Donkey Kong is a vast video game franchise, but surprisingly, it doesn't have many games of its own. The big ape that was Donkey Kong was quickly overshadowed by his heroic nemesis, Mario. The Mario franchise had its roots in Donkey Kong but the plumber quickly became the icon of all of video gaming, with every other game in the Mario franchise outdoing each other and even making major innovations. Meanwhile, the Donkey Kong franchise languished for about a decade thereafter, with characters from the series hardly appearing in any video games aside from Mario spin-offs like Super Mario Kart. However, the release of Donkey Kong Country in 1994 gave a new breath of life to the franchise.
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The wild success of Donkey Kong Country, with its gorgeous faux-3D graphics and entertaining levels, led to a myriad of sequels and spin-offs of the game. This culminated with the release of Donkey Kong 64, which was, of course, released on the Nintendo 64 in 1999. Although Donkey Kong 64 sold well -- in fact, it was one of the best-selling games on the Nintendo 64 -- it's been all but forgotten in recent years. There were many reasons for this, but a key factor was Donkey Kong 64's lack of replayability. It put a strong emphasis on collecting items, which could slow gaming sessions to a crawl. Still, twenty-five years later, there's a lot going for this forgotten Donkey Kong title.
The Development of Donkey Kong 64
He's the Leader of the Bunch
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Donkey Kong Country was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System on Nov. 18, 1994. Not only did the game help revitalize the then-dormant Donkey Kong franchise, but it also showcased some of the most impressive graphics on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, Donkey Kong Country helped to give its developer, Rare, a reputation for creating vibrant worlds filled to the brim with zany characters. Two other mainline games in the Donkey Kong Country series were released in the following years, in addition to the Donkey Kong Land handheld series of games for the Game Boy. With this line-up of games and an animated adaptation on the horizon, it seemed that the Donkey Kong franchise was making a truly monstrous comeback that could put it on par with the Mario franchise.
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Donkey Kong Country Game Before Donkey Kong 64
Platform(s)
Release Date
Donkey Kong Country
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Nov. 18, 1994
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Nov. 21, 1995
Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Nov. 18, 1996
Meanwhile, Rare's penchant for cute and zany games made a splash on the Nintendo 64, which led to a slew of new titles under Rare's belt. Nintendo 64 from Rare include Diddy Kong Racing, Mickey's Speedway USA and, perhaps most famously, Banjo-Kazooie. At the same time, Rare was developing what was to be the most ambitious Donkey Kong game of all time. The game planned to combine the lore established in Donkey Kong Country with a large world and objectives like those found in other 3D platforming games at the time, including Banjo-Kazooie. The result was Donkey Kong 64, a 3D platforming game that was so big that it required a memory upgrade to the Nintendo 64. It's clear that Rare was testing the theory that bigger is better with Donkey Kong 64.
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Donkey Kong 64's Plot and Gameplay
He's Finally Back to Kick Some Tail
Donkey Kong 64 opens with a major dilemma for the inhabitants of DK Isle: King K. Rool is invading. Not only does the evil king plan to overtake the archipelago, but he also intends to deploy a deadly weapon -- the Blast-o-Matic -- to wipe the island off the face of the earth. It's clear that it's up to Donkey Kong and his friends -- Diddy, Lanky, Tiny, and Chunky -- to take down King K. Rool before he can lay a finger on the Blast-o-Matic's trigger. There's a grave problem for Donkey Kong, however: Diddy, Lanky, Tiny, and Chunky have all been kidnapped by King K. Rool's forces. This forces Donkey Kong to set out on a mission to rescue his friends before they can take on King K. Rool and his vast army.
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RETRO REVIEW: 30 Years Later, Donkey Kong Country Stands Strong as the Boldest Side-Scrolling Adventure of 1994
In 1994, Rare and Nintendo released Donkey Kong Country for the SNES, a huge step forward in terms of graphics, audio, and fun.
Donkey Kong 64 shares many similarities with other 3D platformers of its time, including Rare's earlier release, Banjo-Kazooie. A key difference, however, is that Donkey Kong 64 really pushes players to collect just about everything in sight, even offering a 101% completion goal. This demand for collecting leads to extensive backtracking to previously visited areas. This was a common mechanic in 3D platformers of the era, like Super Mario 64, but Donkey Kong 64 takes it to an extreme. The need to revisit areas intensifies as Donkey Kong's friends are unlocked, as players will have to backtrack to use each Kong's unique abilities to access new items. A major consolation, though, is that each Kong's powers are distinct. For example, Chunky Kong wields a pineapple launcher as a firearm against enemies, while Lanky Kong has the ability to float.
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Donkey Kong 64's Technology and World
This Kong's Got Style, so Listen Up Dudes
Donkey Kong 64 was released on a 32-megabyte Nintendo 64 cartridge. It wasn't the largest game on the system, but its size was still an indication of the game's considerable scale, at least by Nintendo 64 standards. Donkey Kong 64 also made use of an optional accessory called the Rumble Pak. At various points, like when a character uses a weapon against an enemy, the controller would provide force feedback. More significantly, Donkey Kong 64 required the use of the Expansion Pak, a module that replaced the Nintendo 64's standard Jumper Pak. The Expansion Pak added an extra four megabytes to the Nintendo 64's original four megabytes of memory. For Donkey Kong 64, this upgrade enabled certain visual options, enhanced lighting effects, and allowed for a larger, more immersive world for the Kongs to explore.
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10 Best Third-Party Nintendo 64 Games Fans Have to Play
The Nintendo 64 lacked much in the way of third-party titles. What third-party games that made it to the Nintendo 64, however, are highly regarded.
Indeed, Donkey Kong 64 offers a vast and vibrant world, with special effects made possible only by the Expansion Pak. The lighting effects stand out in particular, especially in certain scenes; the game's numerous cutscenes, such as those in Cranky Kong's flickering laboratory, effectively showcase these visual enhancements. The worlds themselves are expansive and well-designed, each featuring unique stage gimmicks that make the extensive backtracking feel more enjoyable. Additionally, Donkey Kong 64 manages to maintain relatively smooth frame rates, which was another reason the game was designed with the Expansion Pak in mind. The game accomplishes an impressive amount within its 32-megabyte cartridge, and, combined with the Expansion Pak, it delivers a vast world with excellent level design and striking visual effects.
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The Legacy of Donkey Kong 64
Come On Cranky, Take it to the Fridge!
Donkey Kong 64 was released for the Nintendo 64 on November 22, 1999, where it wound up selling about 5.46 million units during its initial market run. It was the last original Donkey Kong game developed by Rare and one of the final games produced by Rare under its long-running partnership with Nintendo. The last Rare title published by Nintendo was Star Fox Adventures on the GameCube, which was initially developed as Dinosaur Planet for the Nintendo 64. With a hypothetical cartridge size of 512 megabytes, Dinosaur Planet would have been even more ambitious than Donkey Kong 64. Shortly after Star Fox Adventures was released, Rare was purchased by Microsoft, making the studio a first-party developer for Microsoft's Xbox systems.
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Donkey Kong Country Game Since Donkey Kong 64
Platform(s)
Release Date
Donkey Kong Country Returns
Wii
Nov. 21, 2010
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Wii U
Feb. 13, 2014
As for the Donkey Kong franchise, the original Donkey Kong Country games were ported to the Game Boy Advance, interestingly developed by Microsoft-owned Rare and published by THQ. Additionally, two new Donkey Kong Country titles, Donkey Kong Country Returns and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, were released for the Nintendo Wii and Wii U in 2010 and 2014, respectively. Beyond these releases, the Donkey Kong franchise has mostly returned to the dormant state it was in before the Donkey Kong Country games, with the big ape no longer competing with Mario as a lead platforming protagonist. However, Donkey Kong and Mario have renewed their rivalry from the early arcade days in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong games, which pit the two characters against each other once again.
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Donkey Kong 64