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Continuity Corner: Donkey Kong Jr. and the current DK

Perchance, do you remember how I teased an appearance of Diddy Kong in my last article? Well, that installment of my recurring column can now be found over yonder, and this article was born out of it. And my fellow Kong authorities NantenJex, TheAnvil, and PushDustIn were here to proof this piece and offer commentary.

Given the circumstances behind Diddy Kong’s genesis, there’s an intrinsic link between him and Donkey Kong Jr. Personally, I’m glad Rare stood by and kept their creation. While I like Jr., and while he’s unquestionably “a very important character,” Diddy’s presence is a boon for Nintendo and the Donkey Kong brand.

Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong in Donkey Kong Country

One of the finest bromances in this industry. (Image: Nintendo)

Of course, Jr. as we knew him consequently faded from the spotlight, an occasional nod in titles like Super Mario Maker notwithstanding. But, really, has Donkey Kong Jr. truly left the limelight?

A new Donkey Kong for Country?

Let’s take a look at Donkey Kong Country’s manual. Its Donkey Kong was billed as a “totally new character,” obviously indicating he’s a new lead to mark Country’s new era. However, his relation to Jr. isn’t straightforwardly addressed in the manual nor in-game. Therefore, could he then be “totally new” in a similar way to how Mega Mewtwo Y was initially promoted as “a newly discovered Pokémon in Pokémon X and Pokémon Y”?

Let’s recall Country’s plot synopsis and Diddy’s section, the latter of which discusses his respect for Donkey Kong. These two points convey a clear message: Donkey Kong, the one who’s playable in Country, has already garnered an impressive reputation for himself. He’s a well-established video game hero, the kind the impressionable Diddy aspired to become.

What act of valor earned him this stature? If Country’s Donkey Kong is indeed the third in his lineage, then it’d have to be an off-camera event, which technically works as an explanation, but it certainly isn’t a satisfying one. Instead, one would assume he must’ve already headlined a video game. So, allow me to raise a suggestion: he rescued his imprisoned parental figure during the events of Donkey Kong Jr.

Mario, Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr. in Donkey Kong Jr.

It was odd (but interesting) to see Mario cast as the villain. Incidentally, Jr. was arguably the most heroic character in the Donkey Kong arcade series. (Image: Nintendo)

Sure, you can write his coming of age off as some vague thing that only happened in the series’ lore, but wouldn’t it be more poignant if his triumph was detailed in the second core Donkey Kong game? The one where he bested Mario, no less?

Another factor to consider is the relative ages for Donkey Kong Jr. and Sr. In the arcade era, they were respectively presented as a child and an adult. In Country, Sr. adapted the Cranky identity as he had grown into retirement. Country’s Donkey Kong, on the other hand, is presented as an adult. If Country’s Donkey Kong is indeed the same Jr. from the arcade games, then both Donkeys concurrently aged in harmony. If Jr. instead sits in a generation between Cranky and Country’s hero, this synchronization in age progression is lost.

You’re Grand, Son!

So, how could Country’s Donkey Kong be the original Jr. if he’s explicitly stated to be Cranky’s grandson, you ask? Well, Rare’s initial proposal was for Country’s Donkey Kong to be Donkey Kong Sr. of the arcade titles, with Jr. in tow. Country’s original concept also included Grandpa Kong who, despite seeming to have a very different temperament than the Cranky we’re acquainted with, evolved into the embittered ape. 

After the story was reworked to incorporate a generational shift, the Country cast we love was born. For a while, including when this article was first published, I had wondered if there was confusion or trepidation within Rare concerning Jr.’s place therein following Nintendo’s disapproval of his redesign, which then evolved into Diddy. If Rare’s Donkey Kong really was Cranky’s grandson, that’d track with how the old guy glorifies his heyday and his comments suggesting the greenhorn wouldn’t have cut it back then, since he wasn’t around then (though Cranky’s not a reliable narrator, claiming he’d never get kidnapped in his day). But it clashes with Donkey Kong’s preexisting reputation…

Regardless, Cranky remained a grandpa, always eager to flaunt his age. But Rare’s Leigh Loveday later confirmed “their” Donkey Kong’s correlation with Jr. through his Scribes column:

“As far as I know, ‘our’ DK is the son of Cranky, which does indeed make him the original DK Jr. all grown up: so if you see Cranky referred to as DK’s granddad anywhere, just cover your eyes and hum loudly until it goes away.”

Given how Loveday was a key writer behind Rare’s Donkey Kong titles, his commentary seemed conclusive: Jr. is the incumbent Donkey Kong, and Cranky is his dad. Cranky’s line referring to Donkey as his grandson was, as Destructoid put it, “a mistake.” Furthermore, Loveday’s statement was made prior to the publication of Donkey Kong 64, wherein the two were wholly embraced as father and son. I simultaneously played through Donkey Kong Jr. and 64 as a kid (the former via an arcade I frequented) and it was a cool insight how both titles shared their protagonist during different phases of his life.

Donkey Kong and Cranky Kong in Donkey Kong Country

When Cranky’s not mocking Jr. or giving him cane abuse, the two are actually quite close. (Image: Nintendo)

The dynamic between Donkey Kongs Sr. and Jr. was a tenet in the games where the two co-starred and I liked how Rare progressed their relationship. Moreover, there was a discernible division in how their personalities were portrayed in the arcade series, which translated into their Country revamps; Sr.’s improper social conduct translated into Cranky’s grouchy guise, whereas Jr. upheld his heroic virtues into adulthood (sporadic mood swings in Jungle Beat and the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series aside).

Likewise, while the current Donkey Kong being Jr. isn’t as openly core to his persona as Cranky’s identity as the original Donkey Kong is to his, it’s still imperative to how Rare presented him within his world. If Country was truly his grand debut, then how was he already celebrated as a video game hero? If he’s not Jr., then how did he age so rapidly into adulthood? Plus, if he is the modern Donkey Kong, then Diddy’s Kong Quest provides a satisfying parallel: Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong’s first starring roles saw them rescue their imprisoned mentors and best Mario (albeit indirectly in Diddy’s case).

Donkey Kong Jr.’s always been right by his family and friends, ready to defend them and their island from wayward crocodiles, instruments, and vikings. And did you ever wonder why Mario stopped inviting Jr. to his gatherings after Super Mario Kart and Mario Tennis? The answer: he didn’t.

Donkey Kong Island’s most capable heroes, led by the big ape himself. (Image: Nintendo)

Even an old manga publication positions the current Donkey Kong as an adult Jr. Of course, you can counter those materials and Loveday’s word by linking me to statements endorsing the grandfather-grandson bit, including a tweet from Rare’s Gregg Mayles. For reference, TheMushroomKingdom compiled a list of unambiguous citations chronicling both sides of the debate. 

Donkey Kong Jr.’s Dual Generational Citizenship

Now, to clarify, I’m not arguing the grandson-grandfather relation isn’t canon. Regardless of circumstances, it’s been used more than the father-son affiliation. Plus, while I believe 64 was intended to cement the latter bond, the more recent Donkey Kong Country Returns, well, returned to the grandfather-grandson bit.

It’d be reasonable if Retro Studios wasn’t aware of 64’s conversations or wrote them off as the outlier; the Country and Land trilogies, backstory aside, overtly referred to Cranky as Donkey’s grandad, and supplementary materials like Super Smash Bros. Brawl (which also appeared to influence Returns) regurgitated that claim. 

But I am arguing that Country’s Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr.’s Jr. are the same individual. It was demonstrably the intention of at least part of Rare’s staff, and it’s a cleaner, more elegant solution than having an absentee Jr. inexplicably bumming around somewhere.

Donkey Kong Jr. in the Game Boy's Donkey Kong

A younger Donkey Kong Jr., one who’s rarely far from his dad’s side. (Image: Nintendo)

And, critically, nothing in any Donkey Kong or Mario game explicitly contradicts the notion that Jr. is the new Donkey Kong. If you follow Loveday’s advice or, at worst, can forgive a retcon where Sr. and Jr. were biologically grandfather and grandson, nothing prevents the kid from having developed a sharper fashion sense.

Nevertheless, if you prefer the alternative take, where our current Donkey Kong is the third figure to inherit the mantle (which, thus, could free up the original Jr. to reemerge someday), that’s your prerogative. Our good friend and fellow Kong documentarian TheAnvil subscribes to that theory, and that’s okay! 

Given the nature of the subject and Nintendo’s characteristic disinterest in prioritizing continuity, this snare may never be directly confronted. Heck, Nintendo themselves still contribute to the confusion; following this article’s original publication, they collaborated with Prima Games on Playing With Super Power: Nintendo Super NES Classics, which simultaneously addresses the current Donkey Kong as an adult Jr. and as Jr.’s son. So, unless the status quo changes, feel free to pick whichever familial interpretation you prefer – whether there’s been two Donkey Kongs or three. 

Mario, Pauline, Donkey Kong, and Donkey Kong Jr. in Game Boy's DK

Donkey Kong Jr.’s final appearance in his home franchise before inheriting his (grand)father’s title. By the way, in an interview conducted after this article’s publication, Mayles suggested that you can interpret the Kongs’ familial dynamics however you want(Image: Nintendo)

Jr.: Donkey Kong’s First Doubles Partner

Since the Nintendo 64’s Mario Tennis was Jr.’s last original playable appearance under that moniker, let’s close by discussing it.

Donkey Kong Jr. grew in size by the time he participated in Super Mario Kart and the Virtual Boy’s Mario’s Tennis. So, while they were almost certainly not intended to help bridge the gap between his roles in the Donkey Kong arcade series and his reintroduction in Country, they actually can anyway. Donkey Kong was older, but he didn’t outgrow his unitard just yet.

Conversely, given his smaller physique and higher-pitched voice clips in the Nintendo 64’s Mario Tennis, it can be inferred this Jr. was notably younger than his tie-wearing counterpart. Donkey Kong also seemed to act paternal to Jr. when the kid won a tournament (although Mario and Luigi later treated their toddler selves analogously throughout Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time).

Donkey Kong Jr. in Super Mario Kart

This gorilla spent his teenage years casually playing sports with the Italian gentleman who abducted his legal guardian and tried to kill him. (Image: Nintendo)

So, what’s going on? How did Donkey Kong Jr. and Rare’s Donkey Kong co-exist on the courts?

Well, I’m curious about that too, but Mario spin-offs have a historically tenuous relationship with time and continuity. As we know, Baby Mario is a regular in adult Mario’s shindigs, including the one we’re currently discussing. The plumber doesn’t let trivial barriers like the fourth dimension prevent him from inviting his guests and we’re not meant to think too hard about it.

Plus, this was before Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour (which, ironically, was Camelot’s next console title) began integrating Diddy Kong and other post-Country aspects into the Mario spin-offs. Thus, Jr. was plucked to play tennis with Donkey Kong since Diddy was deemed unavailable. And that’s fine, since Mario Tennis is a harmless spin-off. It has no real weight in terms of canon, hence the inclusion of Jr. and Baby Mario.

Donkey Kong (Jr.) and Donkey Kong Jr. in Mario Tennis 64

Trivia: Donkey Kong Jr. was my main in Mario Tennis. (Image: Nintendo)

P.S. By the way, this was not an invitation to ask me to explain Baby Donkey Kong’s place in this.

Cart Boy
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7 comments
  1. I always found the idea that the current DK is DK Jr. to be both stupid, confusing, and contradictory by both Nintendo and Rare’s statements on the matter. I don’t really consider it canon, regardless.

    Matt Bankey on July 11 |
    • We’ll respectfully have to agree to disagree. That said, both Nintendo and Rare have addressed the modern Donkey Kong as Jr. on different occasions, and there’s enough evidence and vagueness for whichever interpretation to be valid.

      Cart Boy on July 11 |
  2. I feel that it still could happen that they put DK Jr. as retro character into Smash.
    I think it is quite similar to the Link / Young Link and Mario / Dr Mario situation.

    cedrickterrick on July 12 |
    • Yeah, I agree nothing is stopping DK Jr. from joining Smash someday as a retro character. I’d be cool with it, too. However, if Jr. does get in, I’d prefer they remain neutral about his specific role in the family. I like how people can currently choose whichever familial interpretation they like.

      Cart Boy on July 13 |
  3. How kismet that I was chatting with TheAnvil on Twitter today about this, and my research led me to this article!

    If we assume that a Donkey Kong appearance will happen at some point in Odyssey’s New Donk City, they’ll have to decide which version of him should appear. They could sidestep the continuity concerns entirely and just use Arcade DK, but if they use Modern DK (which seems much more likely) it’s hard to imagine there won’t be some sort of throwaway dialog addressing his relationship with Mario and Pauline. DK could show up in the city to cause mayhem, prompting NPCs to remark something like “DK is up to his old tricks again” or “that gorilla is just like his (grand)father!”.

    Really hope Nintendo uses NDC as a way to recontextualize the early days of the series. Jr. and Stanley especially deserve to pop up somewhere, even if just to reward Mario with a moon.

    • I hope my article entertained you! For what it’s worth, I had fun writing it. The topic’s honestly been on my to-do list for two or three years.

      I believe there will probably be a Donkey Kong cameo of some sort in New Donk City. Nintendo played coy about the thought at E3, so they’re definitely hiding something. And if a Donkey does appear, I agree the current DK is the most likely to show up. I also agree that there will be some in-universe reference to his history with Mario and Pauline, as they’ll need to explain his place in their history for those who aren’t aware of it.

      So, if that all pans out, it’ll be interesting to see how Nintendo handles it. Regardless, the repercussions should be interesting. A mainline Super Mario title lies at the top of Nintendo’s hierarchy. Just seeing more obscure Donkey Kong characters like Rattly referenced in Odyssey is cool!

      Personally, I hope Donkey Kong appears as an ally, maybe letting Mario possess him to tackle a greater threat of some sort. I usually dislike it when Nintendo casts the modern DK as an antagonist. Donkey Kong’s territorial and proud of his strength, but he’s also (supposed to be) a peaceful guy. Seeing him act abrasive in stuff like Jungle Beat and some of the Mario vs. Donkey Kong games is irksome.

      I also got to admit, I hope they retain the current status quo regarding Jr. Even though Nintendo considers the incumbent DK to be Cranky’s grandson, the prolonged absence of the unitard-wearing Jr. means the canon of him growing into the current DK can be preserved. Or, for those who prefer, they can continue to think of Jr. as the current DK’s dad. I like how people can choose their own interpretation on the issue. Relatively innocuous comments about DK “being up to his old tricks” or “being like his (grand)father” wouldn’t disrupt that.

      Plus, to be honest, I feel it could be awkward to reintroduce Jr. as a separate character at this point. I’m sure Nintendo would come with a tasteful, humorous way to do so, but Jr. being a separate individual from modern DK would always come across as kind of jarring to me. For one reason, where’s he been all of this time when his family and home have been in danger?

      That said, while I’m slightly concerned that New Donk City could ruin Donkey Kong canon forever, I’m really excited about it! We still technically don’t even know if it’s the same city from the arcade titles, although it probably will be. That city’s had at least two different names over the years (Big-City and Big Ape City), so it’ll be nice for it to finally have its name cemented. Moreover, I am rooting for Stanley and Foreman Spike to make an appearance. It’d be cool to populate New Donk City with older faces, revamping them for a new generation.

      In conclusion, I’m looking forward to discussing New Donk City under this column someday! It’s rare for a Mario game to revisit and expand upon the series’ past like this, so I’m excited to see where it goes.

      Cart Boy on July 15 |
      • Your article was greatly entertaining to me, and I’m glad you finally got around to putting it out after ruminating on the subject for so long. I hadn’t previously seen the reference to Rattly, but that makes me very happy!

        Modern DK being abrasive can be very bizarre, since its at odds with his usual portrayal as a friendly, peace-loving guy. With Jungle Beat, I can at least justify it in my head as him being hot-tempered and overreacting to the perceived threats around him, but it was clearly built with gameplay in mind first (as most Nintendo titles are). As for Mario vs. Donkey Kong, it would have been better for them to make that a full throwback series featuring Arcade DK, ala DK94.

        I agree that a Jr. appearance is unlikely (unless Arcade DK appears), as its easily one of the most problematic things they could do canon-wise. But I just feel bad for the poor guy, being ditched entirely with no explanation.

        Foreman Spike is definitely one of my most wanted cameos as well. Speaking of which, that would open up a whole other can of worms vis-a-vis his relation to Waluigi (and Wario to a lesser extent).

        As for it ruining DK canon forever, that’s an unfortunate possibility. At the very least, since the levels in Odyssey may be set in different dimensions, it could all just be written off as separate from the main Mario world. I hope this isn’t the case, though, since I’d hate for them to miss the opportunity to clarify these things. I just hope they take the care to do it right, and don’t willfully ignore this stuff like they’ve tended to in the past.