User:Doc von Schmeltwick/Projects/Donkey Kong Country

This page is about the 1994 SNES game Donkey Kong Country. For other uses of the name "Donkey Kong Country", see Donkey Kong Country (disambiguation).

"DKC" redirects here. For Donkey Kong Circus, see Donkey Kong Circus. For Donkey Kong Classics, see Donkey Kong Classics.

Donkey Kong Country
For alternate box art, see the related gallery.
Developer	Rareware
Publisher	Nintendo
Platforms	Super Famicom/Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Virtual Console (Wii, Wii U, New 3DS), Super NES Classic Edition, Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online
Release dates	SNES: November 18, 1994 November 21, 1994 November 26, 1994 1994 Virtual Console (Wii): December 7, 2006 December 8, 2006 December 12, 2006 February 19, 2007 May 26, 2008 Virtual Console (Wii U): October 16, 2014 October 17, 2014 November 26, 2014 February 26, 2015 Virtual Console (New 3DS): March 4, 2016 March 24, 2016 March 24, 2016 March 25, 2016 Super NES Classic Edition: September 29, 2017 September 29, 2017 September 30, 2017 October 5, 2017 Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online: July 15, 2020 July 15, 2020 July 15, 2020 July 15, 2020 July 15, 2020 July 15, 2020
Genre	Platformer
Ratings	ESRB: - Kids to Adults (original release) ESRB: - Everyone (Virtual Console release) CERO: - All ages PEGI: - Three years and older
Mode	1–2 players
Format	SNES: Game Pak Wii: Digital download Wii U: Digital download Nintendo Switch: Digital download Nintendo 3DS: Digital download Super NES Classic Edition: Built-in
Input	SNES: Super NES Controller Wii: Classic Controller Nintendo GameCube Controller Wii U: Wii U GamePad Classic Controller Wii U Pro Controller Nintendo Switch: Joy-Con Nintendo Switch Pro Controller Super NES Controller (NSO) Nintendo 3DS: Gamepad Super NES Classic Edition: Super NES Classic Controller Classic Controller

Donkey Kong Country is a side-scrolling platform game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System released in November 1994. It was developed by Rareware and published by Nintendo. The game stars Donkey Kong and his sidekick Diddy Kong, as the two travel across Donkey Kong Island to recover their banana hoard, stolen by the Kremlings and their leader, King K. Rool.

The player controls Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong (each with their own strengths and abilities) as they travel throughout a variety of linear levels in different environements. Gameplay features include the ability to ride a variety of other animal characters after freeing them, the ability to pick up and throw Barrels to defeat enemies and uncover hidden passages, and puzzles involving moving throught gauntlet of moving suspended barrels. Donkey Kong Country also encourages players to find all Bonus Areas hidden in the game's level to attain 101% completion, a feature its sequels would greatly expand upon.

The game reintroduced the Donkey Kong series (alongside the 1994 Game Boy game released a few months prior) after a nearly decade-long hiatus, and in doing also introduced Donkey Kong's modern design, his supporting cast and enemies, setting, musical motifs, and the gameplay mechanics that most of the following Donkey Kong games as well as Donkey Kong's appearances in Mario spin-off titles would build upon. The game's success spawned multiple sequels and spin-offs, a 40-episode 3D animated series, a chapter book adaptation, manga adaptations in Mario-related publications such as Kodansha's Super Mario manga and Super Mario-kun, and other merchandise. Donkey Kong Country was notable because of its pre-rendered sprites that were converted from 3D CGI models on Silicon Graphics workstations, inspiring future video games to do the same. Donkey Kong Country was followed by two sequels: Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest and Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! in 1995 and 1996.

The game was remade for the Game Boy Color in 2000 and was also remade again for the Game Boy Advance in 2003. Both remakes feature some extra Bonus Games and the ability to save in the overworld. Donkey Kong Country was ported to the Wii's Virtual Console in 2006/2007. On November 25, 2012, for reasons unknown, Donkey Kong Country and its sequels were delisted from the Wii Virtual Console, but on October 30, 2014, the games were relisted in Europe and Australia. Around the same time, the games were released on the Wii U's Virtual Console in Europe and Australia, in Japan on November 26, 2014, and in the United States and Canada on February 26, 2015. For handhelds, Donkey Kong Country was ported exclusively to the New Nintendo 3DS's Virtual Console in March 2016. It is one of the 21 games included on the Super NES Classic Edition and was made available on Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online for the Nintendo Switch on July 15, 2020.

In 1995, a specialized competition variant named Donkey Kong Country Competition Cartridge was manufactured for use in various video game tournaments held throughout 1995. After that, the few existing cartridges were sold in a Nintendo Power subscriber catalogue, and the carts have since become a collector's item.

Story

“I'll hunt them down through every part of my island, until I have every banana from my hoard back!!”

—Donkey Kong

During a stormy night on Donkey Kong Island, Donkey Kong orders Diddy to guard his banana hoard for his "hero training" until midnight. While watching for predators beneath the darkness, Diddy hears noises outside. He nervously asks, "W-w-who goes there?!". An ominous voice tells the other to seal Diddy in a barrel, kick it into the bushes, and steal the bananas. Diddy gets ambushed by Kremlings, some of which he manages to defeat with his Cartwheel Attack until being overpowered by Klump. He seals Diddy in a DK Barrel and kicks it across the jungle. The Kremlings load the entire banana hoard onto their vehicles and carry them through the jungle, dropping behind trails of bananas.

The next morning, Donkey Kong wakes up by a loud calling of his name. Realizing that he slept through his watch, Donkey Kong quickly exits his tree house, only to find Cranky Kong outside. Cranky prompts Donkey Kong to check the banana cave for a "big surprise". Inside the cave, Donkey Kong finds out that all of his bananas were stolen, with only a few discarded peels lying around. Cranky mocks Donkey Kong for shirking his responsibility, noting that Diddy is also gone. Meanwhile, Donkey Kong is in disbelief over his stolen bananas and rages that the Kremlings stole all of them. Donkey Kong vows to bring payback upon the Kremlings and recover his banana hoard.

Cranky breaks the fourth wall by questioning why the "game idea" involves finding Diddy and rescuing bananas instead of a damsel in distress. Donkey Kong tells how Diddy wishes to be a video game hero like Donkey Kong. Cranky believes neither of them are suitable for being video game heroes, and he goes on to brag about his popularity during the arcade era. Deeming the adventure "ridiculous", Cranky believes Donkey Kong would be lucky to even sell ten copies of the game. Donkey Kong gets mad at Cranky and insists on going on an adventure to save Diddy and recover the stolen bananas. Donkey Kong leaves and follows a trail of bananas along his way. Cranky briefly hesitates, but then follows after Donkey Kong. Cranky mumbles that Donkey Kong may need his help and further mentions that kids do not have respect for their elders anymore.

In the first level, Donkey Kong releases Diddy Kong, who tags along during the adventure. Together, the Kongs travel through various areas, including jungles, mines, forests, temples, snowy mountains, caves, and factories. With assistance from Cranky, Funky, and Candy Kong, the two Kongs eventually reach a large pirate ship, the Gangplank Galleon, where they are confronted by the Kremling Krew's leader, King K. Rool. After Donkey Kong and Diddy defeat King K. Rool, Cranky congratulates them and tells them to check the banana hoard. They do so, finding that the bananas have been returned.

Gameplay

The game introduces the "tag-team" system, where Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong follow each other throughout the levels. The Kong in front is the one currently in play, while the other Kong follows behind. If the Kong in play is injured, he quickly runs off the screen, and the other takes its place. If this happens, only one Kong is on the screen at a time. If the lone Kong is injured by an enemy, the player loses an extra life and must restart the level either from the start or from the activated Continue Barrel. Any Kong that is missing can be recovered from a DK Barrel. When either the Kongs are freed from a DK Barrel, he goes behind the Kong in play. The player can press to switch characters, in which case Donkey Kong high-fives Diddy to switch places with him, or vice versa.

Abilities

Diddy rides on a steel keg

The basic moves that Donkey Kong and Diddy can perform include jumping, rolling/cartwheeling, climbing, and swimming. The most commonly used basic abilities are the jump and roll moves, both of which allow the Kongs to cross gaps and defeat enemies. The roll and cartwheel act as the same move, but can only be used by Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong respectively. The respective Kong can perform their roll or cartwheel from a ledge to do a longer jump in midair, effective for moving across abysses. Ropes are the only object that the Kongs can climb up or down on, allowing them to reach items or higher areas. Some ropes start moving across a gap when the Kongs cling on it while some others remain stationary. The Kongs can only swim during underwater levels.

Aside from the rolling attack, the Kongs also have some different abilities. Diddy is faster and more agile than Donkey Kong, but he is not as strong, which makes it harder for him to defeat Armys, Krushas, and Klumps. Donkey Kong is stronger and slower than Diddy and can perform a unique move, the Hand Slap. The move allows Donkey Kong find hidden items or objects in the ground or on treetops, but it can also be used to defeat enemies.

Another difference between the two Kongs is how they pick up and throw barrels. When Diddy picks up a barrel, he holds in front of him, protecting himself from enemies in the way. Donkey Kong holds a barrel over his head, which leaves him vulnerable to enemies in the front. Donkey Kong can throw barrels slightly farther than Diddy, allowing him to hit an enemy from a distance. When the barrel hits into an enemy, it breaks. If the Kongs throw a steel keg against a wall, they can jump on the barrel and balance on it as it rolls along.

Modes

When selecting a new file, the player can choose either single player or multiplayer; once the player selects a mode, they cannot change it unless they delete it and start a new one. In multiplayer, the first player controls Donkey Kong while the second player controls Diddy Kong. In multiplayer, if either Kong is hit, the other player must press a button to take over with their Kong. The game keeps a score for both players, to keep track of how many levels they have completed.

Icon	Title	Description
	One player	A single player controls both Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong.
	Two player contest	Two players compete to finish the most levels. The first player's Kong duo are normal, while the second player's Kongs are both yellow.
	Two player team	Two players cooperatively take turns playing through the levels. The first player controls Donkey Kong, while the second player controls Diddy. Players can change turns by switching the Kongs or by losing their Kong.

Characters

The Kongs

There are a few Kongs who help Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong along their journey, and they each appear in one of the supporting locations.

Playable
Image	Name	Description
	Donkey Kong	The main character of the game, Donkey Kong is stronger and heavier than his partner, Diddy Kong, and can defeat stronger enemies. He also has his own move, the Hand Slap which can defeat certain enemies and reveal hidden objects.
	Diddy Kong	Diddy is the best friend and sidekick of Donkey Kong. While he is not as strong as his partner, Diddy is faster, but his light weight prevents him from being able to defeat more powerful enemies in a single jump.
Supporting
Image	Name	Description
	Candy Kong	Candy is the love interest of Donkey Kong. She hosts a different location in each three versions of the game. In the original version, she operates Candy's Save Point, where the Kongs can go to save their game progress.
	Cranky Kong	Cranky Kong was the original Donkey Kong from the Donkey Kong arcade game. He resides at Cranky's Cabin, where he provides various pieces of advice to Donkey Kong and Diddy along their adventure. Cranky regards himself as the greatest video game hero, and does not believe the Kongs can complete their adventure without his assistance.
	Funky Kong	Funky Kong operates a flight service at Funky's Flights, where he allows Donkey Kong and Diddy to use the Jumbo Barrel to travel throughout areas of Donkey Kong Island that they have already visited.

The Good Guys

Aside from the supporting Kongs, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong are also assisted by Animal Friends during the game. Each Animal Friend is imprisoned within an animal crate depicting a silhouette of their face. The Animal Friends only appear in certain levels, and the Kongs cannot take them to other levels. Every Animal Friend has their own unique abilities.

Image	Name	Description	First level appearance	Last level appearance
	Rambi	Rambi is first found halfway through the first level. He can defeat most enemies by running into them, as well as break entrances to hidden Bonus Levels.	Jungle Hijinxs	Manic Mincers
	Enguarde	Enguarde appears in most of the underwater levels. With his sharp bill, Enguarde can defeat most aquatic enemies in his path.	Coral Capers	Poison Pond
	Winky	Winky has a high jumping ability that allows him to reach higher areas, namely Bonus Levels. Winky can defeat most enemies by jumping on them, including Zingers.	Winky's Walkway	Rope Bridge Rumble
	Expresso	Expresso has the ability to run fast and to glide across the air, although he cannot attack enemies. Due to his long legs, Expresso is unaffected by Klaptraps moving under his legs.	Temple Tempest	Misty Mine
	Squawks	Squawks only appears in the level Torchlight Trouble, where he holds a lamp to light the path forward for the Kongs. Squawks is the only Animal Friend that the Kongs cannot ride and the only one without an animal token. Squawks cannot be defeated by any enemy.	Torchlight Trouble

Enemies

Various types of enemies appear throughout the levels, attempting to get into Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong's way. The Kremlings are the main enemies of the game.

The Bad Guys
Image	Name	Description	First level appearance	Last level appearance
	Army	An armadillo enemy that rolls up into a ball and charges at the Kongs to attack. Donkey Kong can defeat them from either a jump or roll attack. If Diddy either jumps or cartwheels into a curled up Army, the enemy is forced out of its curled posture. Diddy can defeat Army if it is not curled up.	Ropey Rampage	Platform Perils
	Gnawty	A beaver enemy that is common, but is one of the weakest enemies. They simply walk around back and forth and can be defeated from any attack. Gnawties have a rare, brown variant that ride on a Millstone, and contrarily they are invulnerable to any form of attack.	Jungle Hijinxs	Platform Perils
	Manky Kong	Manky Kongs are orangutans who were exiled from the Kong Family. They attack by throwing an unlimited number of barrels at Donkey Kong and Diddy. Both Kongs can defeat them by their jump and roll attack.	Orang-utan Gang	Loopy Lights
	Mini-Necky	A small vulture that attacks by spitting nuts at the Kongs. Some Mini-Neckies move up and down while spitting nuts. They can be defeated by either a roll or a jump attack.	Vulture Culture	Elevator Antics
	Necky	A vulture enemy who either throws nuts at the Kongs from high platforms or flies across the level. The flying Neckies can be bounced on to reach higher areas.	Jungle Hijinxs	Platform Perils
	Slippa	A red coral snake that slithers along the ground in caves and other subterranean areas. They are one of the weaker enemies and can be defeated by any attack.	Reptile Rumble	Misty Mine
	Zinger	Zingers are wasps and very common enemies who appear in almost every level. The Kongs cannot defeat Zingers themselves and must use either a barrel or an Animal Friend to defeat them. The Kongs must usually avoid the Zingers along the way. Zingers have a few different color variations, each with their own flight pattern: yellow moves vertically, orange moves horizontally or flies in place, pink moves in a circular path or flies in place, and green moves in a u-shaped path.	Ropey Rampage	Platform Perils
The Aquatic Bad Guys
Image	Name	Description	First level appearance	Last level appearance
	Bitesize	A small piranha enemy that like other underwater enemies, cannot be defeated by the Kongs. Enguarde can defeat Bitesizes and most other underwater enemies.	Coral Capers	Poison Pond
	Chomps	A large, green shark enemy that are larger than Bitesizes, but otherwise act the same, and they can also be defeated by Enguarde.	Coral Capers	Croctopus Chase
	Chomps Jr.	A small, blue shark enemy and a smaller variant of Chomps. They act similar to Chomps except they are smaller and slightly faster.	Coral Capers	Poison Pond
	Clambo	A clam enemy that attacks by spitting out pearls at the Kongs. They do not move around and are usually in a corner outside of the main path. They cannot be defeated by Enguarde.	Coral Capers	Clam City
	Croctopus	An octopus enemy that quickly treads through water to hit the Kongs. The purple variants move in fixed patterns around blocks of coral reef, while the blue variants go in a set path after the Kongs once they pass them. Like Clambos, they cannot be defeated.	Coral Capers	Croctopus Chase
	Squidge	A jellyfish type enemy that swims up and down through underwater areas in zigzag lines. They can be defeated by Enguarde.	Croctopus Chase	Poison Pond
The Kremlings
Image	Name	Description	First level appearance	Last level appearance
	Klaptrap	Klaptraps are small, four-legged crocodiles who repeatedly open and close their jaws while moving in the Kongs' direction. Because of this, the Kongs cannot attack Klaptrap by rolling into it from the front. Klaptraps can either be defeated from behind or if jumped over. Klaptraps have a rare, purple variant that jump at the same time as the Kongs do.	Stop & Go Station	Loopy Lights
	Klump	Klump is a strong, burly enemy that wears military gear. Klump's helmet defends itself from Diddy's jump attack, although Donkey Kong can defeat a Klump by jumping on it. Both Kongs can use a roll attack to defeat a Klump.	Jungle Hijinxs	Platform Perils
	Krash	A Kritter who rides in a mine cart. Krashes ride in the opposite direction of the Kongs, attempting to crash into them. Donkey Kong and Diddy must avoid Krashes by jumping over them. In Mine Cart Madness, some Krashes are in a stationary mine carts, and the Kongs can jump on them to defeat them and take over the mine cart.	Mine Cart Carnage	Mine Cart Madness
	Kritter	Kritters are the grunt soldiers of the Kremling Krew. They are one of the weakest enemies along with Gnawty. The color of a Kritter determines its movement behavior: the standard, green ones walk forward, the blue ones jump while moving forward, the brown ones jump vertically without moving forward, yellow ones jump left and right, and gray Kritters hop forward a few times before doing a long jump.	Jungle Hijinxs	Loopy Lights
	Krusha	Krushas are strong, muscular Kremlings, and there are blue Krushas and the uncommon gray variant. Diddy cannot defeat Krushas without using a barrel. Donkey Kong can defeat blue Krushas by jumping on them, but performing a roll or a Hand Slap attack are ineffective. Gray Krushas are stronger than the blue ones and can only be defeated from a barrel.	Millstone Mayhem	Platform Perils
	Rock Kroc	Rock Krocs dash back and forth rapidly while the Stop & Go Barrels are set to "Go", and the Kongs get injured when they come in contact with a Rock Kroc. Donkey Kong and Diddy cannot pass the Rock Krocs safely unless the Stop & Go Barrels are set to "Stop", causing the Rock Krocs to briefly curl into a ball until the Stop & Go Barrels return to "Go". Rock Krocs are invincible and cannot be defeated.	Stop & Go Station
Obstacles
Image	Name	Description	First level appearance	Last level appearance
	Black drum	A drum obstacle that fires out an indefinite supply of a specific enemy, such as Slippas and Gnawties. They can only be destroyed from a TNT Drum. They are a smaller variant of Dumb Drum.	Winky's Walkway	Misty Mine
	Cannonball	Giant iron balls that fall across the screen sequentially when K. Rool performs his floor-slam attack.	Gang-Plank Galleon
	Coconut	The favored projectiles of the Necky family, they may be launched straight horizontally or in bouncing arcs.	Jungle Hijinxs	Necky's Revenge
	Crownerang	K. Rool's primary weapon, his own crown. When he throws it, however, he renders himself vulnerable to stomp attacks.	Gang-Plank Galleon
	Millstone	Millstones are enormous invulnerable stone wheels ridden in by Gnawties.	Millstone Mayhem	Temple Tempest
	Mincer	Mincers are spiked tire obstacles who either move in a pattern or remain in a single spot. They are invincible and must be avoided by the Kongs.	Torchlight Trouble	Manic Mincers
	Oil drum	Oil drums resemble black drums except for their wider appearance and ability to emit fire. The word "OIL" is embedded on them.	Torchlight Trouble	Oil Drum Alley
	Pearl	Projectiles shot in numbers from one to five at once in straight lines by Clambos.	Coral Capers	Clam City

The Bosses

At the end of every world, the Kongs must fight a boss, each guarding a portion of the stolen bananas. Most of the bosses are a larger version of an enemy.

Image	Name	Description	Level appearance
	Very Gnawty	A giant Gnawty that jumps around, trying to hit the Kongs. Donkey Kong and Diddy must jump on it five times to defeat it. For each hit, Very Gnawty bounces and moves around faster.	Very Gnawty's Lair
	Master Necky	A giant Necky that creeps his head out from one of four corners of the screen, spitting large nuts at the Kongs. Master Necky spit nuts faster each time he is jumped on. Donkey Kong or Diddy can defeat the boss by jumping on his head five times.	Necky's Nuts
	Queen B.	A giant Zinger who flies around the arena. The Kongs can attack her with a barrel. When hit, Queen B. temporarily turns red and moves up and down in a wavy pattern before returning normal. She must be hit five times to be defeated.	Bumble B. Rumble
	Really Gnawty	A boss who looks and acts similar to Very Gnawty. Really Gnawty can move faster and jump a lot higher than Very Gnawty. The Kongs must jump on Really Gnawty five times to defeat it. After each hit, it performs a consecutive amount of high jumps corresponding to the total amount of times it has been hit.	Really Gnawty Rampage
	Dumb Drum	A giant black drum that attempts to crush the Kongs. After that, Dumb Drum sends out a pair of a specific enemy before continuing its attempt to crush the Kongs. The order in which Dumb Drum releases the enemies are: Kritters, Slippas, Klaptraps, Klumps, and Armys. The boss is defeated once the Kongs defeat every enemy.	Boss Dumb Drum
	Master Necky Snr.	Master Necky Snr. is a similar boss to Master Necky except he is stronger. He spits nuts much faster than Master Necky. Each time Master Necky Snr. is hit, he spits out one more nut than the previous turn. The Kongs can defeat Master Necky Snr. by jumping on it five times.	Necky's Revenge
	King K. Rool	The final boss and main antagonist, King K. Rool has stolen Donkey Kong's banana hoard. He has a variety of attacks, including throwing his crown, jumping at the Kongs, and causing cannonballs to rain from above. After King K. Rool throws his crown, the Kongs can jump on his head to attack him, before K. Rool puts his crown back on.	Gang-Plank Galleon

Items

Image	Name	Description
	Bananas	Bananas are the equivalent to coins from the Super Mario series, as collecting 100 of them gives the Kongs an extra life. They are the most common item of the game.
	Banana Bunches	Banana Bunches grant ten bananas when collected. They are less common than normal bananas and often appear in Bonus Levels and hidden areas.
	Giant bananas	A giant banana is held by each boss. Claiming one marks the completion of one of the game's worlds.
	Animal tokens	Animal tokens are small tokens that depict one of the Animal Friends (excluding Squawks). If three animal tokens depicting the same Animal Friend are collected, the game redirects the player to a bonus area where they control the corresponding Animal Friend. In the area, the Animal Friend must collect as many Mini Animal Tokens depicting them within a time limit in exchange for extra lives.
	Mini Animal Tokens	Hundreds of Mini Animal Tokens fill the Animal Friend-themed bonus stages. For every hundred collected, an extra life is earned.
	Big Animal Tokens	A single Big Animal Token is hidden in each of the Animal Friend-themed bonus stages. Collecting it doubles the held amount of Mini Animal Tokens.
	Donkey Kong Balloons	Similar to 1-Up Mushrooms from the Super Mario series, these balloons give the Kongs extra lives when collected. The balloons come in three different colors: red, green, and blue. Red Life Balloons are the most common and give one extra life, the less common green 2-Up Balloons give two lives, and the rare Blue Balloons give three lives.
	K-O-N-G Letters	Four of these special objects are hidden in every level, and each of them are a letter of the word "KONG". If the Kongs collect all four letters in a level, they are rewarded with an extra life. Each letter is found in order, meaning that the letter K is found first in the levels, then the O, then the N, and lastly the letter G. In the "Spell it Out!" Bonus Level challenges, there are circling letters that the Kongs must jump in a certain order to spell out a word.

Objects

Mechanisms

Image	Name	Description
	Animal crates	These crates contain a certain Animal Friend, which is indicated by a silhouette of their face on the side.
	Arrow Signs	These signs indicate the Kongs are approaching the end of a stage.
	Elevators	Many lifts appear throughout the game with many different designs and behaviors. Although a few of them are stationary, some move back and forth over gaps, and some move vertically. In later levels, there are platforms with an arrow on them, and when the Kongs step on the platform, it moves in the direction that the arrow is pointing. There are other moving platforms in later levels such as Tanked Up Trouble, which has a platform that runs on Fuel Barrels.
	Exits	These signs indicate the Kongs have reached the end of a stage.
	Tires	Tires bounce the Kongs to higher areas. There are half tires, which are stuck in the