Professor Chops

"Who's that pig anyway? And why is he wearing glasses?"

- Cranky Kong

Professor Chops (referred to as Tutorial Pig in Donkey Kong Country Returns) is a common character in Donkey Kong Country Returns, Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. He appears as a normal pig wearing large, round glasses.

As his old name suggests, Professor Chops gives the Kongs hints on how to perform certain actions, such as climbing vines, when they first encounter the obstacle. His main purpose in the game, however, is to mark the checkpoints in the game (replacing Star Barrels). When the heroes pass Professor Chops at certain points in the level and then lose a life afterwards, their Extra Life Balloon floats them back to the last checkpoint with the pig. Also, if Donkey and Diddy Kong are having trouble on a certain level, Professor Chops can let them use Super Kong, who can then finish off the remaining parts of the level. Additionally, the pig appears during the Time Attack mode, where he is seen starting off the level while holding a green flag. When the Kongs finish running through the level, Professor Chops celebrates with a checkered flag which stops the timer.

Similar pigs also appear in certain stages, tossing bananas to the Kongs.