The Donkey Kong Character That Was Cut From Super Smash Bros.

Donkey Kong and his extended family have been a mainstay in Nintendo games since the Japanese gaming giant's early console days. Members of the "Kong Klan" have not only starred in their own Donkey Kong Country titles but also joined the roster of the ultimate Nintendo crossover series Smash Bros. Donkey's nephew, Diddy Kong, has starred in the fighter series since 2008's Super Smash Bros. Brawl, while the villainous King K. Rool joined Super Smash Bros. Ultimate ten years later. Cranky, Funky, and Candy Kong all received their own trophies in the series.

With so many iconic Nintendo characters, many names were cut from the Smash Bros. series. As such, some Kong Klan members unfortunately were not represented in the fighter series at all, like Swanky Kong. One particular DK character was intended to hit the Smash Bros. scene as a playable character, but development issues caused the primate to receive the boot.

Diddy Kong's girlfriend, Dixie Kong, was cut from Smash Bros. Brawl, as series creator Masahiro Sakurai told Famitsu in a 2008 interview. "Well, Diddy Kong I was planning to pair with Dixie Kong. I planned to replace them instantly with every touch. There were various difficult parts and I cut it quickly," Sakurai said. The intention was for players to be able to switch between Diddy and Dixie, similar to the Ice Climbers duo. In the end, Diddy made it through Smash Bros. Brawl's final edits, but Dixie was pushed out. Hopefully it didn't affect Dixie and Diddy's relationship too much.

Of course, Dixie was not without her time in the spotlight. Back in 1996, she starred in Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! on the Super Nintendo. Plus, Dixie wasn't completely eliminated from Smash Bros. Brawl — she appeared as a collectible trophy and a sticker with the DK bongo drums. It's not clear if Dixie will ever become a playable Smash character, but for now, Nintendo Switch Online subscribers can play Donkey Kong Country 3 via the SNES app.