"Let the rhythm in"

Donkey Kong is the child that Nintendo wants to be proud of, but won't let come home. How many DK games have actually been developed (and not just published) by Nintendo? I can't think of any aside from the original. Please, correct me if I'm wrong. The point is, Namco has now adopted the Donkey Kong license in this latest innovative feat. Oh, sure, rhythm games are nothing new, but it is something that hasn't been seen on a Nintendo console yet. Do these bongos do the Gamecube justice?

Graphics:
The style of Donkey Konga is rather bland. The characters are modeled with Donkey Kong Country in mind and move rather jarringly. Worst animation I've ever seen. During a song, different characters dance on the bottom of the screen. One is a really ugly elephant that rears its legs every five seconds and others are these disgusting half-banana, half-bird creatures. How disturbing. But it really doesn't matter, because you'll be too focused on the rhythms to pay much attention to what's going on around you, and that part of the screen is simple and crisp. There just isn't much for an onlooker to observe. Donkey Konga is not a spectator's game.

Sound:
The music selection is very diverse. I think Nintendo picked the selection they did so everyone in the family could have a few songs to like. The songs range from classical to contemporary pop to country to 80's rock to kid tunes to arranged video game themes. This means you'll hear such songs as On the Road Again, We Will Rock You, Bingo, and The Turkish March. An odd selection, really. So despite there being over 30 songs available, I doubt you will like any more than half of these. None of the songs are performed by their original artists, either, but the fill-ins do an adequate job.

Gameplay:
It doesn't take a Dance Dance Revolution master to understand the premises behind Donkey Konga. While a song plays, different note cues scroll past the screen. Your job is to differentiate these cues and hit the appropriate parts of the bongos. There are four different beats to perform: left drum, right drum, both drums, and clap. It doesn't sound like a lot, but when fifty notes start scrolling by at 25 mph, you'll be glad there isn't more involved. For every note that goes by, you receive a ranking, depending on how close you hit the note: Great, OK, Bad, and Miss. You can also receive Combo points by hitting multiple correct notes in a row. These variables determine who wins the match (if played against friends) or if you pass the song. There are three difficulty levels to play in: Monkey, Chimp, and Gorilla. Monkey is equivalent to Easy and Gorilla to Hard. Successfully "beating" a song rewards you with coins that can be used to purchase new/harder songs, mini-games, and extra drum kits (to make your drums sound like an NES game, a dog, or even a car).

Controls:
The bongo peripheral is very sturdy, so there's no need to be overly protective of it. You can even drop it on the floor a few times and it will be okay. It's also somewhat big, which means it's hard to find a comfortable position to play in. I've found it's easier to sit on the couch and hold the thing between my legs than sit on the floor, as the bongos have a tendency to slide around a lot. The drums are incredibly responsive, though. There's even a built-in microphone to pick up your claps. The sensitivity of this thing is amazing. You can quietly snap your fingers and the "clap" still registers. Even more impressive is the fact that the noises made from banging the drums rarely affect the microphone. Now that is a quality drum set. Also, if you're self-conscious about clapping, then an alternative is to hit the side of the drum, which works almost as well, but will occasionally register as two claps or none at all.

If you want to play with another person, but don't have access to a second bongo set, the Gamecube controller can act as a "drum." There are three diverse setups to choose from, so the likelihood that you'll find something comfortable is high. For the most part, the controller works, but it's harder to perform long chains of quick beats. Also, most of the fun about Donkey Konga comes from pounding on some drums, something the controller just can't mimic. The "click, click, click" of the L and R buttons gets really annoying, too, when you're trying to play a song.

Frustration:
The Monkey songs are so easy, it's almost a waste of time for anyone over eight. Chimp is relatively fun, but the real challenge lies in the Gorilla songs. These can get really tough, but not where they become frustrating. Most of them can be beat on the second or third try. There are times, though, when you just get overwhelmed and end up staring blankly at the passing note cues. Overall, I find Donkey Konga to be a relaxing game. While your arms will ache and your brow will sweat, the game is harmlessly fun. If you really get into the rhythm, then it doesn't matter if you can't pass a certain song on Gorilla Mode. It's too fun to get mad at.

Lasting Appeal:
30 songs seems like a lot, but it really doesn't take long to go through them. You can earn a Gold (perfect) rating on every song, which is easy to do in Chimp and Monkey mode and a little harder in Gorilla. You'll surely put in some good hours collecting enough coins to open everything up, though. For you purists, there's also a Jam Mode that requires you to have memorized the notes to each song. This is ridiculously demanding, but it will give you something to do if means come to it. Donkey Konga is also one of those games you can easily pick and play after a hard day's work. Oh, the game has a multiplayer mode, too. While the mini-games are incredibly lame, performing a song together and trying to outmatch your friends is a lot of fun. Of course, the battle is a little unbalanced when only one player has a bongo set, and an extra costs about $30. I wouldn't even bother, because the battle songs aren't as crazy or intense as the single-player songs. The game's great party atmosphere actually comes from taking turns playing solo.

Overall:
If you're the kind of person who has a special suit for Dance Dance Revolution, then Donkey Konga will be too easy and too simple for you. For those of the "all things Nintendo" mindset whose rhythm experience is limited to watching a friend play Parappa the Rapper, Donkey Konga may be just what you need. It's easily accessible to the whole family and can be a lot of fun with a group of individuals willing to jive. I really enjoyed playing this game, and I hope Nintendo releases the sequel in the U.S., because I'm craving more.

Points:
+ Cool bongos!
+ Harmlessly fun
+ Accessible to everyone
-- Light challenge
-- Odd/limited song selection

Score: 8/10

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 10/01/04, Updated 12/28/04