Donkey Konga out today!!!

[dschroll]

Not sure if anyone is interested in this one or not, but I picked up Donkey Konga at lunch today. Looking forward to going home soon to bang away at the drums. Looks to be a lot of fun.

[ileff]

Please post your thoughts after playing it a while....

I tried it for a couple minutes at ToysRUs and was lukewarm. I've been wishing for a good DDR game for GC for a long time (I should lose about 10-15 lbs). Bit puzzled that they went bongos instead.

Ian

[NoThru22]

I got it and it's just awful. Completely unresponsive.

[NoThru22]

Oh wait, no, that was just a pair of empty paint cans I found by my trash bin.

[SiliGoose]

Thread fart!

[DaGamePimp]

I played the demo a while back and thought it would be a good party game just to see everyone look silly but I would not sit there and play it alone [ but then I don't like DDR games either ;) ] .


---------- Jason

[dschroll]

Well, I got to spend a bit of time with this game, so I'll give you my initial thoughts.

I would say the game is pretty good, but certainly not great. I've played other rhythm based games like Samba de Amigo and DDR, along with a few others, so I've had a bit of exposure to the genre.

The music selection in Donkey Konga is ok. The game was definitely made to be played by all age groups as songs range from campfire type songs, to some classic songs, and the most modern song is probably a Blink 182 song. So, on one hand its nice to have the variety, but on the other, if you like certain kinds of music and not others, you'll probably limit yourself to playing the few songs you do like.

The graphics on the game are also just ok at best. There's really not a whole lot on the screen to look at while the game is running, not that you'd need anything to look at. Still, having played other music games, I tend to like how the background characters kind of reflect how you're doing in the game. With Samba or DDR, if you're doing badly you're getting boo'd, the screen gets darker, skulls start appearing letting you know that you're close to failing. Not so with Donkey Konga. You have a meter on screen that rates your performance, but nothing changes in the background if you're doing well or poorly. Even if you miss everything, the song goes from start to finish, so the game won't end abrubtly even if you're doing bad(which can be good or bad, depending on how you look at it).

I was nervous about the difficulty of this game as I heard it was pretty easy. If you're familiar with music games, you'll definitely find it easy to pick up and play. The beginner songs are definitely easy to get through on the first try, but some of the harder ones can pose a challenge. While the difficulty may not be on par with that of DDR or Samba, it will still be challenging in some areas that will give the game longer life.

One minor complaint with Donkey Konga on the difficulty side of things is that it seems to keep the gamer on their toes the game varies the beats you have to play. For instance, a song will start out where you will be playing the drums to the beat of the song. However, in the next stanza you'll be playing things on the off beats. So, you don't play the song consistently from start to finish. Again, that can be good or bad, depending on how you look at it.

The drums in the game are very nicely made. They're very responsive and solid, so you don't have to worry about hitting them too hard. I never once had a problem with the game not registering a drum hit or a clap. In fact, the microphone built into the drums is so sensitive that you don't even have to clap....you can snap, slap the side of the drums, cough, or just yell into it. The conga drums do have a cable that you'll have to hook into the contoller port. The cable is longer than that of a standard GC controller, but if you're like me and sit a bit away from your TV, you'll probably want to get an extension to give you plenty of leeway for playing the drums wherever you want.

Now, I've only played the game in single player mode, and from everything I have read online, the game seems to shine brightest during multiplayer sections. So, I'll have to wait until I can bug some other friends to get this game too so we can hook up a few conga drums and get a jam session going.

Still, I will will say that I have had fun with this game. My fiance' saw me playing it and she even wanted to try it, so there is something to be said for that. It is definitely a game that can be played and enjoyed by all age groups. If you're looking for something that will challenge you more than DDR or Samba de Amigo, then this isn't it. However, if you're looking for a music game to have fun with friends and family members, this is definitely a good bet. For $50 you get the Donkey Konga game and the drums, so it is definitely a lot of bang for your buck(pun intended) ;)

Oh, and just to let you know, the game is not in widescreen but it does support progressive scan.

[Dean Martin]

Originally posted by SiliGoose
Thread fart!

Agreed. Do we really need this nonsense?

Thanks dschroll for the nice review.

[voodoogmr]

Wow. Appreciate your review, dshroll! I am on the verge of either buying this or DDR Extreme. Considering I already have several DDR games, I may just give this one a chance. I'm a sucker for peripherals like these drums.

I'm sure mulitplayer is going to be the most fun. My wife and I have DDR Ultramix challenges fairly often, so this game looks to be another great game to play together in the same room. Sweet.

[MisterMe]

I am picking this game up today.

I hope the multi-player is better then the single player Dschroll described. My wife is showing interest in this game . . . would really like a good 'family' game to play. I would be nice to get her to play something else besides Ms. Pac Man.

:)

[dschroll]

voodoo,

I would say if you already own several DDR games that you should definitely look into this just to have some variety. The game is good fun and Nintendo should be releasing at least one more game that will use the Bongo Drums peripheral, so definitely expect to get more use of them.

[dschroll]

Jay,

The single player game isn't bad, it just isn't exceptional either. There is definitely enough there to keep your interests for a while. Still, its not quite up to the caliber of Samba de Amigo or DDR.

As I said before though, you'll be hardpressed to find a better deal on a music game that comes with a special peripheral for $50.

The only videogame I have ever gotten my fiance' to play is Animal Crossing....which she still plays to this day. The fact that she's shown a little interest in Donkey Konga(no interest in Samba or DDR) has me excited about possibly getting a second set of bongo drums so we can jam together :)

[MisterMe]

Dschroll,

(Putting geek hat on)

It's too bad that Nintendo is not online, so that a person could play this game family against family. Maybe even throw in a camera for good measure. Could be a lot of fun.

Just saying . . .

(takes geek hat off)

[Gameboya]

I also purchased this game yesterday (1 for me, 1 for my nephew and nieces). All I can say is this game is a TOTAL blast!! My wife REALLY REALLY REALLY LOVES this game!! And that is saying a LOT! I can gurantee anyone who just wants to have some fun playing a game this is definitely it. It's got that great simple fun feeling to it. So far I also have only played the single player because they didn't have extra bongos available for sale. I'm pretty sure the co op or showdowns will be even more fun. This is a drinking game extravaganza!!! I can't wait to get home and bang away on my bongos like a chimpanzee!





note:

dschroll have you even bothered to try the non street modes yet?!?! there arent even any notes that show up on the screen at all. and you say the game isn't challenging?!?! it's freaking rediculously hard (at least this mode I am talking about).

[dschroll]

gameboya,

First off, I did not say that game wasn't challenging. I said it just wasn't as challenging as games like samba de amigo and DDR.

Second, I have tried some of the other modes. I believe the mode you're referring to is Jam Session(I think) where it plays the song and it shows blank barrels insead of which drum you should be beating/clapping. This whole mode is there for anyone who wants to memorize when to beat the drums and which drums to beat at that time. I don't find something like that challenging, just frustrating. I can give myself the same challenge on DDR or Samba by just closing my eyes while playing the game.

Kudos to you if that is something you want to go after, but I am more interested in playing the game and the challenge of keeping up with all the notes it throws at me on screen. Again, I wasn't ripping on the game. I think it is great fun, but as someone who is not a novice to the rhythm based genre, this game doesn't really stand out above the rest. Still, I would recommend this game to anyone looking for a good time and something different. :)

[MinisterVado]

Yeah, Donkey Konga's spiffy and all, but im still pissed that i couldnt get my hands on a copy of Katamari Damacy.

i s'pose the best way to vent my frustration would be to pound on some bongos, though, eh?

[MisterMe]

Originally posted by MinisterVado
Yeah, Donkey Konga's spiffy and all, but im still pissed that i couldnt get my hands on a copy of Katamari Damacy.

i s'pose the best way to vent my frustration would be to pound on some bongos, though, eh?

I know what you mean!! Katamari looks like such a Nintendo type game. I sure wish they would have released it on the Cube. I'd be buying it for sure.

[waruwaru]

Originally posted by MinisterVado
Yeah, Donkey Konga's spiffy and all, but im still pissed that i couldnt get my hands on a copy of Katamari Damacy.

I was quite surprised that I went to 3 Fry's on the day of Katamari Damacy release, and all of them were sold out. Their computer showed that they only had around 30 copies to share between the stores. Namco probably had a very small production run and now kicking themselves for not making more. I did manage to find a copy of it at my local Best Buy (had to ask sales person and he had to dig it out from the back). Very cool game. Semi-addictive. It's fun to see all the weird stuff you can roll up. There are a few copies on eBay for around $20. It crashes alot on my version 1 PS2, might be because my PS2 is dying soon.

[reaper]

review on gizmodo:

http://www.gizmodo.com/archives/donkey-konga-review-022328.php

[Joe Redifer]

Are you positive that it is NOT in 480p? Absolutely certain? A friend of mine who bought it (I never would buy it) is saying that it is indeed in progressive scan.

[NoThru22]

Are you trying to start with me Dean? Is it really required that we keep totally dead serious in a thread about a game where monkeys play drums and clap? If you can't have a sense of humor then don't play video games at all. Go play croquet or polo.

[dschroll]

I'm sorry....my bad. The game does support 480p, but apparently I didn't have it activated. I will update my original post.

[Gameboya]

yes it does support 480p

[Dean Martin]

Originally posted by nothru22
Are you trying to start with me Dean? Is it really required that we keep totally dead serious in a thread about a game where monkeys play drums and clap? If you can't have a sense of humor then don't play video games at all. Go play croquet or polo. Tool.

[ileff]

I picked this game up today along with a second set of bongos ($35) and two extention cords.

My boys and I had a blast. Not sure why really, but the game is a lot more fun with two people bongoing away at the same time. Multiplayers dont really have much effect on each other, but it still seems to add a lot.

Let me address some weaknesses/concerns I've seen posted in reviews:

A) bongos - they work perfectly, I've never noticed a missed bang or clap.

B) music - this seems to spark a lot of critics, but i think the music is good. some of the song seem selected because of specific types of patterns that they evoke (we will rock you, whip it). sounds great on my home theather. maybe DonkeyConga Underground will feature lil jon and ying yang twins for the 18-25 crowd.... ;)

C) too easy - haha i saw this posted by someone who was a drummer. i think the difficulty levels are balanced. even my four year old was starting to get the hang of the easiest level.


I still wish a good ddr game/pad would come out for GC. Right now my only video game excercise is walking on the treadmill while I play Mario Golf.

Overall I give it an A :)

[dschroll]

ileff,

There is a battle mode in the game where 2 players can battle against one another. You may want to give that a try too. From everything I've read, this game is most fun in jam session with 4 players.

[ileff]

yeah, we play battle mode, but still the interactivity is limited. there is a "POW" you can hit which cuts your opponent's score by 90% (which I find annoying). you can also trigger a slot machine which seems to keep giving my 7 year old son 5000 points :mad:.

hard to put my finger on why multibongers adds fun but it does. i dont think ill get a third set until another game/bongo pack comes out.

[Gameboya]

yeah I am pretty sure I'm going to be buying another set of drums because my wife is hoaging the heck of this game!! MINE MINE!! GIMMIE GIMMIE!! LOL!! Anyways I want to play co op with her and hopefully have a konga party someday when my nephew and nieces get their drum and game. this is definitely a game for all and it's a LOT of fun in short bursts which is sometimes exactly all the time I have for games.

[dschroll]

ileff,

There are also mini games that can be unlocked, and some of those are 2 player as well. I've unlocked all the mini games now and they're not that much fun in single player, but maybe they are better for multiplayer. Still, gives the game some added life since you have more stuff you can play with your son.

I went through challenge mode on normal, all the way through, meaning I played and completed every one of the 33 songs without failing. Man, my hands were tired after that. I've unlocked all the mini games, numerous songs on hard difficulty, and numerous bongo sounds. I still have a ways to go to unlocking everything. My current goal is going through all the songs on normal and beating them with the meter completely full, cause when you do it puts a little gold DK next to the song then. I would say I've got about half the songs beaten with the gold marker now. I can tell that some of these songs are gonna be tough, but I'll get it soon enough. After that I plan to start tackling all the songs in hard mode ;)

[MinisterVado]

i feel neglected and unloved because i cant partake in bongo goodness....hopefully soon my schedule clears up and i'll actually be able to profit off of the investment...

still no Katamari. misterme, you're wont get it at all if it doesnt come to the cube? im actually quite surprised it didnt come cubeside as well, since namco's got a good relationship with N.

[mrcalypso]

Dschroll, how is it compared to Samba De Amigo in terms of fun factor ??

[MisterMe]

Originally posted by MinisterVado
still no Katamari. misterme, you're wont get it at all if it doesnt come to the cube? im actually quite surprised it didnt come cubeside as well, since namco's got a good relationship with N.

I don't have a Playstation 2 . . . unfortunately. I would buy one, but I am afraid I will then buy even more software then I already do. I can barely manage to play the games I have now.

:)

[dschroll]

Originally posted by mrcalypso
Dschroll, how is it compared to Samba De Amigo in terms of fun factor ??

Well, I personally consider Samba to be the best music rhythm game on the market.
Donkey Konga is a lot of but it doesn't really provide the embarass factor that Samba does. So, to answer your question, the fun factor of Donkey Konga isn't quite up tp that of Samba. However, Donkey Konga is a great game and is fun and for $50 I think its a great value since you get the drums and the game. With Samba, the maracas costed me $80 and the game costed me $40.

[voodoogmr]

dschroll, I couldn't make up my mind about this, so my wife got both Donkey Konga and DDR Extreme. Also picked up Katamari Damacy. Oh, and Steel Battalion with it's massive controller. This is one expensive month...and it's only the 2nd day!

Great game! I never got around to playing Samba, so this is a refreshing new twist to the rhythm games for me. The conga controller is much more responsive that I thought it was going to be.

[dschroll]

Well, I may have spoken too early about this game's difficulty. While I was able to cruise through and get a gold on every single song on chimp mode, songs on gorilla mode are proving to be quite the challenge. I can see its going to take me a while to get golds on all of them. I've unlocked just about everything in the game. Only a few more gorilla songs and a few more bongo sounds and I'll have everything. Still, I need to get golds on gorilla mode ;)

Definitely a fun game though. I hope Nintendo releases another Donkey Konga disc in the US so I can play this game with more songs. Jungle Beat should be a lot of fun too :)

[MinisterVado]

so me and the fiance were watching Venture Bros sunday night; and when the Donkey Konga commercial comes on; all she says is "that looks coooool..!"

which translates to "good-bye $50". and getting schooled by dschroll. and STILL no katamari. and at this point; might as well just wait for the PS3, since we all know itll be backward compatible and have its BluRay goodness and so forth.

[dschroll]

MinisterVado,

I picked up Katamari Damacy at Best Buy the other day. They had one copy and I snagged it. I got to try it last night. Fun game, but way out there in terms of quirkiness. Still, I can tell I will have fun with it.

I can't think of any better reason to pick up a game if your firance' seems interested. Buy the game and see if you can get her into it. If so, you may have to buy a second set of bongos so you can play 2 player games :)

[MisterMe]

Originally posted by dschroll
MinisterVado,

I picked up Katamari Damacy at Best Buy the other day. They had one copy and I snagged it. I got to try it last night. Fun game, but way out there in terms of quirkiness. Still, I can tell I will have fun with it.


I'm jealous!! That game looks like a lot of fun. Maybe when the PS2 comes down to 99 bucks I will buy one for the few games I would like to play on it.

[dschroll]

Jay, how is Donkey Konga coming along? Have you gotten golds on all the songs on Monkey Mode yet?

[dschroll]

Well, I finally unlocked all the songs on gorilla mode and got golds on several of them. I still have like 4 more bonog drum sounds to unlock, but that's pertty much it. Still, overall I had a lot of fun with this game and I must say that as much as I played through it the last couple of weeks, I still enjoy popping it in and playing through a few songs just to help throw some variety into the mix from the usual games I am currently playing.

[ileff]

Even though she is extremely busy right now, my wife has started to get into this game. Any guests that stop by are always interested.

For a family, this game is a must buy. Get at least one set of extra bongos.

[dschroll]

ileff,

Glad you are enjoying the game. I had my borther, sister-in-law, and neice and nephew over at my place last week and they were loving Donkey Konga. They got such a kick out of it. Unfortunately my nephew already has a PS2, a DC, and a GBA, so they didn't really like the idea of buying him another game console, which I totally understand.

They also loved playing Pac Man Vs. If you have a GBA and a GC, I definitely recommend checking that one out for your family as well :)

[MinisterVado]

picked up DK and an extra pair of bongos over the weekend with my BB Reward Zone points. if it fails to impress, i'll find a way to kick each of you in the shin.

[dschroll]

Bring it on Minister ;)

Seriously though, I hope you and the fiance' like it. I've had a blast playing it. I brought it to a friend's place yesterday and since he didn't have it we tried to work together in the sense that one of would play the bongo notes while the other clapped during the clapping sections. It was actually a lot of fun, especially with some of the harder songs where clapping is right in between a bunch of quickly hit bongo notes.

I just hope I can get some of my local friends to pick up this game so I can put together a nice big jam session :)

[MinisterVado]

dude....one of my local friends is a bit of a rhythm game nut himself (he's got guitar freaks, complete with guitar!), so i tihnk i MIGHT be able to sway him towards it. this "jam session" of which you speak may not be that far off....

assuming i actually get the chance to showcase it.

anyhow, we still havent had the time to crack it open yet....and my shin-kickers are gettin' fidgety....

[SouthPaW1227]

I just wanted to say that I have been relentlessly searching a game(s) that I could honestly play with my g/f without her feeling overwhelmed by the content or complex controls. She loves "kiddish" things (like Animal Crossing, Disney stuff, etc.), yet aside from the awesome Animal Crossing, there's not much I could enjoy simultaneously.

In comes DK! I picked up Donkey Konga and Jungle Beat (got each w/ sets of Bongos, so I'd have 2 and save money in the deal by getting the games at an effective discount since they came bundled) and I must say I'm blown away. I sat down yesterday w/ Jungle Beat and couldn't stop smiling. It really makes you feel like you're 8 again. SO much fun! The controls are actually extremely intuiative and can get complex to get platinum medals. And put it on a sound system and you've really got something awesome!

I can't wait for Donkey Konga 2 to come out May 9th now! My GC is getting some fresh life so that's always good. And I will say, for those looking a workout, this is it. After 1.5 hours of Jungle Beat I felt it in my arms, and actually even in my legs from squeezing the bongos, lol...it gets intense! And the graphics are really stunning as well. Overall it's a great game...right now ebgames.com has Donkey Konga 1 + Bongos for $39.99 (-15% w/ PPLAY15 and free shipping with "FREESHIPALL" (I believe...you can google it) so like $36 shipped w/ tax. Great deal for those who have neither the game nor bongos right now.

And for those searching for just extra bongos, either nab Jungle Beat & get the set w/ that, or I hear Circuit City has the Bongos alone for $20 for a time. :)

[jamesgf]

I picked this game up about a month ago, after my 4 yr old daughter kept mentioning it when she saw it on tv and then played it on a trip to toys-r-us. As silly as it seems, it is a very addicting game. Lots of fun, and for whatever reason my wife really likes it too (and she doesnt play many games, except for spyro 2 on the PS1 yrs ago...).

my 0.02
-j

[ileff]

I have Konga and two bongos, I've been thinking about picking up Jungle Beat.

Drop whatever you are doing and run to the nearest store that has a PSP and Lumines. My wife and I both love it.

[quagmire]

I have Donkey Konga and my wife and kids love it. I got it for me since I was always a big fan of music games. My wife always looks at me weird when I bust out the DDR pads. Still, after finally convincing her to try Donkey Konga, she quickly became attached to it. Now, I'll come home and find she's playing it without any encouragement from me. The kids love it, but are a little too young to really get it. Still, give them a set of bongos while I play and they enjoy playing along with me.

I also have Jungle Beat. I really enjoy the game but the wife doesn't care too much for that one. Oh well. Can't win them all. Still, between Animal Crossing, Donkey Konga, and more recently, Zoo Keeper on the DS, its nice to be able to share some videogame time with a woman who apparently had no interest at all in videogames when we first met. :)

[MinisterVado]

oh yes....many months later and i have 4 sets of bongos and am harassed to bring them to any small gathering of friends. it spurred purchases by two cousins and several friends.

so yess....cant wait for the sequels...

[SouthPaW1227]

I hear that...this weekend my g/f and I played hours of Donkey Konga. At first, I would always win the last drumroll and get the lead. Now she's mastered the roll and is beating me! Argh!

We have so many laughts thanks to this game though...we can't WAIT for Donkey Konga 2 to drop on May 9th!!!

I *REALLY* enjoy Jungle Beat, but the lady isn't as much into it...mostly due to the complex (compared to Konga) control scheme. In Jungle Beat, you're always have to think and hit/clap nonstop to rack up bananas. Great stuff :-)

[Big John Thomas]

my girlfriend is also into donkey konga. i'll be waiting in line for the sequel for sure. same here, i like jungle beat be she does not. anyway it looks like the song list for the next donkey konga will be very good. my girlfriend loves one of the featured bands so she is very excited about having some songs from them on it.

when i have friends or relatives over, the bongos are always a big hit. i wish they had come out years ago.