It’s been 11 years since the last mainlineDonkey Konggame hit home consoles, and it’s been even longer since Nintendo’s beloved primate stepped into the world of 3D.1999’sDonkey Kong 64was met with critical acclaim at the time of its release, but its legacy has somewhat soured over the years, with many fans returning to the game with a modern lens and spotting glaring faults like its overabundance of collectibles. After 26 years,Donkey Kongreturns to the world of 3D, withDonkey Kong Bananzahitting store shelves last week.
Donkey Kong Bananzais currently sitting at a 91 on OpenCritic, with a range of outlets praising the game’s satisfying destruction mechanics, its engaging open-ended level design, and its stellar presentation.Donkey Kong Bananzamarks a bold new step for the long-running Nintendo franchise, and it addresses a key series criticism in its stride forward.
Donkey Kong Has Struggled to Step Out of King K. Rool’s Shadow
King K. Rool and His Band of Kremlings Are Donkey Kong’s Best Villains
First introduced in 1994’sDonkey Kong Country, King K. Rool is by far the franchise’s most popular antagonist, with his minimalist design still striking a powerful chord all these years later. Given the villain’s presence in all three of theoriginalDonkey Kong Countrygames, theDonkey Kong Landgames, andDonkey Kong 64, he’s undoubtedly the most used villain in the series, and given fans' strong nostalgic ties to these entries, it’s no wonder that he’s still used as the benchmark for any villains that have come after.
But King K. Rool doesn’t take on the Kong family alone. Krool’s merry band of villainous Kremlings are there to terrorizeDonkey, Diddy, and Dixie Kongthrough their various 1990s adventures, each boasting an incredibly distinct visual design and a memorable set of animations to boot. As far asDonkey Kongenemies go, the Kremling Krew has never really been topped in terms of sheer variety and iconicity, though it isn’t for a lack of trying.
No Donkey Kong Villains Have Been Able to Reach The Heights of King K. Rool
Rather than rest on their laurels, bothDonkey Kong Country ReturnsandDonkey Kong Country: Tropical Freezedecided to introduce new antagonists to the world ofDK. WhileDK Country Returnsadded the Tiki Tak Tribe,Tropical Freezeadded the Snowmads. Generally speaking, both the Snowmads and the Tikis are often criticized for their lack of personality, especially when they’re compared directly to the likes of King K. Rool and his Kremling Krew.
Donkey Kong Bananza’s Void Company Comes Close to Outshining King K. Rool
Against all odds,Donkey Kong Bananza’s Void Companymight actually stand toe to toe with King K. Rool and his cronies. Though there are only three core members of Void Company – and their army of minions has just a few distinct soldiers – each one of VoidCo’s ranks has a vivid visual design and a clearly defined role inDonkey Kong Bananza’s gameplay.
From Grumpy Kong’s makeshift bosses to Poppy Kong’s penchant for invisible perfume to Void Kong’s panicked remote-bashing, each ofDonkey Kong Bananza’s antagonists has a memorable role to play in the game’s story and action. And while time will be the ultimate deciding factor, it’s very possible thatDonkey Kong Bananza’s VoidCo could be held in similar regard to King K. Rool one day.
Donkey Kong Bananzadoes feature a final, secret boss that risks undermining VoidCo’s presence, but hopefully in the long run their designs will still stand out enough on their own to keep them in fans' minds.
