Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat
From SmashWiki, the Super Smash Bros. wiki
| Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat | |
|---|---|
| |
| Developer(s) | Nintendo EAD Tokyo |
| Publisher(s) | Nintendo |
| Designer(s) | Yoshiaki Koizumi |
| Released |  December 16, 2004 February 4, 2005 /  March 14, 2005
|
| Genre(s) | Platform game |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Ratings | ESRB: E10+ (Everyone 10+) |
Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (ドンキーコングジャングルビート, Donkī Kongu Janguru Bīto) is a Nintendo GameCube video game featuring Donkey Kong and played with a pair of bongos. It was the first ever video game to get an ESRB rating of E10.
Gameplay involves combat, jumping, and counterattacking. In lieu of a regular game controller, Jungle Beat uses the bongos to control Donkey Kong's actions. Hitting the left bongo causes DK to move left, while hitting the right bongo causes him to move right. Hitting both bongos at the same time causes Donkey Kong to jump. Clapping one's hands also causes Donkey Kong to clap, which has various consequences depending on the situation. Also notable is that control over Donkey Kong is granted to all plugged in controllers, allowing other players to perform these actions as well.
The level system consists of several "kingdoms" named after fruits. Each kingdom contains three platforming levels, one of which is a boss. The beats obtained in the previous two levels are used as health for the fight against the boss, and the aim is to beat the boss without taking too many hits, lowering your beat count. There are many different types of bosses, each requiring different tactics to beat. For example, fights with other Kongs are fought in a Punch-Out!!-style bout, whilst battles against mechanical elephants (named Tusks) require throwing back pineapple bombs that they fire. The gameplay relies on rhythm elements, such as clapping at the right time to get all of the bananas in an area, or incapacitate a boss.
Between each level, there is a short minigame where the player must tap the bongos as fast as they can to earn extra bananas. The exception to this are levels in which DK rides a wildebeest, in which case the minigame is to either fly the farthest from a jump, or stay on high ground long enough to collect many bananas without touching the ground.
At the end of the kingdom, the total sum of beats (after deducting any damage taken during the boss fight), is tallied up. Completing a kingdom earns a crest, whilst additional crests are earned by achieving certain amounts of beats. Crests are required to play new kingdoms, which is determined by the number shown. Clearing all the kingdoms in a section unlocks the next set of kingdoms. Players can revisit earlier levels to try and earn more beats, thus earning more crests.
[edit] New Play Control!
Donkey Kong Jungle Beat was reformatted for the New Play Control! program, a brand of Nintendo GameCube video game remakes for the Wii. It was released on December 11, 2008 in Japan and later in North America and Europe on May 4, 2009 and June 5, 2009 respectively. It uses a combination of the Wii Remote and the Nunchuk instead of the DK Bongos (the DK Bongos will not be compatible with the Wii version), using both traditional controls and motion controls. As well different modes in the remake, there are a few changes to the gameplay as well. Health is no longer determined by the amount of beats, but instead uses a more traditional heart and life system. Clap attacks are also directional as opposed to all around. However, Donkey Kong can perform a Hand Slap that attacks all-around, but it can only be performed on the ground and has a bit of lag before DK hits the ground.
[edit] Reception
The game was generally well-received, earning an 82% rating on GameRankings. Most reviewers considered it unique and fun to play. It was also praised for its wide appeal; possessing both a simplicity targeted at new gamers, and a complex, skill-oriented combo system to attract more hardcore gamers. Criticisms include the game's short length, despite the replayability offered by the score system in levels. There were also complaints of repetitive boss fights, as the same four bosses are used several times throughout the game with limited features to distinguish them. It was rated the 95th best game made on a Nintendo System in Nintendo Powers Top 200 Games list.
[edit] In Super Smash Bros Brawl
The Rumble Falls stage in Brawl is based on the area with the same name from the Pineapple Kingdom. The technique to perform Donkey Kong's Final Smash, Konga Beat, is based on the gameplay from Jungle Beat.
| |||||
