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 |
| Platform(s) | GameCube |
| Release date |  December 16, 2004 February 4, 2005 March 2, 2005 |
| Genre(s) | Platform game |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: E10+ (Everyone 10+) |
| Media | 1 × GameCube Optical Disc |
Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (ドンキーコングジャングルビート Donkī Kongu Janguru Bīto?) is a Nintendo GameCube video game featuring the gorilla Donkey Kong and played with a pair of bongos (tarukonga). It was released in Japan on December 16, 2004, Europe on February 4, 2005 and in North America on March 2, 2005. It was the first ever video game to get an ESRB rating of E10.
A stage based on the game appeared in Super Smash Bros. Brawl for Wii.
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[edit] Gameplay
Gameplay involves combat, jumping, and counterattacking. In lieu of a regular game controller, Jungle Beat uses the drums to control Donkey Kong's (DK's) actions. Hitting the left drum causes DK to move left, while hitting the right drum causes him to move right. Hitting both drums at the same time causes Donkey Kong to jump. Clapping one's hands or hitting the sides of the drums also causes Donkey Kong to clap, which has various consequences depending on the situation. Also notable is that control over Donkey Kong is granted to all plugged in controllers, allowing other players to perform these actions as well.
The controllers are also used to play the Donkey Konga musical drumming game series.
This is a unique game in the nature of play; it is 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 possible. Beats are obtained by grabbing bananas during gameplay, and lost by getting hurt or falling. The player can obtain additional beats by performing combos while grabbing the bananas. For example, three combo moves will earn four beats for each banana collected. Combos can go as high as 30, meaning that 31 beats can be earned from a single banana. Time records can also be earned for stages and for racing sections of stages.
DK can perform a variety of moves, including backflips, the ground-pound, vine swinging, corner hopping, and wall jumping. He can also use other objects and animals in the game to add to the combo score. When performing "combo-moves", a counter is started, rising with each successive combo move acquired before landing. The combo counter is lost when DK is hurt or falls, and all beats are lost.
The level system consists of many different "kingdoms". Each kingdom contains three platforming levels. The first two may contain racing and puzzle elements, which the final "boss" stage contains a fight against a large enemy. There are many different types of bosses, including other gorillas in a Punch-Out!!-style bout. The gameplay relies heavily on timing and rhythm elements, such as clapping at exactly the right time to get all of the bananas in an area, or to incapacitate the boss.
Clapping or making any other noise that the microphone in the Bongos picks up makes DK clap his hands. The hand clap produces two rings, a small red one and a giant green one. Enemies in the small red ring are usually defeated, and those in the larger green ring are usually stunned. Any bananas in the small red ring 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] Kingdoms and bosses
Donkey Kong Jungle Beat includes 18 kingdoms, each with two stages and one boss fight, with the exception of the last two kingdoms, which have a small mini-level and a boss. There are four each of four types of bosses in the first 16 kingdoms: Kongs, Rocs, Hogs, and Tusks. Bosses appear identical to others of their type (except for colour) and start with 500 HP, becoming angry and using new attacks when lowered to 300 HP.
[edit] Kongs
Kongs are apes and the only close-range bosses. Donkey Kong must dodge their punches, then punch back at them repeatedly in a "Punch Out!!"-like manner. The four Kong bosses are, in order of appearance:
- Dread Kong (Banana Kingdom, 1st Kingdom)
- Karate Kong (Pineapple Kingdom, 6th Kingdom)
- Ninja Kong (Durian Kingdom, 12th Kingdom)
- Sumo Kong (Star Fruit Kingdom, 16th Kingdom)
[edit] Rocs
Rocs, based on the mythological Roc, are giant birds guarding an egg. A Roc is defeated when Donkey Kong jumps up to its egg and pounds it. These bosses seems to have their looks based on the Helmaroc King's look from the game, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. The explosion that follows after defeating them also seems to look like it was from Wind Waker. They can fire meteors (1 starting with Fleet Roc angry) and (3 starting with Hard Roc angry) The four Roc bosses are, in order of appearance:
- Scruff Roc (Orange Kingdom, 2nd Kingdom)
- Fleet Roc (Lemon Kingdom, 7th Kingdom)
- Hard Roc (Cherry Kingdom, 9th Kingdom)
- Thunder Roc (Lychee Kingdom, 14th Kingdom)
[edit] Hogs
Hogs are nimble warthogs that have electrical powers and an affinity with coconuts. The four Hog bosses are, in order of appearance:
- Rogue-Hog (Watermelon Kingdom, 3rd Kingdom)
- Mo-Hog (Strawberry Kingdom, 5th Kingdom)
- Bloat-Hog (Melon Kingdom, 11th Kingdom)
- Gloat-Hog (Pear Kingdom, 13th Kingdom)
[edit] Tusks
Tusks are giant robotic elephants that stand still like turrets. At first the Tusks merely shoot cannon balls at various angles from their trunks, but will later fire lasers (starting at making Grave Tusk angry), flaming cannon balls (starting at making Torch Tusk angry), or even gang up on Donkey Kong with two Tusks at once (the final meet with Double Tusk at Chili Pepper Kingdom). The four Tusk bosses are, in order of appearance:
- Turret Tusk (Apple Kingdom, 4th Kingdom)
- Grave Tusk (Grape Kingdom, 8th Kingdom)
- Torch Tusk (Peach Kingdom, 10th Kingdom)
- Double Tusk (Chili Pepper Kingdom, 15th Kingdom)
[edit] Final bosses
Cactus King and Ghastly King, both large gorillas, are the final bosses of the game in Kingdoms 17 and 18. Donkey Kong can fight Cactus King once he has twenty-two crests and has beaten the J barrel, while Ghastly King can be fought once 51 crests have been obtained. Cactus King is a weaker version of Ghastly King, the final boss, but the appearance, fighting technique, and attacks of the two are essentially identical.
[edit] Reception
The game was generally well-received, earning an 82% rating on GameRankings. [1] Most reviewers considered it unique and fun to play. It was also praised for its wide appeal; possessing both a simplicity targeted at new gamers, and a complex, skill-oriented combo system to attract more hardcore gamers. [2] Criticisms include the game's short length, despite the replayability offered by the score system in levels. [3] There were also complaints of repetitive boss fights, as the same four bosses are used several times throughout the game with limited features to distinguish them. [4] It was rated the 95th best game made on a Nintendo System in Nintendo Power's Top 200 Games list.[1]
[edit] Awards
E3 2004 Game Critics Awards: Best Original Game, Best Puzzle/Trivia/Parlor Game[2]
[edit] References
- ^ “NP Top 200”, Nintendo Power 200: 58-66, February 2006.
- ^ 2005 Winners. gamecriticsawards.com.
[edit] External links
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