Giant Squirrel

Giant Squirrel
Species	Flying squirrel
Appears in	Super Mario Kodansha manga (Super Mario: Donkey Kong 2) (1995)

The Giant Squirrel is a flying squirrel who was originally set to appear as a boss in Donkey Kong for the Game Boy before ultimately being removed from the final game. It makes its first and only proper appearance in the final chapter of the Game Boy Donkey Kong arc of KC Deluxe's Super Mario manga.

History

Donkey Kong (Game Boy)

A screenshot showing the Giant Squirrel in Volume 61 of Nintendo Power

The Giant Squirrel would have appeared in Donkey Kong for the Game Boy as a boss fought in the Forest. According to magazine previews, the Giant Squirrel would have made nuts fall from the trees. The player would then have had to pick up the nuts and use them to hit the boss. The Giant Squirrel was part of an idea about fighting different bosses in each world in the game, which was ultimately scrapped as the developers felt it would "diminish" Donkey Kong's presence.

Super Mario (KC Deluxe)

The Giant Squirrel is the main antagonist of the third chapter of the Super Mario: Donkey Kong 2 manga, the last one of the Game Boy Donkey Kong arc. In order to ask Donkey Kong Jr. and Pauline to appear as guests in their circus, Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, and Toad return to Donkey Kong Island after ten years, during which it has become a resort. After finding Donkey Kong Jr. (who has grown up and become the current Donkey Kong from Donkey Kong Country) and being introduced to his friend Diddy Kong, an arrow with a letter attached is thrown as them, stating that the original Donkey Kong has been kidnapped and taken to Miffy-chan no Oka. At the hill, the Giant Squirrel (hiding its identity under a cloth) is commanding an army of Kremlings. When the group arrives, the Giant Squirrel launches an attack, and the enemies from the Game Boy Donkey Kong appear to help DK. During the battle, the Giant Squirrel tricks the original Donkey Kong, who is now senile, into thinking that it is his son and that they are being attacked, causing the original DK to attack the current DK. When Mario, Luigi, DK, and Diddy seem to be losing the battle, the circus' animals, who swam all the way to the island, appear and help the group with winning against the Kremlings. Afterwards, Mario and DK hit the Giant Squirrel, revealing its identity. The Giant Squirrel introduces itself and explains that it was frustrated because it was excluded from Donkey Kong on the Game Boy and Donkey Kong Country. Mario then says that old games were difficult and most people did not make it to the end, and Luigi states to the Giant Squirrel that most people do not know that it exists, but comforts it by saying that even his brother Mario was excluded from the new game. Excited by knowing it was not the only one to be excluded, the Giant Squirrel flies away.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	モモガー Momogā	From「モモンガ」(momonga, "flying squirrel")