Donkey Kong 64

"The game that got me into the Donkey Kong series in the first place"

Introduction

Confession time - this was my first ever Donkey Kong game, and it is great fun. Rare followed the tradition of Banjo Kazooie, and more recently, Banjo Tooie, by providing another game that consists mainly of collecting items, and it is great fun.

* Gameplay - 8/10

The gameplay is very fun, and improves as you continue. At first, you can only select Donkey Kong, and must rescue the remaining Kongs, but the gameplay is mainly very fun.

I'll start off with the negative aspects. First of all, the bonus barrels. These are fun at first, but the only problem is that they get repetetive after a while because the same ideas get recycled. One level, for example, has two appearances of a particularly frustrating game entitled "Beaver Bother", which I found somewhat aggravating.

Secondly, there is a multiplayer option, but - much to my disappointment, it requires four human players in order to actually play. Why not an option to play against computer-controlled characters?

Also, there are the animal crates. I have played Donkey Kong Country 2 on the Gameboy Advance, and this is absolutely full of the things. This game has hardly any, and you can only use Rambi and Enguarde. While Sqwawks does make an appearance, his role is reduced mainly to giving advice in a few places.

Otherwise, the gameplay is great. The only annoyance is Gloomy Galleon, the swimming level, where you can take a very long time to get from one place to another, despite the appearance of warp pads, which help somewhat.

The controls are easy to use, and the levels are very interesting. Most original is probably Fungi Forest, with its day/night system, whereby certain features are only available at certain times of day. Another of my favourites is the minecar ride style, which appears three times throughout the game, and is very fun to play over and over.

Each Kong gets their own cool moves, with the best being Diddy's jetpack. It does lead to a couple of nuisance challenges, particulalrly a race against an owl in Fungi Forest. There is one glitch that makes Diddy lose his jetpacks if his feet touch solid ground, and if you're not careful, you could accidentally touch a branch (for example, when racing the owl), and the game will think you are landing. While we're on the subject of upgrades, I must mention Funky and Candy. Funky provides you with lots of cool guns, while Candy supplies instruments that have special powers for killing enemies and performing challenges. While the intstruments do seem superflous in places (often needed to do something that a simple switch could have done), it is certainly fun.

And if you thought the game was nothing but collecting stuff, you're wrong. First of all, the final level is a complete reformatting, with a number of challenges awaiting in order to get into the main room where you switch off K. Rool's machine, by playing bonus games (original ones too). Also, there are a couple of classics; the original Donkey Kong Arcade game, and a "Jetpac" game. Both are fun to people who like classic games, and will appeal to older gamers. There are a number of interesting bosses. At first, it seems that you are merely throwing TNT barrels at them, but some of them get more interesting. For example, Mad Jack, involves pressing a number of switches (and avoiding fake ones) to defeat him, and Cut Out K. Rool is a laugh. There are a couple of fun mini-bosses too. The final battle, however, while original in style, way too long, and can be annoying to play through from the start after you die.

* Story - 8/10

The story is pretty sound; K. Rool wants to blow up Kong Island, and there are a number of typically funny moments (Cranky moaning all the time, and all the cutscenes during the final boss fight - particularly when Diddy knocks a light fitting on ... I'll say no more, because I'll spoil the surprise. Needless to say, it sets up a very interesting fight). The story also involves K. Lumsy, who has been inprisoned, and is willing to help you if you free him (watch for a hilarious cutscene involving him towards the end).

* Graphics/Sound - 9/10

It's great. The 3D graphics are very good, and relatively glitch-free, and the music is similarly fun, with the two versions of the Fungi Forest theme, for day and night, and the variety of spooky tunes for Creepy Castle. The Kong Family have their own unique themes too (Candy's is especially nice). Some voice acting would have been nice, though, aside from the sound effects the kongs make when they jump and attack.

* Play Time/Replayability - 9/10

This game is great for replayability, with some very fun challenges that you will want to do again. A few of the bonus barrels, and the Jetpac game do wear a bit thin after a while, but I have managed to play through the game three times without getting bored. It should also last you some time when you first get it, because of all the things there are to collect.

* Final Recommendation - Buy it. This game will last you a long time. Be aware, though, that you need a special expansion pack, so be wary of used copies because they could be missing the expansion pack or the special tool required for actually getting it in.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 09/25/04