Here’s some Donkey Kong Country 25th anniversary art from a former Rare staffer

So lovely it made me want to play it again

Donkey Kong Country means a hell of a lot to me.

I remember each and every person I introduced it to, and two and a half decades later, several of them are still platforming fans because of that game. I have just as many fond memories playing it alone as I do with co-op, as nearly every family member or friend (including my wife) has played it with me at some point. Wait, two and a half decades?

Let’s do some quick math here…carry the one, okay…that’s 25 years! That’s a long, long time, and the series has accomplished so much in that time, even as the torch was passed from Rare to Retro Studios. Steve Mayles, “father of Banjo, Kazooie, King K. Rool and Yooka/Laylee” and current Playtonic developer, remembers it fondly too.

Mayles took to Twitter to give us some self-made art, which delightfully shows off Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong riding Rambi the rhino, one of the more enjoyable “friends” the series offers. It’s pretty much the best tribute you could ask for, and I think Mayles is floored that he gets to keep the mascot platformer dream alive at Playtonic while his creations (that he collaborated on with other Rare creatives) live on in games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

It’s 25 years since we released Donkey Kong Country. I felt compelled to draw something for the occasion! #WorldDonkeyKongDay pic.twitter.com/v7nAR5Ty1S

— Steve Mayles (@WinkySteve) November 21, 2019