"Rock Lobster!"

When I first heard about “Donkey Konga”, I must admit, I had my doubts. The game certainly looked interesting enough. But was it something I'd be willing to shell out $50 dollars for? I wasn't sure. One day at the mall I saw a demo for the game playing and decided to give it a go. I played to “All the Small Things”, a song a never really cared for but always got stuck in my head. I must admit, I had fun. But was I really willing to buy it? A few days later I was at Wal*Mart and I saw the game. I had plenty of money so I figured “what the hell?” and went ahead and bought the game.

I'm glad I did.

Gameplay 8/10

“Donkey Konga” has a wide assortment of songs to choose from, over 30. They range from such classical pieces like “Turkish March” and “Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G Minor”, popular children's songs like “Bingo” and the melody known as “Diddy's Ditties”, such popular songs like “The Locomotion” and “Whip It” and classical Nintendo tunes like “The Legend of Zelda” and “Super Mario Bros.” You're bound to find at least ONE song in this game that you like.

The controls consist of three buttons. A right drum, a left drum and the start button. When you're required to clap the DK Bongos have a sensor that can detect even the lightest clap. The game has a total of three difficulty modes. Monkey is the mode for a beginner or novice, Chimp is for somewhat skilled players and Gorilla is for experts only. The game may seem easy at first, but a higher difficulty level can make ALL the difference.

Story 2/10

Well… To be blunt, the story in this game kind of sucks. Donkey Kong and Diddy are taking a relaxing walk around DK Isle when they discover a pair of odd looking barrels at the beach. DK ponders the meaning of the them while Diddy fears it could be one of King K. Rool's traps. To get further answers the two monkeys go to see Cranky Kong.

Cranky explains to them that they are called “bongos” a musical instrument that produces very good rhythm. Donkey Kong decides to give the bongos a go, but he fails miserably. Diddy notices this and begins to mock Donkey Kong. DK challenges Diddy to see if he can to any better. Diddy tries to play the bongos but he soon finds out that he's no “funky monkey” either.

Do to the hysterics of Diddy's lousy bongo skills, Donkey Kong claps. Suddenly the bongos begin to glow! DK and Diddy freak out and Cranky explains to them that the strange thing about bongos is that they glow when you clap.

It is at this time that DK and Diddy decide to practice until they can be considered pros and get all the bananas they can eat. I guess you wouldn't expect a drum game to have much of a plot, so bless them for trying.

Graphics 3/10

The graphics are nothing special. They could probably be done on the Nintendo 64. However, “Donkey Konga” doesn't need superb graphics. The games main focus is on the music and sound.

Sound 8/10

There are over 30 songs that you can choose from. Some of them you probably won't care for too much. For example, I don't like “Bingo” or “Busy Child”. But aside from the bad, there are plenty of good songs too. I love “The Impression That I Get”, “Rock Lobster” and “Super Mario Bros.” Not to mention there are plenty of other songs that I enjoy too! Who DOESN'T want to rock to the old-school Pokemon TV theme?

You can also buy different sound effects for your drums. Ranging from the “Mario Set”, “Zelda Set” and “Kirby Set” all the way to someone with a terrible cold! (I'm serious.) However, many of the alternate bongo sounds don't go with the music at all. But you can find a few gems out there. (The Impression That I Get + Mario Set + Gorilla Mode = Awesome)

Replayability 8/10

This game will keep you entertained for a LONG time. And if you think the solo player mode is fun, just wait until you give multiplayer a whirl!

Rent or Buy?

Is this game even available for renting? If it is you probably have to rent it without the bongos which takes away a lot of the fun.

Overall 8/10

Buy this game. You'll love it.

I had my doubts at first, but now I feel foolish for ever thinking this game would suck.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 12/13/04, Updated 12/13/04