Donkey Kong Report Reveals Cancelled Nintendo Switch Game

Donkey Kong almost got a game from... Activision and Vicarious Visions?

By Marc Deschamps

The Nintendo Switch era has been very good for a lot of famous Nintendo icons. Characters like Mario, Link, and Kirby have all gotten critically-acclaimed, commercially successful games on the system, but Donkey Kong has been a rare exception. Outside of ports and remakes, DK hasn't had much to do on Switch, but it seems fans almost had a major reason to celebrate. Details about a cancelled 3D Donkey Kong game emerged initially from DK Vine and have now gotten more validity thanks to Did You Know Gaming. The title apparently was not in development at Nintendo, but instead from the Activision owned studio Vicarious Visions. 

Why Was Vicarious Visions Making a DK Game?

donkey-kong-in-skylanders.jpg
(Photo: Activision)

In 2015, Vicarious Visions released Skylanders: SuperChargers on several platforms, including Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. The Nintendo versions of that game featured a unique hook, adding Bowser and Donkey Kong as playable characters. Nintendo, apparently impressed with how the big ape was handled in the game, decided to partner with Vicarious Visions on a Donkey Kong game codenamed "Freedom." This game would have featured both a new direction for the character, and even a redesign, with huge arms and smaller legs. Freedom would have featured a mechanic where DK could grind on vines, in a seeming nod to the developer's past work on the Tony Hawk games. 

According to DK Vine's sources, creator Shigeru Miyamoto was involved and giving feedback to the team. For example, when Miyamoto shared concern that DK would burn his feet when grinding on vines, the studio added banana peels to his feet during these segments. Interestingly enough, the game would have seen the addition of Pauline as a playable character. Pauline was the "damsel in distress" from the original Donkey Kong arcade game, but was apparently given a redesign and new hook that made her closer to real-life primatologist Jane Goodall. 

What Led to the DK Game's Cancellation

Details about the story are slim, but it would have apparently centered around a factory being opened up near DK Island, causing issues for the banana trees. Considering that factory levels were a big part of the Donkey Kong Country games, that could have been a nice fit! Unfortunately, none of this was meant to be, as the overall game didn't seem to get very far. The project apparently fell apart with the departure of Vicarious Visions founders Karthik and Guha Bala. Activision wanted the studio to focus on properties owned by the company, and the developer moved on to Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, which was released in 2017. Apparently, some assets created for Freedom may have been recycled for this game, including the foliage from the jungles. 

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Did You Know Gaming was able to confirm some of the details originally shared by DK Vine, others it could not, however it seems that this really was a game that was in early development. Given how tight-lipped Nintendo tends to be, it's unlikely we'll ever get "official" confirmation of its existence, but this seems close enough. The idea of Vicarious Visions earning Nintendo's trust following Skylanders SuperChargers would also line up pretty well with everything we know about that era. Nintendo was starting to work closer with outside studios following the release of the Wii U, and leading into the debut of Nintendo Switch. 

Are you disappointed that this Switch game never materialized? Did you enjoy playing as DK in Skylanders: SuperChargers? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!

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