Funky Kong: The Surfer and Mechanical Genius Kong

CharacterFunky KongKong Family

The crew's surfer is also its best mechanic. Created by Rare and introduced in Donkey Kong Country in 1994, Funky Kong runs the shops and repairs anything that rolls or flies. This profile covers his role as the Kong family's service provider, his promotion to playable character with the Funky Mode of Tropical Freeze, and his status as a Mario Kart icon.

Sunglasses permanently perched on his nose, red bandana and white tank top: Funky Kong (the name is the same in French and in English) is the most laid-back member of the Kong family. Behind that cool surfer look hides an outstanding mechanic, able to build planes, boats and vehicles out of plain barrels.

Present since the saga's earliest days in Donkey Kong Country, this burly gorilla has become over the years a fully fledged playable character, an icon of Mario Kart Wii and even a star of online memes. Here's a tour of a Kong as useful as he is likeable.

Contents

• The cool one of the Kong family
• A debut back in 1994
• Genius mechanic and king of services
• Funky Mode: playable at last in Tropical Freeze
• The Mario Kart icon (and meme)
• Quick facts
• FAQ

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The cool one of the Kong family

Funky Kong is a recurring member of the Kong family, the huge tribe of gorillas orbiting around Donkey Kong. Unlike Donkey or Diddy Kong, he is no front-line hero: he is a support character, always ready to lend the adventurers a hand.

His look is instantly recognisable and has barely changed since 1994:

• a red bandana with white polka dots tied around his head;
• a pair of sunglasses with tinted lenses and wide frames;
• a white tank top and, in recent games, a tool belt;
• a broad grin and a muscular build close to Donkey Kong's.

A lover of surf culture and the great outdoors, Funky embodies the laid-back spirit of the jungle. But that nonchalance hides real technical know-how that makes him an indispensable ally.

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A debut back in 1994

Funky Kong makes his debut in Donkey Kong Country, released in 1994 on Super Nintendo and developed by the British studio Rare. In that first instalment he already plays the role that would become his trademark: the service manager who smooths the player's progress.

His Japanese name is ファンキーコング (Fankī Kongu), a direct transcription of his English name. In most regions, France included, he has always kept the name “Funky Kong”, with no particular translation.

Since then he has reappeared in nearly every major game in the Donkey Kong Country series as well as in many spin-offs, establishing himself as one of the franchise's familiar faces alongside Diddy, Dixie and Cranky Kong.

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Genius mechanic and king of services

Funky Kong's great specialty is mechanics. A self-taught engineer, he designs unlikely vehicles, often assembled from barrels, to carry the heroes from one end of the islands to the other. Across the games he has run shops under several signs:

• Funky's Flights in Donkey Kong Country: an air transport service for travelling quickly between areas;
• Funky's Flights II in Donkey Kong Country 2: rental of a barrel biplane;
• Funky's Rentals in Donkey Kong Country 3: boat rentals and vehicle building;
• Funky's Store in Donkey Kong 64: a well-stocked armoury;
• Funky's Fly 'n' Buy in Tropical Freeze: a shop for items and upgrades.

This shopkeeper-tinkerer role makes him a pillar of the gameplay: without Funky, getting around, gearing up or setting off again would be a struggle. He is, in a way, the whole gang's resident mechanic and pilot.

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Funky Mode: playable at last in Tropical Freeze

Long confined to shops and side modes, Funky Kong became a fully playable main character with the Nintendo Switch version of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, released in 2018 (4 May in Europe). This edition adds the famous Funky Mode (officially “New Funky Mode”).

Designed as a more accessible experience, this mode hands you a particularly tough and versatile Funky Kong:

• five hearts of health instead of two;
• a double jump and a slowed descent thanks to his surfboard;
• an immunity to most spike traps;
• the ability to breathe underwater indefinitely and to chain attacks together.

This mode lets newcomers enjoy the game far more calmly, while finally giving Funky the hero status he deserved. He had already been playable in several titles, such as DK: King of Swing, Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast or even Mario Super Sluggers.

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The Mario Kart icon (and meme)

It is perhaps on the race tracks that Funky Kong earned his greatest fame. An unlockable character in Mario Kart Wii (2008), he ranks among the fastest heavyweights in the game. Paired with a powerful bike (the Flame Runner), he quickly became the favourite combo of competitive players: an overwhelming share of the speed records has been set with him, to the point that the game inherited the mocking nickname “Funky Kart”.

That dominance turned Funky Kong into a genuine meme on the Internet. The nod of the “New Funky Mode” in Tropical Freeze revived the joke among fans all over again.

The surfing gorilla has since returned to the tracks, notably as a driver in Mario Kart Tour, then as an extra character in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, added through downloadable content in 2023. From the jungle to the race tracks, Funky Kong is clearly never done surprising us.

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Funky Kong at a glance

French name	Funky Kong
English name	Funky Kong
Japanese name	ファンキーコング (Fankī Kongu)
First appearance	Donkey Kong Country (1994, Super Nintendo)
Creator	Rare
Type	Member of the Kong family (gorilla)
Role	Surfer, mechanic and service manager
Key games	Tropical Freeze, Mario Kart Wii

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FAQ

• Is Funky Kong playable?
  Yes. He is playable in several games, notably Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze on Switch (Funky Mode, 2018) and as a driver in Mario Kart Wii, Mario Kart Tour and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
• What is Funky Kong's role in Donkey Kong Country?
  He is a mechanic and service manager. He builds vehicles out of barrels and runs shops such as Funky's Flights, Funky's Rentals or Funky's Fly 'n' Buy to help the heroes.
• Why is Funky Kong a meme?
  In Mario Kart Wii, the Funky Kong and Flame Runner bike combo dominates the competitive scene so thoroughly that many nickname the game “Funky Kart”. That status has fed countless memes online.
• How do you play as Funky Kong in Tropical Freeze?
  You need the Nintendo Switch version of the game (2018) and its Funky Mode. There Funky has five hearts, a double jump, a slowed descent, immunity to spikes and can breathe underwater without limit.
• Is Funky Kong Donkey Kong's brother?
  No, no official sibling link has ever been established. Funky Kong is presented as a member of the Kong family and a close friend of Donkey Kong, but not as his brother.

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