The Cantankerous Spirit of Cranky Kong -- Designing For Maturity 

Keep in mind Cranky WILLINGLY changed his name from Donkey Kong to well Cranky Kong. He knows he’s a cantankerous old ape and he EMBRACES it.

One thing I always figured about Cranky's softening over-time was specifically Wrinkly Kong's death. That moment (and likely the fact that she could still give him an earful whenever she felt it necessary) probably reminded him that life is too short to spend it stewing in self-pity and fear of the times changing. You gotta move on at some point, because life will MAKE you move on one way or another. So he swallows a little bit of his pride and just rolls with the punches from then on, for his sake, Wrinkly's sake, and the family's as a whole. Because that's the thing about "The good old days." You can absolutely keep them alive, but not by just complaining and refusing to move on from them. But by adding more onto what counts as "the good old days". Making new memories, adding more exploits, and learning to tap into the old sparks that gave you such good memories in the first place. I think Cranky realized all of this between 64 and Returns, and that's why he's gone from talking smack about games being too easy or too complex, to actively helping make a game easier or adding more complexity by stepping up to the plate.

Something cool about Cranky's appearance in Tropical Freeze is that he's the best choice for speedrunning most levels (Funky Mode notwithstanding) but bounding through levels on his cane also demands a lot of course awareness to not be sent careening into an enemy or off a cliff, and he doesn't provide any mid-air course correction like Diddy or Dixie. He's a character designed for more experienced players who have shown they've got the skills to kick it with the old-timer.

I love how Reggie appeared at the game awards just to announce that Cranky Kong would be playable in Tropical Freeze! It goes to show Cranky's staying power as a character, when other Kongs come and go, Cranky will always have something to complain about!

I love how Cranky's characterization retroactively contextualizes the original Donkey Kong game too. He's either always been cranky or only became cranky because of the events of that game. Either way it's great, he really is the bloodline of the entire franchise.

They really gave Cranky Kong the most fitting voice ever in the cartoon.

Sooner or later, all gamers wake up one day and find themselves making a post online that could have come straight from Cranky Kong. It is a harrowing thing to realize it has happened to you.

I find it interesting that he was chosen to have a role in the Mario Movie over any other DK Crew member. Yeah, we've seen blink and you'll miss it cameos from the others, but Cranky will be the first other than DK to speak. I...kinda hope he's like this in the movie. Doubting and snarky to the Mushroom Kingdom's plea and hero before turning around. The brief glimpse of him in the trailer is already pretty great. Confidently shrugging to Mario's beat down before snacking on a banana.

I'm gonna miss this series.

Cranky Kong ironically predicted the modern game industry.

So, DKC, Wario Land, and Yoshi's Island bring me back to the weird experimental days before Mario characters were set in stone and completely unchangeable. Like, these are games involving characters that regularly interact with Mario in his 'world', heck one of them co-stars a baby Mario, but they are so very different in tone and style. And your brain slowly has to accept that Castle Wario, Yoshi's Island, and DK Island are just places that exist on this same planet. It was the kind of thing that made my child brain stay up for hours on end for when I should have been sleeping. Strange feelings of poignancy held on from playing Super Mario World again and realizing that in a way, Mario was returning home crossed with far off ideas of K. Rool/Bowser team ups and odd connections between blinking hills and cave walls with eyes. And that sort of wonder was lost with time, age, experience. Until Odyssey' s trailer first dropped, showing New Donk City. My brain went alive with ideas. Would we see the Construction Site? Maybe the Greenhouse? Would we get an appearance from the Big Ape himself? New Donk didn't end up being everything I hoped for, but I had hoped for too much,and what I got was fantastic. But... It felt real good to feel that wonder again.

I'm an old-timer at heart. Cranky Kong is perfect as an old grouch. That type of character never gets old for me.

''You're just reading through these comments 'cause you're bored!'' - Cranky Kong Okay, all joking aside, this was a pretty great look at one of the best members of the Donkey Kong cast. Nice work as always!

Can we just talk about how badly Cranky aged physically in a little more than 10 years? Like he goes from climbing buildings to a cane and white beard.

Cranky asks, what I get out of this video? I answer, I get to enjoy the passion and enthusiasm another is willing to share. Besides, Cranky was willing to DJ for the DK Rap.

After DK, Cranky is my favorite supporting character in the Donkey Kong series. He's the patriarch of the Kong Family, the Elder Statesman of the Kingdom of Kong, and he has the most history. He's always been the greatest source of humor for the series, providing snarky commentary, he's both a mentor for the Heroes and provides a different sort of antagonism. He challenges DK and Diddy in a way that King K. Rool can't. I'm super stoked for his appearance in the Super Mario Bros movie, which looks to depict him as sort of a God Emperor over the Kong Kingdom.

It took Cranky a few years, but the fact that he went from constantly complaining about 2D platformers like DKC to eventually co-staring in DKC TF with DK, Diddy, Dixie and Funky shows how far he's come. Be it with his cane, potions or a good supply of barrels, Cranky's still got it.

4:40 While yooka-laylee didn't flop outright, it certainly did not meet expectations, so the self-deprecating humor became a sort of self fulfilling prophecy as people were pretty let down by their initial offering. Hey though, Impossible Lair is fine, I still go to tropical freeze to scratch my platformers itch though.

I don't know if this was ever brought up, but Cranky is Miyamoto's favorite Kong.

Cranky has always been one of my favorite Kong's.

It’s sweet seeing Cranky finally seeming to get over his past in tropical freeze. He has finally moved on from getting beaten by mario and stanley, and Wrinkly’s death. Glad to see he’s finally spending his days more happy and energetic. Finally at happy at his own son’s birthday. Finally willing to team up with the fam to get the island back

Originally Cranky Kong was for people who originally played Donkey Kong Arcade back in the 80s. Now it seems that the original DKC Trilogy players are the current Cranky Kong.

May he continue to aid us while reminding us we'll never be as good as he was in his prime for another 4 decades and more to come

No better way to wrap up Donkey Kong December than with The Nostalgia Kong himself. I absolutely adored this series, I didn’t think anyone could look at such a wide variety of design elements across DK and give each of them an entertaining and insightful video essay. That said, this whole month, especially your vid on why you love Donkey Kong, raised my respect for the franchise and you. Hope you have a Happy New Year’s Eve, and here’s to a great 2023!

Scrappy Doo was introduced to save Scooby Doo's rear when the rating had already tanked. He SAVED THE SHOW, and any fan of the cartoon owes him the character that much acknowledgement!

The only image that pops in my head is him saying "Git gud" in the game over screen of a FNaF fangame with a name that would likely get you demonitized on RU-vid.

I love how you ended this month by giving Cranky his due. Honestly, you made me want to go back and actually BEAT all the DKC games on Super Nintendo (got 'em on the seven seas, in case yer wonderin').

That thumbnail was only made greater by this video being in the very first spot of my homepage

im actually shocked at how many of cranky's jokes are about game design, and how specific they get, lining up with the kind of arguments that get thrown around in conversations between gamers today.

I relate to cranky more and more as the years go by and the game industry sinks further and further

Wow I never really realized Cranky Kongs had such a well rounded character arc! The way it represents a certain portion of players is so clever. This video was truly phenomenal and surprisingly profound and eye opening.

On the last day of December I find it ironic how this series ends with its very own Scrooge.

Cranky is simply the best! And that's why, in my Mario Party fan project, Cranky is the one who occupies the DK spaces. Because not only was he the original DK, but also it lets DK still be playable!

Congrats on the marathon of Donkey Kong December videos! These have been a fantastic watch, adored them all! And to end with Cranky, my favorite Kong, just, perfect

Strictly between us, Donkey Kong is Cranky's grandson. You gotta promise you won't tell anyone though.

Let's be honest every veteran gamer at one point had a cranky kong moment, where you whined about how modern games don't hold a candle to the classics...but soon finding yourself enjoying a modern game thats super experimental ,fresh take, and begrudgingly admit maybe there are good modern games ......before taking it all back when the next copy paste call of duty or fifa game comes out and the cycle begins a new

It’s been a good december of various DK discussions in these comments and what better way to finish the DK month than the big ape (Well not so big now) that started the franchise and the Mario universe. Honestly this was a really great series of videos, really show why people like me love this funny monkey game series, in both major ways and minor ones thanks so much for this series of videos that had the same passion that Rare had when they made the original DKC here’s to 2023 giving the big ape and his Kong family another chance in the spotlight!

this channel us criminally underrated

Cranky Kong is the Grandpa Joe of video games

I always found it kinda weird that Cranky had K. Rool's number and could basically call him up any time and just have him steal DK's banana hoard. Like, why would you have a direct line to K. Rool Cranky? Were you two friends at one point? Were you part of a villains support group like in Wreck-It Ralph and just happened to swap digits? Maybe it's the former since, at least from the Smash Ultimate reveal trailer for Banjo-Kazooie, we see K. Rool basically hanging out with DK and Diddy in the treehouse, so maybe they're friends or more friendly now.

That was a really awesome video. Cranky for sure has got much character devolopement. I would have appreciated if you talked about him in Jungle Climber and other games between the gap of DK64 and DKCTF, that also could have been pretty interesting to look at, how he devoloped in that period. Of coure I understand not all fits in a single video tho.

My head cannon is that baby Dk is very young Dk jr and once Dk jr grew up he became the Dk we know and love today

now THAT was a good video to end donkey Kong december one, hah!

I said you wouldn't do it, but you did it every day!

massive props for all the incredible work put into this project. these videos have made each and every day of the month just that little bit brighter, always giving me something to look forward to. i never thought i'd get any entertainment out of DK Jr. Math of all things but you made it happen, alongside all these other fantastic videos!

12:09 Pac-Man, "You askin' for a whoppin'?"

Congrats on DK December!! This was fun! My favorite video was definitely Crunch form DKR. Poor guy, outshown by our savoir Drumstick.

This series was phenominal. I didn't know anything about your channel prior, but I'm sticking around, and have been binging all your old stuff! Thanks so much for sharing this love of all things DK, and I look forward to your future endeavors

10:59 this is my personal favorite cranky text box in this vid

You should talk about the game over screens in DKC1, 2, 3, and 64...along with Banjo-Kazooie.

The ultimate irony of Cranky being a character meant to poke fun at a style-over-substance approach to game design was that DKC1 was the first game to really make me be annoyed by it because while the game was very pretty, it was also piss easy. Thankfully DKC2 came along and blew it out the water :D

Nice the First Kong on the Last day 💯

Baby DK in the Yoshi's Island DS is Cranky. Apes like DK/Cranky are considered elderly in their mid-30s. Mario is confirmed to be in his mid-30s. So it would make sense that modern DK is the grandson of Cranky, who was Baby DK.

What an awesome video. I've always really liked Cranky Kong. When he was shown to be playable in Tropical Freeze I went ape! Thanks for this.

Your voice, tone and humor reminds me of one of my favorite Lego youtuber (R. R. Slugger)

Congrats on a successful DKCember!

this is absolutely adorable

0:47 Not having a sound effect for once is an incredibly funny subversion, well done!

8:34 chunky kong is an absolute savage OMG

Cranky the original speed runner!

I loved this series. I grew up playing DKC trilogy and DK64. Love all those games so much. Retro Studios hit it out of the park. A great studio that made Metroid Prime a masterpiece.

Thank you for the great Donkey Kong december, it really helped to lift my mood throughout the month. Content like this keeps the big ape alive.

Have you ever noticed that Cranky Kong is quite literally CRANKING a phonograph hand-crank in the intro to DKC1? True to his name from the very beginning of the game, and in more ways than one

Just think of how much that "Cranky's Video Game Heroes" bit actually says. Not only is it a Nintendo published and licensed game where their own mascot willingly accepts second place, but he does so to a kong. Cranky himself could not best Mario in his original appearance, and yet his...nephew(?) did. That's got to be a serious blow to Cranky's ego, and is a major accolade for Diddy and Dixie.

R.I.P Aron Tager... The **TRUE** Cranky Kong.

7:51 wait. Does Cranky have a Kremling head mounted to his wall? That... that's kinda dark.

Congrats on passing 50k in such an auspicious season!

I've been waking up just to check my phone for this series since it started and I hope the becomes an annual thing

RIP Aron Tager

I hope to embrace my crankiness like Cranky Kong when I’m old. Wanna scare my grandkids lmao

Cranky's voice in this video reminds me of Gilbert Gottfried.

Cranky Kong is based, I love him roasting me 😂

I'ma miss all the near-daily level analytics videos.

3:30 The joke is that game designers agree with him.

Really gonna personally attack me with that thumbnail huh

4:54 Scrappy-Doo was POPULAR at the time! And Scooby Doo was on the verge going under. Scrappy Doo SAVED THE SHOW!!!! And SINCE he saved the show, they hit him with OVER EXPOSURE! 'Every hates Scrappy' is a MYTH, like the whole 'everyone hates Disco'.

i use cranky as my avatar. have i beat any of the DKC games? no. but i spiritually relate. is it any wonder why miyamoto wanted him in TF?

"We're gonna be okay, D4. You can rest now."

15:49 WHAT 🤣🤣💀

this is my favorite DK December video it’s so so so so so amazing but all the others were really great too

If there is no confirmed DKJ in the Donkey Kong Country games, then in my mind current DK is always the SON of Cranky Kong in my view, NOT DK the 3rd. There is a reason why Diddy Kong looked up to Donkey Kong and I believe the vine swinging skills of modern DK originated from the Donkey Kong Junior Arcade game where Mario was the villain.

Two things: First, I'm pretty sure the reason Cranky Kong joined the Cast in Tropical Freeze was probably because he'd been constantly criticised as being 'all talk', without any Evidence to his claimed Achievements since his Prime. Cranky chose to Put his Bananas where his Mouth is, and Prove that he's still Better than any of the Youngin's! Second, I tend to believe that Cranky's berating of the younger Kongs is not just him wanting things back the way they were - he's Aware that Kids and Teenagers these days, especially ones like DK, get quite Rebellious these days and are always willing to try to show up their Old Man! With how laid-back the Kongs have been up to DKC, Cranky knows they need to be at their Best - and nothing Motivates an Ape more than a Challenge to their Dominance! Cranky's Taunting is more to keep the Kongs Serious so they'll get the Job Done, that's what I think...

I remember submitting a WritingPrompt on Reddit about Cranky hating anime protagonists and someone actually responded and it’s a fun read.

Still trying to put the destruction of Crocodile Isle on Diddy Kong, eh? Such a K. Rool apologist 🤨

I prefer to acknowledge modern DK as DK Jr grown up

I came to your channel because RU-vid recommended these videos to me. Love this Kongember videos.

I love your videos! Thank you for brightening my day whenever you post!

Cranky adopted donkey kong, thats why the familal relationship is wonky.

To clear up the confusion: DK64’s statement was simply a mistake since it was made by different Rare staff that changed the family tree. Gregg Mayles, the lead writer for Donkey Kong Country, has stated on Twitter that Cranky Kong is indeed DK’s grandfather and that DK64’s statement was a mistake. Young DK Jr appears alongside an adult Modern DK as the game involves time travel shenanigans as shown with baby Mario appearing alongside his older self. Baby DK is young Modern DK and to those who wonder why he appears alongside baby Mario in that game is because it’s a time travel story where future Bower and future Kamek kidnap babies all over the world in search for the 7 star children. Notice how in the cutscenes we see him getting taken from his home but we don’t see him being brought to the sky or being taken to Bowser’s castle. Why? Because he’s already been taken from his time period to the same timeline when Mario was a baby.

0:14 WE'RE MAKING IT OUT OF KONGO BONGO WITH THIS ONE 🔥🔥🔥🔥

donkey kong december will be here once more in about 354 days

happy donkey kong december everyone

Thank you for this month, I loved this series

Quote of he video: “The worst version of Cranky, is just Cranky.”

More Donkey Kong videos please. Especially about that animated series. Yiss yiss

0:49 in and we need a Designing For…Therapy episode.

29 years later, DKC turned us all into Crankies, thank you Cranky, lets complain together

i would like to see a kind of old cranky but still looks in his prime form rescue his grandson as a baby or he is able to be in prime form again and we see him team up with his grandson

Cranky got so angry at Donkey Kong using lives and taking too long that he decided to do it himself in Tropical Freeze.

I did get recommended this thank ypu