New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat Preview
- April 20, 2009 00:00 AM PST
The core gameplay consists of Donkey Kong traversing stages, defeating enemies and collecting bananas in some stages, and riding animals while collecting bananas in others, much like the SNES classic Donkey Kong Country. The game differs largely with the inclusion of unique boss battles in which the bananas you've collected in the previous stages serve as DK's health bar. While the battles vary, one core tactic that is present throughout most of them is finding an opening, and then unleashing a barrage of punches by frantically waving the Wii Remote and Nunchuk. Winning a battle with over 200, 500, or 1000 bananas earns crests that will unlock bonus stages.
The collection of bananas is another unique mechanic that makes New Play Control: Jungle Beat stand out. Performing jumps and other tricky movements while in the air allows DK to enter combo mode, during which any bananas collected (done in mid-air by pressing A) are multiplied. Combo mode continues as long as the great ape remains above the ground. For example, Donkey Kong could start a combo by backflipping, then wall jumping, then finding a parachute, then landing on a bubble, then ground pounding to complete the combo. Because he completed six unique moves, if he had picked up 50 bananas, he would earn a sweet haul of 300. There's a fair level of risk, however, as the skies are often filled with enemies that will kill your combo toute suite.
Just Beat it
The controls for New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat are easy to learn, but difficult to master. I found general traversal and banana-collecting to be a breeze, but when it came to initiating and keeping up combos, the pulling off certain moves and placement of bananas confounded me. Additionally, it wasn't very clear how to defeat certain enemies (some can only be downed via Donkey Kong claps, while others are weak to ground pounds). While the game does include "helper monkeys" that point out the correct way to perform certain actions, they're easily drowned out in the chaos. Advanced tips are also offered, but it seems as though they only pop up after defeating a level. For the uncoordinated (like me) and the casual (like most of the Wii's audience), I hope a tutorial mode can help players grasp the subtly complex platforming system at play in this game.
Even if the game doesn't iron that out, I think New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat still has the potential to be a solid 2D platformer. It may not have the unique factor in its favor with the removal of bongo controls, but the streamlined controls and cool combo system should allow the title to cater to both the casual and hardcore.
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Comments [5]
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- Apr 20 2009 at 06:51:49:PM PST
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Why does there have to be a jungle beat game? Why can't it just be a regular Donkey Kong platforming game?
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I have the game on the gamecube and i liked it mostly because of the bongo's. I think it would still be a good game.
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for the love of god, can I just play this game with the d-pad and an a and b button like a 2d donkey kong game should be played?
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I agree, I would like to see a standard Donkey Kong. Nintendo is really starting to piss me off. I would like to see some real games on the Wii. They had better stop neglecting all of their true fans who helped make them what they are, for a few million trendy emo kids. Because when the next trend hits, Nintendo will have pissed off their loyal customer, and they will be left behind. Actually, from today forward I won't be buying anything Nintendo.
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ahhhhhhh quit your belly aching! i see nothing wrong with Nintendo's games. It's when you invest in playstation this and playstation that for your boys and find yourself bring the darn thing back where you bought it because the darn thing keeps freezing up on you for them to replace it to start all over again with the feeze ups, then you've got a good reason to bitch and bellyache! I've had no problems with Nintendo, you're forgetting one thing here, does times are a changing sound familiar to you at all? You're living in the 2000's now not the 1987-8 and 9's anymore! Quit yer bellyaching
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