Donkey Konga packs in enough unique gameplay to make it compelling. Just don't expect Guitar Hero.
The Bad: Song selection is incredibly bizarre, ranging from sing along songs to random swing music; presentation is underwhelming; overall gameplay doesn't work perfectly; no good unlockable content; almost nonexistent single player.
Donkey Konga is strange. That much can be said without any reservations. It's an infectious rhythm game, to be sure, but there's so many little quirks that keep it from being the great must-have title it could have been. Fortunately, there is enough good here to warrant a purchase if you are planning on playing with friends or family.
The two most important things in any rhythm game are the song selection and the gameplay style. Donkey Konga has style in spades. The DK Bongos are a great way to play - you either hit the left one, the right one, or both according to visual cues, as well as clapping (or yelling) occasionally into the microphone. The controls are very responsive and the bongos feel quite nice, but the visual cues don't seem to line up quite right on occasion. Overall it works fine, though, and allows for quite a bit of challenge as well.
The second part of the equation isn't so great, however. The songs in Donkey Konga are...questionable. Actually, it's one of the weirdest lineups of songs to ever grace a rhythm game. There's mediocre covers for songs such as "All the Small Things," or "Oye Como Va." Then there's the Pokémon TV show theme, a Zelda remix, some children's songs, and...swing music. There's sure to be something here for everybody, it seems, but it is rather random. The quality of the songs is moderate, and there's not an awful lot of them, which is rather unfortunate.
Donkey Konga is really lacking in game modes. The best stuff here is the multiplayer modes, such as versus or co-op. The minigames are a waste of time, mostly, and the single player is almost not even there. There's no incentive to go through and play a lot, either, because the only unlockable content is annoying bongo noises or extremely hard modes for the existing songs.
So, ultimately, Donkey Konga doesn't deliver like it should. It's great at parties or other social events, but more recent offerings such as Guitar Hero are much better at that. There's fun to be had here, but a better song selection, more modes, snazzier presentation, and more solid gameplay would have made this game shine.