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Chad's Donkey Kong 64 Review
Donkey Kong games have always been known for their superb graphics. Donkey Kong Country would have gotten little to no media attention if it weren't for the purchase of Rare's ACM capabilities. No one really knew what to expect from Donkey Kong 64 as far as graphics went. We thought we had seen it all when Banjo was jogging past photorealistically textured walls. We couldn't have been more wrong. Lighting. Speed. Shading. These are all graphic-related words, but only one word can truly sum up DK64's graphics: incredible. The levels were built amazingly, with awe-inspiring views, textures that would blow your mind, and lighting to set the mood. They all worked together to produce nine of the greatest challenges a game has ever seen. If you pay any attention at all to the site, you would know my love for Crystal Caves. The ice crystals shimmering, the floor reflecting, the waterfall flowing, everything here is truly a sight to behold. If you are in the middle of the game and are considering quitting early and shelving it, at least get to Crystal Caves for your own sake. It's the greatest thing ever known. But the levels comprise only about half of the graphic splendor. We must also examine the characters. They move fluidly. They are realistic. Hell, they look gouraud-shaded! I have yet to notice a polygon on Donkey Kong's body. Rare, as always, has included detail to the characters which many wouldn't notice. If you look at Donkey's back, you can see the indentation where his spinal cord is! Rare, I know you're going to floor us with Banjo-Tooie and Conker's BFD's graphics, but even if you only match DK64's, I'll be very happy.
10.0
The sound. Ohh, the sound. First, we have to look at the music. Rare-made DKU games have a long history of amazing music, and DK64 is no exception. Thanks to the wonderful tunes of Mr. Wise, the game is brought alive through remixes, alludings, and original songs. The Monkey Rap is hated by many, but I find it hilareous, and can't help but smile when listening to it. The greatest theme in the game is Fungi Forest's. It has a feel to it that seems new to DK games, but still manages to feel right. The DK64 Honorable Mention Song goes to one that is very underappreciated, and often overlooked. Whoever chose the songs for the CD should have shortened them all a few seconds to tack this one on: The K. Rool Battle Cinema Song. It adds a heroic sense to the battle, and raises the intensity for the fight to come. If you have already beaten it, go to setting, set the Sound Effects to 0, the music to the max, and go back to K. Rool. You see what I mean? David Wise is a musical genius. I only wish he were recognised more as the true artist he is.
10.0
This game had superb play control. You move the control stick, the character moves. You press A, the character jumps. Pretty basic. But when you get farther in the game, you learn more complex moves. There are 109 separate moves in this gargantuan game, but somehow, every one feels natural to me. I see a target in the distance, and I know that I have to hold Z and press C-left to take out my weapon, press C-up to look through it, and hold C-right to zoom in on the target. Every move is imprinted in my memory. But there is more to this game than just the normal run, jump, shoot, swim, etc. In some minigames, you have to press forward on the control stick to go fast, pull back to slow down, and jump only when appropriate. The minecarts were taken from DKC, and still come naturally in three dimensions, proving the cross-format compatibility of the DK series. Everything was rendered in 3D to begin with, so it all translates fluidly to three dimensions.
10.0
People, this was not the same "steal bananas, kidnap kongs" story from the SNES days. This was a tale of revenge and evil. Four years ago the Kongs destroyed the Kremling island so their evil nature would not thrive. They have returned for revenge. This is by far one of the deepest - and most original - plots to come out of any videogame. If there was any single reason, it would be that the story for Donkey Kong 64 has been building up since 1994, and we didn't even know it. I just can't wait to see what happens in the next chapter of the Donkey Kong saga.
10.0
My favorite game of all time, even beating the awe-inspiring DKC2, Donkey Kong 64 is an omen to the people such as Slush and myself who try to truly appreciate every aspect of a game. But we should also recognize that this game didn't make itself. There are a number of people who should be thanked for not only their DK64 contributions, but to past DK games as well. This list doesn't come close to entirity, but just these few names show that Rare has a dedicated staff of employees who make our cartridges all the more brilliant. They are, in no particular order, Mr. Gunn, Mr. Fischer, Mr. Mayles, Mr. Sutherland, the extremely supportive Ken Lobb, and of course, the founders of Rare, Chris and Tim Stamper. Donkey Kong 64, though my cartridge says 101% complete, doesn't feel finished. There was a vital piece missing: The Lost World of the Kremlings. With the recent announcement of Donkey Kong for GBC, and the GB Transfer Pak arriving soon, it seems logical that this adventure is far from over.
10.0
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