Donkey Kong 64

"I only get to say this once, so I better mean it. BEST GAME EVER!"

Alas, this game was the whole reason I got an N64. And it's by far the game I'm the most passionate about. Even over a year later, as other games have out-shined it, none could quite capture the magical charm that Donkey Kong 64 had.

Gameplay & Plot: 25/25

Wow.

The adventure starts off with an awesome opening scene in which there are actual voices and a beautiful (don't judge the use of the word in describing a video game until you've actually seen DK's golden sandy isle glimmering in the sunlight) introduction. King K. Rool the crocodile is back again, and this time he's brought a whole mobile mechanized island with him. It, in its strange, rainy, mechanical way, has a gloomy beauty to it, too...

Anyways, this island carries the Blast-O-Matic, a giant ray set on blowing up DK Isles, controlled by none other than K. Rool himself. Due to some technical difficulties, there is a delay, and the island gets stuck right next to DK Isles, becoming its evil counterpart. DK must stop K. Rool before his island is blown to bits. He must also retrieve the golden bananas that K. Rool stole, again. To do this, he will enlist the help of K. Lumsy, a crocodile who wants to get back at K. Rool, and Snide, a fox who... also wants to get back at the antisocial reptile. To do this, he will have to collect 8 keys in 8 levels to free K. Lumsy from his cage, and blueprints for Snide which will add time onto the final massive time trial level.

But, this plot is merely an excuse for a romping good platforming time. If people thought Banjo Kazooie had a lot of collectibles, they obviously haven't seen Donkey Kong 64. There are 200 golden bananas, 4500 regular bananas, hundreds of banana coins to buy powers, weapons, musical instruments, and even life extensions, eight keys on eight MASSIVE levels to progress through the game, blueprints for the final gigantic time trial, oranges to use as grenades, coconuts, peanuts, feathers, grapes, and pineapples to use as ammo, film to use for your camera to take pictures of banana fairies to unlock bonuses available from the start menu... THE LIST GOES ON!

Each one of the 200 golden bananas has some sort of challenge you will have to complete before getting it. Some are a lot harder than others. Some have challenges you will need to do to earn challenge barrels, which you can hop inside of to do a fun game-show like mini-game in order to try and win a golden banana. If you think you're going to get through this game in no time, think again. My first time was... well... ahem... I'm too embarrassed to say my time... but I USED NO HELP OF ANY SORT (no walkthroughs or anything) AND BEAT THE GAME 101%! No bull! I'm very proud of that. =)

Oh yes, did I also mention that among the collectibles are the other four kongs? Donkey's buddies will need some rescuing before they can do him any good, so that adds to the fun, too. Five unique kongs, nine HUGE worlds, and a whole buttload of collectibles make this game one that will provide a long-lasting dose of fun and challenge.

Graphics: 25/25

Oh my! OH MY! Where to begin? Do I begin with the fact that you NEED the expansion pack to enjoy this delightful eye feast? Nothing can compare to watching Tiny Kong prance under the sun along the shores of DK Island, where the sand turns to grass in a brilliant transition of color, her yellow pony tails bouncing atop her cheery head under her multicolored beanie. Or Donkey Kong, the prime primate. You can see the detail in his FINGERS. The five main kongs, along with all the other of the game's characters, had obviously large amounts of detail put into them, and it shows.

And where do you put such beautiful people? In a beautiful game full of beautiful levels, of course.

How about Angry Aztec? An Egyptian-type level that is not only ginormous in size, but detailed in every square inch, too. From the intricate carvings on the walls and doors to the sandy texture of the bricks that can be found stacked atop one another forming the level's colossal structures, this level will make it seem like Donkey Kong 64 is less of a game and more of an actual place.

And don't forget Crystal Caves. An absolutely enchanting icy level full of flowing waterfalls, shimmering igloos, and snowy log cabins. As you navigate this world of stalactites and boulders, you will be drawn to the mysterious ice walls which seem to hide secrets behind their fragile solidity, but will be distracted by the crystal castle in which you can find multiple mini-games to play, if you can get inside...

And if I could pick only one more level to describe to you, I would have to resist the urge to tell you about the intricate factory, the midnight castle; I would have to finally decide to tell you about Gloomy Galleon, a level of sunken pirate ships (which can only mean sunken treasure), mossy caves, a musty lighthouse, and a whole underwater universe consisting of a mermaid's palace, a swordfish transformation, and a treasure chest where the keyhole seems to be the only way in...

I have just described the levels. The boss battles, on the other hand... don't even get me started. Stunning fire and water effects like you would not believe. When an enemy shoots a laser, you say, "Now that's a laser!" Which reminds me, have I mentioned this game's incredible lighting effects? Games do not need to have such realistic effects, you know. The makers could get sloppy. But it's easy to forget this once you start taking the flawless lighting effects of DK64 for granted. A truly amazing video game accomplishment that deserves some major recognition, that's what those lighting effects are...

And on top of that, you have all the amazing sprites (if that's what you can call the 3D graphics), from the metallic bottle top warp pads to the rusty levers, sprinkled among these worlds, blending seamlessly into the environments.

It's one thing to hear about these graphics and imagine what they could be like. It's another thing to see them. If you ever have seen them, or if you ever do see them, you'll know what I mean.

Sound FX & Music: 25/25

So many different, intricate sounds that compliment the levels and mini-games nicely, a rich database full of character voices, and smooth background sound effects such as wind and animal sounds all add to the realism of this game. Blah blah blah. What do you expect from such a stellar game?

Okay, now to the really good stuff, the music! What could possibly boost a game that's already this good? A HEAPING HANDFUL of music that will become embedded in your heart and create deep nostalgia whenever you hear it. And what better to be nostalgic about than such a beautiful game.

The isles has a calm, relaxed piece that is the apex of true music beauty, no joke. It keeps the melody at all times but changes from uplifting to gloomy depending on which of the two major isles you are on. What's more, if you enter a level lobby, the melody changes to combine elements of that level into the tune. So really, this level has over a dozen main music pieces, and they all are superb. The jungle level puts an energetic spin on an old piece of DK music. The Crystal Caves level music, my favorite piece, is really beyond words. My favorite parts are when it gets all light and twinkly, like when you're doing the cave's Barrel Blast Course, and when it gets all exciting, like when you're competing in the ice castle mini games. You will love the music. At least if you have healthy ears, you will.

Bonuses & Extras: 25/25

This game has a ton of bonuses that you can unlock during the game (with banana fairies) and play later. It has the classic Donkey Kong and the classic JetPac arcade games, and two arenas for you you practice your skills with your animal transformation buddies. You can replay boss battles, and even unlock "cheats" which allow you to max out on all items such as ammo, grenades, etc. The bonuses are really fun, and provide hours of extra gameplay.

Also, the multiplayer is really fun. There are a whole bunch of games you can play in different arenas, such as battle, tag, even a treasure hunt like game. This game has way more than just the adventure to keep you busy.

Replayability (does not affect score): Medium

Chances are, if you beat this game once, you'll probably want to play it again. It might not be too soon, though, because you just got done with a gigantic adventure.

Buy, Rent, or Dismiss (does not affect score): Buy

This game will keep you way too busy for a rental, I'm guessing. Plus, you'll probably want to own this gem. At least try it. I can't imagine who could resist the game after they've tried it.

Overall: 100/100

Well, it's official. This game gets the honor of being my BEST GAME EVER. It has earned all one-hundred points, and it deserves every one of them.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 07/25/06