“It’s on like Donkey Kong” is a phrase I’ve heard for ages. I don’t know how it originated, or what its true intentions were, but pretty much everybody has heard it and/or used it. Today, Nintendo has announced that it intends on trademarking the phrase as a part of their on-going promotions for their upcoming Donkey Kong Country Returns game on the Wii.

It seems like lately people are wanting to trademark any phrase they can. Hell, Paris Hilton tried to with that stupid “that’s hot” saying, and I believe some other self-absorbed celebrity tried recently with something else. In this instance with Nintendo it does make sense since the phrase directly involves a Nintendo character and franchise that is, even if you don’t agree, a pop-culture icon.

Next year, it will mark the 30th anniversary of Donkey Kong, since it was way back in 1981 when the self-titled arcade game (and bringer of one of the most notorious gaming rivalries of all time) made its debut, and to really put things into perspective like that makes you realize just how far Nintendo and Donkey Kong has come.

On November 21st, just 11 days from now, Donkey Kong Country Returns hits store shelves and will be, for quite some time, a must-have game for the Wii console.