DK: King of Swing is a puzzle-platformer for the Game Boy Advance, developed by Paon and published by Nintendo. Donkey Kong climbs upward by grabbing pegs with the shoulder buttons and rotating around them, a system modelled on Clu Clu Land. Adventure mode runs across five worlds to recover the Jungle Jam medals from King K. Rool, with KONG letters hidden in each stage.
How To Play DK: King of Swing
Control
Action
D-Pad
Walk left and right on the ground; steers Donkey Kong’s direction of travel while airborne; moves the cursor through menus
L
Grab and release pegs with the left hand
R
Grab and release pegs with the right hand
L then R alternating
Rotate around a peg and climb quickly by timing the hand swaps; releasing at speed launches Donkey Kong across gaps
L + R together
Charge attack against enemies; also used to throw carried rocks and bombs
A
Jump from the ground
Start
Pause the game and open the menu
About DK: King of Swing
Release date
EU: February 4, 2005; AU: March 16, 2005; JP: May 19, 2005; NA: September 19, 2005
Developer
Paon
Publisher
Nintendo
Platform
Game Boy Advance
Genre
Puzzle-platformer
Series
Donkey Kong; the first entry by Paon after Rare’s departure, followed by DK: Jungle Climber on DS
Modes
Single-player Adventure, Jungle Jam, Time Attack, and Diddy Mode; four-player Jungle Jam over the Game Link Cable
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Two notes: the Japanese title in the “Also known as” row is from memory rather than a source I confirmed in this search, so it’s worth verifying before publishing. One source describes the controls as relying solely on L and R, while others mention jumping as a separate action — the peg mechanics are well documented, but the A-button row is less certain.
Sheldon has spent over a decade immersed in retro gaming, from NES classics to arcade gems. He's deeply passionate about preserving gaming history and helping others rediscover these timeless titles. When he's not gaming, Shaun writes about the evolution of video games and their cultural impact.
