Donkey Kong Jungle Beat
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| Donkey Kong Jungle Beat | |
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| Developer(s) | Nintendo EAD Tokyo |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Designer(s) | Yoshiaki Koizumi |
| Release date(s) |  December 16, 2004 February 4, 2005 March 14, 2005 |
| Genre(s) | Platform game |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: E10+ (Everyone 10+) |
| Platform(s) | GameCube |
| Media | 1 × GameCube Optical Disc |
Donkey Kong Jungle Beat is a Nintendo GameCube video game featuring the gorilla Donkey Kong and played with a pair of drum-like controllers (tarukonga). It was released in Japan on December 16, 2004, Europe on February 4, 2005 and in North America on March 14, 2005. A landmark in video game history will showcase Donkey Kong Jungle Beat as the first game to get an ESRB rating of E10+.
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[edit] Gameplay
The drums control Donkey Kong's actions, hitting the left one makes him go left, right makes him go right, hitting both makes him jump, and clapping one's hands makes him clap, which can have various consequences. Part of the gameplay also involves combat, dodging left and right, then counterattacking.
The controllers are also used to play the Donkey Konga musical drumming game series.
This is a unique game in the nature it's played, it's a platformer where the goal isn't simply to get to the end of the level. The goal is to get as many points, or "beats" as you can. Beats are obtained by grabbing bananas, and lost by getting hurt. You get additional beats by performing combos while grabbing the bananas, for example if you've done three combo moves you'll get four beats for each banana you collect, let alone banana bunches, which get you even more; combos can go as high as 30, which means you could earn as many as 31 beats from a single banana.
There are many moves DK can perform, such as backflips, ground pound, vine swinging, corner hopping, wall jumping and using many other objects and animals in the game for more unique combo adding opportunities, like being shot out of a plant or bouncing off jelly. When performing one of these moves, a combo counter starts; it increments once for each successive move you can do before landing. Reusing a move is not discouraged, but does not add to the combo counter.
The level system consists of many different "kingdoms" containing two platforming levels that can also have racing elements and puzzle elements, followed by a third and final "boss" stage against a large enemy. There are many different types of bosses, including other gorillas in a Punch-Out!!-style bout. The gameplay features heavy timing and rhythm elements, such as clapping at the exact right time to get all of the bananas in an area.
Clapping or making any other noise that the microphone in the Bongos picks up makes DK clap his hands, which produce two rings, a small red one and a giant green one. Most enemies are defeated in the small red one and stunned in the big green one. Any bananas in the small red one are grabbed in a chain, each incremented in value relative to the last. (e.g., If you've done 3 combo moves when DK clap-grabs 5 bananas, the bananas are worth 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8.)
[edit] Locations
Donkey Kong must travel through 18 kingdoms each with 2 stages and 1 boss fight, with the exception of the last two. Those stages have a small mini-level and a boss. Each barrel has a set of kingdoms.
Sun Barrel
- Opening ceremony
"D" Barrel
- Banana Kingdom Theme: Jungle
- Orange Kingdom Theme: None
- Watermelon Kingdom Theme: None
- Apple Kingdom Theme: None
"K" Barrel
- Strawberry Kingdom Theme: Giant Tree
- Pineapple Kingdom Theme: Underwater
- Lemon Kingdom Theme: Mine
- Grape Kingdom Theme: None
"J" Barrel
- Cherry Kingdom Theme: Fire and Ice
- Peach Kingdom Theme: Foundry
- Melon Kingdom Theme: Swamp
- Durian Kingdom Theme: Ninja Fortress
"B" Barrel
- Pear Kingdom Theme: Clock Tower
- Lychee Kingdom Theme: Volcano
- Chili Pepper Kingdom Theme: None
- Star Fruit Kingdom Theme: Outer Space
Moon Barrel
- Vs. Cactus King (Cresent Moon)
- Vs. Ghastly King (Eclipse)
[edit] Reaction
[edit] Criticism
- Very short game overall, with the only main replayability coming from the score system for the levels. [1]
- Repetitive boss fights. Four in particular are repeated multiple times, getting progressively harder each time with little other difference. [2]
- The only goal in the game is to become the "King of Kings", which many felt went against the beach-combing pacifist characterization of Donkey Kong that had been in effect since 1994.[citation needed] The lack of a plot was intentional by the producers, however, as they claimed there was no need for a superfluous story for the game. [3]
[edit] Praise
- The game was generally well-received overall, being cited as unique and often very fun to play.[4]
- New gamers are attracted by the simplicity and hardcore gamers are by the depth of the combo system.
[edit] Awards
E3 2004 Game Critics Awards: Best Original Game, Best Puzzle/Trivia/Parlor Game [1]
