The game was originally in development for the GameCube, under the working title of "DK Bongo Blast". As its name implied, the game could be played using the Donkey Kong Bongos controller. However, due to the GameCube becoming an obsolete platform, the game was moved over to be a Wii title.

The final designs for the new Kremling characters, such as Kip, Kass, Kalypso, and Kludge, were designed internally by Nintendo. Paon were the ones who originally proposed the creation of new Kremling characters, but Nintendo's in-house character management team handled the rest.

Paon's initial proposal also includes Kopter, a Kremling enemy who first appeared in Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!. While he would appear in the final game, his initial concept design is notably more closer to the original DKC3 look. The concept art also shows a redesigned Krusha, another Kremling type from the first Donkey Kong Country, who in the final game was replaced by the aforementioned Kludge.