Swanky Kong

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Swanky Kong
Artwork of Swanky Kong.
Swanky Kong in Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!
Species Kong
First appearance Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (1995)
Latest appearance The Super Mario Bros. Movie (cameo) (2023)
“Give them a big hand folks! Good evening, I'm Swanky Kong and you're tonight's contestants on my Bonanza! It's easy to play! Just pick a game and you're away!”
Swanky Kong, Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest

Swanky Kong, spelled Swankey Kong on one occasion,[1] is a member of the Kong Family and a game show host. He is notable for being a flashy entrepreneur; in his first appearance, he wears a blue coat and has an afro hairstyle. In his second appearance, however, he wears a fancy suit with a matching cane, his hair is covered by a bowler hat, and he appears to be much taller. His face resembles that of Donkey Kong's.

History

Donkey Kong Country series

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest

Diddy Kong in Swanky's Bonus Bonanza.
Swanky's original role from Donkey Kong Country 2

In Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, Swanky hosts an optional game show at Swanky's Bonus Bonanza; here, he provides three quizzes to Diddy and Dixie Kong regarding the game's content, and he requires a fee of Banana Coins if the Kongs want to participate. By successfully answering every question from a quiz, the Kongs are rewarded with extra lives from Swanky.

In the Game Boy Advance version, Candy Kong appears as Swanky's assistant on the show. If Diddy and Dixie complete every quiz, Swanky provides them with a photograph of himself. Therefore, Swanky's role is no longer optional because the Kongs need that photograph to get one of Wrinkly Kong’s Video Game Hero Coins. Also, in the remake, Swanky charges ten Banana Coins if the Kongs want to rematch a boss. During the battle, a timer appears at the top-center of the screen, to keep track of the Kongs' progress. Swanky rewards the Kongs with prizes, based on how well they performed in the boss battle.

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!

Swanky's new role in Donkey Kong Country 3

In Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!, Swanky hosts a circus tent called Swanky's Sideshow, where participants can compete in a ball-throwing contest for prizes. Only the upper half of his body is shown, as he is always shown to be inside of a barrel (including in his Dixie Kong's Photo Album photograph). However, Swanky's entire body is shown from his official artwork.

Dixie and Kiddy can pay Swanky with a few bear coins to compete in various throwing contests against Cranky Kong. If the Kongs can get a higher score than Cranky, then Swanky awards them with prizes, including bananas and bear coins. Like the prequel, Swanky's role is optional and is unrelated to the main storyline.

For the Game Boy Advance version, Swanky hosts a different location, Swanky's Dash. He allows Dixie to compete in a virtual reality-type minigame which involves her collecting stars on a rotating landscape (Kiddy cannot participate because he is too young). Swanky's outfit also went unchanged from his previous appearance in Donkey Kong Country 2. When the Kongs win at his first challenge, Swanky rewards them with a Banana Bird and a DK Coin—Dixie is not required to participate in subsequent challenges.

Donkey Konga 2

Swanky Kong makes a few cameos in Donkey Konga 2. In Freestyle Zone, both his artwork from Donkey Kong Country 2 and Donkey Kong Country 3 sometimes appear on-screen as the player is freely drumming. He is also one of the selectable badges after finishing a song or in the Match That Badge! challenge. His badge is not featured in the Japanese version, which instead has a badge of a regular human.

Mario Superstar Baseball

Swanky Kong as seen in a texture in Mario Superstar Baseball
Swanky as seen on the billboard

Swanky’s tent from Donkey Kong Country 3 makes a cameo appearance in the Donkey Kong Jungle in Mario Superstar Baseball. Swanky himself appears on a wooden billboard.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Swanky Kong appears in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a support spirit, using his original artwork. The battle to unlock him involves battling Donkey Kong, who is easily distracted by items.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

This section is referring to a subject in an upcoming or recently released film. When the film is released, or more information about this subject is found, this section may need major rewriting.
This notice should be removed after a month has passed since the film was first released.

Poster of The Super Mario Bros. Movie featuring Donkey Kong
The Super Mario Bros. Movie poster, with Swanky Kong in the crowd behind Donkey Kong (bottom stands, right side)

Swanky Kong can be seen in the audience behind Donkey Kong on a poster for The Super Mario Bros. Movie, alongside Diddy Kong, Dixie Kong, Cranky Kong, and many generic Kongs. He appears in his Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! attire. In the film itself, Swanky can be seen on a kart slipping on a Banana Peel dropped by the Gatekeeper Kong as he drives Mario, Princess Peach and Toad to the Jungle Kingdom Palace. The film marks Swanky Kong's first physical appearance in over 26 years since Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!

Profiles

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!

  • Instruction booklet (page 16): His show’s on the road now. Play the throwing game to win top quality prizes.
  • Player's Guide (page 9): Swanky Kong is taking his flashy games on the road. Cough up two Bear coins and take a chance on your choice of three different games. If you're playing in two-player mode, you can compete against your teammate. But watch out if you're playing in one-player mode: there's a grumpy old ape running around hustling players for Bear Coins.

Rarewhere: DKC Trilogy Cast List

APPEARS IN: DKC 2, 3

The second great entrepreneur of the Kong family alongside Funky, Swanky has aimed for a career in showbiz since being bitten by the game show bug further back than he can remember. His original Bonus Bonanza trivia quiz proved popular but led to allegations of favouritism regarding Dixie and Diddy, prompting Swanky to branch out and tour the surrounding lands with a new sideshow featuring a triumphant Cranky as defending champion. Despite his love of competition, Swanky is a generous soul and, true to tradition, never lets anyone walk away empty-handed.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate spirit

# Name Image Series / game Type Class Strength / effect(s) How to obtain Spirit battle
Opponent(s) Battle conditions Stage Song
143 Swanky Kong Swanky Kong's Spirit as it appears in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Donkey Kong Series Support (1) Novice Banana Gun Equipped Spirit Board Donkey Kong Rule: Item: Beastball
  • The enemy is easily distracted by items
Kongo Jungle Funky's Fugue

List of appearances by date

Title Description Release date System/format
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest Non-playable character 1995 SNES
Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! Non-playable character 1996 SNES
Donkey Kong Country 2 Non-playable character 2004 Game Boy Advance
Donkey Konga 2 Cameo 2004 Nintendo GameCube
Mario Superstar Baseball Cameo 2005 Nintendo GameCube
Donkey Kong Country 3 Non-playable character 2005 Game Boy Advance
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Cameo as a spirit 2018 Nintendo Switch

Gallery

Artwork

Sprites

Names in other languages

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese スワンキーコング[?]
Suwankī Kongu
Swanky Kong
Russian Свэнки Конг[?]
Swenki Kong
Swanky Kong
Spanish Swanky Kong[?] -

References

  1. ^ Nintendo Magazine System (AU) Issue #36, page 22.