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Dixie Kong's Barrel Of Support Spirits. Farewell Everyone, Thank You ALL For Making This Thread An Excellent Place For DK Fans!

Phoenix Douchebag

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Another fear I have of the next DKC game and this also ties into Zelda once more: If a new Donkey Kong game were to pull a Breath of the Wild (Not as in open world, but a soft reboot) akin to what Returns tried, you'll probably see a lot of DK 'fans' pop up after it drops. You think the expand dong and HE memes were bad, that scenario will be even more damaging, especially if the Kremlings DON'T return as the main enemies or if they try to make K. Rool a buddy. Look at how self-contained Breath of the Wild is. Now look at everyone critiquing older Zelda games for not being Breath of the Wild.
I can sympathize with that feeling. It happened to me with Castlevania. No not the games (even if many Metroidvanias and especially LoS could be accused of this) but with the Netflix show. Suddenly, a bunch of random outsiders who liked stuff like Game of Thrones and **** like that suddenly appeared out of the woodwork and praised this overrated piece of ass. and maybe some reandom dude that played Symphony of the Night and couldn't pass the second Level of Castlevania 1.

It literally threw away so much from the series and went against it, because the main Writer, Warren "I passionately wanna beat the crap out of Koji Igarashi in a Dark Alleyway" Ellis couldn't be arsed to PLAY THE ****ING GAMES or at least do his damn research, and many of the complains about the Lords of Shadow series (lack of familiarity

with the source material, pretending to be really mature, "westernizing" the franchise) are exactly the same issues present in the Netflix show, but i guess it gets a pass because the animation is flashy and ****.

Grant Danasty? Gone, because apparently you can't have pirates in Castlevania (even though Grant wasn't a pirate, that was made up in the american instruction manual, the same one that speaks of a "Poltergeist King") but somehow it's fine for Sypha Belnades to be rewritten as a "Speaker" (bull**** completely made up for the show, Sypha was actually an agent sent by the Eastern Orthodox Church) but can't fit Grant, yeah ok.

What about all the iconic enemies from the series? Frankenstein's Monster? Nope (i guess poor Elllis didn't want to show negative usage of science even in a fictionalized manner, did he?) Grim Reaper? Not even mentioned, despite the fact that he is one of the most prominent character in the franchise, and the penultimate trial before the Count Himself. Same goes for the Mummies, Enemies like the Axe Armors and many Skeletons, etc. I mean **** Simon's Trailer in Smash showed almost all the iconic CV monsters before Simon even showed his face, that should clue you that these monsters are important.

Instead we get...................Godbrand..........and some random vampires that don't appear in Castlevania 3, or Curse of Darkness, or any game for that matter outside of Carmilla. Yeah Grant Danasty is a stupid name, sure thing Warren. yaaaaaaaayyyyy.....

And i guess Slogra and Gaibon in Season 2 and Legion later in Season 3............at that point it felt too late, plus the overindulgence of pretentious plots were there was too much dialogue (i can' even be arsed to remember what happened in the third episode) not helped is the overusage of OCs, i want to see Belmonts murdering creatures, what is this vampire romance ****? Oh and the music? Can't remember one single song, outside of Bloody Tears............which is not even in Dracula's Curse (and it played when the show was still "adapting" the CV3 storyline) all of the rest is forgettable at best, which is something you would NEVER hear from the CV games (but then again, what does it use from the games?)

Even if i though that Season 1 was "okay", i started revaluating what i saw (Something i don't really do with most media i watch, but this one activated my skepticism like no other, it was that bad in hindsight) and what i saw of Season 2's previews for me was enough to not even bother watching it, as i knew where it was going and felt like a pointless endeavor to force myself to see something i wasn't going to like.

I could go on and on, such as the clear Author Tract regarding Religion, something that was NOT touched in the games, only used as a plot point for Alucard's backstory and was never meant to be a black and white "Lol Church Bad", but not surprising they took this direction knowing Warren Ellis's beliefs (plus how Trevor doesn't use the Religious Looking Cross Boomerang and HOLY WATER subweapons, hmmmmm) the show just.................not knowing what to do after Season 2, and the Alucard scene in Season 3 which permantently destroyed any interest i had in this show whatsoever, and just the writing style in general (if this is how Warren tends to write, i really can't see how he made it big into the industry, seriously)

I could go on but this is the Dixie thread, not the "Phoenix complains about Netflixvania for 5 Hours straight" thread. All i can say for closure is that UNIRONICALLY would rather watch the DKC cartoon over the CV one, because it's less pretentious, did not remove Dixie because she "had a stupid name" and the internet at least is aware enough to treat in the same way the Netflix show SHOULD be treated, as a joke.
 

GAINAX

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Joined
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Messages
289
I can sympathize with that feeling. It happened to me with Castlevania. No not the games (even if many Metroidvanias and especially LoS could be accused of this) but with the Netflix show. Suddenly, a bunch of random outsiders who liked stuff like Game of Thrones and **** like that suddenly appeared out of the woodwork and praised this overrated piece of ass. and maybe some reandom dude that played Symphony of the Night and couldn't pass the second Level of Castlevania 1.

It literally threw away so much from the series and went against it, because the main Writer, Warren "I passionately wanna beat the crap out of Koji Igarashi in a Dark Alleyway" Ellis couldn't be arsed to PLAY THE ****ING GAMES or at least do his damn research, and many of the complains about the Lords of Shadow series (lack of familiarity

with the source material, pretending to be really mature, "westernizing" the franchise) are exactly the same issues present in the Netflix show, but i guess it gets a pass because the animation is flashy and ****.

Grant Danasty? Gone, because apparently you can't have pirates in Castlevania (even though Grant wasn't a pirate, that was made up in the american instruction manual, the same one that speaks of a "Poltergeist King") but somehow it's fine for Sypha Belnades to be rewritten as a "Speaker" (bull**** completely made up for the show, Sypha was actually an agent sent by the Eastern Orthodox Church) but can't fit Grant, yeah ok.

What about all the iconic enemies from the series? Frankenstein's Monster? Nope (i guess poor Elllis didn't want to show negative usage of science even in a fictionalized manner, did he?) Grim Reaper? Not even mentioned, despite the fact that he is one of the most prominent character in the franchise, and the penultimate trial before the Count Himself. Same goes for the Mummies, Enemies like the Axe Armors and many Skeletons, etc. I mean **** Simon's Trailer in Smash showed almost all the iconic CV monsters before Simon even showed his face, that should clue you that these monsters are important.

Instead we get...................Godbrand..........and some random vampires that don't appear in Castlevania 3, or Curse of Darkness, or any game for that matter outside of Carmilla. Yeah Grant Danasty is a stupid name, sure thing Warren. yaaaaaaaayyyyy.....

And i guess Slogra and Gaibon in Season 2 and Legion later in Season 3............at that point it felt too late, plus the overindulgence of pretentious plots were there was too much dialogue (i can' even be arsed to remember what happened in the third episode) not helped is the overusage of OCs, i want to see Belmonts murdering creatures, what is this vampire romance ****? Oh and the music? Can't remember one single song, outside of Bloody Tears............which is not even in Dracula's Curse (and it played when the show was still "adapting" the CV3 storyline) all of the rest is forgettable at best, which is something you would NEVER hear from the CV games (but then again, what does it use from the games?)

Even if i though that Season 1 was "okay", i started revaluating what i saw (Something i don't really do with most media i watch, but this one activated my skepticism like no other, it was that bad in hindsight) and what i saw of Season 2's previews for me was enough to not even bother watching it, as i knew where it was going and felt like a pointless endeavor to force myself to see something i wasn't going to like.

I could go on and on, such as the clear Author Tract regarding Religion, something that was NOT touched in the games, only used as a plot point for Alucard's backstory and was never meant to be a black and white "Lol Church Bad", but not surprising they took this direction knowing Warren Ellis's beliefs (plus how Trevor doesn't use the Religious Looking Cross Boomerang and HOLY WATER subweapons, hmmmmm) the show just.................not knowing what to do after Season 2, and the Alucard scene in Season 3 which permantently destroyed any interest i had in this show whatsoever, and just the writing style in general (if this is how Warren tends to write, i really can't see how he made it big into the industry, seriously)

I could go on but this is the Dixie thread, not the "Phoenix complains about Netflixvania for 5 Hours straight" thread. All i can say for closure is that UNIRONICALLY would rather watch the DKC cartoon over the CV one, because it's less pretentious, did not remove Dixie because she "had a stupid name" and the internet at least is aware enough to treat in the same way the Netflix show SHOULD be treated, as a joke.
I know your pain brother. That fake anime is pretty much what I use to determine whether or not someone's actually a Castlevania fan or not. As someone who followed the timeline from the original NES game all the way to Adventure Rebirth on the Wii, I put that Netflix show on the same level as the Western DMC reboot.

I remember seeing Zero's reaction to the Richter's reveal trailer. Usual fake clickbait crap where he mispronounced his name calling him RICH TER!!!! (hold on, he wasn't in the anime :ohwell:).
 

Ridley_Prime

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I've played though some Castlevania games. More of a moderate fan than like a hardcore fan of the series, but perhaps I'll reach that level someday as I eventually go through more. The Netflix show I enjoy for what it is, but the differences from like the games were obvious even for me. Not sure how I would compare it to DKC Legend of the Crystal Coconut though, which is also pretty much its own thing. I mean if I were to critically break down the DKC show like that, I would say where were the recurring enemies like Zingers or any of the bosses besides K Rool, or point out of the design differences with a number of the characters, etc.

I won't deny the Netflix Castlevania series is overhyped, but after how Captain N and by extension DIC handled Castlevania and other animated gaming adaptations back in the day, can understand it becoming as much a fuss as it has. /shrug

Also, if "fake fans" coming out of the woodwork is the worst you can say for when DK becomes big again with the next game, then we'll have had it pretty good honestly. I would welcome any new or returning fans that would come with DK's resurgence as opposed to gatekeeping them. Besides, DKC has almost its entire platformer library on the Switch at this point, so any new fans that become interested in DK with a new game reveal can get acquainted through most of the previous games through NSO or the Tropical Freeze port.
 
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ChronoBound

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Note: When I am talking about "fake fans" in this post I am referring to "bandwagoners" within particular Smash fanbases (usually ones that end up being very large). The kind of supporters that will act highly passionate about a particular character despite having little personal history with the character, and will attack other people whom are constructively critical about that particular character or his/her prospects. Many of you are deeply familiar with the behavior that I am talking about. I am not making a distinction between those who got into a series or character at particular points in time or have various levels of passion about them. I am referring to individuals that are only attached to a character due to the misguided belief that particular character is particularly likely and wanting to be part of a character community, without actually having any sort of personal experience with that character's source material.

"Fake fans are better than no fans."

--Justin Little, starving artist and deadbeat.
I was not planning to write another response in this thread so soon. I was actually contemplating writing about my own personal story and history with the Donkey Kong franchise, seeing as how many others have also done it, though, I will probably share it for another time.

However, this short message you wrote made me want to speak out.

No. Fake fans are not better than no fans. You are far, far, far, far, far, far, better off with a handful of fans than a ton of "fake fans". The true fans will be there through good times and bad, whereas the "fake fans" are fair weather and will get going when the going gets tough, and many times have outsized embarrassing passion during the "good times".

You want to know what it looks like to have "fake fans" in a Smash fanbase? It often ends up with your thread locked shortly after their deconfirmation (like what happened with Ridley during pre-Smash 4, and with Geno a month ago). The bandwagon is a blight that makes the true fans and those who truly have a connection to their character of choice look bad. There are many that hate Geno simply due to his fanbase, (see https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/234547-super-smash-bros-ultimate/79173772 ). I think many of the toxic Geno fans that people dislike though were bandwagoners. I feel bad for the Geno supporters who were unable to have their voice of reason heard during the mania in 2019 and 2020, I went through a similar experience during pre-Smash 4 after the April 2014 Direct where it became obvious to me that Ridley was going to be a boss, but much of the Ridley fanbase on SmashBoards felt he was still going to be playable through bizarre "shadow theories", so I can definitely empathize with Geno supporters even though I myself am not a Geno supporter.

I might work on an essay discussing the Smash bandwagon and go into various ones throughout Smash support history someday. However, I can make no promise on actually doing it. It is something I have considered writing about for quite a while though.

Extending that to friends the statement is even more poignant. Would you rather have thousands of "fake friends" , or a handful of true friends that will be by your side and supporting you even through hard times? Many people seem to think simply "more is better", but quality is a quantity in its own right.

Dixie Kong right now might not have much support, but the fans that do support her have a genuine affinity not just for her, but also for her franchise. I said before that the Dixie fanbase here reminds me of Roy's fanbase in a lot of ways, and honestly I liked interacting with and sharing my ideas with Roy supporters during pre-Smash 4 a lot more than Ridley supporters despite Ridley being a more important character to me personally.

A small little community where we all know each other's names and each have our own unique talents, abilities, and quirks is what we have right now, and I am glad a character as special as Dixie Kong has one. Sure it would be nice to have some more activity, but at least we can put thought and input to the ideas and creations that people in this thread put out. Every voice is heard and valued. The optimist's ideas is given as much weight as the skeptic's is, and vice versa, and thus people can weigh different viewpoints and decide among themselves for how different scenarios could play out in regards to prospects. The artist's work is not as quickly forgotten. Words crafted with heart and sewn with soul hold more weight.

Contrast that to having one of the biggest support bases around (like what happened with the Geno thread), where many faces come and go, and it is simply a constant roller coaster of manias, despair, and controversies.

If there is indeed a new Donkey Kong title announced this year, I fully expect far more activity for this thread (especially if Dixie Kong has a major role in it). However, we must remember that even if it ends up being the case that Dixie Kong does have a major role in this possible new upcoming DK title, that it does not make her a guarantee for Pass 2 or even likely. Heck, I would also say Dixie Kong is not even necessarily the next DK character in line. Both Cranky Kong and Funky Kong have many things going for them too. Cranky is a favorite of Miyamoto and managed to return in Country Returns over every other Kong (aside from DK and Diddy), and is regarded as the original "DK" in elderly form, so Nintendo and Sakurai and his team might see him as fitting to promote given that the original arcade Donkey Kong title turns 40 this year. With Funky Kong, he made it in as the third character in Mario Kart Wii over Dixie Kong and has his own dedicated mode in the Switch port of Tropical Freeze.

Even if we are so fortunate as for Dixie Kong to be given a prominent major role in the next DK title, we must still temper our expectations, especially for those who would be flooding into this thread given those particular circumstances. I alone cannot do that. It would take the collective effort of many Dixie fans here to shape the culture here into one of "cautious optimism" in that circumstance. I can provide historical precedence for various situations where an "obvious choice" got passed over for an unorthodox one, but many others would need to provide their cautious input as well in order for this kind of mindset to be default.

I see Dixie, Cranky, and Funky all on an equal playing field if there was a hypothetical consideration given by Sakurai to make a Donkey Kong character a part of Pass 2. All three of these characters are equally prominent for the DK brand these days (for the Donkey Kong part of Super Nintendo World, there is going to be a talking animatronic Cranky Kong and the food court/gift shop there is going to be Funky Kong themed). Who the fourth Donkey Kong slot in Smash will be is very much an uncertainty unfortunately (or at least right now, those circumstances could easily change depending on what roles those characters have in the rumored new Donkey Kong title, assuming they appear at all).

My best works and efforts would matter very little in the face of a prospective bandwagon. It would effectively take the effort of many of the Dixie Kong thread community here in order to temper expectations, and hammer in the statements I mentioned in the previous three paragraphs. Dixie Kong is my favorite Donkey Kong character by far, but she is definitely not the obvious choice next in line as many think she is, and either Cranky or Funky could easily make it in over her.

I really hope we can come together and preserve this community if the time comes (that a new Donkey Kong title is announced, and Dixie Kong has a major playable role in it) and for the first time in Ultimate's DLC cycle Dixie Kong fans are given tangible hope to go off of. I want for us to be a model for other prospective fanbases to look to. It will be difficult navigating that tight rope to be sure (between hope and skepticism), but I think if we work together, if might very well be possible, that we might have a massive fanbase that is not toxic and even tolerant and accepting to other "competitors".

Lastly I want to comment on this:

--Justin Little, starving artist and deadbeat.
You should not put yourself down like that. Just because your art is not acclaimed by the masses, does not mean you should stop making it or that you should desire for "fake fans". Does making the art "fulfill" you, and express an inner world to which you want to share with the outer world? I make massive write ups that probably only get 20 people at best reading them, yet I still write it because I still feel need to express an idea I have with other people, even if it ends up being only a few. A random joke post probably gets far more accolades elsewhere on this site than the most comprehensive posts I submit here, but for an artist (and art can come in many forms), creating the work is as fulfilling as whatever praise it could potentially receive.

I will be honest as there was an instance recently where I passed on writing something (an essay possibly exploring the history of Smash bandwagons) simply because I thought there would be far less interest in it relative to the amount of work that would be needed to write and complete it, so this is a mindset that I also need work on overcoming (that "art" is only worthwhile to put hard work into if there is some sort of appreciation for it relative to the amount of work put into it). In an era where most internet traffic is only a handful of websites, it is demoralizing to many content creators to see their works that they put their best effort forward to be seen as a waste of time because it simply has a handful of "likes" or views relative to the accolades that the works of others have received.

The works we make are an inner expression of ourselves put into some sort of medium, whether words, drawn, or audible. It is difficult in a saturated internet to get a foot in the door in getting your work noticed,. Even if it is the case that it has only a very small following, you should still create it if it is something you wish to share with someone or someones, a particular community, or the world as a whole.

I can definitely understand your frustration, but please keep your spirits higher, and just look to improve your craft in any way you can.

This year potentially could be a very big one for Donkey Kong, and possibly even Dixie Kong. We have no idea right now how accurate these Donkey Kong rumors are, and just what will end up happening with the title, but it will be very interesting to see. I hope that what I have written here, has given most of those whom read this thread quite a lot to think about and contemplate. If Donkey Kong indeed is going to have a major title revealed this year, we are going to be met with high ordeals either way (a wave of despair if Dixie Kong is absent, or a deluge of bandwagoners and out of control optimism if she is given a major role). Regardless of what the outcome ends up being (assuming this title even exists and that it does end up being shown off this year), we have to persevere together.

It will only be through a harmonization of our efforts and unique talents to which we can properly integrate a massive wave of incoming fans, as well as prepare those fans for plausible outcomes to which they would find unpalatable. One of the biggest draws to the bandwagon is the expectation of victory. As Dixie Kong fans, throughout the character's Smash series (or certainly within the last eight years) there has always been an expectation that Dixie Kong was "likely". We can dare dream more if the light slowly emerges over the horizon, but do not call it a surise just yet. We must remain hopeful, but still cautious. Regardless of what the outcome would end up being for Dixie Kong at the conclusion of Ultimate, I hope our story is one to which other fanbases can look to and apply to themselves.

We can only wait and see what happens, but I hope what I have said gives you all consideration for what we might have to do if we are so blessed with a major new role Dixie Kong this year. Thank you for your time in reading this.
 
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Phoenix Douchebag

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I know your pain brother. That fake anime is pretty much what I use to determine whether or not someone's actually a Castlevania fan or not. As someone who followed the timeline from the original NES game all the way to Adventure Rebirth on the Wii, I put that Netflix show on the same level as the Western DMC reboot.

I remember seeing Zero's reaction to the Richter's reveal trailer. Usual fake clickbait crap where he mispronounced his name calling him RICH TER!!!! (hold on, he wasn't in the anime :ohwell:).
So im not the only one who feels this way, thank god.

It's a shame, because Season 1 was a good setup, if i judged the show based on that Season alone, it would be fine (even if it has the flaws that i already mentioned) but the way they followed was just atrocious. It really was a missed opportunity. So don't think i hated the show from the start.

Also it's really dumb how no one recognzied Richter, you think with how some CERTAIN Castlevania Fanboys that praise the hell out of Symphony of the Night every nanosecond and proclaim how important it is to gaming, you'll think SOMEONE would recognize him since you know.................HE'S THE FIRST CHARACTER YOU SEE WHEN YOU START UP THE GAME!

Despite this, i don't blame the fans for liking it, it's pretty clear the animators and voice actors put actual effort into their roles and work (which means that superficially speaking a lot of people are going to like it for that reason alone), something i can't simply say the same for the Writers when it came to research, and they are my biggest gripe. I can't stress enough that putting Warren Ellis on charge was a ****ing mistake, and the more i think about, his writing style is as much of a reason for me to dislike the show, aside from the show seemingly being embarrassed of being a Castlevania adaptation most of the time.
 

Dinoman96

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On the bright side, Season 4 will be the last of Ellis' involvement with the series, with all the sexual misconduct allegations against him.
 

Ridley_Prime

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I know Chrono meant well there, but I've come to despise the term "true fan" with how it's often used.

That is, the way it's used in arguments against someone who says something the other doesn't agree with, what it means to be a true fan of something which varies depending on who you ask, and just how it is used being wildly inconsistent.

You didn't like the latest movie/game, or didn't like all the entries? You're not a true fan!
You're not dunking on the latest entry like me and the bandwagon are? You're not a true fan!
etc, etc.

Am sure I could find some unbridled purism of certain Rare fans who say that you're not a true DKC fan if you liked the Retro games.

Whatever the case, depending on how you determine what makes one a true fan of something, there may be very few of those in the world, pending on how you define the criteria for it, which is part of why it's hard for me to take seriously. More and more over time I boiled it down to weird elitist argument fallacies (a.k.a. the No True Scotsman trope), but in reality there's simply just different types of fans. i.e. Casual fans, invested fans, or fanatics.

And yes, you don't want to exert behavior that'll make others think you're a non-inclusive or toxic fanbase, as that'll only drive away any potential fans from joining your cause. I played some Super Mario RPG back in the day via renting and thought Geno was okay, but many of his fanatics from my experience ruined him for me. Some fans surely ruined Ridley for some others pre-Ultimate, I know that much too. And yeah, whether you're a small-time artist or some kind of other content creator, don't conflate clout or lack thereof with the number of friends or supporters you actually have.


Cranky I understand being on equal footing as Dixie given the circumstances, and if he was ever the next DK character in Smash instead of Dixie, I would still accept him too, but Funky, while I like also, isn't as much a mainstay for me. I won't dismiss him simply for the TF port presence and such, but I guess he's just one of those characters that comes and goes for me, while Dixie or Cranky are one of the first characters I tend to think of when it comes to the Kong family, who I see having more interesting movesets too. Cranky on his own would have a hell of a Smash reveal, as he'd walk out of the cabin in the Jungle Japes stage that's been in Smash since Melee, and start kicking butt to everyone's dismay. And Dixie, well... We've already envisioned how she would debut.
 

Mariomaniac45213

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I'll be honest if we got Cranky over Dixie I wouldn't be upset at all. If we got Funky over Dixie I would roll my eyes. I love Funky but man has he become a meme in a recent years. Their are way too many Funky bandwagoners IMO ever since MKWii everyone treats Funky like he is some type of god or something.

That being said his amiibo would be dope...
 

Justin Little

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I was not planning to write another response in this thread so soon. I was actually contemplating writing about my own personal story and history with the Donkey Kong franchise, seeing as how many others have also done it, though, I will probably share it for another time.

However, this short message you wrote made me want to speak out.

No. Fake fans are not better than no fans. You are far, far, far, far, far, far, better off with a handful of fans than a ton of "fake fans". The true fans will be there through good times and bad, whereas the "fake fans" are fair weather and will get going when the going gets tough, and many times have outsized embarrassing passion during the "good times".

You want to know what it looks like to have "fake fans" in a Smash fanbase? It often ends up with your thread locked shortly after their deconfirmation (like what happened with Ridley during pre-Smash 4, and with Geno a month ago). The bandwagon is a blight that makes the true fans and those who truly have a connection to their character of choice look bad. There are many that hate Geno simply due to his fanbase, (see https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/234547-super-smash-bros-ultimate/79173772 ). I think many of the toxic Geno fans that people dislike though were bandwagoners. I feel bad for the Geno supporters who were unable to have their voice of reason heard during the mania in 2019 and 2020, I went through a similar experience during pre-Smash 4 after the April 2014 Direct where it became obvious to me that Ridley was going to be a boss, but much of the Ridley fanbase on SmashBoards felt he was still going to be playable through bizarre "shadow theories", so I can definitely empathize with Geno supporters even though I myself am not a Geno supporter.

I might work on an essay discussing the Smash bandwagon and go into various ones throughout Smash support history someday. However, I can make no promise on actually doing it. It is something I have considered writing about for quite a while though.

Extending that to friends the statement is even more poignant. Would you rather have thousands of "fake friends" , or a handful of true friends that will be by your side and supporting you even through hard times? Many people seem to think simply "more is better", but quality is a quantity in its own right.

Dixie Kong right now might not have much support, but the fans that do support her have a genuine affinity not just for her, but also for her franchise. I said before that the Dixie fanbase here reminds me of Roy's fanbase in a lot of ways, and honestly I liked interacting with and sharing my ideas with Roy supporters during pre-Smash 4 a lot more than Ridley supporters despite Ridley being a more important character to me personally.

A small little community where we all know each other's names and each have our own unique talents, abilities, and quirks is what we have right now, and I am glad a character as special as Dixie Kong has one. Sure it would be nice to have some more activity, but at least we can put thought and input to the ideas and creations that people in this thread put out. Every voice is heard and valued. The optimist's ideas is given as much weight as the skeptic's is, and vice versa, and thus people can weigh different viewpoints and decide among themselves for how different scenarios could play out in regards to prospects. The artist's work is not as quickly forgotten. Words crafted with heart and sewn with soul hold more weight.

Contrast that to having one of the biggest support bases around (like what happened with the Geno thread), where many faces come and go, and it is simply a constant roller coaster of manias, despair, and controversies.

If there is indeed a new Donkey Kong title announced this year, I fully expect far more activity for this thread (especially if Dixie Kong has a major role in it). However, we must remember that even if it ends up being the case that Dixie Kong does have a major role in this possible new upcoming DK title, that it does not make her a guarantee for Pass 2 or even likely. Heck, I would also say Dixie Kong is not even necessarily the next DK character in line. Both Cranky Kong and Funky Kong have many things going for them too. Cranky is a favorite of Miyamoto and managed to return in Country Returns over every other Kong (aside from DK and Diddy), and is regarded as the original "DK" in elderly form, so Nintendo and Sakurai and his team might see him as fitting to promote given that the original arcade Donkey Kong title turns 40 this year. With Funky Kong, he made it in as the third character in Mario Kart Wii over Dixie Kong and has his own dedicated mode in the Switch port of Tropical Freeze.

Even if we are so fortunate as for Dixie Kong to be given a prominent major role in the next DK title, we must still temper our expectations, especially for those who would be flooding into this thread given those particular circumstances. I alone cannot do that. It would take the collective effort of many Dixie fans here to shape the culture here into one of "cautious optimism" in that circumstance. I can provide historical precedence for various situations where an "obvious choice" got passed over for an unorthodox one, but many others would need to provide their cautious input as well in order for this kind of mindset to be default.

I see Dixie, Cranky, and Funky all on an equal playing field if there was a hypothetical consideration given by Sakurai to make a Donkey Kong character a part of Pass 2. All three of these characters are equally prominent for the DK brand these days (for the Donkey Kong part of Super Nintendo World, there is going to be a talking animatronic Cranky Kong and the food court/gift shop there is going to be Funky Kong themed). Who the fourth Donkey Kong slot in Smash will be is very much an uncertainty unfortunately (or at least right now, those circumstances could easily change depending on what roles those characters have in the rumored new Donkey Kong title, assuming they appear at all).

My best works and efforts would matter very little in the face of a prospective bandwagon. It would effectively take the effort of many of the Dixie Kong thread community here in order to temper expectations, and hammer in the statements I mentioned in the previous three paragraphs. Dixie Kong is my favorite Donkey Kong character by far, but she is definitely not the obvious choice next in line as many think she is, and either Cranky or Funky could easily make it in over her.

I really hope we can come together and preserve this community if the time comes (that a new Donkey Kong title is announced, and Dixie Kong has a major playable role in it) and for the first time in Ultimate's DLC cycle Dixie Kong fans are given tangible hope to go off of. I want for us to be a model for other prospective fanbases to look to. It will be difficult navigating that tight rope to be sure (between hope and skepticism), but I think if we work together, if might very well be possible, that we might have a massive fanbase that is not toxic and even tolerant and accepting to other "competitors".

Lastly I want to comment on this:



You should not put yourself down like that. Just because your art is not acclaimed by the masses, does not mean you should stop making it or that you should desire for "fake fans". Does making the art "fulfill" you, and express an inner world to which you want to share with the outer world? I make massive write ups that probably only get 20 people at best reading them, yet I still write it because I still feel need to express an idea I have with other people, even if it ends up being only a few. A random joke post probably gets far more accolades elsewhere on this site than the most comprehensive posts I submit here, but for an artist (and art can come in many forms), creating the work is as fulfilling as whatever praise it could potentially receive.

I will be honest as there was an instance recently where I passed on writing something (an essay possibly exploring the history of Smash bandwagons) simply because I thought there would be far less interest in it relative to the amount of work that would be needed to write and complete it, so this is a mindset that I also need work on overcoming (that "art" is only worthwhile to put hard work into if there is some sort of appreciation for it relative to the amount of work put into it). In an era where most internet traffic is only a handful of websites, it is demoralizing to many content creators to see their works that they put their best effort forward to be seen as a waste of time because it simply has a handful of "likes" or views relative to the accolades that the works of others have received.

The works we make are an inner expression of ourselves put into some sort of medium, whether words, drawn, or audible. It is difficult in a saturated internet to get a foot in the door in getting your work noticed,. Even if it is the case that it has only a very small following, you should still create it if it is something you wish to share with someone or someones, a particular community, or the world as a whole.

I can definitely understand your frustration, but please keep your spirits higher, and just look to improve your craft in any way you can.

This year potentially could be a very big one for Donkey Kong, and possibly even Dixie Kong. We have no idea right now how accurate these Donkey Kong rumors are, and just what will end up happening with the title, but it will be very interesting to see. I hope that what I have written here, has given most of those whom read this thread quite a lot to think about and contemplate. If Donkey Kong indeed is going to have a major title revealed this year, we are going to be met with high ordeals either way (a wave of despair if Dixie Kong is absent, or a deluge of bandwagoners and out of control optimism if she is given a major role). Regardless of what the outcome ends up being (assuming this title even exists and that it does end up being shown off this year), we have to persevere together.

It will only be through a harmonization of our efforts and unique talents to which we can properly integrate a massive wave of incoming fans, as well as prepare those fans for plausible outcomes to which they would find unpalatable. One of the biggest draws to the bandwagon is the expectation of victory. As Dixie Kong fans, throughout the character's Smash series (or certainly within the last eight years) there has always been an expectation that Dixie Kong was "likely". We can dare dream more if the light slowly emerges over the horizon, but do not call it a surise just yet. We must remain hopeful, but still cautious. Regardless of what the outcome would end up being for Dixie Kong at the conclusion of Ultimate, I hope our story is one to which other fanbases can look to and apply to themselves.

We can only wait and see what happens, but I hope what I have said gives you all consideration for what we might have to do if we are so blessed with a major new role Dixie Kong this year. Thank you for your time in reading this.
"Well shucks doc. All I did was post a self deprecated joke. I didn't expect this intervention."

- Justin Little, new man
 

GalacticPetey

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Gonna have to agree with Ridley_Prime here. All this language about true fans seems intentionally gatekeepy and petty and just serves to a make a fanbase look exclusionary and toxic. If you like even one game of the DKC series or heck if you just like the characters that makes you a fan. Putting some arbitrary quota on how much you need to like something or how long you need to have been around in a fandom does nothing but cut off more people from enjoying the thing you enjoy. I'm not gonna act like this is exclusive to any one fandom or anything. I think you could literally find gatekeeping in literally every single community for anything.

I have to laugh about the comparison between fake fans and real fans to fake friends and friends. First of all that's not even remotely comparable since friends are actually something incredibly important that effect you on a deeply personal level whereas my life is not impacted in the slightest if a bunch of people on the internet don't like DKC as much as I do. It's video game speculation it's not that big of the deal.

I'm sure people mean well, but I hate to see this gatekeeping anywhere. I'm a relatively new DKC fan all things considered and I haven't really played most of the SNES era. But I've played the retro titles, and I love the characters, music, and worlds of the SNES era. I'm just as much a fan as anyone else. And if a new DK game brought in a whole lotta fans, that would be great too.
 

LiveStudioAudience

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While I think its realistic to acknowledge that any well known piece of media will have people talking it up because its popular and thus may not be into its core elements as much as others, its also fair to say the reality much of the time is that people get into various franchises at different times and for different reasons.

As a Sonic fan I've seen numerous people become part of the fandom via exposure to all sorts of things; comics, TV shows, and three different eras of the games themselves. That I was playing the classic titles since the very first Genesis game and many others didn't grow fond of Sonic until Adventure 2 on the Gamecube doesn't make them fake fans or make their love of the series any less genuine because it came during a time that greatly shifted the direction of the franchise. I'll certainty defend the 16 bit games and in my personal opinion they're a more consistent experience than those of the pre-boost 3D era, but the latter titles are just as real as my favorites and fans of them viewing them as Sonic at its best are no more inherently wrong than me saying so about Mania or Generations.

A lot of this comes down to tendency to view legitimacy and quality as the same thing, which they aren't. Someone who sees the Donkey Konga games as the peak of DK and as a quality representation vs. that of the Country series is just as much a Donkey Kong fan as me. I'll certainly argue to high heaven that DKC has more depth, better potential for growth, and more broad appeal, however those are matters of its practically as a game itself and not a nebulous notion of which viewpoint is more evocative of a real fan. I mean there's no doubt that some Donkey Kong arcade players viewed the influx of fans circa DKC1 as bandwagon jumpers that didn't get what the series was supposed to be about.

I'm not saying one can't be unhappy about the direction a franchise takes or even point out that one part of a series becoming popular can lead to other parts being ignored; just that such discontent can be expressed without casting aspersions on those that are fans of such a direction.
 
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Jurae818

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"Fake fans are better than no fans."

--Justin Little, starving artist and deadbeat.
Chronobound said what I was going to say to this post more or less. But yeah, you're better off with a handful of dedicated fans than a drove of 'fans' who only know something from a meme or image macro (Remember those?) and can't even beat the first boss of any game.

If Funky and Dixie returned in Tropical Freeze, would Candy, Wrinkly or the 64 Kongs be primed to return next game? Maybe Kiddy and Swanky before those two?
 

DeniroSerafim

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So, which one of you has "DixieForSmash" as their name playing Sephiroth? Just saw my brother play you online.
 

Planet Cool

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I'm split on the whole "fake fan" thing. On the one hand, it's textbook gatekeeping, and gatekeeping sucks. I've lost count of all the times someone's told me I'm "not a real Star Wars fan" because I didn't hate the sequels (well, the first two, at any rate). I definitely don't want the DK/Dixie fandom to turn septic and cannibalistic like that.

On the other hand... the way people use DK characters in memes is starting to bother me. Last night I saw someone on Twitter say something like, "Instead of using the Pogchamp emoji, use the Pogchimp emoji!" and it was a picture of Diddy's face from that one render where he's riding Winky. And I thought, why is that a joke? It's just Diddy looking ahead with a neutral expression. What's so funny?

Call me paranoid (or not), but I'm pretty sure that tweet was making fun of Diddy. The joke is that Diddy is obviously stupid and no one could like him enough to use a Diddy emoji unironically. That's what most DK content on the internet is like. Someone holds up a completely unaltered DK game or character so that others can lob tomatoes at it because, well, what the hell else are they gonna do with that dumb monkey game? Play it? Lol.

In 2014, people couldn't believe that Retro had "wasted their talent" on "another damn Donkey Kong Country" instead of a respectable big boy game like Metroid. Tropical Freeze, the best Nintendo game of the last fifteen or so years, was a punchline in every corner of the internet. Some people still refuse to take it seriously today. There's a super popular "Kiddy Kong stan account" on Twitter where the whole joke is, "Lol, can you imagine if someone actually liked Kiddy Kong?!"

The point I'm trying to make is that I don't want this thread overrun with people who only pretend to support Dixie because they think it's funny. Our support comes from our understanding and sincere appreciation of these games, and that shouldn't turn into an ironic curiosity for a gang of cooler-than-thou memesters. If we do get a big new DK game this year (it's his 40th anniversary, after all), I hope it bolsters support for Dixie in Smash, but only if those people actually want her and aren't here just to snicker at us like some millionaire's kids slumming at Denny's. I don't think that's too much to ask.
 

RetrogamerMax

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I agree. If anything I might be worried about DKC becoming too safe and traditional. I'd hate for DKC to become like New Super Mario Bros. I don't want such a homogenized art style that only pulls the same level themes, enemies, and bosses from the first three games over and over again. I'm not saying reinvent the wheel but as LiveStudioAudience mentioned, Nintendo's latest games have been great innovations that still keep the core identity like with Mario Odyssey and Breath of the Wild. I'd kill for a DK game with the level of polish and design found in those two titles.
I think the only thing we have to worry about or not is how Nintendo or Retro will portray K. Rool. K. Rool's personas is a important part of his character and the mainline games he was in took a heavy influence off of what persona K. Rool had. So if they stay true to K. Rool's character, we should be good as the theme of the games will most likely be off of what ever persona K. Rool has in it.
 

ZeroJanitor

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The point I'm trying to make is that I don't want this thread overrun with people who only pretend to support Dixie because they think it's funny.
I don't think we have to worry about that; Dixie is by far one of the least memed-on characters in the series. It seems like DK, Lanky, and Funky take the brunt of it.
 

Ridley_Prime

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Yeah, there's no denying that certain Kong characters are mostly only popular for meme reasons; Lanky comes to mind first, and to some extent Funky. Some memes here and there is okay, but people recognize the likes of Cranky and Dixie's importance to see and treat them as more than memes at least.

It's worse when the "meme character" label is used to for lack of better word slander an actual icon like DK or someone. Didn't like either when some reactions to Ridley's Ultimate debut was "looks like he finally memed his way in". It's no surprise that some places like Donkey Kong's Smash Ultimate Discord got to the point of prohibiting memes altogether. Can understand that feeling needlessly restrictive from an outside perspective, but sometimes you gotta take such steps if you want to be taken seriously again.
 

Planet Cool

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The only people making memes about Ridley were the ones who didn't want him in, though. Yeah, his reveal trailer acknowledged the meme, but I'd say he got in despite the meme, not because of it. From an outside perspective, the push for Ridley was probably one of the most patient and civil in Smash history.

The only thing that may have actually "memed its way in" is the Sans costume. I'd say Steve, but apparently Nintendo was talking about him with Microsoft way back in the Smash 4 days, long before he got a serious push from the fans.
 

Justin Little

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From people I know who either don't like DK or are indifferent towards the series, they were mostly into anime. They aren't really into wacky cartoons. Likewise, the people I know who are into stuff like Looney Tunes or Animaniacs love/like DK and are really not into Fire Emblem or Xenoblade. Smash Bros. has that nice middle ground of zany and seriousness, but it ultimately appeals to the anime crowd, at least on the internet. It's probably why you'll see DK and Diddy in last place in people's tier list of favorites.

Again, the diehard internet users aren't indicative of what's more beloved. If the populace were reflected of the internet, then Nintendo probably wouldn't be selling toys or plushies of the two Kongs. I remember I went to Best Buy when they still had Wii U kiosks. A couple of kids were playing MK8, and one wondered where Diddy was. It warmed my heart to say the least.

Of course, you got Mario, Zelda, and Pokemon that are mostly beloved on both sides of the aisle. That's because Nintendo puts more effort into these series more than any other. Animal Crossing and Splatoon are probably up there too.

Me, I love the animated medium in general. Disney, Looney Tunes, anime, stop motion, Don Bluth, etc. Granted, I've probably fallen hardest off the anime wagon in recent years since Ghibli disbanded. There aren't many recent anime that have caught my eye lately.
 
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ChunkySlugger72

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From people I know who either don't like DK or are indifferent towards the series, they were mostly into anime. They aren't really into wacky cartoons. Likewise, the people I know who are into stuff like Looney Tunes or Animaniacs love/like DK and are really not into Fire Emblem or Xenoblade. Smash Bros. has that nice middle ground of zany and seriousness, but it ultimately appeals to the anime crowd, at least on the internet. It's probably why you'll see DK and Diddy in last place in people's tier list of favorites.

Again, the diehard internet users aren't indicative of what's more beloved. If the populace were reflected of the internet, then Nintendo probably wouldn't be selling toys or plushies of the two Kongs. I remember I went to Best Buy when they still had Wii U kiosks. A couple of kids were playing MK8, and one wondered where Diddy was. It warmed my heart to say the least.

Of course, you got Mario, Zelda, and Pokemon that are mostly beloved on both sides of the aisle. That's because Nintendo puts more effort into these series more than any other. Animal Crossing and Splatoon are probably up there too.

Me, I love the animated medium in general. Disney, Looney Tunes, anime, stop motion, Don Blyth, etc. Granted, I've probably fallen hardest off the anime wagon in recent years since Ghibli disbanded. There aren't many recent anime that have caught my eye lately.
It's funny you mentioned that because that's also been my experience as well regarding Donkey Kong.

I'm a big Donkey Kong fan and pretty much mainly watched a lot of Warner Bros/ Hanna Barbera style Cartoons growing up, (Looney Tunes, Tom & Jerry, Animaniacs, Tiny Toons) which also help shaped me into the type of person/gamer that I am today.

Platformers are my favorite genre (2D and 3D) and I also absolutely love animals, So when you combine all the stuff I just mentioned before, It gives you a pretty easy idea of what demographic I happen to fall in.

Hell my "Top 3" most wanted newcomers were Banjo-Kazooie, King K. Rool and currently Crash Bandicoot.

Pokemon is the only major exception that I ever really have been a big fan of when it comes to Anime/JRPG, Never really have shown interest in your prototypical JRPG franchise like Final Fantasy, Xenoblade or the likes of Fire Emblem. Their just not my cup of tea.
 
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Mushroomguy12

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Justin Little

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I would love a DK anime. Reach out to that crowd Nintendo, and bring some new fans in.

Y'know what I'm excited for the future of DK? Voice acting. If talking and interactive AAs at the DK portion of Super Nintendo World is true, we could hear the Kongs talk for the first time since the cartoon. If he was still alive, George Carlin would've been my first pick for Cranky Kong.
 

Doc Monocle

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I would love a DK anime. Reach out to that crowd Nintendo, and bring some new fans in.

Y'know what I'm excited for the future of DK? Voice acting. If talking and interactive AAs at the DK portion of Super Nintendo World is true, we could hear the Kongs talk for the first time since the cartoon. If he was still alive, George Carlin would've been my first pick for Cranky Kong.
I fancy the idea myself. It would bring a new flare to each Kong's personality. The caveat, however, is that it would reduce the simplicity of expression that games like Donkey Kong famously sport. That in turn could take the franchise on a road that leads to it appealing less to conservative gamers. That would be a theory though, so I basically agree, and I think there should be a good effort towards individualizing each Kong's personality to reflect a realistic diversity of behavior.
 

KirbyWorshipper2465

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Overall, I'd say that Ultimate is really starting the series' branching out into more Western art styles.
Characters from Western-made entries of Japanese series are one thing, but with :ultbanjokazooie: and :ultsteve: it really goes to show how diverse the art style of various game series get and still manage to fit in Smash without much of an issue. I'm sure that as the series progresses, it'll explore that area further as Sak and Nintendo do everything they could with their homeland and see what else other nations have to offer that would be fun to implement from a gameplay standpoint.

I have pretty varied tastes and can definitely find merit in both Western and Eastern art styles, since I've watched cartoons and anime growing up. Even moreso when I consider the art styles that can stand out from the crowd.

I never actually thought that I would see Tiny and Candy as Amelia and Naga...
 

BravadoMan_13

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From people I know who either don't like DK or are indifferent towards the series, they were mostly into anime. They aren't really into wacky cartoons. Likewise, the people I know who are into stuff like Looney Tunes or Animaniacs love/like DK and are really not into Fire Emblem or Xenoblade. Smash Bros. has that nice middle ground of zany and seriousness, but it ultimately appeals to the anime crowd, at least on the internet. It's probably why you'll see DK and Diddy in last place in people's tier list of favorites.

Again, the diehard internet users aren't indicative of what's more beloved. If the populace were reflected of the internet, then Nintendo probably wouldn't be selling toys or plushies of the two Kongs. I remember I went to Best Buy when they still had Wii U kiosks. A couple of kids were playing MK8, and one wondered where Diddy was. It warmed my heart to say the least.

Of course, you got Mario, Zelda, and Pokemon that are mostly beloved on both sides of the aisle. That's because Nintendo puts more effort into these series more than any other. Animal Crossing and Splatoon are probably up there too.

Me, I love the animated medium in general. Disney, Looney Tunes, anime, stop motion, Don Bluth, etc. Granted, I've probably fallen hardest off the anime wagon in recent years since Ghibli disbanded. There aren't many recent anime that have caught my eye lately.
It's funny you mentioned that because that's also been my experience as well regarding Donkey Kong.

I'm a big Donkey Kong fan and pretty much mainly watched a lot of Warner Bros/ Hanna Barbera style Cartoons growing up, (Looney Tunes, Tom & Jerry, Animaniacs, Tiny Toons) which also help shaped me into the type of person/gamer that I am today.

Platformers are my favorite genre (2D and 3D) and I also absolutely love animals, So when you combine all the stuff I just mentioned before, It gives you a pretty easy idea of what demographic I happen to fall in.

Hell my "Top 3" most wanted newcomers were Banjo-Kazooie, King K. Rool and currently Crash Bandicoot.

Pokemon is the only major exception that I ever really have been a big fan of when it comes to Anime/JRPG, Never really have shown interest in your prototypical JRPG franchise like Final Fantasy, Xenoblade or the likes of Fire Emblem. Their just not my cup of tea.
It's nice to see others who grew up with the theatrical cartoons too. I as well grew up with the Looney Tunes, MGM (Tom & Jerry, Droopy), and the Disney cartoons plus the Animaniancs, Tiny Toons, and Freakazoid plus the 90s Disney shows. That's a reason I like the DK series due to the cartoonish appeal to it.

Before Banjo & Kazooie were confirmed, one of the things detractors called them were cereal mascots. I always wondered why they would use that as an insult, because cereal mascots have lasted for decades and people still recognize them today. The Looney Tunes cast plus Tom & Jerry and many other cartoon icons are still generally recognized since the 30s, 40s and 50s. A lot of Nintendo's icons have stayed relevant for 20, 30, and now 40 years for the Donkey Kong arcade. It's amazing that DK has been around for that long and with the future plans with the franchise, DK will stay relevant for years to come. Nintendo characters will stand the test time like the stars of the theatrical cartoons.

I also am into anime series like One Piece. I do want to get into Fire Emblem and other series one day. Though I always like the characters full of personality that have a degree of zaniness to them.
 

ZeroJanitor

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Not sure where I fit into this conversation since I never really had that attachment to that style of cartoons growing up, but I think what's appealing about Donkey Kong to me is how it takes those cartoony elements and merges them with environments that are photorealistic and ambient in nature. Putting googly-eyed bees and pirate crocodiles that make a funny noise when you jump on them into a rich, detailed world with beautiful atmospheric music elevates the entire experience.

That's something I've always liked; works that have an overall cartoony vibe but are allowed to explore scenery and atmosphere to great effect. There's some Disney/Dreamworks movies that do this well, and I think that's what the Donkey Kong series taps into for me at it's best.
 

LiveStudioAudience

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Not sure where I fit into this conversation since I never really had that attachment to that style of cartoons growing up, but I think what's appealing about Donkey Kong to me is how it takes those cartoony elements and merges them with environments that are photorealistic and ambient in nature. Putting googly-eyed bees and pirate crocodiles that make a funny noise when you jump on them into a rich, detailed world with beautiful atmospheric music elevates the entire experience.

That's something I've always liked; works that have an overall cartoony vibe but are allowed to explore scenery and atmosphere to great effect. There's some Disney/Dreamworks movies that do this well, and I think that's what the Donkey Kong series taps into for me at it's best.
That's what really gave the SNES trilogy such great distinction. The designs were cartoony but the setting was not in many ways. I've mentioned to people before that 2D platformers/action games had an interesting aesthetic phenomenon where the use of backgrounds and foregrounds could imply a much bigger world than even some 3D games via the the player using their imagination to fill in the gaps. The Genesis Sonic games were fantastic at this, with zones like Casino Night and Spring Yard that had you really wondering what they were like beyond the immediate surroundings of the level itself.

The Country titles were that on steroids, and every time I played them as a kid I could simply see Temple Tempest or Ghostly Grove in my mind with such detail and with such ease because they felt physical in a way a so many other games didn't. Mario levels were fun, DKC levels felt real.
 
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Planet Cool

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It's nice to see others who grew up with the theatrical cartoons too. I as well grew up with the Looney Tunes, MGM (Tom & Jerry, Droopy), and the Disney cartoons plus the Animaniancs, Tiny Toons, and Freakazoid plus the 90s Disney shows. That's a reason I like the DK series due to the cartoonish appeal to it.

Before Banjo & Kazooie were confirmed, one of the things detractors called them were cereal mascots. I always wondered why they would use that as an insult, because cereal mascots have lasted for decades and people still recognize them today. The Looney Tunes cast plus Tom & Jerry and many other cartoon icons are still generally recognized since the 30s, 40s and 50s. A lot of Nintendo's icons have stayed relevant for 20, 30, and now 40 years for the Donkey Kong arcade. It's amazing that DK has been around for that long and with the future plans with the franchise, DK will stay relevant for years to come. Nintendo characters will stand the test time like the stars of the theatrical cartoons.

I also am into anime series like One Piece. I do want to get into Fire Emblem and other series one day. Though I always like the characters full of personality that have a degree of zaniness to them.
This guy gets it. I love those old-school theatrical cartoons. I'm a huge Looney Tunes and MGM/Tex Avery fan. I also love the classic Cartoon Network shows of the 90s and early 00s. Dexter, Powerpuff Girls, Johnny Bravo, Courage the Cowardly Dog, that whole crowd. I've always thought of them as spiritual inheritors of the theatrical era. It's too bad you never see them anymore.

I like anime too, but my tastes are definitely more western. I was in a Japanese culture (read: anime) club in high school where we watched stuff like Death Note, FLCL and Ouran High School Host Club. I loved those. Currently, my favorite anime is probably Kill la Kill.

That's what really gave the SNES trilogy such great distinction. The designs were cartoony but the setting was not in many ways. I've mentioned to people before that 2D platformers/action games had an interesting aesthetic phenomenon where the use of backgrounds and foregrounds could imply a much bigger world than even some 3D games via the the player using their imagination to fill in the gaps. The Genesis Sonic games were fantastic at this, with zones like Casino Night and Spring Yard that had you really wondering what they were like beyond the immediate surroundings of the level itself.

The Country titles were that on steroids, and every time I played them as a kid I could simply see Temple Tempest or Ghostly Grove in my mind with such detail and with such ease because they felt physical in a way a so many other games didn't. Mario levels were fun, DKC levels felt real.
I remember exactly when I realized that DKC2 was my favorite game of all time. It was in Ghostly Grove. There are lots of little inaccessible paths leading deeper into the background. They're just there for decoration, but I'd spend hours daydreaming about what I'd find if I could go there. I was also very impressed with those little patches of moonlight. They looked so 3D. Yoshi's Island had some stuff like that too. The SNES era really was something else.
 
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