Kiddy Kong

Kiddy Kong
Kiddy Kong's artwork from the game Donkey Kong Country 3.
Alias(es)	Dinky Kong Donkey Kong
Family	Kong Family, Chunky Kong (older brother), Dixie Kong (older cousin), Tiny Kong (older cousin)
Species	Kong
Gender	Male
Powers/Abilities	Great strength, Tremendous speed, Water Skip
Enemies	Kremling Krew, KAOS, Baron K. Roolenstein
Game(s)	Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!, Donkey Kong Land III, Donkey Kong 64 (mentioned) Donkey Kong Racing (canceled), Donkey Konga 2 (cameo and mention), Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (cameo)
First Appearance	Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! (for SNES) (1996)
Latest Appearance	Donkey Kong Country 3 (for GBA) (2005)
Voice Actor/Actress	Mark Betteridge Chris Sutherland (GBA version; when falling and crying upon being defeated)

"It was Dixie who found herself lumbered with this little cousin on her most recent escapade, during which Kiddy proved that the traditional Kong adventuring abilities (not to mention sheer brute strength) still run in the family. He's as wary of Kremlings as you'd expect for a kid of his age, but once he gets frustrated it's the Krems who'd better watch out..."

—DKC Trilogy Cast List^[1]

Kiddy Kong (ディンキーコング, Dinky Kong in Japan) is a three-year-old^[1] Kong and the youngest member of the Kong Family. Kiddy plays the role of the co-star^[2] in the games Donkey Kong Country 3 and Donkey Kong Land III. He is the younger brother of Chunky Kong and younger cousin of Dixie and Tiny Kong.

Biography

A Baby for a Sidekick

At the start of Donkey Kong Country 3, Dixie arrives in the Northern Kremisphere in search of the missing Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong. She goes to Funky's Rentals, where Funky Kong has been reluctantly babysitting Kiddy Kong, who has been chewing on a spare tire. The chore is passed on to Dixie, and he joins her in her quest.

Kiddy has great strength and rolling speed (like Donkey and Diddy respectively) and is able to throw Dixie high into the sky. Despite this, he can't move very fast because of his size, and throwing him upwards can cause him to break through cracked surfaces because of his weight, throwing him against the wall will make him roll which gives Dixie the chance to jump on and ride him like a Steel Keg, and Kiddy can bounce on water, which compliments Dixie's Helicopter Twirl. When defeated, he pounds the ground with his fists and cries loudly.

In the Game Boy Advance version of Donkey Kong Country 3, because Kiddy is only a baby, he cannot participate in the Swanky's Dash, a fast-paced virtual reality game.

Donkey Kong Land III

In Donkey Kong Land III, Kiddy once again teams up with his cousin Dixie. Again, Donkey Kong and Diddy go off on an adventure, this time searching for The Lost World, so Kiddy, who didn't have any idea of what was going on, and Dixie also search for it. The Kongs find out that Baron K. Roolenstein and his Kremling Krew are also searching for the Lost World to harness more power. After defeating Baron K. Roolenstein, Dixie and Kiddy prove themselves heroic. It can be assumed that they won the Lost World contest and made DK and Diddy proud.

Donkey Kong 64

Kiddy doesn't physically appear in the game, but in the manual, he is mentioned by Cranky twice; once when he says the previous playable characters, and when he mentions Kiddy is Chunky's younger brother.

Other Appearances

Donkey Kong Racing

Kiddy was set to appear as a playable character in the game Donkey Kong Racing before it was canceled, as seen in a trailer.^[3]

Donkey Konga 2

In Donkey Konga 2, Kiddy Kong is referenced through his Japanese name Dinky Kong being used in one of Dixie's letters, he also makes a cameo in the game. According to Dixie's letter, despite it being his first time playing an instrument, Kiddy instantly understood the concept of playing the bongos and discovered he has a talent in rhythm, beat, and flow, being able to accurately hit the unique drums at the same time.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Kiddy Kong appears as Dixie Kong's enhanced spirit in the game Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, depicting him in Funky Kong's Hover Craft alongside Dixie. He does not have his own spirit, however.

Physical Appearance

Kiddy has light brown fur, with a light orange top, and brown eyes. He has a large mouth, with a rather large bottom lip (a trait shared with his brother Chunky Kong). He has a chubby body with large arms, and his legs and feet are disproportionately small in comparison. He wears blue footie pajamas, with a white collar and white placket with yellow buttons and is depicted only in the official artworks with a green pacifier. His sleeves are rolled up, making them white and very short. In Donkey Kong Country 3's 2P Contest mode, Kiddy's pajamas will change from light-blue to spring green.

Personality

Kiddy Kong's attributes are mainly those of a toddler, matching his age. When Kiddy is defeated and loses a life, he throws a tantrum. He is, typical for toddlers, very curious, such as his idle animation where he will playfully pull on the thread of his sock and fall over, and will also observe his surroundings. Kiddy is also most likely unware of the true dangers that surround him. He makes a sad face in the Game Over screen, being unhappy for being put into a crib in a dark room. He also raises his eyes and smiles at the camera if he wins a Bonus Round, suggesting he is cheerful. He can also be mischievous, with him and Dixie often pulling pranks on each other. (ex. if the player switches between Dixie and Kiddy, Kiddy will pick up Dixie by the head and Dixie will pop her bubblegum to scare Kiddy. During DKC3's end credits, they continue pranking each other with Dixie making Kiddy slip on ice by scaring him and Kiddy ramming Dixie off a wooden platform.)

Game Appearances

• Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! (1996)
  • Donkey Kong Country 3 (GBA) (2005)
• Donkey Kong Land III (1997)
  • Donkey Kong GB: Dinky Kong & Dixie Kong (2000)
• Donkey Konga 2 (2004): Cameo
• Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018) (spirit)

Gallery

Artwork

Artwork of Kiddy Kong running.

Artwork of Kiddy Kong riding Ellie the Elephant.

Artwork of Kiddy jumping in the GBA remake.

Kiddy's original artwork for the SNES version.

Artwork of Kiddy Kong throwing a wooden barrel.

Artwork of Kiddy Kong executing a roll move.

Artwork of Kiddy Kong swimming.

Artwork of Kiddy Kong climbing on a horizontal rope.

Artwork of Kiddy Kong holding up a wooden barrel.

Alternative artwork of Kiddy Kong running.

Artwork of Kiddy Kong opening his arms from the game Donkey Kong Land III for Game Boy.

Screenshots

Kiddy and Dixie Kong inside a cradle as seen in the Game Over screen of the game Donkey Kong Land III for Game Boy.

Kiddy Kong riding Ellie the Elephant as seen during the trailer for the canceled game Donkey Kong Racing.^[3]

It is pretty easy for Kiddy, using his strength, to carry Dixie...

...but not the other way around.

Sprites

Sprite of Kiddy Kong standing in place, from the game Donkey Kong Country 3.

Animated sprite of Kiddy Kong running, from the game Donkey Kong Country 3.

Kiddy Kong's badge in Donkey Konga 2.

Trivia

• "Dinky Kong", "Baby Kong", "Tiny Kong", "DJ Kong" and "Bibby Kong" were all names originally considered for him.
  • The name "Dinky" was considered until it was changed due to Rare having legal concerns. However, Kiddy's Japanese name did become "Dinky Kong".
  • "Dinky" is a pun and play on the word "binky"/"binkie" referencing his baby habit of sucking on a pacifier.
• Originally, Donkey and Dixie Kong were meant to be playable alongside each other in the game Donkey Kong Country 3, since Dixie was intended to be the star of her own game, it is likely that Donkey was replaced so he would not overshadow her role. Donkey is missing with Diddy, whereas Dixie is accompanied by her baby cousin Kiddy, who acts very much like a mix of Donkey and Diddy, keeping Diddy's swiftness and Donkey's strength.
• Kiddy Kong (outside of Japan) is the only main playable Kong whose name does not begin with the letter "D" in the classic Donkey Kong games and the original Donkey Kong Country trilogy (unless "Kiddy" is meant to be his nickname). However, in the Japanese versions he is indeed known as Dinky Kong matching the other main playable Kongs: Donkey Kong Jr., Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, and Dixie Kong who all start with the letter "D".
• According to Mark Stevenson^[4], one of the lead artists of the game Donkey Kong Country 3, Kiddy Kong's design is inspired by the character George Dawes from the British comedy TV series Shooting Stars^[5]. The character, portrayed by Matt Lucas^[6], is described as a giant baby.
• Lanky Kong's exact relation to the Kong family is unknown. It is stated by Cranky that he is a twisted twig on a distant branch of the family tree and non-biological distant cousin, some people however continue to further speculate certain things. In the DK64 German manual, he is mentioned Kiddy and Chunky Kong's uncle once removed (likely meaning the uncle of one of Kiddy and Chunky's parents, and since it only mentions Kiddy and Chunky, it is probably the parent who is not the sibling of one of Dixie and Tiny Kong's parents).
• When the "COLOR" cheat code is activated in the game Donkey Kong Country 3, Kiddy's pajamas turn green.
• Kiddy is infamous for being a very unpopular character in the DK community. Most detractors dislike how he plays too similarly to both DK (being a slow, but strong characters) and Diddy (carrying barrels in front of him). They also tend to find his loud cry annoying anytime he loses a life, and typically, fans just didn't enjoy playing as a large baby over the more iconic DK and Diddy, especially because of his goofy design, and lack of a personality.
  • There are, however, some fans who don't understand why he's so hated, and actually like him and find him cute, and a useful partner for Dixie.
• Kiddy Kong scored the most votes in voting for the 4th playable Kong in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. But Cranky became the 4th Kong, despite this, perhaps it was a distraction.
• Kiddy Kong makes a cameo appearance in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. As part of the Great Kong Army, he is enlisted by Mario, Princess Peach and Toad to join the raid on Bowser.
  • Although it is still a minor appearance, this marks Kiddy Kong's first physical appearance in over 17 years since the Game Boy Advance remake of Donkey Kong Country 3.
• A Player's Guide insert for DKC3 humorously calls Kiddy a "diaper-soiling, binky gobbling ape."

External Links

• New Rare Games - Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! on Rareware (saved on Wayback Machine)

References