Game of the Week #5

[Metal Mario]

Donkey Kong Country (Super NES, 1994)



After Rareware impressed Nintendo with its Silicon Graphics experiments, Nintendo acquired 25% of the company and set Rare to work developing a new Super NES game utilizing the SGI technology. Expressing interest in reviving the neglected Donkey Kong character, Rare was given the green light, and the result was Donkey Kong Country.

With the sober clarity of hindsight, DKC doesn't seem all that revolutionary. After all, aside from its awe-inspiring new graphic style, it really was a pretty run-of-the-mill platformer. Fun and well-programmed, yes, but not particularly inspired. (Shigeru Miyamoto famously said, "Donkey Kong Country proves that players will put up with mediocre gameplay as long as the art is good.") At the time, however, it was enough to blow us all away, and Nintendo took supreme advantage in the form of an aggressive marketing campaign that rubbed its new triumph in its competitors' faces (see the video below for an example). Such as it was, DKC is often credited with driving the final nail into the coffin of the Sega Genesis.

Okay, so DKC may not have been quite as cutting-edge as we all thought. But in the end, does it matter? The bottom line is, it was fun. Collecting items, romping through gorgeous landscapes ranging from lush jungles to snowy mountains to ancient temples, and spending hours looking for every last one of those hidden Bonus Areas provided us with what felt like a truly special gameplay experience. The characters were humorous, the music was catchy and atmospheric, and no one could get enough of using Rambi to mow down hordes of hapless Kremlings. The game's two sequels would improve upon DKC in every possible way, but this legendary game is what set the template.

Donkey Kong got a fresh start, the players got a great game, Nintendo got a ton of cash, and Sega got raped. What more could any of us ask for?

Click to view video.

[Rainbow Dash]

dkc is not a mario game goddamnit.

[Metal Mario]

It's not a Mario game in the sense that it stars or features Mario, but it's definitely a Mario game in the sense that it is enveloped by the Mario universe. And if you don't believe me, go play Mario Super Sluggers for the Wii, in which Dixie Kong, Tiny Kong, Funky Kong, King K. Rool, and Kritter are all playable characters.

Not to mention that before that, Dixie was playable in Mario Superstar Baseball, Funky was playable in Mario Kart Wii, Kritter was the goalie in Super Mario Strikers, and Diddy was playable in just about everything since Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour.

[Marilink]

I don't think you can base your facts off of a spin-off sports game. I think the DK and Mario universes are separate, especially DKC, but with close ties to one another. Close enough to make cameos and guest appearances in each others' games.

[Metal Mario]

Mario and Donkey Kong start off together in the same game. This establishes them as both inhabiting the same world.

After several years, Donkey Kong Junior resurfaces as a playable character in Super Mario Kart. He goes on to appear in Mario's Tennis for Virtual Boy, and the Game & Watch Gallery series.

Starting with Mario Kart 64, Donkey Kong becomes a permanent fixture of Mario's Kart-racing, sports-playing posse. Donkey Kong Junior gets a look-in with Mario Tennis for N64.

Starting with Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour, Nintendo begins to feel comfortable with inserting DKC-originated characters into Mario's supporting cast, and Diddy Kong becomes a permanent fixture.

After a while, Dixie Kong follows, showing up as a playable character in Mario Superstar Baseball. Now we have a second generation DKC character planted firmly in Mario's world.

Nintendo takes it even further, making Kritter (a character who isn't even a Kong) the goalie in Super Mario Strikers.

Funky Kong is an unlockable character in Mario Kart Wii.

Diddy, Dixie, Tiny, and Funky Kong (none of whom Mario had actually encountered on-screen during an adventure, unlike DK and DK Junior) are playable in Mario Super Sluggers. Kritter is back too, and here's the kicker.........King K. Rool is playable!

The Kongs and Kremlings definitely inhabit the greater Mario universe, just as do all characters from games starring Wario and Yoshi. They don't live in the same neighborhood (maybe not even on the same continent), but they do live in the same world.

Link making a cameo appearance in Super Mario RPG is an example of a guy from another universe popping up for a bit of fan service. But the Kongs and Kremlings belong to Mario. Mario and Donkey Kong started out together, and just because they schismed along the way, that doesn't place them in separate universes.

It's Mario's world. Everyone else, including DK, is just living in it.

[Chaos Deviot]

Super Mario Kart is NOT Canon with either series, which is the exact problem. Spin-offs have never been canon. I agree that they started off in the same world, but they've been in seperate worlds EVER since.

Super Mario RPG is the only one on there that ANYONE can take into account. However, that's a Chained Kong and is not DK himself. Smithy could've easily researched history to create it himself, like with the other monsters he created. You have to stop using spin-offs as an example, and you have to realize that not everyone is connected to Mario himself. As for the Link cameo, that's the only thing that is wierd, but who says he couldn't have visited the Mushroom Kingdom throughout his career. After you defeat Ganon, why not take a trip?

[Robotazy]

Originally Posted by Metal Mario

But the Kongs and Kremlings belong to Mario. Mario and Donkey Kong started out together, and just because they schismed along the way, that doesn't place them in separate universes.

You see? It's all been orchestrated. BY MARIO! He was the one controlling the ever present war between the Kremlings and the Kongs, so that he could rule both races with an iron fist!

Oh, and Mario is actually part of Kirby's and Samus's Universes, so the truth is Kirby and Samus are Nintendo's real stars.

[X-3]

Then, DK went back in time and kidnapped Mario's girlfriend. However, he unknowingly set up the future events.

Mario: DK->DK Jr. (Mario's revenge)->Mario gets fired and arrested for animal cruelty plus stealing from a Zoo->Mario gets a job in the sewers after getting out->Mario Brothers->Mario and Luigi go to the Mushroom Kingdom
DK: DK goes to past->DK->forced into Zoo->Meets Wrinkly Kong at Zoo, they have a son->stolen by crazed Mario->DK Jr.->DK and a bunch of Zoo creatures escape to DK Isle at that time->Their child grows up and has adventures before going to the past

Cranky and DK are the same person. Alternatively, DK is his own (grand)father. Also, he is 'cranky' because he was unable to prevent Mario from gaining power, and instead helped him on the road. When DK decided to go to the past, Cranky tried to stop him, but DK was tired of all of Cranky's crap and went anyway. He used Mario's Time Machine.

(time is different in Mushroom Kingdom than it is on DK Isle. Several years on the Isle would only be a few months in MK.)

DK->DKJR->MB->SMB->SMB2(dream)/DKC->SMB3/DKC2->SMW/DKC3->SM64/DK64?->SMS->SMG/Whatever DK is doing
This is now canon. I repeat, this is now canon. And you cannot do anything to stop it.

[Metal Mario]

Originally Posted by Chaos Deviot

Super Mario Kart is NOT Canon with either series, which is the exact problem. Spin-offs have never been canon.

There's no such thing as canon when it comes to something as anarchic and far-flung as the Mario franchise. No back story, no unfolding legend, no ongoing continuity. It's just Mario and every game he's involved with. Trying to find a "canon" in the Mario franchise is like trying to do the same thing with all the Bugs Bunny cartoons ever produced; they're just a bunch of cartoons made for our amusement and entertainment, linked only by their recurring cast members.

you have to realize that not everyone is connected to Mario himself

Of course not everyone is linked to Mario. Just the characters that appear in games starring him, Yoshi, Wario, or the Kongs. Everybody else (Link, Kirby, Samus, etc.) are separate from Mario, and live in different universes.

Naturally, people are going to have differences in opinion over this subject. I'm not dead-set on converting everybody to my point of view. I just want to put forth the reasons why that is, in fact, my point of view. (And it's also Nintendo's point of view, clearly.) And since I'm the one who does Game of the Week and Character of the Week, we'll definitely be seeing more Kong-related material showing up in the future.

[Dizzy]

I do believe that Mario and DK are seperate series in the way Wario or Yoshi are seperate series.

Seperate, but largely connected.

[Chaos Deviot]

Originally Posted by Metal Mario

There's no such thing as canon when it comes to something as anarchic and far-flung as the Mario franchise. No back story, no unfolding legend, no ongoing continuity. It's just Mario and every game he's involved with. Trying to find a "canon" in the Mario franchise is like trying to do the same thing with all the Bugs Bunny cartoons ever produced; they're just a bunch of cartoons made for our amusement and entertainment, linked only by their recurring cast members.

Mario still has a continuity, and while it's not as direct as the Zelda series, it still exists. While there's no questions that there's multiple storylines(Super Mario World leads into Super Mario Sunshine) and so on, they're still canon games.

It's like this. Even though Link's Crossbow Training is obviously related to Twilight Princess, it's still not a canon game. Minigames, Sports, and Racing games aren't normally part of a series outside of side games. Side games are never canon, and once in a blue moon(or sometimes it could be often), main games may not be canon. Super Mario Bros. 2, as we know, is meant to not be canon outside of a possible dream. Sure, it was a great game, but that means absolutely nothing.

If you're going to put Donkey Kong related games up there, make sure they're actually DIRECTLY part of the Mario series, whether it be a sports game, or one of the DK games with Mario actually in it. Otherwise, it's NOT a Mario game.

[Metal Mario]

Originally Posted by Chaos Deviot

main games may not be canon. Super Mario Bros. 2, as we know, is meant to not be canon outside of a possible dream. Sure, it was a great game, but that means absolutely nothing.

Then why are Shy Guys real?

In the case of something like the Mario franchise, you really have to stretch in order to make it resemble anything cohesive. Most of the time you'd have to come up with your own ways to link the games together, because Nintendo certainly doesn't provide any official explanation themselves (like when you said that Smithy created Chained Kong in order to psych Mario out). That's why it's really not worth trying to weave together a canon; because there isn't mean to be a canon, anymore than there's meant to be a canon to the Bugs Bunny cartoons.

I mean, given time and effort, I could weave all of Mario's 200+ video game appearances together into one mean epic. (After saving the Mushroom Kingdom from Bowser, Mario became a celebrity back in his native Brooklyn, and was invited to participate in many prestigious local events; he was even given the honor of refereeing a the now-famous boxing match between Mike Tyson and his Brooklyn-born challenger, Little Mac), but.............why would I bother doing that? All I need to know is that Mario is Mario.

[Chaos Deviot]

Just because a monster appears in a non-canon game and then a canon game later doesn't mean the first mentioned game would be canon. Taking ideas from side games and adding them into main games isn't exactly wierd at all.

Slapstick comedy cartoons almost never have a canon(with very few exceptions, outside of episode order, anyway). Why are you using a cartoon example for video games, anyway? It'd just be better for everyone if you don't count main series DK games as Mario games, otherwise some people WILL flame you. Chunky is proof of that. And trust me, he DOESN'T stop.

[Metal Mario]

Originally Posted by Chaos Deviot

Slapstick comedy cartoons almost never have a canon(with very few exceptions, outside of episode order, anyway). Why are you using a cartoon example for video games, anyway?

Because it's practically the same thing. Every time Mario appears, he's doing something different, for a different reason, with a different mix of characters. Nintendo could produce a game that has Mario meeting Bowser for the first time, yet doesn't take place before Super Mario Bros, and there would be absolutely no consequence. It would just be Mario in a new situation, providing us with yet another new gameplay experience. Mario is the video game equivalent of Bugs Bunny.

It'd just be better for everyone if you don't count main series DK games as Mario games, otherwise some people WILL flame you. Chunky is proof of that. And trust me, he DOESN'T stop.

Game of the Week will not negotiate with terrorists.

[Chaos Deviot]

As I said before, the Mario series has more than one canon storyline. As confusing as that is, it's true.

If you're accusing me of being a terrorist, then you'd better get it through your head that I was warning you of Chunky. It was a friendly warning. I may be a jackass, but I'm just trying to save you from the pain of his flaming. You can't ignore him either, so it's better to play it safe. I don't see anybody doing something about him anytime soon, as they never do. The worst I've seen is somebody tell him off.

[Metal Mario]

Don't worry, I was referring to Chunky. And this forum is soon to have its own Moderator, so if he tries to kick up any serious trouble here, there'll be somebody around to deal with it.

[X-3]

Chunky is the weakest of the 9 Fatal Ferrets. To get to the rest, you must defeat him in mortal combat.

[Metal Mario]

^I was always more of a Street Fighter 2 kind of guy.

[Glux]

Blah-blah-blah.

Who cares how the DKC Universe is connected to the SMB Universe.

It's Game of the Week, not Mario Game of the Week.

[X-3]

Common sense would lead one to realize that a Game of the Week in the Mario Forum would be a Mario game.