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Donkey Kong

Updated: 12/16/2025, 8:49:41 PM Wikipedia source

Donkey Kong is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto for Nintendo. It follows the adventures of Donkey Kong, a large, powerful gorilla, and other members of the Kong family of apes. Donkey Kong games include the original arcade game trilogy by Nintendo R&D1; the Donkey Kong Country series by Rare and Retro Studios; and the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series by Nintendo Software Technology. Various studios have developed spin-offs in genres such as edutainment, puzzle, racing, and rhythm. The franchise also incorporates animation, printed media, theme parks, and merchandise. Miyamoto designed the original 1981 Donkey Kong to repurpose unsold arcade cabinets following the failure of Radar Scope (1980). It was a major success and was followed by the sequels Donkey Kong Jr. (1982) and Donkey Kong 3 (1983). Nintendo placed the franchise on a hiatus as it shifted focus to the spin-off Mario franchise. Rare's 1994 reboot, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) game Donkey Kong Country, reestablished Donkey Kong as a major Nintendo franchise. Rare developed Donkey Kong games for the SNES, Game Boy, and Nintendo 64 until it was acquired by Microsoft in 2002; subsequent games were developed by Nintendo, Retro Studios, Namco and Paon. After Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (2014), the franchise went on another hiatus, which ended with Donkey Kong Bananza (2025). The main Donkey Kong games are platformers in which the player must reach the end of a level. Donkey Kong appears as the antagonist or protagonist; his role alternates between games. The original games featured a small cast of characters, including Donkey Kong, Mario, and Pauline. Rare's games expanded the cast with friendly Kongs alongside the Kremlings, an army of antagonistic crocodiles led by Donkey Kong's nemesis King K. Rool. Mario, the protagonist of the 1981 game, became Nintendo's mascot and the star of the Mario franchise, and Donkey Kong characters appear in Mario games such as Mario Kart, Mario Party, and Mario Tennis. Donkey Kong characters also feature in crossover games such as Mario & Sonic and Super Smash Bros. Outside of video games, the franchise includes the animated series Donkey Kong Country (1997–2000), a themed area in Super Nintendo World at Universal's theme parks, soundtrack albums, and Lego construction toys. Donkey Kong is one of Nintendo's bestselling franchises, with more than 65 million copies sold by 2021. The original game was Nintendo's first major international success; it rescued Nintendo of America from a financial crisis, and established it as a prominent force in the video game industry. The franchise has pioneered or popularized concepts such as in-game storytelling and pre-rendered graphics, inspired other games (including clones), and influenced popular culture.

Infobox

Created by
Shigeru Miyamoto
Original work
Donkey Kong (1981)
Owner
Nintendo
Years
1981–present
Film(s)
The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
Animated series
mw- Saturday SupercadeCaptain N: The Game MasterDonkey Kong Country
Video game(s)
List of video games
Original music
"Aquatic Ambience""DK Rap"
Toy(s)
Lego Super Mario
Theme park attraction(s)
Super Nintendo World
Related franchises
MarioBanjo-KazooieConker

Tables

· Legacy › Sales
1981
1981
Year
1981
Game
Donkey Kong
Platform(s)
Arcade, ColecoVision, Game & Watch, Nintendo Entertainment System
Sales
15.73 million
1982
1982
Year
1982
Game
Donkey Kong Jr.
Platform(s)
Arcade, Nintendo Entertainment System
Sales
1.14 million
1983
1983
Year
1983
Game
Donkey Kong 3
Platform(s)
Arcade
Sales
5,000
1988
1988
Year
1988
Game
Donkey Kong Classics
Platform(s)
Nintendo Entertainment System
Sales
1.56 million
1994
1994
Year
1994
Game
Donkey Kong Country
Platform(s)
Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance
Sales
13.31 million
1995
1995
Year
1995
Game
Donkey Kong Land
Platform(s)
Game Boy
Sales
3.91 million
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
Year
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
Game
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Platform(s)
5.15 million
1996
1996
Year
1996
Game
Donkey Kong Land 2
Platform(s)
Game Boy
Sales
2.35 million
Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!
Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!
Year
Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!
Game
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Platform(s)
3.51 million
1997
1997
Year
1997
Game
Donkey Kong Land III
Platform(s)
Game Boy, Game Boy Color
Sales
1.03 million
Diddy Kong Racing
Diddy Kong Racing
Year
Diddy Kong Racing
Game
Nintendo 64, Nintendo DS
Platform(s)
6.47 million
1999
1999
Year
1999
Game
Donkey Kong 64
Platform(s)
Nintendo 64
Sales
5.27 million
2003
2003
Year
2003
Game
Donkey Konga
Platform(s)
GameCube
Sales
1.18 million
2004
2004
Year
2004
Game
Mario vs. Donkey Kong
Platform(s)
Game Boy Advance, Nintendo Switch
Sales
2.49 million
2005
2005
Year
2005
Game
DK: King of Swing
Platform(s)
Game Boy Advance
Sales
280,000
2006
2006
Year
2006
Game
Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis
Platform(s)
Nintendo DS
Sales
1.52 million
2010
2010
Year
2010
Game
Donkey Kong Country Returns
Platform(s)
Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch
Sales
10.71 million
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!
Year
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!
Game
Nintendo DS
Platform(s)
2.98 million
2014
2014
Year
2014
Game
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Platform(s)
Wii U, Nintendo Switch
Sales
4.1 million
2025
2025
Year
2025
Game
Donkey Kong Bananza
Platform(s)
Nintendo Switch 2
Sales
3.49 million
Year
Game
Platform(s)
Sales
1981
Donkey Kong
Arcade, ColecoVision, Game & Watch, Nintendo Entertainment System
million
1982
Donkey Kong Jr.
Arcade, Nintendo Entertainment System
million
1983
Donkey Kong 3
Arcade
5,000
1988
Donkey Kong Classics
Nintendo Entertainment System
million
1994
Donkey Kong Country
Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance
million
1995
Donkey Kong Land
Game Boy
million
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
million
1996
Donkey Kong Land 2
Game Boy
million
Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
million
1997
Donkey Kong Land III
Game Boy, Game Boy Color
million
Diddy Kong Racing
Nintendo 64, Nintendo DS
million
1999
Donkey Kong 64
Nintendo 64
million
2003
Donkey Konga
GameCube
million
2004
Mario vs. Donkey Kong
Game Boy Advance, Nintendo Switch
million
2005
DK: King of Swing
Game Boy Advance
280,000
2006
Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis
Nintendo DS
million
2010
Donkey Kong Country Returns
Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch
million
Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem!
Nintendo DS
million
2014
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Wii U, Nintendo Switch
million
2025
Donkey Kong Bananza
Nintendo Switch 2
million

References

  1. Japanese: ドンキーコング, Hepburn: Donkī Kongu; [doŋ.kiː koŋ.ɡɯ]
  2. Nintendo and King Features ultimately renegotiated the license to produce the arcade game Popeye (1982), which Miyamoto
  3. Although Universal's Space Panic preceded Donkey Kong by a year, Red Bull wrote that Donkey Kong is generally considered
  4. Attributed to multiple references: Diehard GameFan, Electronic Gaming Monthly, Next Generation, and Total!
  5. Attributed to multiple references: GameSpot for the GBA ports, and IGN for the Nintendo DS port
  6. Sales breakdown: Arcade: 60,000 ColecoVision: 6 million Game & Watch: 8 million NES: 1.13 million
  7. Sales breakdown: Arcade: 30,000 NES: 1.11 million
  8. Sales breakdown: SNES: 9.3 million GBC: 2.19 million GBA: 1.82 million
  9. Sales breakdown: N64: 4.88 million DS: 1.59 million
  10. Sales breakdown: GBA: 1.37 million Switch: 1.12 million
  11. Sales breakdown: Wii: 6.53 million 3DS: 2.91 million Switch: 1.27 million
  12. Sales breakdown: Wii U: 2.02 million Switch: 2.08 million
  13. Attributed to multiple references: Eurogamer, GamesRadar+, IGN, and Wired
  14. USGamer
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  38. Polygon
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  338. PC World
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  339. VG247
    https://www.vg247.com/nintendo-says-its-on-like-donkey-kong
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