Donkey Konga - Nintendo's Drumming Oddity Analyzed

Thanks to Game Informer for its hands-on look at Nintendo's GameCube rhythm game Donkey Konga, the newly Japanese-released title "that has you pounding on a drum controller to match up with beats on-screen." As well as conga-ing in time to the beat of songs which include "a few classic Nintendo tunes including the Mario Theme, DK Rap from Donkey Kong 64, as well as other western songs like the original Mambo No. 5, and La Bamba", the player has other actions to do: "A special star-like icon indicates that you need to clap your hands together (the conga controller features a nifty sound detection device.)" Lik Sang has a few more pictures, including what's inside the drum controller, and Game Informer conclude by praising the quirky title and musing: "While Nintendo hasn't officially announced it for the US, we've heard rumors that it may appear stateside in the second quarter of 2004."

Comments

Re:Entertainment?

[PainKilleR-CE]

Am I the only person that thinks "music" and "dancing" games are just not entertaining? On top of that, you don't make any real music or do any real dancing. To me they are nothing more than a computer controlled version of Simon Says.

I haven't played most of them, but I have found myself quite obsessed with Amplitude and Frequency. Most of the other 'rhythm' games don't appeal to me. That being said, Amplitude and Frequency are not games that I play with friends, either (though my gf occasionally watches).

Mario Party is an example of a game that everyone loves, even those not playing. I remember I once threw Parappa the Rappa into the PS at one of our parties (it came on a demo disc). Five minutes in everyone was asking, "Is that all you do? Um, something else please". It didn't really seem like a "party" game like Mario, although I didn't mind Parappa for a while by myself. Perhaps it was our 25+ demographic.

I find Mario Party completely boring with any less than 3 people, but once we hit that magic number it's quite fun. Lately, though, we've all been playing Mario Kart:DD!!, which is another example of a game that is very limited in the single player aspect but is very fun with 3 or 4 people (2 players is fun for a while, but if one person is significantly better than the other it gets old quickly). Super Monkey Ball seems a little better in the single player component while still offering a lot of fun as a party game.

Again, though, I don't really see anyone playing the dance and rhythm games with friends, though part of this might be the fact that I don't know anyone that admits to owning these games. My gf joked about getting Karaoke Revolution when she saw an ad for it on TV, but I'm still about 99% sure she thought it was pretty rediculous.

Quest for Fame

[pagercam2]

IBM beat Nintendo to this one! The "Quest for Fame" game for the PC had on screen cartoonish graphics that showed a high schooler's bderoom, in which you practiced with your V-Pick (virtual guitar pic). The V-pick was a triangular piece of plastic that contained two contacts, when you made a strumming motion the contacts touched and this was read by the PC's parallel port. They played classic rock songs from Aerosmith and others but featuring Aerosmith. You got scored as to how close your timing was compared to the song. After getting a passing score you graduated from bedroom to garage band to road house to club and finally to stadium where you "rocked" with Aerosmith. A lot of fun but I never got past the garage band level.

http://www.rockthisway.de/game_questforfame.htm

Re:I hope it sells well

[Schnapple]

have been available on both Playstations for years with drum and guitar controllers included. Granted, mainly as imports from Asia but popular ones, at that

Is it just me or does it seem like most of the really cool crap never makes it outside of Asia? Or Japan, really. My best theory has been that with fewer people (or at least fewer stores) in Japan it's easier to distribute something and not lose your ass if it doesn't sell. If you distribute guitar controllers to every Wal-Mart in America and they don't sell you're screwed. Anyone thing I'm close or way off?

Music games are fun but....

[MarcoAtWork]

I just wish there was an area at the bottom of the screen where the beats you have to perform are written in standard music notation: it would definitely help with having kinds being able to sight read etc. etc.

Incredible!

[SuperMo0]

After watching about 4 of the movies, I started to attempt to play along with the game on "air bongos". If that's not a sign of a good game, that you play along with a preview video... then I don't know what is.

Re:I hope it sells well

[bugbread]

I'm an American living in Japan, and I can't even imagine what part of this is considered odd. Is it because it's drums? Because it's Donkey Kong? Because it's portable?