New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat

New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat
For alternate box art, see the game's gallery.
Developer	Nintendo EAD Tokyo
Publisher	Nintendo
Platform(s)	Wii, Wii U
Genre	Platform
Rating(s)	ESRB: - Everyone 10+ PEGI: - Seven years and older CERO: - All ages
Mode(s)	Single player
Input	Wii: Wii Remote and Nunchuk

New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat is a 2.5D platform game and a port of the Nintendo GameCube game Donkey Kong Jungle Beat released on the Wii as part of the New Play Control! series, a line of enhanced ports of Nintendo GameCube games remade to take advantage of the Wii's motion controls. However, New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat is the only game to feature exclusive content, having new and redesigned levels and gameplay modifications to fit the new method of control.

Story

In contrast to the original Nintendo GameCube version, the game was given a different, expanded story.

Story from the instruction booklet:

One day, the peace of the jungle was disrupted by a rampaging pack of wild baddies who wreaked havoc on the residents of the jungle.

Not only that, but they laid claim to every kingdom and stole each one's precious bananas!

"This calls for the one and only Donkey Kong!"

Join forces with your jungle buddies to face an array of powerful enemies and restore peace to the jungle!

Story from American website:

Donkey Kong sets out to prove he's king of the jungle and beyond. He rampages through lava caves, savage seas and crazy locales like a ninja-chimp fortress. Only when Donkey Kong defeats all the kings of his world – by boxing with apes, rabid warthogs, ballistic elephants and giant birds – can he call himself king.

Story from European website

When an army of invaders infiltrate Donkey Kong’s jungle home and help themselves to every banana they can get their hands on, you know there’s going to be trouble. With a rumbling stomach and the support of some fellow banana-starved buddies, the agitated ape sets out to reclaim what’s rightfully his and liberate the kingdoms he passes through in the process.

During the events of the game, the jungle and various fruit kingdoms are overrun by the various minions of the Ghastly King. The bananas from the jungle are also all stolen, scattered throughout the various kingdoms. Donkey Kong decides to help by facing and defeating the kings of each kingdom to both liberate the kingdoms and reclaim the bananas.

During his journeys, in which he defeats the kings in each kingdom, Ghastly King claims to rule the world. However, his plans are thwarted when Donkey Kong arrives and beats Ghastly King. The Helper Monkeys and Ninjapes, as well as the four Kongs under Ghastly King, then celebrate the defeat of the duo, with Donkey Kong being named the new king.

Gameplay changes

Donkey Kong on a Sleep Pig Poppo, showing how to attack an enemy with the Wii Remote and Nuchuk.

New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat is played using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk. Donkey Kong is controlled with the analog stick of the Nunchuk, and to clap the player must flick the Wii Remote. Unlike the original game, Donkey Kong's Sound Wave Attacks are directional rather than based on a radius. In addition, while the Clap Grab is still available, the player can no longer Clap Grab while in the air or underwater. Punching enemies is accomplished by shaking the Wii Remote and Nunchuck repeatedly. The Jungle Buddies are also all controlled using the analog stick. Donkey Kong is also able to duck by holding down on the analog stick; this action was not in the original game at all. Through this, he can now Ground Slap.

Rather than use beats as health throughout the kingdom, beats only serve as health in boss battles. In standard levels, the player is given three hearts as health, as well as a life counter, which can be increased by collecting 1-Up Coins. These can be found through various circumstances and by collecting specific numbers of beats (200, 500, 1000, 1500, etc.). If the player loses all of their hearts, they lose a life rather than automatically getting a game over; because of this, checkpoints have been implemented into the levels.

The crest system has also been revised; there are no longer different crests, but a number of crests the player can still obtain by earning a certain number of bananas. The player can earn up to three crests from each kingdom; 200 beats earns the player one crest, 500 two, and 1000 and above three. Collecting all of the crests in one barrel results in the player unlocking the fourth kingdom in that barrel. The other Kingdoms are unlocked after the previous one has been completed, as opposed to gathering a certain number of crests.

Kingdom and boss changes

The new menu selection.

In the New Play Control! version, there are three kingdoms per barrel, as well as a fourth one that is unlocked by obtaining all nine crests in the first three. The kingdoms in this version are unlocked in a sequential order, the next kingdom being unlocked by clearing the previous one rather than having to have a certain number of crests. The unlockable kingdoms are the kingdoms that were in the B Barrel in the original version. Two new kingdoms have also been added to the game, and some of the bosses and stages have been swapped compared to the original. The order they appear in is as follows:

Barrel	Kingdom	Levels	Boss
D Barrel	white	white	white
		white
		white
	white	white	white
		white
		white
	white	white	white
		Desert Oasis
		white
	white*	white4	white
		white
		white
K Barrel	black	black	black
		black
		black
	black	black	black1
		black
		black1
	black	black	black
		black
		black
	black*	black4	black5
		black
		black5
J Barrel	white	white	white1
		white
		white1
	white	white	white2
		white
		white2
	white	white	white2
		white
		white2
	white*	white	white5
		white
		white5
B Barrel	black	black	black3
		black
		black3
	black	black	black3
		black
		black3
	black	black	black
		black
		black
	black*	black	black
		black
		black
Moon Barrel	white		Cactus King
	white		white
	white**	white	white
		white	white
		white	white
		white	white
		white	white
	white**		None

• * - Unlockable stages.
• ** - Only in the New Play Control! version.
• ¹²³⁴⁵ - Indicates swapped from original.

Other changes

• The game now supports 16:9 widescreen display.
• The camera is in general more zoomed in.
• Six different save files are available, unlike the original, which has only one per memory card.
• Beats are simply called bananas.
• Bananas have been added at various points.
• A new type of item container appears, a giant underground seed that must be Ground Slapped repeatedly to make bloom.
• Opening Ceremony can no longer be selected once the player has completed it.
• During Opening Ceremony, Donkey Kong may also save various Helper Monkeys trapped inside bubbles by using the Sound Wave Attack.
• Mini Panda is now a blue bear.
• Gale Hawgs and Fire Pig Poppos now have large tusks, while Sleep Pig Poppos' are enlarged to match.
• The ice balls thrown by Coco Pigs at Aurora Glacier are now spiked instead of spherical, likely to better show they are dangerous.
• Helper Monkeys are scattered around various points of kingdoms to give the player advice.
• The Snow Moles have been removed from Silver Snow Peak, replaced with shiny spiked rocks. Several pits have also been added to the course.
• The spiky white ice crystals found in various ice stages are now bright orange, likely for better visibility.
• Enemy arrangement has been slightly altered. Notably, Kamikami have been completely removed and replaced by the similar Karikari.
  • Many small enemies, such as Karikari, Mini Pig Poppos, and Mini Iga are made slightly larger.
• Various new obstacles have been added, such as stacks of cacti, skull-marked blocks that act similar to Thwomps, and Wire Traps.
• Barrel Cannons are used in the place of the Bane Hana from the original.
• Primeval Ruins contains gray rocks that can be Ground Slapped to make passages appear elsewhere. Certain terrain in other stages can be broken this way.
• Donkey Kong now wears a crown after defeating a boss. The crown can also be worn during gameplay after the player completes the game with all crests and crowns.
• There are now 60 crests instead of 72.
• The Karate Kong battle is shown from a different camera angle while Donkey Kong is punching.
• Due to closer camera angles, a zoomed-in image of Donkey Kong is no longer shown at the bottom left-hand corner of the screen at any point.
• Stacks of logs have been added to various parts of levels, and give bananas when broken.
• Blooms give the player an extra life for collecting one hundred of them instead of giving one hundred beats/bananas.
• The color of the interior of Roc eggs is glowing purple rather than red, with purple smoke rather than black. It also now glows purple.

Reception

Critical reception for the New Play Control! version of Donkey Kong Jungle Beat game was positive, though not as much as the original. The game still received praise for its graphics, and while the new style of gameplay received some praise for retaining, it was also criticized for lacking the ingenuity and feel of the bongo controls. Like the original, this release also received criticism for its short length and lack of replay value.

Reviews
Reviewer, Publication	Score	Comment
Matt Casamassina, IGN	8.4/10	"I'd be lying if I indicated I didn't miss bongo support for this once- wholly-unique 3D platformer. I do. I've still got my bongos so it's downright disappointing that I can't plug them in and play with them. But that said, the 'new play controls' work very well and, besides, they do sometimes add welcomed precision and responsiveness. The amazing graphical presentation -- great for four years ago and still great by Wii standards today -- holds up beautifully. And best of all, the engaging level designs will still suck you in and the combo system will keep you coming back for more. With it's reduced price tag -- less than $29.99 online -- DK Jungle Beat is a fantastic platformer that discerning Nintendo fans shouldn't be without."
Stuart Reddick, Nintendo Life	9/10	"New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat is the third title in Nintendo’s new line of 'Wiimakes' and boy, is it good. Everything there was to love about the original can be found here, including a handful of new content. The game excels in practically every department, and while it may only take a couple of hours to complete, it's filled with replay value. The lack of DK Bongo support is unfortunate, but not a deal-breaker. If you missed out on the Gamecube version, you owe it to yourself to pick up this must-play platformer."
Dan Pearson, Eurogamer	8/10	"If you never caught the original, then this is almost a must-have. It's stuffed with charm and clever ideas like the score-maxing hint sections displayed upon level-completion. In fact, this is classic platforming with the added bonus of individuality and innovation. If, like a hippy with particularly adhesive locks, you were dreadfully attached to your bongo set, you may take time to adjust. I can only implore you to try."
Adam Riley, Cubed3	8/10	"Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat was an instant classic when it arrived on the GameCube and now, complete with its impressive new control scheme and welcomed extras, it shines bright amongst a plethora of average Wii titles. If you missed out the first time, make sure the same does not happen again..."
Aggregators
Compiler		Platform / Score
Metacritic		78
GameRankings		81

Gallery

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Donkey Kong Jungle Beat.

• 

  New Play Control! logo

• 

  Donkey Kong

• 

  Helper Monkey

• 

  Jungle Deeps

Media

Disc Channel

File infoMedia:Donkey Kong Jungle Beat Banner.mp3 ​

Help:Media • Having trouble playing?

Quotes

Main article: List of New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat quotes

• "Oh! My aching head... Hey, DK! The other kingdoms have taken all our bananas away! Please help us! Go show those nasty kings who's boss! Oh! I almost forgot... If you swipe while tilting , you'll send a sound wave in the direction you're focusing!" - Helper Monkey
• "You're not far from the king now! Are you grabbing every banana you can? You need every banana you can find for the coming battle!" - Helper Monkey
• "THE WORLD IS MINE! ALL MINE!" - Ghastly King/Cactus King

Staff

Main article: List of New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat staff

New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat was developed by Nintendo EAD Tokyo. The producers were Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. Futoshi Shirai and Haruka Kakinuma were the director and assistant director, respectively. Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka along with Hiroyuki Kimura were also the general producers. Satoru Iwata was once again the executive producer. The staff for the original game was also credited.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	Wiiであそぶ ドンキーコングジャングルビート[?] Wii de Asobu Donkīkongu Janguru Bīto	Play with Wii Donkey Kong Jungle Beat
Chinese	Wii來玩 大金剛森林節拍 Wii Láiwán Dàjīngāng Sēnlín Jiépāi	Play with Wii Donkey Kong Jungle Beat

External links

• European English site
• New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat at Nintendo
• Japanese Site