Wikipedia:Featured article candidates/Donkey Kong (character)/archive1

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The following is an archived discussion of a featured article nomination. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the article's talk page or in Wikipedia talk:Featured article candidates. No further edits should be made to this page.

The article was promoted by Ian Rose via FACBot (talk) 13:12 30 December 2025 FACBot (talk) 23:05, 30 December 2025 (UTC).

Donkey Kong (character)


Nominator(s): JOEBRO64 10:20, 31 October 2025 (UTC)

One of the video game industry's oldest mascots, who's gone from a construction-site menace to a banana-obsessed oaf to a... professional boxer. Though he's frequently overshadowed by his frenemy, Donkey Kong still manages to steal the spotlight from time to time (most recently, this past July, when I coincidentally brought the article to GA). I brought the franchise article to FA at the beginning of the year, so I think it'd be fitting to cap it off with the character himself. Hope you enjoy! JOEBRO64 10:20, 31 October 2025 (UTC)

@Cukie Gherkin, FunkMonk, Pokelego999, and Gommeh: thanks for the comments. A bit busy irl but I should reply/address all points by the end of Saturday. JOEBRO64 20:59, 19 November 2025 (UTC)

Image review

Here shall be an image review from me! Arconning (talk) 15:45, 31 October 2025 (UTC)

  • File:Donkey Kong character.png - Fair use
  • File:Cranky Kong.jpg - Fair use
  • File:Shigeru Miyamoto at E3 2013 1 (cropped).JPG - CC BY-SA 3.0 de
  • File:Donkey Kong design evolution.png - Fair use
  • File:Grant Kirkhope by Gage Skidmore.jpg - CC BY-SA 3.0
  • File:Seth Rogen at Collision 2019 - SM0 1823 (47106936404) (cropped).jpg - CC BY 2.0
  • File:King Kong 1933 Promotional Image.png - Public Domain
  • File:Monster Jam - 2008 - Tacoma, Wa (3453973810).jpg - CC BY-SA 2.0
  • All of the images have appropriate alt-text for accessibility, all have proper captioning and are relevant to the article.
    • Happy to give a pass for the image review!

Source review (172/172 reviewed)

Starting a source review. - Cukie Gherkin (talk) 16:20, 6 November 2025 (UTC)

  • Doesn't identify him as appearing in most Mario Kart or Party games (rephrase to just saying he appears in these series unless a source can be found to say he's in most of them)
    • Done JOEBRO64 11:08, 7 November 2025 (UTC)
  • / Minor note: doesn't specify it ended in 2000, just that it ran for two seasons and began in 1997. Can you cite the 2000 date, or say that it started in 1997 and ran for two seasons?
    • Fixed JOEBRO64 12:42, 13 November 2025 (UTC)
  • What is this being used to cite in this sentence? "Mario and Princess Peach seek the Kongs' help to stop Bowser from invading the Mushroom Kingdom. The Kongs agree to help after Mario defeats Donkey Kong in an arena fight." I may be overlooking something. Also, this source is listed on the inconclusive discussions portion of the Video game WikiProject sources page. I believe that it has demonstrated reliability, based on its association with NBC News as its parent and staff having experience, but I would recommend opening a discussion to move it from inconclusive. Same with this source:
    • I removed it, I think I included it in this article by mistake while transferring references from my work on Donkey Kong. All the information comes from the movie cite so it's not needed. If you want a secondary source for that info I'm more than willing to provide one. JOEBRO64 12:42, 13 November 2025 (UTC)
  • The source identifies the publisher as Fleetway Editions
    • Done JOEBRO64 11:08, 7 November 2025 (UTC)
  • / These sources don't exactly convey that the criticism was "scathing"
    • Struck it JOEBRO64 11:08, 7 November 2025 (UTC)
  • "Other names considered included "Kong Dong" and "Kong Holiday"." Looking at this, either or could support this sentence by itself.
  • Riedel Software Productions isn't mentioned specifically
    • You're looking at the wrong source, this is cited for the statement about the Sega game. This is the source cited for the CD-i game and it mentions Riedel. JOEBRO64 11:02, 7 November 2025 (UTC)
      • My bad, I must have gotten them mixed up and forgot to close that tab. - Cukie Gherkin (talk) 04:32, 8 November 2025 (UTC)
  • this source has me pondering. I've used PopMatters in the past, though it's not listed as a reliable source anywhere that I can see. Looking at the site more deeply, I'm not seeing a super strong editorial process laid out, and the author of the article, Erik Kersting, does not seem to be particularly noteworthy. Yet, a PopMatters article by Kersting does get referenced in the book "Ludonarrative Synchronicity in the 'BioShock' Trilogy". Looking at other articles, I find that people who do have experience submit articles (Ana Clara Ribeiro, who also writes for PopMatters, writes for Rolling Stone Korea, for instance). On the other hand, the EIC's experience seems to be limited to PopMatters.
  • I recommend adding this; as someone in the community, I can definitely say that Kirkhope saying "trans rights" as DK was a "big deal" lol
    • Done JOEBRO64 16:39, 2 December 2025 (UTC)

Citation checking

  1. , , and redirect to Gamesbeat
  2. redirects to AV Club

Not sure how FACs handle page redirects like this. Anyway, I've looked through, and I didn't see any citation mismatches.

Valnet

Per WP:VALNET, sources published by Valnet should be met with heightened scrutiny, although they have been found to be acceptable on a case-by-case basis in past FACs. In the article, three Valnet sources are used, all from the website "TheGamer". Analyzing the three used, I've been able to identify that they are written before AI concerns regarding Valnet websites emerged, and all authors have been published in sources that we consider reliable (Adam Starkey: Rolling Stone UK, Stacey Henley: The Guardian, George Foster: RPGSite). As such, while non-Valnet sources are preferred and thus they are all at best situational, I find that these are acceptable articles to cite in an FAC. - Cukie Gherkin (talk) 18:12, 6 November 2025 (UTC)

Other comments

  • While this is typically being followed, one sentence has the refs in the wrong order: "Miyamoto provided some suggestions"
  • Strongly recommend running the IABot to archive, as many are not archived.
    • Put in a request. It's been pretty backed up/unreliable as of late, so fingers crossed it does the job. JOEBRO64 13:05, 13 November 2025 (UTC)
I took care of the archiving :) ★ The Green Star Collector ★ (talk) 21:42, 14 November 2025 (UTC)
    • There was the PopMatters article that had the author changed to PopMatters staff; I can't recall if any other articles are attributed to just staff off the top of my head, but if there are, double check that they weren't formerly attributed to one or more specific people.
  • Hi Cukie Gherkin, is this a pass for the source review? Thanks. Gog the Mild (talk) 18:26, 21 December 2025 (UTC)
    Sorry for the confusion; I meant my support in the review to clarify that I am confident that the citation info, reliability of sources, and accuracy of the article are all up to par for a featured article. - Cukie Gherkin (talk) 23:35, 21 December 2025 (UTC)

Review by User:Cukie Gherkin

Planting this here - Cukie Gherkin (talk) 16:21, 6 November 2025 (UTC)

Character

  • "Country recast Donkey Kong as the protagonist.[1] He has been portrayed as heroic since, though he occasionally appears as an antagonist, such as in Mario vs. Donkey Kong (2004).[11]" I feel like this could be made into one sentence for better flow? Maybe something like "He was recast as a protagonist starting with Country, though he occasionally appears as an antagonist, such as in Mario vs. Donkey Kong.

So, by and large, on doing my source review and reading through the article, any points I may have are points brought up and addressed in other reviews. I'm comfortable supporting it being a featured article. - Cukie Gherkin (talk) 05:51, 5 December 2025 (UTC)

Review by Pokelego999

I will leave comments here sometime within the week, hopefully shortly. Magneton Considerer: Pokelego999 (Talk) (Contribs) 22:25, 10 November 2025 (UTC)

  • I feel it would be helpful to clarify that Cranky is in fact the Arcade DK in the lead since otherwise Cranky's presence in the lead may be confusing.
    • I'm willing to make an effort but I think it's a little too much detail for the lede. The lede's supposed to be a more generalized overview, so I think that Cranky is an alternate DK is all that needs to be there JOEBRO64 20:29, 22 November 2025 (UTC)
  • "after Nintendo was unable to obtain the license" Clarify this was for the 1981 DK game.
    • Done JOEBRO64 20:29, 22 November 2025 (UTC)
  • Is there anything relevant on Donkey Kong 3? It seems odd that that game in particular is skipped in the "Appearances" section.
    • There's not really much to say about it other than that DK is the antagonist again. It had very little impact on the character/franchise so sources don't discuss it much JOEBRO64 20:29, 22 November 2025 (UTC)
  • "The Donkey Kong franchise was mostly limited to spin-offs such as Donkey Konga and Mario vs. Donkey Kong." This sentence feels a bit out of place in comparison to the other sentences in the paragraph, especially since the following one talks about Donkey Kong's various main series roles. I'd either specify a timeframe or place this more toward the end.
    • The paragraph is about how Donkey Kong's appearances within his own franchise became limited after Rare left, I don't see how it's out of place JOEBRO64 20:29, 22 November 2025 (UTC)
    I'm giving it another re-read and it seems I misinterpreted this sentence, but it still feels a bit confusing. Why are we going into extensive detail on various crossover cameos while only giving a single sentence to the mention of what's actually going on to the main DK series? The focus seems a little skewed. It makes the chronology a bit confusing when we're hopping from a 2017 appearance to a 2004 appearance to a 1997 appearance in the span of three lines. I'd honestly lead with the mention of the DK series being relegated to spin-offs, then mention the cameo appearances briefly, and then shift the mentions of Retro's revival to the subsequent paragraph where Tropical Freeze is being discussed so the focus is clearer. Right now I feel like it's jumping over the place a bit. Magneton Considerer: Pokelego999 (Talk) (Contribs) 16:13, 6 December 2025 (UTC)
    @Pokelego999: I did some rearranging. Should resolve it all. JOEBRO64 14:05, 9 December 2025 (UTC)
  • The development section feels like it would be better framed chronologically, since many aspects of the sections keep hopping back to particular time periods that feel like they'd be more helpful to address chronologically. For example, all of the DKC stuff feels like it'd make more sense to discuss together rather than jumping back to it across multiple sub-sections.
    • I don't agree. Donkey Kong's game appearances and his design are largely discussed separately in sources and I don't think it'd make sense to mash the different focuses of each section together. JOEBRO64 20:29, 22 November 2025 (UTC)
  • "although Hardcore Gaming 101's David DiRienzo found their differences mostly superficial" Could you clarify what this means? I'm not sure what's being meant here. Physical superficiality? Gameplay superficiality?
    • Clarified JOEBRO64 20:29, 22 November 2025 (UTC)
  • There are two paragraphs discussing how DK's standing fell post-Country, with one focused on design and the other focused on the reputation. Perhaps this could be altered to refocus to their particular focuses?

Overall a strong article. Let me know when the above are addressed. Magneton Considerer: Pokelego999 (Talk) (Contribs) 00:01, 18 November 2025 (UTC)

@Pokelego999: thank you for reviewing! I've replied above. I didn't reply to the last point because I'm not sure exactly what you mean so I'd appreciate some clarification. JOEBRO64 21:09, 27 November 2025 (UTC)
@TheJoebro64 I honestly forget what I was trying to say with that one, and on a re-read I don't see a strong issue, so ignore that last point. One minor quibble above but otherwise I think you've addressed my comments well. Magneton Considerer: Pokelego999 (Talk) (Contribs) 16:20, 6 December 2025 (UTC)
@TheJoebro64 your change looks good, happy to pass! Magneton Considerer: Pokelego999 (Talk) (Contribs) 15:04, 9 December 2025 (UTC)
Oop, I got four hours last night and defaulted to my GAN pass statement lmao. I meant to say Support. Magneton Considerer: Pokelego999 (Talk) (Contribs) 15:04, 9 December 2025 (UTC)

Funk

  • I can't resist DK nominations, so marking my spot. At first glance, there appear to be a few WP:duplinks. FunkMonk (talk) 00:31, 11 November 2025 (UTC)
  • Why does the rather horizontal King Kong image use the upright parameter?
    • Fixed, did that by mistake JOEBRO64 11:36, 16 November 2025 (UTC)
  • Could link simians, not a particularly common term. Ah, I see it's linked in the intro, but all terms should also be linked at first mention in the article body.
    • Done JOEBRO64 11:36, 16 November 2025 (UTC)
  • Same case for gorilla.
    • Done JOEBRO64 11:36, 16 November 2025 (UTC)
  • "Donkey Kong weighs 800 pounds" conversion template for us Euros?
    • Done JOEBRO64 11:36, 16 November 2025 (UTC)
  • "and the Tiki Tak Tribe, a race of floating masks" is race really the right term here?
    • Changed to "group"
  • As Cranky Kong is presented as an older DK, and his name redirects here, this warrants mention in the intro, where the name should be bolded. Don't think bold should be used outside the intro, but not sure.
    • Done JOEBRO64 12:28, 17 November 2025 (UTC)
  • Link Shakespeare?
    • Done JOEBRO64 11:36, 16 November 2025 (UTC)
  • "and more realistic proportions" What is meant by that? Hard to see how one is more realistic than the other.
    • I just removed it, the source is trying to say he looks a bit closer to a gorilla IRL but it's vague and debatable enough that I think it's best to bin it. The most important changes are already summarized JOEBRO64 21:01, 27 November 2025 (UTC)
  • "in the Japanese dub of the The Super Mario Bros. Movie" is the double "the" necessary?
    • That was a typo, fixed JOEBRO64 11:36, 16 November 2025 (UTC)
  • I think the design or reception sections could mention what a big deal DKC's 3D designs were at the time. Now it seems they're only retroactively slammed, with none of the praise that was actually contemporary.
    • I added a bit of contemporary coverage to even things out JOEBRO64 21:01, 27 November 2025 (UTC)
  • You go into a lot of detail about Rogen's voice, but as far as I remember that was also divisive, which could warrant a mention.
    • I added a paragraph in the reception section JOEBRO64 20:18, 22 November 2025 (UTC)
  • "Robert W. Sweet ruled" Specify judge.
    • Done JOEBRO64 20:18, 22 November 2025 (UTC)

@FunkMonk: apologies for the wait, always a pleasure to see you review! I responded to everything above JOEBRO64 21:01, 27 November 2025 (UTC)

  • Support - looks good to me now, happy to see so many DK articles brought to FAC. FunkMonk (talk) 00:18, 28 November 2025 (UTC)

Gommeh

  • This is my first time participating at FAC, but I'll do my best to help out.
  • There's a link to Shigeru Miyamoto twice early in the conception section - once in the first paragraph and again in the image.
    • I removed the caption link JOEBRO64 21:07, 27 November 2025 (UTC)
  • Not really sure what else to be looking for.

Gommeh 📖   🎮 23:22, 12 November 2025 (UTC)

Hi, it's of course helpful to familiarise yourself with the WP:FA criteria when doing a full review. FunkMonk (talk) 00:11, 13 November 2025 (UTC)
Second look through

Intro

  • Not sure why but I'm not sure if the last sentence in the first paragraph works well. Then again I haven't played any of the Donkey Kong games so IDK if I can really say much else here in that regard.
    • I think it's worthwhile as the other characters DK interacts with are fairly important to him as a character JOEBRO64 21:47, 23 November 2025 (UTC)
  • the Country series of side-scrolling plaform games seems a little off to me. I'd say the full name of the series "Donkey Kong Country".
    • Done JOEBRO64 21:47, 23 November 2025 (UTC)
  • The third paragraph doesn't sufficiently (in my view) explain the connection to Bluto. This may be done in the body, but I'm not quite sure if it's necessary for the lead. I'd either expand on it a little bit or cut it out.
    • Expanded JOEBRO64 21:47, 23 November 2025 (UTC)
  • Wording issue at Donkey Kong has been listed among the greatest video game characters. Grammatically it's fine, but it sounds a little subjective. I'd say reword it to say "critics have rated him as [...]" or something similar.
    • I don't think it's subjective; he's been included in greatest character lists, which is a fact. JOEBRO64 21:47, 23 November 2025 (UTC)

Character

  • Donkey Kong first appeared as the antagonist of Donkey Kong, a 1981 arcade game; he is Mario's rebellious pet gorilla who kidnaps his girlfriend Pauline and climbs a construction site. The second part of this sentence is worded awkwardly in a few places. However I think this can be fixed by changing it to "[...] a 1981 arcade game. In the game, he is [...]". Overall though, this is relatively minor.
    • I reworded it a bit. Should read better now JOEBRO64 21:47, 23 November 2025 (UTC)
  • Just to make sure I understand correctly, is it true that Rare developed Donkey Kong at first? If so, make sure this is clear - most modern readers associate him with Nintendo for obvious reasons.
    • Rare developed Donkey Kong games from Donkey Kong Country's release in 1994 until they were acquired by Microsoft in 2002. I think the article makes this pretty clear JOEBRO64 21:47, 23 November 2025 (UTC)
  • Usage of the word "simians" feels a little too erudite - maybe substitute it for a layman's term that means the same thing?
    • The term is fairly common and linked. I think anyone who's confused can click the link JOEBRO64 21:47, 23 November 2025 (UTC)
  • Why is the sentence about his weight - 800 pounds (360 kg) - relevant? If so, consider using {{Convert}} to also display this in kilograms.
    • Added the conversion template. I think it's worth including to emphasize his size and strength, which are both points of discussion throughout the section/article. JOEBRO64 21:05, 27 November 2025 (UTC)
  • Why was he cast as a protagonist sometimes and an antagonist other times? Was there any reasoning to this?
    • No real reasoning, his role just varies between games. In some games he's the hero, in others he's the villain. JOEBRO64 21:05, 27 November 2025 (UTC)
  • he rides vehicles such as minecarts and barrel-shaped rockets. Not sure why, but I think this could be reworded.
  • I know you wrote that the Crystal Coconut in the Donkey Kong Country sitcom was a magical artifact, but is there any more information that the reader should know about it? This is minor though.
    • I don't think there's much to say about it that's relevant for this article other than it being a magical artifact. JOEBRO64 21:47, 23 November 2025 (UTC)

Development

  • In the second paragraph, there should be a space in between the citation to source #66 and the em dash. It looks a little weird the way it currently is.
    • I moved it to the end of the sentence JOEBRO64 21:47, 23 November 2025 (UTC)
  • "Beauty and the Beast" and King Kong influenced the choice. Why is "Beauty and the Beast" in quotes? I think it should be italicized. Also, both of these should be wikilinked.
    • Short stories such as fairy tales are referred to in quotes rather than italics. Both are linked in the first paragraph. JOEBRO64 21:47, 23 November 2025 (UTC)

Appearances

  • Do the sources discuss why he was not playable in Donkey Kong Country 2 and Donkey Kong Country 3?
    • It's covered at the Donkey Kong Country 2 article—Rare wanted to surprise players and take a risk. I think it's a bit out of the scope for this article as it has more to do with DKC2's development than it does with Donkey Kong as a character. JOEBRO64 21:05, 27 November 2025 (UTC)

@Gommeh: greatly appreciate you reviewing! I think you did a great job for your first FAC review. I responded to everything above (except the one point about the vehicles he rides, I don't see how it needs to be reworded) JOEBRO64 21:07, 27 November 2025 (UTC)

  • Hi Gommeh, I was wondering if you felt in a position to either support or oppose this nomination? Obviously, neither is obligatory. Thanks. Gog the Mild (talk) 19:48, 12 December 2025 (UTC)
    I already indicated my support below. Gommeh 📖   🎮 20:30, 12 December 2025 (UTC)

TGSC

I'll try to throw in my two cents (coins? bananas? banana coins?) next week. ★ The Green Star Collector ★ (talk) 21:44, 14 November 2025 (UTC)

Lede
  • I don't find it necessary to link "character", personally.
  • [Donkey Kong] also features in the Mario franchise. I would prefer also appears in the Mario franchise or is also featured in the Mario franchise.
    • Changed to "appears" JOEBRO64 21:50, 23 November 2025 (UTC)
  • Consider linking antagonist.
    • Not done per WP:OLINK. I think "antagonist" is common enough that it doesn't need to be linked JOEBRO64 21:50, 23 November 2025 (UTC)
Character
  • Again, consider linking antagonist here.
  • Also consider linking protagonist.
  • Donkey Kong also featured in Captain N: The Game Master See my second comment for the lede.
    • Done JOEBRO64 22:06, 25 November 2025 (UTC)
  • Donkey Kong also features as a mascot See my second comment for the lede.
    • Done JOEBRO64 22:06, 25 November 2025 (UTC)
  • Consider linking spin-offs.
    • Done JOEBRO64 22:06, 25 November 2025 (UTC)
  • Journalists have noted Worth specifying Video game journalists?
    • Done JOEBRO64 22:06, 25 November 2025 (UTC)
Development
  • Link Nintendo of America?
    • NoA is just a redirect to Nintendo, which is already linked JOEBRO64 21:37, 23 November 2025 (UTC)
  • Donkey Kong was voiced by the comedian Soupy Sales → Donkey Kong was voiced by the comedian Milton "Soupy Sales" Supman?
    • Soupy Sales was his professional and common name so I don't think including his real name is necessary. JOEBRO64 21:37, 23 November 2025 (UTC)
Reception and legacy
  • "grounds for a HR complaint" Consider linking Human resources here.
    • Done JOEBRO64 22:04, 25 November 2025 (UTC)
  • Consider linking parody.
    • Done JOEBRO64 22:04, 25 November 2025 (UTC)
  • [T]he researcher Sam Srauy argued that Donkey Kong [...] "further set the video game industry on a path dependency toward reifying racism." Should be the researcher Sam Srauy argued that Donkey Kong [...] "further set the video game industry on a path dependency toward reifying racism".
    • Done JOEBRO64 22:04, 25 November 2025 (UTC)
  • Consider linking New York City and livestreamed.
References
  • The titles of any video games, movies, etc. in references should be italicized, per MOS:TITLECONFORM.
    • Done JOEBRO64 20:56, 27 November 2025 (UTC)
  • Eurogamer's "Mario Kart 8 best karts and characters and weight classes" should have a page number of 3.
    • Done JOEBRO64 20:56, 27 November 2025 (UTC)
Miscellaneous
  • This is quite a nitpick, but may I recommend alphabetizing the categories?
    • Done JOEBRO64 20:57, 27 November 2025 (UTC)

That's all I really have for you; everything else has already been covered by others' feedback. All the best! ★ The Green Star Collector ★ (talk) 16:47, 20 November 2025 (UTC)

@The Green Star Collector: responded above! Thanks for your patience and taking the time to review! JOEBRO64 20:57, 27 November 2025 (UTC)
Thank you, I'm happy to throw in my support now. ★ The Green Star Collector ★ (talk) 21:17, 27 November 2025 (UTC)

Coordinator comment

This has been open for four weeks and has yet to pick up a support. Unless it shows considerable signs of moving towards a consensus to promote over the next day or two I am afraid that it is going to time out. Gog the Mild (talk) 13:22, 27 November 2025 (UTC)

Just need a couple of replies, then I can support. FunkMonk (talk) 13:39, 27 November 2025 (UTC)
Same here. Gommeh 📖   🎮 16:19, 27 November 2025 (UTC)
Support since all my concerns are addressed. Gommeh 📖   🎮 21:47, 27 November 2025 (UTC)
Hi Gog, sorry, real life got in the way! Getting around to addressing the remaining points right now JOEBRO64 20:04, 27 November 2025 (UTC)
Just making sure I understand the FAC process. Since we have three people who have expressed support (Cukie Gherkin, Green Star Collector and myself) would that be enough to pass this? Gommeh 📖   🎮 20:32, 6 December 2025 (UTC)

Drive-by comments

  • Citations: article titles can be in either title case or sentence case, regardless of how they appear in their original, but should all be consistently in one or the other.
    • Done, all in title case now JOEBRO64 16:24, 17 December 2025 (UTC)
  • "|author1=Atko |author2=Andy". Should that be '|last=Atko|first=Andy'? Gog the Mild (talk) 19:57, 12 December 2025 (UTC)
    • No, they're separate authors; Total! didn't attach full names to articles at the time. The Andy in question is Andy Dyer, looking to see if I can find Atko's last name JOEBRO64 02:56, 15 December 2025 (UTC)
    • Atko was Sean Atkins. Their full names turn up elsewhere in the issue, just took me a minute to find them. JOEBRO64 17:54, 17 December 2025 (UTC)
@Gog the Mild: all done! JOEBRO64 17:54, 17 December 2025 (UTC)
@Gog the Mild: Cukie has confirmed the article's passed the source review. Is this good to go? JOEBRO64 23:15, 29 December 2025 (UTC)
The above discussion is preserved as an archive. Please do not modify it. No further edits should be made to this page.

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