Donkey Kong, gaming's favorite simian hero, has made a huge impact in pop culture over the past few decades, but the famed ape has played both hero and villain in his decades of being a game star.
Whether he’s hurling barrels at a construction site, smashing them to rescue his monkey pal (Diddy Kong) , or blasting himself out of them – The famed gorilla has become a black belt at all forms of barrel usage. Alongside seeming ageless classic gameplay, Donkey Kong has managed to stay in the hearts of gamers because he’s quite the dynamic character.
Donkey Kong began his career as a villain in the original, self titled, arcade game where he stole Jumpman’s (who later became Mario) girlfriend and carried her to the top of a construction site. Years later, DK would find himself as the hero when his island’s banana supply gets stolen. This change from bad to good is one of the reasons that you can’t keep this ape down.
Guess I know what my kids and I are playing tonight! Looks just our speed. (They sure as heck aren’t playing Sony’s stealth-dropped free Silent Hill.)
As the first game to be released in the DKC series in 11 years, fans of Donkey Kong were eager to see how the iconic ape’s adventures continued. And when it was finally released, the game proved well worth the wait. With incredible level design, difficult yet fun platforming gameplay, vibrant presentation and an amazing soundtrack, “Donkey Kong Country Returns” is an amazing side-scrolling platformer and an incredible comeback for one of Nintendo’s oldest mascots.
After a collaboration with Nintendo of America, the Strong Museum has managed to build the world's largest Donkey Kong arcade game machine.
Is it the Seth Rogen version? Oh wait, that's part of the season pass, isn't it?
