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 Frantic Factory. Chunky's Bananas, Banana Balloons, and Banana Coins are all green.

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 Jetpack for a Rareware Coin.

Prices

 * Simian Slam - Free
 * 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 the Blast-O-Matic. 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.

Troff 'N' Scoff
Troff the Pig and Scoff the Hippo guard the doors that lead to the bosses who hold the eight keys to K. Lumsy's cage. By feeding Scoff a certain amount of bananas, it allows Troff to reach the key to open the door. The player would need to feed Scoff more bananas each progressed level and the combined total of all the Kong's bananas can be pertained.

Amounts and Bosses

 * Jungle Japes - 60 bananas to fight Army Dillo
 * Angry Aztec - 120 bananas to fight Dogadon
 * Frantic Factory - 200 bananas to fight Mad Jack
 * Gloomy Galleon - 250 bananas to fight Puftoss
 * Fungi Forest - 300 bananas to fight Dogadon again
 * Crystal Caves - 350 bananas to fight Army Dillo again
 * Creepy Castle - 400 bananas to fight King Kut Out

Golden Crowns
In each world there is one battle arena platform, and beating it gets the player a crown. It's usefulness is plentiful. first, the player must collect at least four of them to enter King K. Rool's secret room to retrieve the final key to K. Lumsy's cage. Second, they add to the final percentage score. Finally, the player must have at least one to open the multilayer modes. There are ten crowns (two crowns on DK Isle one crown in each of the eight worlds).

Banana Fairy Snap
Once the player receives the Banana cam, they can snap photos of various fairies. Good fairy pictures refill the player's items. The number of fairs captured on film will reflect what will be open in mystery mode. A total of twenty fairs can be captured (two in each regular level; four in DK Isles).

Golden Bananas
Golden bananas are a pivotal role in the storyline. The player must collect them to earn access to new worlds because B. Locker won't allow the player to the specified world unless they have the specified amount of golden bananas. Every world contains five Golden bananas for each Kong to grasp.

Bananas
Bananas come in the five Kong Colors, sometimes showing up singly, bunched in fives , or packed into a balloon of ten. Feed the colored bananas to Troff 'N' Scoff to gain access to bosses.

Banana Coins
Like the banana, coins come in the five Kong colors. The player must obtain them to pay for power-ups.

Banana Medals
After a Kong collects 75 bananas in a world receives the Banana Medal. After collecting 15, Cranky will allow the player to play the classic Jetpack game.

Boss Keys
Boss keys are needed to unlock K. Lumsy's cage. They are obtained by defeating each world's boss.

5-Banana Coin
Gives 5 coins to each Kong's coin bank and is obtained by eradicating a DK dirt pile.

DK Dirt Piles
By holding the B button after Tiny Kong learns a special charge move from the head Banana Fairy, the Kong can obtain a 5-Banana coin.

Watermelons
Watermelons are the Kong's life meters. Each melon they obtain contains four slices. Once a Kong is hit, they will loose one or more slices. Once the Kong looses all slices, game over. Enemies also usually have one or more slices contained in themselves after they are eliminated.

Melon Crates
Melon crates contain four watermelon slices that can extravagantly aid a Kong's life meter.

Orange Grenades
Oranges act as a Bob-omb would and explode very easily.

Headphones
Headphone replenish the amount of plays a Kong can use their instrument.

Supply Crates
The supply crates encase the specified Kong's shooter ammo. Each crate contain five doses of ammo.

Crystal Coconuts
The Crystal Coconuts contain the power to use on Cranky's barrel potions. Any move used by a Kong Barrel will use up the coconuts quickly, but there are typically supplies of coconuts near these barrels.

Banana Camera Film
The Banana Camera Film is used to supply film into cameras to take photos of Banana Fairies.

Barrels
There are many variations of barrels a Kong will encounter during their adventure. There are four main types.

Kong Barrels
Kong Barrels contains the barrel moves Cranky can teach each Kong. Once a Kong hops into this barrel, crystal coconuts are the only thing that can keep it's move alive.

Tag Barrels
The Tag Barrel allows the player to switch Kongs in the middle of a world. There are quite a few in each world.

Bonus Barrels
The Bonus Barrels are a gateway to a bonus game for the five Kongs. Beating a game will obligate them to a Golden Banana.

TNT Barrels
TNT Barrels can often be used as a covenant weapon that can explode (much like an orange). They are frequent in Boss Battles and such. At times, enemy Kabooms will nest in one.

Kong Switches
Each of the principal Kongs has their face on a switch. The switches are activated by either the Simian Slam, the Super Simian Slam, or the Super Duper Simian Slam (all taught by Cranky). The switches active a host of things including passageways and secret areas.

Target Switches
The target Switches are as obvious as the Kong Switch. Each switch has a picture indicating the weapon needed to shoot it. It has either a coconut (DK), a peanut (Diddy), a grape (Lanky), a feather (Tiny), or a pineapple (Chunky).

Kong Pads
After learning a special move from Cranky Kong, the Kong pictured on the pad can preform a move by standing on this pad. Usually when a Kong sees a pad it means they must accomplish something in that area.

Music Pads
Each music pad has the picture of a Kong's instrument on it. If the corrosponding Kong steps on the pad and plays their instrument a verity of things can happen, including entrances to passagways opening to a Golden Banana appearing out of nowhere.

Battle Arena Pads
The Battle Arena Pads are steel with a headshot of King K. Rool. It's the hosted way to a battle pit fight with many of the world's Kremling enemies. This is the way to win the Golden Crowns.

Bananaporters
The Bananaporter allows easy transport in various levels. in comes in numbers 1 - 5 and each of the two pairs of Bananaporters need to be activated to work (Example: both Bananaporter 1's need to be activated for them to work).

Occasional Transformations/Other Playable Characters
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 and Golden Bananas
Donkey Kong 64 has eight levels in addition to an overworld and the final boss arena. Along with that, each Kong is obligated to five Golden bananas a level, save for Hideout Helm. There is one bonus Golden Banana Tiny can obtain by snapping all 20 Banana Fairies, making 201 Golden Bananas in all.

Bonus Barrel Games

 * Speedy Swing Sortie: Climb the trees and swing from vine to vine to collect all the coins.
 * Mad Maze Maul: Defeat all of the enemies in the maze, then head for the finish line.
 * Splish Splash Salvage: Swim down and collect all the coins in the barrel.
 * Minecart Mayhem: Avoid the TNT carts on the track by switching lanes when they come close to you.
 * Stealthy Snoop: Sneak through the maze without getting caught to the finish line.
 * Teetering Turtle Trouble: Turtles are spinning around on the snakes' tails. To keep them spinning, shoot melons at the snakes' mouths. If a turtle falls, the game is over.
 * Big Bug Bash: Use a fly swatter to swat the required number of flies within the time limit.
 * Kremling Kosh: Shoot the Kremlings that pop out of the barrels. Regular Kremlings are worth one point, and red ones are worth two points. Shoot the required number before time runs out to win the game.
 * Peril Path Panic: Shoot melons at the Klaptraps to subdue them so that the Banana Fairies can safely cross to the other side.
 * Beaver Bother: The player controls a Klaptrap and tries to chase the Gnawtys into the hole in the center of the barrel. The player must be careful not to fall into the hole themselves, or they will automatically lose the game.
 * Batty Barrel Bandit: Stop the four reels of the slot machine on four bananas to earn a point. Earn the required number of points to win the game.
 * Stash Snatch: Collect all the coins in the maze, then head for the finish line.
 * Searchlight Seek: Using a spotlight, the player has to find and shoot the Klaptraps.
 * Busy Barrel Barrage: Use your shooter to blast the Kremlings. If you let one reach you, you lose.
 * Krazy Kong Klamour: The lights will repeatedly turn on & off. When they turn on, shoot the Golden Banana. Avoid hitting any of the Kongs, because if you do, you'll lose one point.

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.
 * The characters have voices in the game's opening scene (the characters that speak are two kremlings, King K. Rool (his voice is extremely menacing in contrast to lighthearted nature of the game), and one Klump), but only speak in speech bubbles in the rest of the game.