Gaming Target - GameCube: Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat

Written by Matt Swider on July 02, 2004

Hands-On Preview: Not your ordinary walk through the rainforest. Not your ordinary way to play a Donkey Kong game.

Nintendo had one of the best booths at E3 2004, which was a complete turnaround from the year before. It boasted Nintendo DS demos, the sequel to Metroid Prime, and even an innovative УcontrollerФ called the DK Bongos. This musical instrument turned video game accessory is about to turn the rhythm genre upside-down with Donkey Konga, a rhythm game that requires the use your hands instead of feet. Better yet, it won't be the only GameCube title to take advantage of the pair of bongos. Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat is the second compatible game and it's twice as groundbreaking as Donkey Konga.

The main reason that Jungle Beat stood out as the most unique game at the expo is simply because it isn't a rhythm game with a novelty controller. Instead, it takes the classic Donkey Kong side-scrolling gameplay and applies it to the DK Bongos. Players beat the left drum to move Donkey Kong to the left, the right drum to move him to the right, and both drums at the same time to cause him to jump in the air. Jumping over objects requires beating the two drums and then quickly hitting either the right or left drum. For this reason, the control scheme can take some getting used to, but the added effort is all part of the fun experience.

As for attacks, clapping above the drums does the trick thanks to a built in microphone that easily picks up the sound. This technique replaces the need to jump on top of enemies with the ability to create sound waves from DK's palms. It's also used as an action trigger to begin swinging from vines and to start jumping off of walls. Again, this calls for a little bit of practice to get a hang of, and thankfully the game runs a nice tutorial to teach new players such moves.

Besides the newfound way of controlling DK, other parts of Jungle Beat remain true to the old platforming days of the Donkey Kong Country series. The game follows a 2D path, often includes vines to swing from and even features friendly animals to ride. Its jungle is brimming with bright colors and obstacles that are both big and small. At certain points, DK seems like the king of swing, hanging from vines above it all. Other times, he's a tiny ape hugging an oversized flower or hurtling out of the way of a giant snowball. Jungle Beat is really an amazing journey through the jungle and beyond, making its 2D graphics the best that bananas can buy.

Before the end of the Jungle Beat demo, a boxing match breaks out between DK and another gorilla that's gray and has red eyes. The left and right bongos control DK's left and right fists respectively, while clapping causes him to pull back and hopefully dodge an attack. Believe it or not, there's more depth to this concept with combos and counter punches that can really gets people into the game and give the bongos a good beat down.