Donkey Kong Jungle Beat

Beat those Bongos!

JP release: 16th December 2004
EU release: 4th February 2005
NA release: 14th March 2005
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
NGC Magazine Score: 87%
Mods Used: Widescreen Hack

After Rare was sold to Microsoft, Nintendo were left without a developer for Donkey Kong. During the brainstorming process of developing a new platformer, the team were shown Donkey Konga and the DK Bongos, they suddenly had their idea – a 2D platformer controlled by a pair of bongos.

This means a solid platformer built around incredibly basic controls. You have tapping left and right to move, bashing both drums to jump and clapping to perform various actions. You can use a controller, but the controls are a bit strange due to not wanting to trivialise the game without bongos. Using the drums really enhanced the game considerably.

Nintendo definitely understood the limitations of the bongos, you won’t see any precision platforming (although there is a bit if you want really high scores), instead, it’s mainly based on timing, but it works extremely well. Get a good rhythm going and the game is a complete blast.

There’s plenty of gimmicks throughout. Monkeys in leaves will throw you in a direction, different vines, birds you can get hold of to fly and some speedy mammoth creature to ride. Defeating enemies required a clap to stun them then jumping into, where you mash the drums to finish them off. Some require you to grab objects and throw them – it’s really amazing how much stuff they got out of a pair of bongos.

Just finishing levels won’t get you very far, you need to collect points (mainly from bananas). You get bonus points for using your clap to collect multiple at once, and you can string combos together by staying airborne, which usually requires precise timing of movement and clapping to pull off, especially so to perfectly grab the optimal bunches of bananas.

In a lot of ways, it feels like a Kirby game. There’s the obvious experimental control system that a lot of later Kirby games tried in different ways, but also in completion. Getting to the end credits and defeating the “end” boss (who, despite appearances, is the easiest boss in the game), but then there’s more levels, and actual final boss and getting all the medals.

It’s a really fun platformer with a ton of memorable and neat sections, and a surprising amount of variety. The bongos really do elevate it to another level, and it’s such an enjoyable way to play a game.

Great

Bongos really give the impression that you’re connected to the animal cruelty – feeling like you’re truly laying in to a poor little creature. When we beat the browns out of a dancing panda, Mim cried.
Geraint Evans, NGC Magazine #103

Remake or remaster?

It got a remaster on Wii with different control methods… but it really needs the bongos.

Official Ways to get the game

There’s no official way to get Donkey Kong Jungle Beat.