Donkey Kong has been somewhat in limbo, both figuratively and literally, for the past few years. Ever since his platforming days in the Donkey Kong Country series, the ape has relied on two little bongo drums, aptly named the DK Bongos, to carry out his video gaming career. With a few music titles and a brand new adventure game using these specialized instruments, it seemed that all was going well for Kong. However, with the next step into the Wii generation, the DK Bongos were going to be left behind for the GameCube. Thus, Donkey Kong: Jet, a racer for the GameCube, was going to be released as a last hurrah for the DK Bongos.
One year later after its supposed release date, Donkey Kong: Jet has finally come out for the Wii as Donkey Kong Barrel Blast, bongos left behind. But, was this a step into a new dawn for Kong? Or will he simply topple over at the end of his rhythmic peak? This is what this Review will set to find out.
Per usual, I shall grade this on a one-to-five star basis, with one being a crushing defeat to five being a huge victory. In addition, I will place a plus, minus, or equal-sign symbol to compare this game to the Mario Kart series in general.
Graphics: ****
The graphics in this game are phenomenal. I've heard some comments about how the game looks like an average GameCube title *coughGamespotcough*. I can’t find this further from the truth. Though these aren’t pure, completely realistic graphics, they’re a fully awesome and animated world beyond most comprehension. Characters are both well made and well animated. The cartoon-ish graphical style, obviously picked up from the Mario Kart series, is illustrated well in Donkey Kong’s over-the-top racing world. But what truly gets me into these graphics are the backgrounds. Each one is an electrifying scene that illustrates the untamed world of Donkey Kong. A giant waterfall roars as vultures skydive down from heights in Donkey Kong Jungle. A lush coral reef abundant with swordfish and sharks lurks under the water in Salty Sea. An erupting volcano raining down flaming rocks and lava geysers is the race course called Mt. Dynamite. Each background is extremely well done, with all of the details tuned in. However, I can’t say that this game is perfect. Mario Strikers Charged gave out a far more realistic vibe on all of its characters, even Donkey Kong. But, if you are really into the ultra-fun graphics wrapped with the Mario Kart insanity, then this shall not disappoint. Not bad for a title that was going to be a GameCube sleeper, eh? (+)
Sound: ****1/2
Donkey Kong Barrel Blast finally gives a great thing to a racer: music. There are many remixes of the Donkey Kong Country music, as well as some new tunes. A heart-racing song awaits you in the water courses. A futuristic utopia with a futuristic, harmonious tune waits in Cranky’s Temple. My favorite music has to go to the final, “Rainbow Road”-like level. It has both an awesome overall theme, and even a futuristic remix of the original Donkey Kong sounds. All in all, it has good tunes, awesome sounds, and a huge batch of classic video gaming history all in one. Sorry to say what stops the sound from being perfect is the voice effects. Characters such as the laid-back surfer, Funky, or the big fatso, Klump, have their voices too high-pitched, while the senile old Cranky Kong hardly sounds like his name suggests. The sound is overall excellent, it just needs a dose of reality in those voices. Mario Kart could learn a thing or two on a lot of its courses from this game. (+)
Characters: ***
You start the game off with six characters. There’s Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, and Dixie Kong, the recognizable trio from Donkey Kong Country. Then, you have the Kremling Krew, with such characters as the generic crocodile warrior, Kritter, and two new crocodile humanoids. The game is generally separated between the apes and the crocodiles. Eventually, we unlock some hard-hitters like the ultra-powerful Funky Kong, the dearly departed ape ghost, Wrinkly Kong, and even the ultimate leader of the crocs himself, King K. Rool. However, I find that there are too many new characters to outweigh the old. Why only the crocodiles and apes? Why doesn’t this game go further back into Donkey Kong’s history and take out some tough baddies, like the evil beaver Gnawty, or the very strong King Zing, or even DK’s oldest enemy, Mario! In addition, the lineup is truly only half-size: all of the characters have clones on the opposite faction! I’m not very appreciative of that fact, considering Mario Kart: Double Dash had multiple unique characters. Nonetheless, it’s a pretty good lineup that should appease most racing fans. (-)
Control:
At the start:
**
After you get
the hang of it: *****
Well, controlling your barrel is decently difficult. Instead of an acceleration button and a traditional ride, your character is strapped to a pair of bongo jets, and you must rapidly waggle your Wii-mote as if you were hitting a drum in order to move forward. The Nunchuck attachment is also required for this game, as it will serve as your second drum. Eventually, your bongos will reach maximum speed, at which point they’ll move at a steady speed on their own and you can tap either individual drum several times in order to change direction. It’s a simple concept, though difficult to actually pull off. Occasionally, you’ll raise both the Wii-mote and Nunchuck at the same time, making your character jump. This wastes a lot of precious time. In addition, too much drumming can both lead to a lot of wasted time and a tired arm. This game is very difficult for beginners to pick up, in short. However, once you get the hang of everything, it all starts to make sense. Your rapid beats become smooth, and your arms get used to the waving. After getting used to the controls, it’s a very exhilarating experience. Just rough through it, and everything will be fine. (-)
Gameplay: *****
I have broken down what I think are the most important aspects of the gameplay below, However, generally, the gameplay of this is spot-on. There is absolutely nothing to criticize here, unless you can’t get used to the controls. But, those come naturally with practice. It’s as great as Mario Kart in this sense, so if you like how Mario Kart is done, then you’ll enjoy this also. (=)
Tracks: ****
As per usual racing game, the number of tracks in this game is 16. In addition, many of these tracks share the same theme. For example, there are three stages named “Mt Dynamite”, each one taking a different route through the volcanic mountain. What really disappoints me is that parts of other tracks are reused in the newer tracks that you slowly unlock. However, you need a keen eye to notice this, as you may see that old stretch of track from a different angle, or in the other direction, or flying above it in a great burst of speed. Plus, the tracks are very well thought-out, with steel barrels lining the corners to knock players off their faithful bongos. Each stage also has a unique trick to slam racers to a halt, like a giant Donkey Kong head that shoots lasers in Cranky’s Temple. These are a little above Mario Kart quality and size, but they just repeat themselves too darn often. However, it’s great to see a new racer get off to such a great start in this department. (+)
Items: *****
Now THIS is where the game has a huge advantage: the items. Items here come out of balloons that are set out on the track in a more random manner than Mario Kart. There are about twice as many items as in the average MK game, and each one is unique. For example, there are two parrots in the game: one that stops all speed boosts, and another that attacks the player in first place. There’s a beehive that can be thrown behind you to force the opponent to rapidly lose speed so they can shake them off. And there’s everything in between, from exploding pineapples to a melon of invincibility. And, of course, there’s the classic Donkey Kong Barrel to toss.
But, this is not where item usefulness ends. You see, the balloons that you get items from are two different colors: red and blue. Now, if a specific character gets an item from a specific balloon, then that item gets a power-up. Each balloon has its own set of items, plus a bunch of bananas that are shared between. For example, if Donkey Kong or one of his pals takes an invincibility melon out of a red balloon, the effects will last longer. Likewise, if a Kremling takes a Pineapple Launcher out of a blue balloon, he will fire two exploding pineapples forward at double the speed. Both teams can benefit from either balloon, but the Kongs get more power from the red balloons while the Kremlings get more power from the blue balloons. There lies a bit of strategy in choosing your character: which item set would you like more? It gives the racer both an unseen amount of strategy and extra length. This is an item section not to disappoint. (+)
Battle System: **
The battle system is generally bland in this game. Basically, you press A to attack… that’s it. You can trip up one of your rivals for a second or two using this strike, but you don’t get close enough often to use it, and you’ll be more preoccupied with the race at hand. I have to admit that Mario Kart did not have this attacking system, but F-Zero X sure did, and it was much better in X then in Barrel. Something that Barrel Blast is also missing: battle mode. With an attacking system, the two should go hand-in-hand, but nope. Mario’s Battle Mode far surpasses the “Beat ‘em up when you’re close” racing style of Barrel Blast. Just so much more could’ve been done here… (-)
Boosting System: *****
Yes… the Boosting System AND the items get perfect scores. I’m feeling a bit generous today. The boosting system is one of the best I’ve seen yet, possibly even better than F-Zero’s “Health for Speed” system, and definitely surpassing the Mushrooms that Mario eats for speed. In order to gain power in your barrels, you need to pick up Bananas around the track. While this may remind some of Diddy Kong Racing, let me assure you, there are far more bananas than you can count. Not only are there mobs of bananas and Banana Bunches just lying around, waiting to be picked, but bananas also come in the form of breaking barrels by hitting them, attacking randomly-placed enemies, and beating up on your friends. After collecting 50 Bananas, you gain one flame on what is called your “Wild Mode” gauge. By holding down the control stick, you can charge up a powerful energy boost, much like a Mario Kart Mushroom. Not only do I enjoy this “energy for effort” method, but it is actually pretty fun to go at the high speeds. In addition, if you break anything while in Wild Mode (a barrel, a box, a spine, etc), then the boost will be prolonged. I have overall found this the most successful way of boosting, and mastering this boost is truly the best way to experience the game. (+)
Modes: ***
You can definitely give this game credit for the amount of modes it has. With a total of eight different modes, six of which serve a good purpose, you’ll probably be banging on your bongos for a while. Barrel Blast contains a Grand Prix mode, a single race mode, a time trial mode, and an options mode (the four main modes of a racing game). However, in addition to these, there lies a Training mode that you go to for 20 minutes and then never see again. Though hosted by Cranky Kong, he isn’t quite as cranky as he was in Donkey Kong Country, so it’s a lot less entertaining than I expected. In addition, there are challenges hosted by Donkey Kong’s sweetheart, Candy Kong. This is very much like Mario Kart DS’s mission mode, though with fewer missions and one-on-one races with characters you can unlock rather than big, bad bosses like Goomboss and Big Bob-omb. There’s also a so-called “free mode”, where you can just race to your heart’s content infinite times around a track. However, the lack of a battle mode really hurts this game. In addition, Candy’s Challenges are often extremely difficult, and serve as the real, self-teaching tutorial on how to defeat stronger opponents. Though the modes do vary, each one is nothing more than average. However, I do give the games some kudos for having a four-player Grand Prix option. (-)
Difficulty: Depends (Usually Hard)
The difficulty really depends on you. If you don’t really want to do anything but blast through the game, it won’t do you much good. If you don’t really like the newfangled control method, then things will also be a bit difficult. However, if you really spend the time developing your skills, you’ll go far and fast, having a barrel blast (pun intended). However, eventually the difficulty becomes quite overwhelming. As I’ve found it, comparing the game to Mario Kart, the Rookie level is about at the level of 100cc, while Expert, the hardest level, far surpasses the difficulty of 150cc. However, if you can get the controls to click, the game will come easier. If not, it will be hard… Very, very, overwhelmingly hard. (-)
Fun Factor!: ****1/2
This game is a blast, as the name suggests. If you really were into the Mario Kart or F-Zero racing franchises, then this is right up your alley. It’s an incredible and truly groundbreaking racer. And, if you have some friends to play along with, then this is more fun than a barrel full of monkeys! However, if you don’t have many friends to bash the bongos with, this game might not last as long as it should. Mario Kart just barely beats Donkey Kong out in the fun sense. It just seems more entertaining to race Bowser and Wario than it is to race King K. Rool and Klump. Barrel Blast is really fun, but Mario Kart just has a little more edge and fun to it. (-)
OVERALL: **** out of 5
Donkey Kong Barrel Blast has succeeded where the bongo games did: sheer ingenuity and creative amazement. The game has stellar graphics, a sleek soundtrack, and a jungle of excitement. It’s the Donkey Kombination of Mario Kart, F-Zero, and Kirby Air Ride that still makes for a good game. Just get a few friends to beat along with you, and you’ll have a blast. (=)
Recommendation:
While I did give the game a very positive review, most critics have had negative experiences with this game, as I did with Kid Icarus. Therefore, I suggest giving this game a rental before fully purchasing it. If you can get used to the standout control style,then you’ll probably want to spend a quick buck on this one. If not, you’ll just have given Blockbuster or someone an extra six dollars. I found this a very fun game, though it’s all up to the individual in the end. So just see if your wild side gets the better of you; and if this game comes as a thrill, grasp it.
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