Donkey Kong Jungle Beat

Donkey Kong Jungle Beat is a platformer for the Nintendo GameCube (later ported to Wii) starring Donkey Kong. It is different from most other platformers in that the DK Bongos can be used as the controller, but the game can also be played with the normal controller. The game was developed by a division of Nintendo EAD, who would later develop games such as Super Mario Galaxy.

Not counting the earlier arcade ports to the NES and other systems, Donkey Kong Jungle Beat was the first console/handheld Donkey Kong game to not be made by Rare Ltd. After they left Nintendo and joined Microsoft, Rare lost control of the Donkey Kong series due to the fact that it was trademarked by Nintendo. Due to this, Jungle Beat was very different than the Donkey Kong Country games in gameplay, characters and the personality of Donkey Kong, in which he is more aggressive than in past titles.

Story
Story From Instruction Booklet:

One day, the peace of the jungle was disrupted by a rampaging pack of wild baddies who wreaked havoc on the residents of the jungle. Not only that, but they laid claim to every kingdom and stole each one's precious bananas! "This calls for the one and only Donkey Kong!" Join forces with your jungle buddies to face an array of powerful enemies and restore peace to the jungle!

Story from Nintendo website (New Play Control!): "Donkey Kong sets out to prove he's king of the jungle and beyond. He rampages through lava caves, savage seas and crazy locales like a ninja-chimp fortress. Only when Donkey Kong defeats all the kings of his world – by boxing with apes, rabid warthogs, ballistic elephants and giant birds – can he call himself king."

Story from European website (New Play Control!) "When an army of invaders infiltrate Donkey Kong’s jungle home and help themselves to every banana they can get their hands on, you know there’s going to be trouble. With a rumbling stomach and the support of some fellow banana-starved buddies, the agitated ape sets out to reclaim what’s rightfully his and liberate the kingdoms he passes through in the process."

During the events of the game, the jungle and various fruit kingdoms have been overrun by Ghastly King and Cactus King, with each kingdom being ruled by one of their evil kings. The jungle's bananas have also been stolen and have been hidden in each kingdom. Now, the only one who can save the jungle and the kingdoms from the tyrannical rulers is Donkey Kong.

During his journeys, in which he defeated each and every king, Cactus and Ghastly King both claimed to rule the world. However, their plans are thwarted when Donkey Kong arrives and beats Cacuts King, and later Ghastly King. The Helper Monkeys and Ninjapes, as well as the four Kongs under Ghastly King and Cactus King, then celebrate the defeat of the duo.

In the original GameCube version, the game had no story behind it. It was stated by game director Yoshiaki Koizumi that Donkey Kong simply wanted "[...]to be the best, and to become the king of the jungle."

Main

 * Donkey Kong
 * Helper Monkeys

Animal Buddies

 * Hoofer the Wildebeest
 * Flurl the Squirrel
 * Orco the Killer Whale
 * Helibird
 * Squids

Other

 * The Chopperbird
 * Group of turtles

Bosses

 * The Kings
 * The Kongs
 * Dread Kong
 * Karate Kong
 * Ninja Kong
 * Sumo Kong
 * The Tusks
 * Turret Tusk
 * Grave Tusk
 * Torch Tusk
 * Double Tusk
 * The Rocs
 * Scruff Roc
 * Fleet Roc
 * Hard Roc
 * Thunder Roc
 * The Hogs
 * Rogue-Hog
 * Mo-Hog
 * Bloat-Hog
 * Gloat-Hog
 * Cactus King
 * Ghastly King

Enemies

 * Iguanagon
 * Buckies
 * Ice Buckies
 * Fire Buckies
 * Sea Buckies
 * Goal Mondo
 * Minigas
 * Ice Minigas
 * Fire Minigas
 * Puchigaerus
 * Hawgs
 * Gale Hawg
 * Sleeping Hawg
 * Charging Hawg
 * Flame Hawg
 * Yukimoguras
 * Black Butapokkīes
 * White Butapokkīes
 * Kobukokkos
 * Snowmen
 * Dance Spiders
 * Cocopīes
 * Karikaries
 * Kamikamies
 * Birimēras
 * Puchimēras
 * Ninjapes
 * Hatchīs
 * Hatchīfus
 * Stingers
 * Armored Stingers
 * Haribonbon
 * A dancing panda-like enemy
 * A large, stone ghost-like enemy
 * A round lizard-like enemy
 * A very large, piranha enemy
 * Cannons
 * Red birds that drop pineapples
 * Large, black birds
 * A gold bird of the same species

Gameplay
The controls of Donkey Kong Jungle Beat are different from most 2-D platformers, in that the player can not only use the GameCube controller but also the special DK bongos. Hitting the left bongo repeatedly will send Donkey Kong running to the left, and hitting the right will send him right. To jump straight into the air, the player must hit both bongos at once. To jump diagonally, the player must hit the bongo in the direction he or she wants to jump, while using the other bongo to run. When the player is on an animal buddy, The player can control Hoofer by pounding the right drum to make him run faster, he/she can control Helibirds by pounding the right drum to fly right, the left drum to fly left, and both drums, one after another, to fly in a mostly straight upward line, and the player can control Flurl by pounding each drum to descend in that direction. To use the Sound Wave Attack, the player must clap, but he/she may also hit the side of the bongos. During most boss fights or while fighting certain enemies, the player can punch by pounding the bongos.

The GameCube controller controls are more simplified; the actions performed by the bongos are mostly incorporated into the. To move, the player must tap the in the desired direction in order to move Donkey Kong. To jump, the player must press the or tap the  upwards, and to move in midair, the player must tap the  in the desired direction. To punch, the player must tap the back and forth repeatedly. Moving the Helibird, Flurl, and Hoofer can be achieved once again by tapping the. The sound wave attack can be used by tapping.

In the Wii version, the controls are completely different. To move, the player must tap the on the. The sound wave attack can be used by shaking the. Pushing will allow the player to punch, jump, and preform any other actions required by the button.

The game also differs from most others in that the goal is to get to the end while also trying to collect as many beats as possible. These beats act as health during a level and during the boss battle. In the New Play Control! version, beats are only used as health during boss battles; hearts replace beats as health during levels. By using combos, which are obtained by preforming a special action, Donkey Kong can earn more beats than he would. The combo can continue as long as Donkey Kong is airborne and ends when he hits the ground. Combos can only be earned by preforming several consecutive and different actions. Each combo increases the amount of beats earned by simply collecting a banana by the combo number (i.e. running into one banana at a combo ten will increase the beat total by ten). By using a special technique called a clap grab, the player can collect all the beats in a general area with once move. Each banana collected will also give the player more beats than the last.

Donkey Kong Jungle Beat contains a total of 16 'Kingdoms', all of which are named after fruit. Each Kingdom is selected by choosing one of four "barrels". Every kingdom contains three levels: two standard levels, followed up by a boss battle. The only areas that stray from this pattern are the VS. areas, which each only have one level and then a boss battle; in the New Play Control! version, there are two more, both of which are exclusive to this version: Banana Banquet, which is only one level, and Kong of the Mountain, which is only boss battles. At the end of each level is a fruit, which DK must bite into to complete a level. The player can then play a minigame, which will increase his or her beat total by the number of bananas Donkey Kong eats in a few seconds. In the New Play Control! version, each heart left will give the player fifty additional beats.

At the end of most ice levels is Hoofer the Wildebeest; once the player jumps on him, they must play one of two alternative mini-games


 * The first involves leaping into the air and flying as far as possible. As soon as the player lands, the beat total is counted by using the distance total.
 * The second involves jumping over a series of platforms, ending at twenty. Once the player falls or reaches the end, the total is counted, by multiplying the number of successful jumps times ten. At the end of Asteroid Belt, Iguanagon appears as an optional enemy.

As stated above, at the end of each kingdom is a boss level, in which Donkey Kong will face one of four types of bosses: a Kong, a Roc, a Hog, or a Tusk. Each one has a different fighting style and requires a different method to defeat, but the goal is to defeat the boss without losing too many beats, for these beats are necessary in earning crests. These crests are used to unlock new kingdoms, as each one can only be unlocked when a certain number of crests have been obtained.

At the end of each kingdom, DK throws a barrel containing his beats into the Sacred Tree, allowing him to obtain up to four crests. The totals to obtain each crest are as follows:


 * Below 400 - Bronze crest
 * 400 - Silver crest
 * 800 - Gold crest
 * 1200+ - Platinum crest

In the New Play Control version, this is changed to only gaining up to 3 crests, each one looking exactly the same but worth different amounts of beats.


 * 200 - One crest
 * 500 - Two crests
 * 1000+ - Three crests

Kingdoms and Bosses

 * Opening Ceremony
 * D Barrel
 * Banana Kingdom - Dread Kong
 * Orange Kingdom - Scruff Roc
 * Watermelon Kingdom - Rogue-Hog
 * Apple Kingdom - Turret Tusk
 * K Barrel
 * Strawberry Kingdom - Mo-Hog (Gamecube), Fleet Roc (Wii)
 * Pineapple Kingdom - Karate Kong
 * Lemon Kingdom - Fleet Roc (Gamecube), Mo-Hog (Wii)
 * Grape Kingdom - Grave Tusk (Gamecube), Hard Roc (Wii)
 * J Barrel
 * Cherry Kingdom - Hard Roc (Gamecube), Grave Tusk (Wii)
 * Peach Kingdom - Torch Tusk (Gamecube), Bloat-Hog (Wii)
 * Melon Kingdom - Bloat-Hog (Gamecube), Torch Tusk (Wii)
 * Durian Kingdom - Ninja Kong
 * B Barrel
 * Pear Kingdom - Gloat-Hog
 * Lychee Kingdom - Thunder Roc
 * Chili Pepper Kingdom - Double Tusk
 * Star Fruit Kingdom - Sumo Kong
 * Moon Barrel (Final Bosses)
 * VS. Cactus King (After Durian Kingdom)
 * VS. Ghastly King (After Star Fruit Kingdom)

Sequels
Two Japan-only arcade sequels for Sega's Triforce were made:


 * Donkey Kong: Jungle Fever (2005)
 * Donkey Kong: Banana Kingdom (2006)

References to Other Games

 * Donkey Kong: At the very beginning of the Cactus/Ghastly King battles, part of his theme song is a remix of the tune that plays when Donkey Kong climbs atop the construction site with Pauline.
 * Donkey Kong Country: The entire concept of collecting bananas and riding Animal Buddies originated from this game. Also, Karate Kong bears a slight resemblance to Cranky Kong. Additionally, Barrels appear in the stage select menu, and the background music that's played in Dawn Savanna, after clearing clearing any boss stage, and the ending are remixes of the Jungle Hijinxs theme song.

References in Later Games

 * Mario Kart DS: Many voice clips from Donkey Kong Jungle Beat were reused in this game.
 * DK: Jungle Climber: Many voice clips were reused in this game as well. Also, the pose that Donkey Kong strikes after completing the bonus stage (where the player has to catch bananas with a barrel) is identical to the pose that he strikes in Jungle Beat after completing the banana-eating bonus at the end of each stage.
 * Super Mario Galaxy: There were a few gameplay mechanics from Donkey Kong Jungle Beat that were reused in this game, including sound effects. Also, Party Monkeys and Haribonbons were originally going to appear as enemies in this game.
 * Super Smash Bros. Brawl: Rumble Falls was a default stage that could be selected in the game, and the background would also change rapidly, with one of them being the background that was used in the Sky Garden stage. Also, the song, "Battle For Storm Hill", in its original form, could be selected as background music for that stage and custom stages. Lastly, the Party Monkey, Gale Hawg, Hoofer, Karate Kong, and Donkey Kong's appearance in this game appeared as Stickers, and Helibird and Turrent Tusk appeared as Trophies.

New Play Control!
The game has been remade for the Wii in the "New Play Control!" selection. It was released in Japan on December 11, 2008, North America on May 4, 2009, and in Europe on June 5, 2009. The game is played with the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, offers a wide-screen mode, and several changes to the levels as well. Gimmicks and enemies may be found at different places than the original game. There are no completely new levels, but there are two new locations in the Kingdom selection screen: a Boss Battle Run-Trough and the Ceremony stage from the GameCube version.

Donkey Kong is controlled with the Analog Stick of the Nunchuk, and to clap the player has to flick the Wii Remote. Unlike the original game, Donkey Kong's claps can face into different directions. There are new obstacles like a cactus. The medal system has been revised - there are no longer different medals, but a number of medals (up to three for each kingdom) the player can win by getting a certain number of bananas.

Other Differences

 * An actual storyline, which wasn't present anywhere in the original game, not even the manual.
 * Six different save files, unlike the original, which had only one per memory card.
 * Bananas, or "Beats" as they were called in the original, are no longer used as an energy meter (except during boss battles). Instead, the player has three hearts as health. A life counter has also been added.
 * The dancing panda bear was changed into a blue bear.
 * Checkpoints have been added.
 * The Yukimoguras were removed from Silver Snow Peak for unknown reasons.
 * Blasting Barrel Cannons have been added and are now used in the place of the Banande Lions from the original.
 * Donkey Kong now wears a crown after defeating a boss. The crown could also be worn in the stages after the player completes the game with all crests and crowns.
 * There are now 60 crests instead of 72, and they no longer have a variety of different colors, as every one of them have been changed to silver/platinum.
 * Some boss and level locations were moved to different kingdoms.
 * Donkey Kong can no longer use Clap Grabs underwater and/or in the air (while using Animal Buddies such as Helibird or Flurl).
 * The Karate Kong battle is shown from a different camera angle while Donkey Kong is punching.
 * Due to closer camera angles, Donkey Kong is no longer shown at the bottom left-hand corner of the screen.
 * The intro stage can no longer be selected once the player has completed it.

New Kingdom and Barrel Locations
In the New Play Control! version, there are three kingdoms per barrel, with a fourth one that has to be unlocked by obtaining all nine crests in the first three. The unlocked kingdoms are the kingdoms that were originally in the B-barrel from the original game. The order they appear in is as follows:


 * D Barrel
 * Banana Kingdom
 * Orange Kingdom
 * Watermelon Kingdom
 * Pear Kingdom (unlockable)
 * K Barrel
 * Apple Kingdom
 * Strawberry Kingdom
 * Pineapple Kingdom
 * Lychee Kingdom (unlockable)
 * J Barrel
 * Lemon Kingdom
 * Grape Kingdom
 * Cherry Kingdom
 * Chili Pepper Kingdom (unlockable)
 * B Barrel
 * Peach Kingdom
 * Melon Kingdom
 * Durian Kingdom
 * Star Fruit Kingdom (unlockable)
 * Moon Barrel
 * VS. Cactus King
 * VS. Ghastly King
 * Kong of the Mountain*
 * Banana Banquet*

* - These stages only appear in the New Play Control! version.

Reception
Donkey Kong Jungle Beat received mainly positive reviews. Rated the 95th best game made on a Nintendo system in the Top 200 Games List by Nintendo Power in its February 2006 issue, the game's main criticism was its short length and departure from the classic Donkey Kong Country gameplay.

Trivia

 * This was the first video game to be rated E10+ by the ESRB.
 * Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, so far, is the only New Play Control! series game to have new content.