Donkey Kong Jungle Beat isn't exactly a music game like Donkey Konga. It's not exactly a 2D platformer like it looks like, either.

The E3 demo has a few different tasks. A platformer style level has DK running around by tapping either the left or right drum. Hitting the opposite drum while running makes DK jump. DK can do a cool wall jump by jumping into a wall, and then hitting the left or right drum to jump in that direction.

The hand clap is used like a basic action button. DK hand claps, which can pop bubbles, or grab onto a friendly ape which will throw him in the direction he needs to go.

There's another sequence where DK gets in a fistfight with what appears to be an evil DK. DK can dodge a punch when the player claps, and then unleash a flurry of punches with a similar flurry of drum hits. It's a bit like Punch-Out.

Finally, there's a snowy mountain, where DK is riding a critter, and the running speed is controlled by how fast of a rhythm the player keeps on the drums. DK needs to stay in-between a giant enemy and a rolling snowball, so the player needs to find just the right rhythm. It's not really possible to hear what the music sounds like on the show floor, sadly. It would be cool if what the player did interacted with the background music, but it's impossible to personally tell how or if it's already implemented.

The number of bananas DK has works essentially like a life bar. There seemed to be a pretty big margin for error on the show floor, which is good since it might have trouble picking up hand claps, since it's so noisy over there. The difficulty of the final version could be anybody's guess.

Overall, the E3 demo is fun to play through once, but it seems like a gimmick without much lasting appeal. If the game has a lasting challenge or the implementation of some cool music interaction, it could be worth getting.