"One Banana, two banana, three banana, floor."

You are going to go bananas, for one main reason - Donkey Kong is back and is better than ever on the Nintendo 64. With two and a half years of production time and the development combination of Rare and Nintendo make Donkey Kong 64 (DK64) a power-packed platform/adventure hybrid.

Many of us know that DK64 only runs with the Expansion Pak, this is so the designers could make the most of the N64's power to unleash massive 3D worlds. The levels are huge and must be explored with the five colorful characters; Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Tiny Kong, Lanky Kong and Chunky Kong. Each Kong must find 100 normal Bananas over the 7 actual levels as well as the 40 Golden Banana's needed by each Kong. There are many over sub journeys for each Kong, including eight Blueprints for each Kong and 20 fairies for all the Kong's to capture on banana film. Overall the game is massive but you always know how far you are by checking the handy game status screen.

Nevertheless, in this case quantity does come with quality. As we know, Rare have made some of the best games on Nintendo 64, games like Goldeneye and Blast Corps which leaped out of the standard gaming square and offered something completely amazing. However, with Donkey Kong you it feels almost like an ''evolution'' of Banjo-Kazooie. From the start it feels the similarities begin and with exact replica's of things such as the xylophone between scenes and the typical coloring of yellow, red, blue and of course green. But the fact is, Banjo-Kazooie was stunning and this is the perfect follow up.

The graphics although good, are only a small step up - the usual Rare brilliance - but only a slight improvement from Banjo-Kazooie. Slightly better lighting effects and the usual bright, colourful worlds that Rare always seem to come up with. Many of the worlds can be found imprinted from Banjo-Kazooie. Such as Fungi Forest is similar to Click Clock Wood, the same as Jungle Japes is much like Mumbo's Mountain. So as you are beginning to see DK64 really is like an extension to Banjo-Kazooie.

The fun and enjoyable tunes of the original Donkey Kong are mimicked in each level but the mood of the music is changed depending on the type of level you are entering. There are some haunting tunes in some of the darker levels but it adds atmosphere and a better feel to the game. One of the best effects is when you dive underwater and the sound becomes more muffled as you dive deeper - highly realistic. The music tends to take a back seat to the amazing sound effects created by the team at. Each Kong has their own sound 'personality' - Chunky has his low grunts and Tiny has her high screams of joy. When a bee flies past your ear the sound slowly becomes louder as it approaches and as it flies by you can here it gradually fade off. This happens in a lot of cases and the volume of the sound often depends how close you are to the action, adding to the wonder of the game.

There is lots to do, if you like bananas. Plenty of Mini Games that are of very high quality, including the original Donkey Kong game from 1982, they can be lots of fun and serve as a bit of a break from the exploring of the large levels. As well as the huge one player game, there is also a fully fledged multiplayer and it is definitely no dud. There are two main options - one like Jet Force Gemini where you carry around a weapon and try to defeat your opposition and the other is slightly like a Super Smash Brothers free-for-all brawl. Both have plenty of options to make the game go that little bit extra.

Donkey Kong is a great game - if Banjo Kazooie never came out and this was Rare's first Nintendo 64 platform effort many people would be simply blown away. However for gamers who have already feasted in the delights of Banjo-Kazooie, DK64 may lack the punch and originality that some may want but this is no reason to over look it. DK64 is a huge game with plenty to do and lots (!) to collect. The variety of 5 different characters is a great innovation and spices up the game. The multiplayer option is nice and the graphics, music and sound effects are up there with the best and come together nicely. DK64 is definitely a game to add to your collection.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 10/15/02, Updated 10/15/02