In terms of the animal kingdom’s prominence in the video game world, primates have had one of the longest runs. Since the days of arcade cabinets, various monkeys have been digitized to be fought, or played as, by eager gamers. These types of video game primates include apes, gorillas, orangutans, chimpanzees, and spider monkeys.
Usually, these characters are portrayed as villainous creatures in their most popular video game appearances. Occasionally, a monkey character will be helpful to the player, mimicking the relationship between primates and humans in the real world. These primates, good or bad, represent the most iconic video game monkeys.
10Conga The Ape (Banjo-Kazooie)
TheBanjo-Kazooieseries features many anthropomorphic animals, from the titular bear and bird to moles, sharks, and walruses. However, one of the more formidable characters in the original game is Conga, an ape who resides on Mumbo’s Mountain. Conga is possessive of his territory, attacking Banjo with oranges if he comes near.
Whilemany animals are helpful to Banjo & Kazooie along their quest, Conga is tough to please. Only by using their cunning stealth can the duo defeat Conga, forcing him to sacrifice a jigsaw piece, or “Jiggy.” Once he’s helped the player, one can’t help but feel bad for this short-fused ape speaking in broken English.
9George (Rampage)
The arcade gameRampagedebuted in 1986, making George one of the earliest video game monkeys. In this game, players control George, a human who was transformed into a massive gorilla thanks to a scientific experiment. Alongside Lizzie the Reptile and Ralph the Wolf, these three are hell-bent on reducing cities to rubble.
George later re-appeared in several sequels to the series, includingRampage: Total Destruction. However, this monkey’s biggest claim to fame is having his very own on-screen adaptation.In the 2018 film starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, George is a regular gorilla who accidentally mutates, rather than a changed human being.
8Agent 9 (Spyro)
Agent 9made his first appearance inSpyro: Year of the Dragon, released for the PlayStation in 2000. He is one of six playable characters in the game (not counting Secret Speedway Challenges). After Rhynocs invaded the Professor’s lab, the genius mole scientist trained Agent 9 to defend him in the future.
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While unlocking Agent 9 is not required to beatSpyro: Year of the Dragon, it’s quite fun to defeat enemies with his iconic blaser weapon. Plus, fans can play as a more graphically interesting design for the character in theSpyro Reignited Trilogyfor PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
7Rajang (Monster Hunter)
TheMonster Hunterfranchise features many iconic creatures, but not all of them are as infamous to fans as the mighty Rajang. This gorilla-like creature isone of the greatest threats in the series, even for experienced hunters. While it initially may seem like a berserk primate, just wait until it transforms into its fearsome Rage Mode.
When the Rajang goes into Rage Mode, players can expect to send a few hunters back to base camp. Rajang resembles Super Saiyan Goku as he begins inflicting Thunderblight damage, leaving hunters with a higher chance of being stunned. Defeating this monster is quite a testament to a hunter’s strength.
6Porter (Animal Crossing)
Thankfully, Porter is one of the nicer monkeys in the pantheon of video game primates. This adorable monkey runs the train station inAnimal Crossing, which originally released for GameCube. He’s a significant character in the original game, as he’s the first animal players interact with upon arriving at their new hometown.
While Porter always appears alongside the train station, some iterations of the series do not include this feature. Upon the release ofAnimal Crossing: New Horizonsfor Nintendo Switch, fans were disappointed when Porter was missing. However, he makesa welcomed return in the 2.0 updateas a potential visitor to The Roost.
5Andross (Star Fox)
Andross is a mainstay of theStar Foxfranchise, consistently appearing as the main antagonist of the series, apart from a few select titles. In his initial appearances, Andross was nothing more than a gray polygonal face. This is even how the character appears in his Assist Trophy in theSuper Smash Brosfranchise.
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More recentStar Foxgames updated Andross’s appearance. He now resembles a monkey, though still only his head is seen by players. This character has a dark backstory that puts him at odds with Fox and his fellow crew members. Without spoilers, Andross may be next to Ridley in terms of Nintendo villain evil-ness.
4AiAi (Super Monkey Ball)
TheSuper Monkey Ballseries features many adorable primate characters, from the long-sleeved Doctor to the charming MeeMee. However, none shine as a more iconic character than AiAi, the series' mascot. To date, AiAi is the onlySuper Monkey Ballcharacter to be playable in every entry of the series.
While theSuper Monkey Ballseries varies in popularity, AiAi has made many appearances outside the franchise.He’s a playable character inSonic & Sega All-Stars Racingalongside Sonic, B.D. Joe fromCrazy Taxi, and Billy Hatcher. He also appears in that game alongside another video game monkey, Amigo!
3Winston (Overwatch)
BeforeOverwatcheven launched in 2016, many of the initial playable heroes were already iconic. Alongside characters like Tracer, McCree, and Genji, fans gravitated towards genius primate Winston. This tank character became popular amongOverwatchplayers for his powerful weaponry, as well as his support tactics.
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Similar to Rajang, Winston has the ability to let loose, forcing members of the opposing team to worry. With his Ultimate, Primal Rage, Winston becomes a tank among tanks, with increased attack and health that make him near impossible to kill. Not only is he powerful, he’s also easy to use for players new to the multiplayer game.
2Diddy Kong (Donkey Kong)
The enthusiastic sidekick has appeared in many entries of both theSuper MarioandDonkey Kongfranchises. Since his debut inDonkey Kong Countryin 1994, Diddy Kong was made for Player 2’s, assisting DK defeat King K. Rool. He’s since made appearances inMario Kart,Super Smash Bros, and many sports titles.
Additionally, Diddy Kong has also had his own starring roles from time to time.He was the titular character inDiddy Kong Racing, a 1997 racing game that introduced Conker and Banjo, future Rareware icons. He’s also the main character inDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest, relegating Dixie Kong to the Player 2 spot.
1Donkey Kong (Mario)
While it’s easy to love Diddy Kong, the little guy doesn’t compare to his larger counterpart. Donkey Kong is one of the oldest video game characters of all time, first appearing in arcade classicDonkey Kong.While he technically debuted before Mario and Peach (at least, in their current forms), DK has been a big part of theMarioseries.
Donkey Kong is a mainstay of spin-offMariotitles likeMario Kart,Mario Party, andMario & Sonic at the Olympic Games. He getsa bigger starring role in theDonkey Kong Countryplatforming series. Once Seth Rogen makes his debut as DK in the upcomingMariomovie, the character is bound to get even more mainstream appeal.
