Nintendo Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (GameCube)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 3.5 stars Very good
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 7.0 (3.5 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Jeff Gerstmann
• Reviewed on: 03/11/2005
• Released on: 03/14/2005
• Originally published on GameSpot: Nintendo Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (GameCube) Review

Bongos aren't just for drumming anymore. Donkey Kong Jungle Beat takes those bongos that came with Donkey Konga and applies them to a side-scrolling adventure. The good news is that Donkey Kong Jungle Beat is a very inventive, unique game that has a ton of charm and is a blast the first time you play it. But don't blink, because the bad news is that this is also a game that you'll probably finish in three or four hours, meaning that the first time you play it might also be your last.

Yeah, you read that right. You play Jungle Beat using the bongo controller, but it's definitely not a rhythm game. If you're so inclined, you can play the game with a standard GameCube controller, but this is about as much fun as playing a dancing game without a dance mat or a light gun game without the gun. The bongos are an integral part of the experience, and without them, this is a barely average platform game.

You play as Donkey Kong in Jungle Beat, and your main goal is to grab as many bananas as you possibly can. The bananas translate into "beats," and these beats serve as both your score and your health. When you're hit, you lose beats, and when you run out of beats, you'll have to start the level over again. However, the game's super easy, so don't be surprised if you find yourself beating it without losing once. Upon completing a three-level world, your beats are tabulated and offered up to a hollow tree, which awards you crests based on how many beats you finish a level with. In turn, these crests are what let you access the next batch of levels. It's easy to at least get the bronze and silver crests each time, but for that gold crest, you might have to go out of your way to grab as many bananas as possible.

The bongos may seem like a limited control device, but you'll have a surprising number of different moves. Banging on one bongo moves you either left or right. Slapping both causes you to jump. Clapping, or otherwise tripping the controller's sound sensor, causes Donkey Kong to clap; this is your only way of interacting with the environment. By clapping, you can pick up nearby bananas, grab onto swinging vines, grab onto monkeys that launch you ahead, grab onto birds that let you fly to otherwise unreachable parts, and so on. You'll also do some swimming, ride a few different types of animals, bust out some occasional butt-stomps, and even pull out a backflip or two. The controls are most of the fun here, and they're well integrated into the game. Although, finishing the game in one sitting may tire out your arms a bit.

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Nintendo Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (GameCube): $27.82 - $39.99

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