Author Topic: Spank that monkey! (Donkey Kong Jungle Beat ships!) (Read 7397 times)

Caustic Saint · « **on:** December 16, 2004, 02:19:50 AM »

DKJB came out today and I snagged one, complete with bongos controller. (I never got any of the Donkey Konga games, Japanese or English, so I didn't have a set handy.) I'll post my full impressions later, but here are a few quick tidbits:

1. Your arms will get tired. Really, they will.
2. The game is fun and the boss battles are pretty sweet.
3. DK has never looked this nice before. (Think fur texturing from Starfox Adventures.)

Here's the weird one.

4. You could replace the bongos with an NES controller and not affect the gameplay.
Left drum = left
Right drum = right
Both drums = A (jump)
Clap = B (clap DK's hands)

That's it. That's all the controls in the game. Of course, it wouldn't be nearly as fun with an NES controller. Part of the thrill of the game is slamming the drums as fast as you can. In the boss battles you're throwing punches, with each drum corresponding to one of DK's fists. The faster you can pound the drums, the harder he wails on the boss.

It's very sweet.

More on this later.

Rob91883 · « **Reply #1 on:** December 16, 2004, 04:57:10 AM »

This is my most anticipated game from E3 2k4, I cant wait until it comes out here.

Bill Aurion · « **Reply #2 on:** December 16, 2004, 05:35:38 AM »

It's a game and exercise machine in ONE! I'm all over this once it's localized...

Ian Sane · « **Reply #3 on:** December 16, 2004, 06:43:20 AM »

I look forward to impressions on this game since it's so odd. I especially want to know how useful the bongo gimmick is. It's a unique and innovative idea but I want to know if it's useful. Does this game make meaningful use of the bongos or is it just a gimmicky replacement for a control pad?

And what does it mean by left drum = left? Do you just tap the drum once and DK walks in that direction or do have to bang on the drum repeatedly to move?

PaLaDiN · « **Reply #4 on:** December 16, 2004, 06:50:30 AM »

"I look forward to impressions on this game since it's so odd. I especially want to know how useful the bongo gimmick is. It's a unique and innovative idea but I want to know if it's useful. Does this game make meaningful use of the bongos or is it just a gimmicky replacement for a control pad?"

I'm asking the same question, except replace "useful" with "fun".

Bill Aurion · « **Reply #5 on:** December 16, 2004, 06:56:51 AM »

"Do you just tap the drum once and DK walks in that direction or do have to bang on the drum repeatedly to move?"

You tap it repeatedly to move...And Jungle Beat was a favorite of many people at E3, so I'm not too worried about the fun factor...

Hostile Creation · « **Reply #6 on:** December 16, 2004, 07:18:23 AM »

I am very much wanting to get this game, but it'll depend on a variety of factors. It definitely looks very awesome.

vudu · « **Reply #7 on:** December 16, 2004, 09:21:25 AM »

(a) What's the expected MSRP in America?
(b) What's the MSRP on a set of stand-alone bongos? (I have no desire to play Donkey Konga.)

Bill Aurion · « **Reply #8 on:** December 16, 2004, 09:40:25 AM »

I've heard it being 40 dollars by itself, 55 or 60 with bongos...Someone please correct me if I'm wrong...

Caustic Saint · « **Reply #9 on:** December 16, 2004, 10:58:37 AM »

Games tend to cost more in Japan, so don't read too much into the Japanese pricing. With bongos, it goes for $60-65 depending on where you buy it. Without, it's around $50. A set of bongos by themselves goes for about $30. I'd expect it to go for $50-60 with bongos in the US.

And yes, it's fun. It's very fun. The bongos are not a gimmick. The control scheme may be simple, but once you get used to it you can pull off some sweet moves. Running, jumping and clapping can all be strung together and you'll be snagging bananas all over the place. (Why is it that DK can never hang on to his bananas?!?) Also, every time you hit the bongos to move or jump, they make the drum sound in the game, so you pound faster, the drumming sounds get faster, DK runs faster and the tension starts to build.

On the face of it, it seems kind of silly, but it's a great change of pace for what could've been a plain old platformer. I'll post more later, and I plan on making some videos of it either today or this weekend. The boss fights are something you have to see to believe.

Bartman3010 · « **Reply #10 on:** December 16, 2004, 11:14:25 AM »

So wait, can you use a controller with this game?

Edit: Also, I think a reasonable price point for the game would be $30. Not a lot of people will be willing to play a game that uses gimmick controllers like bongos or dance pads for $50 without the controller included.

kirby_killer_dedede · « **Reply #11 on:** December 16, 2004, 03:35:15 PM »

Holy crap, this thing's out?

We knew next to freaking nothing bout it...

Bill Aurion · « **Reply #12 on:** December 16, 2004, 04:00:25 PM »

Nooooo, in Japan...It doesn't come out till March here in the U.S...

Caustic Saint · « **Reply #13 on:** December 16, 2004, 10:18:58 PM »

Just did a test with the standard GC controller. Yes, you can use it - but it's not nearly as fun. The game was designed to be used with the bongos, and playing them with out them isn't nearly as good.

Controller setup:

Analog stick left = move left. tap several times to build up speed and hold left to run.
Analog stick right = same as above, but to the right
A button = jump (both drums)
C stick any direction = clap

It's kind of frustrating to play with the controller, and there are several spots on each level (grabbing bananas from big piles) where you've got to go back and forth between left and right very quickly, and the stick's just not fast enough. My best "banana grab" with the drums is 58, and I can only manage 29 with the controller. (Plus, I don't feel too comfortable putting that kind of stress on my analog stick.)

My advice? Don't buy the game if you don't already have a set of bongos or aren't willing to buy them. You will not get the same experience without them.

Dasmos · « **Reply #14 on:** December 16, 2004, 11:35:30 PM »

Quote
Originally posted by: Caustic Saint
Just did a test with the standard GC controller. Yes, you can use it - but it's not nearly as fun. The game was designed to be used with the bongos, and playing them with out them isn't nearly as good.

Controller setup:

Analog stick left = move left. tap several times to build up speed and hold left to run.
Analog stick right = same as above, but to the right
A button = jump (both drums)
C stick any direction = clap

It's kind of frustrating to play with the controller, and there are several spots on each level (grabbing bananas from big piles) where you've got to go back and forth between left and right very quickly, and the stick's just not fast enough.My best "banana grab" with the drums is 58, and I can only manage 29 with the controller. (Plus, I don't feel too comfortable putting that kind of stress on my analog stick.)

My advice? Don't buy the game if you don't already have a set of bongos or aren't willing to buy them. You will not get the same experience without them.

Ha! Exactly half so the bongos are twice as good as the control...

When is this expecting (if at all) a PAL release?

Caustic Saint · « **Reply #15 on:** December 17, 2004, 01:17:05 AM »

Quote
Originally posted by: Dasmos
Ha! Exactly half so the bongos are twice as good as the control...

Actually, the bongos are a lot more than twice as good as a regular controller. You'll not only score better with the bongos, you'll have a lot more fun, as the controller can be a bit frustrating whereas the bongos are perfectly suited to the game. I mean, the game was designed for the bongos, after all.

Ian Sane · « **Reply #16 on:** December 17, 2004, 06:48:39 AM »

"The game was designed to be used with the bongos, and playing them with out them isn't nearly as good."

Well of course. Look at that control scheme. That's TERRIBLE. Any idiot who has played games for any length of time could design a better system (like maybe, I don't know, a BUTTON to clap). In fact the controller layout is so bad it almost looks like they made it suck on purpose to justify the bongo setup.

It doesn't really matter to me anyway since if I buy this game I'll get the bongos too but that controller setup is not very user friendly. I'll give them credit for being nice enough to include a non-bongo control scheme but I don't see why they couldn't make it not suck.

Caustic Saint · « **Reply #17 on:** December 17, 2004, 10:53:12 AM »

Quote
Originally posted by: Ian Sane
Well of course. Look at that control scheme. That's TERRIBLE. Any idiot who has played games for any length of time could design a better system (like maybe, I don't know, a BUTTON to clap). In fact the controller layout is so bad it almost looks like they made it suck on purpose to justify the bongo setup.

Agreed. It would've made a lot more sense to use the L and R butons for the drums, A for both together and B for clap.

Even so, I still don't think it'd be as much fun, even with a good button layout. Using the drums just seems more satisfying - especially in the boss battles.

NinGurl69 *huggles · « **Reply #18 on:** December 17, 2004, 11:09:35 AM »

LRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRLRRLRLRLRLRLRRLRLRLRLRLRLRL B B.

Yeah, doesn't seem very satisfying on a controller. Even if A/B were used instead of L/R.

kirby_killer_dedede · « **Reply #19 on:** December 17, 2004, 02:30:44 PM »

Quote
Originally posted by: Bill Aurion
Nooooo, in Japan...It doesn't come out till March here in the U.S...

Well I realize that, but you'd think we know a thing or two more about it.

Rob91883 · « **Reply #20 on:** December 21, 2004, 11:09:58 AM »

Any other updates?

Caustic Saint · « **Reply #21 on:** December 21, 2004, 04:11:48 PM »

I've gotten 11 (of the 16, as far as I can tell) levels opened. Some are traditional DK jungle style levels, and others are far, far different. They're fun, but not what you'd expect in a DK game.

I've made a video of the end of the first level. It shows the last "banana grab," the (spoiler, but not really, since it's only the first level) boss fight and the "after party" where your banana total is counted and medals are awarded. (No medals are awarded in this video since I'd previously beaten the level and didn't get enough bananas for the gold medal.)

MP4 video - right-click to save

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Author Topic: Spank that monkey! (Donkey Kong Jungle Beat ships!) (Read 7397 times)