Second Chance: Kip and Kass

KIP AND KASS

Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast was a difficult one to parse out in its time, as it introduced three original characters to the crew who never appeared elsewhere. Now, it made sense for at least one of these to represent the game as a gimmick rep, but the number three was awkward, and the one of the three had a drastically different body type than the other two, so, in the moment, I felt the best thing to do was to use Kalypso as the gimmick rep, and represent Kip and Kass as assist trophies. However, looking back now, it does seem perfectly reasonable, given Kip and Kass's relative size uniformity and penchant for being paired up, to have them together act as an echo to Kalypso. Now, the question remained, should they be color swaps to each other, or should they be a duo like Ice Climbers and have Kalypso's attacks hit twice but weaker. I put up a poll on that question and it seems like the people have spoken. Ice Climber-style it is.

My answer is . . . 

YES

Here's the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Mini-Necky

They could produce two Neckies.

Side B: Wild Move

Would be fun if they spun around each other and got further away from each other to widen the attack's range.

Up B: Whirlwind

They could launch consecutively through this, giving them two hit boxes

Down B: Mini-Zingers

Likewise the hitbox here could be different.

Final Smash: Ultra Barrel

Same, just coming from two different directions.

Entrance: Hovering into place and high fiving.

Taunts: Up, they would race up and around each other. Side, they would bonk heads with each other and cheer. Down, they would crouch and look all sneaky at their opponents.

Kirby Hat: Kip's little punk coat.

Kart: Their rocket barrels.

Special Move: Kass would take off separately from Kip and divebomb an opponent ahead of them.

Spirit Battle: The two together on Kongo Bongos.

Victory Screen: The two would cheer and perform an aerial high-five.

Losing Screen: Both would sit together and look dejected as their barrels smoke.

Color Swaps: Their normal colors, colors based on Diddy and Dixie, colors based on Kritter and Kalypso, colors based on Donkey and Tiny, Kopter and Kludge, Lanky and Funky, Klump and K. Rool, Cranky and Wrinkly.

Thanks for reading! Tomorrow, let's cover the rest of the Tiki Tak Tribe, not just Tiki Tong.

Ghastly King

GHASTLY KING

After fighting his way through Kongs, Rocs, Tusks, and Hogs, Donkey Kong finally makes it to the halfway point of the game, where he encounters a giant Kong with a scary, spiky face riding on top of a giant Pig Poppo.

This is the Cactus King, or the Ghastly King, as he is called in his second battle at the end of the game. Using his army of generals, he took over Donkey Kong's kingdom, and now Donkey Kong must challenge him to take it back.

As a fighter, the Ghastly King is big and strong, with lots of powerful moves drawn from various martial arts. His moveset will pull from his moves seen in battle, as well as the abilities of his various generals, minus the Kongs.

Likelihood rating: Probably not.

Second Chance: Cactus King & Ghastly King

CACTUS KING & GHASTLY KING

So, up to today, I thought the thorny guy was the Cactus King and the pig he rode on was the Ghastly King. Turns out that is wrong. Cactus King and Ghastly King are just different names for the same guy, for some reason, and the pig is just a Pig Poppo. Anyway . . . 

C.K. or G.K. is the main villain of Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat, who has . . . some kind of evil plan. He is fought at the end, after you have fought through all four Kongs, Rocs, Tusks, and Hogs. I went with the four Kong bosses as the reps for the game, because they're all over the marketing and such, and G.K. I skipped over because his battle was fairly simple. However, looking back on it now, there is a bit more to it than that, plus, there are three other boss classes that didn't get any representation, I'm just saying. So, considering all that, I'm going to say . . . 

YES

Here's the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Ghastly Orb

He will spit out an orb of ghostly fire, which he could do in his second boss battle as Ghastly King. The orb will act as a projectile.

Side B: Pig Poppo

His hog steed will appear beneath him and breathe a straight stream of fire from its nostrils across the ground.

Up B: Roc

A Roc will appear and carry him upwards, dropping eggs as it flies.

Down B: Tusk

He will plop down a Tusk, which will stay in place while he moves around, firing off cannonballs in different directions. Only one may be on stage at a time.

Final Smash: Boss Battle

He will grow up to his gigantic size from the final boss battle, and go to town on the nearest player to him.

Entrance: He will hop off of his Pig Poppo.

Taunts: Up, he will perform and evil laugh. Side, he will take up a martial arts stance. Down, he will pet his Pig Poppo.

Kirby Hat: His whole spiky face situation.

Kart: Based on his Pig Poppo

Special Move: He will place a Tusk on the track, which will stay in place and fire cannonballs randomly.

Spirit Battle: Giant battle, on Rumble Falls.

Victory Screen: He will laugh evilly as darkness fills the screen.

Losing Screen: His death animation will play.

Color Swaps: Cactus King, Ghastly King, looks based on Dread Kong, Karate Kong, Judo Kong, and Sumo Kong, a look based on Donkey Kong, and a look based on King K. Rool.

Thanks for reading! Next up, a couple of other unique Barrel Blast character who got passed over initially.

Snide the Weasel

SNIDE

As Donkey Kong begins his adventure, he encounters various shops and locations with characters ready to help him. These include: Funky, supplying him with weapons; Candy, supplying him with instruments; Cranky, supplying him with potions; and a new character in the form of a weasel.

This is Snide, an engineer who helped build the Blast-o-Matic. King K. Rool fired him after it was doing, paranoid that he would betray him, so now Snide is offering up his services to the Kongs in sabotaging the machine in return for them collecting his old blueprints from K. Rool's minions.

As a fighter, Snide will be less of an upfront fighter, more sneaky and looking for easier routes to get in a hit. His moveset will pull from all of his random mechanical devices shown inside of his headquarters whenever you return his blueprints to him.

Likelihood rating: Never gonna happen.

Second Chance: Snide the Weasel

SNIDE THE WEASEL

Well, I may not know why I added this character in the first place, but I'm glad I did. Snide is a weasel from Donkey Kong 64 who had constructed the Blast-o-Matic for King K. Rool, only to be fired out of K. Rool's own paranoia. Seeking revenge, Snide offers to help the Kongs sabotage the Blast-o-Matic so long as they get him his original blueprints from K. Rool's minions. Whenever you bring them to him, a series of cutscenes occur, with various Rube Goldberg devices activating to bring out a banana as a reward. These devices include: a kart blown forward by a fan, a ball kicked into a hoop, a giant pointing finger, an extendable punching glove, and a mallet.

So, whatever inspired me to add him in the first place must have known what it was talking about because my answer is . . . 

YES

Here is the moveset I came up with:

Standard B: Punching Glove

He will hold up his punching glove mechanism, and fire the glove forward at high speed.

Side B: Ball Toss

He will drop a ball and kick it across the stage as a flying projectile.

Up B: Mallet Strike

His mallet will fall onto the strength meter, which will send the little bell, and Snide himself springing into the air with a "ding."

Down B: Kart

He will produce his little kart and blow it forward with a fan, sending it crashing across the stage and into other fighters.

Final Smash: Blast-o-Matic

Given he built the thing, makes sense that he would use it against his own enemies. Will function similarly to K. Rool's version.

Entrance: Marching forward like he does when you enter his HQ.

Taunts: Up, holding up a golden banana. Side, he will push his big pointing finger from side to side. Down, he will look over some blueprints.

Kirby Hat: His welding mask.

Kart: Based on his little sail kart.

Special Move: Making a nearby opponent unable to use an item for a short time.

Spirit Battle: Himself on DK Isle.

Victory Screen: The Blast-o-Matic falling apart with him looking smug.

Losing Screen: Stewing to himself and going over some blueprints.

Color Swaps: Himself, a DK color scheme, a Diddy color scheme, a Tiny color scheme, a Lanky color scheme, a Chunky color scheme, a scheme based on the Disney weasels, and a K. Rool color scheme.

Thanks for reading! Next up, the main villains of Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat.

Taj

TAJ

At the beginning of the actual gameplay, you are greeted by a friendly elephant genie who teaches you the rules of the game.

This is Taj, the game's tutorial mode and referee, a genie native to the island who helps Diddy and his friends with magic. Taj would appear again in the game's remake, this time as a secret playable character.

As a fighter, he is an echo of the regular fighters, except on his carpet instead of in a car, and with a bit of a magic edge and floatiness to him. His moveset likewise comes from the features of the game.

Likelihood rating: Probably not.

Second Chance: Taj

TAJ

Alright, as of this minute (4:20 MST), my poll has been up nearly a day, and there is a slight lead for him becoming an echo. Toss in my own current preference, and it's a shoe-in. My answer is . . . 

YES

As he will be an echo of the Diddy Kong Racers, except standing on his carpet instead of in a kart, her is his moveset: 

Standard B: Heat-Seeking Missile

He will just magic it into the air.

Side B: Magnet

Same, but with a magical edge.

Up B: Balloon OR Airplane

Honestly, for him, I'd more imagine his carpet spinning up into the air.

Down B: Oil Slick

Basically the same

Final Smash: Taj's Grand Prix

Basically the same, but the player becomes the ref this time?

Entrance: Floating down on his carpet

Taunts: Up, holding up a victory balloon for the players. Side, floating around on his carpet. Down, sitting and meditating for a moment.

Kirby Hat: His turban

Kart: His carpet

Special Move: Handing out balloons that give others special items.

Spirit Battle: Himself on Timber's Island

Victory Screen: Holding up the balloon for himself.

Losing Screen: Looking sad and distraught without a balloon.

Color Swaps: Himself, red colors like Diddy, orange colors like Timber, yellow colors like Pipsy, green colors like Tiptup, Banjo colors, Conker colors, and Wizpig colors.

Thanks for reading! Next up, I . . . don't really remember why I added this character. Guess we'll find out together.