Either Kiddy Kong, Funky Kong, or a new monkey is the secret 4th playable character
In this video at 2:23
the person says there is one more playable character remaining. Most likely it's either Kiddy Kong (to round out the playable cast of the original DKC trilogy), Funky Kong (who is pretty much the "fourth Kong" in the recent games), or an entirely new Kong- Maybe that Redneck Kong (a.k.a. Bubba Kong) planned for Diddy Kong Pilot (the beta of Banjo Pilot)? Though that's a bit of a stretch.
- Or how about Cranky Kong? After all the bragging he's done about his game skills, think how cool it would be to finally see those alleged skills in action.
- Donkey Kong Jr. seems like a possibility, too. After all, he hasn't been a playable character since Mario Tennis on the N64.
- Chunky Kong is Kiddy's big brother and has been Out of Focus since Donkey Kong 64. Considering how strong he is, it could be interesting to have him on the team.
- Lanky Kong could bring in some interesting and unique gameplay elements, and in fact seems like the only previously playable Kong that could do so (Kiddie or Chunky seem like they would just be too similar to DK, and Tiny would be too similar to Dixie).
- Jossing all around (except Cranky, of course.)
This game will be Hijacked by King K. Rool.
And he will have a new Viking persona. To fit with the theme.- But didn't K. Rool say at the end of DKC3 that he was done with the whole disquise-wearing thing?
- I recall no such thing. And he still wore a "disguise" in Donkey Kong 64 and Mario Super Sluggers.
- Jossed. K. Rool doesn't appear in this game.
Even if K. Rool doesn't hijack this game, he'll do it retroactively in the third.
K. Rool will be revealed to have been the one orchestrating the Tiki and Viking attacks behind the scenes. But he won't actually show up until the end of the third game.This game is being designed as a Spiritual Successor to Donkey Kong Country 2
DKC2 was the first game to feature Dixie, who returns as a playable character in this game. Most of DKC2 was spent on Crocodile Isle, not DK Island; a lot of pre-game hype has been stressing that the Kongs are venturing off of DK Island in this game. DKC2 is famous for its atmospheric level design. The new camera angles seem to be invoking similar sentiment. In DKC2, the Kremlings and other enemies were pirate-themed. This game features Horny Vikings, another nautical baddie type.Since DKCR had so many throwbacks to the original Donkey Kong Country like remixes of certain DKC music and such, we'll see similar aspects here. We'll probably get several remixes of DKC2 songs like "Mining Melancholy" and "Stickerbush Symphony" as well as a full Lost World-style hidden level this time around like in DKC2, instead of the one-stage Golden Temple of the first DKCR.
- Largely confirmed. The game has remixes of "Stickerbush Symphony," "Bayou Boogie," and "Lockjaw's Saga." Secret Seclusion is also a secret world with 3 levels.
The Vikings invaded because their previous home is now uninhabitable.
Enguarde will return
He'll return as the aquatic equivalent to Rambi as with the original DKC games. Oxygen Meter won't apply since the Kongs will transform into him as opposed to riding him.- Jossed. Rambi is the only animal buddy once again.
The fourth playable character is King K. Rool.
That's why they're being so secretive as to who it is.- Jossed.
The fourth playable character is Mario.
Because who wouldn't want to play as both Mario and Donkey Kong in a 2D Platformer?- Also Jossed.
Assuming Cranky is the 4th playable character, he will be playable in a special "Hard mode".
One heart, one life, no second character. Like in the good old days of classic video games before you whippersnappers came along and ruined it with your fancy polygons and colours and animations with more than two frames.- Sorta confirmed, sorta Jossed. There is a Hard Mode and you can play as Cranky in it, but he's by no means exclusive, and you don't have only one life, though there's no checkpoints so in a sense lives don't matter.
Cranky will narrate the instruction manual once again.
He will make disparaging remarks about everything that isn't him, as usual.That walrus-looking Snowmad leader is a disguised K. Rool.
At the time this is written, all we know of him is a silhouette. We can't make out his colors or all of his details, but what we can make out include scaly skin (odd for a walrus, and the other walrus Snowmads don't have it) and a body shape remarkably similar to K. Rool. Now, his head looks a lot like a walrus head, but this is K. Rool I'm talking about, lover of the Paper-Thin Disguise...- Jossed. The Snowmad leader is what he appears to be: A walrus. However, he does share some of K. Rool's attacks.
Tropical Freeze will have a Call-Back to the Kredits from the original game
... In which after you defeat the walrus Snowmad, he jumps up and rips off his costume, revealing King K. Rool underneath.- Jossed, there's no fake "Kredits" or K. Rool.
The DKCR series is actually a prequel to Donkey Kong country
Let's look at the facts shall we?- Tropical Freeze is the origin of Gorilla Glacier, (which was absent in the Returns)
- Cranky Kong is apparently still young enough to join DK on the adventure and isn't AS cranky/ irritable as Country
- DK didn't know how to swim in Returns, he finally learns in Tropical Freeze, and he of course is still able to do so in Country
- DK, Diddy, and Dixie all look younger
This is the alternative theory to the "DKCR is the next generation of Kongs". Where the DK in Country is now Cranky in Returns/Tropical Freeze.
Bashmaster is related to the Brothers Bear.
His more realistic appearance would fit in with the redesigns of the Brothers Bear in the GBA remake of DKC3.The island from this game is not the same island from the SNES Trilogy
Some people wonder why DK Island changed so much, it's not shaped like Donkey Kong anymore and has a volcano, I believe that Donkey Kong, Diddy and Cranky moved to another island, while the other Kongs stayed on the original island, in Tropical Freeze, Dixie comes to live in the second island as well.The Snowmads are actually Tragic Villains.
Maybe this is just Draco in Leather Pants, maybe it's just because their theme music sounds more sad than sinister to me, but I feel like they must have something tragic going on. Maybe they've lost their original home. Maybe it was taken over by another army (maybe the Kremlings?), or maybe they lost it due to global warming. That's why they take over these other islands.