Character Sheet: Cranky Kong (DK Handhelds)

CRANKY KONG

And now, it's time to go through our characters once again. This time, most of them will just be a token effort as there really isn't anything new to add to most of the characters. However, for the sake of thoroughness, and to give myself the chance to get ahead on watching and taking notes on upcoming games so that I don't get behind, let's go through them anyway.

1. Donkey Kong (Revision)
2. Diddy Kong (Revision)
3. Dixie Kong (Revision)
4. King K. Rool (Revision)
5. Cranky Kong (Revision)
6. Funky Kong (Revision)
7. Kiddy Kong (Revision)
8. Kritter (Revision)
9. Krusha (Revision)
10. Klump (Revision)
11. Wrinkly Kong
12. Xananab

I find it a rather amusing bit of irony that the year should end on the cranky old monkey constantly talking about "back in his day." In fact, the only thing that would make it even better is if Kiddy Kong were to be the one to start the new year. (To be honest, I'm really tempted to go out of order tomorrow just to make that happen). But I digress. Cranky actually doesn't appear much in the Land games outside of his role in the setup of Land 1, but he acts as the game's mentor and tutorial throughout both DK games, I suppose implying that he can do most of it, but as Wrinkly and Xananab will cover most of those mechanics, I'm not too worried about it.

So here's what I came up with:

Standard B: Dynamite

Side B: Barrel

Up B: Pogo Stick

Down B: Dentures

Final Smash: Mad Scientist

Entrance: Cranky could break out of a barrel like the rest of them, though he could just be sitting on stage, cranking his gramophone like in the first game's cutscene. 

Taunts: Waving his stick around like a grumpy old man, making some comment about "kids these days." Maybe a secret taunt where he gives out hints.

Next up: Let's cover Funky Kong (or Kiddy Kong if I give in to my own sense of humor)!

Character Sheet: King K. Rool (DK Handhelds)

KING K. ROOL

And now, it's time to go through our characters once again. This time, most of them will just be a token effort as there really isn't anything new to add to most of the characters. However, for the sake of thoroughness, and to give myself the chance to get ahead on watching and taking notes on upcoming games so that I don't get behind, let's go through them anyway.

1. Donkey Kong (Revision)
2. Diddy Kong (Revision)
3. Dixie Kong (Revision)
4. King K. Rool (Revision)
5. Cranky Kong (Revision)
6. Funky Kong (Revision)
7. Kiddy Kong (Revision)
8. Kritter (Revision)
9. Krusha (Revision)
10. Klump (Revision)
11. Wrinkly Kong
12. Xananab

This is probably one of the few that might get something new, though I'm not certain. His boss battles in the three Land games are basically just simplified versions of his Country battles, but the DK series of games do give us something new. His boss battle in King of Swing is mostly based on the same mechanics as Donkey Kong in the game, and their battle is just the two of them crawling around on pegs to hit each other. However, in Jungle Climber, King K. Rool grows massive, will pegs littering his belly for Donkey to climb on, and he will swipe and breathe fire at the Kong on his belly. New for sure, but I don't know if it's inherently unique enough to him.

Here's his moveset:

Standard B: Crown Toss

Side B: Blunderbuss

Up B: Propeller Pack

Down B: Belly Counter
Yeah, I'll stick with this one. His belly was big enough to climb on this time around, so I guess it still kinda works.

Final Smash: Blast-o-Matic

Entrance: As he tends to just be waiting for you when you reach his battle, I guess him just dropping in looking smug is as decent as any other move.

Taunt: slapping his belly the way he does, biting at the screen, laughing maniacally, so on.

Thanks for reading! Now, let's cover Cranky Kong again!

Character Sheet: Dixie Kong (DK Handhelds)

DIXIE KONG

And now, it's time to go through our characters once again. This time, most of them will just be a token effort as there really isn't anything new to add to most of the characters. However, for the sake of thoroughness, and to give myself the chance to get ahead on watching and taking notes on upcoming games so that I don't get behind, let's go through them anyway.

1. Donkey Kong (Revision)
2. Diddy Kong (Revision)
3. Dixie Kong (Revision)
4. King K. Rool (Revision)
5. Cranky Kong (Revision)
6. Funky Kong (Revision)
7. Kiddy Kong (Revision)
8. Kritter (Revision)
9. Krusha (Revision)
10. Klump (Revision)
11. Wrinkly Kong
12. Xananab

Dixie Kong falls into the same boat here as Donkey and Diddy. She appears in Land 2 as a sidekick, Land 3 as the main hero, and in both DK games as an alternative playable character in the challenge modes. That's pretty much it. Nothing too exciting.

Here's her moveset:

Standard B: Hair Flick

Side B: Bubblegum Pop

Up B: Ponytail Twirl

Down B: Grab and Throw

Final Smash: Guitar Gazump

Entrance: Burst out of a barrel.

Taunt: Blow a bubble, play a couple of notes on her guitar, sweep her ponytail forward, so on.

Thanks for reading! Next time, we'll cover King K. Rool!

Character Sheet: Diddy Kong (DK Handhelds)

DIDDY KONG

And now, it's time to go through our characters once again. This time, most of them will just be a token effort as there really isn't anything new to add to most of the characters. However, for the sake of thoroughness, and to give myself the chance to get ahead on watching and taking notes on upcoming games so that I don't get behind, let's go through them anyway.

1. Donkey Kong (Revision)
2. Diddy Kong (Revision)
3. Dixie Kong (Revision)
4. King K. Rool (Revision)
5. Cranky Kong (Revision)
6. Funky Kong (Revision)
7. Kiddy Kong (Revision)
8. Kritter (Revision)
9. Krusha (Revision)
10. Klump (Revision)
11. Wrinkly Kong
12. Xananab

Again, really not much to say here. Diddy Kong acts as the sidekick in Land and the hero in Land 2, his moveset being a more simplified version of his country moveset. He also appears as a sidekick in both of the DK games, mostly using the same mechanics though. He does have a few moves in Jungle Climber unique to him, like being thrown forward by Donkey, swinging around a hammer, and using a blowtorch. Let's see if we can do anything.

Here's his moveset:

Standard B: Peanut Popgun

Side B: Chimpy Charge

Up B: Rocketbarrel Pack

Down B: Banana

Final Smash: Rocketbarrel Barrage

Entrance: Pop out of a barrel

Taunts: Him rocking out to his boom box for sure, eating a banana, dancing like he does in the Konga games?

Thanks for reading! Next up, we'll cover his girlfriend Dixie Kong!

Character Sheet: Donkey Kong (DK Handheld Series)

DONKEY KONG

And now, it's time to go through our characters once again. This time, most of them will just be a token effort as there really isn't anything new to add to most of the characters. However, for the sake of thoroughness, and to give myself the chance to get ahead on watching and taking notes on upcoming games so that I don't get behind, let's go through them anyway.

1. Donkey Kong (Revision)
2. Diddy Kong (Revision)
3. Dixie Kong (Revision)
4. King K. Rool (Revision)
5. Cranky Kong (Revision)
6. Funky Kong (Revision)
7. Kiddy Kong (Revision)
8. Kritter (Revision)
9. Krusha (Revision)
10. Klump (Revision)
11. Wrinkly Kong
12. Xananab

There's not a whole lot to say. Donkey Kong functions in Donkey Kong Land more or less the same as he did in Country. The only difference is a few missing moves for simpler gameplay. The DK games bring in a few new mechanics, but the games are distinct enough to themselves that I decided to have them represented by a couple of gimmick reps (see: the last two items on the list). As such, Donkey stays pretty much the same.

Here is his moveset again:

Standard B: Giant Punch

Side B: Barrel

Up B: Barrel Cannon

Down B: Ground Pound

Final Smash: Jungle Rush

Entrance: He bursts out of a barrel.

Taunts: Pounding his chest for sure, maybe eating a banana, maybe playing his bongos a bit.

Next up: Let's cover Diddy Kong!

DK: Jungle Climber

DK: JUNGLE CLIMBER

DK: Jungle Climber is a sequel to DK: King of Swing, and likewise features the Donkey Kong characters in a gameplay based on the old NES game Clu Clu Land. This game features a banana alien ( . . . okay?) named Xananab, who's power source, the Crystal Banana ( . . . . . . okay?), has been stolen by King K. Rool, who uses it to mutate his Kremling minions. ( . . . . . . . . . okay?). Needless to say, I think a few drugs went into the plot of this game, but hey, it's fun either way.

Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong are our main playable characters, with much the same mechanics as before, though with a few new mechanics available. Donkey Kong can fly around the stage using special golden and silver wings. He can also throw Diddy Kong to grab items, and through Diddy Kong, he can swing around a hammer and blow fire with a torch. Dixie and Funky are also playable in the challenge modes.

Cranky Kong acts as a tutorial character for the most part, and Candy hosts the challenge modes. Wrinkly only appears in the intro this time around. Xananab is an odd case, as he acts as a major ally throughout the game. He is the first boss, his giant banana ship flying overhead and dropping carrot bombs. After that, he can be found in several levels and uses a special wormhole thing to transport himself and the Kongs to a special crystal world.

King K. Rool is the main villain as always, accompanied by a gang of Kritters, running away from the Kongs and Xananab with Xananab's crystal bananas in tow. They warp away each time they are caught, leaving one behind as a boss battle each time. During King K. Rool's final battle, he grows into a giant with the pegs covering his belly, grabbing at you and spitting meteors and fireballs at you. The other bosses include Lizard-head Kremling, a giant floating kremling head that floats around and shoots missile and crystal swords at you; two Mega Amps, giant robots that drop bombs and swipe at you; and Dragon Kremling, a giant draconic kremling who flies around, burrows underground, and breathes fire.

Neeks, Flipflaps, Flitters, Neckies, Zingers, Lockjaws, Shuris, Click-Clacks, Powans, and Puftups all return, each one acting much as they always do, and as they did in the previous game.

The stages are split up into separate worlds, as before, this time split up into: Sun Sun Island, a beach world; Lost Island, a jungle world; Ghost Island, a haunted world; Chill n' Char Island, a fire-and-ice world; High High Island, a mountainous world leading up to the King Kruiser IV, which leads to a wormhole taking you to Xananab's homeworld of Planet Plantaen.

Most of the items remain the same as in the previous game, though now with things like the hammer item, the feathers, and the blowtorch.

Let's see what we've got!

Characters:
Donkey Kong: everything from Country, climb and swing around pegs, launch from pegs, throw rocks and bombs, go bananas, special, gold and silver wings
Diddy Kong: everything from Country and Country 2, climb and swing around pegs, launch from pegs, throw rocks and bombs, go bananas, hammer, blow torch
Dixie Kong: everything from Country 2 and Country 3, climb and swing around pegs, launch from pegs, throw rocks and bombs, go bananas
Kiddy Kong: everything from Country 3
Funky Kong: climb and swing around pegs, launch from pegs, throw rocks and bombs, go bananas, biplane
Wrinkly Kong: climb and swing around pegs, launch from pegs, throw rocks and bombs, go bananas
Cranky Kong: tutorial for King of Swing
Xananab: banana ship, drop bombs, wormhole
King K. Rool: throw crown, charge, blunderbuss, float, throw bombs, bounce, electric beam, climb and swing around pegs, launch from pegs, throw rocks and bombs, go bananas, grow giant, swipe, breathe fire, meteor
Kritter/Klomp/Kobble: walk forward, Kaboing, Klinger, Rekoil, Skidda, climb and swing around pegs, launch from pegs, throw rocks and bombs, go bananas, warp, steal bananas
Krusha/Kruncha/Krumple: walk forward
Kannon: shoot blunderbuss
SPECIAL GUEST: Bubbles

Assist Trophies:
Klaptrap
Rambi
Expresso
Enguarde
Rattly
Squitter
Clapper
Squawks
Ellie

Bosses:
Wild Sting
Giant Clam
Hard Hat
Krow
Kleever
King Zing
Kreepy Krow
Barbos
Bleak
Arich
KAOS
Kongazuma
Fire Necky
Davy Bones
Sassy Squatch
Lizard-head Kremling
Mega Amp
Dragon Kremling

Stages:
Gangplank Galleon Ahoy
Kremlantis
Monkey Mountains & Chimpanzee Clouds
Big Ape City
Gangplank Galleon
Krem Cauldron
Kremland
Gloomy Gulch
K. Rool's Keep
Cape Codswallop
Primate Plain
Blackforest Plateau
Great Ape Lakes
Tin Can Valley
The Lost World
Jungle World
Desert World
Underwater World
Snow World
K. Kruiser III
Sun Sun Island
Lost Island
Ghost Island
Chill n' Char Island
High High Island
King Kruiser IV
Planet Plantaen
Crystal World

Thanks for reading! Next up, let's cover the game's sequel, Jungle Climber!

DK: King of Swing

DK: KING OF SWING

This should probably be more in the "spinoffs" section than anything, but as they were Donkey Kong's main handheld entries for a little while there, and separating out the DK titles into three clean groups makes them fit more here than anywhere else, I guess its okay. DK: King of Swing is the first of two titles created as spiritual successors to the NES game Clu Clu Land, featuring Donkey and his friends rather than a little red fish.

Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong act as the main principal players in the game, though Dixie Kong, Funky Kong, Wrinkly Kong, King K. Rool, Kritter, and Bubbles (the fish from Clu Clu Land) are all playable in the game's challenge mode, functioning under the same basic mechanics of the game. Cranky and Candy also appear in supporting roles, Cranky running the tutorial with Wrinkly demonstrating, and Candy basically just showing up in the cutscenes.

The main mechanic of the game is massive sections of pegs floating in the sky that Donkey and Diddy must hang from and spin around on in order to navigate through a course. Other mechanics used include the ability to pull back on two pegs and launch yourself high into the air, throw rocks and bombs by grabbing it while spinning around and throwing it at enemies. They can also "go bananas" which is basically a Donkey Kong version of the Starman item. King K. Rool also has an airship that he uses, but his boss battle is mostly just him and DK crawling around on the pegs fighting each other with those mechanics.

Other enemies that appear are generally series regulars, though reworked a bit to fit this specific playstyle. Flitters buzz back and forth across the map, Neeks crawl around on the pegs, Flipflaps and Neckies fly around, Click-Clacks crawl on the pegs, Lockjaws swim around and leap from the water while Shuris spin toward you, Zingers buzz around as they do, and Powans are new ghost enemies who float around in haunted house levels. As for bosses, we have Congazuma, a giant statue that tromps around, Fire Necky, a firebird that flies around and spits fireballs, Davy Bones, a skeletal sea monster that will bite at you, and Sassy Squatch, an abominable snowman who chases you up a ravine and spits ice.

We have a number of levels, though each is generally built around a theme. The first generally has a jungle theme, the second with a desert theme, the third with a water theme, the fourth with a snow theme, and finally K. Rool's airship, the K. Kruiser III. The K. Kruiser III is getting in for sure if I have anything to say about it. As for items, we have rocks and bombs, and the pegs themselves, but that's about it for now.

Let's see what we've got!

Characters:
Donkey Kong: everything from Country, climb and swing around pegs, launch from pegs, throw rocks and bombs, go bananas
Diddy Kong: everything from Country and Country 2, climb and swing around pegs, launch from pegs, throw rocks and bombs, go bananas
Dixie Kong: everything from Country 2 and Country 3, climb and swing around pegs, launch from pegs, throw rocks and bombs, go bananas
Kiddy Kong: everything from Country 3
Funky Kong: climb and swing around pegs, launch from pegs, throw rocks and bombs, go bananas
Wrinkly Kong: climb and swing around pegs, launch from pegs, throw rocks and bombs, go bananas
Cranky Kong: tutorial for King of Swing
King K. Rool: throw crown, charge, blunderbuss, float, throw bombs, bounce, electric beam, climb and swing around pegs, launch from pegs, throw rocks and bombs, go bananas
Kritter/Klomp/Kobble: walk forward, Kaboing, Klinger, Rekoil, Skidda, climb and swing around pegs, launch from pegs, throw rocks and bombs, go bananas
Krusha/Kruncha/Krumple: walk forward
Kannon: shoot blunderbuss
SPECIAL GUEST: Bubbles

Assist Trophies:
Klaptrap
Rambi
Expresso
Enguarde
Rattly
Squitter
Clapper
Squawks
Ellie

Bosses:
Wild Sting
Giant Clam
Hard Hat
Krow
Kleever
King Zing
Kreepy Krow
Barbos
Bleak
Arich
KAOS
Kongazuma
Fire Necky
Davy Bones
Sassy Squatch

Stages:
Gangplank Galleon Ahoy
Kremlantis
Monkey Mountains & Chimpanzee Clouds
Big Ape City
Gangplank Galleon
Krem Cauldron
Kremland
Gloomy Gulch
K. Rool's Keep
Cape Codswallop
Primate Plain
Blackforest Plateau
Great Ape Lakes
Tin Can Valley
The Lost World
Jungle World
Desert World
Underwater World
Snow World
K. Kruiser III

Thanks for reading! Next up, let's cover the game's sequel, Jungle Climber!

Donkey Kong Land III

DONKEY KONG LAND III

Donkey Kong Land 3 is the third handheld game of the Donkey Kong series, and is to Donkey Kong Country 3 what its predecessors were to their respective country games, meaning they more or less use the same plot and premise, with most of the same assets, but is in itself its own unique game.

Dixie Kong and Kiddy Kong return as the stars, functioning much the same as they did in Country 3, though on a much more simplified level. They work to rescue Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong from Baron K. Roolenstein, who hovers around during his boss battle, bounces across the floor, throws bombs, and uses electric beams to harm the heroes. Wrinkly Kong appears as your save point, and a single bear runs the ship. Enguarde, Squitter, Squawks, and Ellie all return to perform their basic functions.

As for our Kremlings, we see the return of Kobble, Rekoil, Skidda, Krimp, Knocka, Kuchuka, Klasp, Krumple, Koin, Kopter, and Bazuka, all acting the same as they did before. All the rest of our returning enemies include Sneeks, Niknaks, Buzzes, Booty Birds, Bristles, Minkies, Nids, and Karbines, with Bounty Bass, Bazzas, Kocos, and Lurchins filling the waters. Our bosses include Barbos the urchin, Bleak the snowman, Arich the spider, and KAOS the robot, all acting as simplified versions of their previous forms.

The worlds for this game are split up into Cape Codswallop, a coastal region; Primate Plain, a forest region; Blackforest Plateau, a mountainous region; Great Ape Lakes, a watery region; Tin Can Valley, a city area; and the Lost World, a final area. There are no new items added to the game.

Let's see what we've got!

Characters:
Donkey Kong: everything from Country
Diddy Kong: everything from Country and Country 2
Dixie Kong: everything from Country 2 and Country 3
Kiddy Kong: everything from Country 3
King K. Rool: throw crown, charge, blunderbuss, float, throw bombs, bounce, electric beam
Kritter/Klomp/Kobble: walk forward, Kaboing, Klinger, Rekoil, Skidda
Krusha/Kruncha/Krumple: walk forward
Kannon: shoot blunderbuss

Assist Trophies:
Klaptrap
Rambi
Expresso
Enguarde
Rattly
Squitter
Clapper
Squawks
Ellie

Bosses:
Wild Sting
Giant Clam
Hard Hat
Krow
Kleever
King Zing
Kreepy Krow
Barbos
Bleak
Arich
KAOS

Stages:
Gangplank Galleon Ahoy
Kremlantis
Monkey Mountains & Chimpanzee Clouds
Big Ape City
Gangplank Galleon
Krem Cauldron
Kremland
Gloomy Gulch
K. Rool's Keep
Cape Codswallop
Primate Plain
Blackforest Plateau
Great Ape Lakes
Tin Can Valley
The Lost World

Thanks for reading! Next up, we'll cover the two slight spinoff games, King of Swing and Jungle Climber!

Donkey Kong Land 2

DONKEY KONG LAND 2

Donkey Kong Land 2 follows after its predecessor by basically being an almost remake of its Country counterpart with the same premise and assets. It has its own unique levels, so it doesn't quite count as a remake, but unlike Land 1, it doesn't even really make a token effort to explain its recycled plot, mostly just being the same story all over again.

Donkey Kong has been captured by Kaptain K. Rool, leading Diddy and Dixie to try and save him. The pair function much the same as they did in Country 2, just much more simplified. Rambi, Enguarde, Rattly, Squitter, Clapper, and Squawks all return this time around, each doing much as they did in the other game. Kaptain K. Rool's battle plays out much the same, using his blunderbuss to fire cannonballs and suck them back in.

The Kremlings Klomp, Klobber, Klinger, Kruncha, Kaboing, Krockhead, Klampon, Kannon, and Krook all return performing the same function that they served in the previous games. Other returning enemies include Neeks, Click-Clacks, Zingers, Flotsams, Shuris, Lockjaws, Flitters, Puftups, and Spinies, also performing their basic functions. There are no unique enemies like the previous game. Even the bosses remain the same with this game with Krow, Kleever, King Zing, and Kreepy Krow all returning.

The stages follow the same basic structure of a random assortment of biomes within each world, but the worlds themselves do have a general theme to them, those being: Gangplank Galleon, a pirate ship; Krem Cauldron, a volcano; Kremland, an amusement park; Gloomy Gulch, an underwater world; and K. Rool's Keep, a castle. The items remain the same as before.

Let's see what we've got!

Characters:
Donkey Kong: everything from Country
Diddy Kong: everything from Country and Country 2
Dixie Kong: everything from Country 2
King K. Rool: throw crown, charge, blunderbuss
Kritter/Klomp: walk forward, Kaboing, Klinger
Krusha/Kruncha: walk forward
Kannon: shoot blunderbuss

Assist Trophies:
Klaptrap
Rambi
Expresso
Enguarde
Rattly
Squitter
Clapper
Squawks

Bosses:
Wild Sting
Giant Clam
Hard Hat
Krow
Kleever
King Zing
Kreepy Krow

Stages:
Gangplank Galleon Ahoy
Kremlantis
Monkey Mountains & Chimpanzee Clouds
Big Ape City
Gangplank Galleon
Krem Cauldron
Kremland
Gloomy Gulch
K. Rool's Keep

Thanks for reading! Come back tomorrow for Donkey Kong Land 2!

Donkey Kong Land

DONKEY KONG LAND

Today, let's start in on the Donkey Kong handheld games with Donkey Kong Land. Now, the first three handhelds, the Land series, are an odd case as they seem almost like simplified remakes of the Country games, with the same protagonists, basic plot, and assets. Donkey Kong Land kinda tries to be a separate story, with Cranky begrudging Donkey and Diddy their success and daring them that they couldn't do the same thing in a handheld format, but from there, there's not even much difference in plot. However, they are mostly different games, with different levels to play through, so I don't think they quite count as remakes.

Donkey Kong Land features Donkey and Diddy as our main characters, acting more or less the same as they did in the first country game, with Rambi and Expresso returning as our Animal Buddies (no Enguarde or Winky, I guess). King K. Rool returns as the villain, with his boss battle playing out more or less the same. Kritters, Klaptraps, and Krushas all return as our resident Kremlings, with Gnawties, Armies, Neckies, and Zingers all returning as well. A few new enemies include: snakes called Slippas; Hogwash the Flying Pig, who shoots projectiles; and Gloops, Fangfish, Nemos, Chomps, Flappers, and Clambos, all various types of fish and aquatic life who live in the waters. Three bosses appear in the game, these being Wild Sting, a stingray who can flap around in the air, Giant Clam, a giant clam who teleports and spits pearls at you, and Hard Hat, a mole who digs around and throws his helmet at you.

The stages tend to be a bit of a random mix of themes, though they are separated into four distinct worlds. These are: Gangplank Galleon Ahoy, a pirate ship-themed world; Kremlantis, an underwater-themed world; Monkey Mountains & Chimpanzee Clouds, a snow/sky-themed world; and Big Ape City, a city-themed world. As for items, it's pretty much everything from the first game.

Let's see what we've got!

Characters:
Donkey Kong: everything from Country
Diddy Kong: everything from Country
King K. Rool: throw crown, charge
Kritter: walk forward
Krusha: walk forward

Assist Trophies:
Klaptrap
Rambi
Expresso

Bosses:
Wild Sting
Giant Clam
Hard Hat

Stages:
Gangplank Galleon Ahoy
Kremlantis
Monkey Mountains & Chimpanzee Clouds
Big Ape City

Thanks for reading! Come back tomorrow for Donkey Kong Land 2!

Super Smash Bros. Universe (Donkey Kong Country) Roster

SUPER SMASH BROS. UNIVERSE

DONKEY KONG COUNTRY

Today, we create a fully new roster, specifically for the Donkey Kong Country series. The idea would be that, since EVERYTHING is included, the character select would open on a sprawling map with areas for video games, movies, books, etc. Clicking on any of these options would then bring up the major companies that produced all of the different properties within (Nintendo, Sega, etc. within video games). If one were to click Nintendo from there, it would then bring up all of the major properties, that you could then click on to find a roster of that series's characters. Connected series, like Super Mario and Donkey Kong, would both have a navigation on the Nintendo roster, but could both be accessed from each other's roster as well, with a navigation option at the end of their roster beside the random option.

1. Donkey Kong
2. Diddy Kong
3. Dixie Kong
4. King K. Rool
5. Cranky Kong
6. Funky Kong
7. Tiny Kong
8. Lanky Kong
9. Chunky Kong
10. Kiddy Kong
11. Donkey Kong Jr.
12. Stanley the Bugman
13. Kritter
14. Krusha
15. Klump
16. Tucks
17. Tiki Tong
18. Lord Fredrik

A Mario Series Roster navigation selection would fall right after Lord Fredrik.

Super Smash Bros. Universe (Super Mario Bros.) Roster, Updated

SUPER SMASH BROS. UNIVERSE

SUPER MARIO BROS.

Well, to put it simply, I decided the whole "moving up in the roster based on number of revisions" thing was kinda dumb, not least because I discovered too late that it gave an unanticipated advantage to the common enemy characters that appear in every game when even the main characters do not. So, instead I'm trying to order them more in line with the logic dictating their placement in my character sheet list orders.

1. Mario
2. Fursuit Mario
3. F.L.U.D.D. Mario
4. Luigi
5. Princess Peach
6. Princess Daisy
7. Rosalina and Luma
8. Cappy
9. Toad
9e. Toadette
10. Yoshi
11. Wario
12. Bowser
12e. Dry Bowser
13. Bowser Jr.
14. Shadow Mario
15. The Koopalings
16. Kamek
17. Pauline
18. Wart
19. Tatanga
20. Captain Syrup
21. Pianta
22. Sprixie Princess
23. Koopa Troopa
23e. Dry Bones
24. Shy Guy
25. Goomba
26. Piranha Plant
27. Boo
27e. King Boo
28. Blooper
29. Lakitu and Spinies
30. Monty Mole
31. Hammer Bro
32. Chargin' Chuck
33. Honeybee
34. Boom Boom
34e. Pom Pom
35. Birdo
36. Petey Piranha
37. The Broodals

On a character select screen, a DK Series Roster navigation selection would be available immediately between the Broodals and the random option.

Character Sheet: Lord Fredrik (DK Main Series)

LORD FREDRIK

Here we, here we, here we go! So they're finally here, a-smashing for you. If you know their moves, you can join in too. Put your hands together if you want to clap, as we take you through this monkey roster:

1. Donkey Kong (Revision 1)
2. Diddy Kong
3. Dixie Kong
4. King K. Rool
5. Cranky Kong
6. Funky Kong
7. Tiny Kong
8. Lanky Kong
9. Chunky Kong
10. Kiddy Kong
11. Kritter
12. Krusha
13. Klump
14. Tucks
15. Tiki Tong
16. Lord Fredrik

Today, let's go over the second of the Retro Studios villains created for the new series of games, and the one more in line with the spirit of King K. Rool, Lord Fredrik! Lord Fredrik is the main villain of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze and leader of the Snowmads, who uses a magical horn to freeze DK Isle and conquer it as his own. He has plenty of moves of his own, but also as a member of the walrus-like Waldough line of Snowmads, he can also represent them too.

Lord Fredrik makes his debut in the game, blowing into his horn, from which bursts forth an icy dragon that freezes the entire island. He also uses the ice dragons in his boss fight, but to much smaller effect with them freezing a section of the battle stage. He will also jump around and charge across the stage, and use his horn to blast spike balls and enemies onto the stage. His Waldough relatives are also shown to carry around bags of fish that they then throw as projectiles, carry shields, throw gigantic snowballs, and swing around a giant mace with pufferfish on both ends.

Let's see what we can do with all that:

Standard B: Fish Poker
Lord Fredrik's first move will be to make use of the mace wielded by the enemy Fish Poker Pops. He will raise the mace above his head and charge the attack before slamming it down with the puffer fish expanding on impact.

Side B: Chum Chucker
This move is based on the enemy Chum Chucker Charlie, where Lord Fredrik will pull out a bag full of fish and throw them over his head like projectiles at enemies.

Up B: Hootz
This one makes use of one of the unlucky Snowmad types not to make it in, but also reflects Fredrik's position as leader of the Snowmads as well as his penchant for using his minions to his own advantage in a fight. He will grab onto a hootz's legs and let it carry him high into the air.

Down B: Snowmad Horn
He will whip out his giant horn and blow into it, launching several ice balls into the air which will then rain down on top of the other opponents.

Final Smash: Ice Dragon
I mean, what else is there? Lord Fredrik will blow into his horn and an icy dragon will burst forth encircling the stage and freezing both it and any players on it in solid ice. This ice effect will last for a short time after the attack, during which Fredrik is free to do as he pleases.

Entrance: He gets up off of his throne, just like when the Kongs approach in game.

Taunts: Well, since he, like K. Rool, has a prominent belly, the bombastic belly slap wouldn't go amiss here. Also, maybe him ordering a Snowmad around or something.

Thanks for reading! Now that our characters are completed, let's review the roster once again!

Character Sheet: Tiki Tong (DK Main Series)

TIKI TONG

Here we, here we, here we go! So they're finally here, a-smashing for you. If you know their moves, you can join in too. Put your hands together if you want to clap, as we take you through this monkey roster:

1. Donkey Kong (Revision 1)
2. Diddy Kong
3. Dixie Kong
4. King K. Rool
5. Cranky Kong
6. Funky Kong
7. Tiny Kong
8. Lanky Kong
9. Chunky Kong
10. Kiddy Kong
11. Kritter
12. Krusha
13. Klump
14. Tucks
15. Tiki Tong
16. Lord Fredrik

When Retro Studios took over production of Donkey Kong Country, many elements got overhauled and many left out entirely. One such major change was the absence of DK's longtime nemesis, King K. Rool, and his Kremlings, replaced first by the Tiki Tak Tribe in Donkey Kong Country Returns, and the Snowmads in Tropical Freeze. While King K. Rool would go on to resurface in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, some understandable trepidation was held toward these two villains as a result of this. Now however, they seem mostly accepted, so why not include them.

Tiki Tong would act here first as a representative of himself, but also as a representative of the Tiki Tak tribe as a whole. The concept I have in my head is that the main body would be made up of Tong's head and heads, with other Tikis encircling him at all times. Between them all, the Tikis have a number of abilities. Tong himself could spew lava from his mouth and used his hands to attack with all manner of slaps and swipes. His generals frequently used the ability to hypnotize others into doing their bidding. Tiki Buzzes could fly, Tiki Boings could bounce on springs, Tiki Torches and Tiki Bombers could light themselves on fire, Tiki Zings were spinning discs with razor blades around their edges, Tiki Pops could explode thanks to their bombs, and Tiki Seekers could warp around through wormholes and spit razor blades from their mouths.

Here's the moveset I cam up with:

Standard B: Tiki Zing
Tiki Tong will send out a Tiki Zing in a straight line that will extend its blades and spin rapidly, slicing up any enemy caught by it and keeping them trapped for a short period of time.

Side B: Tiki Seeker
Tiki Tong will send forward a wormhole that will go as far as directed by the player (acting much like Zelda's Din's Fire or Ness's PK Flash), and once stopped, will open up to reveal a Tiki Seeker's head that will then spit a blade at the closest opponent it sees.

Up B: Tiki Buzz OR Tiki Boing
Either one of these would probably work well and I just can't decide between them. On the one hand, Tiki Tong could be carried high into the air on ropes pulled by two Tiki Buzzes, or a Tiki Boing could appear on the ground and bounce Tiki Tong into the air. You decide.

Down B: Banana Magma
Tiki Tong will spew a river of burning lava from his mouth just like at the beginning of his boss fight. The lava will then spread along the ground, damaging all it touches.

Final Smash: Hypnotism
Tiki Tong's generals will appear in the air around him and play their song, driving all the opposing characters insane, removing control from the players temporarily, and causing the characters to charge around uncontrollably, sometimes off the edge.

Entrance: A volcano will erupt and they will emerge.

Taunts: Maybe play a little bit of their hypnotism jingle, float around and check each other out, so on.

Thanks for reading! Next up, let's cover Tiki Tong's successor, Lord Fredrik!

Character Sheet: Tucks (DK Main Series)

TUCKS

Here we, here we, here we go! So they're finally here, a-smashing for you. If you know their moves, you can join in too. Put your hands together if you want to clap, as we take you through this monkey roster:

1. Donkey Kong (Revision 1)
2. Diddy Kong
3. Dixie Kong
4. King K. Rool
5. Cranky Kong
6. Funky Kong
7. Tiny Kong
8. Lanky Kong
9. Chunky Kong
10. Kiddy Kong
11. Kritter
12. Krusha
13. Klump
14. Tucks
15. Tiki Tong
16. Lord Fredrik

Well, with the Kremlings getting three whole slots here, I suppose it's only fair that their spiritual successor of sorts gets at least one. And, hey, it's an excuse to give the penguins from the Mario series some representation with a possible color swap. The Tucks are a species of penguin who act as the primary enemy types in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, serving under Lord Fredrik. I hadn't expected to include them, but they proved surprisingly versatile.

Tucks have multiple different types, many wearing helmets or spiky helmets that protect them from harm, carry shields, use a bow and arrow to shoot fire arrows or, um, fish. They can throw a giant melon bombs, wield a fishbone spear and jab at you with it, fly and slide on their bellies, bounce on springs, use a giant horn to blow icy fish out of it, and even drive a giant mech during one battle. I'd say that's enough to work with.

Here's the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Archy
I figured the fishbone spear could function more or less as his standard weapon in battle, much like Link's sword. So for his basic special ability, he will pull out his bow and fire off a string of fish that can be hopped across as temporary platforms.

Side B: Icy Horn
The Tucks will pull out a giant horn, nowhere near as big as Lord Fredrik's and blow into it, blowing out an iceball that bounces across the stage and freeze the first opponent it touches.

Up B: Bouncy Jelly
This once makes use of their frequent appearance bouncing on springs and other various bouncy elements, but I decided to make use of one of the game's most creative levels and have him bounce up on a square blob of jelly.

Down B: Boom Bird
He will pull out a giant melon bomb like those frequently used in the game, and throw it. The bomb will bounce a little before it explodes.

Final Smash: Reckless Ride
The Tucks's giant mech that they use in one level of Tropical Freeze rears up behind the stage, moving back and forth on a track, slicing and slashing at the players on the stage.

Entrance: He steps off a Snowmad ship.

Taunts: A little waddle around in a circle, maybe the loud cry from Super Mario 64 if we go the color swap of the Mario penguins route.

Thanks for reading! Next time, let's get started on the first of the two replacement villains for King K. Rool, Tiki Tong!

Character Sheet: Klump (DK Main Series)

KLUMP

Here we, here we, here we go! So they're finally here, a-smashing for you. If you know their moves, you can join in too. Put your hands together if you want to clap, as we take you through this monkey roster:

1. Donkey Kong (Revision 1)
2. Diddy Kong
3. Dixie Kong
4. King K. Rool
5. Cranky Kong
6. Funky Kong
7. Tiny Kong
8. Lanky Kong
9. Chunky Kong
10. Kiddy Kong
11. Kritter
12. Krusha
13. Klump
14. Tucks
15. Tiki Tong
16. Lord Fredrik

As stated before, these three Kremling slots are centered mostly around the three prominent types of Kremling, but tend to be a mishmash of all the different types of Kremlings' abilities, though with generally a connecting theme between them. Klump is the fat one of the Kremlings, decked out in an army hat and a utility belt, who you cannot convince me is not based on Sgt. Schultz from Hogan's Heroes. Klumps, or slight variants, appear in all four original games, often acting as the comic relief among them.

Here's the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Orange Grenade
This move is based on the common item seen frequently in Donkey Kong 64, an orange that the Kong's can pick up and throw, which will explode on impact. The Klumps present in that game will also throw these grenades as their main gimmick.

Side B: Kannon
This move is based on the Kannon enemy from Country 2, a Klump who will walk around carry a personal cannon/blunderbuss and use it to fire cannonballs at their enemies. As this one is directly tied to the Klumps themselves, this one works too.

Up B: Kopter
So, this one needs a little explaining. When laying out all the different kinds, there were mostly two upward-moving types of Kremlings, these being the Kaboing/Rekoil enemies, and the Kopters. Kaboing went to the Kritters, leaving Kopter to be split between Krusha and Klump (this is why I fudged just a little and gave Krusha the Barrel Blast move). I figured as Klumps and Kopters both appear as playable in Barrel Blast, it sort of works. Basically, Klump would pull out two propeller blades and spin around really fast to carry himself into the air.

Down B: Koin
The connection here is also a little bit of a stretch, but I figure it works too. Koins, or Koindozers, were enemies who appeared in Country 3, holding a shield out in front of themselves that they would move around to be constantly blocking enemies. Klump would hold out this shield to deflect all attacks, and can move it once out to hold it above his head as a platform.

Final Smash: Gangplank Galleon
And now, we come to the third of the potential Final Smashes I had marked down and divvied up to the one it worked for most. The Gangplank Galleon will appear in the background of the stage, being sailed by a crew of Klumps, which will then fire its cannons at the stage, bombarding the players with incoming cannonballs.

Entrance: It would be fun to have him stumble in the way he did in the opening cutscene of Donkey Kong 64.

Taunts: His lumbering stance with his belly out could be accentuated, maybe his stumbling again, so on.

Thanks for reading! Next up, we'll cover the surprise addition for this round, the Tucks enemy.

Character Sheet: Krusha (DK Main Series)

KRUSHA

Here we, here we, here we go! So they're finally here, a-smashing for you. If you know their moves, you can join in too. Put your hands together if you want to clap, as we take you through this monkey roster:

1. Donkey Kong (Revision 1)
2. Diddy Kong
3. Dixie Kong
4. King K. Rool
5. Cranky Kong
6. Funky Kong
7. Tiny Kong
8. Lanky Kong
9. Chunky Kong
10. Kiddy Kong
11. Kritter
12. Krusha
13. Klump
14. Tucks
15. Tiki Tong
16. Lord Fredrik

As established in the Kritter sheet, the Kremlings are a bit of a mess to try to figure out, with a million different names attached to Kremlings who do only one specific thing. However, I was able to sort through them and tie them all down to three main Kremling types: Kritter, Krusha, and Klump. Krushas were the main musclebound Kremlings who featured in the animated series and throughout the games. They also had an odd playable appearance in the multiplayer of Donkey Kong 64 for some reason.

Here's the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Kudgel
This move is based on various enemies including the ally character Klubba, the boss Kudgel, and the short versions of them from 64, most of which bear a strong resemblance to Krusha, so it works. Basically, Krusha will lift a giant club over his head and slam it down on an opponents head.

Side B: Bazuka
This is based both on the enemy, the Bazuka, a type of Kremling carrying around a gigantic cannon from which they fire giant projectiles, as well as on Krusha's playable appearance in 64 where he uses a bazooka similar to Chunky's pineapple launcher. Basically, he'd kneel down, lift the weapon over his shoulder, and fire.

Up B: Barrel Blast
This was probably the only thing not from this original set of games, as we came up just slightly short, but as I already mostly knew about Barrel Blast, and how the character Kludge in that is basically a Krusha or a Kudgel, I figure it works. A pair of rocket barrels with appear and launch Krusha high into the air.

Down B: Kasplat
This one is based on the enemy from Donkey Kong 64 known for keeping Snide's blueprints and slamming their fists on the ground to create shockwaves. As they seemed to have more or less taken Krusha's place in the main trio in that game, I suppose it works. Krusha will recreate their shockwave attack.

Final Smash: Kackle
Kackle is the name of a giant skeletal ghostly Kremling that stalks Diddy and Dixie all throughout a level of Country 2. In this final smash, Krusha will summon Kackle who will appear looming over the stage and will slash and bite at the fighters on the stage.

Entrance: Climb down from a vine in reference to the Klinger enemies.

Taunt: I could see a boastful cackle puffing out his chest. Maybe Klubba's animation when he charged you for assistance. So on.

Thanks for reading! Next up, we'll finish up the Kremlings with Klump!

Character Sheet: Kritter (DK Main Series)

KRITTER

Here we, here we, here we go! So they're finally here, a-smashing for you. If you know their moves, you can join in too. Put your hands together if you want to clap, as we take you through this monkey roster:

1. Donkey Kong (Revision 1)
2. Diddy Kong
3. Dixie Kong
4. King K. Rool
5. Cranky Kong
6. Funky Kong
7. Tiny Kong
8. Lanky Kong
9. Chunky Kong
10. Kiddy Kong
11. Kritter
12. Krusha
13. Klump
14. Tucks
15. Tiki Tong
16. Lord Fredrik

Kremlings as a bunch were rather frustrating, for lack of a better word. They had a million different species, each one having a different name simply if they did one action differently, and often had a completely different name from each individual game, for instance, Kritters became Klomps and then Kobbles in later games, though they were basically the same thing. So, initially, I had intended going into this to only include Kritter, as he was the basic one that you could tie most of the others too. I felt like if any others were included, it would likely be Krusha and Klump, the muscular and fat variants respectively, as they do feature prominently in several appearances, but I had resigned myself to the idea that they just wouldn't make it in this time.

That was however, until I finished up the game reviews, and laid out every single type of Kremling in front of me and started drawing lines connecting the various types, at which point I realized, there actually was in fact enough to go around for all three of them and it generally made sense within the context of their games. So, that's what I did. I'll do my best to explain the connections for each move.

Here's the moveset I came up with for Kritter:

Standard B: Krook
Krooks were Kremlings wearing heavy trenchcoats that mainly appeared in Donkey Kong Country 2. While they were basically Kritters, they could throw out large fishing hooks that would loop around back to them like boomerangs.

Side B: Krash
A very common element of the Donkey Kong games is the minecart sections, during which the Kongs will often encounter Kritters riding around in other minecarts that will either throw bombs or crash into them. For this move, a minecart will appear that the Kritter can ride or simply send barreling forward to crash into opponents.

Up B: Kaboing
While the move takes its name from the basic jumping versions of the Kritters of Country 2 (Klomps), I actually went with the design of the move from the Re-Koils of Country 3 (who I'm convinced would have been called Kaboings had the name not been taken). The Kritter will bounce on its tail Tigger-style and spring high into the air.

Down B: Kaboom
Throughout most of the games, there are variants of the Kritter that like to hide out in barrels, protecting them from harm and allowing them to attack by throwing things from their barrel. They also frequently had variants that hid in TNT barrels that would explode when hit. This is a bit of a mix. This move will allow the Kritter to hide in a barrel, protecting it from harm, but it also acts as a counter, exploding the second it gets hit.

Final Smash: King Kut Out
To be honest, the hardest part in all of this was figuring out the Final Smashes for each character. While most of the various Kremling variants worked well as basic special moves, not many of them worked too well for a Final Smash. However, for the Kritter, I decided on DK 64's possibly most ridiculous boss, which features two Kritters raising up and moving around a giant cutout of King K. Rool which fires missiles at its opponents.

Entrance: Maybe skidding onto the stage, paying reference to the Skiddas.

Taunts: Lord only knows. A number of the taunts and noises the various Kremlings could work. It would also be fun to have him harassed by a Klaptrap just like in 64.

Thanks for reading! Next time, we'll cover the next Kremling character, Krusha.

Character Sheet: Kiddy Kong (DK Main Series)

KIDDY KONG

Here we, here we, here we go! So they're finally here, a-smashing for you. If you know their moves, you can join in too. Put your hands together if you want to clap, as we take you through this monkey roster:

1. Donkey Kong (Revision 1)
2. Diddy Kong
3. Dixie Kong
4. King K. Rool
5. Cranky Kong
6. Funky Kong
7. Tiny Kong
8. Lanky Kong
9. Chunky Kong
10. Kiddy Kong
11. Kritter
12. Krusha
13. Klump
14. Tucks
15. Tiki Tong
16. Lord Fredrik

And now it's time to tackle Kiddy Kong, who seems to be, as far as I can tell, everyone's least favorite Kong. Me, personally, I always thought he was a cute kid, who had a fun dynamic with Dixie, so maybe I just don't see it. Either way, Kiddy is Chunky's little brother and Dixie's cousin, who she's tasked with babysitting during her adventure in Country 3, resulting in her taking him into several situations a baby ought not to be in.

In contrast to Dixie, Kiddy was large and strong in kind of a reverse to the Donkey/Diddy dynamic in the first game. As the only main character unique to Country 3, he can act as a representative of anything unique to that game in particular, whatever that may be. The barrel rocket is first seem in that game, so there's that. He also had a penchant for throwing giant rocks, and had the boat and plane supplied by Funky to work with. And as Chunky's brother, I suppose we can also take some loose inspiration from him, but certainly not the whole moveset.

So, here's what we've got:

Standard B: Boulder
Since Kiddy was known for chucking rocks as well as his brother, it makes sense for this move to remain, though maybe he would use slightly smaller rocks than Chunky would.

Side B: Ellie the Elephant
One of the main Animal Buddies unique to Country 3 that doesn't appear in many other games, it could make sense for her to show up in his moveset, especially since her main skill was lifted from Rambi, and we only really need one charging heavyweight for our Assist Trophy roster. She could charge forward with Kiddy clinging to her, maybe spraying with her trunk as she does so.

Up B: Barrel Rocket
Kiddy would use the rocket first used in this game to fly up high into the sky. The player would have some limited control over the direction of the rocket, though the intense speed makes it difficult.

Down B: Hovercraft
This one makes use of the Hovercraft supplied by Funky, though it functions more based on Kiddy's childlike personality rather than Funky's laidback surfer chill. Kiddy would pop out the hovercraft and bounce up and down on it excitedly, splashing water everywhere.

Final Smash: Banana Bird Queen
This one takes reference from the final cutscene of Country 3, where Dixie and Kiddy return all of the queen's babies to her, freeing her from the magical barrier holding her in place, after which she hunts down K. Rool and drops a giant egg on top of him. So basically, the Queen would appear in the sky, fly around above the stage for a bit, and finally drop a massive egg on top of the stage, that Kiddy would then sit on top of.

Entrance: Bursts out of a barrel

Taunts: Whatever you include, it has to feature that clueless, open-mouthed smile that he does.

Thanks for reading! Next up, it's time to move on to the complicated set of characters that is the Kremlings!

Character Sheet: Chunky Kong (DK Main Series)

CHUNKY KONG

Here we, here we, here we go! So they're finally here, a-smashing for you. If you know their moves, you can join in too. Put your hands together if you want to clap, as we take you through this monkey roster:

1. Donkey Kong (Revision 1)
2. Diddy Kong
3. Dixie Kong
4. King K. Rool
5. Cranky Kong
6. Funky Kong
7. Tiny Kong
8. Lanky Kong
9. Chunky Kong
10. Kiddy Kong
11. Kritter
12. Krusha
13. Klump
14. Tucks
15. Tiki Tong
16. Lord Fredrik

Finally, he's here for you! It's the last member (or well, ninth member) of the DK roster! This Kong's so strong, it isn't funny. He can make an opponent cry out for "Mummy!" He can pick up a boulder with relative ease, which makes crushing rocks seem such a breeze. He may move slow, he can't jump high, but this Kong's one heck of a guy. Well, here we are. The last of the 64 crew. Chunky Kong is the older brother of Kiddy Kong, and was generally the biggest and strongest of the 64 characters.

As mentioned above, Chunky would fall into the heavier and slower characters, with tremendous strength to make up for it. In 64, he could pick up gigantic boulders and other items with ease and could chuck them some distance. He could use a giant punch not dissimilar to Donkey Kong's, turn invisible, become gigantic, and throw a large roundhouse punch for good measure, on top of a pineapple launching bazooka, and a triangle for an instrument.

So, here's what we've got:

Standard B: Boulder
So for his first move, I'm going to use the "Pick up a boulder with relative ease" move for him, since it has become a bit iconic for him. (Gosh, that's going to look weird seeing Kirby do it). He'll pick up a gigantic rock and launch it overhead as a projectile.

Side B: Pineapple Launcher
Chunky pulls out his pineapple-launching bazooka and fires it at his enemies, making a big old splatter when it impacts.

Up B: Primate Punch
Since he doesn't have very many upward-moving skills, I went with his punch and his tendency to spin out and make himself dizzy when he does it, operating under the idea that he punched so hard and so fast that he sends himself spinning into the air while doing it.

Down B: Hunky Chunky
Given its connection to Tiny's Mini-Monkey, Chunky's down B makes him grow gigantic for a short period of time, giving a boost to his stats, but making him even slower.

Final Smash: Triangle Trample
As with all the DK 64 specific characters, Chunky will likewise pull out his musical instrument, this time the triangle, and play a short tune on it, sending characters around him flying.

Entrance: Bursts out of a barrel

Taunts: I rather like his disco getup in the DK rap video, also the way he seems to panic if you're about to choose him on the select screen.

Thanks for reading! Next up, let's finish the Kongs up with Chunky's little brother Kiddy Kong!

Character Sheet: Lanky Kong (DK Main Series)

LANKY KONG

Here we, here we, here we go! So they're finally here, a-smashing for you. If you know their moves, you can join in too. Put your hands together if you want to clap, as we take you through this monkey roster:

1. Donkey Kong (Revision 1)
2. Diddy Kong
3. Dixie Kong
4. King K. Rool
5. Cranky Kong
6. Funky Kong
7. Tiny Kong
8. Lanky Kong
9. Chunky Kong
10. Kiddy Kong
11. Kritter
12. Krusha
13. Klump
14. Tucks
15. Tiki Tong
16. Lord Fredrik

He has no style. He has no grace. This Kong has a funny face. He can handstand when he need to, and stretch his arms out just for you, inflate himself just like a balloon. This crazy Kong just digs this blog. Lanky Kong is yet another playable character added specifically for Donkey Kong 64, and probably the only one not hearkening back to a previous Kong.

Lanky Kong's main gimmick is that he's . . . well, weird. He's generally very stretchy and moves awkwardly, preferring to run on his hands rather than his feet. In the game, those things that were specific to him included the ability to stretch his arms out and spin around, using a multi-slap technique. He could jump a little farther using his long arms like a jump rope, and could run faster while doing a handstand. He could also, ahem, inflate himself just like a balloon, allowing him to float high into the air, he could use a straw to shoot grapes like spitwads, and he had a trombone for his personal instrument.

So, let's see what we've got:

Standard B: Grape Shooter
He pulls out his shooter and spits grapes forward, generally acting as a basic pellet attack common to various characters, doing minimal damage.

Side B: Multiple Slaps
Lanky will lash out with his long arms, slapping his foes multiple times and doing heavier damage than his grape shooters.

Up B: Baboon Balloon
Lanky will inflate like a balloon, allowing him to drift slowly upward into the air. It's one of the slower recovery moves in the game, but difficult to break.

Down B: Orangutan Spin
Lanky will stand on his head, stretch his arms out to the side and spin like a top, knocking over any opponents swept by his spinning arms.

Final Smash: Trombone Tremor
Just like his previous cast members, Lanky will pull out his personal instrument, this time a trombone and play a short tune with it, blowing away all opponents around him.

Entrance: Break out of a barrel.

Taunts: His "Hehe" sound effect certainly has to be included. I rather like how he stands when idle with his long arms crossed over the back of his head, and so on.

Thanks for reading! Next time, we'll talk about his teammate, Chunky Kong!

Character Sheet: Tiny Kong (DK Main Series)

TINY KONG

Here we, here we, here we go! So they're finally here, a-smashing for you. If you know their moves, you can join in too. Put your hands together if you want to clap, as we take you through this monkey roster:

1. Donkey Kong (Revision 1)
2. Diddy Kong
3. Dixie Kong
4. King K. Rool
5. Cranky Kong
6. Funky Kong
7. Tiny Kong
8. Lanky Kong
9. Chunky Kong
10. Kiddy Kong
11. Kritter
12. Krusha
13. Klump
14. Tucks
15. Tiki Tong
16. Lord Fredrik

This Kong's got style, so listen up, dudes! She can shrink in size to suit her mood. She's quick and nimble when she needs to be. She can fly through the air and climb up trees. If you choose her, you'll not choose wrong. With a skip and a hop, she's one cool Kong! So, basically, Tiny Kong is Dixie Kong's little sister and one of the main playable characters in Donkey Kong 64. She plays very much like Dixie, to the extent that, if Dixie were already on the roster and they just wanted to throw in an easy echo, Tiny would be a solid choice.

Now, as many probably know, Tiny undergoes a growth spurt between this one and her later appearances that seems to make many uncomfortable and me personally just a bit confused (mostly because her "elder" sister did not?). The main reason I bring this up is simply the question of which version is represented in her character model. She only appears in a handful of games total, so there's not enough reason to separate them, but their model's size difference makes them probably not work as alternative color swaps (then again, there's a big difference between Lemmy and Morton, isn't there?). I don't know. It probably doesn't matter. At any rate, she has a lot of Dixie's moveset, being able to fly with her pigtails and flick things with them. 64 also gave her the ability to teleport across special pads, shrink down really small, fire feather arrows with her bow, and play the saxophone.

Let's see what we've got:

Standard B: Hair Flick
Functioning more or less in the same manner as her sister's standard B, though with Tiny having two of them, she might be able to do double the damage.

Side B: Feather Bow
Tiny will pull out her feather bow from Donkey Kong 64, pull back on it, and fire a feather arrow at her opponents. It will function more or less like other bow and arrow attacks in the game, though I would give her the ability to change the trajectory while charging.

Up B: Pigtail Twirl
Same as Dixie's pretty much, but it will carry her into the air higher than Dixie's would, demonstrating her lighter weight by comparison.

Down B: Mini-Monkey
Tiny Kong will shrink down to tiny size just like in 64 . . . Oh . . . maybe that's what we could do. Okay, we have two options: Either she just shrinks down really tiny and it lasts for a little while before reverting back OR the move switches her between little girl and teenager forms at will, with no difference in playstyle other than stats. What do you think?

Final Smash: Saxophone Slam
Somewhat in the same style as her sister's, Tiny Kong will pull out her saxophone and play a tune on it in a cutscene, sending everyone flying.

Entrance: Burst out of a barrel.

Taunt: Any of her moves from her dancing in the Rap scene, twirling her pigtails, stringing her bow, etc.

Thanks for reading! Next up, let's cover the funny-faced Kong himself, Lanky Kong!

Character Sheet: Funky Kong (DK Main Series)

FUNKY KONG

Here we, here we, here we go! So they're finally here, a-smashing for you. If you know their moves, you can join in too. Put your hands together if you want to clap, as we take you through this monkey roster:

1. Donkey Kong (Revision 1)
2. Diddy Kong
3. Dixie Kong
4. King K. Rool
5. Cranky Kong
6. Funky Kong
7. Tiny Kong
8. Lanky Kong
9. Chunky Kong
10. Kiddy Kong
11. Kritter
12. Krusha
13. Klump
14. Tucks
15. Tiki Tong
16. Lord Fredrik

Of all the Kongs that could have had a DK rap verse . . . Funky Kong is a, I guess, family friend of the Kongs and the all-around cool guy on the island. He normally runs some type of shop wherein he supplies the Kongs with the vehicles they'll need on their journey (normally planes, but also a hovercraft in Country 3), or various weapons in 64, or simply a general store taking over from Cranky in Tropical Freeze. For most of these games, he is not playable, with the exception of Tropical Freeze's Switch re-release, but as has been stated we won't be covering that here. (I do make the exception to use some moves from there if they are tied to elements of his character already established).

Typically, Funky is seen as a surfer, hanging out with shades and a surfboard, fixing up his plane or his various other vehicles. In 64, I guess he joined the military, running an army surplus store where he supplies the Kongs with various weapons. In the end of the game, he uses his own weapon, a bazooka that fires a large boot into King K. Rool's backside and sending him flying. You may notice above that Funky is the only one of the largely peripheral Kongs to be added to the roster this time around, with Wrinkly, Candy, and Swanky all missing out (for now), but this is largely because the guy just has that much to him.

Here's what I came up with:

Standard B: Bazooka Boot
Based on the finishing move he used against King K. Rool in Donkey Kong 64, Funky will pull out a bazooka with a boot strapped to the end, firing it and kicking opponents off the stage.

Side B: Hovercraft
Funky will hop into his hovercraft from Country 3 and ride it like a surfboard as it surfs across the stage on a small wave of water. This also give a modicum of upward mobility when performed in the air.

Up B: Surfboard
This is the main reason I made my small caveat for the Tropical Freeze re-release up above. Simply, the move is just too iconic to the character. And, he's almost never without the surfboard, so I feel it counts. Funky will hop onto his surfboard and hover into the air while on top of it.

Down B: Item Shop
This one acts more or less as a nod to his time working as a shopkeeper, throughout the games but most notably in Tropical Freeze. A menu will pop up allowing him to purchase either a balloon, which will take away some damage, Squawks, who will grab items for him, or the shield, which will protect him from some attacks.

Final Smash: Biplane
Funky will hop into the biplane he loans out to various Kongs all across his games and take off in it. The plane will fly in from the background, pelting the stage with various types of fruit as Funky waves from the cockpit.

Entrance: He'll be leaning against a barrel, waxing his surfboard

Taunts: Rock out to a boom box, make a number of cool poses, adjust his shades, maybe the demonstration of a weapon's abilities he does in 64 (you know, neeeow, ratatatatat!)

Thanks for reading! Next up, we'll be covering Dixie's little sister (or maybe not so much), Tiny Kong!

Character Sheet: Cranky Kong (DK Main Series)

CRANKY KONG

Here we, here we, here we go! So they're finally here, a-smashing for you. If you know their moves, you can join in too. Put your hands together if you want to clap, as we take you through this monkey roster:

1. Donkey Kong (Revision 1)
2. Diddy Kong
3. Dixie Kong
4. King K. Rool
5. Cranky Kong
6. Funky Kong
7. Tiny Kong
8. Lanky Kong
9. Chunky Kong
10. Kiddy Kong
11. Kritter
12. Krusha
13. Klump
14. Tucks
15. Tiki Tong
16. Lord Fredrik

Come on, Cranky! Take it to the fridge! Cranky Kong is Donkey Kong's grandfather and something of a mentor character to our heroes. All of his mentoring is filled with Boomer-style "kids these days don't know real blah-blah-blah" grouching, but it's there. Technically speaking, Cranky Kong is supposed to be the original Donkey Kong, whereas the current Donkey Kong is his grandson, giving the games a good way to talk about their arcade history and why these new games are different. It's clever, I must admit. Cranky is probably the only character after Donkey and Diddy to appear in all six games, though Tropical Freeze is the only game where he is playable.

Despite his single playable appearance, the old ape actually does quite a bit across all of his appearances. He uses a walking stick which he uses both to whack enemies with and as a pogo stick to bounce across dangerous terrain. In the very first cutscene of the first game, he uses dynamite against Donkey and Diddy. In Country 3, he throws rocks as part of a minigame hosted by Swanky Kong. In 64, he takes up being a mad scientist and supplies the heroes with potions that give them new abilities, and in Tropical Freeze, he can, um, shoot his dentures at people. Yeah.

So here's what I came up with:

Standard B: Dynamite

Being just a little bit too old to pull of a giant punch any more, Cranky will instead resort to tossing a live stick of dynamite at his opponents, which will then explode, blasting them away.

Side B: Barrel

I figure he has to keep something from his original iconic appearance. Cranky will throw out a large barrel, this barrel being distinctly designed to look like one from the original arcade game, rather than the basic ones of the modern Country franchise.

Up B: Pogo Stick

Cranky will bounce up and down on his pogo stick, being able to reach some impressive heights for an old man with a cane.

Down B: Dentures

Cranky will throw out his teeth which will clack open and closed, latching onto an opponent and biting them, doing some damage with every bite.

Final Smash: Mad Scientist

Cranky will hold up one of his ingenious potions, leading to a cutscene wherein he gives an opponent the potion, they drink it, and as a result experience the weird warping spasms the heroes went through in 64 upon drinking them.

Entrance: Cranky could break out of a barrel like the rest of them, though he could just be sitting on stage, cranking his gramophone like in the first game's cutscene. 

Taunts: Waving his stick around like a grumpy old man, making some comment about "kids these days." Maybe a secret taunt where he gives out hints.

Next up: Let's cover the coolest ape this side of the Northern Kremisphere, Funky Kong!

Character Sheet: King K. Rool (DK Main Series)

KING K. ROOL

Here we, here we, here we go! So they're finally here, a-smashing for you. If you know their moves, you can join in too. Put your hands together if you want to clap, as we take you through this monkey roster:

1. Donkey Kong (Revision 1)
2. Diddy Kong
3. Dixie Kong
4. King K. Rool
5. Cranky Kong
6. Funky Kong
7. Tiny Kong
8. Lanky Kong
9. Chunky Kong
10. Kiddy Kong
11. Kritter
12. Krusha
13. Klump
14. Tucks
15. Tiki Tong
16. Lord Fredrik

King K. Rool is the main villain of the Donkey Kong franchise, or at least he was up until the Retro Studios games. He appears as a king in the first Country game while fighting on a pirate ship, and in the second, he appears as a pirate captain while fighting in a . . . castle? Huh? I think we got something confused here. He then appears as a mad scientist in the third game, and returns to his king form for Donkey Kong 64 (though he dons a boxer outfit for the final battle).

In his first battle, he will throw his crown forward and it will come back to him like a boomerang. He will also charge forward and jump really high before slamming back down and causing cannonballs to drop from above. As Kaptain K. Rool, he will use a blunderbuss to fire cannonballs and he can also use it to suck things back in. As Baron K. Roolenstein, he uses a propeller jetpack to fly around while shooting fireballs and controlling the robot KAOS. In 64, he has a pet Klaptrap that he often sicks on his minions. During his battle, he can create a shockwave on the ground, unleash a giant punch, throw his gloves forward, and bounce off the ropes. He of course has the Blast-o-Matic superweapon at his disposal as well.

Let's see what we've got:

Standard B: Crown Toss
Now, this is technically his side B in Ultimate, but I feel it's far more fitting as his standard, being the most iconic move he uses. He will toss his crown forward and it will come back to him like a boomerang.

Side B: Blunderbuss
He will pull out his blunderbuss from his Kaptain appearance, firing out a cannonball that will circle through the air as a projectile. He can then use the attack again to suck enemies and items toward him.

Up B: Propeller Pack
Of course, his current Up B functions in the role. His pack will appear on his back and carry him really high into the air.

Down B: Belly Counter
Now, this one's kinda difficult. I love his current Down B. His belly expanding as a counter is so in line with his character it's not even funny. However, so far there has been no evidence of the move in game and seems to have been created by the Smash Team. However, with a lack of a good alternate that doesn't seem redundant to the moves of other characters (like the shockwave), I think I'm just going to stick with it.

Final Smash: Blast-o-Matic
It's a giant superweapon capable of destroying an entire island. What else would you have it be, honestly?

Entrance: As he tends to just be waiting for you when you reach his battle, I guess him just dropping in looking smug is as decent as any other move.

Taunt: slapping his belly the way he does, biting at the screen, laughing maniacally, so on.

Thanks for reading! Now, let's cover the original Donkey Kong, Cranky Kong!