Thursday, February 03, 2005
DKJB
So you know what game rocks the casbah? If you said Mercenaries, you're right, but it's not the answer I was looking for. I'm talking about Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat.
In yet another remarkable display of forward thinking, Mr. Data, who previously let me play his imported PSP, imported DK:JB solely for my enjoyment. What a guy. And what a great game. Screw that Donkey Konga shite, this is what crazy bongo peripherals are for. It's actually pretty shocking how much the game plays like an updated Donkey Kong Country. Sure, the control input couldn't be much different, but the actual gameplay is comparable. Maybe add a bit more of those animal-riding bits.
There are like four main things you do in the game - run left or right by tapping the left or right bongo, jump by tapping both at the same time, and attack, gather bananas or do all sorts of miscellaneous actions by clapping. And of course, slight variations on those things in terms of speed, rhythm, and timing. Even though you're basically performing the same set of commands over and over, the level design is incredibly varied, and each new area feels new because of how you're interacting with it. Each boss is completely different too, and makes full use of the various commands you'll learn throughout the stages.
Perhaps the best thing about the game is how insanely intuitive it is. Watching someone fly through the levels is a bit daunting, but lay hands on it and you'll discover the smoothest learning curve this side of eating a cheeseburger. Every time you encounter a new enemy, obstacle or challenge, there's about an eighty percent chance you'll figure it out on your first try. It thankfully doesn't make the game too easy though, as earning the best level awards and gathering the most bananas possible is still hella difficult.
I'm glad to see that Nintendo has stuck to it's guns, even if it's screwing them a little bit. They know fun, even if they take their damn time about releasing it. Tom, you'd better buy this game the day it comes out - I didn't sell you those bongos and immediately regret it for nothing.
In yet another remarkable display of forward thinking, Mr. Data, who previously let me play his imported PSP, imported DK:JB solely for my enjoyment. What a guy. And what a great game. Screw that Donkey Konga shite, this is what crazy bongo peripherals are for. It's actually pretty shocking how much the game plays like an updated Donkey Kong Country. Sure, the control input couldn't be much different, but the actual gameplay is comparable. Maybe add a bit more of those animal-riding bits.
There are like four main things you do in the game - run left or right by tapping the left or right bongo, jump by tapping both at the same time, and attack, gather bananas or do all sorts of miscellaneous actions by clapping. And of course, slight variations on those things in terms of speed, rhythm, and timing. Even though you're basically performing the same set of commands over and over, the level design is incredibly varied, and each new area feels new because of how you're interacting with it. Each boss is completely different too, and makes full use of the various commands you'll learn throughout the stages.
Perhaps the best thing about the game is how insanely intuitive it is. Watching someone fly through the levels is a bit daunting, but lay hands on it and you'll discover the smoothest learning curve this side of eating a cheeseburger. Every time you encounter a new enemy, obstacle or challenge, there's about an eighty percent chance you'll figure it out on your first try. It thankfully doesn't make the game too easy though, as earning the best level awards and gathering the most bananas possible is still hella difficult.
I'm glad to see that Nintendo has stuck to it's guns, even if it's screwing them a little bit. They know fun, even if they take their damn time about releasing it. Tom, you'd better buy this game the day it comes out - I didn't sell you those bongos and immediately regret it for nothing.
// posted by Nick @ 12:36 AM 
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