DK64 stands proudly as one of the last great platform games before the onslaught of the sixth console generation.
• Vivid and bright colors
• Large levels that beg exploration
• Some really neat gameplay mechanics
• Memorable level music
Cons:
• Too many characters and items lead to a lot of sometimes frustrating backtracking
• Short draw distance
• The formula has been done over and over again, and this won't appeal to anyone who already has a firm hatred of platformers
Though perhaps a little too complex for its own good, Donkey Kong 64 still manages today to be a good time. Its big, involved levels full of passageways and items, as well as the way it constantly rewards players for taking on new challenges, make it worth at least an inspection. The minute the game is booted up, it practically screams 'RareWare', which, on this occasion, is a beautiful thing.
Apparently, long-time nemesis King K. Rool has stolen Donkey's hoard of magic golden bananas (complete with a Nintendo 64 logo on each), and kidnapped his friends. Worse, he's also charging up a nasty ray to destroy the Kongs' island. Zap. So it's up to Donkey to free his friends, get back those corporate logos…err, bananas…and rescue his buddies. Diddy Kong returns from the Donkey Kong Country days, but the other three Kongs of the five-monkey bunch are all newcomers. There's minuscule pigtailed Tiny, muscle-bound Chunky, and clownish Lanky. Nothing in the game takes itself seriously, which is good, and the whole thing manages to be a more than adequate platformer plot.
DK64 is a huge game even today. Not only does it require that players use an Expansion Pak just to save, but it supposedly has graphics more advanced than any seen on the N64 prior to this. Of course, it's been a while, and naturally the visuals don't look so hot compared to those of new consoles. The draw distance isn't anything to write home about either, with things popping up unexpectedly at short distances. Though it's never too disruptive, it does get annoying when some tantalizing cluster of coins or bananas seems to be hovering in the air thanks to the tree beneath them not appearing, or when you need to cross quicksand and can't see the vines you need to do so. Water does look nice, however, and splashes fairly convincingly, while the bright colors and judicious use of textures make the various worlds exciting to explore. It's essentially a 3D version of the SNES Donkey Kong Country games, though of course a little blockier given the added dimension. Unfortunately, some of the level geometry, despite the pretty skins, is flat-out lazy. If Super Mario 64 can have actual stairs, a game this much newer ought to as well instead of a boasting a level surface with a texture on top to make it 'look' as though there are right-angle indents of stairs.
If you've played the Banjo-Kazooie titles, DK64 controls just as fluidly as those games. You've got a variety of different jumps, punches, kicks, slides, and whatnot, and can purchase new abilities at various shops around the game. Unfortunately, the plethora of moves start off too numerous, and only get more so as the game goes on. Given that the game features five different characters, it's just a little too complicated to keep swapping them out, in order, to pull a lever, then shoot a switch, pound a pad, find the right move, and finally get to whatever you were looking for. After all, since it's a platformer, DK64 revolves around collecting stuff. Lots of stuff. So much stuff that I doubt any platformer to date has had so much stuff to gather. Fortunately, there's something to do with all of the items, so they never feel too extraneous or random.
The twist is that there are five different-colored versions of items, which – you guessed it – mean that version can only be collected by a certain character. Yellow items? It's Donkey Kong for the job. Red pickups? Diddy Kong. And so forth. This can be viewed as added replay value, or an annoyance. After spending time in a stage for a while, it often swings towards the latter. The good part is that every level is tailored so that you'll have to use each Kong in turn to get the most out of it, which usually means there are big sections of levels you'll only see as a particularly Kong. The Kongs also each have their own special moves (purchased from cantankerous Cranky) such as Tiny's shrink ability or Diddy's super-awesome flight power. Modern platform games seriously need to implement more flying abilities, because it's truly exhilarating.
Again, what saves the game from being a total slog-fest is that levels often have areas that only one character can access, leaving large sections of the world unexplored until the character with the proper weapon or ability can be found to open it. Donkey Kong 64 really is a massive platform game when one thinks about it – there's a huge amount to gather, do, and open up. Levels always include a fun handful of minigames, which range from herding beavers into a hole to firing watermelons at Kremlings, adding lots of variety. This game is a completionist's dreamland, because just gathering golden bananas isn't enough to warrant full mastery. If you want the elusive 101% completion, you also get to gather 500 regular bananas in each level, earn 15 banana tokens, play retro games Jetpac and 1981 Donkey Kong, snap photos of 20 elusive fairies, fight in every battle arena, win every minigame, and snag every single one of the golden bananas (because only 100 out of the 201 are necessary to get to the last boss, and the final "Rare Banana" is only accessible if all the fairies have been photographed). It's a mammoth undertaking only for the most dedicated of gamers, but those not up to the task can just get the bare necessities in order to conquer K. Rool and win.
DK64 also incorporates a multiplayer function, which features two modes: Battle arena and competition (cleverly called Monkey Smash). The battle arena is little more than frustrating; with random items popping up and a tiny platform that never affords enough room to maneuver. It descends into flat-out button mashing very quickly. Monkey Smash includes a three maps, and consists of players choosing a character and then commencing to run about under whatever rules are currently in place (modes include Capture the Crown, Survival, and standard deathmatch among others). The maps are all obnoxious and dull, with the exception of one. That last one is fairly entertaining, and multiplayer can get fun with four players bashing each other, but it won't offer anything for older players or parties of less than four. Being less than expansive and more of a skeleton, multiplayer's only real redeeming quality is its focus on melee attacks as opposed to weaponry. Overall, though, it's useful only as a quick diversion, and most of it isn't available until fairies have been photographed in the main game. You can also unlock all of the numerous mini-games, but again these are only nice little diversions. Multiplayer and unlockables are not enough to bring you back to DK64 after completing it in its entirety, but after spending the huge amount of time necessary to master it you probably won't want to bother.
Like most Rare games, Donkey Kong 64 sounds great, even today. Of course it doesn't have the cinematic quality of modern games, but it has heart. The thwacking and clunking of punches and coconut cannons sound just as one would expect it to, and the thumps and death-squeaks of the enemies all are worth a smile. Excelling also in the tunes department, DK64 sports some truly catchy and very well-done music. In some levels, it changes between major and minor key depending on surroundings, or even throws in a heavier base line during combat. It's memorable, and that's a good thing. I've had the Angry Aztec level theme lodged in a dark little corner of my brain for the past eight years or so, and it's a welcome guest.
Donkey Kong 64 is a colorful romp through a huge game world, whose mechanics unfortunately offer little in the way of innovation. Gamers who don't want to traipse through levels over and over with different characters should steer clear, as well as anybody who doesn't care much for platformers. If, however, you have even the slightest interest in the Donkey Kong Country games or platformers in general, you would do well to at least try DK64 out, as it stands proudly as one of the last great platform games before the onslaught of the sixth console generation.