Tucks

Donkey Kong Country Returns proved successful enough for Retro Studios to produce a sequel, considered by many to be one of the best games in the series. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze saw Donkey, Diddy, Dixie, and Cranky celebrating Donkey Kong’s birthday, only for it to be interrupted by a fleet of Viking ships manned by hordes of arctic animals.

Most prominent of these were chubby little penguins called Tucks. Tucks were the basic troops of the Snowmads, wandering warriors spreading ice and snow wherever they went. Across the game, the Tucks proved quite versatile, making use of several weapons including swords, snowballs, and thrown fish.

As fighters, the Tucks are small and slow, but get good speed when they slide around on their bellies. Their moves pull from all across the game, utilizing the many tools their various versions used.

Likelihood rating: Never gonna happen

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!