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==Development== {{seealso|Rare (company)#History|l1=History of Rare}} [[File:Tim and Chris Stamper outside the FortuneFish offices.jpg|thumb|upright=1|alt=Tim (right) and Chris (left) Stamper; the middle-aged men both wear black polos with red logos on the right of the buttons. Tim has a beard, while Chris is balding.|[[Rare (company)|Rare]] founders [[Tim and Chris Stamper]] (right to left) in 2015]] In 1985, the British game developers [[Tim and Chris Stamper]] established [[Rare (company)|Rare Ltd.]] The brothers previously founded the British computer game studio [[Ultimate Play the Game]] and founded Rare to focus on the burgeoning Japanese [[video game console|console]] market.{{sfn|Hunt|2010|p=28–43}} After [[Nintendo]] rejected their efforts to form a partnership in 1983, Chris Stamper studied the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] (NES) hardware for six months.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dawley|first=Heidi|date=29 May 1995|title=Killer Instinct for hire|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/1995-05-28/killer-instinct-for-hire|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20170602125733/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/1995-05-28/killer-instinct-for-hire|archive-date=2 June 2017|access-date=17 July 2017|website=[[Bloomberg Businessweek]]}}</ref> Rare demonstrated it was possible to [[reverse engineer|reverse-engineer]] the NES and showed several [[tech demo]]s to Nintendo executive [[Minoru Arakawa]]; impressed, Arakawa granted Rare a Nintendo developer licence.<ref name="IGN: GCDevProfile" /><ref name="IGN: History">{{Cite web|last=McLaughlin|first=Rus|date=28 July 2008|title=IGN presents the history of Rare|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/07/28/ign-presents-the-history-of-rare|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130414013832/http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/07/28/ign-presents-the-history-of-rare|archive-date=14 April 2013|access-date=4 June 2020|website=[[IGN]]}}</ref> Rare developed more than 60 NES games, including the ''[[Battletoads]]'' series.<ref name="IGN: History" /><ref name="DF Retro">{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQ7qtqqgTlo|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/GQ7qtqqgTlo| archive-date=11 December 2021|url-status=live|title=DF Retro: Donkey Kong Country + Killer Instinct - A 16-Bit CG Revolution!|date=16 December 2017|publisher=[[Digital Foundry]]|access-date=29 June 2020|medium=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref> When Nintendo released their next console, the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]] (SNES), in 1991, Rare decided to limit their output. Around 1992, Rare invested their NES profit in [[Silicon Graphics, Inc.]] (SGI) [[SGI Challenge|Challenge]] workstations with [[Alias Systems Corporation|Alias]] rendering software to render [[3D models]].<ref name="IGN: History" />{{sfn|Undercover Lover|1994|p=54}} It was a significant risk, as each workstation cost £80,000.<ref name="NLife: MakingOf">{{Cite news|last=McFerren|first=Damien|date=27 February 2014|title=Month of Kong: The making of Donkey Kong Country|work=[[Nintendo Life]]|url=http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/02/month_of_kong_the_making_of_donkey_kong_country|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160131130533/http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2014/02/month_of_kong_the_making_of_donkey_kong_country|archive-date=31 January 2016}}</ref> The move made Rare the most technologically advanced UK developer and situated them high in the international market.<ref name="IGN: History" /> In 1993, Nintendo formed a partnership with SGI to develop the SNES's successor, the [[Nintendo 64]].<ref name="JXV: BTS" /> ===Conception=== Though they had purchased the workstations to produce games for the Nintendo 64, Rare discovered it was possible to use them with the [[16-bit]] SNES.<ref name="IGN: GCDevProfile" /> Rare tested the SGI technology with ''[[Battletoads Arcade]]'' (1994) and began developing a boxing game, ''Brute Force'', using [[PowerAnimator]].<ref name="DF Retro" /><ref name="NLife: MakingOf" /> Around this time, Nintendo was embroiled in a [[console war]] with [[Sega]], whose [[Mega Drive]] competed with the SNES.<ref name="NLife: MakingOf" /> Nintendo wanted a game to compete with Sega's ''[[Disney's Aladdin (Sega Genesis video game)|Aladdin]]'' (1993), which featured graphics by [[Walt Disney Animation Studios|Disney]] animators,<ref name="DF Retro" /><ref name="RG: MakingOf" /> when Nintendo of America's chairman [[Howard Lincoln]] learned of Rare's SGI experiments during a trip to Europe.<ref name="IGN: GCDevProfile" /> Nintendo sent several representatives, including the chief technology officer [[Genyo Takeda]]; they asked the Stampers if they could demonstrate ''Brute Force'' on the SNES hardware. Within two days, the Stampers developed a working build,<ref name="JXV: BTS">{{cite web |title=Les coulisses de Donkey Kong Country : Des gorilles et des hommes |trans-title=Behind the scenes of Donkey Kong Country: Gorillas and Men |url=https://www.jeuxvideo.com/news/651885/les-coulisses-de-donkey-kong-country-des-gorilles-et-des-hommes.htm |website=[[Jeuxvideo]] |access-date=February 2, 2025 |language=French |date=May 7, 2017}}</ref> impressing Nintendo.<ref name="NLife: MakingOf" /> Tim Stamper—inspired by ''[[Mortal Kombat (1992 video game)|Mortal Kombat]]''{{'s}} (1992) use of digitised footage in place of hand-drawn art—suggested developing a platform game that used [[Pre-rendering|pre-rendered]] graphics.{{sfn|Undercover Lover|1994|p=54}}<ref name="Bloomberg: History" /> Nintendo granted the Stampers permission to use the ''Donkey Kong'' [[intellectual property]].<ref name="Bloomberg: History">{{Cite news|last=Waugh|first=Eric-Jon Rossel|date=30 August 2006|title=A short history of Rare|work=[[Bloomberg Businessweek]]|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2006-08-30/a-short-history-of-rarebusinessweek-business-news-stock-market-and-financial-advice|url-status=live|access-date=17 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161015142432/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2006-08-30/a-short-history-of-rarebusinessweek-business-news-stock-market-and-financial-advice|archive-date=15 October 2016}}</ref> The franchise had been largely dormant since the unsuccessful ''[[Donkey Kong 3]]'' (1983),<ref name="1Up: 10">{{Cite web|last=Parish|first=Jeremy|title=10 interesting things about Donkey Kong|url=http://www.1up.com/features/10-interesting-donkey-kong|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120623015927/http://www.1up.com/features/10-interesting-donkey-kong|archive-date=23 June 2012|access-date=19 May 2020|website=[[1Up.com]]}}</ref><ref name="USG: Bluff">{{Cite web|last=Parish|first=Jeremy|date=21 November 2019|title=Donkey Kong Country turns 25: Gaming's biggest bluff|url=https://www.usgamer.net/articles/reconsidering-donkey-kong-country-gamings-empty-handed-bluff|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201120031051/https://www.usgamer.net/articles/reconsidering-donkey-kong-country-gamings-empty-handed-bluff|archive-date=20 November 2020|access-date=19 May 2020|website=[[USGamer]]}}</ref> so Nintendo figured that licensing it posed minimal risk.<ref name="Bloomberg: History" /> Some sources indicate that the Stampers obtained the licence after Nintendo offered them their catalogue of characters and they chose Donkey Kong.<ref name="IGN: History" /><ref name="NLife: MakingOf" /> Conversely, the lead designer [[Gregg Mayles]] and his brother [[Steve Mayles|Steve]] recalled that it was Nintendo that requested a ''Donkey Kong'' game.<ref name="RG: MakingOf">{{cite web|last=Hunt|first=Stuart|title="Yes, we did go to the zoo and observe the gorillas": The making of ''Donkey Kong Country''|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/the-making-of-donkey-kong-country/|website=[[GamesRadar+]]|access-date=11 June 2022|date=22 June 2021|archive-date=11 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220611165430/https://www.gamesradar.com/the-making-of-donkey-kong-country/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="JXV: BTS" /> ''Donkey Kong''{{'s}} creator, [[Shigeru Miyamoto]], said that Rare approached Nintendo and offered to handle ''Donkey Kong'' since other developers were preoccupied with franchises such as ''[[Mario (franchise)|Mario]]'' and ''[[The Legend of Zelda]]''.<ref name="MiyamotoNOM" /> Rare assembled a team of 12, the largest in their history at that point, and development began in mid-1993.<ref name="RG: MakingOf"/><ref name="JXV: BTS" /> Nintendo was sceptical of Rare's approach to graphics,<ref name="RG: MakingOf" /> concerned it would make the game unplayable.<ref name="Kotaku: Worried" /> Early in development, Mayles and other developers presented a demo to Nintendo staff in Japan. One in attendance, the [[Game Boy]] creator [[Gunpei Yokoi]], felt the game "looked too 3D", but Mayles said Miyamoto was supportive and gave Rare his approval.<ref name="RG: MakingOf" /> Nintendo codenamed the project "Country" (based on Rare's location in [[Twycross]]), leading to the title ''Donkey Kong Country''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Reynolds |first1=Ollie |title=Random: Ex-Rare Dev Explains The Origin Of Donkey Kong Country's Name |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2023/04/random-ex-rare-dev-explains-the-origin-of-donkey-kong-countrys-name |website=[[Nintendo Life]] |access-date=22 February 2025 |date=5 April 2023}}</ref> Other titles considered included ''Rumble in the Jungle'', ''Monkey Mayhem'', and ''Donkey Kong and the Golden Bananas''.<ref name="JXV: BTS" /> ''Donkey Kong Country'' was the first ''Donkey Kong'' game that was neither directed nor produced by Miyamoto,<ref name="DS: RetroCorner" /> who was working on ''[[Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island]]'' (1995).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sao|first=Akinori|date=2017|title=''Super Mario World'' & ''Yoshi's Island'' developer interview|url=https://www.nintendo.com/super-nes-classic/interview-super-mario-world|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210609090516/https://www.nintendo.com/super-nes-classic/interview-super-mario-world/|archive-date=9 June 2021|access-date=6 June 2020|website=[[Super NES Classic Edition]]|publisher=[[Nintendo]]}}</ref> Miyamoto was still involved with the project and Rare said he provided crucial input.<ref name="Rare: DKC">{{cite web|title=Rarewhere: Donkey Kong Country|publisher=[[Rare (company)|Rare]]|url=http://rare.co.uk/recent/games/dkc/|access-date=5 June 2020|archive-date=29 May 1998|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980529161639/http://rare.co.uk/recent/games/dkc/}}</ref> Nintendo is usually highly protective of their intellectual properties, but was relatively uninvolved with ''Donkey Kong Country'', leaving most of the work to Rare.<ref name="NLife: MakingOf" /><ref name="RG: MakingOf"/> Programmer Brendan Gunn noted that the Stampers worked to shield the team from outside influence.<ref name="NLife: MakingOf" /> Rare spent 18 months developing ''Donkey Kong Country'' from an initial concept to a finished game,<ref name="NLife: MakingOf" /> and according to product manager [[Dan Owsen]], 20 people worked on it in total.{{sfn|Undercover Lover|1994|p=54}} It cost an estimated {{US$}}1 million to produce,{{sfn|Palumbo|Kalb|1996|p=92}} and Rare said that it had the most [[Man-hour|man hours]] ever invested in a video game at the time, 22 years.<ref name="Rare: DKC" /> The team worked 12–16-hours every day of the week.<ref name="Poly: Remaking" /> Gunn said that the team was under significant pressure from the Stampers and to finish the game in time for [[Thanksgiving (United States)|Thanksgiving]] due to Nintendo's competition with Sega.<ref name="NLife: MakingOf" /> ===Design=== {{Quote box|quote=The stages were painstakingly arranged so that the player could "go first time" past obstacles ([i.e.] if there was a swinging rope then when it came on screen it was swinging towards you so you could jump onto it straight away)... If you time everything correctly, you can get through the level efficiently and impressively.|source=[[Gregg Mayles]]<ref name="RG: MakingOf"/>|width=30em|quoted=1}} Rare drew inspiration from the ''Super Mario'' series, Mayles citing ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]'' (1988) as the primary influence on the [[level design]]. Mayles wanted to make a game that was accessible but would flow seamlessly for a skilled player; as such, objects were placed so well-timed players could continually move through a level.<ref name="RG: MakingOf"/> Mayles noted that although the concept of [[speedrunning]] did not exist at the time, "the way the game was designed definitely supports it".<ref name=":0">{{cite web|last=Robinson|first=Andy|title=''Donkey Kong Country'' team reflects on the game's 25th anniversary|url=https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/donkey-kong-country-team-reflects-on-the-games-25th-anniversary|website=[[Video Games Chronicle]]|access-date=14 June 2022|date=21 November 2019|archive-date=31 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220131170941/https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/donkey-kong-country-team-reflects-on-the-games-25th-anniversary/|url-status=live}}</ref> The level locales were inspired by the films ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'' (1983) and ''[[Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom]]'' (1984).<ref name="JXV: BTS" /> The team designed levels using [[Post-it Note]]s; they conceived set pieces (such as swinging ropes), created every variation they could think of, drew them on Post-it Notes, and pieced them together.<ref name="Edge">{{cite magazine|title=Rare Vintage: Part One|url=http://www.next-gen.biz/features/rare-vintage-part-one?page=0%2C1|magazine=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]]|access-date=17 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101017054242/http://www.next-gen.biz/features/rare-vintage-part-one?page=0%2C1|archive-date=17 October 2010|pages=1–2|date=11 October 2010}}</ref> Rare featured barrels as a primary game mechanic to pay homage to the original arcade game,{{sfn|Milne|2022|p=18}} and included hidden collectibles like coins and balloons to add depth.{{sfn|Milne|2022|p=20}} Diddy Kong originated from Rare's search for a game mechanic akin to ''Super Mario''{{'s}} [[power-up]] system in that he would serve as the player's [[Health (game terminology)|health]]. Mayles said: "We thought a second character could perform this function, look visually impressive, and give the player a feeling that they were not alone".<ref name="RG: MakingOf" /> ''Donkey Kong Country'' did not have much scrapped content; Gunn said he only regretted that Donkey Kong walks across dotted lines instead of paths on the world map, which could not be implemented due to time constraints.<ref name="NLife: MakingOf" /> One scrapped idea, a collectible that would evade the player by running or hiding, served as the basis for the [[Jinjo]]s in Rare's subsequent game ''[[Banjo-Kazooie (video game)|Banjo-Kazooie]]'' (1998).{{sfn|''Retro Gamer'' staff|2007|p=20}} Reviewing ''Donkey Kong Country'' for release, Nintendo directed Rare to reduce the difficulty to appeal to a broad audience, reasoning that the secrets would provide sufficient challenge for hardcore gamers. At this point, Miyamoto made some last-minute suggestions, such as Donkey Kong's terrain slap, that were incorporated.{{sfn|Undercover Lover|1994|p=55}} Nintendo's [[Kensuke Tanabe]] flew to Twycross to [[video game localization|localise]] the game with Rare.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Iwata|first=Satoru|date=1 December 2010|title=''Donkey Kong Country Returns'' - White-knuckled action|url=https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/wii/donkey-kong-country-returns/0/3|access-date=4 July 2022|publisher=[[Iwata Asks]]|archive-date=5 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220705190937/https://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/wii/donkey-kong-country-returns/0/3/|url-status=live}}</ref> ===Characters and story=== Kevin Bayliss was in charge of redesigning Donkey Kong. He wanted a character that looked believable and could perform animations like pounding his chest.{{sfn|Milne|2022|p=18}} His initial design was blocky and muscular to make Donkey Kong easy to animate, but it became more cartoonish when Nintendo [[fax]]ed reference material. Some of Bayliss' designs were in the style of his ''Battletoads'' work,<ref>{{cite web|last=Wood|first=Austin|title=Original ''Donkey Kong Country'' drafts reveal the characters that might have been|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/original-donkey-kong-country-drafts-reveal-the-characters-that-might-have-been|website=[[GamesRadar+]]|access-date=16 June 2022|date=19 January 2021|archive-date=16 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220616191837/https://www.gamesradar.com/original-donkey-kong-country-drafts-reveal-the-characters-that-might-have-been/|url-status=live}}</ref> and the final design's eyes came from those of the [[Battletoads (characters)|Battletoads]].<ref name="Kotaku: Worried" /> Miyamoto provided some suggestions, including the red tie,<ref name="RG: MakingOf" /> but left the design's specifics to Bayliss.{{sfn|Milne|2022|p=18}} Because ''Donkey Kong'' did not have much of an established universe, Rare was free to expand it with new characters. Mayles conceived Diddy as a redesign of [[Donkey Kong Jr. (character)|Donkey Kong Jr.]],<ref name="RG: MakingOf" /> and Bayliss designed him.<ref name="JXV: BTS" /> Unlike the original Donkey Kong Jr., Rare did not want Diddy to share his build with Donkey Kong, so Bayliss based the design on a [[spider monkey]] and made him agile to give him distinct moves.{{sfn|Milne|2022|p=18–20}} The redesign was also motivated by Bayliss' distaste for Donkey Kong Jr.<ref name="JXV: BTS" /> Nintendo considered the redesign too great a departure and asked it to be reworked or presented as a new character. Mayles felt the redesign suited the updated ''Donkey Kong'' universe, so he chose to make it a new character. Naming the character was a challenge; considered names included "Diet Donkey Kong", "Donkey Kong Lite", and "Titchy Kong".<ref name="JXV: BTS" /> Rare settled on "Dinky", but ultimately changed it to "Diddy" due to legal problems.<ref name="RG: MakingOf" /> Rare staff spent hours at the nearby [[Twycross Zoo]] recording gorillas for reference, which they described as "a complete waste of time".<ref name="NLife: MakingOf" /> They found their movements unsuitable for a fast game and their noises too quiet to be captured by a microphone, so they based Donkey Kong's running animation on a horse's [[Canter and gallop#Gallop|gallop]] and had programmer [[Mark Betteridge]] provide Donkey and Diddy's voice clips.<ref name="RG: MakingOf" /><ref name="NLife: MakingOf" /> Rare positioned Cranky Kong as the original Donkey Kong character from the arcade games but avoided mentioning this in the game and marketing materials out of fear that Nintendo would disapprove of the idea,<ref name="Kotaku: Worried">{{Cite web|last=Zwiezen|first=Zack|date=25 November 2019|title=Nintendo was worried Donkey Kong Country was 'too 3D'|url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2019/11/nintendo-was-worried-donkey-kong-country-was-too-3d/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923161416/https://www.kotaku.com.au/2019/11/nintendo-was-worried-donkey-kong-country-was-too-3d/|archive-date=23 September 2020|access-date=26 May 2020|website=[[Kotaku]]}}</ref> though it was mentioned in the instruction manual.{{sfn|Nintendo|1994a|p=27}} Rare created each character using Donkey Kong's model as a base and made the Kong designs consistent to reflect that they were relatives.<ref name="JXV: BTS" /> All story drafts centered on the theft of Donkey Kong's banana hoard.<ref name="JXV: BTS" /> According to Mayles, the team pitched the ''Super Mario'' character [[Wario]] as the antagonist,<ref>{{cite tweet|author-link=Gregg Mayles|last=Mayles|first=Gregg|user=Ghoulyboy|title=@TopherPutnam wanted more info on a disused concept we did for #DKC, so here it is! Mario invents a time machine, Wario uses it to acquire a fancy gun that he turns Mario to stone with, a parrot sees it all and flaps off to get DK's help |number=1177306565109518336|date=26 September 2019|access-date=2 February 2025}}</ref> but Nintendo asked them to use original characters.<ref>{{cite tweet|author-link=Gregg Mayles|last=Mayles|first=Gregg|user=Ghoulyboy|title=It's an early pitch we made to Nintendo that eventually became DKC. They wanted all new bad guys, so we used our reptile Kremlings instead. I still have the book somewhere, but I'm sure I tweeted a some images from inside a few years ago|number=1176830620137377792|date=25 September 2019|access-date=2 February 2025}}</ref> They recycled the Kremlings from ''Johnny Blastoff and the Kremling Armada'', a cancelled ''[[Monkey Island]]''-style [[adventure game]].<ref name="JXV: BTS" /> Their name is a play on the [[Moscow Kremlin]].<ref name="GI: Wise"/> Rare's initial story was extensive and spanned 15 pages, but Nintendo had it condensed to fit into an [[instruction manual]].{{sfn|Undercover Lover|1994|p=54}} ===Graphics=== [[File:SGI Power Challenge 10000 L (1).jpg|thumb|right|alt=A photo of an SGI Challenge workstation: a computer monitor sits atop its tower.|Rare used [[SGI Challenge]] workstations (pictured) to produce ''Donkey Kong Country''{{'s}} pre-rendered visuals.]] ''Donkey Kong Country'' was one of the first games for a mainstream home video game console to use pre-rendered 3D graphics,<ref name="NLife: MakingOf" /> a technique used in the earlier 1993 [[Finland|Finnish]] game ''[[Stardust (1993 video game)|Stardust]]'' for the [[Amiga]].{{sfn|Undercover Lover|1994|p=54}} Rare developed a [[Data compression|compression]] technique to incorporate more detail and animation for each [[spritesheet|sprite]] for a given memory footprint, which better preserved the pre-rendered graphics. Nintendo and Rare called the technique Advanced Computer Modelling (ACM).<ref name="RG: MakingOf"/> Rare briefly feared competition from [[DMA Design]]'s ''[[Uniracers]]'' (1994), which also featured pre-rendered graphics, but the staff was relieved upon learning that the player character was ''Uniracer''{{'s}} only element that was pre-rendered.<ref name="NLife: MakingOf" /> The artists began by modelling the characters in [[NURBS]] using PowerAnimator and adding [[texture mapping|textures]]. They then created the animations and rendered them frame by frame before compressing them for the game. The ACM process was handled by a designated computer that had a proprietary utility similar to [[Deluxe Paint]].<ref name="DF Retro"/> Adapting to the cutting-edge SGI workstations was difficult;<ref name="NLife: MakingOf" /> Gregg Mayles' brother [[Steve Mayles|Steve]] said they had a steep learning curve. To help, Nintendo provided Rare with research material regarding apes, barrels, and caves.{{sfn|Undercover Lover|1994|p=54}} The pre-rendered graphics allowed for variety and detail uncommon at the time,<ref name="RG: MakingOf" /> and Tim Stamper constantly pushed the team to go further and incorporate weather and lighting effects.<ref name="NLife: MakingOf" /> The game was Rare's first to require multiple programmers,<ref name=":0" /> and they worked with little guidance.<ref name="DF Retro"/> The ACM process pushed the SNES hardware to its limits;<ref name="RG: MakingOf"/> Betteridge said Rare wanted to do everything they could with the hardware similar to what they had done with the NES game ''[[Battletoads (1991 video game)|Battletoads]]'' (1991).<ref name="Edge" /> A single SGI screen took up more [[Computer memory|memory]] than an entire SNES cartridge, and Gregg Mayles described transferring the backgrounds into the game by splitting them into tiles as "the bane of the project".<ref name="RG: MakingOf"/> Models took hours to render,<ref name="DF Retro" /> so the team would leave the computers running overnight.<ref name="NLife: MakingOf" /> Sometimes, artists would shut down other artists' computers in the middle of the process so they could render their own models.<ref name="DF Retro" /> The SGI machines required a massive [[air conditioning]] unit to prevent overheating, while the team worked in the summer heat without relief.<ref name="NLife: MakingOf" /> Programmer [[Chris Sutherland (programmer)|Chris Sutherland]] was responsible for implementing the graphics and found reducing the characters' frames of animation challenging.<ref name="DF Retro" /> ===Music=== {{Listen | filename = DKC Aquatic Ambience Sample.ogg | title = "Aquatic Ambience" | description = A 21-second excerpt from "[[Aquatic Ambience]]", the music that plays in ''Donkey Kong Country''{{'s}} underwater levels. The composition took five weeks to produce using a [[Korg Wavestation]] and Wise has called it his favourite track in the game. }} [[File:David Wise by Gage Skidmore.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[David Wise (composer)|David Wise]], ''Donkey Kong Country''{{'s}} primary composer]] [[David Wise (composer)|David Wise]] composed most of the soundtrack.<ref name="Rare: Scribes"/> Wise initially worked as a [[freelancer]] and assumed his music would be replaced by [[Koji Kondo]] because of the importance of ''Donkey Kong'' to Nintendo.<ref name="NYT: Wise">{{cite web |last1=King |first1=Darryn |title=The Man Behind the Legendary Donkey Kong Country Soundtracks |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/19/arts/music/donkey-kong-country-soundtrack-david-wise.html |website=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=November 19, 2024 |date=November 19, 2024 |archive-date=19 November 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241119154630/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/19/arts/music/donkey-kong-country-soundtrack-david-wise.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="SEMO: Wise" /> Rare asked Wise to record three jungle [[demo (music)|demo]] tunes that were merged to become the "DK Island Swing", the first level's track.<ref name="SEMO: Wise" /> Miyamoto was impressed,<ref name="NYT: Wise" /> and Wise was enlisted to produce the final score.<ref name="SEMO: Wise">{{cite web|last=Greening|first=Chris|date=December 2010|title=Interview with David Wise|url=http://www.squareenixmusic.com/features/interviews/davidwise.shtml|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120115042157/http://www.squareenixmusic.com/features/interviews/davidwise.shtml|archive-date=15 January 2012|publisher=Square Enix Music Online}}</ref> Before composing, Wise was shown the graphics and given an opportunity to play the level they would appear in, which gave him a sense of the music he would compose. He chose [[sampling (music)|samples]] and optimised the music to work on the SNES's [[SPC700]] sound chip.<ref name="Poly: Remaking" /><ref name="GI: Wise">{{cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_RNM2QlujU|title=Composer David Wise Dissects Donkey Kong Country's Best Music|date=5 July 2019|last=Wise|first=David|medium=[[YouTube]]|access-date=22 June 2020|archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/v_RNM2QlujU|archive-date=11 December 2021|url-status=live|website=[[Game Informer]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Wise worked separately from the team in a former cattle shed, visited occasionally by Tim Stamper.<ref name="NLife: MakingOf" /><ref name="GI: Wise"/> ''Donkey Kong Country'' features atmospheric music that mixes natural environmental sounds with prominent [[melody|melodic]] and percussive accompaniments.<ref name="RareWise">{{cite interview <!-- Interviewee is specific to the question.-->|last=Wise|first=David|date=December 2004|title=The Tepid Seat - Rare Music Team|publisher=Rare|url=http://www.rareware.com/extras/tepidseat/music/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070126102515/http://www.rareware.com/extras/tepidseat/music/index.html|archive-date=26 January 2007}} </ref> Its soundtrack attempts to evoke the environments and includes music from levels set in Africa-inspired jungles, caverns, oceanic reefs, frozen landscapes, and industrial factories.<ref name="NLife: MakingOf" /><ref name="RareWise" /> Wise cited [[Koji Kondo]]'s music for the ''Super Mario'' and ''Legend of Zelda'' games, [[Tim Follin|Tim]] and Geoff Follin's music for ''[[Plok!]]'' (1993), and 1980s [[synthesiser]] film soundtracks, rock, and dance music as influences,<ref name="SEMO: Wise" /> and wanted to imitate the sound of the [[Korg Wavestation]] synthesiser.<ref name="RareWise" /> He wrote lyrics for each melody, though ''[[The New York Times]]'' noted "no one is really meant to hear them".<ref name="NYT: Wise" /> Since ''Donkey Kong Country'' featured advanced pre-rendered graphics, Wise wanted to push the limits to create "equally impressive" music and make the most of the limited memory he was working with.<ref name="GI: Wise"/> Wise found Donkey Kong "a little more brutal" than [[Mario]], so departed from ''Super Mario''{{'s}} [[Latin music|Latin]] and [[calypso music|calypso]]-inspired sound.<ref name="NYT: Wise" /> He wanted to compose in the style of [[1940s jazz]], seeking to imitate the [[Glenn Miller Orchestra]] in the "DK Island Swing",<ref name="NYT: Wise" /> but was restricted by the SPC700's limitations; he "used a lot of small samples and made [the soundtrack] very synthesised" to work around them.<ref name="Poly: Remaking" /> His colleague [[Grant Kirkhope]] said that Wise's familiarity with the SNES hardware meant he could "make it do things that people hadn't heard before".<ref name="NYT: Wise" /> "[[Aquatic Ambience]]", the music that plays in the underwater levels, took five weeks to compose. Wise was inspired by a recent breakup, which made him feel as if he was drowning.<ref name="NYT: Wise" /> He considers the track his favourite and the game's biggest technological accomplishment in regards to the audio.<ref name="GI: Wise"/> The boss theme was inspired by the [[Nine Inch Nails]] song "[[March of the Pigs]]" (1994), and K. Rool's theme was influenced by [[sea shanties]], [[barrel organ]] music, and the work of [[Iron Maiden]].<ref name="NYT: Wise" /> For the title screen theme, Wise [[remix]]ed Nintendo's original ''Donkey Kong'' theme to demonstrate Donkey Kong's evolution.<ref name="GI: Wise"/> Wise said his primary focus was to make the most of the SPC700, and he input the music by hand to save memory. He noted the process was easier than composing for the NES due to the larger number of sound channels.<ref name="NLife: MakingOf" /> [[Eveline Novakovic]] contributed seven tracks, including the world map theme, as her first SNES project.<ref name="Rare: Scribes">{{cite web|title=Rare: Scribes|url=http://www.rareware.com/extra/scribes/scribes_content.html|publisher=[[Rare (company)|Rare]]|access-date=13 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051227091731/http://www.rareware.com/extra/scribes/scribes_content.html|archive-date=27 December 2005|date=21 December 2005|quote=Let's see. Once he'd polished off the new DKC3 GBA score Dave found the time to dig up a full list, and it looks like this: Robin did Funky's Fugue, Eveline did Simian Segue, Candy's Love Song, Voices of the Temple, Forest Frenzy, Tree Top Rock, Northern Hemispheres and Ice Cave Chant, and the rest was the doing of Mr. Wise. Hot damn! It always makes me feel empowered when we can provide actual, genuine, non-fabricated information.}}</ref><ref name="FanByte: Novakovic">{{Cite web|last=Yarwood|first=Jack|date=22 June 2021|title=A 'Rare' interview with ''Donkey Kong Country'' composer Eveline Novakovic|url=https://www.fanbyte.com/features/a-rare-interview-with-donkey-kong-country-composer-eveline-novakovic|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120152552/https://www.fanbyte.com/features/a-rare-interview-with-donkey-kong-country-composer-eveline-novakovic/|archive-date=20 January 2022|access-date=22 May 2022|publisher=FanByte}}</ref> Novakovic was inexperienced with the SNES hardware and Wise helped teach her as they worked together. She attempted to provide the levels a sense of purpose and drew inspiration from film composers like [[Alan Silvestri]] and [[Klaus Doldinger]].<ref name="FanByte: Novakovic" /> Funky Kong's theme was originally written by [[Robin Beanland]].<ref name="Rare: Scribes" /> According to Beanland, the track was intended for an internal progress video about another Rare game, ''[[Killer Instinct (1994 video game)|Killer Instinct]]'' (1994), before Nintendo decided to use it in a ''Donkey Kong Country'' promotional trailer. Beanland said Tim Stamper liked it and wanted to include it in the game,<ref name="BeanlandFugue">{{cite tweet|number=1098977575341301762|last=Beanland|first=Robin|title=Thanks 🙂 Yes it was originally written for an internal update/progress video for KI. @NintendoAmerica liked the track enough to use it for DKC promotion at E3...Tim loved it on the promo video and wanted it on the game. Here's the original version 🙂|user=TheRealBeano|date=22 February 2019|access-date=13 June 2020}}</ref> so Wise adopted it.<ref name="NLife: MakingOf" />
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