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

[Jurae818]

Oh baby.

One year since my most wanted got in. I have to tell you, I was scared out of my ass when I watched that direct, hoping for the worst. Right when the assists showed up, my heart skipped a beat. Only when I saw the Klaptrap did I take a huge sigh of relief but I didn't get too hopeful. When I heard the rumbling at the end I thought it was something outside. Then the rivals montage came in. Still didn't make the connection.

And then, DK yawned.

Right there, my heart and body froze. It had to be Dixie Kong. We were going to get a rep from DK, definitely. It had to be Dixie Kong. But why the quaking?

I clapped my hands and cheered. Even Dedede's fakeout didn't deter me; I knew he was coming. And sure enough...

I haven't cheered this hard for a character since Sonic. I've wanted King K. Rool since high school and such a long wait made the reveal even more satisfying. Seeing my posts right up to 8/8/18 puts it into perspective. It's amazing what one character can do. Even after the low points of this game's waiting period and overall shelf life, King K. Rool still kept me playing and I literally have to force myself to play as other characters. That's how much this meant to me. And as BKupa666 mentioned, he's been so prominent since his reveal, moreso than DK and Diddy.

Look at him, front and center alongside Bowser and right behind Mario and Link. That ballot did so much for the Kremling King and we the fans also had a part in this. If it wasn't his trailer, or Incineroar's, or Joker's and especially Banjo-Kazooie's, it's this shot here that signifies his status as a Nintendo All-Star!. His reveal was so much of a shock that he even appeared in a newspaper.

And this wasn't written by an out of touch journalist; this was someone who knew the string of BS Smash had gone through, especially with the last part about Brawl's tripping mechanic (if you can call it that). This guy was a fan. I watched that trailer every waking minute until release just to remind myself why I wanted this game and to simply bask in the glory. I repeat; that ballot had a big part in this happening and it shows how crucial fans are to any work. You give them what they ask for, they'll repay you accordingly. If being loud and obnoxious results in the group shot above then hey, let your voice be heard.

In ending, every Kutthroat has played a part in getting King K. Rool back in the spotlight and even Nintendo realizes how important he is not just to Donkey Kong but to the Nintendo gallery in general. Years of seeing you all come in and give K. Rool support and having to justfiy and validate why you wanted a prominent and impressionable Nintendo character in a Nintendo crossover game finally paid in spades. The time where King K. Rool can comfortably sit down akin to Bowser and Ganondorf as the de-facto villain of his series is right around the corner and I don't think we'll have to worry about him having a hiatus for a very long time.

Dreams Do Come True.

And I cannot forget the Ridley fanbase for sticking it out with K. Rool fans for so long, they had our backs the entire time and I was cheering for them when Ridley got revealed last E3. For the whole summer it was Ridley and Roolbros coming together and enjoying their newfound fame.

 

[Michael the Spikester]

One year since my boi came back from irrelevancy thanks to the support and fan demand from his fans including myself. Hard to believe how much time has flew.

 

[BZocky]

Happy Smash anniversary K. Rool

 

[StormC]

The two months between Ridley and K. Rool's reveal were very tense. All eyes were on K. Rool as the most anticipated/speculated character. Every fake leak was using him (and Simon Belmont). I got pretty nervous and anxious, especially because I figured they wouldn't show him right after Ridley. Sure enough, we received the iconic August 8th Direct that made our (and others!) wildest dreams come true.

From the five seconds of fear to the banana segment, to being about 99% sure K. Rool was coming after the Klaptrap AT, to the shaking, it was one hell of a ride. I thought I hallucinated the first shake, but when the second one happened, I knew it had to be K. Rool, and the villain montage couldn't have made it more obvious, but it was still a "holy **** is this really happening?" moment.

No other Smash reveal, maybe even no video game reveal, will ever match the feeling of seeing his gameplay footage for the first time. Real honest to goodness tears. So much was at stake for Smash, the character, and the DK series on whether or not he would make it. The Banjo-Kazooie reveal certainly came close, but ten years of hyping and hoping led to this. And to this day I'm still playing as K. Rool 95% of the time in Smash. It feels amazing to play as the character I voted for in the Smash Ballot, and his playstyle fits me like a glove no matter how good (or not) he is.

I just hope it isn't ten years before he returns to his own series as well.

 

[KirbyWorshipper2465]

I will say, on this fateful day, the timing was right, I was able to see the Direct without any spoilers aside Simon, and we got a boatload of info (which some can argue was done too early, well they got their wish with the FP, so good luck waiting for months for new info for that one, be careful what you wish for next time), a character that Verge's sources never saw coming. And my assumption of "starts with first-party, ends with third" was flipped around in the best way possible. I had thought a production flub happened when the quake happened at the end of the presentation proper, but what happened right after dispelled that notion. The montage, DK's yawn, the bait-and-switch, the huge fight that referenced Punch-Out and DK 64. It was so ridiculously exciting, the last time I felt like that to this level was with 's initial reveal. The big man was back. He and Ridley heralded a period of longstanding fan demand finally being gotten around to.

So here's to dreams coming true!

Spoiler: art by TaylorSwitch64

 

[USAnyan]

I remember during a bit after the announcement of ultimate, I hadn’t really seen or really heard of K.rool outside super sluggers at the time. When I heard he was basically the most requested and predicted character at the time, I was just like “why? Why this random big guy?” Then I saw the original DKC trilogy and his boss fights in them, tons of personality, moveset potential, on top of being a memorable villain smash(even now) lacks!

I was interested, so I wanted to see if he’d deliver and judge how memorable he was for myself, then I saw his reveal trailer. Still probably the best character reveal trailer- probably the best I’ve ever seen honestly. The trailer itself put a smile on my face, imagine seeing other people’s reactions!

Nice to see what the fans have got what they wanted.

 

[Call_Me_Red]

I am so incredibly happy that our Kroc King got in. I won't lie and say I'm happy with his standings right now, but I'd rather be unhappy about that than have to go a whole 'nother Smash game without him. I honestly feel so privileged to have him in. I can watch all the other newcomer request threads and be content. K Rool was the last character I wanted in Smash, and through thick and thin, I'll always be a part of the Kremlin Krew. Siri, play Gangplank Galleon.

 

[MisterMike]

It's amazing that it's been a whole year since K. Rool was revealed for Smash Ultimate. Time really flies, doesn't it? Easily one of the most hype reveals for the game!

 

[Handy Man]

Happy 1st anniversary to King K. Rool! To celebrate, I created a tribute and combo video for the Kremling King. Please check it out if you want, it's been crazy how quickly this past year has gone!

Also, I had a great time at EVO! I unfortunately didn't place as high as I would have liked, but I got to catch up with some old friends and had a fun time watching the finals in person on Sunday. Solo King K. Rool can be pretty hard, but I get a lot of satisfaction from using him, plus it feels great when people say my King K. Rool is the best they played against. I will definitely continue to improve and represent him in tournaments, I can't wait to see what lies ahead!

 

[MamaLuigi123456]

Rather than talking about my feelings about K. Rool in Smash, because let's face it I'd just be reiterating the same points as everyone else, can I just say that the future looks really bright for the Donkey Kong series? Between Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze being extremely well-received AND being ported on Switch and the load of new Donkey Kong content added to Ultimate, it feels like a new Donkey Kong Country game is in order. Retro Studios are probably busy with Metroid Prime 4, but I'll happily wait for a follow-up to, in my opinion, one of the best platformers ever made.

With King K. Rool back in the spotlight and how Retro Studios has a knack for appeasing fan requests, I don't think it's too out of the question to expect him to be the villain of the next game. And we can probably expect more Donkey Kong content to appear in Mario spin-offs as well since Nintendo is very well aware now that the series is marketable. King K. Rool for Mario Kart 9, anyone?

Here's to our first year of King K. Rool's grand return, and many more to come.

 

[KirbyWorshipper2465]

Rather than talking about my feelings about K. Rool in Smash, because let's face it I'd just be reiterating the same points as everyone else, can I just say that the future looks really bright for the Donkey Kong series? Between Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze being extremely well-received AND being ported on Switch and the load of new Donkey Kong content added to Ultimate, it feels like a new Donkey Kong Country game is in order. Retro Studios are probably busy with Metroid Prime 4, but I'll happily wait for a follow-up to, in my opinion, one of the best platformers ever made.

With King K. Rool back in the spotlight and how Retro Studios has a knack for appeasing fan requests, I don't think it's too out of the question to expect him to be the villain of the next game. And we can probably expect more Donkey Kong content to appear in Mario spin-offs as well since Nintendo is very well aware now that the series is marketable. King K. Rool for Mario Kart 9, anyone?

Here's to our first year of King K. Rool's grand return, and many more to come.

In the meantime, the Dixie fans really need a morale boost. Her not getting in Ultimate is akin to missing the solar eclipse, to them.

Regardless though, I'll remain more than patient for the resurgence of the series. Maybe we might get news in a year or so, so who knows? I would love to see Nintendo be more willing to branch out beyond Diddy again though, even if just to the extent of Funky and Rool. Bonus points if Pauline is in the same game as them!

 

[Sponge]

You would think the future for DKC would look bright now that K. Rool is back, but we're kind of back at square one now that Retro is working on Metroid again.

Hopefully Nintendo can find a developer that can work on Donkey Kong. I would personally pick Ubisoft Milan.

 

[KirbyWorshipper2465]

Well then, looks like BridgeOfFaust did a picture for the occasion!

Spoiler

Monumental Day pic.twitter.com/GZ3QZQboZk

— ¿Mr.Whatshisname? (COMMISSIONS OPEN) (@BridgeOfFaust) August 8, 2019

You would think the future for DKC would look bright now that K. Rool is back, but we're kind of back at square one now that Retro is working on Metroid again.

Hopefully Nintendo can find a developer that can work on Donkey Kong. I would personally pick Ubisoft Milan.

Yeah, assuming they won't be bound to the Rabbids long enough. As far as I know, Kingdom is their very first solo game on a console that isn't a portable.

 

[Rizen]

Kongrats on the anniversary K.Rool players! I have him as one of my secondaries.

 

[BravadoMan_13]

Happy 1st anniversary to King K. Rool! To celebrate, I created a tribute and combo video for the Kremling King. Please check it out if you want, it's been crazy how quickly this past year has gone!

Also, I had a great time at EVO! I unfortunately didn't place as high as I would have liked, but I got to catch up with some old friends and had a fun time watching the finals in person on Sunday. Solo King K. Rool can be pretty hard, but I get a lot of satisfaction from using him, plus it feels great when people say my King K. Rool is the best they played against. I will definitely continue to improve and represent him in tournaments, I can't wait to see what lies ahead!

You play a mean K. Rool. I absolutely enjoyed your reaction and montage. I have not experimented with video editing before but I might post a few K. Rool online matches on here if you guys want.

I'm not sure if this was posted or not, K. Rool has a message for all of us.

There was a problem fetching the tweet

 

[Handy Man]

You play a mean K. Rool. I absolutely enjoyed your reaction and montage. I have not experimented with video editing before but I might post a few K. Rool online matches on here if you guys want.

I'm not sure if this was posted or not, K. Rool has a message for all of us.

There was a problem fetching the tweet

Thanks! I’ve been practicing a lot at SoCal weeklies. The competition out here is brutal, but what doesn’t kill me makes me stronger. The moment when he was revealed was such an amazing and satisfying feeling; it really does feel like a once-in-a-lifetime experience. No other character reveal has even come close to making me as happy and emotional as King K. Rool’s reveal. I would love to see your King K. Rool too, it’s always great to see more Kremling King mains.

 

[Super Nintendo Chalmers]

Wow, the year has gone fast.

Just want to reiterate and say thank you once again to everyone for sharing your passion for this bung-eyed, unstable croc. Sort of a copy paste job from a previous post, but its all relevant (there's that word again!) in the context of things.

What a glorious moment the reveal was! And from there its been a blast using K.Rool in Smash. All while opening up opportunities for meaningful conversation about the character and history, which is important in the grander scheme of the DKC franchise and K.Rool's inevitable return to it.

Without the fans, the demand. the ongoing conversations, it would not have been possible to gain traction in getting K. Rool in Smash and back in the mainstream.

Huge for his relevance in regards to the DKC series. Potential to reach new audiences, a chance to test the waters with renewed interest in the series and mainstream visibility, just to name a few. His arrival has helped continue to tear the fabric of Smash speculation, "fan rules",etc from here on in with his unique circumstances, which is great.

The gist of this is that this platform and love of the games has brought together so many like minded people for a common goal. Through sheer determination and passion, the fans have had a hand in saving K.Rool from the gaming graveyard.

Thank you all once more and for that I am forever grateful.

 

[IsmaR]

Spoiler: Heroes Vs Villains Online Tourney going on, big image

Had to get at least one in.

-

I have fun thinking "THERE HE IS" even after a year, let alone realizing that he's there alongside Ridley/Dark Samus to significantly beef up the Villains side (and the big bodies/heavyweights, to boot). Younger me/the old Brawl-era iteration of the krew would have lost their minds seeing this a little over a decade ago.

 

[BKupa666]

We’ve definitely come a long way from the Smash 4 days, when this was the best they could do to try passing off a “heroes vs. villains” theme:

Anyhow, I whipped up a K. Rool combo video last night and am pretty pleased with how it turned out. Feel free to give it a watch if you feel so inclined.

 

[RetrogamerMax]

We’ve definitely come a long way from the Smash 4 days, when this was the best they could do to try passing off a “heroes vs. villains” theme:

Anyhow, I whipped up a K. Rool combo video last night and am pretty pleased with how it turned out. Feel free to give it a watch if you feel so inclined.

Why would Greninja be considered a villain Nintendo lol!

 

[Dark Bagel]

Why would Greninja be considered a villain Nintendo lol!

As much as I like Greninja, the guy does give off some shady vibes, like "jump into your fish tank and throw your pet starfish across the room like a shuriken" shady.

 

[Laniv]

Why would Greninja be considered a villain Nintendo lol!

Because it's dark type (literally evil type in Japan) and that's the closest they had at the time.

 

[meleebrawler]

Why would Greninja be considered a villain Nintendo lol!

To be fair, the Detective Pikachu movie would go on to introduce antangonistic Greninjas.

Really though, Pokemon as a whole aren't really heroic or villainous on their own except for very specific cases. There aren't any in this event tourney.

 

[Firox]

To be fair, the Detective Pikachu movie would go on to introduce antangonistic Greninjas.

Really though, Pokemon as a whole aren't really heroic or villainous on their own except for very specific cases. There aren't any in this event tourney.

I would agree that Pokemon aren't inherently good or evil, though in the context of Smash, I would that say that if any of them are evil, it would be Mewtwo and Incineroar. Reason being? Well, firstly, all of Lucario's cannon appearances have been noble and heroic while Pikachu and it baby version have always been on the "good side". Greninja in ultimate seems to be Ash's Greninja (hence the transformation), so not really evil there either. Mewtwo, however, not only uses lots of dark energy particles, but seems to be the bitter, human-hating version of itself, complete with the evil laugh taunt. As for Incineroar, he's officially described as a "heel" in the ring, which in pro wrestling terminology means the "villain" so to speak. Combine this with the fact that he too is a dark type, I would say that's an easy connection. Again, I can see where someone could argue whether ANY of the pokes are evil, but I'm just saying that in the context of Smash, those two seem to be.

 

[Pokelego999]

We’ve definitely come a long way from the Smash 4 days, when this was the best they could do to try passing off a “heroes vs. villains” theme:

Bowser Jr and Dark Pit: Am I a joke to you?

 

[Super Nintendo Chalmers]

One year with the Kremling King in Smash sure does fly by....

So graceful and elegant.

 

[RetrogamerMax]

Dixie and the other Kongs are the next necessary DK reps that should get into Smash next. But other than the Kongs, what other Kremlings would you like to see join alongside K. Rool in Smash someday? I would like to see Kludge along with Klubba as his Echo Fighter.

 

[Call_Me_Red]

Dixie and the other Kongs are the next necessary DK reps that should get into Smash next. But other than the Kongs, what other Kremlings would you like to see join alongside K. Rool in Smash someday? I would like to see Kludge along with Klubba as his Echo Fighter.

Not necessarily fighters, but I've been thinking how good DKC bosses would fit into Smash, particularly Gnawty and Necky. I think they'd be so fun to fight.

 

[G-Guy]

A Krusha AT that walks around, making you flinch when you bump into him (accompanied by some laughter, naturally) sounds like fun to me :-)

Other than that, a Kaptain K Rool Echo would be amazing, one who swaps his Crownarang for the Blunderbuss-Rocket Boost (Blunderboost?) and spiked Kannonballs...

 

[RetrogamerMax]

A Krusha AT that walks around, making you flinch when you bump into him (accompanied by some laughter, naturally) sounds like fun to me :-)

Other than that, a Kaptain K Rool Echo would be amazing, one who swaps his Crownarang for the Blunderbuss-Rocket Boost (Blunderboost?) and spiked Kannonballs...

I would replace the King with the Kaptain as my main if that were to happen.

 

[Call_Me_Red]

I would replace the King with the Kaptain as my main if that were to happen.

I know this gets posted so often, but why didn't they add King K alts? It was an easy decision, but instead we have Albino Krock.

 

[RetrogamerMax]

I know this gets posted so often, but why didn't they add King K alts? It was an easy decision, but instead we have Albino Krock.

It's weird, but it might have something to do with Sakurai's moveset philosophy because K. Rool is wearing the Kaptain's hat when he pulls out his Blunderbuss. It wouldn't make sense if there was a Kaptain costume and he would be wearing two hats while he was pulling out his Blunderbuss. Why Sakurai, why did you have to put the Kaptain's hat in K. Rool's Neutral Special?!!

 

[Call_Me_Red]

It's weird, but it might have something to do with Sakurai's moveset philosophy because K. Rool is wearing the Kaptain's hat when he pulls out his Blunderbuss. It wouldn't make sense if there was a Kaptain costume and he would be wearing two hats while he was pulling out his Blunderbuss. Why Sakurai, why did you have to put the Kaptain's hat in K. Rool's Neutral Special?!!

Honestly though. The only purpose of the hat is to add starting lag. Maybe one day.

 

[RetrogamerMax]

Honestly though. The only purpose of the hat is to add starting lag. Maybe one day.

That one day will be forever. Once the Switch servers shut down in lord knows how many years, I'm going to download a great Kaptain K. Rool alt mod. The moding scene for Ultimate in 10 years time should be fantastic.

 

[Call_Me_Red]

That one day will be forever. Once the Switch servers shut down in lord knows how many years, I'm going to download a great Kaptain K. Rool alt mod. The moding scene for Ultimate in 10 years time should be fantastic.

Have fun, I'll be playing as Goku in Super Smash Bros Funky Edition.

How long are we expecting the switch to last? I feel like it's staying for a while. It's unique as all heck and people are eating it up. I don't think it's going anywhere.

 

[RetrogamerMax]

Have fun, I'll be playing as Goku in Super Smash Bros Funky Edition.

How long are we expecting the switch to last? I feel like it's staying for a while. It's unique as all heck and people are eating it up. I don't think it's going anywhere.

Did you hear what I said? In quote "Once the Switch servers shut down in lord knows how many years" I was already saying that. I could see the Switch servers lasting for another 15 years honestly.

 

[Call_Me_Red]

Did you hear what I said? In quote "Once the Switch servers shut down in lord knows how many years" I was already saying that. I could see the Switch servers lasting for another 15 years honestly.

Probably. I mean, Wii online stopped this year (which is crazy to think about). Wii had a 13 year run, so I'm assuming it'll be about the same for Switch.

 

[Mariomaniac45213]

Yo Did You Know Gaming just made a K.Rool history video! They credit BKupa666 in the video as well.

 

[IMainKingKRool]

I think they may have wanted to give him Kaptain and maybe his other personas as alternates initially, but they had to leave them out because of how his gameplay puts a focus on the armor abs. All his other costumes would at least partially cover up his tum-tum which would mess up the visual cue for how much damage his belly armor has taken. If that's the case the pirate hat was probably a compromise - they wanted to be as true to his origins as possible, but they couldn't bring the whole outfit in so they went with the next best thing.
Of course I don't know any of this for sure, but I find it more pleasant than just "they didn't care about the costumes" hah

edit: oh yeah that's another thing, since he only has the one crown any other costume would make it harder to know when he can use it or not

 

[MamaLuigi123456]

also would be weird if K. Rool would just pull a crown out of nowhere in his Kaptain or Baron costumes tbh

personally I would have made him put on the full Kaptain and Baron costumes for Blunderbuss and Propellerpack. Something Mr. Game & Watch turning into different sprites before turning back, don't even need to add extra lag or animation to it. Would have made for some interesting screenshots.