Finally a cool rhythm game for the GameCube! I know it?s a poor man?s version of DDR but it?s still quite fun. It has a similar format to DDR in that you choose a song and difficulty level and you have to do the right move at the right time. In this game it?s with the DK Bongos. You either have to hit the left, right, both, or clap when the appropriate symbol meets the mark. Depending on your timing, you?ll get rated as Great, OK, Miss or Bad. If you get consecutive Greats and OK?s you?ll get a combo bonus. This game does have multiplayer support and if you don?t have an extra set of bongos you can use the game controller, but the bongos are much more fun!

What kind of music is there?

There are a little over thirty songs to choose from. There is quite a variety; I?m sure there?s something for every age group. There?s classical, classic rock, children?s songs, dance, pop, rock, and Nintendo theme songs. A cover band (not the original artists) sing all except the Nintendo songs. They do a pretty good job though.

Game Modes

Street Performance-

This is a single player mode where you play songs and collect coins if you pass. You can use the money to buy gorilla mode songs, different drum sounds, and mini-games.

Challenge-

In this mode you keep playing songs until you fail. You can have multiple players in this mode.

Battle-

This two-player mode determines who is the top banana when it comes to banging the bongos.

Jam session-

This is a mode just for fun and making music. There are no points awarded. Up to four players can play.

Ape Arcade-

This is where you can play the games you unlock. There is a single player Whack a Mole game called Bash K. Rool. Banana Juggle (self explanatory) can be single or two player. 100M Vine climb is where you have to climb to 100m, collect fruit and avoid danger. This game also is 1-2 player.

How hard is it?

There are three difficulty levels: Monkey, Chimp and Gorilla. Not only are there more beats per level, but also the passing bar gets higher and it is not as forgiving when you make a mistake. I pretty much mastered the monkey songs at my first sitting. Chimp levels are more challenging on the harder songs. Gorilla mode is pretty tough and in order to play this mode you have to purchase songs from street performance winnings. If you find Gorilla mode easy, Jam mode is just for you. In this mode instead of the symbols(left, right, clap, etc.) you?ll see the classic Donkey Kong barrels. How well do you think you can memorize a song?s beats?

Graphics

The graphics are 3D but are nothing to write home about. This type of game doesn?t need jaw-dropping graphics anyway. Each song has a different background so there?s plenty of eye candy.

Sound

This game is all about music and as I said earlier it?s pretty well done and there?s plenty of variety. My only gripe is that there are not enough songs. Then again, I could be spoiled by my several gig collection on my PC. I wouldn?t be surprised if they came out with sequels for this game. The drum sounds you can buy are pretty cool. There are dog, car, laser, country, and many more effects you can get.

Controls

You can navigate through all the menus etc. with the bongos. The bongos are pretty sturdy and are easy to use. The menu system is just like DDR in the way that it scrolls. There will be other games out that will be using the Bongos as well (such as Donkey Kong Jungle Beat) so consider it a worthwhile investment.

Appropriateness

This game is squeaky clean. The songs included all have decent lyrics, so there is no concern there. This game is fun for all ages and can be a good choice for parties or get-togethers.