Donkey Kong Ports & Spin-Off Games

DK Month wouldn't be complete without talking about EVERY Donkey Kong Game out there. We're gonna look at every crystal coconut and brown banana we can find.
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[@GMTK]

A little known fact is that the man in the original Donkey Kong arcade game was actually "Mario", the protagonist of games such as Mario is Missing, Mario Teaches Typing, and NBA Street V3

[@StrangeDad]

But to explain all this, we must go back to the dawn of video game history: iN 1983, tHe ViDeO gAmE iNdUsTrY cRaShEd...

[@l0rdsnorlax]

Whaaaaaa????

[@ryanschmidt3913]

I'm most partial to Hotel Mario, personally.

[@expansionpackdeluxe636]

The most important Donkey Kong spin-offs are Mario, Banjo-Kazooie and Conker's Bad Fur Day.

[@XFallenFreakX]

This comment deserves to be framed

[@Koops2245]

He expandeth our knowledge.

[@juanrodriguez9971]

This should be pinned

[@fashnek]

Conker’s Bad Fur Day is not important at all. DKR was important.

[@Matstoen]

How is conker's bad fur day a donkey kong spinn off?

[@kroolgamer6308]

Jungle Beat was honestly SUCH a fun game. It was satisfying to pull of combos, and trying to get platinum medals on every level was genuinely challenging. It's absolutely worth checking out, and definitely didn't get the attention it deserved.

[@KevinFoleyJ]

I think the Donkey Konga series and the bongos were supposed to be based on the Japanese arcade game Taiko no Tatsujin, which is a very successful rhythm game

[@Nardi11011]

Yes, it seems to basically be a reskin of Taiko no Tatsujin which has been around for a long time in Japan, so no surprise that it did well there, but in other areas people probably just thought it was weird.

[@ShadowEl]

It really surprised me how he expressed so much disbelief at the existence and popularity of Donkey Konga. I would have expected him to do a little research rather than just being like "I don't get it, so who knows how and why it happened."

[@Cyberbrickmaster1986]

Taiko no Tatsujin has been getting localized releases ever since the Nintendo Switch. Even the Japanese versions have support for English subtitles these days. They've already released Drum n' Fun, and more recently remakes of two 3DS adventure based titles that are also available as a bundle. So while I can't say how successful it has become outside of Japan recently, it's great to see it finally get support overseas with the proper respect it deserves, unlike that one unfortunate time it was Westernized like heck on the PS2.

[@ShadowEl]

@@Cyberbrickmaster1986 yeah that was the era when we had to pretend this stuff wasn't Japanese. Taiko Drum Master! Puyo Pop! (and before that...Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine lmao) Funny how these series are more loved in the west now that they've been localized accurately.

[@Cyberbrickmaster1986]

@@ShadowEl I used to be in that mindset at the time. I was insane back in the day. I've improved somewhat going towards my midlife, but I'm still messed up in some aspects.

[@adaveo8396]

4:53 Ah yes, the perfect music to vibe to while being chased by a GIGANTIC SAW BLADE

[@TheLonelyGoomba]

Donkey Konga games were awesome. I will not listen to this slander. Good video though. Other than the Konga part

[@adriantimber4188]

Agreed, how could you not like a game with all stars in it?

[@tendedwinner748]

The dk master has spoken

[@BabaMaal123]

Hear hear!

[@thecondescendinggoomba5552]

Hello brother

[@brianvaira486]

When I revisited those games last year, I recall the rhythm being slightly off, not to the level where it’s unplayable, but it made it less satisfying to play. They’re still very nostalgic though and charming in their own way

[@KevinCow]

A few random interesting notes: - The flying pig enemy in DK Land was a joke. I imagine when the idea of DKC on the Game Boy was pitched, someone said, "Yeah, that'll happen when pigs fly." And it (sort of) happened, so... flying pig. - There's a DKC port you didn't mention on the Game Boy Color. Yes, the Color, not the Advance. There are 3 entirely separate versions of DKC you can play on the GBA. - The new soundtrack in DKC3 GBA was done by David Wise. I guess he wanted to give the game his own spin instead of adapting Eveline Fischer's soundtrack, since it was the only one of the SNES trilogy he didn't do. - DKC Returns on 3DS is worth mentioning alongside the other handheld DKC ports. Like those, it suffers from the weaker hardware (mainly, it runs at 30fps instead of 60), but it has its benefits. Namely, it lacked the forced motion controls of the Wii version, it added an easier difficulty, and the Golden Temple was fleshed out into a full world of 8 new levels instead of just being a single level like in the Wii version. - Donkey Konga was an attempt to capitalize on the Japanese rhythm game craze that came before Guitar Hero. Just as they partnered with Konami to make DDR Mario Mix, they partnered with Namco to make what was essentially a DK version of Taiko no Tatsujin. So that's why Donkey Konga and the bongos happened. And then I guess EAD Tokyo pitched the idea of using the controller for more than just rhythm games, and Jungle Beat happened. - That horrible Tiny Kong redesign actually didn't originate from Bongo Blast. Rare gets the blame for that. In Diddy Kong Racing DS, they took out Banjo and Conker because Microsoft I guess, and wanted to replace them with characters who would have the same stats. Conker got replaced by Dixie, which makes sense, they're about the same size. But then to replace Banjo, instead of using a separate DK character who was closer to Banjo's build, they inexplicably decided to redesign Tiny into blatant Rule 34 bait.

[@expansionpackdeluxe636]

Rare made a lot of rule 34 and furry bait characters, especialliy during the Nintendo era.

[@SolarBeingAsh]

I feel like I learned more from this comment alone than the entire video. (Not to say the video was bad, I've just played most of the games mentioned and adore the Swing and Donkey Konga games)

[@MrDiana1706]

Tropical Freeze could also count as a port, New Funky Mode is a word I want in every game I play frrom now on

[@DylanYoshi]

That's not true about Tiny. Rare was told by Nintendo to use that design for Tiny. While DKRDS came out first, the design was not Rare's fault at all.

[@healed1337]

An additional note on the GBC port of the first Country game - it features an extra level called Necky Nutmare in the Chimp Caverns world, and Winky's Walkway is extended. It's not worth playing overall, but those additions have never been featured in any other port/release since.

[@harrygreen3412]

I got Donkey Kong Jungle Beat on the Wii and I used to love playing it, it made me feel powerful the way Donkey Kong would punch things into oblivion. At one point when I was a kid, I was getting really into the game and I ended up whacking my knee with the Wii remote really hard. I remember hearing a crack and feeling a lot of pain afterwards... my parents told me to stop playing the game.

[@MocaHere]

Did you stop playing after that?

[@MrDiana1706]

I've always found it funny how peiple go all over Wiimote's motion control by treating the thing with all their strenght, while every minimal movement works. However, in JB it's the right way to play JB on the Wii. I legit think one of my most intense workout sessions has been me trying to get all the medals in the final boss rush lmao

[@harrygreen3412]

@@MocaHere I think I stopped playing for the rest of the day, but I was immediately back on the game the next morning.

[@razbuten]

My favorite Donkey Kong spin-off is Zelda 2

[@expansionpackdeluxe636]

Mine are Hotel Mario and Mario Is Missing.

[@judethst]

Mine is super Mario Odyssey. No seriously

[@parchmentengineer8169]

Ah yes, I was looking for this comment.

[@ethankennan212]

Donkey Kong Jungle Beat was the first Donkey Kong game I had ever played, and the only one I ever finished.

[@guedesbrawl]

I'm so sad you didn't mention the extra collectables, especially for DCK2. The snapshots and feathers add a lot more to levels and were super fun additions

[@snomangaming]

Oh yeah those completely slipped my mind when writing, that also was a cool addition!

[@turtleturtleturtleturtle]

Donkey Country Kong 2

[@MrDiana1706]

@@turtleturtleturtleturtle Ah yeah. I remember when Nintendo got a lawsuit because the creators of King Contri said Donkey Country was ripping off their character

[@MishKoz]

I'm glad that more people are starting to notice Jungle Beat. As said in the video, it's super good relative to how overlooked it is. Though I will say this to anyone reading this who's willing to try it: if Bongos aren't your thing or you just don't want to buy a controller you'll only use for one game, the Wii rerelease has a more traditional control scheme where you can move with the analog stick and jump with the A button, but shake the wiimote for most other things.

[@Trakinasnove]

8:12 please make a DK Pog emote for twitch with that face! PLEASE! (Also great video as always!)

[@TheCartoonGamer8000]

Jungle Beat is unbelievably awesome!

[@guthriebarrett]

Snoman should do the top 10 pixels in DKC

[@clayton_games]

Yeah, seriously, just look at Candy

[@landonsmith7057]

I grew up playing the DKC Trilogy on GBA. Even though I prefer the SNES versions today, I have heavy nostalgia for GBA ports and I think they're heavily overlooked by most DKC fans today.

[@guedesbrawl]

also DK Jungle Climber formt he DS deserved a bit more spotlight... it's an amazing game. Full of stuff to do, engaging and creative levels, and they made the raw gameplay much more fluid

[@PatNatOfficial]

Having an EDM drop to introduce Jungle Beat bumped this video to an 11/10. Great work as always!

[@Coopbloop]

They also ported DKC1 to the Game Boy Color!

[@PerrydactylShow]

YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! SNO FINALLY DID IT! JUNGLE BEAT! I am so satisfied, I'm a little bit more ok with the end of DK Month. Thank you Snoman Gaming.

[@Zimran03]

This is the third time I’ve seen those DK bongos on youtube this week, what the heck are y’all creators drinking

[@s23charlie]

I’m surprised you didn’t talk about Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, and how it added the whole extra world

[@healed1337]

It's lesser known, but there's also the Donkey Kong Country port on the Gameboy Color. It's not worth playing overall, but it actually features an extra level called Necky Nutmare, and Winky's Walkway (the shortest level in the original) is extended. Neither of those additions have been in any version of the game since.

[@LucasKelleher]

Donkey Kong '94 is the definitive DK game. So awesome.

[@akramrabaa943]

If you're not sold on DK Jungle Beat- It's probably my favorite game of all time, and I've never even touched the DK bongos before. I love it even with it's awkward controls on a regular GameCube controller

[@IndustrialQueue]

Peel, bag, then freeze your aging bananas and they can be largely out of the way until you’re mentally and emotionally ready to help them transcend to banana bread. ...Just use that as an opportunity to make sure they’re just browned and not actually bad.

[@EdinMike]

Donkey Konga was released... before Guitar Hero... I’m with you I thought it came after that whole craze. Wow, everyday is a school day !

[@StrangeDad]

But did you know the reason they changed the soundtrack for DKC3 (GBA)? The deep ambient sounds of the original didn't come out very well on the GBA's limited speakers, so they called in David Wise to make a whole new one with more defined melodies and higher notes.

[@Alessandro-vv2fh]

Jungle Beat is crazy. I 100% it when it came out, it's egregious. Un underappreciated gem.

[@radicalfunky]

donkey kong month is dying :((( which means FUNKY KONG MONTH IS STARTING WOOOOOOO

[@haunter27]

Yes! Thank you for appreciating Jungle Beat!

[@tannereustace]

Don't forget the port of Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D! I got all excited to do the time attack mode but then realized the loading screens take forever :(

[@snapclub8751]

I’m glad to see someone else who likes SOME of the new music that was on the GBA remake of DKC3.

[@itzpeanut9904]

gba treetop tumble sounds like a song you'd hear in a beach vacation montage

[@thegirlwiththecontroller1164]

Dude, I love Donkey Kong Jungle Beat. Glad you finally got to try it out!

[@homersimpson6787]

Me sees video : “ oh that’s an old video , I guess it will be outdated “ *video uploaded 9 minutes ago*

[@JoaoAgile]

It's worth mentioning that the GBA version of DKC3 has it's own extra world, named Pacifica, with 6 new levels. My highlight is Sunken Spruce, which is an underwater forest level, and also Stormy Seas, a very hard blue-tinted stilt level.

[@marcellocatalfamo5453]

Donkey Kong Country on the Game Boy Advance SP was perhaps the very first game I ever played. And I played the living daylights out of it! It was excruciatingly tough for a 5 year old, and I was so proud when I got to the end. I saw many, many game over screens, and it's the game to which I give credit for making me love platformers and giving me a persevering spirit in the face of challenge. Also, despite having literally no idea what the collection screen really meant or what the exclamation mark system was, I managed to find almost everything as a kid; I'm really not sure how I found that there was something hidden far off the first ledge in level two, or any of its needlessly obscure secrets. That game's burned into my skull! It's got so many memories for me from the music to the photographs; despite the treatment it gets in this video, I'm not sure I could ever play the SNES version and have it feel right, although I did play the SNES versions of 2 and 3. Nowadays, what took me probably 40 hours of strenuous game time to beat once in my infancy, I can do in about 2 and a half without breaking a sweat.

[@shamroksoldier]

Please don't let the end of DK month mean the end of Snoman

[@Eichro]

I'm a bit sad you skipped the Game Boy Color port of DKC. That was my first Donkey Kong game and it does so much right!

[@LuffyMcDuck]

And it has a new GBC version exclusive level too.

[@Randude14]

I'm glad someone else thinks Jungle Beat is the best spinoff. I remember when it first came it I kept coming back to it. The gameplay is so satisfying and thrilling.

[@SuperDavidBrothers]

I'm surprised you didn't talk about Donkey Kong Country Returns for the 3DS, Jungle Beat for the Wii also, and Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze for Switch. Also, I have heard a lot of great things about 94 and Jungle Beat so I will definitely give those a go for sure!! Also, I love all the DKC games on GBA, and I also want to try King of Swing and Jungle Climber for sure!

[@PostMesmeric]

Awww yeah, Jungle Beat is so awesome.

[@83Chrisaaron]

Jungle Beat blew my mind when I first played it. So gimmicky yet legit solid and satisfying to master. It also really felt like Donkey Kong was kicking everyone's ass!

[@farisweiss2373]

The reason dkc 3 gba has a new ost is because the gba can't handle the original ost, so they had to make a new one from scratch

[@theoneman7702]

Donkey Kong jungle beat was my childhood and honestly deserved to have a remastered or just allow it to have its chance. Best game i have ever played it really was a big part of my life.

[@colebratcher2682]

People really slept on Jungle beat. I feel like I’m the only person who got it when it came out and it was SO FUN!

[@EBChrispy]

I was around 9 or 10 when I excitedly got Donkey Kong Land. According to the instruction manual (and or Nintendo Power) at the time, the story was that Cranky Kong mocked Donkey and Diddy, saying that the only reason DKC was successful was because of the graphics, so they tell him that they could do the same thing again but on game boy. Cranky implies something that is like "this will work on Game Boy when pigs fly" so I think that's where the flying pigs come from.

[@Titleknown]

I'm surprised you didn't mention how Jungle Beat was, back in its day, basically treated as the DKC-equivalent to Sticker Star by the fanbase due to its (as indicated in interviews) seemingly deliberate refusal to use the Rare characters showing that Nintendo did not care about them/wanted them gone. Tho, nowadays, things seem to have softened thanks to the DKC Returns games. God I hope that Paper Mario someday makes a return to form so we can say the same...

[@shamroksoldier]

Honestly I really appreciate the amount of work this video must have taken. You're the best Snoman

[@snomangaming]

LOGAN

[@shamroksoldier]

@@snomangaming I'm still subscribed to Blank Page Productions, waiting for another masterpiece 😄💙

[@ShadowDante7]

Donkey Kong Jungle Beat is my favourite Donkey Kong game and one of my favourite games in general.

[@justinhbhjkbhjkb]

Jungle beat was an absolute sleeper game on the gamecube. I found it pleasantly challenging to do the combo system and string together moves to never tough the ground and maximize score, really satisfying gameplay and a good mix of general entry level difficulty vs mastery

[@juanrodriguez9971]

Man, I adored the Donkey Kong game for the GB, I had to replay the first levels over and over again because my copies was damaged, but the movement made it very enjoyable, did you know that you can beat the first level in just 7 seconds? I remember my best time being just 6. I must download it and finish it for once. Also, I didn't know ew about the reverse flip you met by accident. This game keeps surprising me.

[@mkhpsyco]

I remember playing Jungle Beat with my little brother's Konga drums and taking to Myspace to tell my friends to give it a go, and promptly being shut down by everyone because no one wanted to give it a chance.

[@15smitha117]

The black banana joke felt like a personal dig. Lol

[@danielbetts9759]

I just wanted to add that i have been a big fan of both the DK games and this channel for quite some time and while i will miss the DK content i can understand that until they do something more substantial with the series its the right move. Fingers crossed we see not just a new entry but multiple titles that help take DK back to the top tier of Nintendo franchises.

[@ivanderschreckliche8385]

My favorite donkey kong spin off game is jungle beat even tho i played the inferior wii version (still think its a great game).

[@AttnDefDis_]

Donkey Kong Jungle Beat was awesome! The only downside was that I couldn't play it at night or I would wake my parents. Still got my bongos because it's the ONLY way to play that game.

[@nicocchi]

I've gotta say, if anything, Donkey Kong Barrel Blast is a rather okayish workout lmfao

[@a-law]

Lol, I saw the thumbnail and was like ok that seems like some decent content, then I saw who posted it and knew I was in for some quality stuff, always happy to see a new Snoman upload

[@Geno746]

Crash Tag Team Racing and Puzzle Fighters are my favorite spin offs. Some of my favorite ps1 games and super fun multiplayer games.

[@tututrexx157]

I've wanted to get the DK bongos for a while, honestly, they look really fun.

[@lostanimeworld11]

Jungle Beat is my kind of game. You just can't recreate a beat down like in that game with any other controller. I grew up with the GBA port of DKC 1, the sound kept to be more consistent with modern sound and DK64 voices makes the transition even better. Plus all of the quality of life changes are needed.

[@KbanjoK]

4:06 Queen B punching the air rn

[@coolbread99]

Never speak ill of donkey kong: barrel blast.

[@kasquez]

You didn't mention DKC on the GBC 👀 or the fact that GBA DKC3 has an extra world

[@BlinksAwakening]

You're a fool for not appreciating what a blast the Donkey Konga games are

[@BricktheSystem]

The bongos were awesome. You should get friends and play some of the games competitively.

[@badcatalex]

Haven't seen many people talk in detail about Jungle Beat tho...

[@HOTD108_]

You missed the Wii version of Jungle Beat, which apart from featuring an entirely different control scheme, also has slightly different level designs.

[@ragnarthered8029]

hearing good things about jungle beast coming from the donkey kong man him self warms my heart

[@TBoneTony]

Donkey Kong Land 2 on the GameBoy was my fav port by far. Sure the GameBoy can't do what the SNES does. But the game itself really pushed the GameBoy to the limit and I was so thankful for the stuff RARE did with the system as I never had a SNES in the past due to family budget issues. So the GameBoy version of DKC2 as Donkey Kong Land 2 was one of my fav games as a kid back then.

[@ColdheartDunther]

I had tons of fun with the bongos and played the crap out of the 3 games that support them. Getting good scores on Jungle Beat was an awesome challenge for me

[@BlusterTheBenevolent]

Snowman, I am appalled that you forgot about the greatest Donkey Kong game out of this entire era. Donkey Kong Barrel Maze, the greatest flash game ever made.

[@gulfgiggleanimations4472]

I consider the Mario vs donkey Kong series the successor to Donkey Kong 94, well, at least Mario vs donkey Kong 1, the rest of the series went with a lemmings like gimmick with toy marios, but I thought at least the first of those was fun too.

[@pmerks]

You missed the GameBoy Color port of the first DKC, and the 3DS port of DKC Returns. The GB Color port is really strange and impressive that they got the full game on original GameBoy hardware. And the 3DS port adds a normal control scheme and a whole new bonus world to Returns

[@EduSolsa]

I beat the GB Donkey Kong and it is a really good game. I am also curious to try Jungle Beat someday.

[@strain42]

Unpopular opinion, but I actually really liked what they did with Tiny Kong. Also I know it's not specifically a Donkey Kong game, but as a fan of the franchise I absolutely recommend playing Mario Super Sluggers on the Wii if you haven't. It features lots of DK characters (You can even play as Kritter!)

[@Benji-Lindz]

Okay, it's kind of nuts, but Jungle Beats was the first Donkey Kong game I ever beat (no pun intended). That game was deceptively incredible.

[@DerekSquirreltail]

The GBA Treetop Tumble is easily one of my favorite songs in the franchise. Although I've always kinda listened to it with beachy vibes in mind, it's a little weird in its original context, and especially considering what it replaced.

[@rcspriter]

Yeah I've always had a soft spot for the GBA soundtrack since it's what I was exposed to first. But it is certainly weird to hear such cheery music while running from a dangerous hacksaw

[@theotherjared9824]

Barrel blast would have been marginally better if it had bongo support

[@icebombat]

Bro how could you. I freaking love donkey konga😭

[@karljaderblom]

The only of these games I have any experience with are DK Barrel blast and I haven't played it in years but when I was a kid I liked it, but I'm not sure if I should enjoy it if I began to play it now.

[@shingosawatarihgx8345]

but what about donkey kong Jr math?

[@Mysda_]

March of the minis has a level editor, it was Mario Maker before Mario Maker

[@siigull1550]

I played jungle beat on the wii, and to be honest, motion controls have never been more satisfying to use

[@notsocreative7045]

Everyday I continue to remind myself that the gbc dkc port exist because no one else seems to for whatever reason

[@dukemon6163]

The Game Boy Color port of DKC always gets forgotten, there isn't any reason to play it today but it had a fully original level (That wasn't brought back to the GBA port) at least. Also, I didn't hear the mention of the new world, Pacifica, in the GBA Port of DKC3. BTW, there was a DKL3 version for Game Boy Color only released on Japan.

[@MrDiana1706]

FUnny thing. The person who designed the DK Bongos was a key guy designer of the Nintendo Switch

[@husktran]

I was so ready to jump to the comments and tell you how much of an idiot you were for not realizing the Hype that is Jungle Beat, and I am so relieved that I didn't have to. Welcome to the DKJB gang Brad. We got bananas to the moon and even underwater levels that you don't hate

[@OnyxFlare]

Donkey Kong for Gameboy is a masterpiece. It's a shame the series turned into the Mario Mini style.

[@kylelangdon6724]

I grew up on the GBA DKC games. Nostalgia aside, I do think they're better than the SNES games just because they have more to do, and the added prologue cutscenes (and boss in DKC2) helped them feel more complete. Even DKC3, the least changed from the SNES, had a whole optional world added, so I can't completely write it off.

[@NaveedMohebbi]

I JUST LIKE RHYTHM GAMES OK! Just cause I have to play All Star by Smash Mouth doesn't mean Donkey Konga is bad... depending on who you ask. We got Jungle Beat because of Donkey Konga so that alone makes it worth it.

[@bern1223]

FINALLY, MY FAV DK GAME IS GETTING THE HYPE IT DESERVES!!!

[@josh984gamer5]

You didn’t cover the GBC port of DKC. However, maybe that’s for the best •

[@cameroncollazo9797]

Snowman For The Last Episode Can We Get The Geek Critic & Snownman Gaming Colab

[@markshelling8345]

Surprised there aren't more spin-offs actually. I know there was that Donkey Kong Racing game, where you can race on Rambi. Whatever happened to that? Was it ever playable?

[@ThomastheDankEngine8900]

Favorite is the GBA version of DKC3, the David Wise soundtrack tho lol

[@frederikslagman1769]

Can you make a top 10 hardest dkc levels

[@nfugitt89]

Rhythm games were very popular in Japan by the time Donkey Konga came out. Taiko No Tatsujin as one example

[@blossom6309]

Donkey Kong barrel blast is underrated deserves for sequel

[@LuffyMcDuck]

David Wise remade DKC3 soundtrack for GBA because GBA hardware didn't really do justice for the SNES originals OST (as we heard with DKC 1 and 2 on GBA ). Interesting that you mentioned the new boss in DKC3 GBA but not the entire new world with six new levels. With their experience on porting DKC games for GBA, they even considered making DKC4 for the DS but just remade Diddy Kong Racing.