Donkey Kong 64
He's big. He's bad. He's back.
The only gorilla savvy enough to sport a tie is scheduled to swing onto the N64 this fall, in an amazing 3-D adventure that lives up to DK's large reputation. Accompanied by a pack of primate pals, Donkey Kong will once again be charged with the task of overthrowing the piratical Kremlings.
If Kong doesn't look good, we don't look good.
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| This is Lanky Kong. After feeding bananas to the blue hippo on the right, the pink pig will open a new door for the limber orangutang. |
Just as the Donkey Kong Country series made a radical leap forward on the Super NES with ACM fully-rendered graphics, Rare hopes to set a new standard for Nintendo 64 games with the size and depth of DK 64. To accomplish this goal, Donkey Kong 64 will be the first game to require the use of the N64 Expansion Pak.
The extra four megs of memory has allowed the code junkies at Rare to create spectacular multi-colored lighting effects and rich textures, without cutting any corners in the size or design of the massive worlds. Spinning lights and explosive special effects deliver delicious morsels of eye candy, rounding out a tasty visual package.
All in the Family
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| Chunky Kong will turn into ground chunk if he doesn't pick up the pace |
It wouldn't be monkey business without Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong, but this time three new characters are thrown into the mix. Tiny, Chunky and Lanky complete the five-monkey team, and players will have to perfect the individual moves of each character to complete the game.
Each member of the DK crew will have to travel through the game's eight baffling worlds seperately. Since each monkey has a unique set of moves and abilities, players will explore different areas of each world depending on which character they are controlling.
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| Diddy Kong takes out a few Kremling punks with his trusty peanut pistols |
There are 109 special moves available in Donkey Kong 64, and you'll have to master them all before you reach the end of the adventure. Power-ups like peanut pistols, pineapple launchers and fruit grenades add a frantic shoot 'em up quality to DK 64, which is already crammed with diverse gameplay.
Don't mess with success.
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| In one of DK 64's mini-games, Tiny tries to avoid getting blisters in an uncomfortable place |
Even though Donkey Kong 64 is crawling with fresh ideas and innovation, Rare hasn't strayed too far from DK's roots. DK 64 is a 3D adventure game, but there are obvious elements of old-fashioned platform action in the gameplay. Each stage presents an obvious task to be accomplished, and it's up to the player to jump, swing, shoot or roll to the goal.
Rare pays a tribute to classic Donkey Kong Country gameplay elements with fast-paced mine cart stages and first-person barrel-cannon blasts. Controlling the Kongs is frustration-free thanks to Rare's knack for producing games with intuitive and responsive play control.
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| Rare has designed the bosses to behave like traditional 16-bit guardians. Players will have to memorize the pattern of the boss, and wait for an opportunity to strike |
Backtracking is an important aspect of DK's adventure, and often players will be tantalized with items or areas that cannot be reached until a new character has been unlocked. In addition to re-exploring the eight worlds with different Kongs, players will have to find a way to defeat the bosses using the special abilties of each monkey.
Variety is the spice of life
You'll find something new behind every barrel in Donkey Kong 64, because Rare plans to include between 30 to 40 mini-games throughout the adventure. Boat races, slot car competitions and the Kremling target shoot shown here are just a few examples of the games available. These mini-games will be featured in an ususual multiplayer mode, where up to four players can compete cranium-to-cranium.
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| Either Diddy has earned a bean burrito power-up, or he just jumped on a powerful trampoline |
Donkey Kong is the perfect character for Rare to color with its off-beat sense of humor, which is obvious even in early versions of the game. Donkey Kong is a seasoned vet of the video game industry, and unlike bananas, he gets better and better with age.
Rare hopes to launch Donkey Kong 64 on November 22, and Nintendo Power Source will provide more coverage as the gorrilla frenzy grows.
