On PS2 and Xbox you could enjoy a rousing session of DDR, but on GameCube you never really had anything to satisfy your beat-matching urges. Well now Donkey Konga is here to make all your wishes come true. Namco has taken what they’ve learned with their Taiko no Tatsujin series in Japan and fused it with the stylings of Donkey Kong to bring a unique drumming rhythm game to the GameCube, and we’ve been going bongos over it.
Nintendo has never been one to shy away from peripherals and it’s not any different with Donkey Konga. Included with the game are a set of “DK Bongos,” which are basically a set of bongo drums that you use to control the game with. What makes the bongos different than other specialized controllers in rhythm games is that it’s so easy to just pick them up and play. The DDR dance pads require a pretty high amount of coordination, but drumming is almost instinctive to most people -- when someone picks up the drums they’re banging along to the beats of “We will rock you” in no time flat.
The way you actually interact with the game using the bongos is quite simple. There is a left and right drum, and a small microphone in between the two. When playing, different shapes go from the right of the screen over to the left where you have to perform the corresponding action that’s indicated. A yellow circle means left drum, a red circle means right drum. If you see a pink circle then you have to hit both simultaneously, and a circle with a light blue aura around it means you have to clap. 4 actions – simple right? Well at first it is, but when you have to start combining those actions at lightning speed, along with mixing in drum rolls (same colors as the regular actions, but just extended) you’ll quickly start to go bananas if you aren’t an actual percussionist by trade.
Now that’s not to say that Donkey Konga is too hard, it’s just that the learning curve is quite steep if you’re not one particularly inclined to the “Art of Rhythm™”. But with over 30 songs and 3 difficulty levels, there’s more than enough to entertain lots of would-be musicians of varying skill levels.
There is a pretty wide variety of musical numbers to drum along with included in the game, from rock and classical, to campfire classics or remixes of Nintendo favorites. Adding to the audible bonanza is the option to buy different sound sets for your bongos once you tire of the normal sounds. When playing the single player “Street Performance” mode you’ll earn coins for successfully completing the songs and for the amount of skill you exhibit while doing it. These coins can be taken over to the DK Town, and used to purchase new sounds like Caribbean steel drums, or even dog noises. Basically most of the sounds are there just for fun, and add to your ability to annoy anyone who isn’t actually playing the game with you. :) Also available in the DK town are the upgraded “Gorilla” difficulty songs and a couple mini games to play when you get bored of beating your buddies on the rhythm front.
With all this music and sound flying out of your speakers at you, the game still manages to sound quite good, and when playing a song like “Hungarian Dance #5 in G Minor” you’ll totally find yourself getting into the Hungarian-groove. Graphically, the game doesn’t really do too much to impress. With some of the other games like DDR or EyeToy Groove, you’ll see lots of on-screen visual effects to let you know that you’re rocking out at a elevated level, but Donkey Konga’s interface takes up pretty much the whole screen and the most you see is Donkey Kong drumming away, and maybe the occasional balloon floating by. For the most part, Donkey Konga’s graphics look like they could have been handled by even the SNES and are nothing impressive, but with a game like this, you’re more focused on the sound and even being simplistic in the graphics department doesn’t hurt the overall feel of this game.
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The name of the game in Donkey Konga is just having fun. Dancing is fun in DDR and the like, but drumming just seems to be easier and more primal for most people. This game works great with the included bongo-controller and Nintendo is giving it their all to make sure that you give it a try. You can go to stores starting September 27th and pick up the game and the bongos for $59.99 (CAD), and if you want a second set of bongos for 2-player action you’ll have to shell out another $39.99. For the drums alone that’s a pretty steep price, but the inclusive price with a game makes this one of the better deals out there.
The only real low to the game is that if you’re a really serious drummer, you’ll work your way through the game pretty fast -- but Nintendo will probably be releasing another game to build upon the number of songs currently offered, as they have already released a 2nd, Donkey Konga: Hit Song Parade in Japan.
Overall, the simplicity of Donkey Konga, combined with enough challenge (if you want it) later on makes this a really fun game to play, and it really works well with a large group of people. Everyone likes drums, and your friends won’t be able to sit idly by and watch you bang away without wanting to give it a go themselves. If you’re looking for another great game to play with your friends Donkey Konga is a good choice for the fall season.
