Editing Donkey Kong (character) (section)

===Appearances===
{{further|Donkey Kong#History|l1=History of ''Donkey Kong''|List of Donkey Kong video games|l2=list of ''Donkey Kong'' video games}}
Donkey Kong has appeared in dozens of games.<ref name="Euro33rd">{{cite web |last1=Matulef |first1=Jeffrey |title=It's Donkey Kong's 33rd birthday today |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/its-donkey-kongs-33rd-birthday-today |website=[[Eurogamer]] |access-date=March 1, 2025 |date=July 9, 2014}}</ref> ''Donkey Kong''{{'s}} popularity quickly led to the production of a sequel, ''Donkey Kong Jr.'' Miyamoto, interested in showing the narrative from Donkey Kong's perspective,<ref name="GDev: Secret">{{cite web |last1=Fahs |first1=Travis |title=The Secret History of Donkey Kong |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/the-secret-history-of-i-donkey-kong-i- |website=[[Game Developer (website)|Game Developer]] |access-date=November 30, 2023 |date=July 6, 2011 |archive-date=September 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230907122323/https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/the-secret-history-of-i-donkey-kong-i- |url-status=live}}</ref> wanted to make him the player character, but the [[Sprite (computer graphics)|sprite graphic]] was too big to easily maneuver, so he created Donkey Kong Jr. The developers made Donkey Kong Mario's captive so they could still feature him at the top of the screen.{{sfn|Horowitz|2020|pp=90–91}}

After the failure of ''Donkey Kong 3'', Donkey Kong's appearances were limited to cameos in unrelated games.<ref name="USG: Bluff" /> Several games featuring Donkey Kong were canceled, including a [[Sega]]-developed arcade game,<ref>{{cite web |last1=McFerran |first1=Damien |title=Random: Sega Almost Released A Parking Attendant Game Starring Donkey Kong |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2016/12/random_sega_almost_released_a_parking_attendant_game_starring_donkey_kong |website=[[Nintendo Life]] |access-date=March 20, 2024 |date=December 30, 2016 |archive-date=March 20, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240320075647/https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2016/12/random_sega_almost_released_a_parking_attendant_game_starring_donkey_kong |url-status=live }}</ref> the NES game ''The Return of Donkey Kong'',<ref name="1Up: 10" /> and a [[Riedel Software Productions]]-developed [[CD-i]] game.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Szczepaniak |first1=John |title=FEATURE Like Zelda And Mario, Donkey Kong Was Supposed To Get A Philips CD-i Game - What Happened? |url=https://www.timeextension.com/features/like-zelda-and-mario-donkey-kong-was-supposed-to-get-a-philips-cd-i-game-what-happened |website=[[Time Extension]] |access-date=May 25, 2024 |date=July 29, 2023 |archive-date=May 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240524221728/https://www.timeextension.com/features/like-zelda-and-mario-donkey-kong-was-supposed-to-get-a-philips-cd-i-game-what-happened |url-status=live }}</ref> Nintendo staff began discussing a ''Donkey Kong'' revival as the original game's tenth anniversary approached in 1991. They were unable to start a new game at the time, so they included Donkey Kong Jr. as a playable character in ''[[Super Mario Kart]]'' (1992). However, the discussions led to the development of the [[Game Boy]] ''Donkey Kong'' game, released in 1994.<ref name="Shmuplations: DK94">{{cite web |title=Donkey Kong (1994) - Developer Interview |url=https://shmuplations.com/dk1994/ |website=Shmuplations |access-date=October 14, 2024}}</ref> 

The Game Boy game marked Donkey Kong's first major appearance in over 10 years,<ref name="VG247DK94">{{cite web |last1=Parish |first1=Jeremy |title=Daily Classic: Donkey Kong's Unlikely Game Boy Reinvention |url=https://www.vg247.com/daily-classic-donkey-kongs-unlikely-game-boy-reinvention |website=[[VG247]] |access-date=February 24, 2023 |date=February 18, 2014 |archive-date=February 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230224215310/https://www.vg247.com/daily-classic-donkey-kongs-unlikely-game-boy-reinvention |url-status=live}}</ref> before he first appeared as a protagonist in the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]] game ''Donkey Kong Country''. While he was not playable in the sequels ''Donkey Kong Country 2'' and ''[[Donkey Kong Country 3]]'' (1996), ''[[GamesRadar+]]''{{'s}} Henry Gilbert wrote that the ''Country'' series nonetheless re-established Donkey Kong as one of Nintendo's major characters.<ref name="GRadarHistory" /> During the [[Nintendo 64]] era, Nintendo incorporated Rare's Donkey Kong in ''[[Mario Kart 64]]'' (1997),<ref>{{cite web |last1=Minotti |first1=Mike |title=The complete history of Mario Kart |url=https://venturebeat.com/games/the-complete-history-of-mario-kart/ |website=[[VentureBeat]] |access-date=May 2, 2025 |date=May 28, 2014}}</ref> in the [[party video game|party]] game ''[[Mario Party (video game)|Mario Party]]'' (1998),<ref>{{cite web |last1=Schneider |first1=Peer |title=Mario Party Review |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/1999/02/12/mario-party |website=[[IGN]] |access-date=May 2, 2025 |date=February 11, 1999}}</ref> and in the crossover game ''[[Super Smash Bros. (video game)|Super Smash Bros.]]'' (1999).<ref name="IGN: Smash" /> Donkey Kong was a late addition to ''Mario Kart 64'', replacing [[Kamek]] from prerelease versions.<ref>{{cite web |last=McWhertor |first=Michael |url=https://www.polygon.com/22641229/mario-kart-tour-kamek-magikoopa-nintendo |title=Mario Kart finally stops disrespecting Kamek the Magikoopa |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |date=August 25, 2021 |accessdate=October 4, 2024 |archive-date=October 7, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241007091602/https://www.polygon.com/22641229/mario-kart-tour-kamek-magikoopa-nintendo |url-status=live }}</ref>

Since Microsoft's acquisition of Rare, Donkey Kong has mostly appeared as a guest character in other Nintendo franchises.<ref name="NWR: FavPt2" /><ref>{{cite web |last1=DiRienzo |first1=David |title=Donkey Kong 64 |url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/donkey-kong-64/ |website=[[Hardcore Gaming 101]] |access-date=April 21, 2022 |date=April 17, 2015 |archive-date=May 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220518191452/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/donkey-kong-64/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The major ''Donkey Kong'' games released since include ''[[Donkey Kong Jungle Beat]]'' (2004),<ref>{{cite web |last1=DiRienzo |first1=David |title=Donkey Kong Jungle Beat |url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/donkey-kong-jungle-beat/ |website=[[Hardcore Gaming 101]] |access-date=July 12, 2020 |date=April 17, 2015 |archive-date=August 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200813023826/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/donkey-kong-jungle-beat/ |url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Donkey Kong Country Returns]]'' (2010),<ref>{{cite web |last1=DiRienzo |first1=David |title=Donkey Kong 64 |url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/donkey-kong-64/ |website=[[Hardcore Gaming 101]] |access-date=April 21, 2022 |date=April 17, 2015 |archive-date=May 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220518191452/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/donkey-kong-64/ |url-status=live}}</ref> and ''Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze''.<ref name="Euro: VV" /> [[Activision]]'s [[toys-to-life]] game ''[[Skylanders: SuperChargers]]'' (2015) includes Donkey Kong as a playable character in the versions released on Nintendo platforms,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Snider |first1=Mike |title=Nintendo stars Donkey Kong and Bowser to invade new 'Skylanders' game |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/06/16/donkey-kong-bowser-star-in-skylanders-game/28794857/ |website=[[USA Today]] |access-date=November 17, 2023 |date=June 16, 2015 |archive-date=November 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231117194848/https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2015/06/16/donkey-kong-bowser-star-in-skylanders-game/28794857/ |url-status=live}}</ref> while [[Ubisoft]]'s ''[[Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle]]'' (2017) features him as the protagonist of an [[expansion pack]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gilliam |first1=Ryan |title=Donkey Kong Adventure is a lot more Mario + Rabbids, for better and worse |url=https://www.polygon.com/2018/6/27/17502892/donkey-kong-adventure-rabbids-mario-dlc-impressions-review |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |access-date=November 17, 2023 |date=June 27, 2018 |archive-date=November 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231117182900/https://www.polygon.com/2018/6/27/17502892/donkey-kong-adventure-rabbids-mario-dlc-impressions-review |url-status=live}}</ref> ''Tropical Freeze'', released for the [[Wii U]] in 2014, was the most recent game starring Donkey Kong for over a decade,<ref name="Euro: VV">{{cite web |last1=Blake |first1=Vikki |title=Activision's Vicarious Visions worked on a cancelled 3D Donkey Kong game |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/activisions-vicarious-visions-worked-on-a-cancelled-3d-donkey-kong-game |website=[[Eurogamer]] |access-date=May 7, 2024 |date=May 5, 2024}}</ref> until ''[[Donkey Kong Bananza]]'' (2025).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Reynolds |first=Ollie |date=April 2, 2025 |title=Donkey Kong Bananza, A New 3D DK Adventure, Is Confirmed For Switch 2 |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2025/04/donkey-kong-bananza-a-new-3d-dk-adventure-is-confirmed-for-switch-2 |access-date=April 3, 2025 |website=[[Nintendo Life]]}}</ref>