Play Donkey Kong 64 Online

Donkey Kong 64

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Release year: 1999 | Players: 1 player | Developed by Rare (Rareware)

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Game review

When Rare swung in with Donkey Kong Country in 1994, it started a mini revolution. Not only were the controls tight and the levels a blast, but the graphics and music seemed to hail from a generation of consoles beyond the Super Nintendo’s capabilities. So, when Nintendo eventually released their next-gen system – the Nintendo 64 – there was understandably a lot of excitement around what direction Rare would take everyone’s favourite banana-collecting primate in next. The question remains: does Donkey Kong become king of the jungle with his 3D debut, or is this an overly ambitious swing and a miss?

After the infamous rap intro that somehow manages to be instantly dated yet charmingly timeless both at once, the game begins with a tutorial that explains all of Donkey Kong’s basic moves. There’s a fair bit for gamers to wrap their heads around, and after acquiring new abilities, the moveset only expands further and further. However, playing the game never feels overwhelming, and just like any other 3D platformer, the majority of your time will be spent jumping, climbing, swimming, and swinging your way across a series of expansive levels.

After completing the tutorial, Donkey Kong sets out to rescue his friends from the evil King K. Rool. Now that the shackles have been loosened, it becomes quickly apparent just how immense a game Donkey Kong 64 is. There are literally thousands of collectables scattered throughout these levels – including bananas, golden bananas, medals, battle crowns, fairies, and so much more. While you don’t need all of these collectables to actually beat the game, the sheer weight of pick-ups can make Donkey Kong 64 a daunting game for someone who isn’t used to this style of platformer.

Indeed, to collect everything in the game, players can expect to spend in excess of 30 hours in this world. Thankfully, Donkey Kong isn’t alone on this adventure and will gradually recruit the help of his friends along the way. Diddy Kong is faster, more nimble, and can use his special barrel as a rocket. Lanky Kong is the fastest of all the Kongs, and can handstand his way around the levels, if you so desire. Tiny Kong can hover using her ponytail and has one of the highest jumps out of all the characters. And last but not least, Chunky Kong is the most powerful of the playable characters and can mega-punch his way through all the different enemies.

While the variety in character choice is neat, the execution of their unique abilities into the game’s design isn’t always that seamless. For example, there are certain obstacles and collectables in the levels that can only be engaged with by a certain Kong. But because there is no quick switch functionality, it can become quite tiresome to backtrack to the character barrels each time progression is blocked for this reason.

Because Donkey Kong 64 was a relatively late release for the Nintendo 64, the presentation is immaculate. This shouldn’t come as a surprise for a Rare title, but the colourful visuals, striking levels, and atmospheric soundtrack all work together to create a memorable landscape for both the eyes and ears.

Donkey Kong 64 is very much a product of its time, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t value to revisiting this slightly odd cousin in the Donkey Kong family tree. As long as you have a significant amount of time to really immerse yourself in the game’s depth, then you will discover a satisfying adventure that is worthy of both the series;’ and developer’s storied legacy.


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