Tropical Freeze doesn't have Callie and Marie, that's why it didn't move hardware like Splatoon.

Can we get a Splatoon Rap similar to the DK Rap, Nintendo? Pleaseeeee?

I'm just gonna say that No 2D platformer is much off a system seller. Not Rayman NO little big planet NOT Donkey Kong and not super mario bros. NSMU has high sales because it was bundled, but out of all of them NSMB probably has the best chance, but they are very similar to the DS and Wii versions.

Some of the reasons are quite valid but I believe the biggest reason is genre. It's a online shooter. Like Reggie said, it's the Mario Kart of COD. A 2D platformer, no matter the quality, can't hope to compete head on commercially with a great online shooter in 2016.

They didn't give us a rap, but we got other musical masterpieces.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjPOSKnOftA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwERpeBVJa8

Reasons why DK didn't sell? People didn't want a new DK, especially a straight up sequel that brings nothing new.

Why Splatoon did sell?
For the last 10 years, People have asked Nintendo to create new IPs that would fit the needs of today's gamer.
They finally did it. And they were successful in creating new characters that appealed to a lot of people. That's one of Nintendo biggest talent.

I think Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is the best Donkey Kong game ever made. It's what Returns should have been. I think if anything, it was a combination of marketing and console sales. Donkey Kong Country Returns had great marketing and a lot of nostalgia behind it. It also had the oppertunity of being available on the best selling seventh generation console towards the later part of it's life. That's why the game managed to sell over 5 million copies. By the time Donkey Kong Country Troipcal Freeze came out, the nostalgic feelings had passed, the marketing wasn't as great, and there were fewer customers to buy it. Still, despite all these disadvantages, it still sold over 1 million copies.

Splatoon on the other hand was a game that was one of the best examples of what Nintendo could do with powerful marketing. Nintendo also presented it in such a way that made it look like a fun game that you had to play. No cutscenes, no bullshit storylines, just pure gameplay.

I think it has more to do with the actual genre of the game and marketing. Nowadays it's more attractive a fun multiplayer shooter game than a traditional 2D and hard as nails platformer. Even on Nintendo consoles.

Wow, so a Dk 2D platformer was not going to move consoles. Good. Next time some of us whine about DK people will at least not use the absurd argument that those games sales better and move consoles.

Donkey Kong didn't move consoles because it wasn't something new and exiting to bring in new audiences. Also, let's not act like Splatoon saved the WiiU (this is a comment meant more in general, not directly at the thread), the software did very good, but the hardware only moved somewhat in the good direction, it's still absolutely shitty. At least Nintendo knew Splatoon at least had the chance to impact things as evident by the marketing stategy; all the marketing in the world wouldn't have helped Donkey Kong become a system-seller.