Ever since Super Nintendo World opened in Japan four years ago, the park promised us we’d eventually get to explore Donkey Kong’s home turf. That day is…not now, but very soon. A Super Nintendo World Direct went live on Monday in which DK creator Shigeru Miyamoto took everyone on a guided tour of the sights.
To get to Donkey Kong Country, you must pass through a pipe made of bricks that slowly turn into rocks….and from there you can’t miss it. The scenery takes inspiration from multiple interpretations of DK Jungle over the years…the Rare games, the Retro Studios sequels, and the Aztec-inspired temples from the Super Mario Bros Movie.
Like Super Nintendo World proper, Donkey Kong Country is interactive: it’s a theme park attraction you can play like a video game. Shiggy demonstrated this by walking up to a set of large barrels and bopping them when prompted. When he performed correctly, Rambi the Rhino emerged to roar in approval. There are also “KONG” letters scattered around the park and if you find and tap them all, you get…an extra life?
The most obvious thing to build in a Donkey Kong theme park would be a mine cart ride, and sure enough, it is there. Shiggy took us into the temple and through the queue, pointing out designs on the wall like a pattern reminiscent of the Donkey Kong arcade game and a bunch of apes exalting a large banana. An animatronic Cranky Kong and Squawks will greet those in line (let me just say, ever since Cranky left Rare he hasn’t been…well, cranky enough. If I were in charge, he’d tell the customers not to go on the ride and complain that “in his day” theme parks were better.)
The last thing Miyamoto showed us was the rollercoaster itself…or rather, the first ten seconds. The ascent up to the Blast Barrel was pretty typical for this kind of ride, but what happens once you enter the barrel will remain a mystery for now.
The Donkey Kong Country area of Super Nintendo Land will open in Universal Studios Japan on December 11. There WILL be a version in America at Universal Studios Florida, which is set to open May 22, 2025. The Hollywood version of the park has less space to work with and sadly won’t get any DK.
