Donkey
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Donkey
Kong 64
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Smash Bros.
Donkey
Kong Country
Donkey
Kong Country 2:
Diddy's
Kong Quest
Donkey
Kong Country 3:
Dixie
Kong's Double Trouble
Donkey
Kong Land
Donkey
Kong Land 2:
Diddy's
Kong Quest
Donkey
Kong Land 3:
Race
Against Time
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Donkey Kong has starred in many games since the early arcade
games. This section touches on the most memorable ones, starting with DK's
return in 1994 on Gameboy.
Donkey Kong GameBoy
Though magazines were already buzzing about Donkey Kong Country when
this GameBoy version of the arcade game was launched, Donkey Kong GameBoy
marked the true re-introduction of the big ape to the general public. This
huge GameBoy game contained over 100 levels of barrel hopping fun. Mario,
just like in the old days, had to leap over barrels and smack DK around
with a mallet to get his sweetheart back (hey, what about Peach, Mario?)
The first four levels played just like the classic arcade game, but beyond
those levels lay a brand new game with increasingly difficult puzzles.
The controls and gameplay were excellent, and the graphics were juiced
by the newest SNES accessory, the Super GameBoy. DKGB was the first optimized
Super GameBoy game. In the end, Mario defeated the big Kong, but maybe
knocked some sense into DK, who apparently has moved to the side of good
(and bananas!)
Final Score: 100%
Donkey Kong Country
One of the big sellers of 1994 holiday season, Donkey Kong Country
astounded players with amazing
gameplay and graphics, and confounded naysayers who said the SNES was past
its prime. The game introduced us to the Kong Clan and the Kremlings, who
stole Donkey Kong's Banana Horde. Donkey and his new sidekick Diddy set
out to right the wrongs and get back their precious bananas, and be back
in time to goof off. The game also had great sounds, from the jungle rhythm
soundtrack to the cries of the apes. The alternating gameplay made both
characters crucial to completing the game, while Bonus Areas were fun distractions
from the main quest. Rareware, the developer of this and subsequent Kong
games and hits like Goldeneye, has succeeded in making the first fully
rendered videogame. The only complaint against the game was that it was
too easy, but DKC was so much fun, few did complain.
Final Score: 100%
Donkey Kong Land
Rare astounded folks yet again by creating amazing graphics with the
low tech Gameboy. Unfortunatly,
the first of the Land series didn't quite have the magic as it's SNES big
brother. Sure, the gameplay was fun and there were lots of levels and secrets.
But the detailed graphics might have been a bit too detailed, causing lots
of blurring on the tiny screen, making it almost impossible to see enemies
and objects against the background, even with the Super GameBoy. The controls
were also awful, causing many players to fall down pits. The plot? K. Rool
has once again stolen DK's banana horde, so Donkey and Diddy go out to
get them back, this time on GameBoy! This game is much easier to play on
the GameBoy Color.
Final Score: 80%
Donkey Kong Country 2:
Diddy's Kong Quest
Most of the time, video game sequels aren't up to snuff with the original
game, but Diddy's Kong Quest proved that isn't always true. DKC2 was not
only equal to the first game, it surpassed the original in many areas.
The difficulty was ramped up a notch, the alternating
character gameplay was much more important, the controls were improved
and finding and completing each Bonus Area was crucial to view the true
ending. The game also introduced us to Dixie Kong, Diddy's little friend
(just friends?), who could pull off bizarre moves with her ponytail. The
plot? Donkey Kong has been kidnapped by the Kremlings, and Diddy and Dixie
must infiltrate K.Rool's lair to get him back. Even after players defeat
K.Rool, they still have adventure waiting for them in the hidden Lost World...
Donkey Kong Country 2 lives up to and even surpasses it's predecessor.
The music in this game is the best out of all the DKC games.
Final Score: 100%
Donkey Kong Land 2: Diddy's
Kong Quest
The middle game of the Land series improved a lot from the first game,
with clearer, less detailed
graphics, it was a lot easier to play on the small screen. It played pretty
much like it's bigger SNES brother, with the same plot even. But the levels
had all new layouts, so you weren't playing the same game. Searching out
Bonus Areas and DK Coins made the game more challenging than the first
Land. The levels were long and challenging, but the game held your interest
long enough for you to find the Lost World. The control is much improved
from the first Land
Final Score: 94%
Donkey Kong Country 3:
Dixie Kong's Double Trouble
The final game of the SNES trilogy was fun, but it just didn't take
very well. Where DKC2 improved
greatly on the original Country, DKC3 basically re-treaded familiar territory,
with very little innovation since the second game. The quest was still
tough and long, and the controls were improved from the first two games.
The game also introduced a item trading sequence and shops where you could
buy items, but by the third game the DKC game engine was beginning to show
it's age. The music was also less inspired than the first two games, and
the graphics, though improved from the first two, just didn't feel the
same. The final game gave the lead to Dixie and introduced her cousin Kiddy,
who was a big baby. Donkey and Diddy were missing and it was up to Dixie
to find them by treking across the Donkey Kong Island chain.
Final Score: 93%
Donkey Kong Land 3: The
Race Against Time
Donkey Kong Land 3 was also the last Land series game for the GameBoy,
and though it wasn't
as good as DKL2, it was still better than the first Land. The levels were
the same as the SNES game, but with new layouts and names. Dixie and Kiddy
set out to find a legendary lost treasure, but end up having to compete
with K. Rool and his cronies. The game was fun and even had a memory card
matching game. The controls and graphics were great, though it was still
hard to see enemies approaching. The team up moves from the SNES version
were greatly missed.
Final Score: 88%
Mario Kart 64
Donkey Kong scored his first N64 cameo in Mario Kart 64, racing against
the famous plumber and his cohorts. The game was fast and furious, with
excellent control and awesome multi-player battle arenas. The graphics
were a bit sub-par, with the characters sprite based and the backgrounds
polygon based, it sort of flattened out the screen. Still, Mario Kart 64
remains one of the best multi-player games on the N64. Donkey's kart was
the heaviest karts and even though it had slow accelleration, it had a
high top speed and a powerful wallop in collisions!
Final Score: 94%
Diddy Kong Racing
This 'surprise' game from Rare took weapons based Mario Kart style
racing to a new level. The main game was not simply a series of races,
but an all out adventure, with individual worlds and bosses to defeat.
The control was excellent, and the graphics were the best yet for the N64,
using a new graphical technique that resulted in smoother character polygons.
The star this time was Diddy Kong, who helped out his friend Timber defeat
the evil Wizpig, who had taken over Timber's Island. Exceptionally fun
to play, this game was one of the best selling games of 1998 and was Racing
Game of the Year in 1998.
Final Score: 96%
Super Smash Bros.
Donkey made another cameo before scooting off to DK64, in Super Smash
Bros. a fighting tournament
style game that pitted 12 of Nintendo's finest against each other in nine
interactive arenas. In this game, DK was awfully slow, but packed a powerful
punch and could send more than a few Jigglypuffs into the outer stratosphere.
Though the graphics suffered a bit in exchange for a high frame rate, the
play control was simple enough that a newbie could compete against experts
in no time at all. Though the single player mode was awfully easy, the
multiplayer modes provided unlimited amounts of fun, especially when four
players battle at once!
Final Score: 94% |