Donkey Konga

Last updated

  • Donkey Konga
  • Donkey Konga 2
  • Donkey Konga 3
Donkey Konga Coverart.jpg
North American cover art for Donkey Konga(left) and Donkey Konga 2(center), and Japanese cover art for Donkey Konga 3(right)
Developer(s) Namco
Publisher(s) Nintendo
Director(s) Hiroyuki Onoda
Producer(s) Hiroshi Igarashi
Designer(s) Hiromi Endo
Artist(s) Naruhisa Kawano
Toki Iida
Composer(s) Junko Ozawa
Jesahm
Series Donkey Kong
Platform(s) GameCube
Release
  • Donkey Konga
    • JP: December 12, 2003
    • NA: September 27, 2004
    • EU: October 15, 2004
    • AU: October 28, 2004 [1]
  • Donkey Konga 2
    • JP: July 1, 2004
    • NA: May 9, 2005
    • EU: June 3, 2005
  • Donkey Konga 3
    • JP: March 17, 2005
Genre(s) Rhythm
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Donkey Konga [lower-alpha 1] is a rhythm video game series for the GameCube starring Donkey Kong, developed by Namco and published by Nintendo. The series' games are played with a special controller called the DK Bongos that resemble two small bongo drums, but can optionally be played with the standard GameCube controllers.

Contents

Donkey Konga was developed by the team that were responsible for developing the Taiko no Tatsujin series. The tracks include songs such as "Louie Louie", "We Will Rock You", "Shining Star", "Rock Lobster" "Losing My Religion", and Hungarian Dance#5 in G Minor. There are tracks from the Mario series, The Legend of Zelda series, and other Nintendo related music. The Japanese, North American, and PAL region versions have different track lists, and in the North American version of the first two games, almost all of the licensed non-Nintendo/traditional songs are shortened covers. The first two games have around 30 tracks each, depending on the region; Donkey Konga 3 has 58.

Plot

The player hits notes as they pass through the middle of the screen. Donkey Konga gameplay.png
The player hits notes as they pass through the middle of the screen.

Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong are sitting on a beach one day when they come across some mysterious objects that resemble barrels. Fearing they had something to do with King K. Rool, they take them to Cranky Kong. Cranky explains that they are bongos, so Donkey tries playing them, as does Diddy. Then, when Donkey claps, the bongos start glowing. Cranky explains that the bongos have some kind of power inside them. Donkey and Diddy continue to play the bongos, but they both play terribly. Cranky advises them to practice. At first they are against this, but then they realize if they can become successful in playing the bongos, they could afford as many bananas as they wish, so they start practicing.

Sequels

Donkey Konga 2

Donkey Konga 2, [lower-alpha 2] marketed in Japan as "Donkey Konga 2: Hit Song Parade!", is the 2004 sequel to Donkey Konga for the Nintendo GameCube, a video game where the player must pound on a special, barrel-like controller called the DK Bongos along with a selected song.

The main selling point of Donkey Konga 2 is over 30 new tracks to play with Bongos. Other features include slightly improved graphics, the inclusion of some classic Donkey Kong characters and a variety of new minigames.

This is the only Donkey Kong game to be rated T for Teen in North America, as it contained lyrics not suitable for younger players. Other regions featured lyrics more appropriate for younger players and thus received lighter ratings.

Donkey Konga 3

Donkey Konga 3 [lower-alpha 3] is a music video game in the Donkey Kong series developed by Namco and published by Nintendo. Before the second installment was released in North America, Nintendo and Namco had already started plans for the third game in the series, which, unlike the first two Donkey Konga games, was eventually released only in Japan on March 17, 2005.

Donkey Konga 3 features a total of 57 tracks (none repeated from the previous games), over 20 tracks more than the first two games. 35 of these tunes are the usual classical, pop, and game selections, but an extra 21 tunes from Famicom games are included. It also features all new minigames.

Reception

Donkey Konga

Donkey Konga received "generally favorable reviews" according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. [2]

Maxim gave the game a score of eight out of ten and said that four bongos should be added "to create a frenzied, unholy din suitable for ritual virgin sacrifice". [15] The Sydney Morning Herald gave it four stars out of five and wrote: "The beginner's level is a breeze, but Konga later becomes deliciously challenging, with hilarity-inducing flustered panic as you start to fall behind and surprising levels of concentration required to clap instead of drum. Hysteria soon prevails". [16] The New York Times , however, gave it a mixed review and said: "Before you buy Konga, try clapping along with every song on the radio for half an hour and see how you feel at the end". [17]

Donkey Konga won an award at the Game Developers Conference for the best "Innovation" in 2005. [18] During the 8th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences awarded Donkey Konga for "Console Family Game of the Year", as well as received nominations for "Outstanding Innovation in Console Gaming", "Outstanding Achievement in Soundtrack", and "Outstanding Achievement in Gameplay Engineering". [19]

Donkey Konga 2

Donkey Konga 2 received "average" reviews according to Metacritic. [20]

Notes

  1. ↑ Japanese: ドンキーコンガ, Hepburn: Donkī Konga
  2. ↑ ドンキーコンガ2, Donkī Konga Tsū
  3. ↑ ドンキーコンガ3 食べ放題!春もぎたて50曲♪, Donkī Konga Surī: Tabe-houdai! Haru Mogitate 50 Kyoku, lit. Donkey Konga 3: All You Can Eat! Spring 50 Music Works Mix

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Donkey Kong (character)</span> Video game character

Donkey Kong, also shortened to DK, is a fictional gorilla-like character in the Donkey Kong and Mario video game series, created by Shigeru Miyamoto. The original Donkey Kong first appeared as the title character and antagonist of the eponymous 1981 game, a platformer by Nintendo, which would lead to the Donkey Kong series. The Donkey Kong Country series was launched in 1994 with a new Donkey Kong as the protagonist. This version of the character persists as the main one up to today. While the 1980s games' Donkey Kong and the modern Donkey Kong share the same name, the manual for Donkey Kong Country and subsequent games portray the former as Cranky Kong, the latter's grandfather, with the exception of Donkey Kong 64 and The Super Mario Bros. Movie, in which Cranky is depicted as his father, alternatively portraying the modern Donkey Kong as the original Donkey Kong from the arcade games. Donkey Kong is considered one of the most popular and iconic characters in video game history.

<i>Donkey Kong Country</i> 1994 video game

Donkey Kong Country is a 1994 platform game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It is a reboot of Nintendo's Donkey Kong franchise and follows the gorilla Donkey Kong and his nephew Diddy Kong as they set out to recover their stolen banana hoard from the crocodile King K. Rool and his army, the Kremlings. The single-player traverses 40 side-scrolling levels as they jump between platforms and avoid obstacles. They collect items, ride minecarts and animals, defeat enemies and bosses, and find secret bonus stages. In multiplayer modes, two players work cooperatively or race each other.

<i>Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddys Kong Quest</i> 1995 video game

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest is a 1995 platform game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It was released on 21 November 1995 in Japan, 4 December in North America, and 14 December in Europe. It is the second installment of the Donkey Kong Country series and the sequel to Donkey Kong Country (1994).

<i>Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kongs Double Trouble!</i> 1996 video game

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! is a 1996 platform game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It was released in November 1996 in North America and Japan, and on 13 December in Europe and Australia. It is the third installment of the Donkey Kong Country series and serves as a direct sequel to Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. It was also re-released for the Game Boy Advance (GBA) in 2005. The game was made available to download on the Wii's Virtual Console service in 2007, as well as for the Wii U's Virtual Console in 2014.

<i>Donkey Kong Land</i> 1995 video game

Donkey Kong Land is a 1995 platform game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. It condenses the side-scrolling gameplay of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) game Donkey Kong Country (1994) for the handheld Game Boy with different level design and boss fights. The player controls the gorilla Donkey Kong and his nephew Diddy Kong as they defeat enemies and collect items across 30 levels to recover their stolen banana hoard from the crocodile King K. Rool.

<i>Diddy Kong Racing</i> 1997 video game

Diddy Kong Racing is a 1997 racing video game developed and published by Rare for the Nintendo 64. The game is set on Timber's Island and revolves around Diddy Kong and his friends' attempt to defeat the intergalactic antagonist, a wizarding pig named Wizpig, through winning a series of races. The player can take control of any of the featured characters throughout the game. Diddy Kong Racing features five worlds with four racetracks each, and the ability to drive a car, hovercraft, or pilot an aeroplane. Timber Island is loosely based on the geographical landscapes of the United States.

<i>Donkey Kong Jungle Beat</i> 2004 video game

Donkey Kong Jungle Beat is a 2004 platform and score-attack game developed and published by Nintendo for the GameCube. It follows the gorilla Donkey Kong as he sets out to defeat a series of evil kings to conquer the jungle. Jungle Beat is designed for use with the DK Bongos, a bongo drum-style GameCube controller created for the Donkey Konga (2003) rhythm game. The player controls Donkey Kong through various side-scrolling levels as he collects bananas, swings on vines, chains combos, rides animals, and defeats enemies and bosses.

<i>Donkey Kong Land 2</i> 1996 video game

Donkey Kong Land 2 is a platform video game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy. It is the sequel to the 1995 Game Boy game Donkey Kong Land and is part of the Donkey Kong video game series. It was released worldwide in Autumn 1996. It was enhanced for the Super Game Boy with different shades of color, as well as a 16-bit banana border on the edges of the television screen. Like the original Donkey Kong Land, it came packaged in a banana-yellow cartridge. The game was followed by Donkey Kong Land III, which was released in 1997.

<i>Donkey Kong Jr. Math</i> 1983 edutainment video game by Nintendo

Donkey Kong Jr. Math is an edutainment platform video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is a spin-off of the 1982 arcade game Donkey Kong Jr. In the game, players control Donkey Kong Jr. as he solves math problems set up by his father Donkey Kong. It was released in Japan in 1983 for the Family Computer, and in North America and the PAL region in 1986.

<i>DK King of Swing</i> 2005 puzzle-platform video game

DK: King of Swing is a 2005 puzzle-platform game developed by Paon and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance. King of Swing diverges from the gameplay of other games in the Donkey Kong series, instead featuring characters rotating around pegs to progress similar to the NES game Clu Clu Land. King of Swing has a single-player adventure mode, as well as a competitive multiplayer mode for up to four players. The game received mixed reception.

The "DK Rap" is the introduction theme to the 1999 Nintendo 64 video game Donkey Kong 64. Originally conceived by Rare designer George Andreas and composed by Grant Kirkhope, Andreas co-wrote and performed the lyrics, with Rare staffers joining in the chorus. Its lyrics describe the five playable characters in the game, with Kirkhope's goal to juxtapose the previous iteration of Donkey Kong from Donkey Kong Country against the new one.

<i>Donkey Kong: Jungle Climber</i> 2007 platform video game

Donkey Kong: Jungle Climber, also stylised as DK: Jungle Climber, is a puzzle-platform game developed by Paon and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console. It was released in Japan on August 9, 2007, and in western territories later that year. It was re-released for the Wii U's Virtual Console in Japan and North America in July 2015 and in Europe and Australia in August.

<i>Donkey Kong Barrel Blast</i> 2007 video game

Donkey Kong Barrel Blast is a 2007 racing game for Nintendo's Wii video game console. The game was shown at the E3 convention in May 2006 for the GameCube under the title of DK: Bongo Blast, but this version was ultimately cancelled in favor of a Wii release. It was released for the Wii in Japan and the United States in 2007, and in PAL regions in 2008 with the title Donkey Kong Jet Race.

Donkey Kong is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese game designer Shigeru Miyamoto for Nintendo. The franchise follows the adventures of Donkey Kong, a large, powerful gorilla. Donkey Kong series include the original arcade game trilogy by Nintendo R&D1; the Donkey Kong Country series by Rare and Retro Studios; and the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series by Nintendo Software Technology. Various studios have developed spin-offs in other genres such as racing and rhythm. The franchise also incorporates animation, printed media, a theme park, and merchandise.

GameCube accessories include first-party releases from Nintendo, and third-party devices, since the GameCube's launch in 2001.

<i>Donkey Kong Country Returns</i> 2010 platform video game

Donkey Kong Country Returns is a 2010 platform game developed by Retro Studios and published by Nintendo for the Wii console. The game was released first in North America in November 2010, and in PAL regions and Japan the following month. The game's story focuses on an evil group of Tiki-like creatures known as the Tiki Tak Tribe that are unleashed on Donkey Kong Island and hypnotize the island's animals to stealing Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong's banana hoard, prompting the two to traverse the island to reclaim it.

<i>Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze</i> 2014 video game

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is a 2014 platform game developed by Retro Studios and published by Nintendo for the Wii U console. The fifth installment in the Donkey Kong Country series, Tropical Freeze is a direct sequel to the 2010 Wii game Donkey Kong Country Returns and was released in February 2014. An enhanced port for the Nintendo Switch was released in May 2018.

<i>Mario vs. Donkey Kong</i> Video game series

Mario vs. Donkey Kong is a puzzle-platform game series published by Nintendo. A spin-off of both the Mario and Donkey Kong franchises, the series marks the return of both Pauline and the rivalry between Mario and Donkey Kong.

References

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  2. 1 2 "Donkey Konga for GameCube Reviews". Metacritic . Archived from the original on November 9, 2023. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  3. ↑ Edge staff (February 2004). "Donkey Konga". Edge . No. 133. p. 111.
  4. ↑ EGM Staff (November 2004). "Donkey Konga". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 184. p. 151.
  5. ↑ Bramwell, Tom (October 12, 2004). "Donkey Konga Review". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on March 30, 2014. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
  6. ↑ "ドンキーコンガ". Famitsu . Vol. 783. December 18, 2003.
  7. ↑ Helgeson, Matt (November 2004). "Donkey Konga". Game Informer . No. 139. p. 161. Archived from the original on February 8, 2005. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
  8. ↑ Test Monkey (November 2004). "Donkey Konga Review for GameCube on GamePro.com". GamePro . p. 106. Archived from the original on February 4, 2005. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
  9. ↑ Liu, Johnny (October 18, 2004). "Donkey Konga Review". Game Revolution. Archived from the original on March 30, 2014. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
  10. ↑ Davis, Ryan (September 27, 2004). "Donkey Konga Review". GameSpot . Archived from the original on March 30, 2016. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
  11. ↑ Theobald, Phil (September 24, 2004). "GameSpy: Donkey Konga". GameSpy. Archived from the original on October 10, 2013. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
  12. ↑ Castro, Juan (September 23, 2004). "Donkey Konga". IGN . Archived from the original on March 30, 2014. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
  13. ↑ Willington, Peter (July 16, 2011). "Donkey Konga (GameCube) Review". Nintendo Life . Archived from the original on March 30, 2014. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
  14. ↑ "Donkey Konga". Nintendo Power . Vol. 185. November 2004. p. 128.
  15. 1 2 Porter, Alex (September 27, 2004). "Donkey Konga". Maxim . Archived from the original on March 30, 2014. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
  16. 1 2 Hill, Jason (October 28, 2004). "Soccer sorcery". The Sydney Morning Herald . Archived from the original on June 4, 2016. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
  17. ↑ Herold, Charles (December 9, 2004). "New Breed of Games Is Not All Thumbs". The New York Times . Archived from the original on March 29, 2019. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Game Developers Choice Online Awards 5th Annual GDCA". Game Choice Awards. Archived from the original on March 21, 2019. Retrieved December 8, 2010.
  19. ↑ "D.I.C.E. Awards By Video Game Details Donkey Konga". interactive.org. Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
  20. 1 2 "Donkey Konga 2 Critic Reviews for GameCube". Metacritic. Archived from the original on December 14, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
  21. ↑ Bramwell, Tom (June 13, 2005). "Donkey Konga 2 Review". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on July 8, 2015. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
  22. ↑ "Donkey Konga 2". Game Informer. No. 147. July 2005. p. 121.
  23. ↑ Davis, Ryan (May 6, 2006). "Donkey Konga 2 Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on October 15, 2018. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
  24. ↑ Vasconcellos, Eduardo (June 2, 2005). "GameSpy: Donkey Konga 2". GameSpy. Archived from the original on April 3, 2015. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
  25. ↑ "Donkey Konga 2, Review". GameTrailers. May 10, 2005. Archived from the original on June 29, 2006. Retrieved July 4, 2016.
  26. ↑ Watkins, Rob (July 4, 2005). "Donkey Konga 2 - GC - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on May 19, 2009. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
  27. ↑ Castro, Juan (May 4, 2005). "Donkey Konga 2". IGN. Archived from the original on March 30, 2014. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
  28. ↑ "Donkey Konga 2". Nintendo Power. Vol. 192. June 2005. p. 97.
  29. ↑ Crumm, David; Crumm, Benjamin (May 29, 2005). "Donkey Konga 2". Detroit Free Press . Archived from the original on September 17, 2005. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
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