Ricardo Torres
Senior Editor

Donkey Kong Jungle Beat

Despite a modest lineup of heavy hitters, there's some strong content to look forward to for Nintendo's underappreciated system. One of the Cube's sleepers in 2005 will likely be Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, the inventive platformer that makes downright amazing use of the DK bongo controller, which really stands out among your collection of game peripherals. The game was released late last year in Japan and served as a powerful reminder of the magic that Nintendo's development team can make.

DK Jungle Beat's premise is as old-school as it gets: You'll guide everyone's favorite tie-wearing ape on a challenging 2D-esque journey from left to right and up and down while facing off against bosses at predetermined locations. Pretty basic, eh? But how you do it is pretty brilliant. The DK Bongo controller will let you move DK by bopping on the left or right bongo, and you can make him jump by hitting both bongos at the same time. Clapping, which is picked up by the controller's built-in microphone, causes the nimble primate to clap. This lets him interact with his surroundings in various ways. These simple mechanics, which eventually take on a much more rhythm-oriented hue as you progress through the game's fruit-themed levels, are easy to pick up, thus ensuring DK Jungle Beat is a game anyone can play after five minutes. However, the game's rhythm-based flavor requires some effort to master. As for the boss fights, you'd be hard-pressed to find battles that are more fun on any console as you take on assorted apes in one-on-one fighting matches or in clashes with massive egg-carrying birds.

Before you think the game is too old-school, though, you should know that DK Jungle Beat balances its simple mechanics and 2D-style gameplay with gorgeous visuals that reflect the game's standing as a third-generation title in the GameCube software library. The unique art style unfolds in sweet touches of visual flair that include such niceties as intricately detailed fur and feathers on various animals' bodies. The environments, while basically 2D in nature, are given rich depth thanks to the 3D elements in them that all bring DK's crazy world to life.

There may not be as big a lineup for the GameCube in 2005 as there was last year, but DK Jungle Beat should prove that it's the quality, not the quantity, that will do Cube owners right.

God of War

One of the coolest things about the latter years of a system is seeing developers show off their hard-earned skills for it. As the PlayStation 2 enters what will be its fifth year in the US (yep, it's been five years this October), the final waves of games to hit the platform will be mighty showcases for the hard lessons learned as developers cut their teeth on Sony's powerful system. One of the best examples of this is God of War, Sony's upcoming third-person action title developed at its Santa Monica Studio under the watchful but twisted eye of David Jaffe, of Twisted Metal fame.

The dark game mixes third-person action elements with a stylized take on Greek mythology that looks to be one heck of a combination. You'll play as a Spartan warrior named Kratos who sets out to kill Ares, the god of war. Given that the task of killing a god isn't something you do every day, Kratos has some preparation to do before confronting Ares, which is what the game is all about. Your task is to collect Pandora's Box, which is housed in an "MC Escher possessed by Satan"-designed, booby-trapped tower full of fatal puzzles and vicious enemies. As if that wasn't enough of a hook, the game is essentially a flashback of the last three weeks of Kratos' life. It seems as though something went horribly wrong on Kratos' quest, because he commits suicide when you see him at the start of the game. What happened and how such an amazing warrior could choose to punch his own ticket is just one of the mysteries you'll unravel as you go through the game's surprisingly rich story.

As interesting as God of War's story is, though, the game's real charm lies in its varied gameplay, which mixes action, puzzle, and action role-playing-game elements into a cohesive package that looks great. Kratos is an "ancient" ass-kicker of epic proportions thanks to an arsenal of moves that is both deadly and cool. Best of all, your move set will grow as you go through the game and earn experience, allowing you to buff up your titan as your opposition gets more menacing. You'll duke it out with a "greatest hits" sampling of Greek mythology's most popular monsters, such as gorgons, cyclopes, and sea serpents, to name but a few. In keeping with today's modern sensibilities, Kratos will be a thinking man's hero who will also have to overcome challenges that require the use of his brain, as opposed to just brute force.

The whole package is tied up nicely with a gorgeous graphics engine that pushes the PlayStation 2 to new heights. The game will include high-polygon models, massive environments, and tight gameplay. So what's not to look forward to?