Donkey Konga

Written by Matt Swider  on July 01, 2004

Hands-On Preview: I'm sure Congo Bongo is pissed!

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Rareware may have come and gone, but it hasn't stopped Nintendo from creating its first Donkey Kong title for GameCube. Just don't expect The Big N to be taking us on another 3D adventure. Instead, the company has teamed up with another big N, Namco, to introduce a pair of bongo accessories in conjunction with a new rhythm game. Donkey Konga is the name of this innovative rhythm game and it gives our feet some rest while having our hands do all of the work. This simple twist took me by storm at E3 and because it included a four-player jam session, it was more fun than a barrel full of monkeys. The best part is that the game is going to retail for $49.99 when it releases in September, meaning you receive the first pair of bongos for free.

Donkey Konga differs from other music-themed titles since it includes its accessory without jacking up the price. However, the game certainly plays like many other rhythm games. Bongo icons scroll across the screen in various colors and it's a matter of hitting the drum that each color corresponds to: Yellow for the left bongo, red for the right one, and purple for both bongos. Whenever a white icon appears, it means that you have to clap in the air above the two drums so that the built-in mic picks up the sound. Depending on your timing, each beat is deemed Good, Ok, Bad or Miss and is tallied up in the end. Although all of this sounds simple enough, add in the fact that there are often drum rolls and opponents that can lower your score, and you've got one difficult, but highly addictive video game.

Some of the expert-level music is also challenging, especially when the beat of the song seems faster than you can beat the correct drums. However, beginners won't have much trouble catching on to the less difficult catchy tunes. The songs range from old classics to current hits and clock in at 33:

Diddy's Ditzies
Bingo
Campfire Medley
Pokemon Theme
Kirby Right Back at Ya
We Will Rock You
Like Wow
Wild Thing
I think I Love You
Louie Louie
The Locomotion
Shining Star
All the Small Things
Rock This Town
You Can't Hurry Love
Right Here Right Now
Dancing in The Street
Rock Lobster
Stupid Cupid
The Impression That I Get
What I like About You
Whip It
Busy Child
Para los Romberos
Sing Sing Sing with a Swing
Oye Como Va
On the Road Again
Hungarian Dance #5 in G Minor
Turkish March
DK Rap
The Legend of Zelda Theme
Mario Bros Theme
Donkey Konga Theme

Even though all of these licensed tracks are being remade without the original artists, the assortment gives you a variety of what to play and the various game modes give you different ways to play them. Street performance is the standard mode in which solo players earn DK Coins based on score. The coins are then used to purchase expert-level music, alternate bongo sound sets and mini-games. There are more than a dozen of these alternate sound sets including one that adds classic Super Mario sound effects to drum strikes.

Challenge mode is where players must match a set performance in every song in one sitting. This is the toughest part of the game, unless of course you're friends with a bongo-living beatnik. In that case, Vs. Mode would be the hardest when competing in a two-player match-up. Jam session adds two more players to the party for a total of four and it can be played either competitively or cooperatively. Although co-op can be just as crazy in the attempt to complete a song together, the competitive sessions seem to stir more frenzied fun when some one hits a strategically placed POW block and lowers the score of others.