Also, I actually think DK got represented pretty fairly in Brawl. Two new stages, a new character, a bunch of really cool trophies like Squitter, and fan favorite songs like Gangplank Galleon and Bramble Blast. Besides not having an AT when almost every other franchise had one, having the Barrel Cannon removed, and maybe better song selection overall, it got a pretty damn good hand of cards, especially considering the rocky status the franchise had during the GameCube/early Wii era.
It's only NOW when the DK series is back to the forefront that it starts feeling relatively shunned.