Donkey Kong Jr.

For the game Donkey Kong Jr., see Donkey Kong Jr. (game).

Donkey Kong Jr.
Donkey Kong Jr.'s artwork from the game Mario Tennis for Nintendo 64.(tennis racket removed)
Full Name	Donkey Kong Junior
Alias(es)	Junior I DKJ, D.K. JR., D.K. Junior Donkey Kong
Residence(s)	Unknown Donkey Kong Island
Family	Cranky Kong (father) Wrinkly Kong (mother, deceased) Unnamed older son Unnamed daughter -in-law Julius (from the Saturday Supercade[1] animated series) (uncle) Donkey Kong (son) Diddy Kong (grandson) Candy Kong (daughter-in-law) Dixie Kong (Granddaughter-in-law) Unnamed paternal great-great grandfather, deceased
Species	Kong
Sub-Species	Gorilla
Gender	Male
Age	Unknown (Middle -aged)
Affiliation(s)	Kong Family, Bones (from the Saturday Supercade animated series)
Occupation(s)	Unknown
Powers/Abilities	Intelligence and being capable of planning (he's a Pacifist that likes Peace and Fighting for Necessary Protection (shown in the Donkey Kong Jr. game, where his main concern is saving his dad and he doesn't directly fight Mario) and enjoys the Fun Sports shown in the Spin-off games), Power of Math, Artist/Drawing/Painting Skills (talented enough to perfectly use Markers with his feet), Able to verbally communicate/talk with other people and speak English or Japanese, Encyclopedic Knowledge of Video Game History, Skillful Swiftness, Superb Jumping Swinging and Climbing skills, Tremendous Speed (has dodged electricity from Mario), Tremendous Strength (knows "Jungle Judo" (from the Saturaday Supercade cartoon), a Martial Art involving powerful Hand/Karate Chops also knows Sumo Wrestling/Boxing), A pair of Cymbals, A Bell, Skilled Drummer, Keys, Fruit (like Apples Strawberries Blueberries Cherries Oranges Nuts and Bananas), Whip/Ivy Vine/Rope, Snapjaws , Super Mushrooms & Poison Mushrooms Spring-board Trampolines, Nitpickers, Umbrella/Parasol (when closed it can be used like Cranky's cane and when opened he can fly with it akin to Mary Poppins by kicking the air extremely fast; in his arcade game it was fast enough to keep up with Mario's Helicopter), Parachute, Directional Switches (are used to control conveyor belts, moving platforms and elevators, can also be used to make bridges appear and disappear, as well as opening and closing gates)
Enemies	Mario (only in the Donkey Kong Jr. game) (formerly)
Game(s)	Donkey Kong Jr., Donkey Kong Jr. Math, Donkey Kong Jr. + Jr. Sansū Lesson, Donkey Kong Classics, Super Mario Kart, Mario Clash, Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World, Mario's Time Machine, Donkey Kong '94, Mario Tennis, e-Reader Card, Game & Watch Gallery 1,2,3, and 4, Punch-Out!!, Super Punch-Out!!, Animal Crossing, Tetris DS, WarioWare Twisted, Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario All-Stars Limited Edition, Mario's Tennis (Virtual Boy), Super Smash Bros. Melee, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, NES Remix, Super Mario Maker, WarioWare Gold
First Appearance	Donkey Kong Jr. (1982)
Latest Appearance	Mario Kart Tour (2019)
Voice Actor/Actress	N/A

"Super Mario Kart is the only Mario Kart game to feature Donkey Kong Jr. Due to the success of Donkey Kong Country, all future Mario Kart entries featured Donkey Kong as he appears in Donkey Kong Country Cranky Kong, aka Donkey Kong Sr."

—

Donkey Kong Jr., also known as DKJ, DK JR. or Donkey Kong Junior for short, is Donkey Kong Sr./Cranky Kong's son

Origin

This retro arcade icon and enigmatic '80s main protagonist may have slight dwarfism and be a bit on the chubby side but DK Junior (while looking and acting youthful and comically punching modern DK despite being in his all grown up middle aged adult years in an official manga) also prides himself in his heroism and actively performs brave heroic acts showing his sense of justice, but as he grew up and got older and wiser he has not been in many games as a playable character. However, he still makes numerous secret appearances roles and hidden cameos such as Mario spin-offs, Mario Clash, Super Mario Maker, Super Mario Bros. remakes, Donkey Kong remakes, Punch-Out!!, NES Remix, WarioWare, Animal Crossing, Tetris DS, and the Game & Watch Gallery series.

He at least wears outfits like a White Leotard/Singlet/Onesie and White Shoes (while regularly using a hand-mirror to check on his looks) making him much more fashionable and gentleman-like than the original DK). The two still have a deep love and mutual respect for each other with Cranky being proud of his son and Junior is forever loyal to his father.

It's referenced in the grand majority of the games that the current Donkey Kong is Cranky Kong's grandson such as in the ori

History

Donkey Kong Jr.

Donkey Kong Jr. was the main character in the game Donkey Kong Jr. for Arcade and Nintendo Entertainment System. Junior makes it his own task to rescue his father from Mario, the carpenter, who had trapped Donkey Kong Sr. inside a cage, following the events of the original Donkey Kong game for Arcade and NES. During the game, Junior must clear stages by climbing up vines and ropes, while avoiding enemies, in order to reach Donkey Kong's cage at the top. At the end, the small gorilla must push multiple keys into locks, making an upper floor to disappear, and dropping down Mario and Cranky Kong/Donkey Kong Sr. The carpenter falls on the ground, and Junior is able to catch his father's cage and leave the screen. Mario stands up and tries to pursue them, but he is kicked back into the screen by Junior.

Donkey Kong Jr. Math

In the game Donkey Kong Jr. Math, Donkey Kong Jr. solves math problems with Donkey Kong Sr. He can also compete with his re-colored palette swap, a pink Donkey Kong Jr. Junior gets extra advanced learning compared to pink Donkey Kong Jr. such as with the +-x/ exercises (and possibly calculus).

The game Donkey Kong Jr. and an earlier version of the game Donkey Kong Jr. Math were released as a compilation called Donkey Kong Jr. + Jr. Sansū Lesson for the Sharp C1 Famicom TV^[2] exclusively in Japan.

Donkey Kong '94

Donkey Kong Jr. appears in the game Donkey Kong for Game Boy. Here, DK Jr. throws Poison Mushrooms and also pulls and pushes on switches/levers called Directional Switches used to either hinder or help Mario by activating/deactivating platforms. They are used to control conveyor belts, moving platforms and elevators. They can also be used to make bridges appear and disappear, as well as opening and closing gates.

It's shown in Stage 8-9 of Rocky-Valley that the plumber can lose a life when touching Donkey Kong Jr. Sometimes, Donkey Kong Jr. even appears out in the open and throws Poison Mushrooms. Finally, Mario got to stop him for good in Stage 9-4, where he locked him in a cage in a fashion similar to Stage 4 of the original Donkey Kong Jr. game. In the ending, Donkey Kong Jr. somehow managed to free himself and lay in wait as Pauline gave Mario a Super Mushroom to catch Donkey Kong Sr., and acted as soon as his father was calling for help, Junior managed to save him. In the end, the group of characters take a photo together, implying they called a truce and are now peaceful towards each other.

The Wonder Life guide for Donkey Kong '94 released in 1994 states that the Mini Alarm Clock DK from the Donkey Kong Game & Watch is the same character as Donkey Kong Junior.

Donkey Kong Country Returns and Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D

Although Donkey Kong Jr. does not appear in the games Donkey Kong Country Returns and Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, he is referenced in the Golden Temple world where the theme that plays in the sky area is a remix of the Donkey Kong Jr., ending, stage and title themes. Additionally, the Fruit from his game including the Bananas appear as platforms. The Key Temples and the Golden Temple have depictions of the original Donkey Kong.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

In Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Donkey Kong Jr. appears as a cameo at the end of the Aqueduct Assault level in the background inside a Wii U GamePad held high by the original Donkey Kong. He is referenced in the Secret Seclusion world where the theme that plays in the sky area is a different cover of the Donkey Kong Jr. music.

Other Game Appearances

Mario Kart series

Donkey Kong Jr. has appeared only in the game Super Mario Kart for Super Nintendo Entertainment System as a playable character celebrating the 10th anniversary of his arcade game and his shared history with Mario. He is one of the heaviest characters in the game along with Bowser.

In the game Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, Donkey Kong Jr. was originally going to be the partner to Donkey Kong the Third but was replaced by Diddy Kong. However, Junior still makes cameo appearances in the Waluigi Stadium course in the form of multiple non-playable characters composing the crowd watching the races. Music from Donkey Kong Jr. appears during the first part of the DK Mountain/Dino Dino Jungle theme.

Mario Tennis series

Donkey Kong Jr. also appeared in Mario's Tennis for the Virtual Boy (where he wears tennis shoes) and with time traveling shenanigans appeared in Mario Tennis for the Nintendo 64 as an unlockable character. He is considered a Power character along with Donkey Kong, Wario, and Bowser.

Super Smash Bros. series

Donkey Kong Jr. is not playable in the Super Smash Bros. series but he does make some form of appearances. Mr. Game & Watch's Down Aerial is a Key that references his arcade game Donkey Kong Jr.. Diddy Kong's White Alternate Costume does reference Junior's appearance in Donkey Kong Jr. Math

Super Smash Bros. Melee

Donkey Kong Jr. appears as a trophy in the game Super Smash Bros. Melee.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Donkey Kong Jr. appears as two stickers. Junior's trophy was going to be in the game, but it was scrapped.^{[citation needed]}

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Donkey Kong Jr. appears as a spirit. Music songs from his arcade game and the original Donkey arcade game were remixed and appear as selectable stage music.

Other Media Appearances

Saturday Supercade animated series

Donkey Kong Jr. is one of the main protagonists, alongside Bones, a greaser^[3] young man, in the Donkey Kong Junior segment of the Saturday Supercade^[1] animated series. In the English version of the series, Junior is voiced by Frank Welker^[4].

The plot of the animated segment is about Donkey Kong Jr. coming from an unknown location to see Donkey Kong Sr. at the circus and finding his father's cage empty (the escape is depicted in the Donkey Kong segment of the same animated series). The sad Junior then meets Bones, and they decide to search for Donkey Kong Sr. together. They travel around cities by using a motorcycle. Donkey Kong Jr. is fully capable of speech, and he is the usual pilot of the motorcycle. During episodes, while trying to find the whereabouts of Donkey Kong Sr., Junior and Bones come across people having problems with thieves and other criminals, and both characters help to defeat them. Junior always shouts the catchphrase "Monkey Muscle!" before executing physical feats in order to stop bad guys.

During the episode "Gorilla Ghost", Junior and Bones visit a zoo to see Uncle Julius, the gorilla, in order to ask for clues about Donkey Kong Sr.'s trail. However, they are stopped at the entrance by a suspicious woman saying that the zoo is closed because all animals inside are sick. Junior and Bones decide to enter anyway by jumping over the fence. After they meet Uncle Julius, he and Junior share a hug. Julius also explains that the zoo is haunted by the Gorilla Ghost, and animals have been disappearing every night. At night, the ghost really appears and kidnapped the elephants. Junior and Bones try to stop it, but they fail. Later, Uncle Julius is worried that he is the next target. Junior reassures his uncle, and he creates a plan to distract the Gorilla Ghost by Bones dressing a gorilla costume. The ghost returns, and Junior and Bones try to attack it, but they are taken down by it. Uncle Julius decides to attack the ghost, and it is revealed that the Gorilla Ghost is actually a man in a costume. They all try to fight back against the bad guy, but the suspicious woman from before, called Aurora, appears and helps her assistant to capture the heroes. Junior, Bones and Julius are taken to a mine outside of town. The criminals are slaving the animals from the zoo in order to search for gold in the mine. While the bad guys are distracted, Donkey Kong Jr. is able to break out the chains tying he and his friends. The small gorilla also chops down some boulders in order to use them as disguises. The assistant warns Aurora about the "three gorillas" going missing, and she vows to find them. Junior and Uncle Julius decide to use the chains to capture the assistant, but they catch Bones instead by mistake. They are spotted by Aurora, and she uses a whip to tie them down. Then she and her assistant decide to escape with all gold by mounting on elephants. Julius is able to break the whip by using a sharp stone, and the heroes chase the bad guys by riding on round boulders. The criminals close gates behind them, trying to stop Junior and the others, but the two gorillas are able to rip out the gates. Bones falls down from his boulder and lands on the bad guys, knocking them down from the elephants. The animals use their trunks to throw Aurora and her assistant inside a makeshift cage created by Junior and Julius using the gates. Then Junior puts the sign "Crook Exhibit" on the cage, and the heroes laugh. Later, Uncle Julius thanks Junior for helping against the Gorilla Ghost. However, Bones tries to show he knows how to be a gorilla now by swinging on a tire.

Trivia

• Donkey Kong Jr. was originally going to star with his dad, Mario, and Pauline in a music game for the NES called Donkey Kong no Ongaku Asobi (Music Play/Fun with Music) but it was cancelled (his instrument would have been Drums).
• His sprite/assets can be found in the game Donkey Kong 3 suggesting a role he might have had with original Donkey Kong and Stanley the Bugman.

• Donkey Kong Jr. first appeared as the son of the original Donkey Kong that kidnapped Pauline. This Kong was later redesigned as Cranky Kong

• In a Nintendo Power magazine advertisement for the game Donkey Kong Land, it shows a mysterious Kong who wears a fedora (Fedora Kong) and was planned to appear in the game but was later cut (it's heavily implied that he would have appeared in Big Ape City; an area filled with arcade Donkey Kong references).
• The original idea for Diddy Kong in the game Donkey Kong Country was for him to be an updated/re-imagined version of Donkey Kong Jr., however Nintendo did not like that the redesign looked too drastically different and asked for Junior to appear in his original design or make an entirely new character, the latter was chosen and thus Diddy Kong was born.
• It is possible that Junior was made relatively bigger (sometimes even bigger than Mario and even Bowser) for games such as Super Mario Kart and Mario's Tennis as an artistic choice, likely so it would be easier for players to see the character sprites (plus his White Leotard contrasts his fur) and contrast the stage/background, due to hardware limitations.
• Cranky Kong, Wrinkly Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., and Diddy Kong have conjoined eyes
• Donkey Kong Jr. is the only Kong that has never been shown using a Barrel.
• Donkey Kong Jr., the original Donkey Kong, and Wrinkly Kong appear to be the only Kongs who know how to do math correctly.
• The game Super Mario Kart is the only Mario Kart series game to feature Donkey Kong Jr. as a playable character.

References