DK: King of Swing

"A good game that doesn't get the respect it deserves."

Now this is my first review so bear with me, ok? Now DK: King of Swing is a good game that does not get the respect it deserves like I said. For me, this is one of the best Donkey Kong games I have played in a while. This may be a kiddy game, but still it is a good game and deserves some attention. Now to the review.

Story ~ 6/10

The story isn't so great. Cranky Kong is holding a contest of some sort so they can see who the King of the Jungle is. Then, K. Rool comes in and steals the medals that they were supposed to use and runs off with them. He then scatters them across many different areas in the game. Your job is to get the medals back and stop K. Rool again. Like I said, not so great, but Donkey Kong games aren't too good at making their stories in my opinion.

Graphics ~ 10/10

These Graphics aren't the usual Donkey Kong graphics you see in most of his portable games. These graphics are more cartoonish than the average Donkey Kong game. But that isn't a bad thing. You can see things clearly and the animation is good.

Gameplay ~ 8/10

The game can be short if you just want to fly by all the levels, but if you want to collect every medal it. There are also Crystal Coconuts to collect in the game along with the medals. So this game could last you a little longer than normal if you wanted to go back and get everything in the game.

The controls can get a bit confusing in the beginning. I know I used to press A for jump and then get mad at my self for wasting twenty bananas. After you get used to them they are easy and comfortable to use. Also, if you hold down L and R for a short time Donkey Kong will charge up and smash anything in his way (besides enemies that have spikes or any other thing like that). The whole game basically circles around the L and R buttons, but the game does have uses for the D-pad, A, and B button too, but there is very little to them.

The Bananas also come into play more than they used to in previous Donkey Kong games. If you have twenty bananas, for example, you could press A and power up Donkey Kong for a short period of time, destroying anything (that includes the enemies with spikes, claws, sharp teeth, etc.) in his path. Or, let's say you have ten bananas, you could press B to heal Donkey Kong one heart.

This game also features a multi player section which is great for you and your friends to play and see which one of you and your friends is King of the Jungle.

Music/Sounds ~ 8.5/10

The music is good and so are the sound effects. The only problem I have with it is when you get down to heart left and then it makes that annoying beeping sound until you heal. This can get especially annoying when you only have five bananas and you are fighting a boss and there are no bananas in the area. Also, the music can get repetitive and annoying along with the beeping sound of hearts. That is my only real complaint about this section of the game.

Difficulty ~ Varies

Some parts of this game are really easy like in the beginning of the game, but towards the middle of the game it starts to get harder, especially when you fight Davy Bones, he can be hard if you don't come prepared. The game will start out easy but then the difficulty will increase later on in the game like I said before.

Buy or Rent?

Depends, if you want a long game that could last you awhile then don't get this game, for those Donkey Kong fans, you might want to buy this game, especially if you have other friends that own the game because the multi player is great. For everyone else, I suggest you rent this game first and see how you like it.

Final Score ~ 8/10

Over all, this is a great game for any Donkey Kong fan that is looking for something new. The sound and music can get annoying at times but over all it is good. The gameplay is good, but the controls may be confusing at first, but trust me, by the time you finish the first of second level you should be comfortable with them. The graphics are great and so is the multi player. Lastly, this game has a high fun factor and, again, any Donkey Kong fan that wants something new and fresh should get this game.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/05/06