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1[[quoteright:301:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dkccrew.png]]
2
3->''"He's coming out of hibernation. It's the '''''BODACIOUS BEAST''''', the '''''PRIME PRIMATE''''', '''''DONKEY KONG'''''. Introducing '''DONKEY KONG COUNTRY''', the first fully rendered video game '''''EVER'''''. Featuring his sidekick '''''DIDDY KONG'''''."''
4-->-- [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbHL8-XkXMA The original commercial for the game]]
5
6%%One quote is good enough. Please place any further quotes in the quotes tab.
7
8Released in 1994 for the Platform/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem, ''Donkey Kong Country'' introduced the groundbreaking technique of using pre-rendered 3D graphics in a 2D console game and marked the final decisive milestone in the early-to-mid '90s MediaNotes/{{console war|s}} between the Platform/SegaGenesis and SNES, with the latter emerging in the lead in the west.
9
10While the original ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong'' helped establish Creator/{{Nintendo}} as the video game company it is today, the series was pushed out of importance by ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'' and faded into history after a few sequels. Creator/{{Nintendo}} contracted the British video game developer Creator/{{Rare}} (known at the time as Rareware) to create a [[TheRemake reimagining]] of the original arcade game, which would bring the titular gorilla back into the limelight after nearly a decade of absence (though canonically, [[LegacyCharacter the Donkey Kong you play as is different]] from the [[VideoGame/DonkeyKong original]], and the [[VideoGame/DonkeyKong94 original]] Donkey Kong is the older and aptly named Cranky Kong). Rare's version of the Donkey Kong universe became a huge success and [[AdaptationDisplacement eventually overshadowed the original Nintendo version]].
11
12In the first game in the series, the original ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry1,'' Donkey Kong and his sidekick Diddy Kong travel across Donkey Kong Island to get back their stolen banana hoard from the Kremlings, an army of [[LizardFolk anthropomorphic crocodiles]] led by King K. Rool. In ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry2DiddysKongQuest,'' released a year later, Kaptain K. Rool kidnaps Donkey Kong and takes him to the Kremlings' homeland, Crocodile Isle, forcing Diddy Kong and his girlfriend Dixie Kong to travel into enemy territory and rescue their friend. A year after that, ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry3DixieKongsDoubleTrouble'' has Dixie and her baby cousin Kiddy Kong search for Donkey and Diddy, who have mysteriously gone missing while on vacation in the Northern Kremisphere, battling Baron K. Roolenstein, as well as the Kremling cyborg KAOS.
13
14''VideoGame/DonkeyKong64'', from 1999, brought the series into the third dimension. In it, King K. Rool returns with a vengeance. Figuring that if he and his people can't have Donkey Kong's island, nobody can, he steers an enormous high-tech warship next to it and plans to blast it right off the face of the Earth with his secret weapon, the [[{{BFG}} Blast-O-Matic]]. This game unites a team of Kongs (Donkey, Diddy, Dixie's sister Tiny, Kiddy's brother Chunky, and odd-man-out Lanky, while other familiar faces such as Cranky and Funky lend a hand along the way) who set out to find a series of 200 solid-gold giant bananas and the missing blueprints to the Blast-O-Matic in an effort to trounce the Kremlings for the final time.
15
16Supporting [=NPCs=] in the series include:
17* Cranky Kong, who [[NostalgiaFilter reminisces about the old days of video games]] and gives advice in the first and second games. In ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong64'', he provides power-ups to the Kongs to help them progress.
18* Funky Kong, whose jet barrels allow the Kongs to exit the current world and travel to different ones without beating its boss. In ''[=DK64=]'', he instead provides the Kongs' weapons.
19* Candy Kong, who acted as a save point in the first game. In ''[=DK64=]'', she supplies the Kongs with instruments that help solve puzzles.
20* Wrinkly Kong, Cranky's wife, who in the second game ran a school called Kong College which gave players tips about how to play the game, and where players could also save their game in the second and third installments. Having passed away after the events of ''[=DKC3=]'', Wrinkly appeared in spirit form starting with ''Donkey Kong 64'', where she provided hints.
21* Swanky Kong, who hosted a quiz game and a carnival attraction in the second and third games, respectively, allowing players to earn additional lives.
22
23Also of note is that during the first game's heyday, the ''Blockbuster World Video Game Championships II'' were given an authorized romhack of the game called ''Donkey Kong Country Competition Cartridge'', which basically turned the game into a competition to grab as many bananas as possible within a time limit of five minutes, with only a few levels available and several tweaks to encourage scoring. After the competition ended, Nintendo took back the carts and sold them to subscribers of ''Magazine/NintendoPower''. Only 2,500 copies of the game are known to exist, and it has since become a highly valued collector's item.
24
25The 2000 Platform/GameBoyColor remake of ''Donkey Kong Country'' (not to be confused with ''Donkey Kong Land'', which we'll get to in a minute) has two extra mini-games: Funky Kong's FishingMiniGame and Candy's Challenge, where you perform in luck-based tasks similar to the various {{Bonus Stage}}s. Funky's Fishing Game is also seen in the 2003 Platform/GameBoyAdvance remake, though Candy's Challenge is replaced by [[RhythmGame Candy's Dance Studio]]. Also in the GBA remake, the player can fill the Kongs' scrapbook by finding cameras and performing in-game feats of varying difficulty. The GBA remake of ''Donkey Kong Country 2'' contains the mini-games [[RacingMinigame Expresso Racing]] and Funky's Flight Challenges, in addition to bringing back the scrapbook feature. There is also a new boss, Kerozene, to fight. In both games, all the mini-games must be won each time they're encountered and the scrapbook must be completely filled in order to achieve the highest completion percentage. (In the GBA remake of ''2'', there is an additional mini-game at Klubba's Kiosk called Bag a Bug, but playing it is completely optional.) The GBA remake of ''Donkey Kong Country 3'' contains the mini-games Funky's Rentals, Cranky's Dojo, and Swanky's Dash. There is no scrapbook feature this time around. All of Funky's challenges must be completed to achieve the highest percentage, but Cranky and Swanky's games need only to be won once. The game also adds a new boss, Kroctopus, and a new area, Pacifica, containing six additional levels.
26
27Each SNES installment also had a Platform/GameBoy counterpart; ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongLand'', ''Donkey Kong Land 2'', and ''Donkey Kong Land III''. The ''Land'' games translated the pre-rendered graphics of its sister series as well as it could to the Game Boy's small, monochrome screen and usually featured new levels.
28
29A RacingGame SpinOff appeared as ''VideoGame/DiddyKongRacing''. There was to be a sequel to ''Diddy Kong Racing'' called ''Donkey Kong Racing'' (go figure), but Rare's contract with Nintendo for usage of the Donkey Kong franchise ran out. Then Rare got bought out by Microsoft, demolishing any remaining hope that the contract might be renewed. However, Nintendo did toy with the franchise for a while, producing the ''VideoGame/DonkeyKonga'' trilogy of rhythm games with [[Creator/BandaiNamcoEntertainment Namco]] as well as ''Videogame/DonkeyKongJungleBeat'', an action-platformer that is not set in the DKC continuity, but is nevertheless very reminiscent of its style. Following this, they handed the character over to Paon, a company that produced ''VideoGame/DKKingOfSwing'' for the Game Boy Advance, ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongBarrelBlast'' for the Wii, and ''VideoGame/DKJungleClimber'' for the DS.
30
31''Donkey Kong Country'' also had a short-lived French CGI-animated series based off it; several elements from this show ended up in ''Donkey Kong 64''. Information on the series can be found [[WesternAnimation/DonkeyKongCountry here]].
32
33In 2010, Creator/{{Nintendo}} and Creator/RetroStudios of ''Videogame/MetroidPrime'' fame released ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryReturns'', a revival of the series with 2.5D graphics for the Platform/{{Wii}}, with a later remake to the Platform/Nintendo3DS. A sequel called ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryTropicalFreeze'' was released in early 2014 on the Platform/WiiU and received a port for the Platform/NintendoSwitch in 2018.
34
35The characters in this series can be found [[Characters/DonkeyKong here]].
36----
37!!'''Game-specific pages:'''
38* Rare-developed games
39[[index]]
40** ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry1'' (Platform/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem, Platform/GameBoyColor, Platform/GameBoyAdvance)
41** ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongLand'' (Platform/GameBoy)
42** ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry2DiddysKongQuest'' (SNES, GBA)
43** ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongLand2'' (GB)
44** ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry3DixieKongsDoubleTrouble'' (SNES, GBA)
45** ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongLandIII'' (GB, GBC)
46** ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong64'' (Platform/Nintendo64)
47* Retro Studios-developed games
48** ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryReturns'' (Platform/NintendoWii, Platform/Nintendo3DS)
49** ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryTropicalFreeze'' (Platform/WiiU, Platform/NintendoSwitch)
50* Spin-off games
51** ''VideoGame/DiddyKongRacing'' (N64, Platform/NintendoDS)
52** ''VideoGame/DonkeyKonga'' trilogy (Platform/GameCube)
53** ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongJungleBeat'' (GC, Wii)
54** ''VideoGame/DKKingOfSwing'' (GBA)
55** ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongBarrelBlast'' (Wii)
56** ''VideoGame/DKJungleClimber'' (DS)
57[[/index]]
58----
59!!'''Other tropes used:'''
60
61* TwoAndAHalfD
62** Most notably ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryReturns'', but the first three games were pioneers of this style, having prerendered 3D models to make the sprites and things in the background affecting the foreground.
63** ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryTropicalFreeze'' expands on what ''Returns'' did by adding curving paths and CameraPerspectiveSwitch during segments like [[AutoScrollingLevel rocket barrel sequences]].
64* AbandonedMine
65** Presumably, where the MinecartMadness takes place...
66** The entire second world, considering that it's named "Monkey Mines".
67* AbnormalAmmo: The speckled eggs that Squawks the parrot fires from its mouth. And in ''64'', four out of six Kongs use ''[[EdibleAmmunition food]]'' as ammo, another uses feathers, and one uses an almighty boot.
68* AdvancedMovementTechnique: Throughout the entire series, speedrunners will constantly roll around or cartwheel instead of walking since this is faster than walking normally.
69* AlliterativeName: Almost all the levels in the ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry'' series use either this trope or SublimeRhyme for the level names ("Hot-head Hop", "Gusty Glades," etc) Most of the rest rely on puns. Every level in ''Donkey Kong 64'' except DK Isles has an alliterative name.
70* AdiposeRex: King K. Rool.
71* AdvertisingCampaigns: Besides the many TV commercials, Nintendo sent a 15-minute behind the scenes VHS tape to most Magazine/NintendoPower subscribers. It featured interviews with the people who tested the game (in Redmond, Washington), a few game tips, and a teaser for ''VideoGame/KillerInstinct Gold'' for the Nintendo 64.
72* AgitatedItemStomping: Diddy stomps on his hat whenever he loses a bonus game in the original game.
73* AnimatedAdaptation: The French CGI cartoon ''WesternAnimation/DonkeyKongCountry''.
74* AnimalsNotToScale: Nobody really cares since the games aren't meant to be taken seriously, but there are countless cases of animals that are much bigger than their real life counterparts, most notably giant insects, beavers, and birds, and many that are much smaller, probably the most notable case being Rambi, who is about the same size as Donkey Kong, where real rhinos are the size of cars.
75* TheArtifact: The supporting cast consisting of Cranky, Funky, Candy, Wrinkly, and so on were initially created for purposes like saving the game and allowing the player to replay levels, common technical limitations at the time that nowadays are considered basic features. This means that many of those characters end up being PutOnABus, unless the game is a multiplayer game that requires a large cast like ''Barrel Blast''. This is likely what led to Cranky and Funky being PromotedToPlayable in ''Tropical Freeze'', to keep them from being underused.
76* ArtifactTitle: The series is called ''Donkey Kong Country''. This made sense for the first game where Donkey Kong was the main playable character (and also the "Country" part as the game takes place in his native DK Island), but not so much the second or third games where he's a non-playable DistressedDude who [[DemotedToExtra only appears near the very end]] (and both games are set away from DK Island as well). ''Returns'' and ''Tropical Freeze'' both resolve this by bringing Donkey Kong back as the main character, and journeying DK Island again (the Kongs get blown off the island in ''Tropical Freeze'', but make their way back eventually).
77* ArtisticLicenseBiology:
78** While wild monkeys and apes do enjoy fruit, bananas usually aren't a regular part of their diet, and they certainly don't hoard them, much less to the ludicrous degree Donkey Kong does. Wild monkeys born in the Americas and Africa (settings similar to where the Kongs live) didn't even have access to bananas for a while until the trees were planted there by humans. Amusingly, crocodilians (like K. Rool and his Kremlings) do enjoy sweet fruit as a snack in spite of being carnivores.
79** Ellie the Elephant in ''[=DKC3=]''. Able to make truly impressive leaps and bounds, but real life elephants, famously, ''are not able to jump''.
80** Apes can't swim, either. Especially not in icy or polluted water.[[note]]This is mostly an instinct issue, though. Humans also lack this instinct, which is why we have to learn how to swim in the first place. Thus, it's possible to justify this trope by having [=DK=] and the other Kongs be intelligent enough to learn how to do it.[[/note]] This one is poked fun at in an ad for the GBA remake of the first game, which shows a real-life gorilla underwater with the caption "Only in Donkey Kong Country".
81** Wasps and hornets don't store honey like bees.
82** Glimmer the Anglerfish is large and has a lure, [[AnimalGenderBender despite being male]]. Glimmer also lacks teeth.
83* AscendedExtra: In an unusual non-character example, the GangplankGalleon. In the first game, it was briefly seen as the setting of the final boss battle. In ''[[VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry2DiddysKongQuest Diddy's Kong Quest]]'', not only has it been expanded into a full 5-level world, but the ''entire game'' is pirate-themed, meaning lots of pirate outfits for the Kremlings and scattered pirate ship-themed levels.
84* AwesomeButImpractical: Funky's Barrel Plane in ''[=DKC1=]'', the lack of DK Coins or other collectibles in order to beat the game makes revisiting past areas absolutely useless. Unless, of course, you want to achieve 100%, but even that doesn't give you a special ending.
85* BackThatLightUp: Even though they all were released after the GBA SP, the ports for GBA were extremely brightened up from the originals. In particular, this makes Glimmer's Galleon in ''2'' and Floodlit Fish in ''3'' much easier due to the brighter lights.
86* BadassInDistress: Donkey Kong in ''[=DKC2=]'' and ''3''; Diddy Kong in ''3''.
87* {{Balloonacy}}: ''Returns'' introduces the idea that the Red Balloons that represent extra lives [[JustifiedExtraLives are used to lift the Kongs back to the nearest checkpoint]] after they lose all their health. Green Balloons (introduced in ''Returns 3D'') also lift Kongs, but rather than doing so if they lose all of their health, they [[BottomlessPitRescueService lift them out of any pits they happen to fall into]].
88* BashBrothers: Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong.
89* BattleThemeMusic: Each game in the series has one score used for normal boss battles and another for K. Rool.
90** Except for GBA ''[=DKC3=]'', which has a separate theme for Arich, but NOT for K. Rool! It seems they ran out of time when making the game's completely new soundtrack.
91* BehindTheBlack: This concept's used in force to make HundredPercentCompletion [[NintendoHard damn near impossible]], especially given how [[GottaCatchThemAll many collectible items]] are in the [[UpdatedRerelease GBA remakes]]. Fortunately, Rare was merciful enough to give occasional hints of secrets: [[FollowTheMoney that banana is visible through those tree leaves / half-off-screen / in that "bottomless" pit for a reason]], and the field of view might gradually pan down / up / ahead, in preparation for a LeapOfFaith. Slow down a bit and watch for it carefully.
92* {{BFS}}: Kleever from ''[=DKC2=]''. Kutlasses from the same game [[DualWielding carries two cutlasses]] larger than himself. Koshas from ''[=DK64=]'' carry spiked clubs larger than themselves.
93* BigBad: King K. Rool. The leader of the Kremling Krew and Donkey Kong's answer to [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Bowser]]. He returns as the bad guy in the sequels with a new persona and gimmick (Kaptain K. Rool and Baron K. Roolstein), even [[HijackedByGanon hijacking the plot]] in ''Donkey Kong Country 3''. He is supplanted by Tiki Tong in ''Donkey Kong Country Returns'', and Lord Frederick in ''Tropical Freeze'', however.
94* BigBoosHaunt: ''[=DKC2's=]'' [[TheLostWoods Gloomy Gulch]]. A spooky and depressing region with dead forests, wailing ghost ropes, and even a haunted house filled with Kremling ghosts. You even fight the ghost of a previous boss at the end of it.
95* BlackoutBasement: The first game has Stop & Go Station, Torchlight Trouble, the TropeNamer, and Loopy Lights in that order.
96* BonusStage: The 2D games are absolutely loaded with hidden bonus areas of varying kinds. Finding them (and in ''[=DKC2=]'' and ''3'', ''winning them'') is often necessary for achieving HundredPercentCompletion. [[spoiler:In order to do this for ''[=DKC=]'' or ''[=DKC2=]'', you'll have to find a bonus stage hidden ''[[GuideDangIt inside another bonus stage]]''. Not funny, Rare!]]
97* BorderOccupyingDecorations: The ''Donkey Kong Land'' games feature their own custom borders when playing the games on a Platform/SuperGameBoy, done in the pre-rendered pseudo-CG style of the SNES games. The first game features a row of palm trees, the second game features a wall of bananas, and the third game features a wall of stopwatches (which serve as the game's main collectible).
98* BossArenaIdiocy:
99** The first game:
100*** You have to twice fight Necky, a boss that only can be hurt by jumping on its head. Unfortunately, its head is too high for Donkey or even Diddy to reach. Good luck that someone inexplicably left a tire wheel lying around, right?
101*** Boss Dumb Drum. He is an animated iron barrel that floats around and spits {{Mook}}s relentlessly. Once on a while, he descends to try to squash Donkey and Diddy down. All that they have to do to win is move out of the way when Drum does that, because he eventually breaks down. If he only spat enemies out and kept himself in the air, they would be unable to win. In the Game Boy Advance version, Drum cannot damage himself this way. TNT barrels appear after you defeat a wave of mooks, which you must pick up and throw at him.
102** In ''Donkey Kong Country 2'', you would be unable to pass beyond the first Boss, Krow, if he did not throw his own eggs at you, allowing you to pick them up and throw them back at him.
103** Baron K. Roolenstein in ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry 3''. If he hadn't installed levers in the ceiling that drop barrels, the Kongs would have no way to hurt him.
104** Most of the boss battles in ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong64'' have a random, convenient, COMPLETELY unnecessary TNT barrel in the middle of the room that, if removed, would make even the first boss impossible to defeat.
105** The bosses in ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryReturns'' were generally good about choosing locations that weren't potentially lethal towards them if utilized properly by Donkey and Diddy. The one glaringly obvious exception was Mangoruby, whose boss chamber contained three wheels with switches on them that, when pounded, would de-electrify Mangoruby's body and allow Donkey to GoombaStomp her.
106* BossOnlyLevel: ''Every'' boss.
107* BootstrappedTheme:
108** Jungle Japes is without a doubt the most popular music from the series, and is essentially used as the series' main theme.
109** ''[=DKC1=]''’s bonus theme was remixed and made into ''[=DKC3=]'''s main theme.
110** Aquatic Ambiance (the water theme from the original DKC) was remixed in the GBA remake of ''[=DKC3=]'' as the title screen music, arranged in ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryReturns'' and also arranged in ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryTropicalFreeze'', with it notably also being used as a BootstrappedLeitmotif in the latter.
111* BrainyPig: Professor Chops, debuting in ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryReturns'', is an anthropomorphic pig with NerdGlasses that assists the Kongs by [[ExpositionFairy explaining the game mechanics]] and marking the {{checkpoint}}s.
112* BreakoutCharacter: When Diddy proved more popular than Donkey Kong in ''[=DKC=]'', he was promoted to main character status in ''[=DKC2=]'', only to see ''his'' sidekick Dixie overshadow him and get promoted to main character in ''[=DKC3=]''.
113* BrutalBonusLevel: The Lost World levels in ''[=DKC2=]'' and ''[=DKC3=]'', along with the boss fights at the end.
114* BubblegloopSwamp: This series was the previous TropeNamer. Granted, "Krem Quay" wasn't [[Administrivia/NamingATrope the most understandable choice]].
115* TheCaligula: King K. Rool.
116* CanonForeigner: Bluster Kong, Eddie the Mean Old Yeti, and Polly Roger in the CGI cartoon.
117* ChestMonster: In ''Donkey Kong Country 2'', "Klobbers" are Kremlings disguised as barrels until you come close. Ordinary Klobbers merely knock you around non-lethally, but yellow Klobbers knock bananas off of you, and black Klobbers (with their RedEyesTakeWarning) knock ''extra life balloons'' off of you (still non-lethally). And then there's the [[ActionBomb Kabooms]]. ''[=DKC3=]'' have Knocka, who replaces Klobber. Kracka and Klasp replace Kaboom, while Kuchuka is the only unique one. Kuchuka is a MadBomber.
118* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome:
119** Chunky and Kiddy Kong haven't been showing up in any subsequent games, not even a [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mario]] game. This is despite Kiddy Kong being announced to return in ''Donkey Kong Racing'' (which never came to be in the end).
120** Rattly the Rattlesnake. Winky and Expresso at least got a ShoutOut here and there...
121** Most notably, [[BigBad King K. Rool]] and the Kremlings have completely vanished after ''VideoGame/DKJungleClimber''. While K. Rool does reappear in some ''Mario'' spin-offs and ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosUltimate'', he and his minions have yet to return to their home series.
122* CirclingBirdies: The player death animations in the SNES trilogy. Donkey Kong scratches his head, Diddy Kong gets circling stars, Dixie Kong covers her eyes and sobs, and Kiddy Kong (being a toddler) cries.
123* CompanyCameo: A particular staple of Creator/{{Rare}}'s era of the franchise was referencing both themselves and Creator/{{Nintendo}} in the games outside of the introduction.
124** ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry2DiddysKongQuest'':
125*** The renders for this game are where Diddy Kong's red cap first gained the Nintendo logo that became its trademark.
126*** The title screen shows Diddy and Dixie opening a chest full of loot. Among that loot is the golden R that was part of Rare's logo at the time (long before it eventually returned to an update of that logo).
127*** Cranky's Monkey Museum contains the logos of both Nintendo and Rare among the various objects in the background.
128** The backs of the cards in ''[[VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry3DixieKongsDoubleTrouble Donkey Kong Land 3]]''[='s=] memory match minigame have Rareware's R on them.
129** ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong64'':
130*** The small arches leading to Tiny Kong's racing mission in Frantic Factory have Rareware's golden R in the middle of them.
131*** The secret 201st Golden Banana, hidden in a room next to the Banana Fairy Queen's throne room, has a Rareware sticker on it. (The other 200 Golden Bananas spread throughout the game instead have stickers with the Platform/Nintendo64 logo on them.)
132*** Two major collectibles that are required to reach the FinalBoss are the Nintendo Coin, which has the [=N64=] logo on it, and the Rareware Coin, emblazoned with the company's golden "R" logo (unlike the Rareware Golden Banana, it doesn't have the blue box surrounding it). Both items are hidden in {{Embedded Precursor}}s of games made by the companies earlier; Nintendo's is rewarded for completing round 2 of ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong'', while Rare's randomly spawns as a pickup when you earn 5000 or more points in ''VideoGame/{{Jetpac}}'', a game made by Rare back when they were known as Ultimate Play The Game.
133*** The final boss battle is [[spoiler:a boxing match]] stated to be "brought to you this evening by Rare and Nintendo in association with K.Rool Enterprises."
134* CompletionMeter: The game keeps track of bonus rooms and K-O-N-G letters the player finds in each level. The Platform/GameBoyAdvance remake also has a virtual scrapbook for special pictures found in-game.
135* ConspicuouslyLightPatch: Particularly egregiously on the ''Donkey Kong Land'' games on the Game Boy Color; ANYTHING that wasn't the background was usually a completely different colour to the stage itself, making it blindingly obvious where everything was.
136* ConvenientWeaknessPlacement: Many of the bosses in the games have barrels or cannonballs that appear in the BossRoom for no reason, which you then use to damage the otherwise invincible boss. Some of the bosses may even [[TennisBoss hand you a barrel or cannonball]], usually at the end of their attack cycle (after which they would just stand there and wait for you to hit them with it).
137* CoolOldGuy: Cranky Kong. He makes potions that help you in ''[=DK64=]'', and is capable of platforming even better than his son in ''Tropical Freeze'', courtesy of his cane.
138* CoolOldLady: Wrinkly Kong. She saves your game in ''[=DKC2=]'' and ''[=DKC3=]''. She later provides hints in ''[=DK64=]'' and later games.
139* CutsceneIncompetence: [[AvertedTrope Averted]], narrowly. The GBA remake of ''[=DKC=]'' adds an opening cutscene where Diddy's captured by a [[EliteMook Krusha]] and stuffed into a barrel. Diddy can't hurt Krushas on his own.
140* DamnYouMuscleMemory:
141** Haven't played the game in a decade or so? Just for fun, try replaying some of the bonus levels, especially the ones in the treetop worlds that involve the Kongs having to aim for a moving barrel offscreen. That's right. ''You can still do it.'' ... Now try messing up on purpose in these levels, say, to avoid the annoying animal bonus runs. You ''can't''.
142** In the original trilogy, rolling/cartwheeling/ponytail spinning into an enemy would give you a burst of momentum, allowing you to easily take out whole rows of enemies with just one attack. In ''Donkey Kong Country Returns'', the roll goes farther and faster, but does not have this property. In the very first level, almost right away, you'll encounter three basic enemies in a row. If you try to roll through them all like in the old days, your roll will end ''just'' in time for you to slam into the third enemy and get hurt.
143** That damned rocket barrel from Rocket Rush! Left fires the left rocket, which pushes you right, and vice versa...
144* DeathThrows: In ''Returns'' and ''Tropical Freeze''.
145* DigitizedSprites: The original trilogy were some of the earliest pioneers of this concept. Using a Silicon Graphics workstation, Rare was able to create fully-rendered 3D models of the Kongs, Kremlings, and their environments, which they then downscaled into detailed 2D sprites to fit onto the SNES.
146* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The first game is starkly pared down compared to the latter two. In addition to having the animal-buddy-token bonuses unseen in any other installments, the first DKC game lacked hero coins and a secret world. Also, unlike the latter two games (and ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong64''), which forced you to win each bonus challenge to win every bonus prize, the first game simply expected you to ''find'' all the bonuses in order to get HundredPercentCompletion.
147* EnemyRollCall: The ending to each of the original ''[=DKC=]'' games has every enemy in the game run across the bottom of the screen before the credits roll.
148* EveryoneLovesBlondes: Donkey Kong for Candy Kong, and Diddy Kong for Dixie Kong. It's a [[TertiarySexualCharacteristics Tertiary Sexual Characteristic]], though there are exceptions, too. Wrinkly Kong, being an old lady, doesn't have blonde hair.
149* EverythingTryingToKillYou: Subverted in a rather interesting fashion. There are enemies trying to kill you for no obvious reason (Zingers, Armys, and Neckies), but there are also numerous small animals that can be seen crawling, hopping, flying, or swimming around the levels. The latter have no effect on you; they're just scenery.
150* ExplodingBarrels: TNT Barrels. Kabooms, Klasps, and Krackas hide in these barrels, and they will blow up upon being touched.
151* {{Faceship}}: The GangplankGalleon has K. Rool's head built at the front. The Flying Krock in ''[=DKC2=]'' has a Kremling head-shaped front. DK Isles in ''[=DKC=]'' and ''[=DK64=]'' is shaped like DK's head.
152* FatBastard: K. Rool. Among {{Mooks}}, Klump and Kannon.
153* FlunkyBoss: Dumb Drum. Notably, you don't even harm the boss itself in the original SNES version and its Game Boy Color remake. Just kill all the enemies it produces and it'll destroy itself.
154* FollowTheMoney: Aside from the usual hints of bonuses, the bananas remind players how or when to use advanced moves in the early levels, and can be a last-second warning on how to avoid a death. It's subverted in a couple of {{Bonus Stage}}s in ''[=DKC2=]'' — they're mazes, and the bananas indicate dead ends.
155* ForTheEvulz: It seems the only reason K. Rool had his troops steal DK's banana hoard, aside from possibly food, was simply to steal it. ''DK: Jungle Climber'' showed that K. Rool doesn't even like bananas.
156* GangplankGalleon: The TropeNamer is where you fight King K. Rool in the first game. It is also the first world in the second game.
157* GimmickLevel: Lots of them, especially in the later games. Apparently, adding new enemies along with the obviously different level maps just wasn't enough. At least half the levels in the SNES series had unique or very rare gimmicks. A few examples:
158** RiseToTheChallenge: [[GrimyWater Toxic Tower]] and [[InvincibleMinorMinion Slime Climb]] in #2; [[GreenAesop Ripsaw Rage]] and [[KillItWithFire Kong-Fused Cliffs]] in #3.
159** GravityScrew: Low-G Labyrinth
160** InterfaceScrew: [[DamnYouMuscleMemory Poisonous Pipeline]]
161** TimedMission: Haunted Hall and Riverside Race (and Doorstop Dash, to a lesser extent)
162* GottaCatchEmAll: In ''[=DKC=]'', you don't have to collect a darn thing if you don't want, and the only difference in the ending is that a single line of dialogue from Cranky will be changed very slightly if you found everything. In ''[=DKC2=]'', you have to collect all the Kremcoins in order to access all the levels, but the DK Coins are merely an extra challenge for the player, not necessary in any way. Things started getting out of hand with ''[=DKC3=]'', where you really did have to collect all of the Bonus Coins and DK coins to get the best ending, including finding all of the Banana Birds in the overworld. And then ''[=DK64=]'' took things up to eleven, with 500 bananas, twenty-five golden bananas, five blueprints, one battle crown and 2 banana fairies in each level, including the overworld[[note]]the overworld doesn't have any non-golden bananas to collect, but makes up for it by having an unaccounted-for sixth banana for Tiny Kong to find as well as two extra banana fairies and one extra battle crown[[/note]].
163* GreenAesop: Done in a subtle fashion. The Kremlings own grim and polluted factory areas like Kremkroc Industries and Mekanos, and have ruined Crocodile Isle with oil, toxic waste, and trash, while the Kongs live happily on Donkey Kong Isle, in harmony with nature. In addition, Frantic Factory is shown as being a dreary and depressing place, with spooky music and a dark atmosphere.
164* GreenGators: Zig-zagged with the Kremlings'; while [[BigBad King K. Rool]] himself has green scales, his henchmen have varying colors; Klumps have brown scales in [[VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry the original game]], pink scales in ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong64'', and lime green scales in [[WesternAnimation/DonkeyKongCountry the animated series]], Krushas have blue scales for the weaker variants and grey for the stronger ones, Kritters have a variety of different scale colors, including green, grey, pink, and blue, and Klaptraps have light blue and purple scales.
165* GrumpyOldMan: Cranky Kong is a grumpy old man who regularly belittles his son, [[BreakingTheFourthWall the games he's in]], [[SelfDeprecation the people who make them]], [[TakeThatAudience and the people who play them]].
166* GuideDangIt: The locations of some of the bonus rooms.
167** One memorable example: In ''[=DKC=]'', the entrance to one of the bonus rooms is hidden ''within ANOTHER bonus room!'' AND you are required to [[ViolationOfCommonSense go against your own common sense]] to get to it, with [[MoonLogicPuzzle virtually no hints to do so!]] [[note]]To elaborate, the first level of Kremkroc Industries Inc. (Oil Drum Alley) has a bonus room with a slot-machine style mini-game with prize choices of a 1up, an animal token and a banana. Choosing the banana in a normal bonus room of this type gives you exactly that; a single banana worth exactly 1/100th of a 1up, normally intended as a booby prize. Choosing it ''here'', however, gives you a barrel instead. Why? So you can use that barrel to break the wall opposite the way you came in, of course! It doesn't help that the only hints to do this are that the aforementioned wall normally has a completely cosmetic exit that is easily ignored, and two arrow signs pointing to the right, towards the wall, which are ''also'' easily overlooked, as they are part of the normal stage background. But there's one final screw-you from all this. Even if you figure all that out, if you simply ''throw'' the barrel at the wall, the barrel will break and the mini-game you are ''currently'' in will end without going into the second one, since you just "spent" your "prize". Rather, you have to ''lunge yourself'' at the wall, while holding the barrel (which means you have to be Diddy, and you have to jump rather than run), so that when the wall breaks, your momentum will carry you into bonus room #2 before bonus room #1 ends. Whew![[/note]]
168* HailfirePeaks: Sunken Spruce from the GBA remake of ''[=DKC3=]'' combines a tree level with UnderTheSea.
169** Demolition Drain-Pipe, also from ''3'', combines DownTheDrain with MineCartMadness.
170** ''Donkey Kong Land 2'', due to cartridge space reasons, combined both [[LethalLavaLand Crocodile Cauldron]] and [[BubblegloopSwamp Krem Quay]] into Krem Cauldron.
171* HardLevelsEasyBosses: The first game, for the most part, with the exception of [[BigBad K. Rool]] himself. And even he can be pretty easy if you're careful.
172* HeliCritter[=/=]HelicopterHair: Dixie Kong and her sister Tiny Kong, who use their ponytails as propellers to slow their descent.
173* HooksAndCrooks: The Krook enemy throws [[PrecisionGuidedBoomerang boomeranging]] hooks at you.
174* HugeRiderTinyMount: Donkey Kong and Winky and Expresso, later Kiddy and Squawks and Squitter. Rattly and Ellie got off easy...
175* HumanoidFemaleAnimal: Of the Kongs from ''[=DKC=]'', Candy is the most human-looking; the next Kong to get this treatment is Tiny [[SheIsAllGrownUp after her age up]] in ''Diddy Kong Racing DS''.
176* HyperactiveSprite: Whichever Kong's following you in ''[=DKC3=]''. Probably the code to make them stand still got removed to make space in a 32-megabit cartridge.
177* IdleAnimation: In the first game, Donkey Kong will beat his chest and whoop, Diddy will take off his cap and scratch his head. In the second game, Diddy will start juggling, and Dixie will blow bubblegum and drink a soda as she does in the third game, while Kiddy will pull at a loose thread in his romper suit and eventually pull too hard and fall over. In the hive levels, Dixie will eat the honey off the walls she can cling on to.
178* ImprovisedPlatform: Squitter can create spiderwebs in the air as platforms.
179** One level of ''[=DKC3=]'' requires throwing barrels in the water as platforms, as the water is guarded by [[InvincibleMinorMinion a Nibbla]].
180* InfiniteFlashlight: Squawks in the first game and Glimmer in the second.
181* InsectQueen: Queen B., queen of the Zingers. The [[VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry2DiddysKongQuest sequel]] introduced her apparent mate, King Zing, boss of an area full of [[HornetHole Hornet Holes]].
182* InvincibilityPowerUp: The exclamation point barrel.
183* InvincibleMinorMinion: Croctopus and Clambos in ''[=DKC=]'', Red Zingers in ''[=DKC2=]'', and Red Buzzes, Kopters, and Kuchukas in ''[=DKC3=]'', to name a few.
184* ItsAWonderfulFailure: In ''[=DKC=]'', you are treated to a depressing screen of Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong in bandages when you get a game over. In ''[=DKC2=]'', Diddy and Dixie are locked away in a prison cell and then the screen turns red... suggesting that a terrible fate was brought about [[TakeThatAudience by your failure]]. In ''[=DKC3=]'', players are treated to a somewhat disturbing scene of Dixie and Kiddy locked away [[FateWorseThanDeath in a baby's crib inside a dark room]]. And then ''[=DK64=]'' features King K. Rool [[EvilLaugh laughing maniacally]] and activating the [[WaveMotionGun Blast-O-Matic]]...
185* JustifiedExtraLives: In the original trilogy, the Extra Life Balloons are just there for you to collect. In ''Returns'', they play a more involving role by carrying Donkey and/or Diddy back into the stage after dying, and during co-op, if one player dies but the other is still active, one of your balloons will eventually carry in a new DK Barrel for you to break and get the other player back in the game.
186* KaizoTrap:
187** King K.Rool loves this. There's [[CreditsGag fake credits]] in the middle of the final fight in the first game, and his last attack can kill you after you beat him in the second game.
188** In the GBA version of ''[=DKC2=]'', it is possible to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3EaVcRyDSM die right as you beat Kerozene.]]
189** Many levels have a single weak enemy on the home stretch after the difficult platforming, just to check whether you're still paying attention.
190* KingMook:
191** Every boss in ''[=DKC=]'', including K. Rool; Krow and King Zing in ''[=DKC2=]'', Barbos in ''[=DKC3=]''.
192** Lampshaded in ''[=DK64=]'' in the [[AllThereInTheManual manual]] by Cranky Kong. As well, there's a giant beaver near the end of the first level, but it's not the boss.
193* LampshadeHanging: Cranky Kong does this a lot by complaining about the generally silly tone amongst other things. See also MetaGuy below.
194* LastNoteNightmare: The series' Nightmare Fuel page cites the death-against-K-Rool music [[DummiedOut to have been cut]] (from a game with so much Nightmare Fuel, no less) because it was ''too scary''. [[note]]That's not actually the case. The track is in the game's file, but it doesn't play in-game because of a programming error. It'll be unlikely to [[DummiedOut remove]] a "scary" track from a game that sets itself up to be creepier than the original in the first place.[[/note]] The Last Note Nightmare trope is the exact reason behind that.
195* LaterInstallmentWeirdness: In the original trilogy, collecting all of the KONG letters in a level merely gave you an extra life. In ''Returns'' and ''Tropical Freeze'', collecting all of them in a world gives you access to bonus levels.
196* LawOfOneHundred: You get an extra life for every 100 bananas you collect in the ''Donkey Kong Country'' games.
197* LeadTheTarget: It's not done by a gunman, but rather, bolts of lightning in the Lightning Lookout level of ''[=DKC3=]''. The bolts of lightning will always hit you if you constantly hold forward.
198* LegacyCharacter: Cranky Kong is the DK from the early 1980s arcade games. Along those lines, it's mentioned in various sources that the main character of these games was Donkey Kong, Jr. from the game of the same name.
199* LighterAndSofter:
200** ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry3DixieKongsDoubleTrouble'' in comparison to the second game. After the very gloomy setting in ''Donkey Kong Country 2'' (Which was [[DarkerAndEdgier darker and edgier]] than its ''own'' predecessor), the Kremlings have dropped the whole Pirate Motif, they don't carry weapons anymore, the enemy lineup is much goofier (Kremlings slip on ice, and there are cannon-wielding Owls as well as a ''crosshair''), and you spend much of the game exploring beautiful lakesides, lush green forests, clear waterfalls and swimming in beautiful blue waters. The game in general has a brighter and much more friendly and ambient visual and audio aesthetic this time around.
201** The Creator/RetroStudios-developed games in general are more lighthearted than the original Creator/{{Rare}}-developed games. As opposed to Rare's semi-realistic art style, Retro instead goes for a smoother, stylized look similar to that of CGI animated movies. Retro's games in general also emphasize more explicit action as opposed to Rare's more subdued ambiance. And finally, although Rare's Kremlings certainly had their share of cartoony antics, the villains in Retro's games emphasize these antics much more and tone down the menacing aspect compared to the Kremlings.
202* LiveItem: The Banana Birds and the Banana Fairies.
203* LostFoodGrievance: Several of the adventures involve Donkey Kong's bananas being stolen. But it's not one banana; it's the Kongs' ''entire food supply'', making this a lot more justifiable than how the trope is usually presented.
204* TheLostWoods: Vine Valley in ''[=DKC=]'', Gloomy Gulch in ''[=DKC2=]'', and Kremwood Forest in ''[=DKC3=]''.
205* MadScientist: K. Rool(enstein) in ''[=DKC3=]''. Cranky is depicted this way in ''Donkey Kong 64'', providing abilities in the form of potions.
206* MakeMyMonsterGrow: King K. Rool at the end of ''DK: Jungle Climber''.
207* MascotMook: While many would be tempted to just say the Kremlings, the enemy who's the most qualified are the Zingers. Not just because they appear in so many games, but they tend to have the most minimal changes between games compared to the other enemies.
208* MascotWithAttitude: Donkey Kong.
209* MeaningfulName:
210** K. Rool (sounds like "Cruel").
211** Also Diddy, whose name means "short".
212** Tiny Kong was this in ''[=DK64=]'', prior to her FanServicePack in ''Diddy Kong Racing DS''.
213* MediumAwareness: Cranky Kong is constantly complaining about the game's graphics, [[NostalgiaFilter recalling the "good old days"]] (he was the original ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong'' from the arcade games).
214* MetaGuy: Cranky Kong is aware that he is in a game and complains of the newer superior graphics as opposed to the single-screen gameplay of back in his day.
215* MineCartMadness: In the first game, there is Mine Cart Carnage and the TropeNamer. In the second game, there is Target Terror, Rickety Race, and Haunted Hall (see RuleOfThree below).
216* MonogenderMonsters: The Kremlings, though finally subverted in ''Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast/Jet Race'', when Kass and Kalypso were introduced.
217* MookMaker: Oil Drums in ''[=DKC=]'', and the little holes that spawn Bazzas and Lemguins in [=DKC3=].
218* MoreTeethThanTheOsmondFamily: Many enemies qualify, but Klaptrap, Klampon, Krimp, Lockjaw, Snapjaw, and Nibbla in particular.
219* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: King K. Rool (Cruel AND a Hard K sound in the name), and every single villain in the entire series. It helps that K. Rool is kind of a bumbler, though. With homicidal — er, apecidal intent, but still a bumbler.
220%%* NintendoHard: The whole series is pretty challenging, but ''especially'' ''[=DKC2=]''. ''[=DKC3=]'' tones down the difficulty of the levels a little, but makes HundredPercentCompletion ''completely mandatory''.
221* NoFourthWall: The original series derived a lot of humor from this, although it was toned down as the series progressed. Perhaps the most extreme example was Donkey Kong Land's instruction manual story, where Cranky argued with DK and Diddy that Donkey Kong Country was only successful because of its graphics, and dared them to defeat K. Rool again on the inferior Game Boy. Most game manuals back then had a "notes" page for players to scribble in. Cranky lampshades "Does anyone actually use these pages? Waste of paper if you ask me."
222* NonIndicativeName: Poison Pond. An underwater level where you swim around in water that is colored green but, strangely enough, does not harm you at all.
223* NonLethalKO: Any time you lose a life, they go flying, followed by a short animation of them getting knocked out before being sent back to the map screen.
224* NonMammalMammaries: Kalypso.
225* NonStandardGameOver: In the first ''[[=DKC=]]'', there are certain mine levels where you had to ride a moving platform. Destroying this platform (i.e. no fuel left) caused Donkey Kong/Diddy Kong to go through the animation when they lose a bonus round (balloon pop at the end), and you return to the Overworld map.
226* OfficialCouple: Diddy and Dixie are canonically boyfriend and girlfriend. As are DK and Candy.
227* OneHitPointWonder: In all three ''[=DKC=]]'' games. In ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong64'', the characters start off with four hit points, with Candy Kong giving them an extra four on two occasions for a total of twelve. ''DKC Returns'' allows the characters to take two hits before going down.
228* OneUp: In the original trilogy, red Donkey Kong balloons. There are also green ones which act as 2-ups and blue ones which are 3-ups.
229* OrphanedSeries: After Rare went to Creator/{{Microsoft}}, the series had to live with its "absentee uncle" Creator/{{Nintendo}}[[note]]who owns the rights to the characters and franchise, since it was a Nintendo creation to begin with[[/note]] for a while and was eventually adopted by Paon, then later Retro Studios. Rare lost custody, but still gets to visit the series on handhelds, as Microsoft doesn't have its own.
230* Over100PercentCompletion: ''[=DKC=]'' goes up to 101%, ''[=DKC2=]'' goes up to 102%, and ''[=DKC3=]'' goes up to 103%, or 105% by using a special cheat code which makes the game harder. ''Donkey Kong Land III'' also goes up to 103%, and ''Returns'' and ''Tropical Freeze'' go up to 200%.
231* PaletteSwap: Klubba and Kudgel in ''[=DKC2=]'', as well as numerous minor enemies which, much like the Koopa Troopas, often indicate their behavior. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] by Cranky Kong in the GBA remake of ''[=DKC=]'' (which itself had ''two'' pairs of palette-swapped bosses: Very Gnawty / Really Gnawty and Master Necky / Master Necky Snr.).
232-->'''Cranky:''' It's just like the old days, reusing the boss, changing its color, and pretending it's completely new.
233* PeripheryDemographic: Invoked with Wrinkly playing on a cutting-edge game system.
234* PickupHierarchy:
235** '''Primary''': Nothing (if you're just beating the game normally)
236** '''Secondary''': Kremkoins/Bonus Coins, DK Coins and Banana Birds (required for OneHundredPercentCompletion and the GoldenEnding in ''2'' and ''3''), K-O-N-G Letters (4 in each level that give a 1-up upon collecting them all), Animal Tokens (getting 3 of a kind takes you to a bonus stage loaded with bananas) and 1-up balloons.
237** '''Tertiary''': Banana Coins and Bear Coins (respawning currency), Bananas.
238** '''Extra''': Cogs (only found in ''3''[='s=] extra world) and Brothers Bear items (used for ''3''[='s=] ChainOfDeals.)
239* PiranhaProblem: Lockjaw and Snapjaw from ''[=DKC2=]'', Nibbla from ''[=DKC3=]''.
240* {{Pirates}}: The Kremlings become pirates for no particular reason (besides the RuleOfCool) in ''Donkey Kong Country 2''. Then again, K. Rool's original lair ''was'' a pirate ship...
241* ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything: They do lots of evil things, but no actual pirating other than stealing bananas.
242* PowerupMount: Most of the Animal Buddies you meet throughout the games; Rambi the Rhino is particularly iconic of the series. Enguarde and Squawks are the only Animal Buddies to appear in ALL of the first three games, though Enguarde is the only one who's rideable in every appearance.
243* PrehensileHair: Dixie Kong uses her ponytail to pick up barrels, and as a helicopter blade, which makes her a GameBreaker. The player's guide flat out tells you to use her in "Parrot Chute Panic" as opposed to Quawks, who can only slow your fall.
244* PreviousPlayerCharacterCameo: Cranky Kong.
245* ThePsychoRangers: Except for one secret character, ''Barrel Blast'' paired a Kremling with identical stats against each Kong; some of them were [[AscendedExtra Ascended]] {{Mooks}}, while others were completely new characters.
246* RecurringBoss: Obviously K. Rool, but Krow from the second game is fought twice. Once at its nest, [[spoiler:and once as a ghost]].
247* RecycledSoundtrack: The Game Boy Color remake of ''[=DKC=]'' lifted songs from ''Donkey Kong Land'' and ''[=DKL=]'' ''III''.
248* RedEyesTakeWarning: Kloak and Kackle from the second game. The robotic Kritters from ''[=DK64=]''.
249* RegionalBonus: The Japanese version of ''Donkey Kong Land III'' was for the Game Boy Color. Unfortunately, it was missing animation frames and your last time displayed at the bottom of the screen during time trials over the Game Boy version.
250* RememberTheNewGuy: Cranky Kong's wife Wrinkly appeared out of nowhere in ''[=DKC2=]''. So did Swanky Kong.
251* ReptilesAreAbhorrent: Kremlings are both the main reptiles and the main villains in most of the series, and most of them are evil. Averted with Rattly the snake, though.
252* RetiredBadass: It's easy to forget that Cranky was the ''original'' Donkey Kong.
253* RhinoRampage: Rambi
254* RhymingTitle: Levels that don't use AlliterativeTitle may use rhymes instead. Examples include "Sawmill Thrill" and "Blurry Flurry".
255* RollingAttack: Donkey Kong and Kiddy Kong have a rolling attack, while Diddy Kong has a cartwheel attack. Armies also do this.
256* RuleOfThree: In ''Donkey Kong Country 2'', each "habitat" has three levels dedicated to it (not counting boss stages). For instance, Lockjaw's Locker, Lava Lagoon, Glimmer's Galleon are the three sunken ships levels, while Target Terror, Rickety Race, and (the admittedly background-swapped) Haunted Hall make up the roller coaster triad.
257* RunningGag: K. Rool can never quite stick to the theme of his evil lairs when it comes to costume. A king on a pirate ship, a pirate captain in a laboratory, and a scientist in a castle.
258** The gag also counts for the Kremlings in general for the first two games: They largely had a modern, military aesthetic in ''[=DKC=]'' with the Gangplank Galleon sticking out like a sore thumb. In ''[=DKC2=]'', the Kremlings are largely pirate-themed--yet the Flying Krock would have fit in better with the army theme they had in ''[=DKC=]''.
259* SaveGameLimits: The first game suffers from a major dearth of save points, with a save point popping up every four or five levels on average. That doesn't sound too bad, but keep in mind, this game is NintendoHard. You didn't necessarily have to reach a save point before you could save; technically you could use Funky Kong to fly back to save points in previous levels, but it still made saving more of a hassle than it should have been. This became even worse in ''[=DKC2=]'', which not only has the same problem as ''[=DKC=]'', but saving your game after saving for the first time at Wrinkly's Kong College costs 2 Banana coins. This may not sound so bad, but the coin total will ''reset to 0'' after you have saved and turned off the console. This was finally fixed in ''[=DKC3=]'', which has a save point that can be accessed at any time, and saving the game no longer costs any coins. Firmly averted in the [=GBA=] versions where you can save from the map at any point and the save points have been repurposed for other mechanics (e.g. Candy's Save Studio becoming a Dance Studio).
260* ScavengersAreScum: Neckies and Mini-Neckies, the vultures, are villainous enemies.
261* SceneryPorn: The Rare games are chock full of it.
262* SchmuckBait: Yes, some of those bunches of bananas can be grabbed... if you don't mind [[BottomlessPits redoing]] the level. Inverted with lone bananas, invariably [[ViolationOfCommonSense a bottomless pit with a single banana (or sometimes no bananas!) will lead to a]] BonusStage or something. However, in ''[=DKC2=]'' and ''[=DKC3=]'', you can have your partner mount your shoulders by tapping the A button and throw him/her at the banana hovering at the bottomless pit. Don't worry. He/she'll come back.
263* SequelSnark: In the GBA remake, after the Kongs jump overboard and King K. Rool sails off, [[MetaGuy Cranky]] remarks, "Call that an ending? Looks like a cheap stunt setting up the story for the sequel!" In the Hero Mode ending, he tells Diddy, "You have really surpassed yourself! Who knows? Maybe you'll make the sequel."
264* SequenceBreaking: Not so much in ''[=DKC3=]'', but in ''[=DKC2=]'' several jumping puzzles can be avoided by using Dixie's helicopter spin to glide over them.
265* SeriousBusiness: The Donkey Kong Universe, originally. Though nowadays they just poke fun at their [[FanWank crazy theories]] and attempts to expain discrepancies, such as the Kongs having extra fingers in Mario sports titles, two Enguardes in Coral Capers, and changes to the story in the remakes.
266* ShoutOut:
267** Some of the levels were named after music references. "Vulture Culture" is also the name of an album by Music/TheAlanParsonsProject, and "Music/FearFactory" is the same name of a metal band that popped up at the time of the game's release.
268** The level "Manic Mincers" in the first game is a reference to classic Platform/ZXSpectrum game ''VideoGame/ManicMiner''.
269** In ''[=DKC2=]'', Cranky mentions wanting to play ''VideoGame/KillerInstinct'' (and he actually has an arcade cabinet of the game in the background, as well as a poster of Chief Thunder), yet also gripes that it must be a bad game simply because he is not in it. ''Donkey Kong Land III'' also features a mill level called "[[{{Pun}} Miller Instinct]]".
270** ''[=DKC3=]'' has Wrinkly occasionally playing her Platform/Nintendo64 when you go to save... when that's the case, you can clearly hear a rearrangement of the ''VideoGame/SuperMario64'' castle theme.
271** Also, when you start a bonus stage in ''[=DKC3=]'', the music starts by going "BAH-BAH doo, BAH-BAH doo"... quite similar to the main theme to a popular spy movie series, the latest of which was being [[VideoGame/GoldenEye1997 adapted to a video game]] by Rare at the time ''[=DKC3=]'' came out...
272** After you destroy KAOS in ''3'', K. Rool says "He was my ticket to world domination... and I would have gotten away with it too, [[Franchise/ScoobyDoo if it wasn't for you meddling kids]]!"
273* SlippySlideyIceWorld: There's one of these in practically every game. In ''[=DKC3=]'', there are enemies in these areas called Skidda, who literally skid and slide around the area trying to run into you (though you yourself do not slide).
274* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Candy Kong is the only female Kong in the first game, and the closest thing to a female enemy being Queen B. Later games included a few more female characters, such as Dixie and Wrinkly in the second and third games (with Candy not appearing in those) and Tiny Kong in ''[=DK64=]''. Even bird characters who could lay/spit eggs were male, if gender was specified at all. Ellie is the only female [[PowerupMount animal buddy]] in the whole series, if ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongJungleBeat'' is ignored. Kass and Kalypso in ''Barrel Blast''are ''the'' only female Kremlings to currently exist.
275* SoundtrackDissonance: Ripsaw Rage from ''[=DKC3=]'' contains a giant saw slowly creeping up a treehouse level as calm music plays. The new happy-go-lucky music in the GBA version is even more dissonant.
276* SpellingBonus: Though what they do varies form game to game, every game in the series grants some sort of bonus if you collect panels labeled K-O-N-G.
277* SpikesOfDoom: They aren't that common in the sprite-based games outside of a particular environment type in ''DKC 2'', but for some reason Retro Studios saw fit to employ them ''en masse'' in ''Returns'' and ''Tropical Freeze''. In ''Tropical Freeze'' in particular, Cranky Kong can use his cane to harmlessly off of them, and Funky Kong in the Switch release can safely land on top of them with his surfboard, but he won't be able to move except by jumping.
278* TheSpiny: Zingers and Buzzes. Beating them typically requires a thrown barrel, an animal ally, or invincibility.
279** Red Zingers and Buzzes are completely invulnerable except to TNT barrels or invincibility.
280** ''[=DKC2=]'' has an enemy actually called Spiny, and it fits the trope, while ''[=DKC3=]'' has an enemy called Bristles. The only way to kill them is to roll into them head on or just throw a barrel at them.
281* StrangeSecretEntrance: Some secret levels are accessed by unintuitively jumping down "bottomless" pits into off-screen barrel cannons.
282* SuperDrowningSkills: In ''Donkey Kong Land III'', there is at least one section where the Kongs transform into Squitter and must travel through water-filled caves. Touching the water causes Squitter to lose one of his two hit points.
283* SuperNotDrowningSkills: Played straight in the N64 and in the Country/Land trilogy. The Kongs can stay underwater indefinitely without needing air. Averted in ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryReturns'', where both Donkey and Diddy Kong [[SuperDrowningSkills drown the moment they fall into water]]. Also averted in the Gyrocopter missions in the GBA version of ''[=DKC2=]'', which have an air meter.
284* SuperTitle64Advance: In Japan, the series is called ''Super Donkey Kong''.
285* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: Most enemies introduced in the original game don't appear in the two sequels, but have obvious analogues. In ''Donkey Kong 64'', most of the original enemies from the first game returned, leaving their substitutes high and dry (Klobber and Kaboom from ''[=DKC2=]'' also appeared, but they had no analogue in the first game).
286* TacticalSuicideBoss: King K. Rool himself. You can only hurt him by jumping on his head. But he wears a spiked crown, so you can not jump on his head without hurting yourself. His main method of attack is to take off his crown and throw it at you.
287* TagTeam: In the original trilogy, the Kongs can tag out if both are available. Averted in the ''Land'' trilogy due to limitations.
288* TakeThat:
289** "Where '''''YOU''''' gonna find it? '''''NOT''''' on Creator/{{Sega}}. '''''NOT''''' on [[Platform/SegaGenesis 32X adaptors]]. '''''NOT''''' on CD-ROM. It's [[KillerApp only for]] '''''SUPER NES.'''''"[[invoked]]
290** In ''Donkey Kong Country 2'', Cranky Kong opens a museum for (Nintendo) Video Game Heroes. VideoGame/EarthwormJim's gun and ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog's shoes can be seen tossed next to a trash can with a sign that says "NO HOPERS" on it.
291* TenSecondFlashlight: Gleamin' Bream in the third game. Poking him with Enguarde will get him to light the area around him for a few seconds. Also applies to the barrels that temporarily lights up the screen in Glimmer's Galleon in ''Donkey Kong Land 2'', as Glimmer does not appear in that game.
292** There's also both Stop And Go Station and Loopy Lights in the first, both featuring the [[InvincibleMinorMinion Rock]] [[DemonicSpiders Krocs]].
293* TertiarySexualCharacteristics: Except for Wrinkly Kong, the female Kongs have long blonde hair. And Dixie used to have pink toenails. Tiny Kong has both pink toenails and fingernails.
294** Of course you'd be forgetting that Candy has, and always had, a decent pair of, ahem, secondaries.
295* ThemeNaming: Damn near every species of Kremling has [[XtremeKoolLetterz a name which includes "K", usually as the initial.]] The name sums up either its appearance or its behavior. Just a few of dozens of examples:
296** Kutlass wildly swings 2 long blades.
297** Klasp hangs from horizontal ropes or vines; Klinger climbs vertical ropes and chains.
298** Kloak wears a huge jacket that conceals his face when he attacks.
299** Kackle makes an evil laugh when one of your characters dies in his level.
300** Kopter drifts high and low with his blade-spinning.
301** Rekoil bounces very high, and very quickly.
302** Bazuka fires barrels across chasms; some as stepping stones, others as lethal obstacles, using a [[{{BFG}} giant cannon]].
303** Both Klobber and Knocka [[FoeTossingCharge are strong enough to bump the Kongs off ledges]]!
304** Krackshot is (apparently) the enemy who shoots from offscreen in ''[=DKC3's=]'' level bearing his name.
305** [[EliteMooks Krusha, Kruncha, and Krumple]] are far too muscular to be harmed by certain basic attacks. If you forget, Krusha and Krumple will remind you with a [[LampshadeHanging mocking chuckle]], while Kruncha will [[TurnsRed turn red]] with anger, roaring as he does and starts to walk faster.
306* TitleConfusion: Between the official soundtrack and the GBA version. Which one's "DK Island Swing" and which one's "Simian Segue"?
307* TotallyRadical: Funky, natch.
308* TrademarkFavoriteFood: What else? Bananas!
309* TreeTopTown: Two such levels in the first game, one of which is the TropeNamer.
310* TropicalIslandAdventure: All of the games in the series take place on tropical islands, except for ''[=DKC3=]''. ''[=DKC1=]'' and ''Returns'' are set on Donkey Kong Island with ''[=DK64=]'' and ''Tropical Freeze'' also being set on it and the nearby islands, while ''[=DKC2=]'' is set on Crocodile Island, the home of the Kremlings.
311* TurnsRed: Some of the bosses. Also the Kruncha enemies in ''[=DKC2=]'', if you jump on them. They also get faster, but after a while they get back to their usual blue (or pink) tone.
312* UndergroundMonkey: The GBA remake of the first game was particularly plagued with them, although they do show up elsewhere.
313* UnderTheSea: The coral reef levels in the first and third games, the ship hold and melting ice cavern levels in the second.
314* UniqueEnemy: Numerous times, especially in ''[=DKC3=]''; see trope article for examples.
315* UpdatedRerelease:
316** The trilogy for the SNES was remade for the Platform/GameBoyAdvance with some additional content and some improved sound effects. The first one also was remade on the Platform/GameBoyColor with one new level.
317** ''Donkey Kong Country Returns'' received an updated version for the Platform/Nintendo3DS, which contains more levels and a new easy mode, which (among other changes) gives the Kongs an extra heart and adds new items to Cranky's store.
318* VideoGameFlight: Squawks and Quawks lends wings to the Kongs in certain levels, which tend to be aerial mazes. Also, in ''Donkey Kong 64'', Diddy Kong can fly with Rocketbarrels--a jetpack made out of barrels fueled by magical coconut-shaped crystals.
319* VileVulture: Necky and [[MiniMook Mini-Necky]] are vultures that serve as an AirborneMook against the Kongs. Master Necky and Master Necky Snr. are bosses in the first game while Krow is a boss twice in ''[[VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry2DiddysKongQuest Diddy's Kong Quest]]''.
320* WakeUpCallBoss: Queen B. from the first game, Kudgel from the second game, and Barbos from the third game. Kleever from the second game as the second boss in both Country and Land (where his name is misspelled as [[SpellMyNameWithAnS Kleaver]]) also fits.
321* WhenIWasYourAge: Cranky Kong, in spades. A typical criticism:
322-->'''Cranky:''' We never had any of this fancy 3D stuff in my day. Oh no, we had to survive on what we had! And what little we did have, we were happy with!
323* WhereTheHellIsSpringfield: Donkey Kong Island (and subsequently, its surroundings) is one good example of this. There are, however, some inversions:
324** An infamous one in the DKC cartoon, where the island is assumed to be located east of Australia, as shown in a globe in Cranky's hut.
325** The German Club Nintendo comic "Donkey Kong in: Banana Day 24", which implies that the Kongs live in continental Africa.
326* WickedWasps: The Zinger enemies in the first two Country games. In ''[=DKC3=]'', they are replaced with the Buzzes, who are also part MechaMook.
327* XtremeKoolLetterz: Everything related to the Kremlings replaces any hard C with a K, à la ''Franchise/MortalKombat''. Also appears in the form of including "krem" in other words, such as in the name of [[spoiler:''[=DKC3's=]'' [[BonusDungeon hidden final area]], the inactive volcano Krematoa. Completing its 5 levels forces the appearance of the OptionalBoss in his docked submarine, the Knautilus!]].
328* YouWouldntHitAGuyWithGlasses: In the standard ending of ''3'', Cranky insults the protagonists' performance, and they surround him, apparently to beat him up. As they close in, Cranky puts on a pair of glasses and says the line.
329----
330->'''Cranky Kong:''' You kids have it easy with all these wikis and trope catalogs! Back in my day, if you wanted to find out information about your favorite video games, you'd have to wait every month for gaming magazines to come in the mail to read developer interviews and trivia collections. And by golly, we'd never develop any of these silly [[JustForFun/TVTropesWillRuinYourLife editing addictions]] back then!

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