Minecart Madness

Speaking of minecarts, one of the most memorable recurring level themes throughout the games are the minecart levels, where in Donkey and Diddy, or whoever you’re playing as, will pile into a cart and navigate a complex roller coaster ride of a course.

This stage will recreate one of those levels. It will take place entirely on a giant minecart with room enough for the fighters as it winds its way through a maze of tracks, often going over jumps and forcing fighters to move to new carts along the way.

Potential theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2y12kv-n-o

Kongo Jungle

The single most common stage type in the Donkey Kong series is the very first one we ever see, a basic jungle level full of trees in the background, with barrels floating here and there to launch you to the next section of the path.

This type of level has been portrayed multiple times in the series so far, with Kongo Jungle of 64 and Kongo Falls and Jungle Japes of Melee all carrying some various aspects of it. I’d honestly be fine bringing back one of these or maybe an amalgam of their best parts.

Potential theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j94t_nQJcLY

Gloomy Gulch

One common level-theme often brought up by those who talk about the game’s revolutionary graphics style is the underwater levels, large, winding mazes full of realistic images of coral and seaweed.

This stage will capture the spirit of these levels. Much like Cheep Cheep Lagoon, the stage will have a unique physics engine that will let the characters swim around a bit. The stage will take place on a large platform that will navigate its way through one of these levels as common underwater enemies swim through.

Potential theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAPpVplHiDE

Gangplank Galleon

One of the most iconic locations, at least in regards to King K. Rool, is the pirate ship where his very first final battle takes place: the Gangplank Galleon, which would likewise open the sequel game, creating a sense of continuity.

The stage will be huge, with the long stretch of deck where Donkey and Diddy faced K. Rool in battle at the stage’s bottom, with a maze of rigging and masts above that characters can chase each other around.

Potential theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cjs1O_NBLmw

Frantic Factory

Just like the Super Mario Bros. series, Donkey Kong Country had its own fair share of recurring level themes. One of the most chaotic of these was the factory levels, full of moving platforms, living barrels that threw fire at you, and other moving parts and obstacles.

This stage will be hectic but fun. It will take place on two large platforms, one slightly higher than the other, with a line of vertically moving platforms on one side, a crushing piston coming down on the other, a living barrel in the center that will try to cause trouble, and a bouncy tire sticking out of the floor.

Potential theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v18pEFQb3EM

Wrinkly Kong

Just like Candy and Funky in the first Donkey Kong Country game, Donkey Kong Country 2 likewise provided players with supporting Kongs who would help out in various ways. Most prominent of these was the introduction of Donkey’s grandmother, Cranky’s wife, who provided players with hints on how to move forward.

This is Wrinkly Kong, a sweet, elderly ape whose personality is entirely opposite from her husband’s. She will reappear again and again throughout the games, passing away of old age before Donkey Kong 64, but still lingering on as a ghost for many more games to come.

As a fighter, Wrinkly will appear in her ghostly form, making her floaty with good defense like all other ghost characters. Her moves will pull from her various supporting roles as well as from one of her rare playable appearances in DK: King of Swing.

Likelihood rating: Piranha Plant clause

Dixie Kong

The first Donkey Kong Country proved a rampant success and a major stepping stone in gaming’s journey on its way to the jump to 3D and more realistic graphics. A sequel was developed and released a year later, this time starring Diddy Kong as he and his girlfriend journeyed to rescue a captured Donkey Kong from Kaptain K. Rool.

This girlfriend is Dixie Kong, a little chimp with a pink beret and a blonde ponytail she can spin at high speeds and use to fly. Over the course of their adventure, these two would work together to overcome any obstacle, Dixie becoming popular enough to take the lead in the later second sequel.

As a fighter, Dixie will be light and floaty as she was to complement Diddy’s speedier playstyle. Her moveset will pull from this game, its sequel, and her later appearances in games like Tropical Freeze.

Likelihood rating: Strong

King K. Rool

All the Kremlings defeated, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong make their way onto the deck of the Kremling ship, the Gangplank Galleon and face off with their leader, a large rotund Kremling wearing a red cape and a golden crown upon his head.

This is King K. Rool, the primary villain of the Donkey Kong series and king of the Kremling crew. He will crop up time and time again, sometimes in new guises such as Kaptain K. Rool and Baron K. Roolenstein. Sadly though, he seems to have dropped off the map a bit in favor of new villains.

As a fighter, he will be both strong and fast, with good defense thanks to his ironclad belly. His moveset will pull from all of his various boss battles throughout the game, both as King K. Rool and his two alter egos.

Likelihood rating: Already in

Diddy Kong

The story opens late one night as Donkey Kong leads his little buddy, a small monkey in a red hat, to his banana horde, charging him to guard it and protect it at all costs.

This little monkey is Diddy Kong, Donkey Kong’s best friend and constant sidekick throughout the series. He acts as the player 2 of this game, acting as a lighter, more agile counterpart to Donkey Kong’s muscle. He would go on to lead in the game’s sequel and maintain a constant presence throughout the rest of the series.

As a fighter, Diddy Kong will be light and agile, with good speed but not a lot of power behind him. His moves will pull from most of his major appearances, including this game, the game’s sequel, and Donkey Kong 64.

Likelihood rating: Already in

Donkey Kong Country Handhelds

DONKEY KONG COUNTRY HANDHELDS

Today, let's cover the handheld remakes of the first three Donkey Kong Country games. These mostly fall in line with the Super Mario Advance games, being more or less faithful recreations with just a few changeups here and there. For instance, Donkey Kong Country now has new intro and ending cutscenes, a few of the bosses have some upgrades, and a few modes like Time Attack and Hero Mode have been added. 

Donkey Kong Country 2 likewise has upgraded cutscenes, a few added minigames and modes, and a whole new boss: a giant fire-breathing Kremling named Kerozene. Donkey Kong Country 3 has a brand new area called Pacifica, complete with a new boss called Kroctopus, and a few new Brothers Bear and Banana Birds.

That's about it! Here's what we've got so far:

Characters:

Mario: handstand, jump, crouch, spin, spin on bar, hammer, spring, key, pick up and throw

Donkey Kong: punch, barrel, stomp, jack, grow giant, throw enemies

Donkey Kong Jr.: hop, throw switches

Pauline

Birdo: Robirdo

All characters appearing in SMB2, SMW, SMW2, and SMB3

All characters appearing in the DKC series

Stages:

Construction Site

Big City

Forest

Ship

Jungle

Desert

Airplane

Iceberg

Rocky-Valley

All stages appearing in SMB2, SMW, SMW2, and SMB3

All stages appearing in DKC series

Thanks for reading! Next up, let's cover Super Mario 64 DS!

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: 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!

Character Sheet: Dixie Kong (DK Main Series)

DIXIE 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

Sadly, Dixie has no verse in the song, and I do not have nearly enough faith in my own songwriting abilities to come up with my own. Sorry. Dixie Kong first appeared in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest as Diddy's girlfriend and sidekick as they journeyed to rescue Donkey from Kaptain K. Rool. She later starred as the main character in Donkey Kong Country 3, but sadly did not appear for 64 or Returns. She finally returns in Tropical Freeze where she acts as one of Donkey's three sidekicks.

In the games, Dixie acts as a bit more floaty fighter than Diddy, using her hair to fly and attack opponents. Obviously this would probably be a major crux of her abilities. She has most of the same abilities from Country 2, being able to perform most of the basic mechanics, as well as being able to pick up and throw her allies. In Country 3, there are a handful of new abilities such as the boat and plane provided by Funky, and Tropical Freeze gives her a bubblegum popgun for use in battle. She can also play the guitar so that could work as well.

Let's see what we've got:

Standard B: Hair Flick
This is her most basic and standard move. Although I'm maybe a little iffy on it (after all it could function perfectly well as any one of her A attacks), I think I'm going to go with it here as it's just so iconic. (Also, can you imagine Kirby flicking the ponytail in the same way?)

Side B: Bubblegum Pop
Although I don't want it to be too much like Diddy's, chewing bubblegum has always been a part of Dixie's character in the games, meaning it works for her. Maybe she will fire it without having to charge, and the gum will then stick to the target, dealing damage.

Up B: Ponytail Twirl
As far as I can tell, Donkey Kong's current Up B in the games was lifted from her, as his animation almost perfectly matches her own in the games, so I think it's only fitting that the move be returned. She will spin rapidly with her ponytail, not doing as much damage as DK, but also gaining a bit more upward momentum.

Down B: Grab and Throw
A newer mechanic to Country 2, Dixie Kong can grab enemies, allies, and certain items with her ponytail and can then throw them back out as projectiles. It would work similarly to the moves given to those in Super Mario Bros. 2 with the pick up and throw, with some elements from Isabelle's fishing hook.

Final Smash: Guitar Gazump
Stolen somewhat from Diddy Kong, but considering she played the guitar first, I think it works out fine. Dixie will whip out her guitar and in a cutscene, bang out a sweet riff on it, which then launches all opponents into the air.

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! Tomorrow, we'll cover the King of Kremlings himself, King K. Rool!

Character Sheet: Diddy Kong (DK Main Series)

DIDDY 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's added now and about time too and this time, he's in the mood. He can fly real high with his jetpack on. With his pistols out, he's one tough Kong. You know him, you love him, it's Donkey Kong's nephew and faithful sidekick Diddy Kong. Diddy appears in all six games, acting as Donkey's sidekick in Country, the main hero in Country 2, the damsel in distress in Country 3, a member of the team in 64, the sidekick once again in Returns, and a member of the team in Tropical Freeze.

As Donkey's sidekick, he can generally do everything Donkey Kong can, the main difference is the difference in size and strength, Diddy being the smaller, faster half of the duo. This means that most of the basic mechanics can be tied to him, plus anything new added in Country 2, like the ability to throw his companion. 64 established most of the strongest defining characteristics for the character, giving him his famous rocketbarrel jetpack, his peanut popguns, his guitar, and the ability to slam headfirst into things. He could also use his tail a bit more, so that's a thing too.

Let's see what we've got:

Standard B: Peanut Popgun
Of course, this will remain as his main ability. He will hold out his gun the way he does already and charge up before firing. I don't think the exploding mechanic was a thing, but it at least gives the move some flavor, so it could stick around I guess.

Side B: Chimpy Charge
Although so far I haven't seen any basis for his current side B (another move I expect exists because monkey), so I'm going with his 64 move Chimpy Charge. Diddy will paw the ground before charging forward at high speed and crashing into his opponent.

Up B: Rocketbarrel Pack
What else could it be? This move was so iconic in 64 that it was carried over into Returns and Tropical Freeze, not to mention its use in Smash itself. Diddy's jetpack will appear and launch him into the air. Like the popguns, there is a bit of a chance of it exploding.

Down B: Banana
Although there isn't a direct reference to his throwing out a banana, bananas of course have a lot to do with the Donkey Kong series as a whole, and most of their adventures come about as a direct result of Donkey and Diddy's love for them, so it can stay.

Final Smash: Rocketbarrel Barrage
Although I maybe could have gone with the Guitar Gazump, Dixie also played a guitar before him, so it checks out. Diddy will rocket around the stage, firing off peanuts in every direction and generally being the awesome monkey that he is.

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!

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest

DONKEY KONG COUNTRY 2: DIDDY'S KONG QUEST

Today, let's go over the sequel to Donkey Kong Country, Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. This game seems generally to be considered the best of the original trilogy, and starts off the admittedly short-lived trend of taking the sidekick from the previous game, making them the star and giving them a new sidekick. The game's plot follows Diddy Kong and his girlfriend Dixie Kong as they journey to rescue Donkey Kong from Kaptain K. Rool (same guy, different title).

Diddy and Dixie act as the main playable characters this time around, both being relatively small as opposed to the obvious contrast between Donkey and Diddy. They both followed more or less the same mechanics, being able to run, jump, throw barrels, climb, swim, you know, all the main mechanics from the first game. They can also throw each other, throw dynamite, and Dixie could use her ponytail to fly through the air briefly and could also flick it as a weapon. Donkey also appears in the game, but spends all of his time tied up by K. Rool.

We have a few supporting Kongs this time around as well. Cranky returns, once again providing hints while this time running a museum. Funky also returns, once again providing the Kongs with a biplane that allows them to visit previous worlds. We also meet Wrinkly Kong, Donkey Kong's grandmother, who also provides hints while working at Kong College, and takes over Candy's place as the save point. And finally, we have Swanky Kong, who runs a quiz show where they can win extra life balloons.

The animal buddies also return, each supporting the Kongs in their own special way. Rambi, Enguarde, and Squawks all return, with Rambi and Enguarde functioning more or less the same as they did before, and Squawks now flying and carrying the Kongs through the air and spitting peanuts at enemies. New animal buddies include: Rattly, a snake coiled up like a spring who can bounce (basically replacing Winky); Squitter, a giant spider who spits web as projectiles and can then walk on the webs created by the projectiles; Clapper, a seal who can cool off boiling hot water or freeze regular water; Glimmer, an angler fish that takes up Squawks's old job; and Quawks, a second blue parrot that can't spit peanuts.

Kaptain K. Rool is the main villain of this game, King K. Rool having hung up his cape and crown and traded it out for a pirate's hat and coat. In this game, he has kidnapped Donkey Kong and is keeping him tied up in his castle (the king has a pirate ship and the pirate captain has a castle?). Diddy and Dixie fight him twice, and during those battles, he uses a blunderbuss to fire a cannonball at them. He can also use the blunderbuss like a vacuum to suck things up, including his own cannonball. He can also charge around the stage at high speed. In his second battle, he fires numerous items from his blunderbuss.

The Kremlings return again in various forms, but as I mentioned last time, they tended to simply give the same enemies different names in different games. For instance, we have: Klomp, which is a Kritter; Kaboing, which is a jumping critter; Krunchas, which are Krushas; Kannons, which are Klumps with blunderbusses; Klanks, which are Krashes; and Klampons, which are Klaptraps and do not at sound like Kremling feminine hygiene products. Some other new versions include: Klobbers, who hide inside barrels; Klingers, who climb ropes; Kutlasses, who wield cutlasses; Krooks, who throw hooks like boomerangs; Kloaks, who float around in the air and throw things at you; Krockheads, who are basically just living platforms; Kackle, a ghostly Kremling who follows you around; and Klubba, a giant muscular Kremling wielding a club who lets you take a barrel to a secret world after you pay a toll.

A few other enemies appear throughout the game, including: Neeks, small rats who more or less replace the Gnawties; Click Clacks, beetles who crawl around; Zingers, who are probably the only enemy to keep their own name; Flotsam, stingrays who float through the water; Lockjaw, biting fish; Shuri, spinning starfish; Flitter, dragonflies; Mini-Neckies, oh, hey, look, another one; Spinies, who are porcupines; Puftups, puffer fish; Cat o' Nine Tails, which is a cat with nine tails who spins around really fast; and finally Screech, a rival parrot who races Squawks at one point.

Finally, we have a handful of bosses to go over. Krow is a giant vulture who flies around and drops eggs. Kleever is a living sword who will fly around, jab and chop at you, and chuck fireballs at you. Kudgel is basically an even bigger version of Klubba who will actually use his club on you. King Zing is a giant Zinger who follows you around and shoots spikes at you. And finally Kreepy Krow is a giant ghostly vulture who spawns Mini-Neckies to attack you.

As for our stages, once again we have a variety of worlds that technically have a theme, but the stages within them are all kinds of varied. The world's themselves include Gangplank Galleon, starting from where we left off last time; Crocodile Cauldron, a volcano world; Krem Quay, an underwater-themed world; Krazy Kremland, an amusement park-themed world; Gloomy Gulch, a ghost-themed world; and K. Rool's Keep, a castle; with the Flying Krock, an airship that serves as the secret final world. Beyond that, almost every biome from the first game reappears, plus a few bramble or hive levels where Squawks needs to take you around.

Items are mostly the same. Barrels, bananas, coins, tires, all return.

All right, let's see what we've got so far:

Characters:
Donkey Kong: run, jump, roll, swing, launch from barrels, bounce on tires, swim, ride minecarts, throw barrels
Diddy Kong: run, jump, roll, swing, launch from barrels, bounce on tires, swim, ride minecarts, throw barrels, throw Dixie, dynamite
Dixie Kong: run, jump, roll, swing, launch from barrels, bounce on tires, swim, ride minecarts, throw barrels, throw Diddy, dynamite, flick with hair, fly with ponytail
Cranky Kong: walking stick, dynamite, hints, museum
Candy Kong: save
Funky Kong: airplane
Wrinkly Kong: college, hints, save
Swanky Kong: quiz show, extra balloons
King K. Rool: throw crown, charge, jump high, cannonballs, blunderbuss, suck, various items
Kremlings/Kritter: walk forward (Klomp), jump (Kaboing), ride minecart (Krash/Klank), Krusha/Kruncha (maybe his own), Klump/Kannon (maybe his own, blunderbuss), hide in barrel (Klobber), climb ropes (Klinger), Kutlass, Krook, Kloak, Kackle, Klubba
Animal Buddies:
Rambi: charge forward, jump
Enguarde: swim, stab
Expresso: jump, run fast, glide
Winky: leap
Squawks: fly, flashlight, carry Kongs, peanuts
Rattly: bounce
Squitter: crawl, spit webs, walk on webs
Clapper: cool things
Glimmer: flashlight
Quawks: fly, carry Kongs

Bosses:
Very Gnawty
Master Necky
Queen B
Really Gnawty
Dumb Drum
Master Necky Sr.
Krow
Kleever
Kudgel
King Zing
Kreepy Krow

Stages:
Jungle Level
Forest/Trees Level
Mine/Cave Level
Underwater Level
Snow Level
Factory Level
Gangplank Galleon
Volcano Level
Theme Park Level
Ghostly Level
Bramble/Hive Level
K. Rool's Keep
Flying Krock

Items:
Barrels
Barrel Cannons
Bananas
Banana Coins
Tires

Thanks for reading! Next time, we'll cover Donkey Kong Country 2!