Cranky Kong

Cranky Kong is a central character who appears in the Donkey Kong series. He is portrayed as Donkey Kong's grandfather and paternal figure. Believe it or not, Cranky was the original Donkey Kong that appeared in the arcade games including doing antics like kidnapping Pauline and fighting Stanley in a greenhouse. After the game Donkey Kong for the Game Boy, he retired and changed relinquished his game to his grandson.

Why He Rocks

 * 1) Ever since he appeared in Donkey Kong Country, he gives randomly selected advice on the game's various items and locations. Unlike in later games, this game won't allow you to use any fee for his advice. Even then, Cranky was still able to teach the Kongs in other games like DK: Jungle Climber and DK: King of Swing.
 * 2) Cranky's quotes are pretty funny and clever with him making remarks on various things including the flaws of other Kongs (mainly Donkey Kong) or even the very games he appears in.
 * 3) His backstory. Let's just say that it is interesting at the least. As crazy as it may sound, this is actually being a callback to the original Donkey Kong games that you see in the arcade. This can be also noticed in the opening of Donkey Kong Country where he is seen using a phonograph playing the theme song from the NES version of Donkey Kong atop a construction site.
 * 4) If Diddy and Dixie were to see Cranky after being Kaptain K. Rool in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, Cranky will tally the hero status by how many DK coins you have collected.
 * 5) In the GBA version of Donkey Kong Country 3, Cranky has a dojo where players can control him during the Cranky's Dojo segment. If you beat it once, he will reward you with other prizes like bananas, a bear coin, a red balloon, and a Banana Bird.
 * 6) Cranky became a professor in Donkey Kong 64 where he can be seen in his lab making potions for new powers and abilities. Collect fifteen Banana Medals and he will give you Jetpac. Beat the Jetpac game and you will get a Rareware Coin. Cranky in DK64 also became a coach during their fight against King Krusha K. Rool.
 * 7) Cranky in Donkey Kong Country Returns now runs a shop where he can make money just by selling items that are useful for DK and Diddy Kong.
 * 8) He finally gets to be fully playable in a mainline Donkey Kong game and that would be Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. His cane is useful to defeat certain enemies other Kongs can't. However, this wasn't the first time he was playable as the first time he was playable was Donkey Konga 3. Speaking of Tropical Freeze, it's one of those moments where Cranky helped out in the games.
 * 9) Though not a video game, Cranky did not show much of his grouchy traits in the comic Donkey Kong in Banana Day 24 where he helped out Donkey, Diddy, Dixie, and Kiddy on a mission to save the Earth from a UFO.
 * 10) He's one of the few characters who were tolerable in the Donkey Kong Country TV show complete with moments including "GO HOME AND LET ME GET SOME SLEEP". Also Cranky was far less arrogant in the show.
 * 11) Despite his cranky characteristics, he does praise his fellow Kongs on exceptional occasions like in Jungle Climber being a good example of this.
 * 12) Jungle Climber portrayed Cranky as more good-natured and wiser than he ever was in other games of the series.
 * 13) Believe it or not, Cranky Kong does admit that Mario is a true video game hero and looks back at his nostalgic antics with fond respect.

Bad Qualities

 * 1) Is cranky hence his name.
 * 2) He can be pretty cocky thinking that he is the best video game icon as well as claiming that he is always better than his grandson despite being old. His cockiness got him jealous in Donkey Kong Land where he gives a wager to Donkey and Diddy to see if they can beat King K. Rool only in an 8-bit system according to the manual. In the end, Cranky retracts his doubts when Donkey and Diddy once again defeat K. Rool and the Kremling Krew despite wanting to admit that Donkey and Diddy would be adequate gaming heroes.
 * 3) His arrogance plays a factor in his poor sportsmanship.
 * 4) His identity is confusing. He was created as the older version of the Donkey Kong that appears in the earlier Donkey Kong games yet his exact relation to the current DK has been disputed.
 * 5) *The promotional VHS video of Donkey Kong Country called Cranky the "dad or grandfather" of Donkey Kong despite Cranky calling Donkey Kong as "Junior" in a review of the same game by UK's Nintendo Magazine System.
 * 6) *Other bios as seen in other games like Mario vs. Donkey Kong and Super Smash Bros. (and Super Smash Bros. Melee) implies that the Donkey Kong in the arcade may be the current Donkey Kong yet it was contradicted in Mario Superstar Baseball. Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' sticks with the story that the original Donkey Kong is the current Donkey Kong's grandfather.
 * 7) *There have been assumptions that Donkey Kong Jr is the father of Donkey Kong while others claim that the current Donkey Kong is a grown Donkey Kong Jr.
 * 8) Yet not game-related, he tried to kiss a random girl which led to him getting in trouble with Wrinkly Kong during Donkey Kong in Banana Day 24

Trivia

 * He admits to being a big fan of the Game & Watch games with him considering playing the original Donkey Kong game when Donkey and Diddy are not visiting him.
 * Cranky has an unused walking animation in the SNES version of Donkey Kong Country which would later be used in the GBA version.
 * In an unused pitched for a Donkey Kong game called DK and the Golden Bananas, there is a character named Grandpa Kong who was similar to Cranky only different design. That pitch had Donkey Kong Junior being present instead of Diddy.
 * Unused dialogue for Donkey Kong Country suggested that he was going to be more kind.