Defending Donkey Kong 64 the KING of Collectathons
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ก.พ. 2024
- This is a video I've wanted to make for a while defending one of my favorite video games of all time Donkey Kong 64. Why is it so universally panned nowadays? It had good reviews when it first released. This will be a brief history and addressing the complaints I hear against this game. This game is definitely the KING of Collectathons!
Be sure to drop a like on this video!
Join my Discord community for fun chatting about games like this, playing community game nights, and show off YOUR collection:
/ discord
Follow me on the rest of my socials:
/ jiggylookback
/ jiggylookback
#donkeykong64 #dk64 #nintendo64 #defender
Credit for Assets ripped from game for visual purposes:
Deviant Art Users: BeeWinter55 and Merry255
Also images found on the DonkeyKong fandom website
Music from Donkey Kong 64 by Grant Kirkhope - เกม
Update: My Nephew now LOVES this game.
Good he should this is one of the best games ever LOL
Awesome he’s happy to have an awesome uncle
My nephews love the multiplayer mode. It's a game they choose most often when they come to my place.
That is awesome!@@LuffyMcDuck
That’s cute
It feels SOOOO GOOD to finally see someone defending this gem of a game. My brother and I were baffled when we found out that apparently the intenet hates this game. As kids we'd be GLUED to the screen. Especially my brother (he's the one who actually went for the 101%). My favorite N64 collect-a-thon and my second favorite of that console.
I STAND FOR DK64!
I can't help but assume that basically anytime there is a major contingent of people griping about stuff like this game that the majority have probably never played it and are just jumping on the bandwagon. It's not a perfect game by any means but also why does it need to be?
oh I can relate to this comment, I too used to play this with my brother and I was the one getting 101%. It really suprises me to find out that people hate this game and also DKC3.
@@andresgarro9095 RIGHT?!
@@jiggylookback maybe you can make a video defending DKC3 🤭
The DK Rap is better then every mainstream rap song
It slaps pretty hard.
Very false tbh, but it's better than a lot of it.
@@sheetinthestreet5903 I am mildly joking Im generally not into mainstream rap either lol
I can’t believe the cast is something that’s complained about! It’s one of its strongest areas!
Yeah I heard that all on my Twitter response. Crazy!
I agree, you think people weren't complaining when DK wasn't playable in DKC2 or DKC3(as well as Diddy in it) when they first came out? What nonsense.
Why replace Dixie with Trixie or whatever
Would've been better with Dixie not Tiny
Should have had all the DKC characters. Dixie, Funky, and Kiddy
Back in the day, collect-a-thons were not a genre. DK64 was an adventure game with a bunch of collectables.
Today, people think the maim purpose of the game is to collect evey single thing. It's not. The goal is to complete it.
This is where Banjo-Kazooie nailed it. Banjo-Kazooie didn't add too much, making the line between adventuring and collecting much more cohesive.
People's mentality about collect-a-thons have changed, because the way we play games have changed. I used to get as far as possible in games as quickly as I could, because I wanted to explore. In Banjo-Kazooie, I couldn't wait to unlock the next note door or next world, so I wouldn't worry about collecting everything.
As an adult, I'm far more meticulous. I'm able to delay my curiosity of what's ahead in order to beat games more thoroughly.
I believe this is, to a degree, true for most people.
Collect-a-thons are rare nowadays, so I imagine they can feel a bit tedious or overwhelming to younger players who aren't used to collect-a-thons.
That's my take. I haven't watched the video, but that's my pre-watch theory.
Collect-a-thons you might say were always a "Rare" thing
@@Truxple and you never need too lol
BOTW and TOTK are also bad...if you see them as a collectathon. Lots of useless stuff to collect that takes a lot of time, but that's not the sense of the game...same with DK64. It's really a dumb criticism for the game that I never heard until a few years ago. Some gamers forget that games are supposed to be fun and played the way you want, and not a "mission" to 100% everything all the time. Sometimes that is fun too, but imo most time it isn't and you don't need to do it to have fun.
@@Ray_2112 yeah just enjoy how you have lots of choices but you don’t have to complete everything. Rule 1 of gaming: have fun.
And here I was as a kid refusing to move on till I found everything. I even made a crappy geocities guide on how to 100% the game.
Still got my original childhood copy that came with my jungle japes green see-through n64 and matching controller. It may be a bit rough to complete but it'll always hold a special place in my heart as my personal favorite DK game
That Jungle Green 64 is so cool looking! I always wanted one. Someday when my TH-cam takes off I’m getting it! For now my Gold 64 will suffice. I grew up with the original base colored one.
@@jiggylookback As much as I can understand that the game does have it’s fair share of fans, you can’t deny that switching characters should’ve been easy and would’ve saved time, if it was reserved within a pause menu. To me, having to change characters by backtracking is an inconvenience. I’m not saying I hate the game, just that there needs some quality control is all.
As a fellow DK64 defender, I have quite a bit to say actually. But there are a few points I'd like to make.
Firstly with the game's length. I find it a bit odd that people complain about the game's length and number of collectables while praising games like Mario Odyssey with its hundreds of power moons. I 101 percented DK64 blind and clocked in with 36 hours on my save file. Compare that to my blind Odyssey playthrough which went well over 100 hours. Yes, having to backtrack IS annoying every now and then. But it never really felt all that tedious. And for me at least the worlds hit that sweet spot of being just big enough to feel satisfying, while not being too big to feel daunting to find everything in, like Sand and Metro Kingdom from Odyssey.
Secondly is the minigames. I understand a lot of the frustration. Believe me, I've felt it too. But part of that frustration isn't DK64's fault. The Nintendo 64 had issues with lag, and Rare knew this. Many of the minigames were designed with this lag in mind to make the games function. But since most people nowadays will be playing this game on the Wii U or emulators, the minigames are going to be significantly harder than they were intended to be. It's the same reason Canary Mary's races are a nightmare on the Xbox port of Banjo Tooie. They're more powerful systems without the issue of lag. (Though Beaver Bother admittedly sucks no mater what console you're playing on.)
At the end of the day, no. I don't think DK64 "Killed the the platforming genre." I think there's a lot of contributing factors that went into their decline. Shooting games were on the rise, Playstation were capitalizing on it, and soon Xbox would do the same. (Rare saw their popularity even back then. Goldeneye was a huge hit. Meanwhile DK64, Tooie, Jet Force Gemini and Conker all had gunplay of some kind. ) If anything, I'd say Rare was just too ambitious. It just wasn't the time for the games to be as big as they wanted them to be. I know that sounds a bit biased, I know DK64 has legitimate flaws with its level design and pacing. But claiming it's this unplayable, genre-killing marathon of a game has always seemed unfair. ESPECIALLY considering some of its complaints are praised in other platformers.
Agreed
assuming no walkthroughs, I'm not sure I believe that you did this game in 36 hours blind but odyssey took over 100 hours. I'd believe both being the same even but odyssey is just shorter no matter how you slice it, not THREE TIMES longer lol
Indeed. I 100% DK64 back in the day but got burnt out on Mario Odyssey and Yoshi’s Crafted World. The too many collectibles argument doesn’t fly with me.
My biggest complaint at the time was framerate lag. That was the main reason I preferred Banjo-Kazooie.
@@oswinner9265 it’s crazy now I feel I need to replay the game. Maybe I’m just so desensitized to it on the 64!
I was noticing it in my Earthworm Jim 3d playthrough but not because of dips but because when you look in first person the frame rate blasts off to 60 and then dips back to 30 when you disengage first person. It’s so weird.
@@bobbysworldofficial in what way could Odyssey not be longer than an N64 title? All the collectibles really don't take that long when there are teleporters and character switching barrels everywhere. I've spent longer on the desert area of Odyssey than the first 3 DK64 areas combined. DK is densely packed and the maps are actually quite small
I think the 'too many collectibles' complaint is one of those weird things someone says online and everybody just agrees with without actually thinking about.
I played DK64 when it came out, to completion if memory serves, and I've completed it a couple of times since then.
My biggest complaints are:
* The minigames. There is no way around this one. In the best case, minigames are a welcome reprieve from the regular gameplay. A short quick burst to shake things up a bit now and again. But in DK64, whenever I have to do a minigame, my heart sinks. Beaver Bother is far and away the worst offender, but this applies to all of them, just to a lesser degree. During one playthrough, I actually started to just skip some Bananas, even though I'm a hardcore completionist.
** Way too many moves / upgrades are basically 'button presses' that only serve to gate some areas. The musical instruments, some of the pad / barrel abilities, and even the guns are just that.
*** (related to **) The stage design is blatantly segmented, with every level having some mini-areas set aside for each Kong. In the most blatant examples, there are a bunch of doors next to each other, each reserved for a different Kong. E.g. Gloomy Galleon and Crystal Cave
**** The Kongs play very similar. They all have a weapon and an instrument that work all the same, and apart from their special moves, they feel very similarly.
***** Least important, but still. Why did they come up with Tiny, when she is super similar to Dixie? I have no idea why that was necessary. Use her hair twirl. She can shrink, sure. If Donkey can turn invisible all of a sudden, why shouldn't she get a new ability? Let her keep the guitar, and give Diddy some other instrument (IF all the Kongs actually need one!). Diddy could even get the sax.
Agreed on a lot of counts. But I do like most of the levels!
The only valid complaint is the backtracking due to character barrels. If you could change characters on the fly with a QOL update, it would be the best Rare game ever. @@jiggylookback
I never found beaver bother that hard since I discovered that they fall in when herded indirectly.
It was that tnt outlast minecart that I hated
I played this game as a kid and really enjoyed it. My friends and me would talk about where some of the collectables were and our progress. My first play through was incredible and it was exactly what I wanted it to be. The second time I played the game all the way through, I was getting kind of annoyed switching kongs. That was pretty much my only problem. I went back to play the game and used a bunch of glitches. This really made the game cool.
Man the speed running community has found so many glitches to get through that game so quick it’s awesome. I have done some of those as well and I was moving pretty fast! Love it!
@jiggylookback That's pretty rad. They definitely broke the game. I found a bunch of glitches as well. Once you know what to look for, it is easy to discover glitches.
My first play through, I didn't do any glitches at all. Also, the game worked perfectly and wasn't buggy at all. The glitches aren't so obvious. The game also wasn't buggy for me.
I think people are just following the crowd when they give these negative reviews. In my opinion, donkey Kong 64 was better than Banjo Kazooie for multiple reasons. Let's take losing a life with banjo Kazooie and starting the level again and losing all your collectibles.
Dk 64 was a great collectathon. Still to this day, I play similar games. Dk 64 was fantastic. If anything, it's like mario 6 If you want to beat the game, you can and avoid most collectibles. But for us Fans of the genre, the point of the game is taking on the challenge of collecting e everything. I definitely give dk64 a 👍. practically perfect game for us collecathon addicts
I'm a simple man, I see DK64, I click.
Samesies honestly. 😎
Ditto!
The biggest issue for me was trying to get a high score in jetpack and beating the original donkey kong just to finish the game. It also had the same slow movement of rare platformers. It also takes longer to collect the golden bananas compared to stars or jiggies.
Also yeah this and Tooie are Kirkhope’s masterpieces. The grand and whimsical theme of DK Isles, the Japes remix of Jungle Hijinx whose new sections fit right into the swing vibe of the original, the eerie playfulness of Frantic Factory, and the chaotic boss remixes of each stage theme, along with K Rool’s menacing motif, it may be different from Wise’s slower, atmospheric focus, but it’s wonderful in its own way
I agree! I listen to this soundtrack, Tooies soundtrack, BK Rejiggyed and the Diddy Kong Racing soundtrack all the time!
thank you for offering a counter weight to this debate!
That’s exactly what I was hoping to do! Want people who may have been swayed by the hate train to give this game a shot! I love me some DK64!
I also love your videos!
I'm Working on a collecthon like DK64 and Banjo-Kazooie but bigger,with more charaters more collectables and more worlds i hope one day I'll be able to get it out there for people to play and i hope they like it :)
That’s awesome! I’m working on a 3d Platformer as well but it’s less of a collectathon. It’s a lot like Banjo Kazooie
@@jiggylookback nice hope i can play it someday
Awesome, i hope your game to be good
@@Raylightsen Thanks Man i hope so too :)
I rate it 4 out of 10. Too much water and I still don’t understand the gameplay.
Tbh this game would’ve been much better if you could go through the main story campaign with multiple players. It would reduce the need to backtrack and switch Kongs so often.
Co-Op would be SIIICCCKKKK
Simplest QoL: Switching between Kongs on a simple Button and so more fun and less backtracking!
Then what's the point of having multiple kongs?
@@ericlizama8552 it’s fun to have multiple Kongs and they don’t play exactly the same. But i get what you're getting at!
I preferred Diddy or Tiny myself I like speedy characters.
@@ericlizama8552
Yes thats a point! But it were a good alternative menu-option for fans that don‘t like backtracking!
Honestly "Too many collectibles" doesn't even sound like a real complaint, especially in this modern age full of big open world games with loads and loads of collectibles. BoTW's Korok seeds immediately come to mind for this.
I agree. But it’s partly the design of the layout of the collectibles for sure. But if people collect 100 korok seeds in a massive open world this doesn’t seem so bad. Lol
More like 600 seeds. Almost impossible without a guide.
Correction for both of you, it was 900… yeah they were not intending ANYONE to get them all lol. I mean the reward for actually doing so kinda speaks for itself…
It’s optional in most modern games not the entire game itself, to be fair. Though I think we can all agree that complaining about collecting things in a collect-a-thon is dumb.
For real. It was just expanding on the foundation that Banjo Kazooie laid for 3D platformers except with a DK twist. I'd argue that it's a better follow-up to Banjo Kazooie than Banjo Tooie.
It’s refreshing to hear someone praise this game
It deserves to be praised! So many good things about it!
I agree 100%. It's so weird how much of a hatedom this game has gotten. A lot of the stuff people nowadays complain about it are things we loved about it as kids.
I always thought it was stupid how people will say this game should've had less content just because they personally feel compelled to do absolutely everything. Like they're staking their pride on 100% completing a game for children from the 90s instead of just having fun with it.
It's not fun is the thing and it's also a collectathon lol the goal is to get everything
@@toooydoeurthe goal is actually to do whatever you want
@@ohno5559 the goal is to collect stuff and it isnt even fun to do that lol
@@toooydoeur
When did you even start gaming?
Because the term "Collect-a-thon" literally didn't exist until WELL after this game was made. DK64 was a 3D Platformer, just like Banjo-Kazooie, Mario 64 and its ilk.
You can't go and hold a product to an arbitrary standard that literally didn't exist
@@Bird-wz7nx and it's a mediocre tedious one at that
Beautiful retrospective! It's a good point that we are drawn to certain qualities in games and you showed plenty to appreciate with Donkey Kong 64 - my favorite game ^-^ Love how you spoke about the common issues and brought forth the positive characteristics - such as the characters themselves and how players only need to collecting a certain amount of items to finish the game
Thanks so much! I really appreciate you watching! I have the BEST video coming out end of the week so hope you’ll stay tuned!
Great video! I last played it years ago, and the issue of bugs never came up for me. People probably play it so much more now, and have discovered so much that's easier to notice. I loved it so much! I never owned it so I didn't get to beat it but I longed for it. Oh and that Beaver Bother game was frustrating as hell! Thanks for this lookback!
Can honestly say of all my years of playing since 1999 I experienced one invisible wall otherwise not much of an issue. It’s a good game :)
True. I only just learned about the memory leak, and now I've learned it's not actually an issue. lol
I never had a problem with "backtracking" I honestly loved all the different colored bananas. This game was so fun to explore.
And I played all 3 DK country games before DK64, and I still loved this cast.
This is a great video. Thanks for coming to the defense of the kongs. SUBSCRIBED! :)
Heck yeah! Love the cast too! Thanks for watching and subbing 😎
Nintendo has to put this game on the Switch 64 app one day.
They really do!
this was one of those games that my friends and i played to death back in the day, so when i replayed it a few years ago i had no issues with figuring out where to go and what to do, sure the backtracking and variety of collectibles can be a problem but it was never something i ever really noticed simply because there was always somewhere else to go with that character. the one issue i always had was the availability of the kong barrels but even then it wasnt something that i noticed until i was an adult and it was pointed out to me. Thanks for making this video ill have to check out the rest of them!
also with beaver bother, sure it was tough when i first jumped back into it but i dont remember it being all that hard, i think that you need to just overcompensate how far you need to travel to get them to go in the hole, although i noticed in your video one of them standing right on the precipice and not walking in so maybe there is a bit of BS in this one.
That particular thing happened to me in beaver bother constantly lol it’s cursed
Literally one of the first games I played ever, I was like 5 or 6 when I played it for the first time, and I was floored by the sense of exploration and the music was amazing, I have loved this game ever since, the only real complaint I have is Diddy's jetpack controls. But yeah the Rare games are the reason Grant Kirkhope is my favorite video game music producer, I'm currently in my second playthrough of Kingdoms of Amalur after finishing Yooka-Laylee and I just can't get enough. Great video man, I'm gonna go check out more of your videos :)
I was the same age range! Back when it released!
Thanks for watching! I def have more content if you like this and even more to come! This Friday is going to be the greatest Rare related video I’ve ever made so be ready!!
I agree with you that if you don't care about 100%ing the game, it could even be considered a masterpiece by some. The problem is that it is a collect-a-thon, and the number of people who like collect-a-thons and the number of those who like collect-a-thons who also like checking off every box by collecting everything are almost 1-to-1. The collect-a-thon fan who doesn't care about leaving a level before collecting everything is the exception--the point of the genre really lends to it.
I think if the fans of the genre who have this critique can let go of their desire to 100% it and try to enjoy it on its own terms, it would be a much more fun experience. Maybe maintaining some kind of parameter in its place, like "collect all of the minimum of what is needed for each level before leaving," could replace the satisfaction they get from box-checking.
Yeah I mean. I love collecting everything and that was part of the fun for me. But it takes a lot of time for it in this game.
There are mods that fix some of the elements of the game that cause it to be a real drag which is dope!
@@jiggylookback Right! The mod that lets you switch out kongs at any time would fix the back-tracking issue you mentioned, so maybe I'll try giving it a go at some point
@@nickw8160 yeah def give it a shot. Other mods are great too for it! It’s got some good ones!
I never cared about 100% any game anyway let alone DK64. Just get me to the end of the main story and I'm happy.
Remember though this game’s main target audience was children, and most of us were children when we first played it. As fans of collecathons, we all like to be able to get to 100%, but when we were kids I don’t think we were as focussed on that. Most kids even back then were eager to get just enough collectibles to unlock the next boss or level, and that’s a perfectly valid way to play this game. In fact, it’s arguably how it was designed to be played by most players. And if you play this game that way, you get a lot more enjoyment for the time you put in, and the awkward collectibles become much less of an issue.
Criminally underrated channel, keep it up love your vids
Thanks so much! I really appreciate that!
Totally agreed. Just subscribed myself!
@@ogre706 thanks so much!!!
As someone who just recently discovered the randomizer community for this game, this video is spot on. I just completed an all collectibles run of the vanilla game and now I get to discover new ways to play DK64 with the randomizer, never requiring that I 101% the game but rather just get to K. Rool. It's a true gem of a game in all facets including story, gameplay, music, and bonus features.
I love the randomizer! Did that on stream a while back! So fun!
Back in the day, We (me and my brothers) used to rent this game for the weekend, it was one of my favorites alongside smash bros and goldeneye. The problem with renting was I never get to finish and I had to wait another weekend to rent again... Now you made me realize I can emulate and finally finish this gem, thank you!
Oh man you NEED to finish it! You got this!
Someone who doesn't like the DK Rap is not going to enjoy many games at all 'cause they obviously don't know how to have fun.
Agreed
DK64 was one of the first games I remember playing alongside Pokémon Snap and Pokémon Red and it’s still one of my all time favorite games to this day
Pokemon snap slaps hard!
Great game and video. I think the biggest thing with DK64 is you definitely have to play the game with a mindset of patience and taking your time to experience things rather than speeding through most challenges through it like with what tends to happen with most other platformers.
I remember experiencing a bug as a teenager, I was in the basement with my sister trying to turn on the game and it just didn't want to turn on and when it finally did, the audio was slowed down and deepened and it scared us both so much that we didn't touch the game for a month straight and only played it when our dad was around.
That’s amazing. I actually used to love finding those things! Tho Sonic Adventure 2 Battle was the game I always tried to glitch through walls and stuff!
I played and beat this game again a couple months ago, and I still adore it, despite its couple of completely broken minigames I can't defend. You basically just summed up all my thoughts. Love the game's creativity, characters, quirk, exploration, music, variety. Just a couple things that hold it back, but still a fun experience.
Exactly! It’s still a gem in my eyes!
This is great and is making want to give DK64 another go. I do like some of the collecting in it, even though I do wish it had what mods included: switching Kongs instantly. I do think, and this is prob a subjective thing on my part, that my main issue is the level design. The levels after a while feel like they lack a bit of direction and structure. Banjo Kazooie generally used central landmarks [like Clanker, the big snowman, the mansion, the tall tree etc] and that made the levels understandable to navigate after quickly looking around - something I felt DK64 lacked. Still, I have fond memories of renting this game and I can properly complete it now...if my backlog weren't getting bigger.
The levels are a lot bigger than Kazooies hence the warp pads. I think those were intended to be markers.
I honestly didn’t have a huge problem with that, but it was a thing I see what you mean!
As someone who played this game constantly as a kid, the backtracking didn't bother me. I always felt like I was exploring and finding new stuff every time I started it up. I probably didn't even realize the things like "other Kong's bananas in a room I just opened with a different Kong", because by the time I went back there again, it was as a different Kong. It FELT new.
As an adult, you think about things systematically. Like, "okay, I did this, now I gotta do this, this and this... man, that's a lot". It's different as a kid, you just walk around and have fun.
Very true!!
Yes, I agree! I'm 27 and still try to keep a lot of the "kid" mindset of all the wonder of just enjoying the world as it is. A lot of people my age and older complain about a lot of things, they just want to get everything done as fast as possible in order to......have more time to get other things done as fast as possible. Me, I'm the kind of person who doesn't mind spending her mornings before work standing outside and watching it get light out. My life is one that could be considered "boring" by some (work from 8 to 4 Monday through Friday, spend weekend evenings hanging out with friends, sometimes spend a Saturday with my boyfriend, a lot of outdoor activities are things I do as well, every summer I also work with the local historical society and give town tours) but for me, I like the life I have even if there aren't tons of big excitement events.
I had an N64 as a kid and somehow missed this gem at that time, none of my friends had it either. I think it got overshadowed a bit by Zelda. I’m playing it through now for the first time in my 30s and having a blast! Also there are 650 comments and you have replied to almost all of them- impressive!! New subscriber!
Thanks so much for subscribing.
So I try to respond to every comment on my channel because I told myself when I started my TH-cam journey back in 2022 I wanted to be someone who actively engaged with his community and I also just want to talk about games I love and learn. I’ll admit it’s getting a little crazy with this one but I’m trying to get em all!
I appreciate you watching :)
Man, I can see why you enjoy DK64 so darn much.
The lighting, the music, K. Rool at his most diabolical, it's all here.
Heck, there's a lot to collect to, which I see nothing wrong with (inherently).
And Chunky and Lanky are amazing.
However, I just can't say this game is 100 (or 101%) all there.
Tiny Kong is WAY too similar to Dixie Kong (who is a fan-favorite for a reason), and with all the backtracking, it feels like I'm playing the game 5 times over in levels, covering ground I've already since covered before.
Despite all this, and an overall sour taste I feel in my mouth, I see a good game buried in DK64. It shines with the hub of DK Island & Crocodile Isle, Jungle Japes is great with how it is paced (along with parts of Creepy Castle) and it finishes strong with Hideout Helm and the spectacular K. Rool Duel.
There is good fun to be had in DK64, but it is held back by some baffling decisions that just arbitrarily extend playtime.
And I've come to that conclusion from a casual AND 101% playthrough.
Heck yeah
This needs to be on the NSO! If it can be on the WiiU Virtual, it can be on the NSO!
I agree 100%
I definitely loved this game as a kid, although I revisited it as an adult and couldn't get into it even with nostalgia goggles. While the blanket statement "too many collectibles" is a shaky premise for the reasons you mentioned, I think when people say that they're actually channelling the frustration of the back-tracking and just attributing it to the number of collectibles rather than the real issue; the tedious set of steps between them. Which then makes me wonder, why was it so fun as a kid?
My first thought is that child's sense of mystery and wonder. I remember being legitimately excited to enter each new world and even more excited to unlock all 8 keys. Not only do we become jaded as adults, at risk of sounding like a boomer (despite being full millennial) I think the age of the internet has basically killed that aspect of gaming. With social media, streaming & content creators, it's almost impossible to avoid being exposed to most parts of a game that you're interested in before you experience it yourself.
That sense of wonder was definitely compounded by the technical achievement - as mentioned by most reviewers, for the time, the graphics were good and the game was massive. We were still in the stage of "bigger is better" as technology rapidly improved. As kids during that time, we hadn't really experienced a game of that scale, which was extra appealing because many of us would only really have one new game at a time and have to make the most of it. As far as we were concerned, finishing the game was bittersweet; an achievement but also a sad moment as the game had "run out".
As you said, the theme/atmosphere is excellent and it "feels" exactly as you'd want from a DK 3D platformer. There's no real issue with the level layouts, theme & terrain, it's just the way the "stuff" inside is placed that really hurts. Along with that, my personal biggest issue with the gameplay that I REALLY noticed as an adult is how many different "moves" are literally just "press button" in a different skin. Having to "upgrade" your ground pound/musical instruments is especially egregious.
Overall, I guess I kind of feel like it's a product of its time but we were the lucky ones who got to experience it. Thanks for the video!
You’re not wrong. A big draw to this as a child was the exploring. Finding every little detail and collectible. The age of knowing everything because it’s on the internet doesn’t help this game.
I also agree having to upgrade your ground pound and things is lame. Just make it what it needs to be from the start. But overall I think the gameplay is still fun.
I still love this game even going back to it as an adult but I acknowledge it has faults.
Thank you for making this. You nailed it. I was actually considering making a similar video, but your thoughts match mine almost exactly (if I ever do make the video, I'll be sure to give yours a shout-out!). It became popular to bash this game for its collectibles and that just caught on. It's an easy hook to design a video around. Like you said, you can avoid so much of the stuff in this game and still have plenty for what's required to beat it. It's probably the only game that gets judged so unfairly based on what it takes to complete it, not just beat it. We don't really do that for any other games. Anyways, thanks again. I enjoyed the video.
Thanks so much! Let me know if you ever put a video out I’d love to watch it! Appreciate you watching mine!
Possibly my favourite game of all time. 101% completed it three times.
The worlds…the characters….the art direction…the MUSIC
The collectibles are even amazing in this game. Few games have actually made me feel like I really want to find everything and this is one of those games where I joyfully do it. It’s just so satisfying getting those 100 bananas with each character and 5/5 bananas etc. And like you said…the game only requires like less than half to beat it so if you’re not into it, it’s not grindy AT ALL.
The backtracking is also really satisfying because you get to come back to old areas with new characters and unlock new areas within those old areas. It’s very refreshing. And all the levels are so awesome that it really feels cozy and warm being able to return to each of them for a new look.
The mini games I also love. Oddly enough once you discover the ‘tricks’ to even the most frustrating mini games, they become easy and satisfying since you know how to win easily. Beaver bother is easy, and so is bug bash. You just have to know the mechanics really well. It’s kinda like once you discover the exact attack patterns and move combinations to swiftly defeat a dark souls boss. What was once infuriating becomes very satisfying because of your insider knowledge.
Anyways… yeah the modern hate on this game is absolutely a ‘hate wagon’ that got started only a few years ago when a couple people did some retros on it hating it and everyone followed like sheep. It just became the popular opinion. Nobody can think for themselves these days
I agree with you on all counts! Thats why I made this video to show it IS a good game and it doesn’t deserve the hate it’s getting these days! Also why I lead with the positive reviews it got at release! Love me some DK64
I can see people not being a fan of this game, but I still greatly enjoy it. I’ll pop it in every so often, relax and gather up the many many collectables the game has to offer. Speaking as someone who played the DKC series before this, complaining about the cast seems silly. I was surprised that Dixie didn’t make it into the game, but I do like Tiny as a part of the cast. All around, a fun group of characters.
I think one thing that would alleviate complaints would be to allow free swapping of characters. Just to give a break on the backtracking. I think I’ve seen this implemented in the randomized version of the game and it seems like it’d do the trick. I could even see it working if you create a pair of Kong’s that you can switch between outside of the tag barrels. That’d be a nice nod to the DKC series, where you did work as a pair and were able to swap between the two.
Either way, I’m all for this great game getting a worthy defense! 👍
You’re totally right! And yeah it’s a vibe it somehow takes me back to my childhood and eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich exploring dk isle
You just earned yourself a new subscriber. This is my childhood and I love it! I can't wait for Crowd Control version of this to drop so I can stream it in all its glory with the craziness added!
Heck yeah! Thanks for subbing!
Great video.
I remember being 10 years old and Christmas of 99 myself and my sister received the green DK64 bundle and Ocarina of Time.
I’ll never forget that day!
I’m almost 35 now haha, how time does go by fast
Dude I wish I had that bundle.
I'd like to see this game remade. Maybe give the levels more clearly defined sections designated towards each Kongs. The game already does this but it could still be segmented a little better. Having DK follow bananas and end up at a door that Chunky has to open for Tiny is a little all over the place. I'd like to see the collectable requirements be set so if one Kong finds everything they can find, they can beat the game, and then maybe have a unique final boss and ending.
Playing Donkey Kong Arcade and Jetpac were awesome.
Perhaps the earliest example of Retro Gaming for modern hardware at the time.
Even if I hadn't played those old games because I was only almost born at the time of their release, too young to play the Arcades back in the 80s, but I understood to get those coins, you need to Get Good.
I agree it was awesome. But I was upset I could never find the Nintendo coin growing up. I didn’t know you needed to beat the dk arcade game. It’s great tho. That was a pre internet era btw 😂
@@jiggylookback I can agree that most newer gamers at the time felt screwed over when they needed the Rare and Nintendo coins to complete the game.
For me, however I got those Nintendo and Rare coins before going into K Rool's ship so I got lucky.
I was mostly into 2D Retro Games while also enjoying the 3D games on the N64, so when I found both DK Arcade and JetPac, I played those instantly before moving on with DK 64 game, so I kinda got lucky at the time.
Cranky telling me that he bet I couldn't reach his own record score was like an instant challenge for me.
While having the girl turn into a N64 coin I really wanted to get that to see the Girl in DK Arcade again.
I feel lucky I found this channel! Amazing content and super under subbed. You got a sub from me!
Thanks so much for saying that! I work super hard on my videos! I really appreciate that!
This is the fourth video I’ve seen in a while that is defending this game. I’m so happy to see this. This game is my childhood, more than any other game on the system.
I don’t get why people have to complain about all the collectibles when you said in your video yourself that you don’t even have to collect everything just to experience what the game has to offer.
I also love other games in the system from rareware. You have yourself a new subscriber. 👍🏻
I do as well! Happy to have another fan on board
I did my 101% (Including every banana and coin accessible without glitches) playthrough a year ago and ended with a final time at around 32 hours, though that was with prior knowledge of the game. It was pretty fun, but the latter part of the game (Creepy Castle onwards) was a massive pain. It wasn't the number of collectibles that were the problem at all, it was the minigames. You would do something that previously in the game would just give you a banana, instead it'd give you a minigame barrel as the reward, and most of the minigames are honestly pretty bad tbh, and some are genuinely nearly impossible. One of the ones where you have to shoot the target and avoid the kongs was genuinely so ridiculously precise with its timing that after multiple hours of attempts, I just decided to cheat and use the slow feature on the emulator I was using.
Other than that, fun game.
That’s a good point. You do something and your reward is a Mini game barrel
DK64 is another game I love a lot. I do acknowledge that certain design decisions are a bit much, but honestly, the amount of collectibles never bothered me as a kid, and still didn't when I replayed it recently lol
That said, I think the ideal situation ‐ at least imo - would be to have a more planned out "route", with character-specific collectible chains meeting in places with a Tag Barrel more often
I still believe that having every Kong able to collect any banana would solve a lot of issues. Maybe even the blueprints too
@@jiggylookback True... my brain would mourn the loss of color variety, but that's not actually important lol (unless... each level could have a uniqur color? hmm)
Great video. Just brought out my Wii U and I’m playing DK64. TONIGHT
HECK YEAH!
A few days ago, when I was playing DK64 on the Wii U and the game crashed in Fungi Forest and I had no idea why. Turns out it was because I kept using save states and never reset through game. So the game thinks the game had been left on for over 19 hours. Once I reset it everything was fine. Was that the memory leak thing or something else?
That’s allegedly the memory leak glitch yes. I heard from someone that the Wii U game can suffer from that specific scenario, but looked it up and couldn’t find much. Thanks for sharing that with me! It means it’s still a factor.
Donkey Kong 64 really needs its own "Super Mario 64 DS" with the tweaks you suggested.
That’d be cool except on switch
I bought DK64 for my n64 some months ago but never felt the interest of playing it. I'm a collector of the n64, so this game I must have. I love the n64, I love DK... But with all I read and watch online, I could not put myself into playing it. Now, after watching this single video of yours that is the only one source that said something good about the game, I'm more interested in playing it! Thank you!
I've already 100% Banjo-Kazooie, but haven't touched Tooie. I tried, but the game looked big. Kazooie was much more... I don't know how to describe it... Like, I work and have a son, I don't have too much time to play. With this short period of time, I could finish Kazooie, you know? But when I started looking into where Tooie was heading into... It immediately turned me off. I couldn't do much into the time I had to play. And when I returned to play, I usually got some time to get back to where I supposed to be... Whatever.
I'll give a shot in DK64 when my n64 get back from the repair shop. I think I'll first focus on finishing the game, then I'll try to 100% it. I never did that, I usually go for 100% first. But again, thank you!
Ah, the comments are good, too! :D
My dude. I’m so happy you’re going to go back to this! It’s truly a gem. And stay tuned I have a Tooie video coming out soon…maybe that will sway you as well. Tooie is my favorite N64 game of all time
@@jiggylookback Yeah! I'll watch it!
When this game first came out, I used to hold it up as a model of the "perfect game," by which I meant I couldn't think of anything that could be added or removed to make it better. That take didn't age well. I first came to realize its flaws after seeing the "Switch Kongs Anywhere" option in randomizers and boy did THAT improve the game SIGNIFICANTLY.
Sentiments and opinions change over time, but too be honest this game does hold up pretty well! It has its flaws but to see modern things like the switch Kongs mod really shows how underneath it is a fundamentally good game!
Except beaver bother…
It's definitely one of grant's best!
I my favourite thing in the game was getting the rareware and Nintendo coin. It actually made me appreciate the arcade version of Donkey Kong. Finishing that on 1 life? That's a damn fun challenge. Then completing level 2 difficulty on 1 life again? I miss challenges like this. This game and megaman zx/castlevania symphony of the night have made me study games design so I can (eventually) makes games of that similar calibre
I enjoyed the dk arcade game. I genuinely got sick of jetpac for reasons lol
@@jiggylookback it made me absolutely love it! The moment I found it on the 360 arcade store i bought the refuelled version and bought it on the spot
Video games started out as basically being as ARGs. They had to be- developers used Feelies, or physical supplemental media -to supplement the limited storage space on discs. (If you play the original King's Quest without the story in thr manual, you're missing half the lore!)
Then games kept going, throwing us a bone with long term goals, like items that cost 9999$, or enemies that take hours to find, so that we have a reason to revisit a game without resetting our save and losing all our hard work.
We'd typically only get a few games a year, especially since gaming tended to be seen as a children's hobby through the 80s-00's.
And then everything changed with the Internet, especially with smartphones and social media making its adoption so universal.
Suddenly games actively compete for the entire human population's attention, often for free.
And worse, so many people are arrogant enough to think that their current situation and preferences based on said experience is the OBJECTIVE viewpoint on which all games should now be judged.
A game asking anything of its players?
That's not a nice option now. (and in the 90s, it was something that could turn a bad purchase into a decent value)
Its now a tall fucking order, if not an insult on the part of the developers. A game that wastes people's time is a grave sin, and its the fault of everyone but the player's own self-regulation, apparently.
Obviously, I have a huge personal bone to pick with this attitude.
Not at all in what people are playing, but in when people have the audacity to declare older games as objectively bad because they weren't the target audience, or they lack the patience to engage with a piece of media in the way it was made for.
IMO DK64 was made to be played, beaten, then picked back up on several occasions so that you could revisit it without just restarting the whole thing.
A game back then was the DREAM.
But as for how that feels now? I mean, I can see how it hasn't aged as well for today's gamers and all that, and knocks it down a few pegs in terms of general timelessness and all that.
But it really bothers me to call it "Bad" over that.
Are we going to call the original King Kong bad, too? I mean, so much about it is "objectively" bad, just in the film they used, right?
Where are we going to start drawing lines for historical context when it comes to video games?
I mean, its pretty magical that people tend to engage with video games with a blind earnesty that isn't afforded to most media, but we're going to have to start taking context into account someday.
I really hope we start having these conversations soon and in earnest, so that we don't wind up just recreating the fine art establishment, which blew waaaay to far past the other direction centuries ago and can go kick rocks.
Dear Jiggy, I met you thanks to the Remember 64 episode about DK64. Up until that point, I had found this game tedious and lacking the charm and fun of other Rare gems I had played before, like Banjo-Kazooie or Conker's BFD. But you spoke with such conviction defending the game, that you transmitted your enthusiasm to me and I decided to give it another chance. The truth is that since then I began to look at it with different eyes and value it more. And the clarification that you don't have to complete 101% is excellent, because it takes that “burden” off your shoulders and allows you to enjoy the game.
That’s why I started my channel! To spread the love of gaming! Sick of channels that’s are SUPER negative. I want to do the opposite!
@@jiggylookback Excellent attitude! Keep it up!
@@mouse_87 The good news is Insomniac confirmed that Conker was the biggest inspiration for Ratchet and Clank.
I played this pretty blind for the first time in January and it blew my mind. It’s everything I love in a collectathon. I didn’t even mind switching characters since barrels were everywhere.
Nice! I’m glad you liked it! It’s a good game!
My only memory of this game was my step dad walking in while I was playing, looking at it for two seconds as DK swam in the water and saying "that's one smart monkey, huh?" and then walked away.
LOL 😂 I mean he can talk so yeah he’s pretty smart
Yeah their soundtrack for this game has some of the best. Fungi Forest's day theme is my favorite, and I love Creepy Castle's music! It's got that spooky vibe along with a throwback motif to the music from the Donkey Kong arcade game! It just really fits well!
Yeah that’s so cool!
I always found this game so adorable, from the voices to the animations to characters like K.Lumsy and the seals. It’s probably my second favorite of Rare’s collectathon trilogy after Banjo Kazooie. That’s not to rag on Tooie, I just grew up with this one more. Hmm, why is that, Kid Me?
“BOTTLES IS DEAD WAHHHHHH!”
He’s fine.
This game has so much freaking charm! How someone would watch the intro and not fall in love is beyond me haha
It took way too long to finally have a video of a youtuber defending this game, thank you.
I got you 😎
I love DK64 too, it got me more into gaming since it was my life at the time, also very nostalgic to it!
Absolutely!
I always got stuck in Frantic Factory as a kid. Finally came back and 101% the game 2 years ago and it shot up to my favorite N64 game of all time. Even got all the achievements on retroachievements.
Such a fun game.
One of my fav levels honestly!
Same! The Toys R' Alive theme is also a bop.
I'm one of those that 100% completed it also back in the day. Going back to it now is a bit rough, due to the aging, but back then I had no complaints and thought it was solid. I think it was early 3D era as well, so I loved spending time in 3D worlds at the time and collecting stuff. Just being in 3D isn't as special anymore as it was back then because it's so omnipresent now, but I think that was also a factor that immersed us back in the day and could accept the collectibles. People's attention span also grew shorter with time compared to back then.
Agreed!
Thank you for making this!! This was my favorite game as a kid and I still go back to 101% every couple of years! It's so great to see other people enjoying it just as much
Yeah it’s one of my favs!
3:02 I think this point is often misunderstood. Yes, there are too many collectibles in DK64 but the number wouldn't be a problem if they were well implemented. By having most collectibles optional, they beginn to lose their value and thus the reward for collecting them. At the same time, the game forces you to visit each world at least once, since in order to get to the boss of the world you can only give Troff and Scoff the bananas that you found in the level you are currently in, not the ones that you have collected in total.
This makes collecting the colored bananas seem more like a chore to be fulfilled than exploring the world at will. It can also happen that if you already have the required number of collectibles but there are still three worlds ahead of you, the gameplay is getting reduced to wandering around and constantly switching between Kongs to collect bananas in order to get to the boss without completing a single task as it wouldn't make much sense for the casual player to continue collecting golden bananas if he already has 100.
damn, thank you! i love this game so much. i complete it once per year, its always fun
i even enjoyed this soundtrack more than Banjos
Personally I also love this soundtrack a ton! Thanks for watching!
Loved the game as a kid and recently 101%ed it as an adult. Still had a great time.
My main criticism was mainly the amount of filler in places. Angry Aztec has a temple with 5 entrances, each only allowing one kong in. Once you're in, its the same exact task. Run to the back, maybe play a minigame, grab the banana, then leave. You do the same thing 5 times.
Switching kongs was also tedious in places where the kong barrel was far away. So long as the barrel was close, no big deal.
I was also super close to giving up on the 101% due to beaver bother in creepy castle.
I hear you and I agree. They padded a lot of collectibles in that maybe didn’t need to be there.
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:
00:00 🎮 *Defending Donkey Kong 64: Introduction and Background*
- Introduction to the speaker's passion for defending Donkey Kong 64.
- Overview of the game's release and development history.
- Discussion on initial positive reviews and the shift in public opinion over time.
02:01 🍌 *Addressing Criticisms: Too Many Collectibles*
- Explanation of the game's collectibles and their significance.
- Refutation of the notion that 100% completion is necessary to enjoy the game.
- Analysis of the organization of collectibles and potential improvements.
04:30 🕹️ *Critique of Mini-Games and Characters*
- Evaluation of mini-games, including both enjoyable and problematic ones.
- Discussion on the game's character cast and player perceptions.
- Refutation of criticisms regarding character selection and tag barrel placement.
06:57 🎶 *Appreciation for Game Elements*
- Praise for the game's music, graphics, and sound design.
- Positive assessment of gameplay mechanics, controls, and variety of moves.
- Reflection on the game's enduring appeal and the need for reassessment of its merits.
Made with HARPA AI
Whoa that’s crazy. That added more detailed chapters then I ever could! Nice!
I think a big difference today is that we played games differently when we were kids. We had a lot more time, and thus didn't feel any pressure to rush. And we were used to games where we would wind up replaying the same levels a lot anyways--like the Mario Bros games and stuff like that.
As a kid, I never really saw it as backtracking. I saw it as "exploring this place I've already been with a new character, and finding new things!" I'm not saying I stayed as one Kong and did everything I could. I still switched a lot. But I didn't really switch just to go back.
Even today, as I've been playing it, I just do what I feel like, and stop playing when I feel like it. The more you spread things out, the less it feels like backtracking.
And of course I wasn't trying to 100% it. I would only possibly do that after I completed it. Which I in fact never did because I couldn't beat King Kutout, and I had more N64 games by then.
Exactly
As someone who loved this game when it first came out, I want to start this off by saying that I do agree with a lot of the points you've made, but I think you brushed over one of the most egregious parts of the game. Yes, you do have to get the Nintendo and Rareware coins to finish the game, but you're completely ignoring the fact that that's incredibly difficult, but not because of how you can access them, but because of what you need to do once you do access them.
In all the other mini games, they last about a minute long each at worst, and they were built with several game mechanics and controls in mind. However, to get the aforementioned coins, you need to play through two classic video games, Jetpac, and the 1981 Donkey Kong arcade game. The former is simple enough because you don't need to get too far in the game to get the coin, but the latter is easily the worst part of the entire game, not just because it's difficult, but because it's required. The game does not ease you into the 1981 DK game, and you have to beat the entire game's four levels twice, with the second time on hard mode, to get the Nintendo coin, without getting a game over in any of the four levels. As an adult with decades of gaming experience at this point, I can do it pretty easily these days, with maybe some slight struggles as I readjust. But as a kid, and this game was intended for kids, I was literally sobbing trying to to beat this challenge because all I wanted to do was beat the final boss, considering I had done literally everything else. I would have rather they didn't make this aspect a requirement, because it added a frustrating challenge to access the final boss.
Don't get me wrong, DK64 is a good game. But is it as good as Super Mario 64 or Banjo-Kazooie? No. Those games were designed better and had clear expectations of their players that stayed true from beginning to end. DK64 tried to do that, but it wasn't anywhere near as successful.
Personally I brushed over them because I didn’t have an issue with them. The only issue I had was actually knowing to get the 64 coin you had to play the DK arcade. I was playing Jetpac after I got the rare coming wondering where it was. But I didn’t find difficulty in it like others seem too. But fair point!
It's the first time i've heard someone give this game's music the credits it deserves!! it's just amazing. I keep getting back at it because as I kid, the different versions of every theme blew my mind, how it could be something soothing in closed areas and in the hub and something big, imposing and even menacing in the boss fights with just some alterations in the melody, what a master piece!. I don't mind doing some backtracking if the game is treating me with these bangers!! definately underrated music and definately underrated game, ima defender too 🙌
Heck yeah!!! Defenders unite!
I never thought this was too many collectibles, though I can see why people would find the backtracking irritating; especially when there's purple Tiny coins right at the end of a path for Chunky. The last time I played this game, I was able to 101% it, and it took me about a week to do. Compared to the amount of time it takes to collect every item in something like Terraria or Minecraft, it's just no contest. DK64 is a tropical breeze by comparison.
I'm right there with you on the mini-games. They were a mixed bag, and it's not like you suffer any penalties for losing repeatedly. They're really more speed bumps than challenges per se. I did find some of the races hard to complete, because the controls on some of them weren't the greatest, but you don't run into those all the time, so it didn't ruin the whole game.
Another thing that was an issue that you don't run into all the time was the camera for the rocketbarrel. The camera wasn't good at following your character around, and would frequently invert if you tilt the stick the wrong way by accident, making it much harder to continue following the animal you were following, or get through the ring you needed to get through, or find the target you wanted to shoot. Again, though, as rocketbarrel courses weren't terribly frequent, it didn't ruin the game.
The exclusion of Dixie and Kiddy is, I think, less of a problem and more of a missed opportunity. I feel they could have fulfilled the same functions, and even had the same personalities we got with Tiny and Chunky, and been a nice little nod to the fans, but for whatever reason, they didn't go that route, and I don't think it's that big of a deal-breaker.
On the whole, I liked this game when I first got into it, and I still like it. I wouldn't put it on the same level as an Ocarina of Time or even Kirby 64, but it's a good, fun game.
Exactly. It’s a good game! We should get a sequel with more Kongs!
@@jiggylookback
I'd be up for that. Nintendo still knows how to make good games.
Nice to see people spreading positivity on DK64. I was hoping my childhood wasn't a lie 😂 It did annoy me that I had to keep switching kongs to get everything but I actually liked running through and exploring the worlds at that time. Even with SM64 and SA/SA2 I spend alot of time in the hub worlds just looking at the scenery.
I did the same haha and enjoying the music!
Omg this game was my childhood and one of my fave games on the N64. I was 6 when it came out and got it for xmas with the jungle green N64 console that I still have today. My friends who had this game hated it and when I got older, I hated how much NO ONE likes it but me. 😭😭
Great perspective. I completed at 101% DK64 for the first time in 2020 at the start of the pandemic.
I was about the same age and got mine for Christmas too! Although I wasn’t cool enough to have the jungle green one lol that is awesome!
Bro, as a kid, I'd goof around when I didn't know how to collect something(I was dumb.) There was a large movelist, combos, bombs, guns, stomps, coconut abilities, flying with a jetpack, it's all the fun a kid could have.
Too many adults see a "point" but platformers knew what we wanted.
Also it's been FOREVER since chunk, tiny, and lank have been in a game.
Yeah for real. They need to come back
You should do a review on the enemies! That'd be awesome too!
Oh heck yeah great idea! A whole video on the Kremlings? I dig it.
I do have something DK64 coming this weekend :)
@@jiggylookback yeah like enemies from all the world's such as the Kremlings, the killer tomatoes, the starfish...like that would be cool. Such a variety. Enemies never get spoken about
@@christiangledhill4848 I’m down. Sounds like a great idea! Thanks for the suggestion!
@@jiggylookback anytime 😊
The argument of "too many collectables" is definitely a "let me think like everyone else" statement. You can literally beat the game in 1 sitting if you wanted to.
It's not a problem not liking the game, but calling it a bad game just isn't fair. We're at a point now where these old games are really showing their age now that gaming in general is looked at more analytically rather than having the "fun factor" they used to. I personally can't stand playing Ocarina of time, but i can think back to 1998 and think damn this game must've been incredible. DK 64 deserves the same credit. Yes it's aged, but pretend you're 6-7 years old in 1999. This game was a dream for those of us who had nothing else to do or play
Heck yeah it was. And you’re totally right. It’s like a mob mentality.
The biggest problem with the cast is that it doesn't meaningfully feel like 5 distinct characters, it feels like 1 character repeated 5 times. All of them have the same move speed and jump height/length, and extremely similar movement abilities. Tiny is the only one who organically interacts with level geometry via the ponytail twirl.
The vast majority of the time, a barrier to entry is a music/ground pound/gun etc. Panel, which all kongs interact with in the same way mechanically. A gap only tiny can cross feels a lot more gratifying than a door that can only be opened by a ground pound switch, which all 5 kongs can do, but has a particular kong's face on it.
The Banjo Tooie transformations feel like a fully realized version of what the DK64 kongs should have been.
I mean can we just agree Tiny is the best Kong?
I’m with you.
Love this game - so much charm and character. The boss fights and level design in particular are incredible. Having to retrace your steps to collect coloured bananas does get tedious, but nowhere near the point to make the game unenjoyable. Also the Nintendo and Rare coins (and beaver bother!) are a pain but not game-breaking. Fingers crossed it will come to NSO soon.
Exactly how I feel. It’s interesting some say they didn’t like the level design. For me it was never an issue. The collectibles layout is really the only thing I ever thought was a problem and could be fixed with some small tweaks.
I had no idea people disliked this game so much, only found out a couple years ago when I first tried playing through it, and I loved it! The amount of collectibles never bothered me and, as you said, it's only for 101% anyway. I never finished the game, got really close to the end and forgot to come back to it, should definitely go back to it soon though...
Oh man you need to go back…
I played & beat this game in 2000 & it's amazing I still love it
Heck yeah!
People tend to forget that games back then didn't have a lot to do and most are rather short games. This game put in so much I spent literal summers trying to collect everything and I loved every bit of it. I can see the complaints today but back then this game game us so much to do as kids so screw anyone and everyone that has issues with my favorite game 😊
Yeah I loved exploring forever in that game!
I was born in 1996 and this was my favorite game as a kid. Probably one of the first I ever played. I still come back and play it even today. It was amazing for it's time. I've always loved this game and it has a place in my heart forever!
It wasn’t my first game I played but it’s the first one I owned on my N64 and I LOVED exploring for hours
The whole thing is pretty simple to me: the game has a great atmosphere; the levels are super colorful, fun and varied; the characters are charismatic and memorable; the soundtrack is great. That's enough for it to be a very good game IMO. It does have some flaws - the backtracking can be annoying at times, but it's nothing huge. There's a lot to collect, but you don't need to get everything unless you want to 101% it.
I just can't overlook the fact that I love the game's ambience, levels, and humor. And just listen to the music and the sound design - the whole thing oozes with personality. It was fantastic especially for Donkey Kong fans.
And having played the game when it was released, for the N64, I must say that it was pretty incredible back then seeing the size of DK Island and all these places. You didn't get that kind of stuff back then; walking on a huge beach, swimmimg to and from islands, it really felt like this big world and adventure, it was amazing for the 90s. Today people are less impressed by it (we have things like enormous open world games, after all) but back then it was a really big deal. Remember that just one generation prior all we had were 2D games.
I agree on all counts! Well said!
a remaster would be the chef's kiss
That it would
I played DKC games first and i still adored the 64 cast. Great video man. Doing right by this game and fair, logical and passionate analysis. Cheers bro! 👌
Thanks for watching! Appreciate the kind words!
my sister had this game since came out , i started playing this game as a kid LOVED IT.... never got a chance finished the game... , even today at 25 years old i haven pass this master piece , the longest i have played this game i was in the leven were you where in a garden.. i was enjoying the game so much and by accident i deleted the data... , i hope one day they reamke this game , same with paper mario 64 and golden eye 64.....
Yeah I hope they remake it too! You’ve gotta finish it!
It's important to remember that back when this came out online gaming wasn't a thing and that these games were expensive; more expensive that AAA titles today when adjusted for inflation. So, if you were an only child (and couldn't always rely on siblings for multiplayer) and you you were only buying two or three games per year, then having a game with this much stuff to do was incredible. I LOVED it as a kid. Even the backtracking wasn't an issue, never felt like a chore. I confess I haven't played it for over 20 years and it may not hold up so well now, but it was perfect for the era in which it was designed.
When I got this I was an only child my brother came along way later. I don’t know if he ever really played it.
Yes it was a fantastic game! Got it at release and played it for many many hours. I dont remember if I collected everything but I think nearly at least. It was great. I was young and bought it myself from my own savings. It was very expensive and I did not get a new game very often, so I had a lot of time on my hand to do all the backtracking and collect everything.
Dude I agree! I was 5 about to be 6 when I got it back in Christmas as a kid in 99.
I recently 101% DK64 for the first time and as a fan of collectathons, this game was fantastic! (this is Aiden btw lol)
Welcome to the 101% club! 😎
I personally like this game, it has so much variety, has mystery and spooky momentos, comedy in some animation like when you fall from high places and get splash into the ground.
And at it's time and me as a kid I didn't have a guide to complete it, or knew English to understand the text but it was fun to explore and get as many things as I could.
The slide races, the water races, the rocket ring, most barrel mini games, be able to replay any mini game if you got all the blueprints.
Have extra mini games.
Also being able to unlock infinite ammo for everything and phantom bullets (as I called at the auto tracking bullets).
Most bosses were fun and challenging (for a child, no for a 20/30 year old that complain about collecting all).
Even had various vs modes.
Exactly! That’s awesome!
I really had fun playing this game, and it’s one of the games I wanna play on the N64. Sure, there are so many things to collect and a few spots that aren’t the best. Like, the backtracking, switching Kongs for small spaces, and Beaver Bother.
However, I did enjoyed playing it in the end, and I 101% the game while using the strategy guide by Nintendo.
It’s one of the best and fun games on the N64.
Heck yeah! 101%
I've never played DK64 but I've seen gameplay and I REALLY want to play it. It looks graphically impressive, the aesthetics look really pleasant/nice, so much so it fills me with an immense, almost childlike sense of curiousity for wanting to explore it (heck, even the collectibles look candy-like I want to grab them), the music (while not made by Wise) is nice and soothing, makes me want to chill around, and don't even get me started on the DK RAP, I can't comprehend why people hate it, it's literally comedy gold, it was always meant to be cheesy/funny.
Overall, I'm sold.
It's def worth a play. Love the whole vibe of this game. You'd probably really like it!
I grew up with DK64, alongside Mario and Rayman 2. I definitely remember having a bit of a hard time with all the minigames, especially the minecart one with the bombs over lava, and Beaver Bother. Never really struck me that the game was a little jank, since I was a kid. But it is something that has shown its age.
The whole swapping thing never really bothered me too much. But I can also see the argument for it. I really just chose Tiny and Lanky, since they have more options to move through platforming.
I really just viewed the collection aspect of DK64 as its point in longevity. A blockbuster aspect if you will. I don’t think they intended for many to easily beat the game. But modern conventions tell us that this is a pretty dated concept. And I don’t disagree that there is too much to collect at times. Which wouldn’t be an issue if completion of the game wasn’t behind pretty much doing everything in the game.
I like DK64, but it does have flaws. I would like a game like it, but not exactly so.
I agree it adds longevity to it. It’s not perfect but fun!
I had a lot of genuine fun playing the multiplayer with friends back in the day. My personal gripe with the game is having to beat the original Donkey Kong for the coin. It took me way too long and I was miserable at it. I enjoyed Jetpac though and had fun.
Haha yeah it was a problem for me too. Not the game itself but knowing that’s what I needed to do
This is the game that got me into video games (alongside Pokemon Blue). The SNES was my first system, but I only played it occasionally. I got the Dk64 N64 bundle one Christmas and this game is what managed to actually hook me on the hobby.
I didn’t get the Jungle Green bundle for Christmas but the 64 with the expansion and DK and I LOVED IT. Best Christmas ever!
Thank you! I may give it another chance once the Analogue N64s are released.
Heck yeah I’m gonna get one of those too!
nk the biggest problem isn't really the amount of collectibles, but how they are structured:
every collectable type is color-coded, for each playable kong. and you only can collect the color of collectable that matches your specific kong.
the problem happens to be when you go through a part of a level, see a banana trail that's not your color interspersed with bananas that ARE your color, on top of no quick way to switch the kongs.
yeah. there's the problem. it requires going to the same area multiple times to only have to go back to the nearest tag barrel multiple times.
as a fellow dk64 fan who still loves this game despite that, that entire problem could have been mitigated have rare included a way to quickly switch kongs. in fact, i want it remade to have that exact thing happen.
That is exactly what I think too!