It’s no secret Donkey Kong has been shorted in the Nintendo Switch era. Despite being one of Nintendo’s most recognizable mascots, the character hasn’t had a starring role in an original game in more than 10 years now. A new Donkey Kong game was planned for Switch by Vicarious Visions, but the project was inevitably cancelled by the developer’s owner Activision. Recently, fans got to see a piece of concept art from the game, which seemed to be a 3D platformer, as opposed to a 2D sidescroller. That would have been a refreshing change, and Nintendo should embrace that path for the next Donkey Kong game.
In the ’90s, Rare released the original Donkey Kong Country trilogy on Super Nintendo. A trio of 2D sidescrolling games, the Donkey Kong Country series helped to breathe new life into the character, introducing new friends, new foes, and a brand-new status quo. The outdated arcade icon suddenly felt fresh again, earning a new generation of fans. When the Nintendo 64 launched a few years later, many of Nintendo’s mascots made the jump from 2D to 3D gaming, in titles like Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Donkey Kong was no exception, with Rare releasing Donkey Kong 64 in 1999.
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While Mario and Link’s first forays into 3D gaming were massively successful, Donkey Kong’s was more of a mixed bag. Rare managed to carry over a lot of the best elements of the SNES games, from animal companions like Enguarde and Rambi, to the iconic minecart sections. Unfortunately, the game was bogged down with a lot of elements that haven’t aged quite as gracefully; most notably, players were required to obtain a ridiculously large number of items to complete the game. Between the “collectathon” issues, and the oft-ridiculed DK Rap, most people have forgotten the elements that were done right.
After that single 3D game, Donkey Kong went back to mostly starring in 2D sidescrollers like Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat and Donkey Kong Country Returns. One of the few exceptions was Donkey Kong’s appearance in Skylanders SuperChargers, which seemed to be setting the stage for Vicarious Visions’ DK game. Even though that fell through, it feels like it’s past time to give Donkey Kong another shot at 3D. For all its warts, Donkey Kong 64 was a major release for Nintendo, and was one of the company’s biggest games in the 1999 holiday season. While another 2D platformer would still be welcome after years of remakes and remasters, it just doesn’t feel big enough. A new 3D game would truly stand out, and could be a way to help elevate the character once again.
To pull this off, Nintendo needs to boil things down to the elements that work best. Donkey Kong 64‘s big problem is that it was filled with excess. That didn’t just include the in-game collectables, but it even extended to the game’s cast, which featured too many playable characters, with a total of five to control. The problem with having too many characters is that it makes it easy for Donkey Kong himself to get lost in the mix. This is even true of games like Tropical Freeze, where I largely found myself using Dixie and Cranky Kong. Those characters should still remain an important part of the franchise, but the next 3D Donkey Kong game should focus exclusively on Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong. Once it gets beyond those two protagonists, the Donkey Kong name starts to lose its draw. Putting DK firmly in the spotlight will help to firmly establish him as a Nintendo icon again. This is something The Super Mario Bros. Movie did well, as other Kongs did make appearances, but they never took away the spotlight.
Stripping things down means bringing back the stuff that truly worked best, and a good starting point would be the first Donkey Kong Country. There are so many great elements from that game begging for a return, and they’d translate well into 3D. The animal companions and minecart areas should be there, just as they came back in Donkey Kong 64. The music of the series has also been a high point for a long time, which is why it would be smart to bring back composer David Wise. All of these elements would help to keep the spirit of the 2D games alive, even as the game sets out to chart a new future. Marrying the old and new will give fans a reason to have some faith in a new 3D adventure.
The last piece of the puzzle that Donkey Kong needs is an entertaining enemy, which is also why it’s time to bring back the Kremlings and King K. Rool. For whatever reason, Nintendo has largely abandoned those characters outside the Super Smash Bros. series. The Donkey Kong Country games developed by Retro Studios tried to give Donkey Kong new enemies to face, but both the Tiki Tak Tribe and the Snowmads failed to leave a strong impression. These characters felt largely generic, and don’t have the same charm. We already know King K. Rool and the Kremlings can work in 3D, as we’ve seen it once before.
Over the last few years, Nintendo and Shigeru Miyamoto have made it clear that Donkey Kong remains an important character to the company’s past and future. While we haven’t seen it as much in the world of video games, it’s easy to see how Nintendo is trying to elevate Donkey Kong’s character, through his large role in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, to the fact that he has his own dedicated section in Super Nintendo World. There’s never been a better time for Nintendo to make a big, AAA Donkey Kong game. It’s time to make the jungle as fun and exciting to explore as it was in 1994. To pull it off, Nintendo needs to give DK another chance at 3D stardom.
Do you think DK needs a new 3D game? Were you a fan of Donkey Kong 64? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!
