Thanks to Hamada and Source Gaming alumnus TheAnvil for helping with edits.
One aspect of Rare’s Donkey Kong Country trilogy I appreciate is how it’s not just Donkey Kong who matters, but his whole entourage. Nothing cemented that better than Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest, which sidelined the series’ namesake and elevated former sidekick Diddy Kong to the frontman role. Its sequel continued that practice, giving Dixie Kong her due and a sidekick of her own.
Kiddy Kong, seen in 1996’s Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong’s Double Trouble! (Image: Nintendo)
When work began on a third Donkey Kong Country, Rare again brainstormed what direction to take it in. A conscious effort was made to provide a “fresh angle” on the series, something accomplished by “handing over control to new designers, artists and programmers.” For better or worse, they succeeded. Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong’s Double Trouble! bears a feeling distinct from its predecessors, something personified by its flagship newcomer.
Kiddy Kong’s History
Country series veteran Mark Stevenson remained on board to design Dixie Kong’s new travelling companion. No concept art of him exists, because many of Rare’s character designs back then were created and refined as 3D models. Several names were considered for the newborn, including DJ Kong and Bibby Kong. Ultimately, he was christened Kiddy Kong in English-speaking territories, making him the only playable Kong in the trilogy whose initials aren’t “DK.” One of the other contenders, Dinky Kong, became his Japanese name, however.
Nintendo of America’s bizarre Double Trouble advertisements infamously highlighted Kiddy over Dixie, even claiming he was its star. (Image: Nintendo)
Shortly after arriving at the Northern Kremisphere, Dixie reunites with Kong clan mainstay Funky. Although he happily avails Dixie usage of his boat, he also effectively dumps her with Kiddy Kong, her “excellent cousin.” So Dixie sets out into the wilderness, searching for her missing colleagues while lugging an oblivious three-year old around. Unsurprisingly, the area was crawling with the Kongs’ longtime foes, the Kremlings, who now answer to the mechanical KAOS. Ultimately, the disparate pair best the robot, discovering their friends were being used as batteries to power it, and later defeat a rebranded K. Rool, who had secretly controlled KAOS. Should players collect the Bonus Coins, they gain access to the hidden realm of Krematoa. Here, Kiddy helps free the mythical Banana Bird Queen and purge the region of K. Rool for good.
Donkey Kong Land III (and its Japan-exclusive update, which is celebrating its twenty-first anniversary today) closed its trilogy the following year by reuniting the baby and babysitter, who was determined to unearth the legendary Lost World before Diddy and Donkey. A fairly reliable presence at the time, a handful of comics incorporated Kiddy and merchandise in his likeness was made. However, 1999’s Donkey Kong 64 omitted him in favor of newcomer Chunky Kong, his older brother. Donkey Kong Racing included Kiddy amongst its roster, although the GameCube spin-off was rebranded – and ultimately cancelled – after Microsoft’s 2002 acquisition of Rare. In 2004’s Donkey Konga 2, Kiddy appears as an icon and, according to Dixie’s diary, he visited her off-screen during her musical tour (although the English localization accidentally retained his Japanese name). Nearly a decade after its original release, Rare ported Country 3 to the Game Boy Advance, and a browser game commemorated the occasion. 2018’s Super Smash Bros. Ultimate marks Kiddy’s latest appearance, again tagging alongside Dixie once players enhance her Spirit.
So, what’re my thoughts on Kiddy?
Another proposed name for Kiddy was Tiny Kong, a moniker Rare gave to Dixie’s sister four years later. (Image: Nintendo)
Donkey Kong continuity makes the most sense if the current gorilla’s an adult Jr., Waluigi’s design is incohesive, Ash is a respectable Pokémon Trainer, and Alan Wake is a boring, repetitive slog. Controversial opinions periodically emerge in my columns, and today I’m sharing the most controversial yet: Kiddy Kong’s an inoffensive character who complements Dixie perfectly. She couldn’t pal around with the previous Country leads in Double Trouble, as their star power eclipsed hers, nor were the other Kongs adventurers. Thus, just like Donkey and Diddy before her, Dixie’s starring stint demanded she gain a greenhorn sidekick. She was headstrong, experienced, and lithe, so ideally her partner would provide a nice juxtaposition with those qualities. Who better to achieve that than a giant baby?
Many players find the infant irritating, a sentiment that’s even reflected in-universe. Contrasting the ardor Diddy and Dixie carried in their debuts, Double Trouble often portrays Kiddy as a burden. Although cogent enough to climb, fight, and collect bananas and shiny objects, the dangers Kiddy faces generally seem beyond his understanding. A goofy, toothless grin is perennially etched on his face, he gives quizzical glances when idle, and has temper tantrums when a life’s lost, all selling his childlike naïveté. This is valuable within the context of Dixie Kong’s Double Trouble being her personal hero’s journey. As an accessory to further it, Kiddy’s presence is great. That she was babysitting him while fending off Kremlings, hence the subtitle, only reinforces how heroic she is.
Seriously, look at Dixie’s facial expression here. She’s miserable. (Image: Nintendo)
Nevertheless, Kiddy was perfectly capable on the gameplay end of things. Just as Diddy did, Kiddy carries items in front of him, complementing how Dixie lifts things above her head. Double Trouble returns to the first Country’s dynamic, where one protagonist’s a lightweight and the other a heavyweight. It also keeps Kong Quest’s improvements to the tag team mechanic, and between those points offers the series’ most fleshed out pairing mechanically. Kiddy and Dixie could toss each other in a variety of directions, each offering valuable uses. Kiddy tossing Dixie onto a platform helps both reach greater heights, while Dixie throwing the oversized infant breaks dilapidated surfaces, revealing secrets. This gives him a sense of power even greater than Donkey Kong’s, whose playstyle Kiddy emulates. Kiddy, correspondingly, inherits Donkey Kong’s iconic roll, though the tyke can use his to skip atop water, a skill that even looped back into DK for Tropical Freeze.
And though this ship has long since sailed, it’s a shame Kiddy was never given an opportunity to become a series regular. As the Kong clan lacks a toddler character, Kiddy would still fill a unique niche, and a parody of the Mario series’ babies could be amusing. Alternatively, Nintendo could have fun giving Kiddy the Tiny treatment and age him (I had actually wished the bumbling Chunky was an older Kiddy). This could open up several avenues for the character, echoing how K. Rool regularly reinvents himself and his lackeys. Perhaps Kiddy never truly grew up, keeping him in a perpetual state of arrested development à la Buster Bluth? Or maybe they could humor those old advertisements and “mature” Kiddy into a motorcycle-riding parody of Shadow the Hedgehog? Whether Kiddy retains his youthfulness or evolves beyond it, there’s potential waiting to be mined.
Kong Quest’s Diddy-Dixie pairing persists as my favorite, but Dixie-Kiddy is Country’s most interesting duo. (Image: Nintendo)
However, while Kiddy does have fans, it’s doubtful the interest in seeing him again is anywhere near strong enough to inspire a comeback. Nintendo also emphasizes Donkey Kong as “the strong Kong,” potentially rendering Kiddy redundant. So the Donkey Kong series continues, unfettered by Kiddy’s truancy. He’s now missed four consecutive mainline games, a number that will likely only continue to grow. Sometimes, the Kongs host their own socials or attend Mario’s, all events Kiddy’s been absent from. And maybe that’s okay; from an in-universe perspective, I like to imagine Kiddy and Chunky are enjoying a peaceful retirement in the Northern Kremisphere together.
Congratulations, Kiddy! I’m glad you were along for the ride!
Although Kiddy won’t become a headliner like his three Country cohorts, he did earn two playable appearances in the series. That’s something to be proud of! (Image: Nintendo)
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