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 C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 
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  Donkey Kong Jungle Beat
System: Nintendo Wii Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Nintendo Retail Price: $29.99 Release Date: May 4, 2009 ESRB Rating: Everyone 10+ Players: 1
Back in 2005, Nintendo released "Donkey Kong Jungle Beat." It was a rough-and-tumble platform adventure featuring everyone's favorite video game ape. In a way, the game played like a lighter (and shorter) version of the venerable Donkey Kong Country series - almost as if this is what DKC would have been like in an arcade. Adding to this feel - since certain arcade games featured special controllers - was the GameCube's Bongo controller, which made the game a unique experience as it could only be played with that peripheral. (Which was included with the game.) The Bongos were an interesting idea, but since they could only be used with two other games - the two titles of the "Donkey Konga" series released in the U.S. - they remained a bit of a contrivance if anything. Still, to have a platform game played with the beating of bongos was a pretty high concept (if slightly bizarre) idea. The game seemed to have came and went though, and I'm not sure if "Donkey Kong Jungle Beat" got the massive audience Nintendo was hoping for. (I remember seeing the game - with bongos - heavily discounted several months after its release.) Now Nintendo has had the clever idea of going into their back catalog of GameCube games and re-releasing them for the Wii with motion controls. Released earlier in 2009 were "Pikmin" and "Mario Power Tennis." Those games seemed like a perfect fit for the Wii's controls. But when I heard "Donkey Kong Jungle Beat" was the next to get the treatment, I was a little unsure - if only because the game was built with those fake bongos in mind and sorta defeat the original intention of the gameplay. But upon trying this "new play control" version, I am now impressed and commend Nintendo in how they've reshaped the game for the Wii. It never really occurred to me the game would work for this redone treatment, but I am glad to have been shown otherwise. Thanks to more accessible controls and the large installed base of the Wii, "Donkey Kong Jungle Beat" may now get a shot at a much larger audience. "Donkey Kong Jungle Beat" is a pretty straightforward experience. As the ape, you make your way through kingdoms - each kingdom has two stages, and a boss battle at the end. The goal in each kingdom is to collect as many bananas as you can in the two stages, as they will act as your health meter for the boss battle. There are are some enemies to fend off in stages to earn bananas, but really it's running, jumping, climbing and stomping to collect them. Additional bananas can be earned by racking up combos by keeping a chain of collecting them going, and if you have enough by the end of the boss battle that meets a certain quota, you can earn a crest. Crests ultimately unlock a few new things. As stated, the key selling point to this re-release are the new controls that take advantage of the Wii remote and Nunchuk. (For those who still have their Bongo controller, sorry - the game is not compatible with them.) The Nunchuk moves Donkey Kong (and to crouch with the Z button), while the remote is mainly used for him to jump. Shaking either will unleash a sound wave attack, and at certain points in the game, used to beat down or uncover something (in lieu of beating the bongos). When it comes to the boss battles, each controller is used to punch your opponent, while Z or B will let you block. (It really feels a lot like boxing in "Wii Sports.") Not only are the controls simple, but incredibly natural too. Nintendo's new implementations are clever when compared to the Bongo controller, and make the game feel less gimmicky: now "Donkey Kong Jungle Beat" comes across as a more standard platformer. I suppose in some way this changes the game, but it also reveals more about the gameplay, and the truth is that while the game still lacks depth, it holds up decently: it's still an entertaining experience, especially for those who like their games uncomplicated. The game is now a lot more pick up-and-play game, and should now engage a much larger audience. (And while your wrists may get tired at points, your hands won't hurt nearly as much for slapping on plastic bongos.) The changes to the gameplay are subtle, but appropriate. Instead of clapping for certain moves now, you shake the controllers. Hearts now indicate your energy, and due to the all-encompassing direction of the Nunchuk, now you can indicate a specific direction for the sound wave attack to go on. These are all small, logical changes that play right into the platforming aspects of the game. The graphics look just like the GameCube version, which is a good thing. The game's 3-D models are bright and colorful, and the backgrounds look nice too. The game also has a silky smooth frame rate, so there's no slowdown at all. The music and sound effects also seem largely unchanged. That means the chants of apes, monkeys and animals help bring the player into the environment, while the more action-packed effects do the job. The game's music is also good, but familiar: tunes are largely recycled from "Donkey Kong Country." Since the GameCube's Bongo controller was a bit of a gimmick, I'm not sure how many actually got to experience "Donkey Kong Jungle Beat" when it was originally released. The game is a bit on the repetitive side, and other than earning crests and meeting certain quotas, it lacks much replay value and depth. The game is on the short side, and arguably a bit easier now with the new - but very suitable - controls. Nonetheless, "Donkey Kong Jungle Beat" is an engaging if somewhat mindless experience. For those who missed out on it the first time, the low price point for this Wii version is hard to beat. And for those who have already played it with the bongos, it's still worth re-visiting with the new control scheme.
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