Editing Donkey Kong (character) (section)

==Reception and legacy==
===Commentary===
Donkey Kong is one of the most iconic video game characters,<ref name="USG: Bluff" /><ref name="GI: TFPreview">{{cite magazine |last1=Reeves |first1=Ben |title=Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze |url=https://www.gameinformer.com/games/donkey_kong_country_tropical_freeze/b/wii_u/archive/2013/12/20/three-hours-chilling-with-donkey-kong-country-tropical-freeze.aspx |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |access-date=November 27, 2023 |date=December 20, 2013 |archive-date=December 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231209005109/https://www.gameinformer.com/games/donkey_kong_country_tropical_freeze/b/wii_u/archive/2013/12/20/three-hours-chilling-with-donkey-kong-country-tropical-freeze.aspx |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="GamasutraGuinness">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/pressreleases/68759/TOP_50_VIDEO_GAME_CHARACTERS_OF_ALL_TIME_ANNOUNCED_inGUINNESS_WORLD_RECORDS_2011_GAMERrsquoS_EDITION.php |title=Top 50 video game characters of all time announced in Guinness World Records 2011 Gamer's Edition |work=[[Gamasutra]]|date=February 16, 2011 |access-date=April 20, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022093831/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/pressreleases/68759/TOP_50_VIDEO_GAME_CHARACTERS_OF_ALL_TIME_ANNOUNCED_inGUINNESS_WORLD_RECORDS_2011_GAMERrsquoS_EDITION.php |archive-date=October 22, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref> and has been listed as one of the greatest.<ref name="GamasutraGuinness" /><ref>{{cite web|last1=Dyer|first1=James|last2=McComb|first2=David|last3=Plumb|first3=Alistair|last4=Scarborough|first4=David|date=2010|url=http://www.empireonline.com/features/50-greatest-video-game-characters/default.asp?film=48 |title=The 50 Greatest Video Game Characters |work=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] |access-date=April 20, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114015106/http://www.empireonline.com/features/50-greatest-video-game-characters/default.asp?film=48 |archive-date=November 14, 2012}}</ref> The original ''Donkey Kong'' was Nintendo's first major international success and established it as a prominent force in the [[video game industry]];{{sfn|Sheff|1994|p=111}}<ref name="Time: Changed">{{cite magazine |last1=Latson |first1=Jennifer |title=How Donkey Kong and Mario Changed the World |url=https://time.com/3901489/donkey-kong-anniversary/ |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |access-date=November 28, 2023 |date=June 2, 2015 |archive-date=November 12, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221112080217/https://time.com/3901489/donkey-kong-anniversary/ |url-status=live}}</ref> its success was attributed to the popularity of Donkey Kong as a character.<ref name="IGN: MarioHistory" /> ''Donkey Kong'' featured a level of narrative depth unprecedented in games at the time,<ref>{{cite web |title=Gaming's most important evolutions |url=http://www.gamesradar.com/gamings-most-important-evolutions/?page=3 |website=[[GamesRadar]] |access-date=November 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319153722/http://www.gamesradar.com/gamings-most-important-evolutions/?page=3 |archive-date=March 19, 2012 |page=3 |date=October 8, 2010}}</ref><ref name="GRadar: Important">{{cite web |last1=Loveridge |first1=Sam |title=The 50 most important games of all time |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/50-most-important-games-all-time/4/ |website=[[GamesRadar+]] |access-date=November 28, 2023 |page=4 |date=April 12, 2013 |archive-date=September 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230907120525/https://www.gamesradar.com/50-most-important-games-all-time/4/ |url-status=live}}</ref> and gave Nintendo its first marketable characters.<ref name="NWRMarioBook" /> Donkey Kong was more popular than the protagonist, Mario, and he was the overwhelming focus of merchandise.<ref name="NWR: ImportanceMerchandise">{{cite web |last1=Berube |first1=Justin |title=The Importance of Video Game Merchandise Preservation |url=https://www.nintendoworldreport.com/feature/68380/the-importance-of-video-game-merchandise-preservation |website=Nintendo World Report |access-date=April 24, 2025 |date=September 3, 2024}}</ref> However, Nintendo soon began to push Mario as a leading character,<ref name="NWRMarioBook">{{cite web |last1=Berube |first1=Justin |title=The History of Mario Book Review |url=https://www.nintendoworldreport.com/feature/38088/the-history-of-mario-book-review |website=Nintendo World Report |access-date=April 26, 2025 |date=July 17, 2014}}</ref> and Donkey Kong's popularity faded. ''[[Game Informer]]''{{'s}} Ben Reeves wrote that ''Donkey Kong Country'' reestablished Donkey Kong's independent identity.<ref name="GI: TFPreview" />

''[[USgamer]]''{{'s}} Jeremy Parish wrote that ''Country'' "brought back [Donkey Kong] in true '90s style".<ref name="USG: Bluff" /> It positioned him as a competitor to Sega's [[Sonic the Hedgehog (character)|Sonic the Hedgehog]] and other "hip anthromorph" platformer mascots,<ref name="HG101: DKC" /><ref name="LAT: Battle">{{Cite web|last=Kronke|first=David|date=October 15, 1994|title=It's gonna be a video jungle out there: Video-game stars Donkey Kong and Sonic the Hedgehog will battle it out with new games backed by tech advances and mega-marketing.|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-10-15-ca-50485-story.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150918185341/http://articles.latimes.com/1994-10-15/entertainment/ca-50485_1_video-game-technology|archive-date=September 18, 2015|access-date=April 28, 2025|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref> and was credited with helping Nintendo pull ahead of Sega towards the end of the [[16-bit era]]'s [[console war]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Kelion|first=Leo|title=Sega v Nintendo: Sonic, Mario and the 1990's console war|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-27373587|publisher=[[BBC]]|access-date=April 29, 2025|date=May 13, 2014|archive-date=July 2, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702174225/https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-27373587|url-status=live}}</ref> ''Nintendo World Report''{{'s}} Pedro Hernandez said the first two ''Country'' games cemented Donkey Kong as one of his favorite Nintendo characters.<ref name="NWR: Fav" /> He found Donkey Kong endearing for his "innocence and humanity" in his attempts to help and feel accepted, and fascinating due to his in-universe history and expansive family.<ref name="NWR: FavPt2" /> Critics enjoyed Donkey Kong's gameplay dynamic with Diddy Kong,<ref name="IGNDKC">{{Cite news|last=Thomas|first=Lucas M.|date=20 February 2007|title=''Donkey Kong Country'' review|work=[[IGN]]|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/02/20/donkey-kong-country-review|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120823012726/http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/02/20/donkey-kong-country|archive-date=23 August 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Marriott|first=Scott Alan|title=''Donkey Kong Country'' review (SNES)|url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=2475&tab=review|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114125055/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=2475&tab=review|archive-date=14 November 2014|publisher=[[AllGame]]}}</ref> although ''[[Hardcore Gaming 101]]''{{'s}} David DiRienzo found their differences mostly superficial.<ref name="HG101: DKC" />

The ''Country'' games also received criticism.<ref name="IGNDKC" /><ref name="GSpy: Overrated" /><ref name="Vice: Terrible" /> ''[[GameSpy]]''{{'s}} staff was dismayed that Nintendo retained the ''Country'' Donkey Kong design, which they felt was inferior to the unruly yet endearing arcade design.<ref name="GSpy: Overrated">{{Cite web|last=''GameSpy'' staff|date=19 September 2003|title=25 most overrated games of all time|url=http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/september03/25overrated/index18.shtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060508010107/http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/september03/25overrated/index.shtml|archive-date=8 May 2006|access-date=11 June 2022|website=[[GameSpy]]}}</ref> ''GamesRadar+''{{'s}} Bob Mackey said the design looked fine when considering the limitations of 1994 rendering technology but expressed surprise that Nintendo continued to use it without major alterations. He wrote that by 2014, it had become "increasingly bizarre to see this product of mid-90s technology dropped into games with real-time visuals that handily outclass Rare's pre-rendered relics".<ref name="GRadar: DKDesign" />

After Rare's departure from the franchise, Donkey Kong's standing declined. ''[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]''{{'s}} Garrett Martin wrote that his popularity peaked in the early 1980s and mid-1990s, and only ''Donkey Kong Country Returns'' came close to matching the sales of the arcade and SNES games.<ref name="PasteFranchises">{{cite web |last1=Martin |first1=Garrett |title=The 10 Best-Selling Nintendo Franchises of All Time |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/games/nintendo/best-selling-nintendo-franchises |website=[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]] |access-date=April 29, 2025 |date=February 28, 2025}}</ref> ''IGN''{{'s}} Jesse Schedeen said that, by 2009, Donkey Kong was only kept relevant by his ''Super Smash Bros.'' appearances, as his name had become "almost synonymous with gimmicky games" like ''Donkey Konga''.<ref name="IGNOverrated">{{cite web |last1=Schedeen |first1=Jesse |title=Top 10 Most Overrated Videogame Characters |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2009/04/24/top-10-most-overrated-videogame-characters |website=[[IGN]] |access-date=April 26, 2025 |date=April 24, 2009}}</ref> Schedeen called him one of the most overrated video game characters,<ref name="IGNOverrated" /> and ''[[Vice Media|Vice]]''{{'s}} Ian Dransfield said that games starring Donkey Kong were outclassed by those starring Mario and [[Rayman (character)|Rayman]].<ref name="Vice: Terrible">{{cite web|last=Dransfield|first=Ian|title=Twenty years on, 'Donkey Kong Country' is still as terrible as it ever was|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/donkey-kong-at-20-years-old-442/|website=[[Vice Media|Vice]]|access-date=April 28, 2025|date=December 2, 2014|archive-date=May 31, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531001349/https://www.vice.com/en/article/exm9bn/donkey-kong-at-20-years-old-442|url-status=live}}</ref>

''GamesRadar+''{{'s}} Scott McCrae said being a Donkey Kong fan was difficult due to the hiatuses between major games,<ref name="GRadar: Bananza" /> and ''[[TheGamer]]''{{'s}} Adam Starkey said that Donkey Kong had "unfairly remained in Mario's shadow" in the decades following Rare's departure.<ref name="TheGamerBetter">{{cite web |last1=Starkey |first1=Adam |title=Donkey Kong Deserved Better On His 40th Anniversary |url=https://www.thegamer.com/donkey-kong-40th-anniversary-nintendo-deserved-better/ |website=[[TheGamer]] |access-date=April 28, 2025 |date=July 31, 2021}}</ref> ''[[IGN]]''{{'s}} Logan Plant wrote that before ''Donkey Kong Bananza''{{'s}} announcement it seemed as if Nintendo did not care about Donkey Kong.<ref name="IGNBananza">{{cite web |last1=Plant |first1=Logan |title=Donkey Kong Bananza: First Hands-On Preview |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/donkey-kong-bananza-first-hands-on-preview |website=[[IGN]] |access-date=April 28, 2025 |date=April 3, 2025}}</ref> Starkey noted that his 40th anniversary in 2021 passed without acknowledgement from Nintendo, which he joked was "grounds for a HR complaint".<ref name="TheGamerBetter" /> He felt one could not celebrate Mario without acknowledging Donkey Kong and found it odd that Bowser had usurped Donkey Kong's role as Mario's nemesis, given the characters' history.<ref name="TheGamerBetter" /> Journalists expressed excitement for Donkey Kong's return in ''Donkey Kong Bananza'',<ref name="GRadar: Bananza" /><ref name="IGNBananza" /><ref>{{cite web |last1=Rutherford |first1=Sam |title=Donkey Kong Bananza hands-on: A funky fresh take on Nintendo's favorite ape |url=https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/donkey-kong-bananza-hands-on-a-funky-fresh-take-on-nintendos-favorite-ape-130057272.html |website=[[Engadget]] |access-date=April 4, 2025 |date=April 4, 2025 |archive-date=April 5, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250405183348/https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/donkey-kong-bananza-hands-on-a-funky-fresh-take-on-nintendos-favorite-ape-130057272.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and ''[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]'' felt its emphasis on destruction was a natural fit for his character.<ref name="Poly: Preview">{{cite web |last1=Frushtick |first1=Russ |date=April 3, 2025 |title=Donkey Kong Bananza is not just Mario Odyssey with a gorilla |url=https://www.polygon.com/nintendo-switch-2/552075/donkey-kong-bananza-hands-on-preview-impressions |access-date=April 4, 2025 |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |archive-date=April 5, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250405190507/https://www.polygon.com/nintendo-switch-2/552075/donkey-kong-bananza-hands-on-preview-impressions |url-status=live }}</ref>

Donkey Kong's 2025 redesign was divisive.<ref name="VGC: Redesign" /><ref name="NLife: NewDesign" /><ref>{{cite web |last1=Jenkins |first1=Dwayne |title=‘Mario Kart 9’ Had Its Big Reveal, Yet Some Players Are Upset About Donkey Kong: “What the Hell Did They Do to Him?” |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/mario-kart-9-had-its-big-reveal-yet-some-players-are-upset-about-donkey-kong-what-the-hell-did-they-do-to-him/ |website=[[Vice Media|Vice]] |access-date=April 24, 2025 |date=January 16, 2025}}</ref> After it was teased alongside ''Mario Kart World'', ''TheGamer''{{'s}} Stanley Henley complained that it turned him into a generic "ugly inflatable", reflecting a trend for "aesthetic simplicity over visual flavor" in brands.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Henley |first1=Stanley |title=The New Donkey Kong Seems Ugly And Bad |url=https://www.thegamer.com/the-new-donkey-kong-seems-ugly-and-bad/ |website=[[TheGamer]] |access-date=April 22, 2025 |date=January 17, 2025}}</ref> ''Vice''{{'s}} Anthony Franklin II called the redesign "awesome" following its reveal in the ''Donkey Kong Bananza'' trailer, which they felt demonstrated that fans were too hasty to judge it,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Franklin II |first1=Anthony |title=‘Donkey Kong Bananza’ is a Nintendo Switch 2 Exclusive that Proves You Can’t Judge a Character Model by its Blurry Debut |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/donkey-kong-bonanza-is-a-nintendo-switch-2-exclusive-that-proves-you-cant-judge-a-character-model-by-its-blurry-debut/ |website=[[Vice Media|Vice]] |access-date=April 22, 2025 |date=April 2, 2025}}</ref> and ''GamesRadar+'' described it as "peak Donkey Kong... He's got the goofy look, but still has the ability to look super intense".<ref name="GRadar: Bananza">{{cite web |last1=McCrae |first1=Scott |title=Nintendo made sickos like me wait 26 years, but Donkey Kong Bananza's 3D platforming exceeds my wildest dreams |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/games/platformer/nintendo-made-sickos-like-me-wait-26-years-but-donkey-kong-bananzas-3d-platforming-exceeds-my-wildest-dreams/ |website=[[GamesRadar+]] |access-date=April 25, 2025 |date=April 21, 2025}}</ref> Bayliss felt there was nothing to debate and that fans should embrace change.<ref name="VGC: Redesign" />

===Analysis===
[[File:King Kong 1933 Promotional Image.png|thumb|right|upright|Donkey Kong has been described as a parody of [[King Kong]]; their similarities sparked the 1983 ''[[Universal City Studios, Inc. v. Nintendo Co., Ltd.|Universal v. Nintendo]]'' lawsuit.]]
Donkey Kong has been described as a parody of King Kong,<ref name="NWR: Fav" /><ref name="PCGamer: 1980sDocs" /> with ''Nintendo World Report'' writing that the original game "was almost a mockery of the premise" of the first ''King Kong'' film.<ref name="NWR: KingKong" /> Whereas King Kong is fearsome, Donkey Kong is silly and foolish.<ref name="NWR: Fav" /><ref name="NWR: KingKong" /> In the 1983 ''[[Universal City Studios, Inc. v. Nintendo Co., Ltd.]]'' lawsuit, [[Universal Pictures|Universal]] alleged that ''Donkey Kong'' violated its ''[[King Kong (franchise)|King Kong]]'' trademark. [[Robert W. Sweet]] ruled it was unlikely that anyone would confuse the two, as Donkey Kong was "farcical, childlike and nonsexual" compared to King Kong, "a ferocious gorilla in quest of a beautiful woman".<ref name="PCGamer: 1980sDocs" /> He noted stark contrasts between King Kong, who goes on bloody rampages and viciously attacks foes, and Donkey Kong, who bounces and struts to taunt the player and uses humorous obstacles such as cement tubs and pies.<ref name="PCGamer: 1980sDocs" />

The original ''Donkey Kong'' features a simple [[damsel in distress]] narrative with traditional gender roles, which Miyamoto reused in his ''[[Super Mario]]'' and ''[[Legend of Zelda]]'' games.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Snyder |first1=Colin |last2=Bourdet |first2=Kelly |title=Future Sex: How Tales of Damsels in Distress Came to Dominate Video Games |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/future-sex-princess-peach/ |website=[[Vice Media|Vice]] |access-date=February 24, 2025 |date=March 11, 2013}}</ref><ref name="GameStudies">{{cite journal |last1=Wesp |first1=Edward |title=A Too-Coherent World: Game Studies and the Myth of 'Narrative' Media |journal=Game Studies |date=December 2014 |volume=14 |issue=2 |url=https://gamestudies.org/1402/articles/wesp |issn=1604-7982}}</ref> Donkey Kong, [[hypermasculine]] and brutish, kidnaps the passive Pauline, who must be rescued by the "appropriately masculine" hero, Mario. However, due to the cyclical gameplay, the masculine Mario is unsuccessful in defeating the hypermasculine Donkey Kong, who always recaptures Pauline.<ref name="GameStudies" /> The [[Western New England University]] professor Edward Wesp found this makes Donkey Kong similar to the ''[[Looney Tunes]]'' character [[Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner|Road Runner]], with Mario akin to the perpetually failing [[Wile E. Coyote]]. Wesp writes that Mario's "determination and skill... will, in the end, fail to overcome [Donkey Kong]'s brutish power".<ref name="GameStudies" />

Games featuring Donkey Kong as a protagonist depict melodramatic adventures that emphasize action over characterization.{{sfn|Dyson|2001|p=425}} In his initial appearance, Donkey Kong is similar to Nintendo villains such as ''Mario''{{'s}} Bowser, ''Zelda''{{'s}} [[Ganon]], and ''[[Metroid]]''{{'s}} [[Ridley (Metroid)|Ridley]], in that he is animalistic, unclothed, and unrelatable, much like the literary villains [[Caliban]] and [[Gollum]]. ''[[PopMatters]]'' observed that, in turning Donkey Kong into a protagonist, ''Donkey Kong Country'' "domesticated" him, adding the tie to clothe him and supporting Kongs to provide a family.<ref name="PM: Tie" /> The tie—as well as Donkey Kong's contrast with the crocodilian King K. Rool, a more primitive animal—suggests Donkey Kong possesses sophistication and nobility and does not merely act upon impulse. The Kong family highlights that Donkey Kong cares for others and is past kidnapping. The player thus perceives him as selfless and admirable.<ref name="PM: Tie">{{cite web |author1=''PopMatters'' staff |title=Donkey Kong's Tie, or the Domestication of the Villain |url=https://www.popmatters.com/180206-donkey-kongs-tie-or-the-domestication-of-the-villain-2495674093.html |website=[[PopMatters]] |access-date=February 24, 2025 |date=March 24, 2014}}</ref>

===In popular culture===
{{seealso|Donkey Kong#Cultural impact|l1=Cultural impact of ''Donkey Kong''}}
[[File:Monster Jam - 2008 - Tacoma, Wa (3453973810).jpg|thumb|right|A Donkey Kong-themed [[monster truck]] at [[Monster Jam]] in 2008]]

Donkey Kong is a [[pop culture]] icon.<ref>{{cite web |title=News Blips: Black Ops Bans, Halo Waypoint App, Battle.net Dial-In Authenticator, and More |url=https://venturebeat.com/games/news-blips-black-ops-bans-halo-waypoint-app-battlenet-dial-in-authenticator-and-more/ |website=[[VentureBeat]] |access-date=February 28, 2025 |date=November 11, 2010}}</ref> ''Donkey Kong'' remains one of Nintendo's bestselling franchises, with 82 million copies sold by 2025.<ref name="PasteFranchises" /> Considered Nintendo's second-biggest character,<ref name="GRadar: Bananza" /> journalists described Donkey Kong as a mascot for both Nintendo and the video game industry.{{efn|Attributed to multiple references: ''Eurogamer'',<ref name="Euro33rd" /> ''GamesRadar+'',<ref>{{cite web |title=The 12 greatest arcade machines of all time |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/the-12-greatest-arcade-machines-of-all-time/ |website=[[GamesRadar+]] |access-date=November 27, 2023 |date=June 29, 2009 |archive-date=December 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204234731/https://www.gamesradar.com/the-12-greatest-arcade-machines-of-all-time/ |url-status=live}}</ref> ''IGN'',<ref>{{cite web |last1=Casamassina |first1=Matt |title=Donkey Kong Jungle Beat |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/03/12/donkey-kong-jungle-beat |website=[[IGN]] |access-date=November 27, 2023 |date=March 11, 2005 |archive-date=October 17, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191017122456/https://www.ign.com/articles/2005/03/12/donkey-kong-jungle-beat |url-status=live}}</ref> and ''Wired''<ref name="Wired25" />}} The catchphrase "it's on like Donkey Kong" has entered pop culture vernacular,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Elston |first1=Brett |title=Nintendo trying to trademark "It's on like Donkey Kong" |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/nintendo-trying-to-trademark-its-on-like-donkey-kong/ |website=[[GamesRadar+]] |access-date=November 9, 2023 |date=November 10, 2010 |archive-date=November 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231109124614/https://www.gamesradar.com/nintendo-trying-to-trademark-its-on-like-donkey-kong/ |url-status=live}}</ref> used in television series, films, music, and news headlines to say something is "going down".<ref name="WiredTrademark">{{cite magazine |last1=Schreier |first1=Jason |title=Nintendo Trademarks 'It's On Like Donkey Kong' |url=https://www.wired.com/2010/11/donkey-kong-trademark/ |magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] |access-date=November 9, 2023 |date=November 10, 2010 |archive-date=November 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231109124616/https://www.wired.com/2010/11/donkey-kong-trademark/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Gross |first1=Doug |title=Nintendo seeks to trademark 'On like Donkey Kong' |url=http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/gaming.gadgets/11/10/on.like.donkey.kong/index.html |publisher=[[CNN]] |access-date=November 9, 2023 |date=November 10, 2010 |archive-date=November 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109042835/http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/gaming.gadgets/11/10/on.like.donkey.kong/index.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="PCW: On">{{cite web |last1=Purewal |first1=Sarah Jacobsson |title=Nintendo Wants to Trademark 'It's On Like Donkey Kong' |url=https://www.pcworld.com/article/498587/nintendo_wants_to_trademark_its_on_like_donkey_kong.html |website=[[PC World]] |access-date=November 9, 2023 |date=November 11, 2010 |archive-date=November 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231109124616/https://www.pcworld.com/article/498587/nintendo_wants_to_trademark_its_on_like_donkey_kong.html |url-status=live}}</ref> In 2007, the [[Monster Jam]] racing series obtained the license to use Donkey Kong's appearance for a [[monster truck]]. The truck debuted in a December 2007 show in [[Minneapolis]] and toured with Monster Jam throughout 2008.<ref>{{cite web |title=Donkey Kong Truck Hits Monster Jam |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/12/07/donkey-kong-truck-hits-monster-jam |website=[[IGN]] |access-date=November 25, 2023 |date=December 7, 2007 |archive-date=November 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231125143742/https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/12/07/donkey-kong-truck-hits-monster-jam |url-status=live}}</ref>

Ralph, the protagonist of the video game-themed [[Walt Disney Animation Studios]] film ''[[Wreck-It Ralph]]'' (2012), was inspired by Donkey Kong.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Scheden |first1=Jesse |title=The Familiar Faces of Wreck-It Ralph |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2012/06/09/the-familiar-faces-of-wreck-it-ralph |website=[[IGN]] |access-date=April 25, 2025 |date=June 8, 2012}}</ref> He is introduced as the antagonist of a ''Donkey Kong''-like arcade game and has similar proportions.<ref>{{cite web |last1=White |first1=Cindy |title=Wreck-It Ralph is Disney's Love Letter to Video Games |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2011/08/21/wreck-it-ralph-is-disneys-love-letter-to-video-games |website=[[IGN]] |access-date=April 25, 2025 |date=August 21, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Maytum |first1=Matthew Mpoke |title=Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 review: "Ralph and Vanellope are still good company" |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/ralph-breaks-the-internet-wreck-it-ralph-2-review/ |website=[[GamesRadar+]] |access-date=April 25, 2025 |date=November 14, 2018}}</ref> ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' described him as "a kind of human version of Donkey Kong".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Breznican |first1=Anthony |title=Disney's D23: Secret world of video game characters revealed in 'Wreck-It Ralph' |url=https://ew.com/article/2011/08/20/disneys-d23-secret-world-of-video-game-characters-revealed-in-wreck-it-ralph/ |website=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |access-date=April 25, 2025 |date=August 20, 2011}}</ref> The director, [[Rich Moore]], said Ralph was conceived as an animal similar to Donkey Kong before becoming more distinct,<ref>{{cite web |title='Wreck-It Ralph' video characters get their game on |url=https://www.usatoday.com/picture-gallery/life/movies/2012/10/28/wreck-it-ralph-video-characters-get-their-game-on/1661183/ |website=[[USA Today]] |access-date=April 25, 2025 |date=October 18, 2012}}</ref> and the animators used Donkey Kong as a reference when designing 8-bit sprites of Ralph.<ref>{{cite web |last1=McWhertor |first1=Michael |title=Wreck-it Ralph animator urged movie director to 'respect the pixel' for character designs |url=https://www.polygon.com/2012/10/29/3573936/wreck-it-ralph-animator-urged-movie-director-to-respect-the-pixel-for |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |access-date=April 25, 2025 |date=October 29, 2012}}</ref>

Donkey Kong appears in Patrick Jean's ''[[Pixels (2010 film)|Pixels]]'' (2010), a short film which depicts 1980s video game characters attacking New York City.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Vary |first1=Adam B. |title=Look out, Adam Sandler! It's Donkey Kong's Space Invading Frogger! |url=https://ew.com/article/2010/11/11/adam-sandler-pixels/ |website=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |access-date=April 25, 2025 |date=November 11, 2010}}</ref> He reappears in the feature film adaptation ''[[Pixels (2015 film)|Pixels]]'' (2015), which expands the premise to depict alien invaders using the characters to conquer Earth.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Harp |first1=Justin |title=You need to see Tetris and Donkey Kong vs Adam Sandler in crazy new Pixels trailer |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a656479/you-need-to-see-tetris-and-donkey-kong-vs-adam-sandler-in-crazy-new-pixels-trailer/ |website=[[Digital Spy]] |access-date=April 25, 2025 |date=July 3, 2015}}</ref> The director, Chris Columbus, said Donkey Kong's inclusion required months of negotiations, and Nintendo granted permission after determining the filmmakers were treating him with respect.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Calvert |first1=Darren |title=Donkey Kong Nearly Missed Out On Pixels Stardom |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2015/07/donkey_kong_nearly_missed_out_on_pixels_stardom |website=[[Nintendo Life]] |access-date=November 27, 2023 |date=July 23, 2015 |archive-date=December 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231201141432/https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2015/07/donkey_kong_nearly_missed_out_on_pixels_stardom |url-status=live}}</ref> The film ''[[War for the Planet of the Apes]]'' (2017) features treacherous apes nicknamed "donkeys" in reference to Donkey Kong.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://in.ign.com/war-for-the-planet-of-the-apes/102093/preview/war-for-the-planet-of-the-apes-trailer-commentary-by-director-matt-reeves |title=War for the Planet of the Apes: Trailer commentary by director Matt Reeves |last=Collura |first=Scott |date=December 10, 2016 |website=[[IGN]] |access-date=October 21, 2019 |archive-date=October 21, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191021072703/https://in.ign.com/war-for-the-planet-of-the-apes/102093/preview/war-for-the-planet-of-the-apes-trailer-commentary-by-director-matt-reeves |url-status=live}}</ref>

Donkey Kong has inspired [[internet meme]]s,<ref name="KotakuCockBlast" /><ref>{{cite web |last1=Foster |first1=George |title=Donkey Kong's Funky Victory Animation In Mario Strikers: Battle League Is Getting Memed |url=https://www.thegamer.com/donkey-kong-victory-animation-mario-strikers-battle-league-meme/ |website=[[TheGamer]] |access-date=April 26, 2025 |date=June 2, 2022}}</ref> including a 2022 phenomenon in which [[Twitter]] users responded to posts from the [[Pringles]] account by [[spamming]] a picture of Donkey Kong shooting lightning from his groin.<ref name="KotakuCockBlast">{{cite web |last1=Zwiezen |first1=Zack |title=The Donkey Kong Cock Blast Pringles Meme, (Unfortunately) Explained |url=https://kotaku.com/pringles-twitter-donkey-kong-cock-blast-cockblast-meme-1848644039 |website=[[Kotaku]] |access-date=April 26, 2025 |date=March 11, 2022}}</ref> The [[transgender rights movement]] adopted Donkey Kong as an icon after the [[YouTuber]] [[Hbomberguy|Harry "Hbomberguy" Brewis]] livestreamed a playthrough of ''Donkey Kong 64'' for over 50 hours to raise funds for the British charity [[Mermaids (charity)|Mermaids]] in 2019, in response to the [[National Lottery Community Fund]] considering canceling a £500,000 grant. [[Laura Kate Dale]], a transgender game journalist, wrote for the [[BBC]] that posting images of Donkey Kong became "a powerful act of protest and a way to remind one man that his attempt to remove financial support from the trans community failed" following the livestream.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dale |first1=Laura |title=How Donkey Kong became a trans icon |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/51zq42Wb04L2yWWpvpQzLsz/how-donkey-kong-became-a-trans-icon |publisher=[[BBC]] |access-date=April 23, 2025 |date=April 9, 2020 |author-link=Laura Kate Dale}}</ref>