Game Over Screen

Game Over Screens, sometimes referred as Continue Screens, appear after the player has lost all their extra lives in most of the games in the Donkey Kong series.

Summary

In earlier games, like Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr. and Donkey Kong 3, after the player loses all their extra lives, a message with "Game Over" will appear on the screen and the game will quickly return to the title screen. In Donkey Kong '94 for Game Boy, after the player has lost all their extra lives, the game will show a screen with some artwork and "Game Over" written over it. In this game and some later ones, the Game Over screen will prompt the player to choose continuing their game or exiting back to the main title screen. In other games, the Game Over screen will wait for any input from the player to return to the main title screen. When returning to the title screen, the player will have to restart their game from a saved game file, if there is one. In multiplayer mode, Game Over screens can only be closed by the player who expend the last life.

In later games, the Game Over screens would become more elaborated, featuring more than just artwork and, sometimes, interesting cutscenes. In Donkey Kong 64 for Nintendo 64, a cutscene occurs if the player decides to quit the game to the title screen or fails to stop King K. Rool's Blast-O-Matic machine in the level Hideout Helm after the countdown timer runs out. During the cutscene, King K. Rool, sitting on his chair inside the Mobile Island Fortress, will start laughing maniacally and press some buttons. "Game Over" will flash on the screen, while a laser activates outside and aims at the DK Island. The screen will fade in to black, leaving the fate of the DK Island unknown (see Videos section below). This cutscene can be considered an alternative bad ending for Donkey Kong 64. The cutscene can be triggered even after releasing K. Lumsy from his cage, and it can be unlocked to watch in the DK Theatre in the Mystery menu of the game after collecting two Banana Fairies.

Game Over Screens

• Donkey Kong Country: On a black background, DK and Diddy are shown to be injured, with bandages on their face, DK covers his eyes, while Diddy has a bruised eye, and holds the left side of his head in pain. The text "Game Over' is stylized in a wooden font. The GBA has a brighter palette, and replaces the black background with a blue background with trees.
• Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest: The "Game Over" logo slowly decends toward Diddy and Dixie in a small prison, with some light emitting into the room, and a Sneek is shown. Diddy gives a scared look while Dixie cowers giving a depressed face. The screen then turns completely red.
• Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!: A creaking sound is heard when a door opens, revealing Kiddy and Dixie in a baby's crib. Kiddy gives a sad look, possibly unhappy at being in this crib in a dark room, while Dixie sits in the corner, giving an annoyed look with her arms folded, possibly being upset at being treated like a baby. A bunch of alphabet blocks appear at the bottom of the screen, spelling "Game Over" as they play a sad tune. When the tune ends, the door closes, leaving the Kongs in the dark.
• Donkey Kong 64: In the room in his lair, King K. Rool is heard laughing manonically as the Kongs have failed to defeat him. He proceeds to press a button on his chair, continuing to laugh evily as the screen fades to black. Outside, the "Game Over" title is shown as a door opens on the Mobile Island Fortress, revealing a laser that prepares to blast the island, but the screen fades to black before it happens, leaving the fate of DK Island unknown.
• DK: King of Swing: DK sadly shakes his head looking down, while the background has the forest design, light-blue trees and bushes/ferns, and a dark blue sky. "Game Over" is at the top, with "Try Again" and "Quit" being selectable options.
• DK Jungle Climber: The top screen has Game Over, while the bottom screen shows DK looking down and shaking his head in disappointment. A wooden text box has Continue or Quit on it.
• Donkey Kong Country Returns: DK and Diddy fall into a black void, with a spotlight shining onto them, and "Game Over" shown. DK angrily pounds his fists on the ground, while Diddy holds his hands on his head and yells in despair. The bottom of the screen shows either Quit with the B Button, or Continue with the A button.
• Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze: On a black screen, the defeated Kong is encased in a block of ice, while "Game Over" is shown at the top, and two Painguin Tucks stand next to them.

Gallery

Game Over screen as seen in the game Donkey Kong for Game Boy.

Game Over screen as seen in the game Donkey Kong Country for SFC/SNES.

Game Over screen as seen in the game Donkey Kong Land for Game Boy.

Game Over screen as seen in the game Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest for SFC/SNES.

Game Over screen in the game Donkey Kong Land 2 for Game Boy, as seen on the Super Game Boy for SFC/SNES.

Game Over screen as seen in the game Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! for SFC/SNES.

Game Over screen as seen in the game Donkey Kong Land III for Game Boy.

Game Over screen after losing a regular race in the Adventure Mode, as seen in the game Diddy Kong Racing for Nintendo 64.

Message after losing a race against the boss Tricky the Triceratops in the Adventure Mode, as seen in the game Diddy Kong Racing for Nintendo 64.

"Game Over" flashing on the screen during the Game Over cutscene, as seen in the game Donkey Kong 64 for Nintendo 64.

Game Over screen as seen in the game Donkey Kong GB: Dinky Kong & Dixie Kong for GBC.

Game Over screen as seen in the game Donkey Kong Country for GBC.

Game Over screen as seen in the game Donkey Kong Country for GBA.

Game Over screen as seen in the game Mario vs. Donkey Kong for GBA.

Game Over screen as seen in the game Donkey Kong Country 2 for GBA.

Game Over screen as seen in the game DK: King of Swing for GBA.

Game Over screen as seen in the game Donkey Kong Country 3 for GBA.

Game Over screen as seen in the game Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis for DS.

Game Over screen as seen in the game DK: Jungle Climber for DS.

Game Over screen as seen in the game Donkey Kong Country Returns for Wii.

Game Over screen as seen in the game Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze for Wii U.

Videos

Game Over Donkey Kong 64

Game Over cutscene as seen in the game Donkey Kong 64 for Nintendo 64.

Donkey Kong 64 - Game Over extended ending

Game Over cutscene of the game Donkey Kong 64 extended by GameShark codes.

Donkey Kong Country Returns - Game Over end w o fade out

The player choosing to quit the game in the Game Over screen, as seen in the game Donkey Kong Country Returns for Wii.

Evolution of Game Over Screens in Donkey Kong Country Games (1994-2018)

Evolution of Game Over screens in Donkey Kong Country games (1994-2018).

Trivia

• Banjo-Kazooie and Conker's Bad Fur Day, both games developed by Rare, the developer of Donkey Kong 64, also use similar concepts of Game Over cutscenes.
• In the game Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for Nintendo Switch, King K. Rool's Final Smash move supposed to show the outcome of the Game Over cutscene in Donkey Kong 64 before it fades in to black, showing the Blast-O-Matic machine actually blowing the DK Island.