Funky Kong is a recurring Kong in the Donkey Kong Country franchise. He first appears in Donkey Kong Country. In most of his appearances, Funky operates a transportation services for the Kongs.
In Donkey Kong Country, Funky is the owner of Funky's Flights, a rental service where he allows Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong to use his Funky Barrel to travel between worlds that they have either accessed or completed.
In both the Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance remakes, Funky hosts the Funky's Fishing mini-game, where the Kongs' objective is to catch as many fish within the time limit. In the Game Boy Color version, Funky's fishing is only playable from the main menu. Funky does not appear in the mini-game itself, and is only suggested as its host.
In the Game Boy Advance version, Funky hosts the mini-game along with his flight service during the main game, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong are no longer required to visit Funky to use his Funky Barrel, as the player can select the "CALL FUNKY" option from the Start menu. In each world, Funky provides a different objective for each Funky's Fishing challenge, such as in Kremkroc Industries, Inc., where as Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong must fish out ten bottles. In the same version, Funky is shown during the ending cutscene with the other Kongs.
Funky Kong returns in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. He hosts another flight service, Funky's Flights II, in every world except the Lost World. Funky allows Diddy and Dixie to use the Biplane Barrel if they pay two Banana Coins, although every trip after the first one are free. In the original Super Nintendo version, Funky is shown to surf in midair with his hoverboard.
In the Game Boy Advance version, Funky hosts a bonus game, Funky's Flights, in each world of the game. The Biplane Barrel is replaced with the Gyrocopter, which Funky allows Diddy and Dixie to freely use from the world map after they complete the Aerial Loop challenge. Funky hosts a different challenge in each world, and if Diddy and Dixie complete a challenge, Funky rewards a DK Coin to them. In the same version, Funky also appears with the Gyrocopter in the ending, and he rescues Diddy, Dixie, Donkey Kong, and Cranky from The Flying Krock before it crashes onto the ground. In the 102% ending, Funky drops a bomb onto Kaptain K. Rool from the Gyrocopter to stop him from escaping.
In Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!, Funky has a larger role than in the previous two games. He operates Funky's Rentals from the Northern Kremisphere, where he allows Dixie and Kiddy to rent various watercraft to travel across the waters of the Northern Kremisphere. At first, the Motor Boat is the only vehicle that Funky has available. As the Kongs obtain certain items along the way, Funky can use them to construct a few more vehicles, each one more powerful than the previous.
At the start of the game, Dixie must visit Funky, who gives Kiddy to her, and use the Motor Boat. As Dixie and Kiddy progress through the game, they can gain various items and give them to Funky, who will use them to create new, more powerful vehicles for them to use and reach new locations. After completing Kremwood Forest, the Kongs obtain the Patch, which they can take to Funky for him to create the Hover Craft. After completing Cotton Top Cove and Mekanos, the Kongs can return the Skis to Funky for him to create the Turbo Ski.
Throughout the game, the Brothers Bears reference a "secret project" that Funky is working on; if Dixie and Kiddy ask Funky about the project, he acknowledges it but requires the Kongs to obtain every DK Coin to let them use it. If the Kongs bring every DK Coin to Funky, he allows them to use the Gyrocopter.
In the Game Boy Advance remake, Funky hosts a series of four minigames. If the Kongs complete each one, Funky rewards them with a Banana Bird.
In Donkey Kong 64, Funky operates a weapons store, Funky's Store, in every level except Hideout Helm. He first sells a shooter to each respective Kong when they first visit. In later levels, Funky also sells two ammo belt upgrades, a sniper scope, and the ability to pick up homing ammo. Each time the Kongs are low on ammo, right before a Kong leaves the store, Funky refills their ammo supply entirely.
After defeating King Krusha K. Rool at the boxing arena, Candy walks in and distracts him. Meanwhile, Funky walks in and fires a boot at K. Rool, knocking him up through the ceiling of the arena. During the end credits, Funky mimics the sounds of some weapons such as aerial bombs and machine guns on a cliff, then does some acrobatics.
After six years of not appearing in games, Funky Kong returns in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze as the owner of the item shop, named Funky's Fly 'n' Buy. In this way, he replaces Cranky Kong's role as the owner of a shop in the previous installment due to the elderly Kong being a playable character. Funky Kong sells various items to the Kongs in exchange for Banana Coins, including DK Barrels, balloons, Banana Juice, Squawks the Parrot, Heart Boosts, and Crash Guards. He also sells collectible toys from the Capsule Toy Machine. The shop operates on every island in the game except Secret Seclusion.
The game's Nintendo Switch port marks the first time Funky Kong is a playable character in the main series, as he is playable via the new "Funky Mode", which is catered towards beginner players. When selected in "Funky Mode", Funky Kong replaces Donkey Kong as the main playable character. His abilities, aided by his surfboard, are a combination of Diddy, Dixie, and Cranky, and they include double jumping, hovering, treading on Spiked Floors, and surfing on water in a similar fashion to water skipping. He can perform perpetual Roll Attacks and Corkscrews as well. In addition, he wears a yellow pair of goggles with a snorkel whenever he plunges underwater, enabling him to breathe without having to collect Air Bubbles. Lastly, Funky's surfboard enables him to safely jump on enemies that the other Kongs cannot safely jump on, such as the Snaggles. He can also perform a Ground Pound like Donkey Kong, even on spikes. He can also execute the new Pluck move slightly faster than even Donkey Kong can, though unlike the latter, he cannot carry the other Kongs on his back, even in multiplayer.
While playing as Funky Kong, his shop, Funky's Fly 'n' Buy, is run by a parrot named Tawks, whose speech purposely mimics Funky. If Funky shops at his store, Tawks gives him an employee discount.
And he is voiced by Travis Willingham in the English dub and reprised by Toshihide Tsuchiya in the Japanese dub.