Why is it called donkey kong if he's a monkey?

Answer 1

It's a mistranslation. Japanese called him Monkey Kong but got screwed up and now we have go ol' Donkey Kong.

Answer 2

Shigeru Miyamoto, the character's creator, used the English word "donkey" to evoke the animal's stereotypical stubbornness. (There was no translation error; the game has the same name, "Donkii Kongu", in Japan.) "Kong" is because, in Japan, "King Kong" has become a generic term for any large ape.

Thus, Donkey Kong is a stubborn large ape.

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I read back when the game was new that it was a mistranslation. King Kong was patented, so Nintendo went with Monkey Kong. But Donkey was wrongly chosen over Monkey. Once the machines were being mass produced it was too late to change the spelling and Donkey Kong is what they went with. As it turned out, Universal Studios did sue Nintendo over the name still being too close to King Kong and that the plot of the game was rescuing a damsel from an ape; Nintendo won that suit.

Answer 3

The creator of DK thought "donkey" meant stupid in english, and "kong" was referencing King Kong, so he was supposed to be named "Stupid Monkey".

Answer 4

It's a mistranslation. Whoever gave him his American name thought 'Donkey' meant 'Monkey.'

Answer 5

in japan its monkey kong is usa the person hardly knew English so he put a ''d'' insted of ''m''.

Answer 6

Because everyone needs a laugh. :D

Answer 7

irony