Wrinkly Kong

"Why, if it isn't Donkey -- or is it Funky? No -- Diddy!"

- Wrinkly Kong

Wrinkly Kong (also known as Mrs. Kong ) is a character in the Donkey Kong franchise who was the wife of Cranky Kong and an ally of the Kongs. Her first appearance is in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. Even though Wrinkly is deceased in her later appearances, she continues to support the Kongs as a ghost. In most of her appearances, Wrinkly either provides information or saves the player's game progress.

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
In her debut appearance, Wrinkly runs a school named the Kong Kollege, where she can save Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong's game for two Banana Coins (or one in the Japanese version). Like Cranky's Monkey Museum, Wrinkly provides hints ranging from free of charge or a few Banana Coins.

In various moments, Wrinkly alludes that the Kong Kollege is specifically a school for the Kremlings, including Kaptain K. Rool. In one of her quotes, Wrinkly tells the Kongs to ask K. Rool if he has done his homework.

In the Game Boy Advance version, Diddy and Dixie can request homework from Wrinkly, where their assignment is to entirely fill a Scrapbook with the photographs that they find. Wrinkly gives a Hero Coin to them for every page they fill. Wrinkly no longer saves the player's progress, as this is done from the world map's menu.

Donkey Kong Land 2
Wrinkly and the Kong Kollege returns in Donkey Kong Land 2. Like the previous game, she offers to save the player's game for two Banana Coins, though she no longer offers level hints.

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!
Wrinkly also appears in Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!. Some time after the events of Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, Wrinkly retired from teaching at Kong Kollege and moved to the Northern Kremisphere inside a Wrinkly's Save Cave. Like Kong Kollege, Wrinkly's Save Cave has a crucial role of saving the player's game progress, although it is free of charge. She no longer provides level hints, and she cares for the Banana Birds rescued from various secret caves. Whenever the Kongs enter her Save Cave, Wrinkly is performing one of four activities, either exercising, sitting on her couch either asleep or awake, or playing the Nintendo 64.

In the Game Boy Advance version, Wrinkly's role has been lessened. She only runs a single sanctuary, named Wrinkly's Retreat, from the main Northern Kremisphere map. There her only purpose is taking care of the Banana Birds rescued by Dixie and Kiddy Kong. As with Donkey Kong Country 2's Game Boy Advance remake, Wrinkly no longer saves the player's progress, which is instead done from the world map's menu.

Donkey Kong Land III
In Donkey Kong Land III, Wrinkly retains her role of saving the Kongs' progress in Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!, though a big difference is she no longer cares for the Banana Birds, which do not appear in the game. She does not perform various activities and is always sitting awake on her couch.

One of Wrinkly's lines has a misspelling of Kremling: "Keep an eye out for those Kremlins!".

"Donkey Kong in: Banana Day 24"
Wrinkly is briefly seen in the ending of the Club Nintendo comic, "Donkey Kong in: Banana Day 24", quarreling with Cranky. It is strongly implied that the reason is because Cranky kissed a random girl out of enthusiasm that Earth was saved.

Donkey Kong 64
In Donkey Kong 64, Wrinkly is revealed to have died some time after the events of Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! and appears as a ghost. In every level's lobby, the active Kong can talk to Wrinkly from one of the five color-coded Wrinkly Doors. If the Kong steps in front of a Wrinkly Door of their color, a ghostly sound effect plays and Wrinkly comes out from the door. She gives a hint to that Kong on how they can obtain a Golden Banana. When talking to Wrinkly, a slower and major key version of Cranky's Lab plays. Her appearance as a ghost in this game would later continue into her future appearances.

Wrinkly is the game's only supporting character with an optional role and one that does not cost anything. She is also the only Kong in the game who does not appear during the end credits.

DK: King of Swing
In DK: King of Swing, during the starting tutorial level Cranky's Lectures, Wrinkly assists Cranky in teaching the basic controls to Donkey Kong. She demonstrates to him how to climb Peg Boards and how to charge an attack.

Wrinkly makes her first playable appearance as an unlockable character in the Jungle Jam mode, in which she has high jumping ability, tied with that of Dixie Kong's, though she has intermediate attack. The player can unlock Wrinkly by obtaining every Crystal Coconut.

DK: Jungle Climber
Wrinkly makes a minor appearance in the opening cutscene for DK: Jungle Climber, having gone on vacation to Sun Sun Island with the other Kongs. She appears alongside Cranky, admiring the scenery, and carries a white umbrella. Despite only having one minor appearance, Wrinkly has official artwork for the game, similarly to Candy Kong in DK: King of Swing. She is unvoiced in this game.

Donkey Kong Barrel Blast
In Donkey Kong Barrel Blast, Wrinkly is an unlockable playable character. She is unlocked by completing Candy's Challenge #26:  Let Wrinkly Kong Win!, which is level 4 in difficulty. As the name implies, Wrinkly must come in first in order to complete the challenge. Wrinkly's rival is Kopter, and she has average boost and speed and maxed out agility. Like all other playable characters, Wrinkly has the ability to perform Wild Moves.

Wrinkly is the only playable Kong who does not appear on the game's title screen.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl
In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Wrinkly Kong appears as both a trophy and a sticker. Her trophy heavily resembles her DK: Jungle Climber artwork. Wrinkly's sticker, which recycles her DK: King of Swing artwork, can only be used by Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong; it raises resistance against battering attacks by four.

Wrinkly's trophy incorrectly mentions her latest game appearance as Donkey Kong 64 instead of DK: Jungle Climber.

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Wrinkly once again appears as a trophy. Her trophy is featured in the "Donkey Kong and his friends" trophy box, along Tiny Kong, Lanky Kong, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Cranky Kong, Candy Kong, and Funky Kong.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Wrinkly Kong appears as a spirit.

General information
"My body may have passed away since DKC3, but I'm here in spirit to help you defeat those naughty crocodiles."

- Wrinkly Kong

Physical appearance
Wrinkly Kong's appearance has changed many times over the years, but has been consistent since DK: King of Swing.

Alive
Wrinkly Kong is an old ape with a similar build to her husband Cranky Kong. She is covered in brown fur, has grey hair on her head and she also wears glasses. In her debut in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, she wore a green blanket. In Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!, she wears a white and purple gymnastics outfit that has dark gray fur armbands, and also wears white and purple sneakers and a white and purple headband. In the GBA remake of Donkey Kong Country 3, she only wears a white coat and does not wear any shoes.

After her death
In her debut as a ghost in Donkey Kong 64, her appearance was similar to her appearance in Donkey Kong Country 2, except she is now white and translucent, has a wispy tail where her legs used to be, and wears a nightgown. In her current appearance introduced in DK: King of Swing, she is no longer translucent and has gray fur, though her skin is rather white. Her glasses are much smaller and are oval shaped, compared to her previous semicircular ones, and her hair is covered by a white nightcap.

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!

 * Player's Guide (page 8): "Wrinkly dumped her schoolmarm duds to take up the fitness craze. When she's not working out to aerobics videos, she's sharpening her reflexes on the Nintendo 64. Stop in for a visit and she'll save your game progress. Wrinkly's abode is also where the freed Banana Birds migrate to roost. Check out the flock whenever you save your game."

Rarewhere: DKC Trilogy Cast List
"APPEARS IN: DKC 2, 3

''The younger Kongs often wonder how Wrinkly can put up with the endless grouching of her husband Cranky at all, let alone come away from it with her own kind, good-natured outlook still intact. Wrinkly was still teaching at Kong Kollege when Diddy and Dixie set out to rescue the kidnapped DK, but since then she's retired and moved away from all the Kremlings and screaming kids to a network of caves that run through the surrounding islands. These days she spends her time reading, exercising, feeding the banana birds and, when she thinks nobody's around, even playing the occasional video game.''"

Donkey Kong 64

 * Instruction booklet bio from Professor Cranky Kong (page 9): "She may not be quite the same as you remember her from past adventures, but my good-natured wife will again be around to help you if you get stuck... which I’m sure you will."
 * Player's Guide (page 6): "Wrinkly Kong isn’t about to let a little thing like death keep her from helping her hairy kinfolk in their biggest adventure yet. The matriarch of the Kong family returns in ghostly form to give hints to the youngsters. Clearly, she enjoys tormenting them with half-truths and incomplete directions, but most of the time she coddles the kids with helpful suggestions. You can be sure to find Wrinkly’s sage advice behind any of the doors that show a picture of her face."
 * Prima Games guide (page 14): "Wrinkly has come back in spirit form to help the Kong family defeat K. Rool. She can't fight the lizard's minions but she can provide tips and hints. In the lobby of each level are five Wrinkly doors. Approach one and Wrinkly will come out to bestow her knowledge."
 * German website: "After the last great adventure of the Kongs, Wrinkly, who was advanced in years, left us, much to the sadness of all involved. Nevertheless, she returns from the realm of the spirits to provide her friends and relatives with all kinds of important information and useful tips. In the lobby of each level there are five doors, each with a frame of a different color. If a Kong approaches one of these doors, Wrinkly appears and gives him a hint to uncover especially well-kept secrets. Wrinkly loves her friends and relatives so much that she even crosses the threshold of mortality in order to support them in the battle against the evil empire of the Kremlings."

DK: King of Swing

 * Instruction booklet bio: "Wife of Cranky. Even though she's passed away, she's a gentle Kong who frets about Donkey."
 * Jump: 5
 * Attack: 2

Donkey Kong Barrel Blast

 * Unlock method: Win Candy's Challenge 26: Let Wrinkly Kong win!.
 * Rival: Kopter
 * Boost: 3/5
 * Speed: 3/5
 * Agility: 5/5

Super Smash Bros. Brawl
In the Japanese version of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Wrinkly Kong's trophy states that Wrinkly Kong's debut in Donkey Kong Country 2 was on the Game Boy Advance, even though she first appeared in the Super Famicom version of Donkey Kong Country 2. This was fixed in western releases.

Trivia

 * The artwork of Wrinkly Kong for Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest shows her reading a book with various phrases like "Diddy's Kong Quest is the best game in the world.", "Look for more great games from RARE.", and a "Worm Pie" recipe.
 * In the Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! group artwork of the Kongs playing on the Nintendo 64, Wrinkly is seen with a green blanket like in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, yet in the game and her solo artwork, she wears a white and purple gymnastics outfit.