TheDonkey Kongseries, the one that started Nintendo’s lineup of iconic games, has been in limbo sinceDonkey Kong Country:Tropical Freezecame out. The closest thing the series has gotten to new content, aside fromTropical Freezebeing ported to the Switch, is King K. Rool’s long-awaited inclusionin theSuper Smash Bros.roster. While the titular ape remains one of the most famous video game characters of all time, his recent appearances have mostly been his mandatory spot in the character roster ofMariospinoff games. As far as the games that actually putDonkey Kongon the map, there seems to be nothing planned on Nintendo’s part.
There seems to be a rise in popularity of both old school platformers and crossover-like spinoffs. As a franchise with a strong history in both types of games,Donkey Konghas plenty of potential in the modern era. If Nintendo is currently refusing to revisit the platformer series, it may be either due to limited internal interest in such a project or a lack of ideas. There is one potentially effective way to entertainDonkey Kongfans as the gap betweenTropical Freeze’s release and the next platformer’s announcement gets bigger. Indeed, Nintendo could revisit the concept of aDonkey Kong-themed racing game.
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A Modern Donkey Kong Racing Game
TheDonkey Kongname is not foreign to the racing genre whatsoever.Donkey Konghimself has been in everyMario Kartgame exceptSuper Mario Kart, which has Donkey Kong Jr. in its roster. Ironically, the tie-wearing ape has yet to star in a traditional kart racer of his own. Instead,Diddy Kongwas the one to get his own kart racing game during the Nintendo 64 era, and only a couple of years after his introduction.
ADonkey Kongracer was planned forthe GameCube, but was ultimately scrapped.Donkey Kong Barrel Blastfor the Wii was the franchise’s first true attempt to assemble all the series regulars for racing escapades, only for the public to dismiss it as mediocre because of its gimmicky controls. Since then, nothing racing-related has even been hinted at in talks about the future ofDonkey Kong. Additionally, the Kremlings introduced inBarrel Blasthave since been reduced to minor cameos in subsequent appearances.
A newDonkey Kongracing game would simply need to go back to the basics. When the Wii came out, motion controls were a novelty and there was pressure to shoehorn them into every game on the console. Now, while Nintendo still implements at least some form of motion control in its recent systems, there is no need to force them on games that don’t need them, especially due to the Switch’s compatibility with so many controllers. AfutureDonkey Kongracerwould not have to follow up whatBarrel Blasttried to do. It can assert its own direction and feel fresh.
Regarding the characters, aDonkey Kongracing game should simply assemble all the major Kongs from the Super Nintendo series andDonkey Kong 64, as well as important Kremlings like K. Rool, regular Kritters, Klump, and Krusha. One notable thing done byDonkey Kong Barrel Blastwas the return of Lanky Kong. Another racer could easily give obscure Kongs like Chunky and Swanky the same treatment. Additionally, withDonkey Kong Country ReturnsandTropical Freezehaving entered the picture, there are countless possibilities regarding stages and items. From the originalDonkey Kong Country’s legendary minecart levels, toReturns’ memorable silhouette stage, aDonkey Kongracer would not be limited to the famous Jungle Japes.
Overall, Donkey Kong, as a character, does not need to relyon Mario and palsfor an enjoyable racing experience. His own series has plenty of characters, powerups, and set pieces to work with. Whether Nintendo wants to give the idea a shot or not, it is good to know that ifDonkey Kongwere to return without a platformer, a racing game could keep fans occupied in the meantime.
