Donkey Kong 64

Donkey Kong 64 is a Nintendo 64 video game developed by Rare. It was published by Nintendo and first released on October 31, 1999. It received generally positive reviews with an average score of 88% according to Game Rankings. 1

The game requires the use of the Expansion Pak in order to function, and was the first Nintendo 64 game to do so.

The game features a single player (adventure) mode and a multi-player ("Kong Battle") mode.

Story
The game takes place after the events of the Donkey Kong Land series, King K. Rool is trying to destroy Donkey Kong Island with a large machine called the Blast-O-Matic, but it's malfunctioning. To buy some time, he captures a handful of Kongs and locks them up, and steals Donkey Kong's hoard of Golden Bananas. As Donkey Kong frees his fellow apes, they set off to recover the Bananas and eventually defeat K. Rool, saving Donkey Kong Island.

Donkey Kong
Main article: Donkey Kong

Donkey Kong is the first character the player will be able to play as. Donkey Kong's Bananas, Banana Balloons and Banana Coins are yellow.

Book's Description
"He's the only ape who still cares enough to wear a tie. DK may not be the most powerful Kong - or the quickest - but he applies a strong blue-collar work ethic to the business of Kremling Crushing. That may be why he's the leader of the Kong Clan."

Diddy Kong
Main article: Diddy Kong

Diddy can be unlocked by Donkey Kong in Jungle Japes. Diddy's Bananas, Banana Balloons, and Banana Coins are all red.

Book's Description
"You'll probably recognize his familiar furry mug from past adventures. A mere bantamweight in bulk, this corageous chimp is the heavyweight champion of hard-core attitude. Whether he's rocking out on a six-stringed, amplified guitar or rocketing through the sky, he's always giving it 100 percent - Diddy Style."

Lanky Kong
Main article: Lanky Kong

Lanky can be unlocked by Donkey Kong in Angry Aztec. Lanky's Bananas, Banana Balloons, and Banana Coins are all blue.

Book's Description
"This knuckle-dragging Kong looks like a clown, and it's more than just a coincidence. Think of him as a twisted twig on a distant branch of the family tree. Kremlings and Klaptraps may snicker at his goofy gait as he ambles in their direction, but there's nothing funny about a hyper extended sucker punch."

Tiny Kong
Main article: Tiny Kong

Tiny can be unlocked by Diddy Kong in Angry Aztec. Tiny's Bananas, Banana Balloons, and Banana Coins are all purple.

Book's Description
"Dixie 's VERY little sister brings a big dose of flower power to the Kong's campaign. You'll find her pigtails perfect for pugilism and not too bad for a helicopter ride from the treetops. tiny never shrinks from her responsibilities - even when she shrinks herself physically for a mouse's eye view of the action. "

Chunky Kong
Main article: Chunky Kong

Chunky can be unlocked by Lanky Kong in Angry Aztec. Chunky 's Bananas, Banana Balloons, and Banana Coins are all purple.

Book's Description
"He's big. he's bad. he plays the triangle. Chunky is something of a primate paradox: brutal when the situation demands it, yet almost meek at other times. He's also not the sharpest knife in the drawer, so he'll need all the help you can give him. If there's heavy lifting to be done, however, Chunky is the Monkey to see."

Cranky's Lab
Cranky Kong, Donkey Kong's father, helps his Kong relatives with secret potions concocted by him himself.

Also, After the player earns at least 15 banana metals and visit Cranky they get to play Rocket Man for a Rareware Coin.

Prices

 * Baboon Blast - 3 Coins
 * Chimpy Charge - 3 Coins
 * Orangstand - 3 Coins
 * Mini-Monkey - 3 coins
 * Hunky Chunky - 3 Coins
 * Strong Kong - 5 Coins
 * Rocketbarrel Boost - 5 Coins
 * Baboon Balloon - 5 Coins
 * Ponytail Twirl - 5 Coins
 * Primate Punch - 5 Coins
 * Super Simian Slam - 5 Coins
 * Gorilla Grab - 7 Coins
 * Simian Spring - 7 Coins
 * OrangSprint - 7 Coins
 * Monkeyport - 7 Coins
 * Gorilla Gone - 7 Coins
 * Super Duper Simian Slam - 9 Coins

NOTE: When Cranky teaches a Kong Simian Slam, Super Simian Slam, and Super Duper Simian Slam the other Kongs are taught it also.

Armory
Funky Kong helps his Kong friends with their personalized shooters.

Prices

 * Shooter Installment - 3 coins
 * Ammo Belt Upgrade - 3 Coins
 * Homing Ammo - 5 Coins
 * Ammo Belt - 7 Coins
 * Sniper Scope - 9 Coins

Instruments
Candy Kong, Donkey Kong's girlfriend, owns a Music Store were she is more then happy to aid her fellow kongs with her Music pad-compatible instruments.

Prices

 * Music Installment - 3 Coins
 * More Music Energy - 5 Coins
 * Melon and Music Energy - 7 Coins
 * Music Energy - 9 Coins

Blueprints
Snide is willing to help the Kong Clan if they acquire blueprints to King K. Rool's Engine island ray gun. Each Kong is assigned their color Blueprint. The blueprints are always gathered after the player defeats a Kasplat. When a Kong hands over a single piece of blueprint to Snide they receive a golden Banana in return. To give the blueprints to Snide, the player must find Snide's HQ in each level.

Kasplats have hair that come in the colors that the blueprints they hold come in. Once the player retrieves the blueprint from the Kasplat, it's hair turns white to signify it's already been beaten.

Yellow Haired Kasplats hold Donkey Kong's blueprints, Red Haired Kasplats hold Diddy Kong's blueprints, Blue Haired Kasplats hold Lanky Kong's blueprints, Purple Haired Kasplats hold Tiny Kong's blueprints, and Green Haired Kasplats hold Chunky Kong's blueprints.

Occasional Transformations
Occasionally Donkey Kong will gain the ability to change into Rambi the Rhino while Lanky can change Enguarde the Swordfish. A Krusha is playable in Donkey Kong 64's multiplayer mode after unlocking him after capturing fifteen Banana Fairies. Also of note, a Klaptrap can be played as in the mini-game "Beaver Bother".

Levels
Donkey Kong 64 has eight levels in addition to an overworld and the final boss arena. The levels are:


 * DK Isles (the overworld)
 * Jungle Japes
 * Angry Aztec
 * Frantic Factory
 * Gloomy Galleon
 * Fungi Forest
 * Crystal Caves
 * Creepy Castle
 * Hideout Helm
 * K. Rool's Airship/Boxing Arena

The overworld contains four Banana Fairies, two Battle Crowns, five Golden Bananas for each of the 5 Kongs, and a secret Golden Banana with the Rareware logo on it whereas regular Golden Bananas have the Nintendo 64 logo on them.

Each other level contains one Battle Crown and two Banana Fairies, plus five Golden Bananas and one-hundred regular bananas for each Kong (excluding Hideout Helm, there are no bananas there).

Trivia

 * This game's box art shows that Chunky Kong has dark brown eyes.
 * This game's pictures suggest that Diddy Kong has blue eyes even thought his eyes are black on the box, in the game, or any other game he's appeared in.
 * This game's box art shows all five kongs riding in a Minecart. However, only Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, and Chunky Kong, ride Minecarts in the game.