which were presented via Adobe Flash microsites. The site was eventually redirected to donkeykong.nintendo.com, the official website for Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. However, as of 2026, the site has been completely discontinued.
History[edit]
Initial design[edit]
- Main article: DKTV (microsite)
Upon launch, the site redirected to an IP-based domain containing content for multiple Nintendo sites, one of them being Mario Party 3.[1] This appears to have been done in error, as links on nintendo.com from the period mention the site hosting Donkey Kong 64 content. Said site was also accessible by visiting donkeykong64.com.
The error was fixed in early 2000. Upon launching the site, the viewer was told to enter either the "low bandwidth" site (intended for viewers who did not have Adobe Flash installed) or the "high bandwidth" site (intended for viewers who did have Adobe Flash installed). The page also contained a link to another page on store.nintendo.com at which one could purchase tbe "Donkey Kong 64 Jungle Pak One Year" bundle.[3]
The low-bandwidth site contained a series of sections providing details about the game. "Primary Primates" provided details pertaining to the playable characters, including a "Bio", their special move, their weapon, and their instrument, "Basic Business" contained details about collectibles, such as stating how many bananas certain items were worth, "Villains" contained details about the game's antagonists, "Strategy" contained tips to complete certain areas, "Mystery Mode" contained details about the titular mode, and "Gorilla Goodies" contained links to the DK Rap Attack contest and various bundles one could purchase (as well as the game's Player's Guide).
The high-bandwidth of the site contained an Adobe Flash-based microsite known as "DKTV". This segment contained various browser games, details about the game, and miniseries about the game.
Second design[edit]
The website was redesigned by 2005 to promote the release of Donkey Kong Jungle Beat. The site initially only contained links to the DK Bongos Controller newsletter and a "DK locator" on nintendo.com to find an interactive demo kiosk, the latter of which was shown after a short Adobe Flash-based animation.
More content was added to the website later in the year, though most of this content has not been archived. The main .SWF file for the website was not captured until 2011, long after the site had been modified. However, several wallpapers from the site were archived, all of which depict characters from the game.
The first wallpaper
The second wallpaper
The third wallpaper
Third design[edit]
The site was redesigned again in 2009 to promote New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat. This iteration of the site simply featured details about the game, including Donkey Kong's Wild Moves, the game's story and the Jungle Buddies appearing within the game, the kingdoms appearing within the game, and the game's unique control scheme after being ported to the Wii. The site's homepage also featured a gameplay video and a link to sign up for a newsletter about the game. Following this design, the website was turned into a redirect that pointed to donkeykong.nintendo.com.
References[edit]
- ^ a b Earliest web archive
- ^ Final web archive
- ^ Bundle page (archived)
