Palm-poundin' action on the GC... with monkeys.
Donkey Konga 2 takes the classic rhythm game formula and "Nintendo-fys" it. The characters are all familiar from past games, the controls are simple (yet cleverly frustrating), and the songs are kid-friendly. Unfortunately, the characters are relatively unknown (besides Donkey and Diddy Kong) and don't add anything to the game. There isn't even a story, and while not a genre standard, have one still would be nice. But past the lame characters and non-existant story is the excellent bongo controller. I would give it a 9/10, simply for being so easy to use and for Namco creating interesting ways to make it challenging. Beating the bongos, following the colors, and hitting them at the right time becomes second nature after a while, and the game would be GREAT...if only the songs were a pleasure to beat along to (pun NOT intended). The songs are pretty annoying, and some even grate on the nerves. Luckily, you can adjust the bongo/song volume ratio.