How a chance encounter saved a legendary Nintendo franchise
In short: After the original developers were acquired by Microsoft, the Donkey Kong Country series faced an uncertain future. It took a chance suggestion from Shigeru Miyamoto and a studio known for Metroid to revive the franchise and create a massive Wii success.
The revival of the Donkey Kong Country series was not a foregone conclusion. Following the acquisition of the original developer, Rare, by Microsoft in 2002, the franchise entered a hiatus. Retro Studios, the developer behind Metroid Prime, originally intended to focus on Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. However, the series' future changed when Donkey Kong creator Shigeru Miyamoto expressed interest in a revival "totally by chance."
The development of Donkey Kong Country Returns was shaped by high stakes and intense supervision. Miyamoto, whom the team referred to as "Yoda" for his guidance, oversaw the project to ensure it maintained the series' unique feel. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata viewed the collaboration between Retro and Nintendo as a matter of "goen," or fate, expressing confidence that Retro could carry the mantle previously held by Rare.
To balance the game's high difficulty with accessibility, Retro Studios introduced several unique mechanics. They implemented the "Super Guide" system, allowing a white-colored Donkey Kong named Super Kong to assist players after eight deaths in a single level. They also designed Donkey and Diddy as a combined character to differentiate the experience from previous titles, where players could swap between the two Kongs at will.
Released in North America in November 2010, the game was a major commercial success, selling over 6.53 million copies worldwide on the Wii. The project proved that a new studio could successfully continue a beloved series, eventually leading to sequels on the Wii U and Nintendo Switch, and a high-definition version in 2025.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Donkey Kong Country Returns
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