Calling the 2004 Nintendo GameCube cult classic Donkey Kong Jungle Beat unconventional would be an understatement. Now, it’s a 2D platformer, a field Donkey Kong isn’t lacking in. It whisks the icon through several environmentally diverse levels, like Donkey Kong Country did a decade prior. Although more casual fans might not notice at first glance, Jungle Beat proudly upholds Donkey Kong Country’s values: it savors nature and wants you to push yourself, to dash through its obstacle courses with reckless grace. Jungle Beat expresses those values differently, but they are unmistakably present! And its structure also evokes other seminal side-scrollers; most “Kingdoms” host two levels and end with a boss battle, like your typical Sonic the Hedgehog.
Image: LongplayArchive. Accessing Jungle Beat’s third full region, the Watermelon Kingdom, only requires beating the preceding ones. Which is good, because everyone who tries this offbeat brawler oughta taste it!
What makes Jungle Beat bizarre—beyond its complicated history with the Donkey Kong fandom and role in the greater franchise—are its controls. Sure, you can use a traditional GameCube pad, and it’s nice we have the option. If you want to experience Jungle Beat as its then-nascent developer, Nintendo EAD Tokyo, intended, however, then you’re busting out the DK Bongo controller. Given its limited nature, the controls are simple: bang the left drum to head left, right goes right, tapping both simultaneously makes DK jump, and he’ll employ a Ground Pound if you do the same while midair. Oh, and clapping makes the hero clap, triggering his Sound Wave Attack. Any baddies who fall within the outer green shockwave layer are temporarily stunned, while those struck by the inner red shockwave suffer damage or death; any goodies therein are also grabbed automatically. Long play sessions may incur some palm pain; this game is physically demanding, hence why most Kingdoms only span a few minutes.
But it’s hard to find a platformer as viscerally empowering as Jungle Beat! Its silly pack-in toy provides the tactile, loud feedback that organically hails from, well, banging drums. What’s most striking about Jungle Beat, however, is the clapping. Not only does it synergize our actions with Donkey Kong’s, but it also lets him tap into a theatrical energy that’s historically enriched Mario. Jungle Beat begins by asking us, the audience, to clap! Then the leaves on the screen, its makeshift curtains, pull away to reveal a spotlight hovering over DK, the star. Jungle Beat isn’t merely a tale about his quest to defeat the evil, ambiguously alien Ghastly King; it’s a show. As director Yoshiaki Koizumi explained, Jungle Beat’s breaks from its forebears—its more bombastic tone, noticeable (and, yes, dispiriting) lack of returning characters—is because EAD Tokyo wanted it to embody their personality, their style. So, wanna sample the value in their values? Try Monkey Fest, the Watermelon Kingdom’s opener and Jungle Beat’s sixth stage altogether.
Image: LongplayArchive. The backflip, a Mario staple, is done by dashing in one direction, immediately performing an about-face, and then jumping; you’ll leap a little higher. Maximizing a combo chain by starting with one feels like busywork, a superfluous step, but that’s hardly a pressing issue.
Like the previous Kingdoms’ opening acts, Donkey Kong begins by patiently sitting atop a throne (his goal is to become the undisputed jungle king, y’see), and only when you clap does he leap into action. A small batch of leaves floats above his head. Friendly Party Monkeys reside therein; after DK claps near ‘em, they’ll toss him deeper into the level à la a Barrel Cannon, a Country staple. Most people will instinctively jump into the bush and start the festivities; more experienced players may perform a wall jump, backflip, or even both to get a head start building their combo counter.
…Actually, time for an intermission. Managing combos is critical in Jungle Beat. At its core, it’s a score attack game; nabbing one banana translates into one beat, but you’ll procure more based on your combo multiplier. Performing a fancy flip, like a wall jump, or another eye-catching action will initiate or extend one. Repeating a note—employing a second wall jump, for instance—doesn’t increase it, so try to be a good showman and constantly keep innovating. A headliner of DK’s caliber wouldn’t want to disappoint the crowd, right? When you’re performing well, neon fairies start tailing the gorilla as the audio’s augmented with additional instruments and chants of “Go! Go! Go!” Touching solid ground or taking damage ends your combo, and the latter also wipes away the beats you were accruing. Even if you aren’t fussed about your score, however, you still gotta pay it some mind: beats double as Donkey Kong’s health. You start each Kingdom with twenty, and if your total hits zero, it’s game over. Part of the difficulty in Jungle Beat is derived from evading hazards, in preserving the banana lover’s hoard.
Image: LongplayArchive. Maybe you previously ignored your scores. Jungle Beat is initially a sensory overload whose tutorials were… well, not vanilla, but lacking a certain juice. One the Watermelon Kingdom exudes.
Anyway, after blasting upwards, you’ll clap again to gain a second lift from another Party Monkey. He’ll propel you upwards onto a horizontal vine Donkey Kong can bounce from, elevating him and his combo. Clap to grab the four floating bananas, and then repeat the process with the next makeshift trampoline and its nearby produce. DK’ll leap up into a string of Party Monkeys; keep putting your hands together, because you need to clap! Even after you’re out of their reach, I mean. That final gibbon hurls you up by seven floating banana bunches, which you’ll only have a split second to secure!
…Or maybe you’ll have another chance later? You may notice a route on the right has an arrow that points… left, to where we already are. You’ll stumble upon alternate paths in Jungle Beat occasionally. Really, calling them that is a little disingenuous; they’re short, optional diversions. Some are even punishments for missing a critical clap! But if you care about racking up a new record, you’ll replay stages to learn their layouts (Jungle Beat openly encourages this by sharing a tip after you conquer a Kingdom). In which case, this’ll catch your eye, and tell you to always keep ‘em peeled.
Image: LongplayArchive. Falling down early in the next area funnels DK into a tunnel, which dumps him in another room that contains two horizontal vines and a building some Party Monkeys are chillin’ on. Try not to let that happen!
Anyway, more bananas await as you’re propelled up towards another vine. A few Party Monkeys later, you’re tossed out of the tree on the right towards two more gibbons. One points up; the second points right. Quickly clap by the former, who’ll toss you upwards into some bananas… and psychedelic Blooms! These purple spirits spawn bright petals to collect, and netting one hundred rewards you with as many beats. Afterwards, you’ll drop down into the second gibbon. He’ll throw you past two big bees—exterminate them via the Sound Wave Attack to secure a few fruits—and into another Party Monkey. And, again, falling here means you’ll ultimately wind up going back through that hollow tree prematurely. Stay sharp! Quick reaction times are rewarded in Jungle Beat.
Another Bloom batch leads into another Party Monkey, one who’s optional. But you’ll probably instinctively clap anyway, which’ll launch you through another petal string and into a neighboring Party Monkey, who’ll then toss you back; his small alcove is a dead-end. You can either ignore that first gibbon this time or use him to spring DK to the right again; a few tiny enemies emerged, and you can Sound Wave Attack ‘em for bonus bananas. Either way, you’ll ultimately descend down into more monkeys, bananas, Blooms, and easily avoidable pests. It’s like a plunge down a roller coaster.
Image: LongplayArchive. Sonic and other SEGA classics ooze a rebellious, vibrant tone and champion score attacking. Considering its combo mechanics, replayability, and somewhat more extreme presentation, Jungle Beat feels oddly in-line with their oeuvre.
After a thrilling sprint through a tunnel, you’ll wind up on another bouncy vine. There are two, actually, on the left and right of this room. In the middle lies a tower that’s home to nearly a dozen Party Monkeys (yes, this where you can accidentally get dumped early). Another monkey rests in the floating bush above it. If you made a mistake at some point and wanna restart your combo counter, maybe you’ll head over to a wall and jump off it before triggering the gibbon. Nevertheless, you’ll wind up being thrown upwards across another string of monkeys while procuring more purple petals. Soon, one of our buddies will launch DK straight up, past more easily killable critters. If you missed some, no problem, and show no mercy! Simply drop down, get launched up again, and wreck the rest; there’s no time limit.
Only a few Party Monkeys left! They’ll throw DK past a few more bananas, and… he’ll grab a giant watermelon, the finish line! You know the drill: a minigame ensues wherein he gets the opportunity to munch on more bananas; rapidly bang the Bongos to increase your score by forty, potentially fifty beats!
Image: LongplayArchive. Monkey Fest spans three areas: the hollow stump in the center, where you start; the branches and nooks on right, where you go next; and finally the open space on the left. Unlike most levels, Fest basically bops DK up and down until you reach its peak.
Nabbing at least eight hundred beats in Monkey Fest is a fairly easy, fun process, and assuming you don’t suffer any setbacks during the rest of the Watermelon Kingdom, that’s enough to obtain a Gold Crest! After clearing a Kingdom, Donkey Kong attends an award ceremony where impressive performances are remunerated. By default, you’ll bag a Bronze Crest, while four hundred beats spawns Silver; doubling that yields a Gold Crest. Should you score at least 1,200 beats, the moon itself bestows upon DK a sacred Platinum Crest! Given the abundance of bananas littering the Watermelon Kingdom, I figure it’s where most Jungle Beat devotees earn their first Platinum.
The rest of the Watermelon Kingdom isn’t a cakewalk, of course; you’ll need a few rehearsals before you perform flawlessly. Act 2, Desert Oasis, features several annoying monsters, though it satisfyingly lets us volleyball spike some away without a care. Aesthetically, it’s far removed from the comforting tree we just traversed, too. Oh, and the tyrant ruling this domain is Rogue-Hog, the first of four hideous Hogs. Combat in Jungle Beat doesn’t exactly rival a Devil May Cry in complexity, though the emphasis on constantly employing new tricks nevertheless evokes it. But they do power intuitive, satisfying, primal beatdowns. Wait for the porker to chuck a coconut, clap near it, approach the fruit while it’s floating, spike it back, and pummel him. Clapping quickly is a vital skill you’re gonna nurture across this kingdom.
Image: LongplayArchive. These monkeys know how to party! Fireworks adorn the moonlit sky during the final stretch, conveniently starting when you’ll finish netting 100 Blooms.
It makes sense that the levels preceding Monkey Fest were less zestful; they give players space to acclimate to Jungle Beat before it dishes out this sugar rush. And while they’re fun, this shindig is where the Party Monkeys earn their name. A sprint through Monkey Fest only spans a minute-and-a-half, and since every enemy rests just out of reach, they pose no threat unless you’re deliberately hunting them. Overall, it’s a great place to practice Jungle Beat’s basics. Soon, you’ll be able to shlep across this entire ceremony without breaking your flow!
And that’s the goal. Countless Party Monkeys are here to cheer and support Donkey Kong! Monkey Fest’s energetic music is set to their clapping, their excitement! Don’t they deserve a good show? Even our clapping augments this energy! Starting with Cranky Kong’s tangents in Donkey Kong Country, the franchise has dabbled in meta commentary (a tradition Donkey Kong Bananza, the latest title by EAD Tokyo successor EPD Tokyo, lovingly upholds). Clapping in Jungle Beat, particularly within Monkey Fest, channels that spirit by blurring the line between us as players and audience members. Tapping the side of the Bongos registers as a clap, but doing so feels dirty, especially here. This normally laidback gorilla is having a grand time entertaining everyone, and he deserves an equally exuberant audience, don’t you think?
Image: LongplayArchive. While it’s disappointing none of the other Kongs joined DK on this banana bender, most wouldn’t work as playable characters. Even those boasting buff builds, like Funky, well… aren’t stars like this rambunctious, revered king.
Although Bananza proudly upholds Jungle Beat’s focus on the ape’s physicality, no subsequent Donkey Kong has recaptured its distinct pleasures. Most people haven’t even tried it! Thanks at least in part to its seemingly impenetrable nature, “not enough people bought” Jungle Beat; some don’t even recognize it as a mainline Donkey Kong (its recent tribute in the Bananza DLC will hopefully help rectify this)! And while the serviceable Wii re-release tried to make EAD Tokyo’s side-scroller more palatable—it abandons the Bongos, most significantly—it loses a lot of panache. As Monkey Fest beautifully conveys, Donkey Kong Jungle Beat is a thrilling, theatrical event you’ll never experience anywhere else.
Image: LongplayArchive. Watermelons are traditionally linked with festivals in Japan. Smart choice to start its namesake Kingdom with Jungle Beat’s most chipper romp, right?
Thanks to NantenJex and Jungle Beat aficionados Jem and Jordan for helping with edits.
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