Dixie Kong's Gender Trouble | A Feminist View on Donkey Kong Country
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- Опубліковано 9 лип 2024
- Join us as we take a trip down to Donkey Kong Country and explore the themes and narratives of the original SNES trilogy. How do they escalate, build upon each other and finally culminate in Dixie Kong's Double Trouble? What are the true social problems at the heart of Kong society? Let's find out!
A special thanks for everyone who participated and lent their voices for this video;
@pimscrypt
@hotcyder
@nichtschwert3307
@DavidJBradley
@KingKlonoa
@TBSkyen
@Darkfry
probskay/Just My Narratives: shorturl.at/euMQU
00:00 Introduction
09:20 The Trials of Donkey & Diddy
20:26 Gender in Donkey Kong Country
38:07 The Tone of Donkey Kong Country 3
47:53 Conclusions and a Conclusion
58:26 Patreon
PATREON: / transparens
TWITTER: / transparencyboo
#DonkeyKong #DixieKong #Rareware
Bonus meme:
Kiddy Kong is genuinely rad. Like he is a really fun character to play as and the balance he provides in Donkey Kong Country 3 is honestly amazing. It's kind of sad how a lot of us have just been focusing so hard on the way he looks that all of the good he does has been completely overshadowed by hate. We have probably watched every single Donkey Kong Country based video there is to be found, and the amount of times we have seen people claim that they just kill him first chance they get so they don't have to play as him is honestly ridiculous. One of the reasons cited is because of how much slower than Dixie Kong he is, but that is actually not really quite true at all - in reality Kiddy and Dixie have the exact same running speed. But I can see why someone would miss that when they even go out of their way to avoid playing as him. People are actually so mad about this boy that they make stuff up based on what he looks like - he is chunky so therefore he must be a slow runner. Gosh, I dunno. Dixie Kong's Double Trouble changes the focus a bit, makes the characters move at similar speeds and instead focuses on their specific abilities as differentiating factors, and I actually think it is better for it. Maybe we should just be a bit nicer about Kiddy Kong and not be freaking babies about it. Kiddy Kong is good, and you should all just stop being mean. - Ігри
Kiddy Kong is good, stop being a baby about how he looks. Appreciate him. Support the Kiddy Kong fund by giving us money on Patreon: www.patreon.com/transparens
Kiddy Kong is my animal spirit
@@yabukiman4273 the true essence of our souls
@@Transparencyboo What makes Kiddy such a terrible character anyhow?
This was the only game in the series where they polished every frame of every sprite to remove glitches and imperfections from the digitization process.
Few noticed, but it made it my favorite, even before I knew anything else about it.
It's also the only game with a new soundtrack that plays to the GBA's strengths instead of being a pale imitation of the original.
And the Gameboy variant was a GBC game in Japan. The only game in the DK Land trilogy to receive that treatment.
So no, Dixie and Kiddy weren't appreciated by the fans or the critics of the day. But they weren't forgotten, or ignored. You just had to have an eye for quality, instead of hype and popularity.
And wait for Gamer Gate to inevitably turn on Cranky Kong when he complained about Ageism and dulled reflexes.
Don't need to tell me. Kiddy was always my favourite playble Kong out of the bunch as a kid.
Had probably something to with how I mainly played DKC3 at the point in my life, where I'd become a big brother twice over and thus had this whole thing with babies and toddlers.
When you got to the part about how enriching Wrinkly Kong's life and how the goal of going out of your way in the game to get the collectibles played into that I actually felt teary eyed. My grandma is living in a retirement clinic at the moment because my aging parents can't properly care for her anymore at home, and this reminded me of her and how she used to have her own little room at home to watch TV, practice piano, color books... but now, although we brought those things to the clinic to help her feel more at home, it still isn't the same thing. But she lights up when we visit her. She doesn't engage with any of her old activities any more no matter how much we try to push her to, but she still values us and the time we spend together and what we tell her. That is really such an important lesson. We really are on this Earth to share loving bonds and appreciate one another. Was not expecting DK3 to end up hinting at that (not that I overlooked it purposefully before, but I've never been into this series and only knew it as a classic game thing). Thank you for this video. Putting aside my little sad story, I loved all your little jokes and your analysis on Dixie's character and her relation to gender and expectations feels spot on.
That's very sweet, and glad we could move you in that way! We didn't really think we would find that as we started playing and tinkering on what we wanted to say during the early stages, but it just turned out to be a surprisingly emotional segment about Wrinkly Kong of all things.
@@Transparencyboo Well, that's really nice too! You found a path to take with this video and you followed it to its logical conclusion, congrats buddy!
This comment reminds me of my own grandma, who, despite still living as her home, behaves much like the original commenter's one: doesn't engage in any of her old interests, but values practically every moment she spends with Mom and I.
Grandma's Alzheimer's-induced mood swings can be a REAL pain to handle, but whenever she's feeling good enough for me to have any ability to make her happy, I do enjoy making her company. She's always been one of my favorite people.... My eyes have just began to get teary. I'd better stop. Thank you for reading up to here, whoever you are.
Before I even watched this, I knew two things for sure: That I would enjoy the ever-loving heck out of your thoughts, analysis, and perspectives, and that I'd walk away from it still feeling the same way I always have about Kiddy Kong.
And both came true! Awesome video though, DKC3 is definitely due for a replay!
One day we'll get you on our side about Kiddy, friend
Thanks tgc for putting me on to this. Long form videogame analysis, feminism and DKC3 are more or less my three favourite things.
@@joeldipops Radical
@@Transparencyboo Truly!
us
I never thought I would be genuinely upset about Dixie Kong not being included in Donkey Kong 64, but here I am.
She was robbed!
DKC3 was my favourite game as a tween and I've been upset about this since before the game came out
I remember being very confused why Dixie and Kiddy had seemingly been replaced, after all they had accomplished, to not even warrant a cameo in DK64! but then maybe they'd had enough with the kongtriarchy and were living in the liberated utopia of the northern kremisphere entirely uninterested in the endless squabbles of Kong and kremling.
@@dizzydee4889 This is now my favorite interpretation of this. Thank you.
@@Transparencyboo She truly and honestly was, she should've been in that game. There would've been so many opportunities for great sight gags and more incredible analysis into her character and her relationship with the rest of the Kongs. I can come up with some off the top of my head, if you would like! =)
I never knew they called him Dinky Kong in Japan! I love that name for so many reasons. On a surface level, it's a funny ironic name: he's a _colossus_ of a baby. It's a fittingly deprecating name, given his status as an underdog. But even further than that, Dinky Kong was a name the folks at Rare considered giving _Diddy_ during the development of the first game. I mean, that's just too perfect. Imagine being born and getting the name that wasn't even good enough for the first game's underdog. That's rough.
It's really neat, yeah. Would have loved to see what a Donkey Kong Country 3 would turn out to be with him as the main character.
@@Transparencyboo Taking away Dixie's only game where she is the main hero and giving it to the baby? Yeah, I would have ended up hating the game more than I did as a kid! Personally I would have loved to have seen a DKC3 game that had not only Dixie but Tiny as the protagonists!
He can be kind of like a retro, unused "Wallace the Rabbit" to Diddy Kong's "Micky Mouse" type of character. That would be really cool!
Also it keeps the pattern of the acronym for all playable Kong’s names is DK which is on the barrels containing them
Is Dixie really that disliked too? I always see her as the preferred Kong over Diddy, with most of the hate landing on Kiddy Kong. Even within the games, I feel like Cranky himself isn't the greatest benchmark for approval. He's always been shown as washed up and pathetic, with the first thing you see in the entire trilogy being him getting stomped on by Donkey Kong. The first thing he does is be disregarded. I don't know, you could easily construe Cranky's reasons for disapproval as Dixie not being blood related to Diddy or Donkey, or that after 3 games he's just fed up with these young monkeys getting all the glory.
When all is said and done though this was an amazing video with a lot of stuff I had never considered. I think what you said about people only disliking Kiddy because of aesthetics is the reason not many have analyzed the text of these games: the series prided itself on aesthetics, music, and gameplay, to the point where that was what mattered most for a lot of the audience. And as such they never really engaged with the story or themes, myself included admittedly.
No, Dixie Kong is not necessarily disliked, as we said she is basically a fan favorite - people love her. I think though that there might have been a lot of people who looked at Dixie Kong's Double Trouble differently precisely because of the characters represented, and how it centres a lot around girls in general. Like I think women would have a bit of an easier time to engage with Kiddy Kong in connection to Dixie because babysitting is rather common for young women to do. It's mostly that the reception of Donkey Kong Country 3 so neatly fits in with Cranky's involvement in that game that it's just kind of stunning, haha.
Oh and also, yes, Cranky is not meant to be taken seriously and at least not meant to be looked up to considering how adamant he is about being a toxic influence and an absolute asshole, haha. But I think that is of course the point as well, and that is partly why you prove him wrong in the end by doing it all. The idea that Dixie doesn't even get a chance just says a lot about Cranky and how women in general have been treated. It feels a bit too deliberate and a final shitty move of Cranky to solidify the themes of the series.
@@Transparencyboo truuuue lol
Frustrates me so much that a lot of men think /feel like that. As an 8 yr old boy decidedly didn't identify with any babysitters, but that didn't affect for a second my ability to love the game or appreciate playing as Dixie.
@@joeldipops She is super rad after all
"Coincidentally, the best game ever made'" gets me every time.
Haha, we're glad. It makes us giggle a lot. Hopefully someone will make a list of all the games we have mentioned at some point.
@@Transparencyboo Hey, I can do that for you! After all, I'm already a big fan of your content so far. Though... I haven't got the equipment for it yet so you'll have to wait for the [ [ Kromer ] ] to start flowing in so that I can help you to become a [ [ Big Shot ] ]
Wow! Im impressed with how well you were able to preserve that DKC2 box
Thank you! It's our pride and joy!
@@Transparencyboo Game preservation is important, just as much as preserving one's childhood. =)
This is the video that I didn't know I needed in my life.
You're Welcome!
Really, Kiddy Kong represents the child in all of us. The simplistic and pure outlook on the world before we were inundated with our societal pressures and values, the self we left behind and forgot we had. To accept him is to accept one's true self.
That's really sweet, thank you!
So does DK, he is as simplistic and pure. Accept KK as a cheap copy is to accept DK's true self.
@@rafaelabensur1523 this sounds rather confused especially in relation to the original post, but oh well.
@@Transparencyboo He a little confused, but he got the spirit.
While I think 2 was the best platform wise, I really loved the free-roam of 3 and thought it was the greatest tech-wise on the SNES.
While there has been other games where you could walk towards your next level, the graphics and responsiveness of the level select in DKC3 felt like a N64 game at the time. Since I wouldn't have my own N64 until 3 years later (a year before the GameCube was released) the last few SNES games like DKC3 and Street Fighter Alpha 2 felt very modern and grasping at the systems I didn't have access to.
my rating: trixie spinning over the platform bits that suck to play while giving the double duce outta 10.
The semi-exploration things are really neat. We just had a lot of fun with DKC3, and it ended up being our favorite one.
hello i am kylemon's girlfriend and i am deaf but I am very happy and awestruck that you lovely ladies have the stamina to subtitle literally a whole hour and well too!! Thank you very much, i enjoy your videos very much, the balan wonderworld one is one of my favorite-est ones from y'all so far and i am going to enjoy this one very much too
Our pleasure! After having a few requests from people we didn't just want to ignore it, it's genuinely worth the time in the end because of how appreciated it is. We'd like to take the time to subtitle all of the old ones as well, but since it takes a bit of time we'd love to know if there is any specific video you'd like us to focus on? Helps us nail things down and focus :)
this always was my favorite out of the snes trilogy and never understood why people disregarded it like that, it's so interesting seeing this game i have played since i was like 10 be interpreted in this way i never thought it could be
i don't think it makes me feel vindicated in loving it because i don't need that but its really nice, it's such a fun game and the stuff here will definitely come to mind next time i revisit this game
really good video ^^
Playing it again for this video and literally watching through every single video on youtube about it, we don't quite get why it was so disregarded. Even with the explanations it always felt a bit off, and a lot of the times it just seemed to be about them having played the second one the most and simply had trouble with this one. We just found it to be a bit of a shame, because people were very good at pin pointing the themes of the first two games, but then they just didn't bother with the third. So we just basically had to do a take on why it fits perfectly! :) Thank you for enjoying!
Exactly! Like I mean, I myself love games like Toy Story 3, all of the Lego Platformers by TT games, Bolt, Ratchet and Clank, Little Big Planet and more! There are so many secrets and possibilities hidden behind your old favorite games, and there are so many opportunities to enjoy them as well =)
Crazy that the Game boy manual has the the deepest DK lore.
Hehe, they're surprisingly fun games too. Just a bit of fun that the fourth wall aspect is played up quite a bit in them. Like the story of Donkey Kong Land is legit just that Cranky snides about how DK couldn't finish the adventure if it was shitty 8-bit on the gameboy and challenges him to do it all over again. He apparently even has K.Rool steal DKs bananas again to prove his point, lol
@@Transparencyboo Even better, Cranky calls K. Rool with a *telephone* to ask him to steal the banana hoard again. He has that motherfucker on fast-dial and apparently they‘re best buds just to annoy DK.
@@manospondylus4896 It is genuinely glorious stuff.
Oh man, I've been looking forward for a video on DKC3 ever since that mention of a Nietzschean reading of this game, and it was well worth it. I was getting genuinely emotional about the Wrinkly Kong analysis. Also, DKC3 says the correct response to the Gamers™ is to savagely attack them, and I believe that's worth celebrating.
also, "kongfidence"
We were actually talking about how the Wrinkly Kong analysis would end up making someone emotional while we were making it, haha. So I guess we succeeded!
You guys make such quality content, really, and I deeply reasonate with your final thoughts near the end of the video. Guess I’ll go give DKC3 a chance!!
Glad we can provide the good stuff
Oh, it's good to know that that one review of Majora's Mask 3D haunts your recommendations too
It is what it is :P
I wish Kiddy Kong would come back! He should've been in Tropical Freeze so that we could have a game with every member of the playable original trilogy characters...but alas. Poor Kiddy. I knew him well.
One day he will be back to kick some tail. I am sure of it.
@@Transparencyboo Here's hoping! The little cutie deserves retribution for his long absence!
dkc3 has always been my favorite game in the trilogy, and dixie & kiddy were always my favorite kongs, so i didn't think i could appreciate them more than i already did. thanks for proving me wrong, i really love this video!
one small thing i find interesting is how rare likely didn't think of dixie as diddy's girlfriend. on their old website there's a comment on dixie's character description about how she's "inseparable from Diddy and every bit as stubborn as he is on the issue of how far their friendship goes, despite (or possibly because of) Cranky and Funky's endless teasing." but that detail was completely done away with after the buyout.
Thanks for enjoying the video! :)
i can't believe you don't have more viewers, this has to be some of my favorite video essay content on the entire site-- and i've only seen two videos!! really REALLY great!!
It's basically a UA-cam crime happening in real time, haha. We suggest giving our patreon a look and in general I guess just like and comment. Either way, thank you for watching and enjoying ♥️
So I googled this and this is what it says about Dixie Kong.
Dixie Kong is a female Kong from the Donkey Kong series. She is Diddy Kong's girlfriend and Tiny Kong's older sister. She also has two cousins, the 3 year old toddler Kiddy Kong and his older brother Chunky Kong. Her first appearance was as Diddy's partner in the game Donkey Kong Country
Thanks for the research, lol 🧡
@@Transparencyboo You're welcome
They needed it for sure to make the vid. Not joking.
@@LunaSolS2 lol, stay mad, nerd.
AMAZING VIDEO! The world is in dire need of more critical analysis type videos on the DK franchise from a narrative and gameplay perspective, so I commend everyone's efforts into creating this. While I personally disagree with some major points brought up, everything was still thorughly explained beautifully and never once felt like a chore to sit through, which is a tough challenge for an hour long video. Can't wait to dive into some of your other content :)
YOU'RE amazing!
This video is such a comfort to me. Im going thru some things wrt family and wrinkly kongs story is. So beautifully described. If i cant sleep because of the concerns i put this on and it immediately calms & reassures me. Thank you for making it!
Woah CGR Undertow?!?! That's a deep cut. I miss those guys and still track Classic Game Room. Didn't play much of the DKC games as a kiddo (No SNES) but Played a lot more of them as an adult, and DKC3 seems like the odd one out. This was AMAZING coverage if it, and it made me smile just like all of your videos do. Thanks so much for your hard work. P.S. LOL@Kongfidence I see you!
It was a lot of fun finding old videos on this game, I gotta tell you. Like just finding these oldies and then looking at their latest thing, if they kept going or what happened after. Just a wild rabbit hole at times, haha
That beret really works.
Thanks. I rarely use it, it was mostly for the video, but maybe I should give it a chance more often, haha.
Dixie Kong has it rough outside of the mainline DKC games. She was originally planned to be in Brawl as a tag team partner for Diddy Kong, but she ended up getting scrapped when the devs couldn't get the gimmick to work properly. She still hasn't been included in Smash since, even as an echo fighter for Diddy.
BTW, this video could use an addition 29 minutes to warrant a "Feature Length" reference.
Gosh, I didn't even think of the expand dong and feature length memes when making this, haha. Thanks for reminding me!
how hard would it be to add her to the game, they had pokemon trainer, ice climbers and zelda/shiek, 3 different ways to have a double character, for example Diddy UP+B could be jumping into a barrel and leaving as Dixie, and them another move, maybe foward+B makes her turn into Diddy doing a cartwheel
@@devforfun5618 The main idea for their Diddy & Dixie Tag Team was to go for the Ice Climber route with a switch-in mechanic, which can be a technical problem if one needs to switch kongs but either of them is further away from each other or knocked off-stage.
I know this is sort of a late comment, but I would like to say that you have some of the most cleanest presentation I've ever seen. I've been watching some of your videos and each one gets better and better. 😊 Keep it up!
Never too late for a nice comment~ ♥️
I've been subscribed so long that I forgot to notice that this is the kind of video game discussion I was looking for 3 years ago. Might just go on a rewatch spree.
Thank you ♥️
Whoa...I never realized the save menu was a bunch of VHS tapes...
Thanks for a great video about what just so happens to be my favourite DKC!
Haha, it's really rad isn't it?
@@Transparencyboo yeah! The exploration really put it over the top for me
Oh goodness what a fantastic video! I love how I finish your videos and have learned so much about a topic I've never truly considered (though, I just completely missed the initial DKC train outside of the GameBoy game).
You are so welcome! Thank you!
It's on like Donkey Kong!
YES!!
I have zero nostalgia for Rare's games and don't care at all about Donkey Kong. But you have a way of making me watch a one hour analysis of things I don't really have an interest in, and making me care! Well done. Dixie Kong is now my favourite Kong, and the underlying message and themes of this game sound lovely. Imagine if Donkey Kong as a series had continued to make you play as a new Kong with every title.
Haha, I am glad we have that power. It's pretty neat!
I loved your video! It inspired me a lot. Have recently felt low with some close family passing on. Your video helped me once more appreciate the communities I surround myself with, to not take for granted individuals who have plenty to teach and uplift. I shall continue forth with a conscious effort, to be genuine and let others know they are important. Thank you for all your analysis, humor and passionate commentary
Glad you liked it, thanks!
They've done it again! I would've thought Donkey Kong Country a topic un-analyzable with the level of depth and genuine meaning that you pull off here in a way that feels so natural.
And Alicia deadpan reading the DK rap in the middle of the script had me laughing so hard. Perfect delivery
Haha, we kind of thought so too, but it just grew as we played and continued to talk about it. And thanks, we had a lot of fun with that reading too, it's probably the most fun way to deliver things, haha
The SNES increasingly obsolete? By 94-95? I never knew, always thought of it as a success with huge replay value specially with that vast library and it was fun to play.
It was a success and had a big library of great games, yes. We mean obsolete in the sense of what we were talking about right there - the 3D movement and sheer graphical prowes. After all, the Playstation and Saturn were right around the corner, and the Nintendo 64 not too far behind. Things were moving fast at that time. It wasn't really meant as a diss, basically :) SNES is great.
@@Transparencyboo I see, thank you for the clarification. Curious how we have gone back to that style nowadays or more like how it never went away.
I think I realized I’m a fully fledged dkc fan when I watched an entire hour long video that dismantles gender roles on a bunch of apes with cartoon eyes.
It's pretty rad, isn't it? Haha
I know zip about these games but "playable transition timeline" cracked me the hell up
We had a lot of fun with that joke!
great analysis! i was pleasantly surprised. always nice to see nuanced views of older games like this. dkc3 is awesome
Thank you! Glad you liked it!
Incredibly well-done video! I loved it. Thank you for making it!!
As a huge fan of the Donkey Kong Country games, I've always loved the subtext going on in the first two games, specifically regarding the environmentalism but more importantly the "becoming a hero" aspect. DKC3 is actually my least favorite of the series for many reasons, but one big one is because I've never been able to get a good reading of its subtext in relation to the previous two. And, well, after watching this video all the way through, I've got to admit, there's a lot for me to think about! Might sound somewhat cliche, but as a guy, the gender-roles-aspect of 3 never popped out to me, but NOW I see them a little better, and how it all relates to the overarching theme of the series. Interesting stuff. I wonder if and how the Brothers Bear, all being males, add to the discourse? Perhaps it shows Dixie in a world dominated by male figures, where the only female ones are at home (Wrinkly) or locked away (Queen Banana Bird). Unless that was already stated in the video... I may have missed it!
There's definitely a melancholy feeling I got toward the end, when talking about the game being Dixie's only starring role. It's definitely sad, since she's my favorite Kong. In another world, I like to think she'd have another chance somewhere down the line. While I don't think my dislike of the level design or the (imo) unappealing designs of some of the characters/enemies will make playing the game feel any different, understanding its subtext better definitely will. Whenever I replay it, I'll have to keep this in mind!
I know it isn't much, but you've earned yourself a subscriber. Awesome work!
Thank you, glad we could make you think for a bit, we love to see it, haha. It's always a bit of fun with new perspectives after all, and we hadn't seen many if any discussion about how 3 goes together with the first two thematically or narratively. We didn't put much emphasis on the Brothers Bear in this video, but I am sure you can make a reading connected to what we talked about fairly easily - sounds like you're already half way there yourself :)
yeah, it never occurredo to me that kiddy could be a future main character, because the text is dangling Dk on hour face, so obviously when he get back he will be the main character again, but also at the time, i had no idea Dk was actually the Dk jr not the original Dk, so i didin't knew Dk himself was a replacement
Idea for a sequel to DKC3
The game would be called Donkey Kong 1924
In the game Funky Kong now modifies cars into time macines and has a son named Diddo Kong who wants to be just like Funky hence his name.
However King K Rool and Bowser decide to team up to use Funky's time machine car to
pit Cranky Kong and Mario against each other long enough that Cranky never
meets Wrinkly Kong and Mario never meets Princess Peach.
Kiddy Kong just so happens to see King K Rool and Bowser use the time machine
and tries to warn Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong but they just brush him off as a baby
talking baby talk and they go back to eating bananas and watching tv.
Candy Kong is living with Donkey Kong and she has grown bored of being stuck
at home so she finds Kiddy's time travel story to be rather amusing.
Candy decides to call up Tiny Kong so they can figure things out.
While Funky's time machine car is really gone. It turns out Diddo built his own.
Kiddy, Candy, Tiny and Diddo then travel back to 1924 New York City
where the OG Donkey Kong game is taking place.
Instead of being a bright and colorful like DKC 1-3 it would be in the
style of a black and white film noir/1920s gangster film.
Diddo's time machine car is a modified 1924 Rugby by Durant Motors
Kiddy Kong is the driver.
Diddo Kong is the mechanic
while Candy Kong is the main shooter
and Tiny Kong is the heavy gunnery
Each Kong's power can be transferred to the car.
Kiddy can make the car bounce on water
Tiny can shrink the car or make it into a monster truck
Candy Kong has seduction powers. When transferred to the car
it makes the car turn girly and cause the enemy cars to fight each other
Diddo Kong can transform into Kremlings or other enemies for 15 seconds.
When transferred to the car it becomes a Kremling vehicle.
The game would be a 3D RPG Platformer but would play off of classic 2D Nintendo games.
Fedora Kong would definitely make an appearance.
Some more ideas. Your team would actually get captured by
King K Rool and Bowser who reveal that it was all a ploy to keep you
stuck in the past. However with the help of Tiny's shrink powers
Diddo is able to time travel back to the present day.
However there is an issue. Cranky Kong is dying of a broken heart.
Donkey is conflicted between helping the captured Kongs and staying
by his grandpa's side at his last moment. However Diddo shows
Cranky a photo of a young Wrinkly Kong then name Jazzy Kong (although he doesn't say who it is) and Cranky Kong is a spring chicken hopping and dancing about until he hurts himself and blames it on Donkey. Cranky then tells Donkey Kong to do him a favor and get Jazzy Kong's phone number for him.
Diddo Kong gets in trouble with Funky Kong who thinks he used the time machine without permission and is in time out.
Funky Kong then takes Diddo's place as the time traveller Kong,
and along with him are Donkey Kong, Dixie Kong and Diddy Kong.
Donkey Kong will eventually fight Mario in Cranky Kong's place
with Funky Kong being the getaway driver.
while Dixie and Diddy go to save the other Kongs. But again it's a trap
but this time it's a trap for both Kongs, Kremlings and Koopas.
Because the real mastermind is Stanley the Bugman
who uses a special pesticide to brainwash King K Rool and Bowser
Stanley the Bugman then steals the time machine to travel to present day 2024
where he plans to use the pesticide on a factory scale and make the world
see him as the greatest video game character ever
The Kongs are at lost but then one very smart Kong has a plan
and that Kong is Jazzy Kong the future Wrinkly Kong.
So the final team up is Jazzy Kong aka Wrinkly Kong Donkey Kong Sr aka Cranky Kong, Fedora Kong aka Donkey Kong Jr and Swanky Kong vs
Brainwashed Bowser, Brainwash King K Rool and Stanley the Bug Man.
The game ends with Jazzy Kong running into old man Cranky Kong
but instead of seeing Jazzy Kong he sees Wrinkly Kong for one last time
and is able to swing dance into Kong heaven.
Aftersome years, I was able to play DKC trilogy in a hacked Wii. Oh, the memories of that time! This happened around 2017, I think.
I simply fell in love with DKC. Today, I managed to have the three copis for SNES and each box (the manuals of each one will come eventually). I bought Tropical Freeze too, after I played DKCReturns.
I always loved the trilogy. It was simply an amazing experience to complete 100% of each game. I always looked to the 3rd as being sliiiiightly better than the 2, but never was able to pinpoint why.
And then I found your video. What a beautiful analysis! When I started playing Tropical Freeze, I was honored to have Cranky in my party. Like, hell, he simply hated me when I played DKC1 through 3, and suddenly he is fighting by my side! What a honor!
You changed a little of this vision I had with him. He is basically the best portrait of the people with and old world view, that's why he's old. Obviously because, too, he is was the first one. But because of being an asshole with woman and completely bypassing their existence.
Funnily enough, I always prefered DIxie over Diddy when I played DKC2. Because she was the best! I lead with Diddy and if he's hit, I have the best one to pass the level. Every single time I completed DKC2 was with Dixie, because Diddy always received a hit... xD
Your interpretation of Cranky's role in the DKC alongside the place of every female character in this game was very pleasant to watch. I was going to watch your video in 3 to 4 sittings because of the time, but then here I am after ending with only 2 sittings. Amazing content! Thank you for showing me something new in this beloved franchise. Thank you so much!
For me and my parents when I was growing up the DKC trilogy on the SNES was always tradition for us. When I was a kid we played them together when they first came out and well into high school it was tradition to play donkey Kong (usually 2) on new years eve while waiting for midnight to hit.
I recently lost my father a few months ago, I was playing through tropical freeze the other day and hit one of those dumb gramophone that started playing the DKC1 title music and it made me start crying.
I love these games, they means so much to me. The memories they have given me are priceless.
I am sorry for you loss. I am glad these games could bring you lots of good memories
I don't even remember 3 playing that much differently, I just loved getting one more adventure for my beloved Dixie
Right?
What an absolute banger of a video! About my 2nd favorite game of all time no less! I actually wrote a bachelor thesis on this game (don't ask, it was terrible). I had already watched the Geek Critique's two videos on this game but thank you for contributing to the discussion, you make some great points. One thing I think is funny is that when this game is discussed, the northern kremisphere is always seen as a Donkey Kong analogue of North America because of the abundance of lakes and the giant trees. You're the first person to equate it to Europe. I think it makes sense because the trope of an evil doctor living in an old castle seems more European to me. Also, the ski-lift bears are dressed quite traditionally. It has very little to do with the main points you make in this video, but I thought it was a cool observation nontheless.
Hey, glad you enjoyed it so much! About the whole Kremisphere thing - we were kind of annoyed that everyone said 'Canada' every single time when talking about it, so I guess we really wanted to give a European interpretation of it, because there is so much there that just reminds us of where we already live. There is a lot of cozy Swedish feels going on there, so it feels a bit homey to us, haha. Also, the ski-lift bears are actually called Benny and Björn, two Swedish names, but more importantly is that the names are actually an ABBA reference, which I think is pretty neat.
After watching this I’ve been really pondering about why they felt the need to replace Dixie and Kiddy for DK64. Them simply being “unpopular” is the most straight-forward answer, but I just realized there might also be a “non-malicious” reason behind it.
All of the new characters in DK64 have body-transformation powers. Lanky can inflate like a balloon, Tiny can shrink herself and Chunky can grow gigantic. I think it’s possible that early on in development they simply wanted to have characters with those powers, but realized that it was never established before that Dixie and Kiddy had them. For the sake of continuity they could then have decided that it was simply better to create completely new characters that better fit their respective gimmick instead of retconning old ones, which is also why DK and Diddy don’t have comparable powers in the game.
Cranky with the big stupid glasses in the ending is probably my favorite sprite in the entire trilogy. I love that Cranky will just wander into a giant evil castle prepared to do a bugs bunny bit and his big smile as he is mere seconds away from getting hell decked by a baby will always make me laugh.
It IS really funny to be honest. We love that silly goober man.
"I remember a time where falling into a pit was due lack of skill and not bad game design." - Cranky
Yeah he said that on twitter.
Aw man, now I want an alternate universe where a Dinky-focused DKC4 and a DK64 with Dixie and Kiddy exist. This was definitely my favorite video game series as a kid, and while DKC3 definitely stood out from the rest in some strange ways, I still enjoyed it a lot. Great video!
I was extremely happy to see an introspective video about my favorite game in one of my favorite game series. DKC3 just oozes polish from every part of it, extremely well balanced in every way. Truly feels like it plays to all the strengths of the SNES, with even more lovely use of color in the environments than the games that came before it.
Love the more melancholy, vibing tunes that create a feeling of just slight dread lurking in the background even in the happier tunes (Eveline Fischer was plainly robbed of her much deserved recognition. She has always made my favorite themes all across the series and supposedly she was the one who made "In a Snow-Bound Land" in DKC2 but only David Wise was ever credited in that game! I think I heard something about him admitting this fact at some point, but this is just hearsay), the fact that they try to do something new in every level, the balanced predictability of always having exactly 2 bonus barrels in every stage and 98% of the time putting you into a position to try the stage again immediately should you fail, the exploratory/puzzley elements in the overworld, Wrinkly's lovely and supportive presence (one of her rarer lines has her basically say she loves Banana Birds because they're so much more well behaved than her "wretched" husband Cranky. Best grandma!), and so much more.
I also unironically love Kiddy Kong but also understand that for Dixie to be seen as the star, it was necessary for someone who could be seen as under her to be her sidekick. If DK were playable she would just be overshadowed by him.
But I digress. I'm pretty much a blabbermouth when it comes to things I love. And this is no exception. This video made me truly think about a lot of things I hadn't realized. Thanks a ton!
Love the analysis on this game about monkeys and bananas, I absolutely love this series and even the bizarro narrative thematics in this series that is often overlooked as nothing more than just... well what I said earlier, monkeys and bananas.
Dixie Kong is one of my favorite characters in the series and I'm really glad Country/Land 3 really fleshed out the character by giving her her own motivations as a playable character.
Remember to always have some #Dixrespect and never any #Disrespect, or anything else that can come from a typo.
Thank you! Glad you liked it and found it compelling! ♥️
This was incredible. I'm a fellow Donkey Kong Country 3 lover and Kiddy Kong defender, and I never considered the angle of the overlooked hero in an overlooked game. That video left me speechless, because of how chaotic the premise is and how great the execution was. Thank you!
I like the fact that Diddy an Dixie are a couple and doing the adventure together in DKC2. They are cute. Compared to Mario or Sonic, it is extremely refreshing and nice to see.
Sonic should definitely have more adventures with Amy!
This is a fantastic take on the casting choice for DKC3. It is also very interesting to see how much everyone focuses on the less stelar songs n the otherwise amazing OST for DKC3, lamenting over David Wise not being involved, while stating that it's composer, Eveline Fischer, was merely the talented sidekick that helped him on the previous two games.
Glad you liked it. We were thinking of making the parallell between Eveline and Dixie Kong, actually. Because it kind of works perfectly, doesn't it?
Awesome video. You present many intriguing thoughts which never occured to me in this way. I have still my nostalgic glasses on whenever the topic is DKC Country and especially DKC3. The latter bought my Mom together with a Super Nintendo and introduced me to gaming when I was old enough to understand what was happening. That's also the reason why DKC3 has such a special place in my heart, it always reminds me of me innocently watching my mom or brother playing and vibing to the music. I always found Kiddy funny, but maybe the reason for that was, that I myself was closer to Kiddy than to Diddy back then. To this day though, it stands as one of my favourite games of all time. I'm glad Donkey Kong didn't return for DKC3, he was horrible to control in DKC anyway.
Anyway, thanks for this enriching video. While I'm not completely agreeing with everything or would add some more things in certain parts, this video successfully showed many new facets and layers to one of my favourite games. I truly appreciate it.
That smooth addition of Kiddy Kong into the DK rap at 33:55 was just perfect. This is quality content, congrats!
Haha, thank you!
Ive yet to find anyone that describes the storytelling and themes of the dkc series better than you and Designing For (idk if you know his channel but hes great). Theres so much charm in how its told in such a subtle yet sweet way too!
We absolutely know of Designed For. They're very cool! Glad you liked how we described the DKC stories :)
@@Transparencyboo Yeah fs! Got me wanting to finish dkc3 tbh lol.
@@starbutter2730 You can do it! :)
Very interesting. I must admit, I've never really engaged that much with these games beyond the core gameplay aspects and nostalgia.
DKC1 reminds me of Christmas at my Aunt and Uncle's place because my cousins had a SNES and we'd spend half of Christmas Eve night playing it waiting to become so tired we could sleep (meanwhile our parents and grandparents were upstairs in the living room hanging out, playing games, and getting things set up to make it look like Santa had come by.) But at it's core, it's mostly a free roam platforming game, with a handful of twists in levels like the swimming and minecart levels and the barrel cannon sections.
DKC2 dials the level design up a notch, integrating some of the old twists into gameplay better (for instance, the ability to transition from swimming to running and back over the course of the level). It adds a few new twists, particularly around the idea of mandatory animal companion segments - levels with more verticality where you play as Rattly the rattlesnake (whose tail is a spring), flying levels with Squawks including one level with a race and one level with strong wind that changes direction at intervals, but it's fairly sparing with these, keeping the focus on the free roam platforming, while dialing up the complexity of everything.
DKC3 starts off strong, with a bunch of the early levels echoing that DKC2 design ethos of complicating the free roam platforming. Where I feel it suffers (and where the proponents of the game often say it excels) is in the twists. For a good chunk of the game, most levels introduce a new mechanic that changes how you play in a pretty fundamental way. I find this gets frustrating because I feel like I'm starting over with each level, skills not really transferring between levels as neatly as they do in the first two games of the DKC lineup. It's still a fun game, but when every level gives the kind of paradigm shift that the level with the Squawks race and Animal Antics (that's the wind level, but the entire level is running through each of the animal companions, making it fun but also handle entirely differently from almost the entirety of the rest of the game), the gaming fatigue sets in faster.
As for Kiddie, yeah, I'd rather have Diddy....but the only difference in how I feel about Kiddie Kong and Donkey Kong is that, when you die as them, one makes a more annoying sound. In general I prefer the faster, more maneuverable kongs. So Dixie with her helicopter spin beats everyone else, Diddy beats the heavies, and Donkey and Kiddie are...there to provide a chance to recover if you take a hit. I guess.
Dixie Kong voice: Get me the HRT that moves your tail to the back of your head.
(Also very funny that Dixie Kong has the Girl Trait of Having Hair when literally EVERY Kong has hair - it's just not necessarily on their heads.)
It just goes to show how far the girl trait really goes, haha. But yes, Dixie deserves some of that HRT.
I loved this. Great video editing, often hilarious, and just some strong analysis that made me think about the DKC games in a different way (even if the video might be tongue-in-cheek) 😁
Thanks a ton! You kind of have to be a bit cheeky when talking about something so inherently funny as Donkey Kong.
I didn't know where this was going at first but really enjoyed it. Can't wait to see more from this channel.
The editing on this is really well-done!
Omg I love the banana birds so much 😭💖the banana bird Queen is amazing 💖 thank you for such a thoughtful video, love it!💖
You are so welcome!
Throwing light shade at David J Bradley by likening them to Lab coat K Rool and then getting them to voice a line at 6:42 has me fucking dying lol
Also I just noticed how King K has a line too and I love the subtle voiceover humor
We are close friends to David, haha.
I actually asked Kiki to write an even more explicit joke about me than she did. I don't think she went hard enough, honestly.
Funny that this dropped, I just 103% completed DKC3 a couple days ago. It's no DKC2, but it's a pretty good time upon revisiting.
Easily our favorite in the series.
I do think it would've been worth mentioning the marketing (like commercials & magazine ads) which paints the game as Kiddy Kong's big starring role, completely ignoring homegirl in the process.
Regardless of opinions on Kiddy, that's a big yikes!
It was post-"Genesis does what Nintendon't" 90s marketing tho, so I guess it's not that surprising that the freakin' baby got top-billing in advertising over the action girl.
@@tjh6678 Yes, we thought about that, but we had simply gotten a bit too far in the process of making the video. So it was absolutely noted, we just didn't get a chance to jam it into the script sadly, but yes, it's a very good point.
this is such a fantabulous video, thank you so darn much for all this, you are an excellent individual and I admire the uh
well I'm too happy to think
This video hit so many important notes -- we have been playing DKC3 without playing 1 or 2 and discussing the reasons why it didn't make the cultural impact it deserved. Amazing work thank you
Thank you too for watching and enjoying it 🧡
I think youre really underestimating that we just love DONKEY KONG in Donkey Kong. His character is defined and loved. My perfect vision is the first world being played by Dixie alone, saving Donkey Kong by beating the first boss, then having a Dixie Donkey team for the rest of the game.
I think it makes perfect sense for DK to not be in DKC3. Just like we said in the video, the mantle of main character is always being given over to the next one. Donkey to Diddy. Diddy to Dixie. Thematically they are games about these characters proving themselves to be capable among their peers. Giving Dixie her own adventure where she is not outshined by the mere presence of Donkey Kong is simply a good move based on what was established in DKC2. It being about her struggles for recognition because she is a girl just follows there after. It is extremely thematically coherent and cool.
@@Transparencyboo hmmmmm
Put her in Smash. Remove DK and Diddy if that’s what it takes, she’s earned it.
She gained an audience with god, so yes!
Dixie doesn't need to be in a non-canon crossover game series to be awesome. Her own game appearances are fine enough.
@@miguelgarces8946 she doesn’t *need* to be but she could be, as a treat
@@melomenon can't argue with that.
Nintendo: My e-mails are open for being the next voice of Donkey Kong
(Excellent video as always!)
Please
1) I came to check out this video because of The Geek Critique's recent DKC3 video redeux, and I am not disappointed! (You've got a new sub!)
2) I *really* like your necklace!! Mind if I ask what the symbol is and where you got it?
Thank you! Glad you liked the video. About the necklace I am honestly not sure what the symbol is, or if it is anything in particular. I got it from my mom several years ago because she wasn't using it, and heck it's just a really great one!
This is my new favorite channel on youtube, thank you for your hard work on these videos!!!!
Aw, thank you! That means a lot! We'll keep making more and doing our best :)
@@Transparencyboo:)
This is a fascinating video! As someone who played 3 first, I never really thought about any of this and enjoyed seeing it get broken down here. :)
It's a really great game. I wonder sometimes if people would have a different perspective on it if they played it first, or grew up with it. I guess we'll never know exactly, haha.
@@Transparencyboo Yeah, DKC3 is fantastic. As for my perspective, I think playing 3 first retroactively made Dixie better in 2. I'd been able to see her as the lead before, so she was more than just "Diddy's girlfriend" to me. It was fascinating to watch your video and ponder how playing through the games sequentially may have affected this.
I think this may have also changed how I perceive DKC1! It's the game I've played the least, but something about it feels like it's "not quite for me", at least not as much as the others. I think the issue is primarily more dated controls and game design, but now I wonder if the lacking character diversity also played a role in that.
And with all that said... I still don't like Kiddy Kong! He's not an AWFUL character, but his entire facial region is just... uncomfortable in promotional renders. I also never had the manual for 3 (I played through 3DS for some reason), so I didn't fully realize Dixie was supposed to be babysitting him. I literally thought the partner taking on a mad scientist with you was a toddler for... no real reason. Realizing his role in the story does make me like him more, but I still wouldn't call myself a Kiddy fan. After watching your video, I wonder what an adult Kiddy would look like, though- it'd be cool if he looked up to Dixie as a sort of parental figure and was one of the few to remember and respect her achievements. Maybe I'd like Kiddy then, but... alas.
I actually played the whole trilogy for the first time last year, and my general take on 3 is that it's extremely good for almost exactly 80& of the game (by level count and assuming you're getting banana birds as they become available) and then it just sort of overcommits to bad ideas too often in the last stretch of the "final" world and the special world
The level with the brown twin kremlins in the cave is the worst
Unrelated, but your outfit in this video is like the exact combination of my favorite cosmetics in A Hat in Time, it's mega cute!
Oh thank you! I don't often use the beret, but it felt like the perfect time.
I want to be clear that opinions I may have expressed about Kiddy Kong in this video do not accurately reflect how I feel about the good boy
Also: Holy shit what the fuck look at that Frankenstein
Baron K. Roolenstein is a Frankenstein.
6:48 That's literally half the monkies in the franchise. There's some scrawny kongs like Diddy, Dixie, Tiny, and arguably Lanky, but most of them are big burly apes with tiny little legs.
They're all huge loveable babies
Anyone know where I can buy a physical copy of Pretend We Have Donkey Kong Country 2?
Exclusive to the transparency household, sadly. Although you could make one of your own and pretend you have Donkey Kong Country 2 as well! Neat!
@@Transparencyboo I'ma pretend I have "Pretend We Have Donkey Kong Country 2"
@@DE23 This is valid!
You two have such an wonderful sense of humour, your videos are a joy to watch!
Thank you, that really means a lot to hear! Glad you enjoy the videos!
Ohhhh! that explains a lot why 3 was my first Donkey Kong game and why the first to finish it, because it was easiest to rent it every end of the week here sadlly i did not 103% that game, i should comeback and make Granny happy.
Thanks for this video, i never would thought about this game or the series in this light without it.
Glad we could help! Hope you go back to it! :)
Well that was a really great video, sorry I don’t really have much to say, mainly commenting for algorithm, other than I’m so glad I checked this out after The Geek Critique’s latest video, I love these deep analysis of the Donkey Kong Country games.
The way you talked about the Kremlings and like how their island is so corrupt and just devastated due to imperialism is so awesome.
Thank you, glad you liked it! :)
I enjoyed playing as Dixie. Her hair spinning made it great for finding hidden treasures or making up for my mistakes.
I really enjoyed this video and it's a shame that UA-cam only just pushed it to my recommendations today. Better late than never. I didn't think about gender with DKC3 outside of it's some BS that Funky volunteers Dixie to babysit Kiddie but this was great Kongtext. I also really enjoyed the humor, that picture of Diddy and Dixie with the one year on HRT really got me 😂. I played these games later on GBA and Donkey Kong County 3 was always my favorite. I dropped a sub and will check out your other videos now. Love it! 🎉
Glad you liked the video! Hope you enjoy our other stuff as well! 🧡
Kiddy Kong Country!!
YES!
So is this a safe place to admit that DKC3 is the only one of the OG Trilogy I played? Stellar video as always!
As a guy, I never felt back in the day I was playing with a lesser or girly character at all when I played with Dixie, as opposed to some other games from that era. Kudos to the devs and designers for that, she is a universally loved character from dk fans ever since she was first introduced. I remember people getting a little weirded out a first when a new character was replacing dk on o dkc 2, but quickly vanished as soon as you played the game. The duo of Diddy and Dixie was perfect, and played so much better than the first dkc. 🎉
I had a feeling i was going to hear stickerbush at some point in the video and you did not disappoint.
So good you gotta have it twice.
My first time watching this channel, 9 minute intro… my kind of channel! 😎 hooked
Welcome aboard!
I still have yet to play the third game, as I’ve just started replaying the 2nd game again but this time on switch. I plan to play DKC3 afterwards. One of the reasons I like the 2nd game so much is because of the pirate aesthetic that permeates the whole game, fighting your enemies on their home turf for the entirety of the game, how much more challenging and engaging it is compared to the first, and that banging soundtrack!
That game over screen though... Being that I rarely beat any SNES game back during the actual era (I'd say I didn't really git gud at videogames until like age 11) I never saw the endings to these games. It's amusing seeing how Cranky Kong acts in general. Such a dismissive old crank lol. Kind of love his character as a whole. Not in a "yes, I agree with him" kind of way, but more as in the kind of character he is.
As for DKC3. I had a blast with it as a kid and probably was in that perfect sweet spot where I was old enough to want to be doing "boys" things, but still young enough where the two leads weren't seen as "not cool enough" for me and my other guy friend (who happened to own the copy of the game) at the time. To me all 3 DKC SNES games are well worth playing if a person has tried and enjoyed at least one of them. Analysis of the video aside, I have to imagine that a 3rd DKC game in 3 years also probably suffered from franchise burnout at the time too. The games are pretty similar to the point where it could have been seen as more of the same regardless of quality.
Also, Eveline's music on DKC3 is good stuff (as well as the small number of David Wise tunes). She goes for more of an ambient vibe more often. Treetop Tumble. Mmmmm so good. Again, very much up to the quality of the first two games in general. Sure, it doesn't have something like Forest Interlude or Stickerbush Symphony, but those are just one in a million tracks for any soundtrack. Dave was on a different plane for DKC2 I guess.
My main point is, you're missing out on DKC3 if you haven't played it and enjoyed 1 or 2.
This was fantastic! And now I'm really sad we never got to see Kiddy grow up and get his chance.
Glad you liked it! ♥️
Kiddy doesn't have to grow up. Otherwise, he wouldn't be called "Kiddy" anymore.
@@miguelgarces8946 true!
Although seeing the characters change over time could be fun too. Old man Donkey Kong, Diddy and Dixie as adults
This was my favorite DKC game, and I recorded a long-play of it on VHS.
Wow I only ever played 1 & 2 on my GBA and never bothered playing 3 bcuz I heard it was bad this reading has really changed my perspective and now it's my favorite haha
Bless
Why can a video with so many kong puns make me genuienly emotional about a video game ape grandma
Haha, we were surprised ourselves.
Wow CGRundertow thats an oldie! Great video as always. Never thought Dixie was disliked but I can see the perspective of women in gaming back then.
I do like DKC 3, it's probably my favorite in the trilogy because of the level aesthetics and design, it may not be as impressive as the second game but I do like a lot of it's ideas over the second game.
Glad you enjoyed it! The music also doesn't get enough credit.
This is an outstanding analysis and video. Well done!!
Thank you 🧡 glad you liked it!
i really liked this video, helps me appreciate dkc3 way more when before i just kinda forgot about it despite replaying it whenever i go back to the trilogy.
Glad to be able to help! :)
prediction: this video is gonna mention the commercial where it says "starring kiddy kong"
the best DKC3 analysis around. it leaves me wondering what a theoretical DKC4 would look like, following the formula of promoting sidekick to protagonist. who could possibly fall below Kiddy in the hierarchy?
Thank you, that is very kind of you to say! It's hard to say who would fall below Kiddy, isn't it? We kind of had the thought that Kiddy would basically become a new Donkey Kong so perhaps another Diddy Kong like character would fit? Otherwise we had a wild idea where the next one could be a Kremling even, adding some sort of predjudice angle to the entire thing. I don't know, that would be interesting to me.
@@Transparencyboo a long time ago I used to fantasize about DKC4 being Kiddy and Donkey pairing up to "close the circle" so to speak, mix in some powerhouse team up moves, could be some interesting intergenerational theming to explore. I really lime your Kremling idea though, rip apart the good/evil binary, kongs on a mission to free the kremlings from K.Rool's oppression, or maybe another force that the kongs and kremlings are teaming up to battle...
DKC3 was my favorite from the trilogy, but after watching your video, somehow, now I like DKC3 even more.
Its the best! Glad we could enhance the game for you even further :)