Before I give my ratings, please allow me a moment to reminisce. When I was a lad, my best friend got a copy of the original DKC on the Gameboy. We spent a lot of time taking turns at those levels that seemed ridiculously challenging to our young minds, and after a couple weeks of getting Game Over after Game Over, we finally did it. It wasn't long after that I got DKC2 for the Gameboy Advance, and my friend and I each created our own save files and went through the game. I remember DKC2 being much more challenging than the original, and it actually took us several months to get to the end. Whereas he got stuck on Toxic Tower (and remains there to this day), I eventually beat the entire game (including the K. Rool Duel, which was possibly the hardest thing I ever beat as a kid).
After DKC2 was in the rearview mirror, we were unfortunately unable to continue to DKC3 because it hadn't received a Gameboy Advance port at that time. So what did we do? Well, we did meddle around with DK64 on my friend's system for awhile, but neither of us particularly enjoyed it. We watched a lot of the old cartoon show, but that wasn't as long-lasting as the actual games. My friend actually moved on from the franchise, but I went hunting for Donkey Kong Land titles in the types of used game stores that you just don't see any more. It was a fun thing to do for months until I eventually got (and beat) all three of them. With that said and done, I took a little bit of a hiatus from playing DK games, and it wasn't until the dawn of the Wii Virtual Console that this changed.
While I was hanging out with my friend again (we've been friends and neighbors all the way from elementary school on), I was lamenting the fact that I couldn't try DK64 because it wasn't available for some reason. His response? We started playing the game on his old N64. I found it more enjoyable than before, but it still isn't comparable to the series' 2D entrants in my eyes. So upon realizing this, I decided to go and get DKC3, and I beat that, too. I replayed DKC2 on my Gameboy and beat t again for the second or third time. By then, Returns was coming out, and I absorbed that game, too.
However, from the launch of Returns to now, I went on another DKC hiatus. Last month I picked up my copy of DKC2 again. It had three save files filled--mine from when I was a kid, my friend's, still stuck at Toxic Tower, from that time, and the playthrough I beat a few year ago. It's just so... poetic, in my eyes, that that game and the others around it serve as a direct link to a younger version of myself.
I'm sure it's quite clear that I have an almost unhealthy attachment to the DK franchise. I would say it's my favorite platform series of all time and is my fourth-favorite franchise of all time (behind Zelda, Ace Attorney, and obviously Smash). As you will see (or already know, because I spout it off too much), my newcomer of choice for the franchise is King K. Rool, but what of my friend? Although the character he wanted most for this game is Toad, his second most wanted... was King K. Rool. When I watched the Direct with him just last week, we were both rooting for... King K. Rool. Needless to say, my want for K. Rool is not just my own; I know people who want him as well.
That said... I will remain as objective as I can.
King K. Rool: 55%
I wouldn't say the Direct drastically changed his position. K. Rool's primary selling point has always been the extreme popularity he has around the globe that peaked during the period in which the roster of the game was being decided. K. Rool was a borderline Top-Five request both here an in Japan; no other newcomer is as strong and well-rounded as requests go. If requests were the only thing that mattered, he would be an absolute shoo-in.
...unfortunately for Rool, requests aren't everything. There's also moveset potential. Oh, wait, he has that too. In addition, a character should fit in well with the rest of the roster. We have too many villains as it is, so... oh wait, we don't? There is also things to consider like whether the series he is in is noteworthy enough to attract enough attention to get a character. Now, if Donkey Kong were a high-selling franchise that happened to be going through some sort of rebirth right now, that might help pull Sakurai's eye, but... oh, wait, it is?
Now, I said that I would keep this objective, and I will. K. Rool does have a few main drawbacks. His lack of visibility in recent years means that he may not have caught Sakurai's eye despite the fan requests. Additionally, he has competition--Dixie is arguably just as or maybe even more important to the series than he is , and she also has a pretty large fan base--and she's caught the eye of god before.
In the end, I'm cautiously optimistic about his chances. When evaluating the evidence, it seems likely to me that he was selected; even so, it would not be overly surprising if he weren't present (there can only be so many newcomers, and I can think of a few that seem more likely than he is).
K. Rool Want: 100%
Fun Fact: I remember making full (taunts, aerials, tilts... full) movesets for three characters that didn't make it in Brawl shortly after the game launched. Those three characters? K. Rool, Little Mac, and Paper Mario.
Dixie Kong: 25%
She has the eye of god, like I mentioned above. She also has the eye of Retro studios, and the eye of many fans (though she didn't have nearly as many back when it mattered). She's debatably even more important to the series as K. Rool, and she shares the whole "DK is both big and relevant" thing. Oh, and she's a female, so she adds diversity, and her hair could make her somewhat unique while her body could make her an easier clone. Even so, there are two things that really hurt her--the first is competition. She's up against one of the most requested of all, and that's no small feat. Additionally, she wasn't revealed to hype the game that really, really could have used the hype; I've been through this before, and I don't have time to type it all out again. Overall, this brings her down to a respectable, but not gigantic, chance.
Dixie Kong Want: 40%
I love Dixie. She's a great boon in the DKC franchise with her hair twirl, and she's a cool character in general. If I weren't so skeptical that Sakurai would draw two characters from the same series, I'd probably be much more accepting of her; unfortunately, I just think K. Rool would make a better Smash character. Sorry, Dixie.
Cranky Kong: 5%
Cranky Kong would only have been considered if Sakurai knew all of the details about Tropical Freeze far in advance. This could be the case, but even then Sakurai would have to be extremely gutsy to choose the one DK newcomer that people actually didn't ask for. Some people may pull the Rosalina card on me here, but that's not really applicable; Cranky getting in over Dixie and Rool would be more akin to Rosalina making it in over Peach and Bowser than what actually happened.
Cranky Kong Want: 99%
...that said, I would love Cranky and definitely take him over Dixie any day of the week. He's one of my favorite characters in all of video gaming (surpassing K. Rool by a good margin just looking from a character standpoint), and I think it would be absolutely hilarious if he came out of retirement to smash those whippersnappers with his cane. Even so, I've wanted K. Rool since Brawl and think he would look even better than Cranky in a fighter. I give Cranky a 99% because for as happy as I'd be to see him, I'd be upset a bit if he got in over K. Rool.
DAY OVER
HAPPY 200, GUYS!
