Look out you beauties, here comes Donkey Kong!

-Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Country (TV Series)

The 2000s were a dark age for the Donkey Kong series. With Rare under acquisition of Microsoft, the chances of another Country or 64-like game were slim. And while Nintendo did make a successor to the old Donkey Kong with Mario vs. DK on the GBA, the only other DK-related games at the time went in completely separate directions that involved things like swinging on pegs or slapping bongos. And while the Donkey Konga series was a solid rhythm game, it wasn't really great enough to justify buying a funny controller to slap drums with. So Nintendo was like fuck it, let's just make something entirely new with this.

The decision was not an easy one. The DK bongo games, including this one, were already chastised for their strange disconnect from past DK games. But those who were able to look past the differences would find one of the most raw and unfiltered game experiences out there, one full of pure adrenaline. This game is the closest you will ever experience to becoming Donkey Kong himself.

The story of Jungle Beat is vague, as far as anyone knows Donkey Kong's only goal is to be the king of the jungle. DK's friends from previous games are nowhere to be seen, as his only support is a cast of various birds and monkeys. The only enemies are also various birds and monkeys, and other jungle animals like pigs too. His goal is to obtain "beats" in each kingdom, which are represented by collectible bananas. Each kingdom consists of two levels and a boss, the objective of the former is to obtain beats and of the latter is to not lose them. Getting enough beats will earn crests, and earning crests will help you unlock the sixteen sexy and stylish kingdoms thoughout the world.

This sounds mundane but hear me out, playing this with the bongos is what makes this game. The controls are simple to understand, pressing left or right repeatedly makes DK run in that direction. Pressing both bongos at once makes you jump, and activating the clap sensor will let him also do a clap that has multiple purposes, from attacking to grabbing bananas to interacting with just about anything. I cannot stress enough that using the DK bongos is the one true way this game was designed to be played, it might be more exhausting than using a regular controller but the satisfaction truly makes it worth it.

Despite the simplicity, you start to realize Jungle Beat gets more in-depth the further you progress. Combos are done by performing special actions, and they increase your beat count if you collect bananas before you hit the ground. Collecting bananas by running into them is simply not enough-- DK could do a backflip, jump off a wall, then clap to increase the monetary value of those wonderful yellow fruits. If you replay levels you may find combo opportunities you never saw before, and some levels even allow you to keep a combo indefinitely throughout the whole thing-- a difficult endeavor, but if you never get hit you'll find it pays off.

The kingdoms you'll find are varied in location, as it's not all jungle. There's dangerous volcanoes, sandy beaches, a scary swamp, a guarded fortress, and even a world in space. The environments are kind of strangely real-looking for a DK game, but they're good enough. While some levels do reuse concepts from previous areas, there's always new ways to keep things fresh and interesting. A miniboss from a previous area may have a new twist, or a section where you ride a ram through a snowy cave is now made harder by the pursuit of a massive iguana you need to throw pineapples at. There are four end of kingdom bosses, each which uses the same idea four times but will mix things up, like adding new attacks or even including a second boss in the mix. Some bosses can be kind of frustrating, but it always feels satisfying to bring a beat-down with the bongos when you get the chance.

Despite all my praises, I must sadly say Jungle Beat is NOT a perfect game, perhaps more 9/10 than 10/10 in my eyes. The controls, while satisfying, are not perfect, as occasionally they may not be as responsive as you think. You might need to adjust the clap sensor a few times before you hit that proper sweet spot. The difficulty balance can be a bit strange because some kingdoms can be incredibly punishing, while others will be a smooth glide. The amount of bananas you need for crests stays the same no matter what the kingdom, so getting a platinum on one kingdom can be a cakewalk while others are unnecessarily difficult. The new characters established are one-offs, and not very interesting ones at that, since they never get a chance to interact with the DK universe aside from a tussle with the king of the jungle himself. And on top of that, despite all the hard work you put into getting all those crests, the final boss is rather lackluster.

Overall DK Jungle Beat is an experience unlike any other. It is exhilirating, thrilling, high-intensity action packed into a Gamecube disc and a set of fake bongos. The team who made this game went on to create Super Mario Galaxy and many other flagship Nintendo titles, and it's evident that Jungle Beat would go on to be surprisingly influentual in the design of Nintendo's first-party titles as a whole. While Jungle Beat seems to have been somewhat forgotten by the general populace, those who do remember it know it fondly, and while this may not be the sort of game for everyone I would highly recommend it if you are willing to go out of your way to get a funny big controller just to slap the hell out of some pigs.