The Forgotten Beauty of Donkey Kong 64 | A Donkey Kong 64 Retrospective

Donkey Kong 64: Once a beloved Rareware classic, known for being one of the greatest titles the Nintendo 64 had to offer. It was a strong follow-up to Rare’s Donkey Kong Country games on the SNES, serving as a step into the third dimension for the DK Crew. Nowadays however, it’s seen in a far more negative light - but how did this happen? What caused this change in perception? Is the game really that bad? Well the game is certainly flawed, that much is undeniable, but when you look past that, what’s left? I’m FibreOpticBroadbean and this is The Forgotten Beauty of Donkey Kong 64!
Music:
Intro: Complete Extra Honeycomb - Banjo-Kazooie
DK Isle - Donkey Kong 64
Jungle Japes - Donkey Kong 64
Crystal Caves Lobby - Donkey Kong 64
Fungi Forest Day - Donkey Kong 64
Mermaid Theme - Donkey Kong 64
Credits:
Final boss footage uploaded by raocow: / @raocow , • Donkey Kong 64 - WELL ...
Luigi talking to Luigi footage uploaded by MarioSupers#
tarsGaming: • What happens when Luig...
Music uploaded by GilvaSunner: / gilvasunner
Social Media: ‪@Fobb‬
Twitter: / fobbean
Discord server: / discord

[@paetonlaur3655]

I loved Donkey Kong 64 and still do today. That game brings back fond memories and I personally find it underappreciated. It would be nice to see people making stories about the game much like the stories you find on a certain Nintendo 64 classic...

[@collinkoza7127]

I replayed Donkey Kong 64 at the start of the COVID pandemic, it was much better than I remembered it and a lot of fun.

[@grimace9670]

Gotta be honest the character swapping never bothered me bc they always have bananaports to a barrel or a barrel it self at convenient locations so it’ll only take a minute to swap

[@BigNation1]

Wow now that you mention it, this game does indeed give off the Banjo vibes. Reminds me of your playthrough of the Banjo game. Personality expressions being presented through the N64 is definitely something not to overlook and adds the charm like you said to the game itself. Great video man!

[@Fobb]

Yeah, Banjo vibes all-round with this one! So many games from that era had so much personality, but this one in particular really sticks out. Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@sammyibrahim6104]

@@Fobb most of the development team came from banjo, also if you haven’t noticed tooie picks up a lot feature that were introduced in dk64

[@muscleelf2363]

DK64 taught me the existence of massive digital worlds and the great and terrible nature of these vast expanses. Gave me nightmares. 10/10 game

[@AlliroG98]

People often bring up how mundane it is to find a place where you need a specific Kong and then come back as that Kong later But what I think people forget is that with DK64's massive levels full of POIs that too can be pretty fun and interesting

[@groovingmusicalgamer5692]

I'm starting a let's play of DK 64. Can't believe this game is over 20+ years. Let's see how well it holds up.

[@Fobb]

Crazy to think it's been that long! Good luck with the let's play!

[@RobTheBlockyFox22]

I loved DK 64 when I played it as a kid, and I still love it to this day. While some of the challenges are too hard, and the camera can be a bit annoying, it's still a really solid and fun 3D platformer. The characters are interesting as they all have their own unique abilities that are utilized for their specific challenges rather well. The music is really good, and the levels are good too, with each of them fitting their respected themes really well, and their gimmicks are cool too. While it's not perfect, it deserves more love.

[@Fobb]

Agreed, the game had a lot of strong points - loved using all the different Kongs especially!

[@DarthLink2]

I loved this game when I played it, and I loved collecting every collectible. It was a dream come true for me. That said, I haven't played this in fifteen years, so who knows what I'd think now.

[@Fobb]

I'd definitely recommend giving it another playthrough to see how you feel about it now, or even just to relive some of those memories. Something about this game feels almost dreamy or magical, it's difficult to put into words.

[@LordFentonGaming]

It looks good and fun back in the day. I hope someday Nintendo does some form of a remaster. Thanks for sharing this retrospective.

[@Fobb]

Thanks for watching! This game really deserves a second chance, hopefully that remaster will happen one day.

[@JuiceboxCE]

Runs beautifully in RetroArch, was a blast playing it on there through my Xbox Series S before Nintendo threw a hissy fit over emulators. Classic Nintendon't

[@RobTheBlockyFox22]

I've been wanting that for years. I hope so too.

[@RobTheBlockyFox22]

@@JuiceboxCE RetroArch is a fantastic emulator pack, I started using it to play this game and it works perfectly.

[@Audix-19]

There are a handful of games from the past that I find myself taking the time to re-play and DK64 is one of them. A couple years ago I did a 100% playthrough and it took a looong time for me to do it, lol. It is a game with a lot of charm and it has that "magic" that very few games manage to capture. I feel that magic when I play through games like, "Zelda: Ocarina of Time" and "Super Mario RPG". The Sonic games for the Genesis will always be in my heart too. Great video and thank you for sharing your thoughts.

[@RobTheBlockyFox22]

I never played OOT or SM RPG, but I loved DK 64 and Sonic for years. So, I know what you mean when it comes to those games. Lol.

[@LuapXD]

This is very well edited, great video bro :)

[@Fobb]

Thanks my guy, glad you enjoyed!

[@NightYoshi]

I loved DK64 back in the day and I still love it to this day. Yes it has flaws but what game doesn't? There's no such thing as a perfect game and in my eyes DK64 deserves a lot more love than it gets. It ranks up there with Super Mario 64 and other great 3D platformers.

[@Fobb]

Absolutely! In spite of its flaws, DK64 has so many redeeming qualities -- it's oozing with that classic N64-era Rareware charm and was such a fun adventure. Personally, I've always preferred the Banjo games, but DK64 will always have a special place in my heart.

[@orangeslash1667]

@@Fobb I recommend Yokalayle and the impossible lair. It's very similar to Donkey Kong Country game play.

[@1MyNickname1]

Well, thanks to the great atmosphere and attention to detail in every aspect, collecting things which might be tedious aren't actually a problem, because if you play the game, you want the maximum amount of that atmosphere. So in that way the collecting actually enhances the main aspect of the game. You can easily compare that to Mario Odyssey where the collecting is rather similar but the atmosphere isn't on the same level of DK64, making you worn out rather quickly. And then there is also the challenge to multiple bananas that is kinda like Dark Souls nowadays where you finally conquer them you are feeling great.

[@masonwilcox7055]

I never played this back in the day, it was my brother's game. I played it recently, and I enjoyed the game. Now with that said, my expectations were low, as recent reviews are pretty negative. People's main complaint is "It's too much of a collect-a-thon". I mean you don't have to collect everything, I sure didn't.

[@OmarAhmed-wd5pd]

This is a really high quality video.

[@Fobb]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed! ⌚

[@saintcadence3751]

Great video! The N64 was a little before my time so I love seeing ViDocs on these old games since their art styles are really appealing to me.

[@Fobb]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed! A lot of these early 3D games have a really charming look to them!

[@DanielCenciD]

This game is incredible, I had fun from start to finish, on the console it is even better because the framerate works perfectly with the challenges, on the emulator the timer is unregulated and forces you to use savestate. But the game is very fun and magical, maybe my favorite game at the moment

[@Fobb]

I think magical is the best possible word to describe this game, it really has a special feelign to it that very few other games are able to capture!

[@DanielCenciD]

just walk around is fun and with this OST, maaaaan

[@Gruntilda-Winkybunion]

Wow, this video is a blessing. so thank you for that. and taking position for us all to defend this awesome game! yes, i can agree with some of the flaws this game has. but i think there are too much videos out there bashing this game for its bad things. and many new players are scared off after they heard how much there is to collect. i convinced a good friend to give this game a chance..around a year ago and he did not 101% it, but he said its a really good game and has its nice moments!! Getting that stupid Nintendo Coin though.. although i am a total Banjo Fan. i will say that DK64 has its own atmosphere wich is awesome. if you just think about Frantic Factory or Fungi Forest, i even think Gloomy Galleon is good at some points! and i prefer its Music to Banjo. since you know.. adulthood.. i try to complete this game once a year and its a nice challenge. again. thank you for this video! i hope there will be a remaster with some lifeimprovements. and no Beaver Bother

[@Fobb]

Glad you enjoyed! This game's reputation sadly doesn't do it any favours, so a lot of people just assume it's irredeemable and don't even bother trying. Like you said, a remaster would be great and I hope it happens one day! 🙏

[@NintendoMania]

The fact it hasn't come to NSO yet, coupled with rumors of a DK game in the works, gives me hope for a remake.

[@The64Whore]

The Kongversation brought me here!

[@Fobb]

Haha sweet! Did they share it out somewhere?

[@jacktheglove1177]

D, K, Donkey Kong!

[@Fobb]

DK Donkey Kong is here!

[@Scrubber89]

The music, the characters and their charm, the cutscenes, the boss fights, the final boss are all fantastic! But... the world's are too big and no fun to traverse, the mini games are tedious, some of the mandatory challenges (like that heart inside the mechanical fish, original DK and Jetpac to name a few) are infuriating. Too many collectables that can only be picked up by certain kongs is annoying. It's a good game but I don't play it as after as I could because of its flaws. Nice editing by the way... subscribed.

[@Fobb]

Thanks for watching! This game absolutely has its fair share of flaws - I remember having quite a bit of trouble with that mechanical fish when I was a kid, but never really questioned it. A lot more recently I saw Cybershell's video on it and that explained everything 😂

[@DanielCenciD]

Amazing and fun game, is so beautiful even today

[@TheMadMadman]

I've 101% this game twice. Voluntarily. And enjoyed it. Yes, I might be mad but I don't care!

[@Fobb]

Honestly I don't blame you!

[@PK_Starfire]

Another great video as usual! The visuals of your videos are so pleasing, just wondering how long did it take to edit this video?

[@Fobb]

Thanks, I appreciate it! Videos like this usually take me about a week to edit if I spend an hour or two each day.

[@Just_Mal.]

I love the game it has a lot a of beautiful 🤩

[@Jetstreamsamdidnothingwrong]

this maybe an unpopular opinion but I found the note system in banjo kazooie was more annoying than anything in dk 64 mostly because I hate being forced to collect things I've already collected but that's just my opinion

[@Fobb]

That's fair, the note system made some of the later levels (lookin' at you Rusty Bucket Bay) a pain to 100%. Luckily they changed it in the Xbox release, although I think they'd always wanted the notes to save and just couldn't figure out how to do it in time for the N64 release

[@hipersonicc9736]

2:40 i literally could NOT do it when i was a kid, i completed when i went to high school years later.

[@Fobb]

It took me so long the first time, I dedicated an entire day to it as a kid 😂

[@vhrdz1993]

I played games for hours no thst I think of it I don't think I ever finished it lol

[@jonsmith5058]

You gloss over the backtracking. Its not only that you have to backtrack, its that the game actively punishes you for following context clues. You see a trail of purple bananas, so get Tiny and start following them only to hit a dead end cause you need DK to hit a switch, so you go get him, after that there are blue ones, so back again to go get Lanky. Thats what makes it frustrating to backtrack, its designed poorly.

[@roderickmorales]

I usually don’t care much about the popular opinion, and the hatred this game got by some was unfair, only thing I care is my opinion, and that is, that this game is a classic masterpiece. 👍🏻 👍🏻

[@Fobb]

100%, this game gets way too much hate

[@TheSBWproductions]

yes

[@fungishroom9241]

howds u get 4 watermelon hearts?

[@Fobb]

Ah, that was a side-effect of the emulator I used to record footage haha

[@ChaosBombs]

Yall better put some respect on dk’s name man

[@ChillstoneBlakeBlast]

I think the game gets too much hate for not much reason nowadays. People need to understand that gamng fundamentals were much different back then and RareWare's philosophy has always been to keep the players engaged by making them focus on one task at a time with not much room to multitask. yes, a lot of the game is janky, but which game wasn't especially since this was the early 3d era. And while I agree Banjo-Kazooie is Peak 3d platformer, Banjo-Tooie is a even bigger mess than this game because Tooie has the bigger sin of backtracking than repetitiveness. Also gaming back then was a hobby that was expected for players to play in short burst with an occasional long session here and there, not Binge session of hours where people are sitting unhealthy hours to play a game. I mostly see people that hate this game play long sessions of it, when no one but themselves are doing it half the time.

[@Fobb]

It really was a different time back then, so a lot of this game's issues are really just a product of when it released. Truthfully, I don't even mind binging this game, but it's definitely a contributor to why it's so disliked these days.

[@klaushammer8687]

I loved the arcade game additions and that it was mandatory It's not the games fault ppl suck at it You should respect the dk arcade game One guy even faked a whole career on it

[@nemesisreborn]

"remiss"

[@Fobb]

"oftentimes"

[@MatthaeusGT]

Monke!

[@Fobb]

Monke indeed!

[@GreendelaBean]

Not Doshin, unsubbed and blueballed

[@Fobb]

One day...

[@JustThatFinley]

Banana

[@Fobb]

agreed.

[@aussiegamerplays7284]

No it wasn't. The only people that complained were the ones who thought it was supposed to be Donkey Kong Country 4

[@Fobb]

For sure, while this game isn't perfect, a lot of the hate it gets is pretty unwarranted 👌

[@aussiegamerplays7284]

@@Fobb I loved it back then and still enjoy it today. And despite its flaws I could honestly say I wouldn't have it any other way.

[@7ElevenKevinNG]

ₜᵢₙᵧ

[@aquamanbeforehewascool5347]

3:19 I don't understand what people find so great about the game having such large levels. Sure it's technically impressive, but to be honest the sheer amount of space in the levels has never been used in a really clever way, or in an interesting way, or that it doesn't remain repetitive. 3:42 Only that there are minimal differences in gameplay and the differences are rarely used in an interesting way in the game. 3:48 They only look different, but they all work the same. 4:02 These two are also the only ones of the characters who really differ noticeably and whose abilities are used for their own tasks, at least partly. 4:14 All Kongs do that, it looks different, but it works the same. 4:31 This is the bare minimum you do when creating characters. 5:28 To be honest I find all the levels moderate to tiring to play except for Creepy Castle and Hideout Helm. Most of the levels are just flat and there is hardly any platforming and the platforming there is consists of balancing on narrow walkways which fell like the Kongs are not design for walk on them. I also find that it feels more like a job to do than a joy of exploring the levels and collecting things. 5:33 Again, this is the bare minimum of creating a level. 10:45 The real problem was how the stuff you collect was actually used. In Super Mario 64, you need 70 total stars 58.33% to fight Bowser and you can skip entire areas if you have the required crowd. In Donkey Kong 64, on the other hand, 100, i.e. 50% of all golden bananas are required to open the last gate, but to get there you have to bring 6 keys to K.Lumsy, which means you have to beat all bosses, which in also means you need the normal bananas to get to the bosses in the first place. That alone is much more complex and confusing, but it gets even worse: Let's say you already have 100 golden bananas and want to fight K.rool but you still need every boss key in every world, what would you do: Keep collecting golden bananas that you no longer need for progress or the required amount of normal bananas to get to the boss? The latter of course. In other words, the remaining Golden and Normal Bananas become worthless as a result. 10:52 All of this is very superficial at best and adds little to the gameplay, the core of any game. 11:17 I Agree