Donkey Kong on the Nintendo 64 has to be the largest Donkey Kong ever created. There's grand new worlds to explore as well as cool new abilities, Kongs, Bananas and so much more. To add to the excitement, Donkey Kong took the old side scrolling gaming concept and updated it to a 3-D version on Donkey Kong Country. This game has a lot of adventure for the wonderful world of Donkey Kong.

Graphics: 9
I will admit that the graphics seem a bit bulgy but other than that I think there was a lot of effort put into the detail of this game. Everything from the worlds to the items you collect are pretty detailed and appeal to the eye. Being that this was a game that launched in the Nintendo 64 era, I'd have to say this was one of the games that offered the most in terms of graphics. The layout of each world is built for fun and each theme is pretty spot on in my opinion. I liked how each world seemed to flow together pretty well and it really felt like it had a Donkey Kong Country feel to it.

One of the things I liked most about the graphics probably starts with the cut-scenes. I liked how the game offered something you could watch after you finished off the boss to the world. I liked that while you were making progress you could see King K. Rool was making progress. I thought that this really helped bring out the story within the game and added more of a purpose to what you're doing this compared to the Donkey Kong Country series. The overall 9 I gave for these graphics I felt were great but not quite among the best I've seen.

Sound: 9
There were a few things that really stood out to me. The first thing I noticed was the Donkey Kong Rap at the beginning of the game. I thought it was ridiculous but funny and as a kid I still tried to sing it. The other element that really stood out to me were some of the boss songs and sounds. One boss in particular just had me laughing non-stop because I thought it was ridiculous and if I play the game again now, I ll probably end up laughing again. The last element was the final boss with the sounds and tiny bit of music you could hear in the back ground. That was probably the most ridiculous thing I ever saw, especially among all the Donkey Kong games. It was cheesy but it was fun and enjoyable.

The sounds that I liked best on this game probably came from Funky's Armory. I thought it was a cool idea, concept and it was probably the most normal bit of music the game had to offer. Yes, that's a bit of an exaggeration but overall the 8 I gave sound I thought was fair. The game offers a lot for sounds and music but like the graphics I felt that they weren't among the best I've seen. On top of that, I felt that there was a lot of room for improvement to be made to the game and it felt like it was kind of lacking a few things. The music for inside King K. Rool's ship was pretty cool though. I liked that too.

Addictiveness: 10
There's too much in the game to do to rank it any less than a 10. If you weren't happy playing the main game you could play some of the older games. I liked how the original Donkey Kong game was incorporated into this game and there was a prize you needed to get from playing it. I really liked it and even though I died a lot and was frustrated I still couldn't pull myself away until I finished it. To add to that, even if I completed one of the worlds I would still need to go back to it to actually complete. There is more to discover in each world and only specific Kongs go to certain areas to unlock them and find things that the other Kongs needed. In one aspect the game was a huge puzzle.

What I really liked about the game is that it offered the new Donkey Kong Country feel for a 3-D platform. It really brought out the DK Island theme that has been the foundation for most Donkey Kong games. After that, I fell victim to playing against my brother on the multi-player feature that the game offers and battling it out with him. There was just so much to do that it took a long time to do everything in the game before it gets to you and becomes too much.

I would like to see the multi-player feature of this game in action and possibly become another netplay tournament. I think the originality of the game would make for some intense and epic free for all battles on some of the stages and would make the game pretty competitive and challenging. Overall, the game earns a 10 for addictiveness in my eyes.

Story: 10
Donkey Kong 64 is probably one of those games you don't expect a story for but it surprised me because everything you did was intentionally apart of the main story. First off, every time you complete a world and defeat the boss of that world you will open a new cut scene that shows what's going on inside King K. Rool's ship. This goes on for the entire length of the game and even towards the end of the game before you engage the last boss. I really liked the fact that you cool see everything  that's going on. Most of it was silly but in some ways I think it added to the story.

Plus, the credits and final boss contribute toward the story too. Not only do you witness what's going on during the game but you're able to see what happens in the final stages of the game. I've always liked games that game provide a great story and leave room open for a sequel Overall, the game is still pretty similar to the Donkey Kong Country series and maintains that same routine but also took a step in the right direction to make the game unique to the others as well. For that, I give a 10 for the story.

Depth: 10
There are many things you can do in this game. First off, it's an adventure game so you're going to need to explore around every where to find everything. Secondly, you're expected collect everything from Bananas to more more bananas to other things that have something to do with bananas. You really need to collect the different Golden Bananas, the Colored Bananas, The Banana Medals, Banana Fairies, Crowns, Mini-Games and so much more. Collecting is endless.

On top of the main game you have your mini-games. You're able to play the Banana Barrel mini-games you find throughout the game where maybe you need to smack the bug to win or get all the Gnawty into the hole in the center or play the slots. There's tons to do with those. To take a step further you can play the old school Donkey Kong to unlock another prize. You also have some sort of space game that finds you a prize. I'm also going to take a step further than that and add in the Rhino and Shark mini-games you can compete for a high score. Lastly, you also have the multi-player feature where you can battle up to 3 other players in a free-for all competition.

With having all this to do in the game there's no way I could give any lower a rating. There's just so much to do in the game and it takes a long time to play. The story is big and with needing to collect so many things you will take days to beat. I feel that Depth easily earns a 10 of 10.

Difficulty: 8
The game isn't exactly difficult but I liked the fact that the entire game was like a huge puzzle. Starting from the first level you couldn't fully complete it until you rescued the other Kongs. Even if you went back you needed to figure out where to find the rest of your missing stuff. With having so much to collect there were times you searched the entire world from bottom up or top to bottom and still could not find 1 lousy banana bunch. In some ways, it was really annoying and sucked but in other ways it actually challenged you and made you learn to think outside of the box. Some times things were plan as day and you'd pass right by them without even knowing it.

Within the difficulty you also had the different boss battles. I did encounter some problems with a few of the bosses and even end up dead if was reckless but the real challenge was the final boss. Much like the other boss battles in the other Donkey Kong games, you fought the final boss in stages. This boss fight is no different. This time around it's more than just jumping on his head... you have a time limit AND you're likely to die many times. This is, without a doubt, one of the harder boss fights I've ever faced in playing games over the years including those of today and those from the retro eras. Difficulty earns an 8 for being able to challenge you.

Overall: 10
I feel that Donkey Kong 64 was able to maintain the Donkey Kong Country vibe that made the game popular. This game offers a lot to do which helps make the game fun and brought enjoyment to my childhood. Donkey Kong 64 was one of the games I loved playing on the Nintendo 64 and I even played it several times. Unfortunately, it took me several years to actually find everything in the game including one of  the battle royale for the Crown. Apparently I missed one of the Battle Royale Crowns on Donkey Kong's Island near the 5th world. I felt stupid for never realizing what I was missing after searching high and low for a long time.

The game really challenges users in some of the elements which makes the game fun. I felt that the difficulty was right at the level it should be especially because it was meant for kids as well as adults which requires some sort of balance between both age groups. I thought that Donkey Kong 64 left an opening for another expansion to the series but one was never made. Overall though, the game is worth playing. It's fun, enjoyable, funny, action packed and plenty more can describe Donkey Kong in this game. With having a wide arsenal of tools to play with you could prevent boredom easily. This is a quality game that earns a 10 out of 10.

Fireproof : Well, this is really a very long, detailed, and great  review man! It is about time I find a review that is over 1500 words! I have really enjoyed reading it. 

Awesome review and I look forward to your future great reviews!

Great review! It has a great word length and it's very detailed. You did an excellent job! Keep up the good work!

I LOVED this game! Seriously, if I had a top 10 for games of all time, it'd be in the top 5, at least. It brings out the best in DK, and I wish he had more adventure games like this. I miss this game.

pacman1755 : Are you meaning 3-D worlds or in general? Donkey Kong Country Returns on the WII was a pretty good game to reintroduce Donkey Kong to the gaming world. I don't know if they'll be bringing out another 3-D world though but it would be nice.

Yeah, I meant in general. Donkey Kong Country Returns may have been a bit underwhelming game since they didn't re-introduced the Kremlings/King K Rool, it was still pretty cool. DK games need to be in the spotlight a bit more.

pacman1755 : I absolutely agree and I was hoping that they'd bring out King K Rool at the golden temple place or whatever when you get that cut scene. I was very disappointed and expected King K Rool. I don't know why they didn't do that tho :/ I know Donkey Kong Country Returns 2 is coming out for the WII or WIIU. That will be interesting.