It's been almost a decade since players have seen a new Donkey Kong Country game, but with the opening of Super Nintendo World, now is the perfect time to release a new DKC game. The last entry was 2014's Tropical Freeze (a slightly enhanced version was re-released for the Switch in 2018), which received rave reviews and between its Wii U and Switch sales, performed very well. The original Donkey Kong Country also spotlighted environmental themes, which would prove to be just as salient if a new entry were to release in the coming years.
Unfortunately, since then, the franchise has gone dark. Even on Donkey Kong's 40th anniversary in 2021, Nintendo remained oddly silent. But fan hopes for a new Donkey Kong game were raised later that summer, as Nintendo not only extended the Donkey Kong trademark, but also created new ones for the banana-loving hero. Now would be the perfect time for the company to launch a new Donkey Kong Country game, one that could tap into the current zeitgeist and the renewed relevancy of the original game's plot.
Super Nintendo World May Reignite Interest In Donkey Kong
On February 17, Super Nintendo World will open at Universal Studios Hollywood, paying homage to Nintendo's classic franchises from the 80s and 90s, including Donkey Kong. The new attraction, which Universal hopes will be on par with their Orlando-based Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Disney's Star Wars-themed Galaxy's Edge, could reignite interest in Nintendo's classic characters, potentially even creating a renaissance for its legacy franchises. Japan's Super Nintendo World is even getting an entire Donkey Kong-themed area opening in 2024, which will put DK front and center of Nintendo fandom.
Donkey Kong Country's Environmentalist Plot Is More Relevant Than Ever
In Donkey Kong's original 1994 platformer, he and Diddy Kong aren't just searching for their lost banana horde, but they're also watching their home, Donkey Kong Island, be destroyed by mining and pollution created from King K. Rool's Kremkroc Industries. Barren hills, polluted lakes, flaming barrels of oil, and smoky skies make it clear that King K. Rool and his band of Kremlings are destroying the lush ecosystem to make a profit.
Almost 30 years after the game's release, this message is clearer now than ever. People largely have a much better grasp of the repercussions of pollution and climate change than they did in '94, and since then, a closer interest in the environment has been seen in movies and video games. Even the world of Kirby and the Forgotten Land touched on the idea of a world reclaimed by nature. Movies like Avatar and WALL-E and games like Beyond Blue and Endling - Extinction is Forever have put environmental issues front and center of their storytelling to great success.
If a new Donkey Kong Country game could recapture the vibrant natural setting and environmental message of the first game, it would be more appreciated now than ever, and could make the new DKC game a surprisingly smart and relevant platformer that's both visually stunning thanks to its gorgeous landscapes and compelling because of its story and message. And if Nintendo could do it while capitalizing on the resurgent popularity of Donkey Kong Country thanks to Super Nintendo World (plus DK's upcoming appearance in The Super Mario Bros. Movie in April) the game could easily be a hit.
Source: Nintendo of America/YouTube