This page explains in detail the interactions between the Donkey Kong series and The Simpsons series.
The Simpsons episode Marge Be Not Proud[]
December 17, 1995
Donkey Kong
The Simpsons
Bart imagining the video game characters.
In the eleventh episode of season 7 (overall episode 139), Bart wants the new extremely violent video game Bonestorm, but is having trouble getting it. After Jimbo and Nelson brag to him about their shoplifting, Bart observes that the display case housing Bonestorm has been left open. As he contemplates stealing the game, some video game characters pop up in his mind and talk to him, with Mario and Luigi among them:
- Luigi: Go ahead-a, Bart, take-a the Bonestorm.
- Mario: The store, she's so rich. She'll-a never notice.
- Donkey Kong: Duh, it's the company's fault for making you want it so much.
- Lee Carvallo (a character based on Lee Trevino): Don't do it, son. How's that game going to help your putting?
- Sonic The Hedgehog: Just take it! Take it, take it, take it, take it, take it. Take it!
Donkey Kong's appearance is based on the Country series, but he doesn't wear his tie.
Note that even if he directly talk to Bart, this is not considered an in-universe link, but just a sub-universe link, since he's still just a fictional character within the Simpsons' universe.
The Simpsons episode The Springfield Files[]
January 12, 1997
Donkey Kong
The Simpsons
In a scene in the tenth episode of season eight (overall episode 163), at the Noiseland arcade, a gorilla is shown sitting next to some barrels under a banner declaring "Friday meet Donkey Kong in person". Since no one seems to be coming to see him, the Manager walks by and says, "Sorry Donkey Kong, you're just not a draw anymore." DK responds by throwing a barrel at him, to which he replies, "Hey, he's still got it!"
His name on the banner is written in the same style as the game's title.
Note that since Donkey Kong is considered a video game character in the episode, this is not considered an actual incarnation of him, but just a gorilla interpreting Donkey Kong.
The Simpsons episode Homer and Ned's Hail Mary Pass[]
March 11, 2005
Donkey Kong
The Simpsons
Homer fighting as Donkey Kong.
Homer with the Mario look-alike.
In the eight episode of season sixteen (overall episode 343), shortly after Homer's showboating makes him a laughingstock, a bus full of Italian-Americans shows up in front of the house while he's taking out the trash. A person looking like Mario comes out of the crowd, stands next to Homer, and says, "Fast-a, fast-a, take-a my picture with-a the Internet marmalok!" Homer then starts throwing trash cans at him in the style of Donkey Kong's barrels. The Mario look-alike climbs the ladder to the treehouse where he finds an hammer and uses it to destroy the trash cans in the same style as in the videogame. When Homer throws a barrel at the treehouse, it then falls back down on the wood bars mimicking the way barrels fall in the 25m stage in Donkey Kong. Homer finally hits him with a trash can and he dies in the same style as Mario in Donkey Kong.
Note that while the character looks almost identical to Mario, he can't be considered actually him, since his appearance wasn't licensed by Nintendo.
The Simpsons Comic issue #110: Bad News Bearer[]
September 2005
Donkey Kong
The Simpsons
Near the beginning, Bart is seen playing a Donkey Kong-like game, while Milhouse tells him what to do:
- Milhouse: Come on, Bart, jump over those cement-filled barrels and make it to the top of the Gorilla Mafia ladder!
- Bart: I know Milhouse! I know!
- Bart: Aaaah! He got me!
While on screen the characters speak:
- Donkey Kong (in a blue tux): I'm a legitimate business monkey!
- Mario: You-a-Italian stereo-types demean us all! Mama mia!
In the end, Ned Flanders starts allucinating for playing too much videogames, andstart seeing people as game characters. The Simpsons family is shown as video game characters too, with Homer as Donkey Kong, Bart as Mario, Lisa as Sonic the Hedgehog and Marge as Lara Croft.
The Simpsons Game[]
October 30, 2007
Donkey Kong
The Simpsons
The level "Enter the Cheatrix" takes place inside a game factory and soon after arriving there, Professor Frink is kidnapped by a giant ape, spoofing Donkey Kong. During the final fight with this ape, it attacks throwing barrels, just like Donkey Kong, and the fight takes place on a platform in the middle of an acid pool, with the background reproducing the 25m level. On the platform there also are two ladders leading upward, like in the Donkey Kong introduction. This boss is fought using Lisa's special ability, Buddah's Hand.
The level also features many barrels stacked around, possibly referencing Donkey Kong.
The Simpsons Comic issue #161: Mighty MMORPG Player Rangers[]
July 2009
Donkey Kong
The Simpsons
The cover is a spoof of Donkey Kong. Homer and Bart assume the roles of Donkey Kong and Mario respectively, with Homer tossing barrels of toxic waste. Lisa appears to be standing in for Pauline, but seems more interested in reading a book.
The Simpsons episode Gorgeous Grampa[]
March 3, 2013
Donkey Kong
The Simpsons
As Mr. Burns sings his song, he names some characters, both from fiction and from real life, and while ding so his shadow assumes the shape of these characters. One of the characters he mentions is Donkey Kong, and his shadow assumes the shape of a sprite of Donkey Kong holding a barrel over his head from the original game.
License[]
The Simpson's company FOX doesn't own any right over Nintendo's Donkey Kong characters, but they only did minor references.