""Ooh! I'll call it the DK bongo!" said Donkey Kong."

DK. Donkey Kong. The very first game since his departure from the once grand Rareware. Now Namco's got their shot at creating a game worthy of the name Donkey Kong. Can they possibly match the greatness of the original Donkey Kong Country series? Well, apparently they didn't even want to try. Nintendo's newest Donkey Kong is game is not your traditional platformer at all. It's not even a platformer! Donkey Konga is the latest and greatest in Nintendo rhythm gaming. Unlike any other gaming experience previously available to gamecube owners, Donkey Konga takes on an innovative concept combining Donkey Kong elements with rhythms elements. The offspring, a game controlled entirely by a set of bongos the player uses to beat and clap along with 30+ different popular tracks. An innovative idea driven by a popular franchise and two powerful companies, how does Donkey Konga rank among previous rhythm games, or previous Donkey Kong games for that matter? Good. But not as good as it could have been...

Story: 4/10
Okay. You must remind yourself that this type of game does not require a story. As nice as it would have been to AT LEAST have gotten some accuracy in the story, it still its not that bad and could be worse. Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong come across a pair of bongos on a desolate beachside. They, for some bizzare reason, have absolutely no idea what this is. The game makers clearly didn't bother to do their homework, as DK plays the freaking bongos in Donkey Kong 64. Sadly, the simian buddies have completely forgotten this and must go to Cranky Kong to discover what they are. DK then goes on to very stupidly dub them "the DK bongos". In any case, ignoring the plot holes and cheesy dialogue, the story isn't that bad. DK and Diddy Kong want to become great musicians to buy a bunch of luxuries. And Cranky reminds them, they need practice first... So do the writers for this game. Oh well.

Graphics: 4/10
Horrid. Not as bad as Animal Crossing mind you, but still quite crappy nonetheless. They could have no doubt put much, much more effort into this game graphically. During the time you're playing the songs, Diddy, Cranky, King K. Rool and some animal buddies will be dancing below and DK will be playing the bongos above. Sadly, they are all incredibly poorly animated. Made up of 3-5 frames a piece its quite an atrocity. Even the story sequence was nothing but still shots, when they could have easily fit an FMV sequence in here. The arcade games are no better graphically, all the characters in the game have such limited movement, its a shame. I'm no expert but I believe they could have fit much more quality into this game. Still, it could be worse, and they important part is theres no slow-down and the notes in the songs are all very clear and make the game fair. Hopefully, if there are future installments, the graphics can be improved upon.

Music: 8/10
There are some pretty darn good tracks in this game. There's almost something everyone can appreciate from every era, and nearly every genre. You got rock, classic rock, pop, techno, classic, country, disco, latino, 80s, theme songs, video game songs, and, sadly, kid's music. There's no rap or metal, which may turn off or on some people, but there is a good amount of variety and keeps you interested. I like almost all the songs, but there isn't as many as found in some other rhythm games. There is also a few songs that almost nobody over 10 could like. Only about 2, but they stick out as infantile songs and may turn people away. In fact, they will turn people away. But, if you can overlook them you'll have no problem at all. Except with the painfully annoying menu song, that constantly repeats "Donkey Konga!" in an extremely annoying voice. Oh well, that's why I don't spend a lot of time in the menus.

Sound: 9/10
The sound in this game is very good. There's 20+ different sound sets available for when you hit the bongos and clap. They all sound like what they want to sound like, and adds a lot to the game and music. I don't know what else I can commentate on this field about, besides, good job.

Atmosphere: 8/10
It's a pretty good game atmosphere. It's got the whole Donkey Kong feel. The kept fairly true to the series, and kept the jungle-like elements present. The bongos fit in just right with the Donkey Kong series and the music fits in fairly well as well. The arcade games are also very Donkey Kong. The 100m vine climb is much like the original Donkey Kong NES games and the other two arcade games incorporate DK very well. I only demote the scoring because they could have added more and the animation is limited it seems, and thus the movement is limited as well. Hopefully a next installment will be more lively, which would greatly improve the series.

Characters: 9/10
Well, how can I complain. I love the Donkey Kong characters. Its probably one of my favorite franchises and as well the main reason I looked into purchasing this game. Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, and Cranky kong are all here. They also didn't forget King K. Rool who appears in a whack-a-mole-like arcade game. A select few animal buddies appear incluuding Ellie and Rambi and some kritters and zingers are the icing on the cake. Sadly, all the other Kongs were left out which makes the character slightly less than perfect, but I give Namco a lot of credit for staying true to the series.

Gameplay: 10/10
The gameplay in this game is excellent. Probably one of Gamecube's best as far as this is concerned. It's so simple, and yet can be so complex. It's an awesome blend for beginners and experts alike. Using just a set of bongos, left, right, and both, and clapping, the game allows for complex patterns and simple patterns alike in the game's many songs and difficulties. I had a very enjoyable time learning the game's gameplay and you'll surely enjoy the way you really do have to practice in order to get better. Great job here.

Unique Features: 10/10
Quite obviously the unique feature of this game is the very cool DK bongos. As you can tell from my praise of the gameplay, I think they did a great job with this. The bongos are very fun to use and durable as well. I anticipate future games that feature this unique accessory.

Fun Factor: 10/10
Some of the most fun I've ever had with a video game, its almost never frustrating. It's not flashy with awesome graphics or an amazing storyline, but Donkey Konga supports a good old fashioned gameplay driven quality game. All emphasis has been put on creating a solid, very fun game. Sure, I would have really liked to see better visuals and a better story, but the gameplay is fun and anyone of any age could enjoy it.

Length: 8/10
This rating is not included in the overall score, as many people's opinions on the importance of game length varies. This game is however long you make it. There is no ending. However, they do provide you with dozens and dozens of exceedingly difficult and fun challenges. With bonus arcade games to tide you over when taking a break from the music and a phenomenal multi-player mode, Donkey Konga could last you the remaining duration of the Cube if put to use.

Difficulty: 10/10
This rating is not included in the overall score, as many people's opinions on the importance of game difficulty varies. This game starts out quite easy. Once you learn to respond to different commands, you'll be able to get into the more difficult songs. As you progress through the songs they get increasingly difficult, and the hardest songs require memorization on top of it. Combine memorizing the game's hardest songs with going through all songs on the hardest difficulty, you've got yourself a game deep with challenge. But not to worry, it provides many simpler challenges that inexperienced and younger gamers can enjoy just as well.

Overall: 7/10

Buy or Rent: Buy.
I would recommend buying this game. It's certainly not the best game out there, but for a Gamecube owner, its one of the only rhythm games available and as well Donkey Kong games. It comes with a free set of bongos and there's already two new DK games on the horizon that will use the bongos. It's a good buy and great addition to any Gamecube owner's collection.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 10/11/04