This game was Donkey Kong's only playable appearance in a main-series Donkey Kong game until Donkey Kong 64, despite the game's sequel and triquel games bearing the Donkey Kong Country name.

Cranky Kong is the antagonist in the original Donkey Kong arcade and NES game. The Donkey Kong that you play as is the grandson of Cranky Kong.

Diddy Kong was originally going to be Donkey Kong Junior. Nintendo felt that Rare's redesign was too different from the appearance of Donkey Kong Jr. and mandated that Rare either use Donkey Kong Jr.'s original appearance, or change the character's name. Rare decided the second option would be best. The potential names were Diet DK, DK Lite, Titchy Kong and Dinky Kong. Dinky Kong was almost the final name, but was dropped due to legal considerations.

In the episode "Never Koop a Koopa" from the animated series "The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3", King Koopa wears a red cape towards the end of the episode, giving him a passing resemblance to King K. Rool. However, this is purely coincidental, as King K. Rool debuted four years after this episode aired in 1990, and in early concept art from around this time K. Rool looked much different. Incidentally, the cartoon version of King Koopa shares K. Rool's similar habit of wearing thematic costumes, and Bowser and his Koopa Troop would take up the Kremlings' usual role of stealing Donkey Kong's banana hoard during the Subspace Emissary story mode in Super Smash Bros. Brawl.