Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Almost Had Alien Enemies

In Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, DK, Diddy, Cranky, and Dixie took on the Snowmads, arctic invaders led by the villainous Lord Fredrik. However, it seems that the game almost had the island attacked by aliens, instead! In an appearance on the KiwiTalkz podcast, former Retro Studios employees Eric Kozlowsky and Ted Anderson discussed some behind the scenes details about the game’s development. There, the artists revealed the early alien concept, which would have expanded on the ending for Donkey Kong Country Returns. That idea didn’t go very far in the production stages, but it would have dramatically changed the game’s theme. 

“I think early on, I think it might have been discussed like were we going to do the snow theme or like a martian theme where because DK punched the moon at the end of Returns, the aliens living on the moon were going to be the invaders,” said Kozlowsky.

Anyone but the Kremlings

The Donkey Kong Country series launched under the development of Rare. Starting with the first game in 1994, the SNES trilogy rebooted Donkey Kong, giving him a new family, friends, and a group of enemies known as the Kremlings. King K. Rool and his Kremlings plagued DK throughout all 3 games, and returned in other titles like Donkey Kong 64. However, the series was put on hold for several years following the purchase of Rare by Microsoft. In 2010, Retro Studios revitalized the series with Donkey Kong Country Returns on Wii. That game resurrected many elements found in the Rare trilogy, with one major omission: the Kremlings. Instead, the game featured the Tiki Tak Tribe, and the Snowmads appeared in the 2014 sequel, Tropical Freeze. 

King K. Rool would later return in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, but the Kremlings and Kongs haven’t otherwise appeared in a game together in nearly two decades. The news that Retro was considering aliens at one point for Tropical Freeze is interesting, as it shows that even in the early planning stages, the Kremlings weren’t a priority. 

Donkey Kong Country at Super Nintendo World

This year will see the Donkey Kong Country attraction opening at Universal Studios Japan. When it does, Donkey Kong and Diddy will appear alongside Tiki Tong, the leader of the Tiki Tak Tribe. The decision was likely made as the characters fit better with the overall aesthetic of the attraction, and its island theme. Not including remasters and ports, it’s been 10 years since Nintendo has given us a truly new Donkey Kong game. When it does happen, it will be interesting to see if Nintendo brings back the Tiki Tak Tribe, the Snowmads, or perhaps finally the Kremlings. Of course, it’s also possible they could throw everyone a curveball and focus on aliens! 

Are you happy that Tropical Freeze used the Snowmads instead of aliens? What villains would you like to see in the next DK adventure? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

[H/T: Nintendo Life]