Donkey Kong 64

Donkey Kong 64 is a Nintendo 64 game developed by Rare, Ltd. and published by Nintendo. 
The game requires the use of the Expansion Pack in order to function and was the first Nintendo 64 game to do so.
The game features a single player (adventure) mode and a multi-player ("Kong Battle") mode.
In April 2015, Donkey Kong 64 was ported to the Wii U's Virtual Console service. The game, along with Super Mario 64, were among the first Nintendo 64 games that were released for the Wii U's Virtual Console.
==Synopsis==
King K. Rool is up to his usual tricks as he now plots to take down Donkey Kong and the entirety of his home, DK Isles, with his latest invention, the Blast-o-Matic. However, before he can do so, his minons accidently crashes his massive, battleship fortress onto a large rock causing it to remain montionless right across from DK Isles. Despite this setback, the Kremling Krew had not only managed to take all of Donkey Kong's Golden Bananas, but also capture and lock up his friends. K. Rool the awaits his Blast-o-Matic to be repaired as Donkey Kong sets out on his quest to rescue his friends, take back his Golden Bananas, and prevent the destruction of DK Isles.
==Gameplay==
Donkey Kong 64 plays much differently from the Donkey Kong Country games, being the first Donkey Kong game that is a 3D platformer. The player controls Donkey Kong and eventually his friends, Diddy Kong, Tiny Kong, Lanky Kong, and Chunky Kong, throughout DK Isles in their quest to collect Golden Bananas. The Golden Bananas functions as the game's primary collectable as they are required to access the other levels throughout the game by getting past B. Locker. There are a total of 8 main playable levels with half of them being accessed from DK Isles and the other half being accessed from Crocodile Isle. However, all of the levels are blocked off and the player must retrieve the Boss Keys from defeating the bosses which can be given to K. Lumsy who will then unlock the way to the other levels.
Donkey Kong 64 takes a lot of its gameplay mechanics Super Mario 64. The player can control Donkey Kong (and the other Kongs) in a 3D open field by moving them around. The Kongs possess their own basic attacking moves that can be comboed by pressing the multiple times which the Kongs having a three-hit combo.
==Characters==
===Playable===
*Donkey Kong
*Diddy Kong
*Tiny Kong
*Chunky Kong
*Lanky Kong
*Krusha (multiplayer only)
*Klaptrap (Beaver Bother)
*Mario (Donkey Kong only)
===Allies===
*Funky Kong
*Candy Kong
*Cranky Kong
*Wrinkly Kong
*Troff
*Scoff
*B. Locker
*Snide
*K. Lumsy
==Animal Transformations==
* Rambi the Rhinoceros
* Enguarde the Swordfish
==Animal Buddies==
*Squawks the Parrot
*Lightfish
==Enemies==
*Gnawty
*Kaboom
*Kasplat
*Klaptrap
*Klump
*Kritter
*Krash
*Mecha-Zinger
*Zinger
==Bosses==
*Army Dillo (fought twice)
*Dogadon (fought twice)
*Mad Jack
*Puftoss
*King Kut Out
*King Krusha K. Rool
==Levels==
*Jungle Japes
*Angry Aztec
*Frantic Factory
*Gloomy Galleon
*Fungi Forest
*Crystal Caves
*Creepy Castle
*Hideout Helm
==Multiplayer==
In this multiplayer mode, players must try to get the highest score out of their opponents. Up to 4 players can play at one time and have a character choice of Donkey, Diddy, Tiny, Lanky, or Chunky. It is also possible to play as a Krusha if you have photographed 15 Banana Fairies in Adventure Mode.
== Reception ==
Donkey Kong 64 received critical acclaim—"universal acclaim", according to video game review aggregator Metacritic."Donkey Kong 64 Critic Reviews for Nintendo 64". Metacritic. Archived from the original on January 18, 2017. Retrieved December 17, 2016. It became the Nintendo 64's top seller during the 1999 holiday season and Nintendo's chief defense against competitor Sega's introduction of its Dreamcast console.IGN Staff (January 13, 2000). "Nintendo Dominates Videogame Sales". IGN. Archived from the original on December 21, 2016. Retrieved December 19, 2016. As a bestseller, Donkey Kong 64 joined Nintendo's "Player's Choice" game selection, where high sales continued through the next holiday season.IGN Staff (January 16, 2001). "Player's Choice Titles Sell Strong". IGN. Archived from the original on December 21, 2016. Retrieved December 18, 2016. Cumulative worldwide sales were 5.27 million, including more than 2.3 million copies in North America by 2004.2021CESAゲーム白書 (2021 CESA Games White Papers). Tokyo: Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association. 2021. p. 163. ISBN 978-4-902346-43-5.Rogers, Dan Lee (June 2005). "Playing Smart with IP" (PDF). Game Developer. Vol. 12, no. 6. p. 18. ISSN 1073-922X. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 12, 2016. It won the 1999 E3 Game Critics award for Best Platform Game, and several annual awards from Nintendo Power, including best overall game of 1999.Hunt, Stuart (October 2007). "The History of Donkey Kong". Retro Gamer. No. 43. p. 29. ISSN 1742-3155.IGN Staff (May 2, 2000). "Awards for All". IGN. Archived from the original on December 21, 2016. Retrieved December 19, 2016."1999 Nintendo Power Awards Winners!". Nintendo Power. No. 132. May 2000. pp. 92–97. ISSN 1041-9551. Donkey Kong 64 received nominations for "Game of the Year" and "Console Game of the Year" by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences during the 3rd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards (now known as the D.I.C.E. Awards)."Third Interactive Achievement Awards - Game of the Year". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on October 11, 2000. Retrieved January 27, 2023"Third Interactive Achievement Awards - Console". Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on October 11, 2000. Retrieved January 11, 2023 GamePro named it an "Editor's Choice".Scary Larry. "Review: Donkey Kong 64 for N64". GamePro. Archived from the original on June 2, 2008. Retrieved December 17, 2016. IGN described Donkey Kong 64 as the biggest and most ambitious Nintendo 64 game as of its release, but very similar to Banjo-Kazooie in its platforming and puzzle design.Casamassina, Matt (November 24, 1999). "Donkey Kong 64 Review". IGN. Archived from the original on September 19, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2016. Similarities between the two games was a common refrain.Green, Mark (December 1999). "Donkey Kong 64". N64 Magazine. No. 36. pp. 24–33. ISSN 1367-5958. Retrieved December 17, 2016.Chido, Norman (December 1999). "Donkey Kong 64". Next Generation. Vol. 1, no. 4. p. 106. ISSN 1078-9693. Overall, reviewers were more impressed by its visuals than by its other elements, such as gameplay."Donkey Kong 64". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 127. February 2000. p. 178. ISSN 1058-918X.
Reviewers criticized the emphasis on collecting items and backtracking—"an interactive egg hunt". This had become a trend in Rare's games, and Donkey Kong 64 followed the "predictable formula" of making players collect multiple sets of items and in full for a special ending. Next Generation noted Rare's propensity for backtracking. GameSpot more diplomatically assumed that players who liked collecting items would be titillated by its replay value, and those who did not would be frustrated by its chores.Taruc, Nelson (November 22, 1999). "Donkey Kong 64 Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on August 30, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2016. The Cincinnati Enquirer applauded the minigames as a "welcome diversion [which] add to the fun of an already massive adventure", and which are so good they would have worked as their own released games on previous-generation consoles.Bottorff, James. "Donkey Kong 64". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Archived from the original on April 28, 2001. Retrieved November 12, 2021. EGM said the puzzles and minigames are fun the first time through, but they quickly become worn when replayed with increasingly tighter time restrictions. GameSpot, however, considered parts of Donkey Kong 64's gameplay "cerebral", requiring the consideration of several simultaneous tasks to solve later puzzles. Already familiar with concepts borrowed from Super Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, and Banjo-Kazooie, critics considered the player's tasks less innovative or interesting to decipher.Marriott, Scott Alan. "Donkey Kong 64 – Review". AllGame. Archived from the original on November 14, 2014. Retrieved December 17, 2016. In retrospective reviews, Nintendo Life described the chore of collecting objects "excessive" and repetitive. They suggested that backtracking, for instance, could be reduced by letting the player switch between characters at any time.McMahon, Conor (April 12, 2015). "Donkey Kong 64 Review – Wii U eShop / N64". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on December 29, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2016.Donaldson, Andrew (June 17, 2009). "Donkey Kong 64 (Nintendo 64) Review". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on December 23, 2012. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
The size and length were frequently noted."Now Playing: Donkey Kong 64". Nintendo Power. No. 127. December 1999. p. 154. ISSN 1041-9551. With an estimated 30 hours in basic gameplay,Zuniga, Todd (December 1999). "Show Me the Monkey! Donkey Kong 64". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 125. pp. 219–224. ISSN 1058-918X. IGN called it Rare's War and Peace. GameFan wrote that "big" is an understatement, and "the adventure found within is mastodonic".Buchanan, Levi. "Review for Donkey Kong 64". GameFan. Archived from the original on March 3, 2000. Retrieved December 18, 2016. Writers from AllGame and EGM became frequently lost or distracted in its world. The ingenuity of the boss battles, particularly the final battle against K. Rool, was highlighted, although the story's ending disappointed EGM. Reviewers found little entertainment in the multiplayer mode but praised the gameplay variety between the five characters. The controls also frustrated reviewers, between slow movement speed and camera angle issues. For example, characters who become unresponsive during their attack animations are vulnerable to encroaching enemies. Edge wrote that the lack of camera improvements over Banjo-Kazooie was inexcusable."Donkey Kong 64". Edge. No. 79. Christmas 1999. pp. 74–75. ISSN 1350-1593.
Even with the RAM expansion for graphics, Donkey Kong 64's visuals were only found marginally—if at all—better than that of its contemporary games, such as the previous year's Banjo-Kazooie. IGN avowed that Donkey Kong 64 was not as pretty as Banjo-Kazooie, especially in its water and backgrounds, though it still ranked among the console's prettiest games because the setting is barren and nondescript at first, and only later introduces lighting effects and richer textures. IGN hoped for more from Rare, praising the particle effects (such as in the desert wind), but considering its dynamic lighting overused. N64 Magazine said the enhanced effects were most often used for decoration, though they also played some role in puzzles based on illuminating paths. Graphical difficulties were reported even with the extra memory, such as frame rate slowdowns and distant features not appearing in any detail, though overall they commended the graphical flourishes. GameSpot also saw a lack of variety in the environment.
The characters were praised for their personalities, animations, and portrayal of Rare's signature humor. Several reviewers noted the personalities shown in character animations. IGN considered the characters less baffling than those of other Rare games, and sometimes funny. GameFan found that the addition of the three new playable characters to the series offered little personality that would be missed.
IGN said that the music was less clever than Banjo-Kazooie's, but Kirkhope's soundtrack still delivered a variety of moods and fit the setting. Aural clues in the surround sound and the quality of the underwater effects impressed GameSpot. Reviewers criticized the opening "DK Rap"Scullion, Chris (October 26, 2013). "Retro Vault: Mario Sunshine, Aladdin, Majora's Mask". Computer and Video Games. p. 5. Archived from the original on December 7, 2014. Retrieved December 18, 2016. as "embarrassing" and among the worst video game music. GamePro said it was humorous but lowbrow. Eight years later, Nintendo Life said the song was "loved by some, loathed by others", similar to the game itself.
The consensus was that Donkey Kong 64 lacked the revolutionary potential of Donkey Kong Country but was of a sufficient high quality to sell well during the holiday season. The Cincinnati Enquirer described its platform style as coupled with many others, such as Super Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie, and Jet Force Gemini (1999): "Replace the story line, the graphics and a couple of gameplay elements and you basically have the same game". Nonetheless, he said "its mastering of elements that have been done to death may be just the spark needed" to evolve the genre in games released in later years, celebrating its gameplay as addictive and some of the best on the Nintendo 64. Though hyped fans would be disappointed, IGN said that Donkey Kong 64 remains an excellent and expansive platformer with an overwhelming amount of things to do. GameFan, on the other hand, was most disappointed by how it "truly offers nothing new" and compared its monotony and repetition with the 1999 film Eyes Wide Shut: "a big bloated project with not enough brilliant moments to justify the numbness ... [of] sitting through the whole thing", it "fails to live up to the Rare name". Donkey Kong 64's 3D platforming was commonplace by the time of its release and, according to GameSpot, would have fared better as a Nintendo 64 launch game. With its competition considered, Daily Radar wrote that Donkey Kong 64 was simply the best 3D platform game on the console.Wolf, Michael. "Donkey Kong 64". Daily Radar. Archived from the original on April 17, 2001. Retrieved December 18, 2016. Edge qualified this thought: Donkey Kong 64 was the closest any third-party developer had come to outdoing Nintendo's mastery of game structure and was "a fine effort ... in its own right", but its gameplay was derivative and unimaginative compared to the freedom and flexibility of Nintendo's Super Mario 64.
In a retrospective review, Nintendo Life found the Wii U controller an easy substitute for the Nintendo 64's controls.
=== Fan Reception ===
In 2016, WatchMojo placed DK64 at the #4 spot in their "Top 10 Donkey Kong Games" list countdown; following behind Donkey Kong Country (#3), Donkey Kong (#2), & Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (#1)Gordon, B. (2016, February 9). Top 10 Donkey Kong Games. WatchMojo.. WatchMojo also placed it at the #7 spot in their "Every Donkey Kong Game RANKED" video over on MojoPlays in 2024.MojoPlays (WatchMojo). (2024, January 21). Every Donkey Kong game ranked. YouTube.
==Trivia==
*Donkey Kong 64 is the first and only 3D game that features Donkey Kong as the principal hero.
*It is one of a few Nintendo 64 games requiring the use of the N64 Expansion Pak. On the Wii U's Virtual Console, however, no Expansion Pak is needed.
*Grant Kirkhope is the voice of both Donkey Kong in Donkey Kong 64, Mumbo Jumbo in Banjo-Kazooie, and Drill Sergeant Jamjars in Banjo-Tooie.
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