Have you ever wondered what a 3D Donkey Kong game developed by Activision's Vicarious Visions studio would look like? Well, it turns out that such a game was once in the works for the Nintendo Switch, but unfortunately, it never saw the light of day.
According to reports from DK Vine and video game historian Liam Robertson, the project was codenamed "Freedom" and was set to be a 3D platformer that focused on movement mechanics, including a unique vine-grinding feature for Donkey Kong.
The collaboration between Nintendo and Vicarious Visions was reportedly inspired by the success of Nintendo characters in the Skylanders SuperChargers game. The legendary Shigeru Miyamoto himself was said to be heavily involved in the project, offering valuable feedback and suggestions for game mechanics.
However, despite the exciting premise and the involvement of gaming icons, the project was ultimately scrapped in 2016, just six months into development. The decision was reportedly influenced by Activision's shift in focus towards the Call of Duty franchise, which left little room for other projects.
The cancellation of the Donkey Kong game was apparently "the last straw" for Vicarious Visions' founders, Karthik and Guha Bala, who left the studio in 2016 to form Velan Studios. Interestingly, Velan Studios would later go on to develop the innovative Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit.
While the Donkey Kong series hasn't seen a main entry since 2014's Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (later re-released on Switch in 2018), the beloved character remains a focus for Nintendo. Donkey Kong is set to take a starring role in the upcoming Super Mario Bros. movie and will have a themed area in Super Nintendo World in Japan this year, with its American counterpart launching in 2025.
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