Super Smash Brothers Wave 1, amiibo 4 - Donkey Kong
Franchise: Donkey Kong (Introduced via Mario/DK arcade series)
Debut: Donkey Kong (1981)
Creator: Shigeru Miyamoto
Major Releases: Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Country, Donkey Konga, Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
We have already handled Mario, but what about his first nemesis, the big ape Donkey Kong? Donkey Kong started his life as an antagonist which ignited lawsuits but eventually came into the platforming hero spotlight with the help of UK developer Rareware. Since then, he has starred in a handful of spin-offs, including a musical bongo series. He had been losing relevance when he regained gamer attention with Donkey Kong Country Returns, and while his latest outing did not see the same success, this big ape is certainly going to keep coming back to kick some tail.
I did not anticipate it taking us this long to get Donkey Kong out. There were a few hitches this time around which kept development slow. For one, the audio was completely re-recorded AFTER I did a good chunk of editing. So, editing had to start from scratch to reorganize the video. Footage wise, we had some help again from Neal of NintendoWorldReport for DKC3, and I have to thank Nintendo for including DK Jr. and DK3 in NES Remix. The original arcade Donkey Kong, for your information, was found in Donkey Kong 64, a game which proved to be a chore for me to play with and get footage. It is hard starting in the middle of a collect-a-thon after years of not being played. Also, if you noticed, Donkey Konga is actually its sequel, but it isn't like you all could tell the difference! Bwahaha! Anyways, good times were had.
We will be waiting until after E3 to continue the series, because who knows what might be shown or announced. Our next episode features someone who we thought would appear at E3, but now he appears to be caught between worlds...
