Donkey Kong Bananza feels like somewhat of a watershed moment for DK, as well as the series’ biggest celebration in… well, ever? There’s a bunch of callbacks to the original 1981 Donkey Kong game, with his new design and Pauline being a major player in the plot. But equally there’s a lot of love being shown to the first major turning point of DK’s career, with Diddy Kong, Dixie Kong, Cranky Kong, and returning music stings like the DK Rap being pulled from the 1990s Rareware era.
But for a game that seems so much like a celebration of the series, there doesn't seem to be any returning villains. Rather than a familiar face returning, the Void Co. Kongs are the enemy this time around. Donkey Kong Country Returns’ Tiki Tak Tribe (the lame ones) are big enough that they appear in Nintendo’s Donkey Kong Country area at Universal Studios. Meanwhile, Tropical Freeze’s Snowmads are pretty well liked, but neither made it past one game. However, Donkey Kong does have a nemesis: it just so happens to be one he hasn’t fought since 1999 (in a mainline game at least).
