Donkey Kong 64 - Nintendo 64 Review - Ultra HDMI - HD

[@wadelockard5592]

My dad got cancer in 2008 when i was 13. Me and my brother were still playing n64 at that time so my oldest brother who was no longer living at home brought over this game and star wars shadows of the empire. Me and my brother did play this game quite a bit but never finished it but i will always remember it for being a game that helped me during a stressful time

[@n64glennplant]

thank you for sharing such a personal memory, kinda the same with me and banjo kazooie as I talked about it in the past

[@JasonFolk07]

Me and you can relate my old man passed in 09 form cancer to I wus 13 also :(

[@wadelockard5592]

@@JasonFolk07 sorry to hear that man

[@JasonFolk07]

@@wadelockard5592 like wise man it's not easy at the age I can tell you that

[@wadelockard5592]

@@JasonFolk07 no not really my dad didn't die till i was 16 but damn that was a rough 3 years

[@RetroMoments]

I once heard "DK rap" in the nightclub!

[@franzpattison]

You must be old if you were old enough to be in a nightclub in the late 90s ;)

[@RetroMoments]

@@franzpattison No man, I heard it a few weeks ago haha. Totally unexpected!

[@franzpattison]

@@RetroMoments people must have been like "wtf?"

[@RetroMoments]

@@franzpattison At first yeah! Then most people were dancing and singing along xD

[@n64glennplant]

did you eat some special mushrooms and smoke some herbs before you went In by any chance? hehe

[@Gruntilda-Winkybunion]

I really love this game I grew up with the N64 so this was my first DK game. Back then i did not know about the Country Trilogy ( i really love dkc2) So this game will always have a special place in my heart I love the music!

[@n64glennplant]

I thought this game was hit or miss, but I'm glad to see its one that you don't diss. Thats the end of the games from Rare, now stop watching my channel and get that BEAR! :)

[@shaggysnax01]

I gotta ask Grungy, shouldn't you rhyme? Before Tooie, you did it all the time. You're not Grunty, you're a fake! The real one was likely drowned in a lake!

[@Peanut83176]

@@shaggysnax01 You don't uderstand. Its Tooie Grunty, but with skin. Smh my head 🙄

[@joewhitlow5799]

Almost looks like a PS2 game. It's amazing N64 was able to run this.

[@23nyron23]

This game meant so much to me as a child. My older brother and cousin would play it for hours on end while I would watch and chime in with tips. My favourite game of all time for this particular reason. It brought us together and got us through some tough times. Truly a masterpiece.

[@M1XART]

Admitedly DK64 is hugely impressive. It had best character animation ever, for example. On first time play thru, DK64 offers everything. But this type of game should be simpler to have fun replay value, to just pick up and play your fafourite parts, or chapters. But unlike Super Mario 64, you can't re -do already completed things twice on DK64. After you play level thru, they are "empty". Most complex multicharacter 3D -game for sure. Via other monkey(s), it's possible to access completedly new places others can not. The whole point here is to be able enter new level areas courtesy of abilities of different playable characters. They work separately, but it's still team work and friendship withing the monkeys. Player can decide which parts to play on what order. It builds around characters and abilities really well when played from start to finish. The most amazing thing is, that this concept actually works. But if not played for a while when things aren't on your fress memory, coming back to pick it up gets really confusing. Game is really complicated, working on some sort of "Pulp Fiction" -style, but somehow manages to work from start to finish while pushing Super Mario 64 -formula into limits. While DK64 is achievement, i think simpler, linear, straightforward -platformer would have been more enjoyable & well received. During development Rare would have then been able to relax & concentrate on art & atmosphere even more. It must have been nightmare to achieve perfect balance on this type of struckture. Now, while playing it, you can almost hear developers scratching their hair just to desing and get all that content work together seamlessly. High pressure, potentially anticlimactic anticipation, frustration... True unnecessary obsession to better Super Mario 64, rather than making pure platform -sequel to DKC. Amazing game, for sure. But why to beat Miyamoto, when everybody really wanted Stampers to improve their own piece of art, that is DKC? Every aspect on first Donkey Kong Country felt just right, like all those things belong & fit there. Almost like it's meant to be. That was perfect game that transformed gaming into audio-visual artform. There was nothing that did not fit in perfectly. Sadly, same can not quite be said about the sequels, as there is lack of seamless playable content, while adding not so good unnecessary ideas and pacing is just not up there with the original. But all Donkey Kong games are true classics, including Donkey Kong 64, that even includes Arcade version of original Donkey Kong. Certainly some of the personal fafourites. Some of the most important pieces on whole gaming history. Still, better solution for N64 -console's lifespan would have been first release Expansion Pack enhanced HI -REZ Donkey Kong Country Trilogy on single cartridge for N64 1998. Then all new 2D DKC 4 for N64 year 1999, and finally 3D more platform -based version of DK64 aroung the end of year 2000 or even during 2001.

[@n64glennplant]

thanks for sharing such a detailed opinion, have a love and a like :)

[@3dmarth]

Oh, man, a remastered 480i/p version of the DKC trilogy would have been so cool, if they could make it work on the N64. But there would have been some major hurdles, even if the market wasn't so hostile to 2-D games in the late '90s: For one, the original trilogy already totalled 12 MB- about the size of a typical N64 cartridge- and using larger, Hi-Rez-ready assets probably would have pushed it well over 32 MB, unless Rare could come up with some really amazing compression! Plus, all of the original assets are effectively gone, so Rare had to rip them from the SNES ROMs (in the same low quality) in order to make the GBA ports. But maybe they actually had everything neatly organized until Microsoft bought them? ;) PS: The original DKC did play really well- the controls just felt right, and the courses were so smartly designed. It could even be said that the game is underrated, as popular as it is! The sequel might be even better, IMO, but like you hinted at, DKC3 just went overboard with the gimmicks.

[@Glitch-Phases]

dat a lot of word

[@TBrizzle01]

I couldn't imagine DKC 2D on N64. I feel like I can count the number of 2D games on the console with one hand. The late 90's just wasn't kind to 2D platformers.

[@M1XART]

@@TBrizzle01 That was my point. 2D was still popular to play, but developers didn't support it.

[@MrVideo112411]

Been waiting for this Glenn Plant review for years!!

[@n64glennplant]

glad I could finally deliver for you :)

[@nothing2069]

I love and adore this game. Easily my favorite collectathon game

[@n64glennplant]

It’s certainly got collecting in abundance hasn’t it!

[@HenryHernandez-cn7tx]

I got the green see through console combo for my birthday. Still have it to this day

[@luismiguelsamayoa9405]

Beautiful color!

[@16bitbrit]

About. Bloody. Time. Despite its flaws, I love this game.

[@n64glennplant]

got there finally Adam, still some big hitters left on the todo list

[@beastvicious8672]

One of the best games imo. Very fun stages. Mini games (some more fun than others). All the weapons, instruments and special moves for each kong. Collecting bananas was just as fun as collecting stars in Super Mario 64. I disagree with the music and sound effects. To me, it all made the game more memorable. Only thing that held it back was the fact that all the small collectables were reserved in colours for each kong. Made collecting it all more difficult than it had to be. Multiplayer was fun too, although it wasn't really anything special. The one were you kill the spawning enemies was good simple fun. The walls you could go through always gave fun reactions on people too.

[@n64glennplant]

I agree with many of the points you made my friend

[@-KillaWatt-]

I agree. It was my favorite game on the console back in the day besides Golden Eye, WWF No Mercy, Mario Golf and OOT but I dumped many countless hours playing the game and beating it 100%. This was also a time when the internet was in its infancy and you had to go to random sites to get help for a game. Google wasn't the google it is today so finding game sites sucked. Then you had to either write everything down or pay to print it off. My how times have changed. Anyway, People complained about DK64 being too long. I don't see what's wrong with that. I liked the idea of buying a game way back then and knowing it would take a while to beat. Not get it and just rape the game in a day. It's why Banjo was great. It's why Zelda Ocarina of Time was great. It took time. Only certain people will know the pain of the water temple in a time when walkthroughs were hard to come by. Beating things was a word of mouth thing. Your buddy would have a method or way you don't know.

[@jakeerdos8908]

I loved this game as a kid and still love it just as much now. Me and my brother we're obsessed! I still bring out the old N64 and play DK64 at least once a year from start to finish. I have been waiting for a sequel to this game for too long! NINTENDO MAKE IT HAPPEN!

[@n64glennplant]

See I much prefer the newer 2d ones myself

[@jakeerdos8908]

@@n64glennplant They are incredible games for sure, I am a fan of them too.

[@opticalsalt2306]

I really enjoyed tropical freeze but I found it really difficult, do I just suck? 😭 played dk64 for the first time on the Wii U virtual console when it came out on there (no idea how long ago that was) and other than the input lag it was so fun

[@Larry]

Worst thing about that Expansion bug, is it doesn't fix it, just delays it. It happens after a certain amount of time the game has been played. It still happens in emulation and the virtual console ports too!

[@oskulock]

Yeah, but who would want to play DK64 for over 10 hours in a row anyway.

[@franzpattison]

Yeah I cant play on emulation cuz it always corrupts in crystal caves :( but I've never had it corrupt on actual console even after two dozen hours

[@3dmarth]

@@franzpattison Which emulator are you using? I played all the way through without issues on Project 64 a few years back... probably version 2.2 or so.

[@franzpattison]

@@3dmarth pj64 yeah but when that one glitched I also tried a different one. Can't remember. But it emulated worse and besides I didn't feel like redoing all my progress

[@user-yl8uv6rw1d]

Omg now I know why my copy stopped working as a kid

[@noahclevinger9460]

This game still holds up quite well, in my opinion. Great review also!

[@n64glennplant]

Thanks silent 😬

[@marcoaraujo88]

DK 64 surely had its flaws, but I think most of the public's bashing towards it nowadays isn't really fair. It comes from players who didn't even grow up when the collect-a-ton genre was relevant. Many people who played this game were not only impressed at the time, but also had a heck of a fun time. To me, the biggest flaws of this game weren't related to the ammount of collectibles, but instead to their placement and methods to achieve goals. Colored bananas were almost randomly distributed and certain missions asked for all kongs in a way that didn't engage the player, requiring meaningless backtracking and hurting severely the pacing (and thus the fun) of the game in some sections. Some bosses/enemies and characters could also have been more varied and fleshed out or better introduced in order to help with the immesion and the story. As Glenn said, maybe Rare's ambition in contrast to the limitations of the N64 worked against it. With all that said, DK 64 is still overall a great game, with lots to do and that feel of Rare's polish all thoughout the journey. Considering what they managed to do on the N64 hardware with this game, I'd say the outcome was impressive for the time. I remember I was eagerly awaiting for this game's launch back in the day and I wasn't disappointed at all. Still have good memories and come back from time to time for that 101%

[@theplatformerreviewer6905]

I remember at the time playing as 5 different Kongs was unique and impressive. Come to think of it. That is still unique for a platformer.

[@WWammyy]

I grew up during that time I didn't like it back then and I don't like it now. To me Mario 64 and to a lesser extent Banjo Kazooie had the balance right when it comes to collecting items but Donkey Kong 64 completely loses the balance. The flaws were too much for me to continue playing at the time I just got bored and gave up. Character switching the way it was handled made collecting a pain

[@haruhisuzumiya6650]

If anything it was taken to the logical conclusion Ad absurdum

[@lightninstriker10]

I love 3D Collectathon Platformers, they're my favorite genre of game next to rhythm games, I grew up playing the best both Nintendo and Sony's consoles had to offer for them, and I will admit as a child I adored this game, but after playing it to 101% Completion? Oh god, I've had enough to last a lifetime, even as somewhat of an apologist for Rare's more... experimental age with Microsoft, even as someone who adores Yooka-Laylee for what it aspired to do, I can't help but look at this as one of Rare's few misfires. This was where they hit the ceiling, and they hit it hard, really, really hard. Thankfully they didn't cripple themselves, Banjo-Tooie, I find, is a much better representation of what this game was trying to be, even if that has it's own share of growing pains when it comes to size and collectible distribution.

[@marcoaraujo88]

@@lightninstriker10 I get what you're saying, though I think is more about whether you feel the game or not. As I said, I had fun with it most of the time and if not for a few issues it would be high on my list. Regarding Banjo Tooie, it really was what this game tried to be, and as someone who knows that game pretty well I find it an absolute joy from start to finish. No pain at all. I just love collect a tons. Maybe I got used to it at the right time by growing up playing the golden age of the genre.

[@utternonsenseproductions2415]

I always loved this game's lighting. That's what the expansion pak was for.

[@n64glennplant]

Some great lighting

[@Icyfire25]

I have the green jungle DK N64! I thought all N64s were supposed to be green for the longest time 😭 lmao

[@luismiguelsamayoa9405]

One of the prettiest N64 color by the way

[@MPapeleu]

Seeing some of the bosses really took me back, thanks for the great review Glenn

[@n64glennplant]

Thanks for tuning in Mat!

[@TheGoldenJiggy]

I really love this game, still holds up really well! But I agree with some of the flaws you mentioned, the collectibles were a bit annoying since there's too many, more than Banjo-Kazooie. But I still really enjoyed this game!

[@brendan9734]

I think that’s actually an improvement. Sure, there’s a TON more than BK and BK2, but you’re not required to find everything. You just need to grab a required amount out of a huge amount, so you never run around for hours trying to find the last single thing like you had to in BK1. Also, the levels don’t freaking repopulate every time you leave making you start over!

[@MR.__G]

@@brendan9734 but that doesn’t help since this game is more about collecting than platforming.

[@MR.__G]

Dk64 has the world record for most collectibles in a game lol.

[@BEYANCASLAY]

​@@MR.__G I like collecting the items

[@RetroMoments]

One of those games I couldn't believe what I was seeing when it was released!

[@n64glennplant]

in a good or bad way?

[@RetroMoments]

@@n64glennplant Definitely in a good way!

[@thomaspleacher2735]

I was about 10 years old when DK64 came out. It was a really big deal among kids my age. I know it has shortcomings, but I didn't really care about them then. It just felt like a big magical N64 adventure to me.

[@n64glennplant]

I think thats the perfect age for this game but there are some mega hard parts that I think any 10 year old would struggle with

[@MR.__G]

@@n64glennplant I was 9 & I couldn’t get the Nintendo coin ☹️☹️😂😂

[@daejonmoody3304]

I just adore this game!! I’m kinda weird but I loved collecting everything with each kong. Admiring the huge worlds enjoying the music I took my sweet sweet time with the game looking for every nook and cranny. And I still play it to this day once in a while def had great memories with this one

[@fightingwarrior5893]

A crystal clear remaster of this would be amazing. Just like they did with 007 on game pass.

[@silvereloking6149]

I did not have this game as kid. Now when I have Everdrive, I play it and finish it 101%. Before I start play , I see some negative reviews about how game did not age well and there is to many collect items and boring backtracking etc... I did not see any of that stuff. For me game is very good, graphic is amazing and collecting items is very easy because levels are from small to medium and everything is almost right under your nose. This game is more similar to Banjo-Kazooie than Banjo. Tooie is, because BT have huge levels and you can wonder for hours what to do next. Btw, DK Rap is so fun to me, idk why people have problem with that.

[@lombard2692]

So much love for this game.

[@sarabarrett3643]

I got the Donkey Kong 64 console bundle for Christmas the year it came out. The console and the controller were "jungle green" colour. I still have it.

[@backup_account_1]

Excellent review. I'm playing it for the first time in 2023 and I'm loving it. I definitely love everything Rare did for the N64, even with its flaws.

[@andrewanderson4555]

I played this game at an age where It had maximum "engraving-into-my-brain-power", resulting now in it's profound ability to bring up the most intense feelings of nostalgia when i see clips from it. I remember spending countless hours exploring the Dk64 world and just being completely in AW. It never seemed to bother me all the wandering, back tracking, and confusion of what to do next, as I was just so enchanted by it's world. I havn't played it since being a kid, but i reckon now-a-days it would probably feel like homework at times. ahhh.. the fleeting joys of games, I really wish I could still get the same amazement and wonder out of games like i did when I was a little kid. Im sure I would still enjoy playing DK64 now as a throwback nostalgia trip and have a lot of great fun, but much like a drug, nothing could ever compare to the first high of playing Dk64 @ age 8, having never seen anything like it before, just straight thru the blood brain barrier, It may as well had been VR, I wasn't just playing the characters, I felt like I was apart of it's world, lost in wind with adventure and discovery in every direction.

[@VampireLord1024]

I remember renting this from a video game store in the early 2000's. Glad it's on my Wii U through Virtual Console.

[@n64glennplant]

good game to have on VC!

[@final7845]

The collecting was arguably my favorite part of the game. I'm one of those people that enjoy trying to get 100% on games if possible. I was also around 5 years old when I first got this game for Christmas back '99, so this game does hold a lot of memories for me

[@n64glennplant]

see apart from maybe zelda and a few other games I've never really been a completionist

[@TBoneTony]

Christmas 1999 was a time when the first Pokemon movie was released as well as two awesome RARE games that I remember playing during that holiday season. Rare's Donkey Kong 64 as well as Rare's Jet Force Gemini. the N64 Expansion Pack was thankfully bundled with the game with extra cardboard space in the box to make it clear this expansion pack was intended to be used. I liked Donkey Kong 64 but I felt pissed that they didn't have Dixie Kong in that game. I loved Jet Force Gemini more as it was clear that game was my main focus during the Christmas that dawned a new millennium as well as Pokemon Stadium that would be released shortly afterwards would be the reason why I brought a Pokemon Red game to include it. I have so many memories around this time, and me being really into everything RARE related as well as keeping track of games in progress at the time including the Conker game as well as Dinosaur Planet as well, I do have so much memories of this time in the N64's life. With Donkey Kong 64, I remember trying to get those Nintendo and RARE coins with the Arcade game and Spectrum in Cranky's lab. Donkey Kong Arcade as well as Jet Pack were awesome bonuses in a good yet flawed DK game. But I enjoyed the King K Rool's voice sounding like Dr Claw from Inspector Gadget and I felt that was awesome, sadly it was only used in the opening cut scenes.

[@truthseek3017]

I love DK64, great worlds and magical music/atmosphere.

[@chalkitdowm]

I 101%ed this as a 13 year old and really liked it as far as I remember but I tried to replay it a few years ago and boy does it not hold up. Between the framerate, the overly massive levels and the ridiculous amount of things to collect I was just frustrated. I feel the same way for Banjo Tooie which has similar problems. The original Banjo Kazooie still holds up, though! Sometimes bigger is not better!

[@Spider_Mike023]

Yea I popped it in my kids and we tried playing, they loved it. But I agree it doesn't hold up well. Still fun though least.

[@3dmarth]

Yeah, DK64 is a bit bloated... but Banjo-Tooie was the one that really went over the edge there, in my opinion. They dialled back the collectables a fair bit, but the levels were so huge and easy to get lost in. (Rare has seemed to struggle for a long time with making unique landmarks to help players navigate.) And then there are all of those passageways that go from one area to another, so that one Jiggy in Grunty Industries can only be reached through Hailfire Peaks or whatever. Still a great game, but I feel like that particular flaw really stood out in Tooie, moreso than in DK64.

[@joshuaburns4797]

I got the bundle for xmas the year it came out. I remember this game was always too hard for me to beat

[@n64glennplant]

Yeah it’s certainly one that’s hard even for completionists!

[@CocainBuzz]

i had (and still have) the dk bundle, xmas 99. the controller got smashed sadly, and i had to repair the nintendo after 10 years ... but 20 years later my DK bundle still works like a charm

[@n64glennplant]

N64 hardware is so robust isn’t it

[@truecrimelately]

probably my most fav game on n64, very critical its easy to see the flaws now but back then this game was ingenious!

[@ejscorp]

I played it as a kid but never finished it. It was a rental from Blockbuster. I don't remember much of it, but I was enjoying it until I got stuck at a slide race with Tiny Kong and I just stopped playing it.

[@zanychelly]

It was my first Rare game on N64. And, yes, I thought it was amazing. Great review

[@n64glennplant]

thank you :)

[@alextituslam4931]

Thanks for doing this... i could never have the expasion pack at the time, so with this reviews i can see what i missed. Thank you so much for that

[@IkesDaddelbox]

I've heard in an interview how developers from the Conker team actually made fun of the game and talked about how bad of a job the DK64 team did with the optimisation. For most of them this was their first N64 game. And looking at Conker's Bad Fur Day you can see what is possible without the Expansion Pack. So if it weren't for the game breaking bug DK64 would most likely run fine with the Jumper Pack. As for my opinion, I keep coming back to DK64, but every time I feel annoyed by the unhealthy amount of collectables and constant backtracking which makes the game needlessly bigger than it already is. To me it is a chore to play sometimes, and if it weren't for the charming presentation I wouldn't care much to keep playing. It's still enjoyable overall, but I can only take it in small doses. This absolutely needs a remake, from a seasoned team this time. Sooo, how does it feel to be done with all the Rare games? :D

[@MyGuyJustinH]

I loved this game when I was younger and I still do. This game was also another one of my favorite games on the N64.

[@VenusHeadTrap2]

My favorite game in the series is also 2 on the Super Nintendo! DK 64 was so unique to us because it was our first Rare platform/open world game (we never had Banjo and went with DK because we liked games that had him) I guess that’s why, to us, this game felt like a masterpiece.

[@thehorrorhound6575]

One of my all time favorite games as a kid and I still have it to this day, my mom got me the yellow controller and the expansion pack bundle (no yellow console though) and I remember it quickly became my favorite controller idk why maybe because my mom got it for me

[@n64glennplant]

yeah a sentimental attachment will always help with having fond memories of anything

[@hilliard665]

I had a Pokemon theme N64 but always loved how the yellow cart looked in the blue and yellow console

[@SaltyChip]

The game came out with the expansion pack included. Perfect dark was coming out soon after. I had no regrets.

[@n64glennplant]

what a time to be alive thats was hey

[@robertalmagarcia7334]

Best game for N64.

[@Notisfan77]

I bought this game back in the day, bundled with the N64 console and it has since been my favorite game of all time, despite all the negative comments and reviews. The scope of this game is huge and the level design very inspired. I love every little tiny bit about it. I keep playing it from start to finish every now and then. Thanks for the in-depth review

[@n64glennplant]

So many seem to have got this as a Christmas bundle that year and love it so much for that very reason

[@Y-two-K]

DK64 wasn't the first game I ever played, nor was it my favorite, but for some reason, it's my most nostalgic game.

[@Soonjai]

The more of your Videos I watch, the more I feel the need of wanting a HDMI modded System.

[@strictlybusiness1679]

How much?

[@n64glennplant]

couple hundred dollars if you can't find an installer with stock normally

[@andrewanderson4555]

exactly my thoughts too

[@Rhymethyme33]

I got this game for Christmas in 1999, and I finally defeated every boss, collect every golden banana, captured every fairy, and obtained both the Nintendo and Rare coins in May 2003

[@lombard2692]

With my brother and two cousins were the gamers in the family and when we got this game with the jungle green set I remember all of us playing it but ultimately I was the only one cause at first we didn't understand, we didn’t know what to do and also we were amazed by how big the game was or looked at the time, I kept playing cause it was just fun exploring and it was a DK game and really wanted to play with the new characters man I was so happy, blurry memories but somehow I still remember some of that special moment in my life. Went on to finish it 101% many years later.

[@moviemetalhead]

DK64 was never on my radar, even though I really liked Donkey Kong Country 1&2 on SNES, I was distracted by Rare's other titles Goldeneye, Perfect Dark and Conker's Bad Fur Day. Great review Glenn 🤘

[@n64glennplant]

they were just a beast of a developer back then that not everything they touched could be pure gold

[@drchaos1987]

I love this game. This is my childhood.

[@N64Brasil]

A great review of a great game. I still need to beat it. As you said, it has a lot of backtracking, so it becomes overwhelming after some time. But the game is so good that I have to come back to it some time.

[@n64glennplant]

its good in small doses but I think that's part of the problem, if you leave it for too long its too confusing to return to on your first few playthroughs

[@N64Brasil]

@@n64glennplant Indeed, that's a game that you have to know the world, and being away for too long is not a good idea. There'll be a lot of exploring when I decide to come back to it.

[@UPHENOS]

Ahh, the good ol' days of anything that went by the number 64 and the excellent, Rarest of games! Although I grew up with the Commodore 64, Atari 2600 and the NES there was something magical with the N64, despite not being a kid back then to have fond child memories of! I had already finished university when this game was released in late 1999 and was deep in my military service! I remember spending a good portion of my Christmas shore leave (I was in the Navy) playing this game! Jesus I'm old!

[@n64glennplant]

same as me stelios, I had all consoles growing up pretty much but n64 was just a passion always

[@Ivander85]

DK64 had great graphics and music, I liked each playable character (Lanky being my favourite) and there was a lot of funny moments...but it also felt too big and sometimes even a little bland to me. I did indeed get tired of all the running around and collecting stuff and it was the first DK game I didn't actually finish. It will forever hold a special place in my heart simply for being a Donkey Kong game and for reminding me of my youth, but I still prefer the SNES games by a mile. What I like though is all the other comments in here just giving 100% praise. It's all about playing these games "at the right time". Great content as always mate!

[@Thefortniteproyx]

I absolutely loved this game! The music and gameplay was top notch! I did prefer banjo-kazooie and Super Mario 64 but Dk64 was a very close 2nd. Think I preferred Dk64 to Banjo-tooie🤔. The amount of collectibles as you put was very tedious and it can be just that. But I still enjoyed the game as a whole and its charm. N64 games have stuck with me for years, they seem to have made a better impression on me then gamecube /wii and wii U. Love the N64

[@Kb0montty2]

I had the DK console bundle! I remember it all so fondly.

[@foolio1990]

Banjo-Kazooie is my favorite 3D platformer collectathon. Tooie is right up there and I loved Mario 64. For some reason I didn't pick this game up though. I remember reading through the Nintendo Power coverage of it and the cool cover it had on it's issue. I ended up giving it a try later on in the mid 2000s and just couldn't get into it. When I realized I had to go through the same area multiple times just because I wasn't the right character, I stopped. I can understand coming back with a different needed ability, but coming back for a different colored banana that I can obtain with another Kong, just simply because the color is different felt like too much... Great review!

[@n64glennplant]

glad you felt my pain too :)

[@froakie1404]

I know everyone seems to really dislike this game nowadays, but I still enjoy it as a huge fan of collectathon platformers, yes it’s my least favorite of Rare’s N64 platformers, yes it’s pretty tedious at times. But I found it relaxing just exploring large worlds, collecting stuff. Yes the backtracking and the darkness of the game is pretty bad. But I still enjoy DK64, granted I haven’t finished it yet, but I am really enjoying it at the time.

[@n64glennplant]

as long as you're enjoying it that's all that matters. I think the level of collecting was a lil too much in this as it felt more tedious than enjoyable after there being so much of it

[@HYPNOGLANCE87]

I recently picked this up today at my retro game store along with RE2 for the n64,im glad i kept the expansion pak.

[@Feministguy7483]

The only thing I don't remember is if there was a snow world 🤔 always my favorite worlds but not sure if Donkey Kong 64 had this.

[@christianvega646]

Awesome! DK64 is one of my favorite games and it still is my favorite

[@n64glennplant]

cool to know christian, what others do you like

[@christianvega646]

@@n64glennplant I like Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie and Tooie, Conker's Bad Fur Day and Super Smash Bros.

[@AllKinaTing]

i use to beast this game sum serious back in the day 4 player battle was fun as well

[@n64glennplant]

beast mode engaged!

[@The_Future_isnt_so_Bright]

They should have done a Donkey Kong All-Stars 64. Give a 'graphical update' ( or not ) to the previous games for the n 64 platform.

[@n64glennplant]

I would have loved that !

[@Dana-bo1sx]

My dad surprised my family one winter when we didn’t think we had enough for presents that year. He had lost his job and we were surviving. But he was saving to buy this for us. Every Sunday the whole family got together to play. Funny enough everyone was good at something. My dad was the only one calm enough to beat jack in the box, I loved the collecting, my sis would solve all the hard puzzles, and my mom was the best shot lol. Best memories even when we had so little we had so much.

[@CaptainWardi]

DK64 was my first game with the N64 bundle while I aslo grabbed SM64. After couple of years I decided to complete it 100... 101% and I had alot of attempts along the way but overall was a great game for my first video games back then!

[@n64glennplant]

if you played this before many of the other n64 platformers then I can see why you'd want to ace it - would have been a great title to start with for sure

[@RCPhotosVideos]

Waited for years for this video !

[@n64glennplant]

So why watching months after I uploaded it? 😂👍

[@RCPhotosVideos]

N64 Glenn Plant ah it’s my fault I always watch videos from my recommend list and I need to look at my Subscriptions more. If I don’t watch a certain channel for awhile it stops showing in the recommended section.

[@n64glennplant]

haha yeah thats the damn youtube for you! at least you've a lot to catch up on as I must have uploaded like 20 videos since this

[@Luke-cz9tm]

My favourite game of all time. I've recently played Banjo Kazooie, as it is often mentioned over this game, but it wasn't a patch on DK64.

[@dennisg1336]

Spot on review. This game was very fun to play, but seemed like I was playing a variation of Conkers Bad Fur Day. Both are great games nonetheless.

[@random-game-vids]

Konkey Dong

[@n64glennplant]

Dankey kang 😂

[@mbone877]

Tiny Dong or Lanky Dong. You choose

[@DT_Worlds_Strongest_Goth]

Chunky dong

[@wilsonkingofprussia5612]

Kinky Thong

[@AnxietyAddict]

Wonky Dong

[@darkwatershadow]

DK64 is a game I never managed to beat. I might try to fix that someday, but at the time I was kind of put off by all the Kong switching. It wasn't the idea of having to replay sections of a level as another Kong, or having to go find a place to switch, it was just a younger me getting overwhelmed trying to remember where I needed to go and which Kong I needed to be to do it. I did love what bits of it I did manage to complete, but I think I was more used to the DKC platformers that came before it. The original SNES one holds a soft spot in my heart (especially the music), but the newest ones done by Retro are pretty fantastic and (in a lot of ways) much better than the original games so I think one of them would get my pick for the best DK game.

[@n64glennplant]

yeah DC 1 and 2 were awesome, wasn't so much a fan of 3 but I think id still rate that higher than DK64

[@haruhisuzumiya6650]

I'm just missing out on the n64 coin you get by 1 shotting donkey Kong

[@oliviermerlevede]

Good video. I loved this game and still do today!!

[@n64glennplant]

Glad to hear it!

[@whosaidthat84]

I'll admit that I haven't played this game in about 2 decades but I have nothing but good memories about it. I'm sure if I played it today I would be a bit frustrated with some of the flaws you pointed but I feel like it's being too harshly criticized by the internet. But don't take this the wrong way, you did a great job reviewing it and I love how you could still enjoy it despite its flaws. It just seems like the "cool game to hate" right now.

[@josecorona7316]

I played this game like 25 times, never got sick of it. I can still play it today and enjoy it. Idk what yall complaining about

[@zenicehero9154]

Long time no see Glenn, another great Review really worth waiting for, Donkey Kong 64 is one of my favorite in the series besides the Country trilogy and Tropical Freeze.

[@n64glennplant]

haha ive not been anywhere! in fact I've been pumping out more than ever this past few months :)

[@malonkelp]

I enjoyed this game as a kid mainly for the mini games and bosses really. The multiplayer was lit with friends though.

[@n64glennplant]

Interesting! I never really did any multiplayer on it back in the day

[@braydenb1581]

I was on the final world and nearly had everything up until that point. I leant it to a cousin as I was going out of town for 2 weeks and wouldn't be able to play it anyways. She saved over it. I was furious but got over it quick enough when I rebooted and begun the adventure all over again. I never did beat it and I've only revisited dk 64 a few times in my life, but the huge expansive levels coupled with n64 nostalgic glasses, it's one hell of a game. To me it's a great game that I'll never complete as I just get lost screwing around for hours and that's fun enough for me

[@3dmarth]

I don't remember seeing the commercial at 1:51 back in the day... there was another one, though, involving smooth (but weird looking) CG models of the Kongs stepping out of a bright light and throwing fruit at the camera. Anyone else remember that one? It also used the Expansion Pak to hype up the size of the game, claiming that it was "so big, we had to include an Expansion Pak to get it all in"!

[@n64glennplant]

there are many from different counties that were all unique

[@stevenatorbensonica4653]

I honestly believe retro studios needs to make a sequel to this

[@n64glennplant]

We can live I. Hope brother

[@JimmyGoodYT]

I look back fondly on this one. Good video!

[@n64glennplant]

Thanks CR 👍

[@samthebfg]

Donkey Kong 64 is a fantastic platform adventure and the bonus arcade classics added in are also special.

[@Xalvador83]

Im am not gonna lie, i really want to see a updated n64 collection from you. Since you have not done that since 2012. And i al really courius to see how must it have grow in the last 6 years

[@n64glennplant]

I jacked inc collecting a few years ago so sadly its just a few pieces I keep for nostalgia and some pieces Ill be using for future videos

[@KingdomOfAnElephant]

i never had an n64 back in the day, but currently i‘m playing all those old n64 games that i missed out on 25 years ago. donkey kong 64 is among the best n64 games i tried so far. i enjoy it more than mario 64 and zelda ocarina of time combined.

[@costasspartan1894]

Super Nes version blows N64 version of this game out of the water.

[@n64glennplant]

Amen to that, they were incredible

[@matthewfarmer2903]

Game always looked cool and my brother had it. I was a teenager and couldn't commit to this game at that time as I was into different things when this game was new. I just never went back to give it a fair chance. I should now though

[@n64glennplant]

its worth a replay but needs patience

[@MrTamazoid]

DK64 is the Rare game that I am most nostalgic about. Personally I was never able to get into the two Banjo games, but DK64 captured my imagination (even though I was never able to complete it). That Kirkhope soundtrack, the variety in gameplay and locales for me perfectly typifies the late 90s Rare magic. I'm also probably one of the few that adored the multiplayer modes available in the game, had many fun sessions with both my siblings and friends duking it out.

[@n64glennplant]

see I love n64 music and this for me wasn't on par with some of rares other titles. not their best or worst but one which overall is ok but could have been better

[@MrTamazoid]

@@n64glennplant I don't disagree, going purely by Rare OSTs during the 64 era I personally prefer DKR and Banjo Tooie, though I feel like the game's soundtrack is underrated. People generally focus upon the DK Rap and ignore great tracks like Jungle Japes and Banana Fairy Isle, tracks that today I can listen to the opening notes and instantly recognise it. Though I do admit my views are likely clouded by nostalgia.

[@Rikkulyoko1]

There is definitely nostalgia bias for me with this game, but I feel like a lot of people who play the game and give it crap now are basing it off of modern gaming standards rather than the time it came out. That is not a bad thing by far but still feels a little unfair, I definitely think this deserves a modern remake but guess I can only dream.

[@AlphaladZXA]

This game was my childhood incarnate with over 4 years of on and off play and a corrupted save file at the 95% mark before I 101% it. I went back to it after I graduated high school as a reflection beating it in 24 hours and I forgot how the framerate wasn't the most consistent and banana placement was frustrating. But man i have so much love for this game and it created such a nice world, when can there be a remake nintendo?

[@n64glennplant]

its the whole Nintendo / RARE issue with this game that's stopping any remake or remaster

[@franciscoperello1913]

Great game, it was my first game ever in a console, i remember i had around 5 years old and my parents bought me the green n64 which came with the DK64. I absolutely love this game sooooo much :) it reminds me a lot of my childhood :')

[@n64glennplant]

That green bundle was one of the best the console ever had 👍

[@awd03-v7v]

Great video as always. Been waiting for this video to come out. Worth it.

[@n64glennplant]

thank you so much

[@Spider_Mike023]

I remember my older brother picked this up release day, he was suppose to wake me up and drive me to school, but let me sleep in and went and got it. Woke me up up saying I was skipping that day to play with him. Was so cool and fun, I loved the Snes ones and was stoked for the 3D one after mario 64.... will say though, now I have kids I downloaded on the virtual console on the Wii U a few years back and tried playing it again this summer with my kids and it's so much harder than I remember lol.

[@n64glennplant]

thanks for sharing such a memory, I love stories such as that

[@JadedAce8727]

Good review, I been playing the N64 since I was a kid but. I think the game has it's ups and downs so. this was a really good review not every game deserves a really good review,but it's always good to have the negatives. so I agree with you glen though the game is a beast of its time as well as it sits on that rock of glory I think rare had done the best they could do since it was a short time for that competition they had.

[@n64glennplant]

great minds think alike Aaron :)

[@ravengaming4143]

Above all, this game demonstrated the power of the 4 megabytes of extra memory with the added "Expansion Pak". I was pretty amazed at what graphics the N64 could output in this game, although the framerate was a bit inconsistent, but still fully playlable. It was a massive game also, especially if you wanted to do and get all the things in it.

[@PCReboot]

Wasn't the Expansion pack needed to resolve a memory leak issue and that's all?

[@ravengaming4143]

@@PCReboot Good question, although I believe it was used for more than just to resolve a bug. If you look Banjo-Tooie and Conker's BFD, neither supported the memory expansion and they didn't have as much lighting effects as DK64 did. DK64 bombarded you with dynamic coloured lighting/shadowing the whole time, it reminds me on PC's "Unreal" in this regard.

[@waterheart95]

@@PCReboot Pretty much, however the leak is still happening. The expansion pack just delays the crashes related to the memory leak. The game will crash if the n64 is left on for a above average playtime like somthing like 12 hrs or more.

[@jeremyjohnson8844]

Not only is the aforementioned suggestion correct, but the expansion pack is not really capable of graphical enhancement as it is simply an expansion of system Ram alone.

[@ravengaming4143]

​@@jeremyjohnson8844 Majora's Mask and Perfect Dark both used it for enhanced graphics (more details/enemies, better textures, more lighting, etc). And most supported games used it for increasing the resolution. The bug may be the reason why it was added to DK64, but as I said the game demonstrated richer lighting than some later games like Banjo-Tooie and Conker's BFD, neither of which used the memory expansion.

[@TellemG]

Man I fucking loved this game the music all that and I’ll never forget the DK rap and playing with my brother

[@Dsmbr03]

Ah man! This game was both fun and frustrating as a kid. As a child at the time though, I never usually seen the games like most people did. I just like trying to beat it and have fun. But this game, no matter how many times I tried I was always defeated but I'd keep coming back to it. Also, I heard you like Donkey Kong, so we put Donkey Kong in your Donkey Kong. :P The classic version. But favorite Donkey Kong game would have to be Country.

[@mattyrose3931]

Loved it at the time, although my memories if playing it are tinged with guilt. I was in my early twenties and living with my then partner, Donkey Kong with the expansion pack was quite a hefty outlay, too much for our meagre income, so I used the "emergency" credit card to buy it. It took me several months of furtive statement interceptions before I could actually enjoy playing the game in a sort of guilt free manner. Oh, the impetuosity of youth. Surprised you didn't mention the multiplayer, that was excellent and provided many evenings and weekends of four way action and entertainment. I haven't read all the comments, but did anyone else really enjoy the multiplayer?

[@n64glennplant]

haha man thats an awesome story!

[@psychshift]

I'd say this was a perfect lead on to conkers bad furday rares true n64 masterpiece. but seriously look at the graphics and gameplay leading up to conkers is amazing it's all still n64.

[@TheWaffleFactory]

I just played this for the first time in 100%’d it today. I can’t say I will go through the torture of doing a 100% play through ever again 😅 but there is a lot of fun to be had in this if you just play it. Every character shines with endless personality with subtle animations in spots that took me hours to notice. The factory and Crystal levels were my favorites. I was impressed by the amount of unique textures to capture a baked lighting feel to the world. I think you said it perfectly, as long as you go in with the intent of exploring at your own pace, you will have fun.

[@ahsankhan-zg6gr]

I share your sentiments - back in the day everyone was telling me it was the best thing.. but soon after completing this.. I went back to banjo kazooie