The Origins Of The Donkey Kong Country Title Revealed!

gameranx.com:

Whether it’s movies, TV shows, video games, or even a music album/track, having a “killer name” is vital for something to stick in the minds of fans or critics. It doesn’t necessarily need to “pop” every time, as even a simple name can greatly impact people. But when you pair the right name with the right product, you get something that lasts forever. For example, the Donkey Kong Country series is synonymous with top-tier platforming and the best games to find Donkey Kong in. The line still exists today, and the name still resonates with gamers.

But as it so often does, eventually, a person looks at a title and goes, “How did they come up with the name?” In the case of Donkey Kong Country, that’s a bit fair to wonder. The first two words of the name are obviously about the main character, but DK doesn’t live in a country. Instead, he lives on an island. A large island, we grant you, but an island nonetheless. So why did the team settle on that name versus others?

A fan went to Twitter and asked ex-RARE game developer Kev Bayliss that question, and he gave a surprisingly simple answer:

Yes I do. Because….It was originally code named 'The Country Project' because @RareLtd were located in the middle of the countryside – so Nintendo decided to keep it in the name! There you go!

Yep. Like many projects before it, the game was given its title thanks to the project codename. You’d be surprised how many project titles meant to be placeholders eventually become the final titles. Sometimes simplicity goes a long way to get things done, and clearly, fans didn’t mind the title at all, as the original trilogy was some of the most beloved games on the SNES.

Then, when you fast forward to when the franchise returned on the Wii and Wii