The ape that we all know and love has had some great games throughout the years. He was one of Shigeru Miyamoto’s first big game characters. Donkey Kong’s first game, titled Donkey Kong after his own name, was a huge success across the globe. This game is where Miyamoto caught his first big break in the gaming industry. From this original sprouted two more, which consists of Donkey Kong Junior and Donkey Kong 3. Even after those successful games though, Donkey Kong had a ten year gap where he didn’t star in his own major game. Then in 1994, the Game Boy version of Donkey Kong released and marked his re-emergence as a major character. He was redesigned wearing a necktie as his only article of clothing, a look that he still carries today.

Later that year, Donkey Kong Country released on the Super NES. DKC is the game that defined Donkey Kong as he is today. Many of the series mascots were created for this game such as Donkey’s hyperactive friend Diddy and crocodilian archenemy King K. Rool. The game was a hit and sold millions of copies, which inspired two amazing sequels that were released on the Super Nintendo in the next two years. After the trilogy of DKC games on the Super NES released, Rare started working a new Donkey Kong which would release on the Nintendo 64. The title, dubbed DK 64 was a well received title that brought DK into the 3D platforming world. Little did anyone know that this would be the last of Donkey Kong’s Rare adventures as Rare would be sold to Microsoft later on after the game’s release.

The original DK Rap from Donkey Kong 64.

After the sale of Rare, the series had an identity crisis. Nintendo released Donkey Kong games in the puzzle, musical, racing, and action genres. While most of these spin-off titles were good games, they lacked the real adventure of the previous Kong titles. The most normal of DK’s titles to hit lately is the critically acclaimed flop Donkey Kong Jungle Beat which is the closest DK has come to his former glory. Had you been able to use the GC controller effectively, the game could have been a big seller on the system, which brings us to the present.

With the new low for the series, DK Barrel Blast, just being released the question has to be asked. Where does the series go from here? Well for one, the series is long over-due for another Donkey Kong Country title, which should be released on the DS as DKC4. As for the Wii, another Jungle Beat type adventure would play well with Wii controls. Now that Nintendo’s Tokyo Studio is done with Galaxy, they have time to work on a Jungle Beat sequel. Maybe even a new 3D game in the style of DK 64 would be a good idea on the Wii. The one thing Nintendo doesn’t need to do is release another Donkey Konga title on the Wii. What they need to do is flesh out Wii Music to the point where another Konga title won’t even be needed.

Dk Jungle Beat + Wiimote Controls= Instant Buy

I can’t remember the last time anyone was hyped for a Donkey Kong game. Ten to twenty years ago, if a new Donkey Kong game was coming out then it was a big deal to most gamers. That is where DK should be. He shouldn’t be remembered for how awesome he was, he should be known for how awesome he is.

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