Social King K. Rool's Kremling Kutthroats: This...Is Our Finest Hour!

[ChronoBound]

For fans of K. Rool, I have finished my comprehensive analysis of the Ultimate roster (and various other assorted essays like speculation regarding DLC):
https://smashboards.com/threads/eve...ates-roster-and-other-assorted-essays.464556/

The additions of Ridley and K. Rool were the end of an era.

Brawl ended up adding in nearly all of the characters that were big during the pre-Melee period (such as Wario, Diddy Kong, Pit, King Dedede, Wolf, Meta Knight, arguably Olimar), yet Ridley was still not in. The conventional wisdom was that so many big Nintendo characters had to be added in, that a boss role (two of them) was the consolation prize for the character that round. It seemed in general, as I mentioned earlier, that among veteran Nintendo franchises that nearly everyone that needed to be in was now in.

There were only two notable exceptions left after the end of Brawl’s speculation, Ridley and K. Rool. Characters that were seen as the main villains for two of Nintendo’s most popular franchises among the core Nintendo set. This was reflected by the fact that those two were by far the most requested newcomers for Smash 4 throughout the pre-Smash 4 period (with the only other two up there with them being Mega Man and Mewtwo).

The Ridley and K. Rool fanbases were joined at the hip, especially so given both characters were large reptilian villains hailing from franchises that had many of their most popular games developed by Western studios (Retro Studios for Metroid, and Rare and later Retro Studios for DK). Both characters also had to contend with various detractor arguments that hampered them. For Ridley it was “too big”, for K. Rool it was “he is irrelevant and has been replaced in his own franchise” especially when Country Returns and Tropical Freeze were released.

For both characters to make it into Ultimate’s roster, it truly feels like the end of the pre-Smash 4 period. Ridley was my single most wanted newcomer for nearly 20 years, and I thought after Smash 4 (especially after Sakurai’s statements on the character) that there did not exist much chance for the character to make it onto the roster in future installments. K. Rool added in also did make it seem like the ballot was actually worthwhile and was likely the main factor in why K. Rool was even a newcomer in Ultimate.

 

[Steelia]

Question for the room with about 30 hours to go...

When did you start supporting K. Rool? When did you first tell yourself "I want K. Rool in Smash Bros. as a playable fighter?"

Around the release of DKCR. I remember keeping tabs on that game and seeing how the tikis were the major enemies, but for whatever reason I became unreasonably excited to see the return of K. Rool. When I heard there was a secret bonus world/level after finding everything, I was certain that's where he'd make his appearance, even if only a cameo. Nope. It was then I realized just how much I missed seeing the Kremling King in modern games, and became a quiet supporter of his inclusion in the Smash series since.

Even before this, I used to play Melee relentlessly, and I'd often stop by my trophy collection to view his awesome DKC-inspired trophy and imagine how he may've turned out as a fighter in that game. What a long and winding road it's been, but it's definitely been worth the wait.

 

[Dalek_Kolt]

I was traversing Twitter for fanart, found something blursed.

LIKE ❤️ if you think the girl on the left is just as beautiful as the girl on the right#smashbros #ultimate #ridley #kingkrool #metroid #nintendo #donkeykong pic.twitter.com/lMsmWSF0JL

— Tannith (@TannithArt) December 5, 2018

 

[TheTreasonousSnowmad]

Question for the room with about 30 hours to go...

When did you start supporting K. Rool? When did you first tell yourself "I want K. Rool in Smash Bros. as a playable fighter?"

In the Ridley thread, I was discussing how during Brawl I actually wasn't really focused on K. Rool. While I wouldn't have said no to his inclusion, I was just happy to have Diddy and wanted other franchises to get the focus. K. Rool potentially getting in did interest me when Dedede was in, but overall, I wanted other characters more at the time, namely Mega Man, Ridley, and an F-Zero newcomer (RIP). Although I had been an avid fan of the DKC series since childhood, I was at the time definitely more passionate about Diddy as a character, despite still liking K. Rool.

So what changed? Well, Brawl came out, and sure enough, it was fantastic with a superb roster, but I started to brainstorm almost instantly after release what the next Smash roster would look like. Having been on DKVine during Brawl speculation, the obvious choice at the time for the next DK newcomer was K. Rool. DK Jungle Climber was still fresh in my mind, and Dixie hasn't been seen in a major role since Donkey Kong Land III (unless you count DKRDS). K. Rool had the moveset potential and uniqueness factor at the time to stand out above any potential Kong candidates. I wouldn't say I was as lavishly passionate about K. Rool then as I am now, but he definitely seemed like he would be a fun addition to the game, and he became more or less shoulder to shoulder with Mega Man as my most wanted newcomer for the next game, with Ridley after the two of them.

With the announcement of DKCR, the threat of K. Rool being forgotten forever loomed, and I found myself in a position where this fun bad guy I took for granted had to be saved. I didn't know what his prospects for the next Smash looked like, but I hoped he could still make it in - after all, Diddy got into Brawl despite being intentionally left out of Jungle Beat.

Cue the double announcement of Tropical Freeze and Smash 4 with Mega Man getting in - it was at that moment that getting K. Rool into Smash became a necessity to keep the character in the public consciousness, so my desire for him rocketed up. I imagine if it was reversed, if K. Rool was announced at E3 and Mega Man was still waiting to be in, my desire for Mega Man would surpass that of K. Rool. But the combination of having this character that represented so much about what I love in the DKC world as a playable Smash fighter, as well as saving him from erasure, made him my most wanted ever.

I was fairly pessimistic about K. Rool's chances for a good chunk of Smash 4 speculation due to the focus on new titles, until the April 2014 Direct with Kritters in Smash Run. That was the first time K. Rool being in Smash actually felt in reach. Of course, it turned out to be a whole lot of nothing, but the fire inside me was lit. I joined SmashBoards to talk about him as a potential DLC character. Sure enough, the Smash Ballot rolled out, and the rest is history.

I never once thought before the last few years that K. Rool fandom would become such a pivotal part of my life. I always liked K. Rool, but it wasn't until the increasingly potent threat of him being abandoned forever that I truly loved him. You truly don't appreciate what you have until it's gone. I'm so glad the villain of one of my favorite video game series is back, and now everyone knows how great he is, and it's all because of us, the fat-crocodile loving weirdos.

We did it, Kutthroats. Next stop for K. Rool: the Donkey Kong series proper.

What sparked my love for the character started way back when I first began playing video games. For whatever reason, from the moment I picked up an N64 controller and began crashing into walls in Mario Kart 64, I had an affinity for villains and would pick Bowser every time. This stuck when I broadened my horizons to singleplayer games as well. 5 year old me would probably tell you that his favorite video game character was the villain of whatever game I was playing at the time.

All of the game systems in my house, up until I got the Wii for Christmas, 2006, were bought before I was born, by my dad for himself and my sister. All of the games we had; Donkey Kong Country 1-3, Super Mario World, Mega Man 4, and all the other classics had seen extensive play by my sister and my dad and pretty much everything had a completed file on it. What I'm realizing as I'm typing this, is that, had I never had the opportunity to boot up Donkey Kong Country and go straight to K. Rool, I may not have even realized he existed till I was in my teens, when I finally beat the first DKC. I suppose I owe whoever beat that game the first time a "thank-you."

Brawl was the first Smash game that I got on release. I couldn't have been more than 9 at the time, so glaring omissions in the roster weren't really on my mind at the time. The desire to play as K. Rool certainly crossed my mind every now and then, but I was too busy having fun with my friends to give it much thought. It wasn't till I heard about Smash 4 and went to check the roster on the site that the lack of a playable King K. Rool really bothered me. During the ballot days, I decided to make an account here to show my support. It really was an emotional rollercoaster from that point on; the anxiety before each announcement, the frustration and subsequent denial brought on by the reveal of the Mii costume, the obvious injustice in the audacious claim that Bayonetta won anything, the fact that a Looney Toons-esque crocodile king from a video game had me this invested in him made me question my sanity on multiple occasions.

The Ultimate hype cycle was far easier than that. From the moment Ridley was announced at E3 as a fanservice rep, I knew that this was the time for the king's grand return. Of course, it had to be a day that I had to work, giving my friend the perfect opportunity to spoil the announcement for me, but the war was over. We had finally won. The 4 months since then, I was content knowing that K. Rool finally got what he deserved. Only in replaying the DKC trilogy in the last two days has my excitement risen. Now, every moment feels like our finest hour.

 

[Super Nintendo Chalmers]

So close....nothing and no one can take K.Rool away from us.

For those of you getting Smash on launch, good luck and see you on the battlefield!

I'll be grabbing it after work, then playing with a couple of friends and my brother who we've all been playing Smash religously since Melee for over a decade. We catch up to play Smash/Mario Party/Bomberman/Whatever once every few weeks, Smash is the go to game for us.

They are aware with how much I've pumped K.Rool's tyres up over the years since late Melee/Early Brawl days and know how much love there is for DKC in general, they are curious to try him out!

Enjoy Kutthroats and thank you!

 

[Putuk]

Question for the room with about 30 hours to go...

When did you start supporting K. Rool? When did you first tell yourself "I want K. Rool in Smash Bros. as a playable fighter?"

The truth is I didn't know much about DKC until recently. It's not a game any of my friends had growing up and back then I couldn't afford home consoles (in fact, the Switch is my very first home console).

However, there were two things that made me desire this character:

• The enthusiasm of his fans during Smash 4 DLC speculation
• I ****ing love reptiles

During the ballot I sent in two votes:
One very selfish, futile vote to bring back Ivysaur, who I dearly missed in 4 and one for King K. Rool, the character that would make the most people happy.

Since then I've done a lot of research on the DKC series and the kremling king himself and I've really grown to appreciate both. I havn't played any of the games yet, but I'll consider doing so in the future.

 

[Wario Wario Wario]

The truth is I didn't know much about DKC until recently. It's not a game any of my friends had growing up and back then I couldn't afford home consoles (in fact, the Switch is my very first home console).

However, there were two things that made me desire this character:

• The enthusiasm of his fans during Smash 4 DLC speculation
• I ****ing love reptiles

During the ballot I sent in two votes:
One very selfish, futile vote to bring back Ivysaur, who I dearly missed in 4 and one for King K. Rool, the character that would make the most people happy.

Since then I've done a lot of research on the DKC series and the kremling king himself and I've really grown to appreciate both. I havn't played any of the games yet, but I'll consider doing so in the future.

DKC 1 and 2 are two of the finest platformers to come out in a time which could already be considered a golden age for the genre.

 

[C-G]

DKC 1 and 2 are two of the finest platformers to come out in a time which could already be considered a golden age for the genre.

Eh, DKC1 hasn't aged too well. Still great, but not an instant classic. That said, DKC2 is the Terminator 2 of video games and is so amazing

 

[Deleted member]

Time to fade away and classify myself as obsolete, obsolete.

Been a blast being here, will be enjoying the game in time.

Have fun everyone enjoy it!

Farewell.

 

[Raxxel]

Time to fade away and classify myself as obsolete, obsolete.

Been a blast being here, will be enjoying the game in time.

Have fun everyone enjoy it!

Farewell.

It's been a good few years knowing you, Kremling Man. Farewell!

 

[Xzsmmc]

Surreal to think that all these years of hoping and dream are coming to a head so soon. It's been a long and often frustrating time, but it's been worth it.

 

[Dε√ilj∦o]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cI_NEQuGBg

Jump at 1:40:32. Confirmation that Blunderbuss has some weird Invincibility frames, the Krown went right through him.

S_B

 

[InASnowBoundLand]

I saw a match where someone won against K. Rool by shattering his belly in the air, so K. Rool went into shield broken mode in the air, off-stage and fell and lost, when he was otherwise winning. We got to watch out for heavy hitters!

 

[StormC]

It's crazy to think how much of my enjoyment of this game hinged on K. Rool's inclusion. With Snake, Wolf, and Ridley in, this was already a day 1 purchase, but with K. Rool in as well, it fulfills the monikers of both Ultimate and Special. If another character was in his place, I'd still be very happy about the game with those characters already in, the 103 stages/900 songs/World Of Light, but I'd disappointed my most wanted seemed like a distant dream. I'm so glad it didn't come to that and I could enter the game with little to no misgivings, unlike Smash 4.

Thank you to everyone who voted for K. Rool. Every single person's vote mattered. We only got this far because we believed in our King.

About 12 hours to go for me.

 

[zeonie888]

Man... It's been quite the ride! It's almost time...! Words alone can't explain how hyped I am! :3

 

[G-Guy]

This almost feels like New Years, it’s crazy!

To Imagine that i can Play the King before the sun rises for the next time makes me giddy with excitement, while also dreading my next day at work

 

[S_B]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cI_NEQuGBg

Jump at 1:40:32. Confirmation that Blunderbuss has some weird Invincibility frames, the Krown went right through him.

S_B

The crown may have clashed with the cannonball and therefore had its hitbox negated against the other player. Will require some testing, though.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

All aboard the hype ship!

I’m so excited to finally get to see the Kroc in action. I’ve only played DK64, but K. Rool is such a memorable villain. I’m so happy about how faithfully K. Rool’s moveset was made to all of those boss fights I’ve only seen on YouTube. This is truly a dream come true, and it just looks better the longer you see it.

We did it. We brought K. Rool back, and he’s better than ever! Less than 24 hours, and we’ll get to experience it for ourselves.

 

[KiwiHusky47]

Less than 24 hours until the game is in my hands!


I cannot wait to get this started! King K Rool is someone that I've wanted for a very long time and we finally got him months ago! If only Dixie Kong and Cranky Kong could join him

 

[Putuk]

It's a matter of hours now. You guys have been struggling for years for this very moment. You stared down the odds and beat them!
It is at hand now, your FINEST HOUR!!

 

[S_B]

Something that needs to be stated, though it's likely already widely known:

Keith is a character with many tools, but one of his best will be his ability to ledgetrap and edgeguard opponents.

I've seen the budding potential in this strategy in KKR players but a lot of the old SSB4 habits (mainly in letting people get back to the stage for free) are still there.

So...
-throw the crown at people and then run off and dair them when they airdodge
-counter horizontal recoveries with hitboxes
-throw the crown to ledge trap people and inhale them with the blunderbuss

KKR earns that wonderfully dastardly expression he has most of the time. He's a heavy that was designed to play like a tricky, unscrupulous a-hole who doesn't play fair and it's beautiful.

 

[BKupa666]

I'm on a train to the NYC Nintendo store again, and I keep reflecting back on how none of this existed the last time I was there, 6 months ago, to go to E3. No Everyone is Here, no Ridley, no K. Rool. There was a lot of nervousness at the time, that the big man could just as quickly be shown as an AT or a boss as he could as a character, or five super relevant characters could be shown back to back and it'd be back to thinking Rool was completely dead in the water and would stay that way, barring some drastic change at Nintendo and the marching orders its top brass were setting for its DK developers.

Now it's a time of celebration...I have the game preordered and set to arrive tomorrow morning, so there's basically no other reason for me to make the trip other than what the event is: a celebration of a truly Ultimate Smash game. As I look over the line that's sure to be there, I'll be thinking of the millions of players around the world about to see what us longtime Kutthroats have for years, that the answer to "does K. Rool really need to return," exist and be used, great and fun character that he is, is an unequivocal "yes." In talking with some people last night, we all agreed that the character's narrative has far transcended what exists in the actual games...if K. Rool had shown up in Brawl, and been in DKC Returns as usual, it would've been great, but he likely wouldn't have been as faithful of a throwback to the games that brought us all together. He might have had a generic jump and a cannonball rain Final Smash instead of the DKC3 helicopter pack and the beautiful Blast-o-Matic cinematic. He would've been just another character taken for granted, instead of cherished as he is now.

It's been a long, long road to get to this point, forum arguments, ballot angst, Direct after Direct of hoping to see anything DK-related at all and never getting indulged, but with so much excitement buzzing on Smash Ultimate eve, and with how perfectly everything turned out for us as K. Rool fans, DKC and Smash fans and gamers in general, I wouldn't have had it any other way. Everyone have a *Kremling HONK noise*ing amazing time with our King in just a few more hours (if you haven't already) and smile in realization that you directly played a part in making that happen for yourself and so many others.

 

[InASnowBoundLand]

I saw this on Twitter. What a beautiful story in one screenshot.

 

[Mariomaniac45213]

Surreal to think that all these years of hoping and dream are coming to a head so soon. It's been a long and often frustrating time, but it's been worth it.

I gotta say during the Smash 4 speculation. You were always one of my favorite supporters due to your old disinterested Mega Man avatar. I would get a hard laugh everytime I saw you post because I just pictured that was your actual facial expression when we would talk about "relevancy" and what not.

 

[Snorkel the dolphin]

On this occult Friday the 13th I have decided to partake in a satanic ritual to determine whether or not King K. Rool will be in the game. The ritual candles have been lit and the number 666 rings through my head. It has all become clear to me; King K. Rool is destined for Smash. I have a good feeling that Banjo and Kazooie will make it into the game as well, making that three Steve Mayles characters forever immortalized in Nintendo history. I understand you may have your doubts. All that I will say is to ask Satan yourself. It is very easy to perform a basic satanic ritual on your own without any special reagents and doing so can only increase King K. Rool's odds of being in the game. Maybe he'll even have a red skin that makes him look like a demon, haha. Anyways, I'm definitely looking forward to seeing how his amiibo looks.

When you're playing Smash tonight, remember who you have to thank for King K. Rool's inclusion: Satan

 

[TheTreasonousSnowmad]

This almost feels like New Years, it’s crazy!

To Imagine that i can Play the King before the sun rises for the next time makes me giddy with excitement, while also dreading my next day at work

I've been sleep deprived between homework and playing different games to celebrate Ultimate and I still need to play all of Jungle Climber. King K. Rool's Smash debut occurs only once; there'll only be one finest hour, so every bag under every eye will be well worth the consequences.

 

[Xzsmmc]

I gotta say during the Smash 4 speculation. You were always one of my favorite supporters due to your old disinterested Mega Man avatar. I would get a hard laugh everytime I saw you post because I just pictured that was your actual facial expression when we would talk about "relevancy" and what not.

Believe me, no one was happier to retire that avatar than me.

And I'm glad you enjoyed my posts. I know my endless cynicism probably got grating, and I apologize for it. It was difficult to hope with how things continually got worse for us.

But now? I got and , easily my top 2 wanted characters and the last 2 I personally needed to make the game feel complete. And I got them on the same day within a half hour of each other! There were so many times from August to now where it almost felt like I was dreaming, that it was all too good to be true. But it isn't a dream. It's real. And I couldn't be happier.

 

[Questionmark222]

I'm on a train to the NYC Nintendo store again, and I keep reflecting back on how none of this existed the last time I was there, 6 months ago, to go to E3. No Everyone is Here, no Ridley, no K. Rool. There was a lot of nervousness at the time, that the big man could just as quickly be shown as an AT or a boss as he could as a character, or five super relevant characters could be shown back to back and it'd be back to thinking Rool was completely dead in the water and would stay that way, barring some drastic change at Nintendo and the marching orders its top brass were setting for its DK developers.

Now it's a time of celebration...I have the game preordered and set to arrive tomorrow morning, so there's basically no other reason for me to make the trip other than what the event is: a celebration of a truly Ultimate Smash game. As I look over the line that's sure to be there, I'll be thinking of the millions of players around the world about to see what us longtime Kutthroats have for years, that the answer to "does K. Rool really need to return," exist and be used, great and fun character that he is, is an unequivocal "yes." In talking with some people last night, we all agreed that the character's narrative has far transcended what exists in the actual games...if K. Rool had shown up in Brawl, and been in DKC Returns as usual, it would've been great, but he likely wouldn't have been as faithful of a throwback to the games that brought us all together. He might have had a generic jump and a cannonball rain Final Smash instead of the DKC3 helicopter pack and the beautiful Blast-o-Matic cinematic. He would've been just another character taken for granted, instead of cherished as he is now.

It's been a long, long road to get to this point, forum arguments, ballot angst, Direct after Direct of hoping to see anything DK-related at all and never getting indulged, but with so much excitement buzzing on Smash Ultimate eve, and with how perfectly everything turned out for us as K. Rool fans, DKC and Smash fans and gamers in general, I wouldn't have had it any other way. Everyone have a *Kremling HONK noise*ing amazing time with our King in just a few more hours (if you haven't already) and smile in realization that you directly played a part in making that happen for yourself and so many others.

This is perfection. Also, A FEW SHORT HOURS. Except for everyone who downloaded the game from Australia (and now Europe) E Shop.

 

[Raxxel]

Believe me, no one was happier to retire that avatar than me.

And I'm glad you enjoyed my posts. I know my endless cynicism probably got grating, and I apologize for it. It was difficult to hope with how things continually got worse for us.

But now? I got and , easily my top 2 wanted characters and the last 2 I personally needed to make the game feel complete. And I got them on the same day within a half hour of each other! There were so many times from August to now where it almost felt like I was dreaming, that it was all too good to be true. But it isn't a dream. It's real. And I couldn't be happier.

Tell me about it. So many times I just kept expecting to wake up and have this all taken away from me. But it's here to stay. Wild.

 

[Kincaid1]

Watching Nairo ****ing own Shofu and Emu with K. Rool on stream still makes this seem so unreal. If you don't count echo fighters and DLC, Smash Ultimate has only 6 newcomers; almost enough to count on a single hand. King K. Rool's slot could've gone of to any much more "relevant" character, but it was the King. And now, he's forever enshrined as a Nintendo all-star.

Much like a real crocodile, K. Rool was fine to sit and wait in the murky depths before finally leaping out onto the scene again.

 

[InASnowBoundLand]

The next generation Pokemon starters will all be designed after K. Rool.

The next Fire Emblem game will have a pettable K. Rool.

And most importantly of all, the next Donkey Kong game may finally have a K. Rool shaped platform that falls apart a few seconds after stepping on it.

And it was all thanks to Sakurai. And us. And Satan.

 

[BravadoMan_13]

Another chapter in this journey is coming to a close. It's krazy to think in just a few hours that Ultimate will finally be released! The culmination of 10-15 years of discussing and kampaigning for K. Rool all comes down to this. We have every reason to celebrate to finally enjoy playing as K. Rool after so many years. This speculation period is arguably the best in Smash history. Thanks to all of us, everybody here can enjoy playing as K. Rool to the fullest. Thank you fellow Kutthroats for the great times and reactions we've had in the past few years and months. K. Rool's konfirmation will be one to remember. See you all on the battlefield.

 

[cephalopod17]

Well, only an hour til midnight for me. Sadly I won't be getting it at midnight (you can thank college for that), but by this tomorrow I'll be playing as K. Rool. The first thing I plan on doing a few matches against my brother, then World of Light, then unlocking K. Rool. I've been in the K. Rool fanbase since Smash 4's reveal in 2013, and it's been an honor. We did it, K. Rool is back.

 

[TheTreasonousSnowmad]

Well, I'm at the last level of Jungle Climber now, the place where King K. Rool was last seen before August. Playing through these games the last few days has fanned my flame of passion for this goofy, girthy, krazy crocodile and I'm more excited than ever to see his glorious return to the throne of Nintendo villain all-stars. 10 minutes left and it feels like a dream. Tomorrow, we start living, This is our finest hour!

 

[Super Nintendo Chalmers]

First opponent playing as K. Rool chosen as random and it had to be DK in that colour, right?

Y'all going to have to be patient with the Ganon battle in classic mode by the way. Was a bit tougher than I first thought!

 

[C-G]

K Rool players, be concerned: We have a thief among us. One with a record for stealing crowns

 

[Iblistech]

K Rool players, be concerned: We have a thief among us. One with a record for stealing crowns

Yep, Joker from Persona 5. He's in the game as DLC alongside Piranha Plant.

 

[TheTreasonousSnowmad]

Yep, Joker from Persona 5. He's in the game as DLC alongside Piranha Plant.

Better than Steve.

 

[StormC]

Here's a look at the propellerpack from the back:

Has its own, well, propeller.

Also, K. Rool is the true anime swordsman of our dreams:

 

[InASnowBoundLand]

He's so fun to play!