Donkey Konga Hands-On

Once thought to be a Japan-only release due to the limited alternate uses for a bongo drum controller, Nintendo is currently showing off a pretty complete-looking North American version of Donkey Konga.

The unique part about Donkey Konga is its controller. The drum controller consists of two separate drums and a microphone that picks up clapping. The game asks you to hit one of the two drums either separately or simultaneously, in addition to clapping in time to the music. The game is playable by one to four players and offers three modes of difficulty, though most rhythm game aficionados shouldn't have too much trouble with the game's harder songs.

Along with the translation into English comes a new list of songs. The North American version of Donkey Konga features some music from Nintendo's licensed TV shows, like Pokemon and Kirby: Right Back At Ya. You'll also find licensed music, like "The Loco-Motion," "Wild Thing" (The Troggs version and not Tone Loc's, unfortunately), and "Louie Louie." Additionally, there will be some modern selections, including "All The Small Things" by Blink 182 and "Impression That I Get" by the Mighty Mighty Bosstones.

All in all, Donkey Konga looks like it will make a good rhythm game for the younger set. It's fun to bang around on the drums, but the lack of difficulty in most of the songs will probably prevent rhythm-game junkies from being hooked for very long. Donkey Konga will ship to stores in September.