Donkey Konga

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This article is about the video game. For the series with the same name, see Donkey Konga (series).
Not to be confused with Donkey Kong.
Donkey Konga
Dkk.jpg
For alternate box art, see the game's gallery.
Developer Namco
Publisher Nintendo
Platform(s) Nintendo GameCube
Release date Template:Release
Language(s) English (United States)
French (Canada)
Spanish (Latin America)
Japanese
Genre Rhythm
Rating(s)
ESRB:E - Everyone
PEGI:3 - Three years and older
CERO:A - All ages
ACB:G - General
USK:0 - All ages
Mode(s) Single player, multiplayer
Format
Nintendo GameCube:
Optical disc
Input
Nintendo GameCube:
Serial code(s) DOL-GKGJ-JPN (Japan)

Donkey Konga is a Donkey Kong video game for the Nintendo GameCube. It was developed by Namco and published by Nintendo in 2003 in Japan and 2004 overseas. It is the first installment of the Donkey Konga series, and it is notable for being the first game to be compatible with the DK Bongos. A year later, a sequel to the game was released, Donkey Konga 2, followed by Donkey Konga 3 JP, the latter of which never received an international release.

Story

Photo of the story mode of Donkey Konga
The opening sequence
Donkey Kong recognizes the potential to become famous by publicly performing on the Bongos. Opening sequence of Donkey Konga
Donkey Kong realizes the potential to become famous from playing bongos.

Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong are strolling across a beach and suddenly find a mysterious pair of barrels. DK attempts to open it but is stopped by Diddy, who believes it is a trap from King K. Rool.

Following Diddy's advice, the duo take the barrels to Cranky Kong. Cranky chuckles and explains that they are bongos. DK decides to call them the "DK Bongos", and he plays on them. Diddy comments that DK is bad at the bongos, and he tries the bongos. DK, in turn, laughs and claims that Diddy plays the bongos poorly. He claps, which cause the bongos to glow. Cranky explains that the instrument glows and makes noises from detecting clapping.

In response, Donkey Kong and Diddy perform and clap with the bongos more. After they make a lot of loud noise, DK becomes discouraged and admits that he and Diddy are not good at playing the bongos. Cranky explains that nobody starts out as a professional, and their performance gradually improves from practicing. DK initially mentions his dislike of practicing, but suddenly realizes that he might achieve fame if he becomes good at the bongos, which Cranky believes to be a possibility. DK and Diddy then daydream about becoming rich and owning lots of bananas, causing Cranky to sigh and remind them to practice; the pair head out to get some training in as the scene ends.

Gameplay

The main menu of Donkey Konga
The main menu.

The main gameplay is largely identical to the Taiko no Tatsujin games, which were also designed by the same developers. The player has the option to utilize the DK Bongos or a standard GameCube controller. During gameplay, the player controls Donkey Kong, whose goal is to hit scrolling notes, known as beats. They must hit it with accurate timing when it moves under a cursor on the far left. There are four types of beats (red, light blue, yellow, and purple), and are each associated with a different button. A word appears on screen for every passing note, and the displayed word is based on the accuracy of the player hitting the beat. A combo is displayed if the player hits two or more consecutive beats, but it vanishes if the player misses a beat.

Variant Button
Yellow
Left drum beat 		Bongos: Left pad
Controller: Control Stick or +Control Pad
Red
Right drum beat 		Bongos: Right pad
Controller: A Button, B Button, X Button, Y Button, C Stick
Light blue
Clap 		Bongos: Clap
Controller: L Button, R Button, Z Button
Purple
Both drum beats 		Bongos: Both pads
Controller: Simultaneously hitting a button representing each a yellow and red note

Modes

All four gameplay modes (except Challenge) have three levels of difficulty modes, from lowest to highest: Monkey, Chimp, and Gorilla. The second player plays as Diddy Kong in multiplayer modes. Every song has a varying number of beats, which is indicated from the number of barrels next to their titles on the selection menu.


Image Name Description

Gameplay of Street Performance mode of Donkey Konga, with a beach background. Street Performance
1 player		 Based on the concept of street performance, Donkey Kong can perform songs and earn Coins, which he can use to purchase unlockables at DK Town. During gameplay, Donkey Kong earns two coins for every beat that he hits with perfect timing, or one coin for regularly-timed beats. A coin counter appears next to Ellie at the bottom-left with a self-explanatory purpose of keeping count of the number of collected coins. A bar at the top-right corner tracks how many notes the player hit. A "CLEAR" label appears in the center, and it divides the bar into two color-coded segments, red and yellow, which respectively represent poor and good performance. The bar gradually fills up for every note hit by the player, but it contrarily decreases for every missed note. The results are calculated after the song ends; Donkey Kong wins if the bar fills past the Clear label and keeps the Coins that he obtained on the way. If Donkey Kong loses at a challenge, he does not keep the coins.
Gameplay in Donkey Konga, with a ruins background theme. Rambi stands next to the counter, along with Cranky Kong. Numerous Banana Birds hop around the bottom of the screen.
1-2 players		 Challenge A mode where the player performs an endless number of songs to see how many they can clear. The song number is displayed on a counter in front of two Steel Kegs.
The multiplayer "Battle" mode of Donkey Konga
2 players		 Battle A multiplayer mode where Donkey Kong and Diddy competitively perform a song with a goal for the highest score.
The "Jam Session" mode of Donkey Konga
1-4 players		 Jam Session In this mode, DK and Diddy can practice their performance on songs. A displayed scoreboard counts by accuracy (Great, OK, and Bad) along with the number of missed beats.
The Ape Arcade menu of Donkey Konga
1-2 players		 Ape Arcade DK and Diddy can play the mini-games here if they purchased them from DK Town.
The DK Town mode of Donkey Konga
1 player		 DK Town DK Town is the only mode to solely take place on the main menu. Here, the player has the ability to purchase unlockables, including songs with on Gorilla difficulty level, mini-games, and sound sets. They can also view Street Performance, Challenge, and mini-game high scores in the Hall of Records. The former two options have individual charts per difficulty level. Lastly, the player can access the Electric Hut to change a few settings: Stereo/Mono, Volume Balance, and DK Bongo and Controller. The second option, Default, resets each setting to their default value.

DK Town unlockables

Jungle Jams

The player can purchase individual songs to perform on Gorilla (expert) difficulty. They cost the following amount of coins:

  • Diddy's Ditties: 365 coins
  • Bingo: 25 coins
  • Campfire Medley: 580 coins
  • Pokémon Theme: 250 coins
  • Kirby:Right Back at Ya!: 848 coins
  • We Will Rock You: 69 coins
  • Like Wow: 1,898 coins
  • Wild Thing: 580 coins
  • I Think I Love You: 99 coins
  • Louie Louie: 1,990 coins
  • The Loco-Motion: 2,060 coins
  • Shining Star: 1,005 coins
  • All the Small Things: 1,313 coins
  • Rock This Town: 644 coins
  • You Can't Hurry Love: 3,399 coins
  • Right Here, Right Now: 1,200 coins
  • Dancing in the Street: 1,745 coins
  • Rock Lobster: 980 coins
  • Stupid Cupid: 1,599 coins
  • The Impression That I Get: 1,399 coins
  • What I Like About You: 590 coins
  • Whip It: 707 coins
  • Busy Child: 800 coins
  • Para Los Rumberos: 380 coins
  • Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing): 12 coins
  • Oye Como Va: 2,250 coins
  • On the Road Again: 1,600 coins
  • Hungarian Dance No.5 in G Minor: 1,848 coins
  • Turkish March: 331 coins
  • DK Rap: 6,800 coins
  • The Legend of Zelda Theme: 4,900 coins
  • Mario Bros. Theme: 4,900 coins
  • Donkey Konga Theme: 100 coins

Bongo Sets

The player can purchase alternate sounds for the bongos to make during gameplay. They cost the following amount of coins:

  • Electric Drum Set: 25,000 coins
  • Konga Crew Set: 64 coins
  • Toy Set: 14,900 coins
  • Quiz Set: 912 coins
  • Mario Set: 4,599 coins
  • Dogs Set: 11 coins
  • Kirby Set: 2,599 coins
  • Latin Percussion Set: 1,900 coins
  • Zelda Set: 4,599 coins
  • Big Band Set: 88 coins
  • Laser Space Set: 77 coins
  • Car Set: 66 coins
  • Country Set: 49 coins
  • Barnyard Set: 1,050 coins
  • Classical Orchestra Set: 2,220 coins
  • Cold Set: 460 coins
  • Whip It Set: 707 coins
  • Jungle Set: 333 coins

Monkey Shines

The player can purchase three mini-games to play in the ape arcade, two of which have a 2-player competitive (Vs.) mode.


Image Name Description

Gameplay of Donkey Kong in the 100M Vine Climb mini-game of Donkey Konga 100M Vine Climb
Cost: 4,800 coins		 Single player: "Climb vines and collect fruit to set records!"
Multiplayer (Vs.): "Climb vines and collect fruit to be the king of the Jungle!
The Banana Juggle mini-game of Donkey Konga Banana Juggle
Cost: 5,800 coins		 Single player: "Juggle bananas and set records!"
Multiplayer (Vs.): "Compete at juggling! Only one ape can win!"
Gameplay of the Bash K.Rool mini-game of Donkey Konga. Bash K.Rool
Cost: 5,800 coins		 "Slam King K.Rool back into the ground. Go for high scores!"

List of songs

Donkey Konga features around thirty songs, most of which differ between regional release. Every region has songs that originate from other Nintendo titles along with traditional music, including kids' medleys, pop and classical. Almost every traditional song was made into a shortened cover for the North American release.

Japan
North America
Europe

Regional differences

Aside from a different set of songs, Donkey Konga's North American logo is different from the European and Japanese logo. This change is reflected both in-game and on each region's box cover. The Japanese logo has a subtitle, which western versions do not have.

Title screen for Donkey Konga
North America
European title screen for Donkey Konga
Europe
Japanese title screen for Donkey Konga
Japan

Every title screen depicts a scene of the beach, but the North American one displays a different scene from the European and Japanese versions. The latter two depict a straight view of the beach, which is partially obscured by the game's logo. The North American title screen shows Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong partying at the shore, complete with a pair of bongos and a boombox in the scene.

The GameCube menu banner for Donkey Konga in North America.
North America
The European and Japanese GameCube menu banner for Donkey Konga.
Europe/Japan

The logo on the GameCube menu banner is also different between regions.

A start up warning that only appears in the Japanese release of Donkey Konga. It reminds players to be mindful of play time, sounds, and vibrations.

There is a start-up warning advising players to be wary of vibrations, the sound, and the time of day they play, though this message does not appear in international releases. A health and safety warning is featured in every regional release of Donkey Konga 2, but this exact warning was also featured in the Japanese version of the sequel.

Browser game

A screenshot of the Donkey Konga microsite.

An interactive microsite to promote Donkey Konga was developed by Lightmaker and published by Nintendo in 2004. The microsite allows the player to explore Konga Island to find information about Donkey Konga, and contains four levels of an Adobe Flash version of the game, where the player must control the DK Bongos with the arrow keys and space bar. Konga Island features four areas:

  • Beach: The starting area, where each of the levels of the Donkey Konga training session are played.
  • Waterfall: Unlocked after completing level 1. It features an "About Donkey Konga" section, as well as a minigame where Donkey Kong must throw coconuts at barrels to release 6 music notes. Collecting them reveals the opening theme from Donkey Kong.
  • Jungle: Unlocked after completing level 2. It allows the player to view 20 screenshots of Donkey Konga, as well as play a minigame where Donkey Kong must collect 16 falling notes to create a wildlife melody.
  • Konga Island Outdoor Cinema: Unlocked after completing level 3. It allows the player to view a commercial for Donkey Konga.

Completing the first three levels unlocks the fourth and final level, which unlocks a downloadable Donkey Konga wallpaper and screensaver upon completion.

Reception

“As an executive, I hated Donkey Konga[...] The first game actually sold reasonably well, but boy was I not a fan.”
—Reggie Fils-Aimé
Reviews
Release Reviewer, Publication Score Comment
Nintendo GameCube Tom Bramwell, Eurogamer 6/10 In the end, Donkey Konga is just too short-lived, even in multiplayer, to be worth the sort of outlay it represents. Nintendo has been surprisingly generous in its pricing here - most people will sell you the game and a set of bongos for £30 as far as we can see, and extra sets run to just £20 - but with the songs already shortened (and covered by a fairly decent bunch of impersonators, rather than licensed, curiously) Donkey Konga just doesn't have the legs. We appreciate the simplicity of the idea, but in the absence of the hidden depths we normally expect from this sort of game - or the ritual humiliation we now demand - it ultimately wears thin far too quickly. And for that reason we can't see it becoming the eBay legend that Samba was, although we've little doubt that you'll be able to find it on there all too quickly.
Nintendo GameCube Juan Castro, IGN 8.5/10 Donkey Konga packs hours of fun. It's a good single-player experience and a great multiplayer one. If you can round up four buddies and four bongo controllers, you're set for the evening. All that's missing in a room with this game (and four bongos) is booze and a bowl of Tostitos. A somewhat limited song selection is the only thing keeping the multiplayer aspect from being the greatest thing EVAR, so to speak. The graphics, while bland and lacking several layers of polish, get the job done without causing too much of an eye-sore. The mini-games offer a little fun, but your best still sits in Kongo's primary game modes.
Aggregators
Compiler Platform / Score
Metacritic 76
GameRankings 77.67%

In a 2022 interview, Nintendo of America executive Reggie Fils-Aimé confessed to hating Donkey Konga, stating he had "pushed back" against the Japanese office regarding the game, finding it unfun to play and that it might hurt the Donkey Kong brand.[1]

Staff

Main article: List of Donkey Konga staff

Hiroyuki Onoda was the director of this game and would later reprise his role for its sequels. Koji Kondo and Toru Minegishi are credited as sound support. Along with Masanori Sato, prominent Super Mario franchise illustrator Yoichi Kotabe served as graphic support.

Gallery

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Donkey Konga.

Media

Help:Media • Having trouble playing?

References to other media

Names in other languages

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese ドンキーコンガ[?]
Donkī Konga 		Donkey Konga

References

  1. ^ Xplay (May 3, 2022). Reggie Fils-Aimé Interview + Star Wars Games! | Xplay Live (1:07:24). YouTube (English). Retrieved May 3, 2022.

External links

Donkey Konga coverage on other NIWA wikis:
[Edit]
Donkey Kong games
Platformers Donkey Kong series Donkey Kong (1981, arcade) • Donkey Kong Jr. (1982, arcade) • Donkey Kong 3 (1983, arcade) • Donkey Kong Jr. Math (1983, NES) • Donkey Kong 3: Dai Gyakushū (1984, computer) • Donkey Kong (1994, GB)
Donkey Kong Country series Donkey Kong Country (1994, SNES) • Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (1995, SNES) • Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! (1996, SNES) • Donkey Kong Country Returns (2010, Wii) • Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (2014, Wii U)
Donkey Kong Land series Donkey Kong Land (1995, GB) • Donkey Kong Land 2 (1996, GB) • Donkey Kong Land III (1997, GB)
Mario vs. Donkey Kong series Mario vs. Donkey Kong (2004, GBA) • Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis (2006, DS) • Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again! (2009, DSiWare) • Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem! (2010, DS) • Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move (2013, 3DS) • Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars (2015, 3DS/Wii U) • Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge (2016, 3DS/Wii U)
DK series DK: King of Swing (2005, GBA) • DK: Jungle Climber (2007, DS) (Banana Bonanza [Unknown, Adobe Flash] • Rolling Panic [Unknown, Adobe Flash] • Banana Grab [Unknown, Adobe Flash])
Miscellaneous Donkey Kong 64 (1999, N64) • Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (2004, GCN)
Racing games Diddy Kong Racing (1997, N64) • Donkey Kong Barrel Blast (2007, Wii)
Donkey Konga series Donkey Konga (2003, GC) • Donkey Konga 2 (2004, GC) • Donkey Konga 3 JP (2005, GC)
Other Donkey Kong Circus (1984, G&W) • Donkey Kong Hockey (1984, G&W) • Donkey Kong (1996, arcade) • Donkey Konk (1999, Adobe Shockwave) • Donkey Kong 64 Lore Quiz (1999, Adobe Shockwave) • Memory Kong (1999, Windows/Mac OS) • Couic d'or ! (1999, Windows/Mac OS) • Picross NP Vol. 8 (2000, SFC) • Kremling Krushin (2000, Adobe Flash) • Donkey Kong Country Barrel Maze (2003, Adobe Shockwave) • Mini-Mario Factory Game! (2004, Adobe Flash) • Hurling for Distance (2005, Adobe Flash) • Barrel-Blastapalooza (2005, Adobe Flash) • Donkey Kong: Jungle Fever (2005, arcade) • Mario vs. DK 2: Cannon Kaos (2006, Adobe Flash) • Donkey Kong: Banana Kingdom (2006, arcade) • Timber's Balloon Pop (2007, Adobe Flash) • Play Nintendo activities (2014–present)
Reissues Crazy Kong (1981, arcade) • Donkey Kong (1982, G&W) • Donkey Kong Jr. (1982, G&W) • Donkey Kong II (1983, G&W) • Donkey Kong Jr. + Jr. Sansū Lesson (1983, NES) • Donkey Kong 3 (1984, G&W) • Donkey Kong Classics (1988, NES) • Donkey Kong (1994, NGW) • Donkey Kong Country Competition Cartridge (1994, SNES) • Donkey Kong Country (2000, GBC) • Donkey Kong Country (2003, GBA) • Classic NES Series: Donkey Kong (2004, GBA) • Donkey Kong Country 2 (2004, GBA) • Donkey Kong/Donkey Kong Junior/Mario Bros. (2004, arcade) • Donkey Kong Country 3 (2005, GBA) • Diddy Kong Racing DS (2007, DS) • New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (Wii, 2008) • Donkey Kong Original Edition (2010, VC) • Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D (2013, 3DS) • Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (2018, Switch) • Mario vs. Donkey Kong (2024, Switch) • Donkey Kong Country Returns HD (2025, Switch)
Tech demos Unnamed Donkey Kong Country proof-of-concept (Unknown, VB) • puzzle (Unknown, N64) • spritemonkeyEX (Unknown, N64) • Mario vs. Donkey Kong Wii U demo (2014, Wii U)
Pitches / canceled games Donkey Kong no Ongaku Asobi (FC) • Donkey Kong IV (arcade) • Return of Donkey Kong (NES) • Super Donkey (SNES) • CD-i Donkey Kong game (CD-i) • Donkey Kong vs. Super Wario (SNES) • Donkey Kong and the Golden Bananas (SNES) • D.K.R. DMG (GB) • Donkey Kong Coconut Crackers (GBA) • Diddy Kong Pilot (2001/2003) (GBA) • Donkey Kong Racing (GCN) • Donkey Kong Plus (GCN/GBA) • Diddy Kong Racing Adventure (GCN) • Donkey Kong Country 4 (DS) • DK Bongo Blast (GCN) • Freedom (Switch)
Crossovers Super Smash Bros. series Super Smash Bros. (1999, N64) • Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001, GCN) • Super Smash Bros. Brawl (2008, Wii) • Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS (2014, 3DS) • Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (2014, Wii U) • Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018, Switch)
NES Remix series Main NES Remix (2013, Wii U)
Reissues NES Remix Pack (2014, Wii U) • Ultimate NES Remix (2014, 3DS)
[Edit]
Nintendo GameCube games
Super Mario franchise Luigi's Mansion (2001) • Super Mario Sunshine (2002) • Mario Party 4 (2002) • Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour (2003) • Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (2003) • Mario Party 5 (2003) • Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (2004) • Mario Power Tennis (2004) • Mario Party 6 (2004) • Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix (2005) • Mario Superstar Baseball (2005) • Mario Party 7 (2005) • Super Mario Strikers (2005)
Donkey Kong franchise Donkey Konga (2003) • Donkey Konga 2 (2004) • Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (2004) • Donkey Konga 3 JP (2005)
Wario franchise Wario World (2003) • WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Game$! (2003)
Other Super Mario 128 (2000, demo) • Super Smash Bros. Melee (2001) • Nintendo Puzzle Collection (2003) • NBA Street V3 (2005) • SSX on Tour (Nintendo Village) (2005) • Donkey Kong Racing (cancelled) • Diddy Kong Racing Adventure (cancelled)
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