Zinger

Zingers, also shortened Zings, are large wasps (erroneously identified as bees ) with protective spikes on their back. They are both common and recurring enemies in the Donkey Kong franchise, and they first appear in Donkey Kong Country. In their appearances, Zingers are usually yellow with black stripes and are one of the harder enemies to defeat.

Zingers were temporarily replaced by the robotic Buzz enemies in Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! and Donkey Kong Land III.

Donkey Kong Country
Zingers are one of the most common enemies in their debut appearance, Donkey Kong Country. They first appear in the level Ropey Rampage. Because Zingers have spikes on their back and a pointed stinger, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong cannot defeat them directly. The Kongs can only defeat Zingers with either barrel at them or help from one of two Animal Friends: Rambi, who can defeat Zingers by touching them, and Winky, who can jump on Zingers to defeat them. In most cases, the Kongs must avoid the Zingers, such as in Forest Frenzy, where most of the level involves them moving around Zingers as they move across abysses on a vertical rope. A giant Zinger named Queen B. is the boss of Vine Valley. In the Game Boy Advance version, Queen B. can summon Zingers during the battle.

Zingers have four color variations: yellow, orange, pink, and green. Their flight pattern is determined by their color; yellow Zingers fly vertically, orange Zingers fly horizontally, pink Zingers fly in a circular path, and green Zingers fly in a U-shape formation. Zingers also have both unused silver and blue palettes. In the Game Boy Color version, due to technical limitations, there are only yellow Zingers for every behavior. In the Game Boy Advance version, the pink ones now use the previously unused silver coloration, with one of every color including pink and purple appearing during the ending cast roll. Compared to the original unused palettes, the silver and purple ones have swapped wing colors.

Donkey Kong Land
Zingers make their second appearance in Donkey Kong Land, where they retain their role as aerial enemies. They are very common enemies and appear in most levels of the game. They no longer have distinguishable colors due to the Game Boy's monochrome screen. Zingers' sprite has been changed to vertically oriented instead of horizontal, and their stinger more outwardly faces the Kongs. Expresso is now able to jump on them.

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
Zingers reappear in Donkey Kong Country's sequel, Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. Like their previous two appearances, Zingers appear in most levels except underwater ones. Zingers have two color variants: regular yellow ones and red ones, which are invincible. Zingers retain their behavior from the ones in Donkey Kong Country, and the flight patterns vary between Zingers, some of which stay in one position.

More Animal Friends can defeat Zingers than in Donkey Kong Country, including Squawks spitting nuts at them, Squitter shooting a web projectile at them, or Rattly bouncing onto them. In addition, Diddy and Dixie can defeat them directly if under the effect of an Invincibility Barrel.

The game introduces a few levels that take place within a Zinger hive, with larval and pupal Zingers visible in the background. Most of them take place in Krazy Kremland; this is reflected by Zingers flying around Krazy Kremland on the Crocodile Isle map. Although Zingers are often described as wasps, a lot of honey appears in their hives. The game features another Zinger boss, King Zing, who is fought in a hive at the end of Krazy Kremland. Late into the battle, King Zing shrinks to the size of a Zinger and summons several other small ones to guard him (just as Queen B. does in Donkey Kong Country's Game Boy Advance remake).

In the ending's Cast of Characters, Zingers are categorized within the Lazy Landlubbers enemy class.

Donkey Kong Land 2
Zingers also appear in Donkey Kong Land 2. Like the previous game, Donkey Kong Land, Zingers are not color-coded because of the Game Boy's monochromatic screen, thus only the yellow Zingers return, retaining their Donkey Kong Country 2 look in this game. In the ending, Zingers are classified under "The Baddies".

Donkey Kong Country novel
A single Zinger appears as an antagonist in the Donkey Kong Country novel. Upon entering the Kremling's factory, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong and Cranky Kong eavesdrop on Zinger complaining to his co-worker Klap Trap about King K. Rool's absence. Klap Trap then notices the group and Zinger lunges at Donkey Kong, only to be defeated by being hand slapped (which is not possible in the games).

Donkey Kong 64
Zingers return in Donkey Kong 64, though they appear less often than in the Donkey Kong Country and Donkey Kong Land games. Zingers may attack in either one of two ways. In DK Isles and some earlier levels, the Zingers dive-bomb at the active Kong on sight, while other Zingers instead drop unripe green Oranges when spotting the Kong.

Zingers can be defeated more easily than in the previous games. The Kongs can defeat a Zinger by blasting it with their personal weapon, playing their musical instrument, or by throwing an Orange at it. In Fungi Forest, Zingers appear during the day but are replaced by Bats at night.

In Frantic Factory Zingers have a robotic variety, Mechanical Zingers, which are prominent in the level, though regular Zingers are not featured in the level.

Donkey Konga
Zingers have a minor appearance in Donkey Konga.

DK: King of Swing
Zingers return as enemies in DK: King of Swing, and they first appear in the level Cactus Woods. Zingers move by continuously flying back and forth in a set horizontal or vertical pattern. They have spikes on their back and a stinger, which protect them from Donkey Kong or Diddy Kong's charge attack. If either Kong touches or performs a charge attack into a Zinger's spikes or stinger, they take one heart of damage. A Zinger can be defeated by either a charge attack into its face or by the special move, Going Bananas.

DK: Jungle Climber
Zinger appear as enemies in DK: Jungle Climber. They retain most of their behavior from DK: King of Swing.

Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast
In Donkey Kong Barrel Blast, Zingers were made larger than their previous appearances. They are enemies on the racetracks DK Jungle, DK Jungle Falls, DK Jungle Sunset, Scorching Canyon and Cranky's Temple. They fly around in a set pattern and can be defeated from one hit. They also appear in two of Candy's Challenges, where Donkey Kong needs to beat a set amount of Zingers on the Training Course before time expires.

Donkey Kong Racing
In the canceled Donkey Kong Racing, part of the trailer showed Donkey Kong and Taj the Genie racing each other on Zingers in a forest area. This suggests that Zingers would have been rideable vehicles. At the end of the trailer, Taj moves past the slogan "Let's Ride" as he rides a Zinger.

Diddy Kong Pilot (2003)
Zingers are defensive items in the 2003 build of Diddy Kong Pilot. If a racer has a Zinger, they can drop it behind to protect them from an incoming Buzz. If a racer flies into the Zinger, their plane briefly crashes onto the ground. A Zinger breaks if a character or object crashes into it. Like Buzzes, it is possible for racers to pick up three Zingers at once.

Zingers were replaced by Ice Eggs in the final game, Banjo-Pilot.

Club Nintendo
A Zinger appears in the Club Nintendo comic "Donkey Kong Country" as an enemy of Donkey and Diddy Kong. However, it does not attack the pair until Donkey Kong swears at the wasp. Ultimately, DK defeats the Zinger (which, like every enemy in the comic, is able to speak) by doing a special rolling move and then kicking the enemy. When defeated, the Zinger claims that its stinger is deformed.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, a Zinger appears as a sticker. When used in The Subspace Emissary, it raises resistance to slashing attacks (such as Link's sword) by five points. The sticker can be used by any character.

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
A Zinger trophy can be unlocked in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. It is obtainable only when it appears at random in one of the game's single-player modes. The trophy's description generalizes that yellow Zingers fly up and down while red Zingers fly in circles based on their behavior in Donkey Kong Country, although Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest shows some exceptions.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
A Zinger appears in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a Novice-class Shield-type primary spirit. It has no support slots and, when used, simply raises a fighter's power without granting any special effects. In World of Light, the spirit can be encountered on the DK Island sub-world of the Light Realm map, on the Reptile Rumble spot. The spirit's puppet fighter, Pikachu, has increased throw power and is fought on the omega form of The Great Cave Offensive stage, with Unira being the only items that spawn during the battle.

A Zinger's core can be combined with a Princess Shroob core to summon Queen Sectonia's spirit.

WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase
In DK Country, one of 18-Volt's microgames from WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase, a red Zinger must be avoided when the player shoots Diddy Kong out of a Bonus Barrel.

Donkey Kong Land

 * Freezing Fun
 * Simian Swing
 * Deck Trek
 * Tire Trail
 * Rope Ravine
 * Riggin' Rumble
 * Congo Carnage
 * Arctic Barrel Arsenal
 * Snake Charmer's Challenge
 * Swirlwind Storm
 * Pot Hole Panic
 * Mountain Mayhem
 * Track Attack
 * Sky High Caper
 * Landslide Leap
 * Collapsing Clouds
 * Balloon Barrage
 * Kong Krazy
 * Construction Site Fight
 * Fast Barrel Blast
 * Skyscraper Caper
 * Oil Drum Slum

Donkey Kong 64

 * DK Isles
 * Jungle Japes
 * Angry Aztec
 * Gloomy Galleon (only one; inside a mechanical fish)
 * Fungi Forest
 * Crystal Caves

Notable Zingers

 * Queen B. – Donkey Kong Country
 * King Zing – Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest

Trivia

 * Steve Mayles, who was involved in character design for Donkey Kong Country and Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, confirmed via Twitter that he dislikes wasps in real life, and designing the Zinger enemy scared him.
 * Tiki Zings of Donkey Kong Country Returns have some similarities to Zingers in that they're usually used as indestructible obstacles against the Kongs.