With all the popularity of rhythm based games such as Dance Dance Revolution, Nintendo was bound to jump into the foray sooner or later. And of course, the best mascot to do that would be… Donkey Kong? Looks like the main ape is ready to take a break from swinging and test out his bongo skills. The collaboration of Nintendo and Namco produced an odd game but also one that is very fun, especially with friends.
Donkey Konga requires the player to drop the standard controller and use the bongo drum accessory (included with the game which retails at the standard new game S.R.P. of $49.99). The bongo drum is light but feels very solid. The bongo drums have a start button and three inputs: left drum, right drum, and a mic for sensing claps. Those controls should definitely be simple enough for everyone. The game is played using the three inputs individually or in a combination to create beats. As with the controls, the concept of the game is simple too. A continuous, moving line of commands shows the player what to do while a line marks when the player should execute the command. Timing is the idea here; the better the timing, the more points the player receives. The number of points the player has reflects how good the performance was. Donkey Konga is very simple to pick up and play, regardless of your experience in videogames or music. The various single player modes are fun but have their limits. Complete the different modes and mini-games to earn medals and coins which unlock extras and more difficult versions of songs. If you can gather some friends and some extra bongo drums (sold separately at the S.R.P. of $34.99), the game becomes an unbelievably entertaining and enjoyable party game. Playing with other people using bongos is a blast and really adds tons of replay value to the game. But without the bongo drums, players will have to be forced to use regular controls which greatly reduces the fun-factor of the experience.
One look at Donkey Konga and it becomes evident that this is not a graphically intensive game. Everything looks very simple and very plain. There are nominal special effects, minimal animation, few textures, and a very low polygon count. Luckily, the low standard graphics actually help. Without all the flashy happenings on screen, it is much easier to concentrate on the game.
Being a music game, sound is a very important element. Everything sounds great and clear, but nothing extraordinary. There are very few sound effects, outside of the necessary ones. The song list consists of over 35 tracks ranging from remixed tunes from Nintendo games to pop cultures hits of the 80s and 90s. The song list, if questionable, works well with the game.
Donkey Konga is a good game for a single person, but turns into real party starter as more friends and bongo drums join the bash. To fully enjoy the game, you have to have at least two bongo drums and some friends. The investment might appear to be a temporary, but Nintendo and Namco are making sure that the bongo drums do not collect dust. More installments of Donkey Konga are on the way as well as other games that make use of the accessory.
Final words: A decent single player rhythm game. And a great party game if you can get some bongo drums and friends together.
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