History VideoGame / DonkeyKonga

''Donkey Konga'' is a {{rhythm game}} you play using the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube GameCube]] bongo controller, literally [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a contact-sensitive controller shaped to resemble a set of bongo drums]]. You strike the correct drum at the correct time as depicted on the screen, to the tune of public domain music, old-school Nintendo themes, and some songs by popular artists such as Music/WillieNelson and {{Music/Devo}}. The game sold well enough in Japan to warrant a pair of sequels, but in the west, it was poorly regarded and flew largely under the radar, leaving ''Donkey Konga 3'' unreleased in the West.

[[quoteright:428:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Donkey_Konga_1499.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:428:[[VideoGame/DonkeyKong64 They're finally here, performing for you...]]]]

''Donkey Konga'' is a {{rhythm game}} you play using the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube GameCube]] bongo controller, literally [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a contact-sensitive controller shaped to resemble a set of bongo drums]]. You strike the correct drum at the correct time as depicted on the screen, to the tune of public domain music, old-school Nintendo themes, and some songs by popular artists such as Music/WillieNelson and {{Music/Devo}}. The game sold well enough in Japan to warrant a pair of sequels, but in the west, it was poorly regarded and flew largely under the radar, leaving ''Donkey Kong 3'' unreleased in the West.

* DarkerAndEdgier: The second installment featured a T-rating with more songs from modern hip-hop culture, along with tunes with sadder tones and alcohol references. Definitely a step up from the first game, which mostly used public domain children's songs.

''Donkey Konga'' is a {{rhythm game}} you play using the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube GameCube]] bongo controller, literally [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a contact-sensitive controller shaped to resemble a set of bongo drums]]. You strike the correct drum at the correct time as depicted on the screen, to the tune of public domain music, old-school Nintendo themes, and some songs by popular artists such as Music/WillieNelson and {{Music/Devo}}. The game sold well enough in Japan to warrant a pair of sequels, but in the west, it was poorly regarded and flew largely under the radar.

* {{Bowdlerise}}: Some of the songs in ''Donkey Konga 2'' came heavily under this, since the originals had cuss words. However, others seem to have [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar gotten crap past the radar]].

At the TurnOfTheMillennium, {{video game}} creators Creator/{{Nintendo}} and Creator/{{Rare}} were at a parting of ways. After years of cooperating on hit franchises like ''VideoGame/KillerInstinct'', ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'', and of course, the ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry'' games, Nintendo, having acquired a large part of Rare's assets, had the chance of buying out the company once and for all. They chose not to, selling Rare's services to Microsoft instead. Thus ''Franchise/DonkeyKong'' was left largely adrift and directionless.

* InNameOnly: The North American tracklist of ''Donkey Konga 2'' contains no tracks related to Donkey Kong, Nintendo, or video game music other than the game's own opening theme. While the series in general was essentially ''VideoGame/TaikoNoTatsujin'' with DK Bongos, the Japanese releases consistently paid nods to Nintendo's music, including [[TheAnimeOfTheGame their various anime openings]], and even the NA release of the original ''Donkey Konga'' included the FourKidsEntertainment opening themes as a regional substitute. The European release of the first two games do both include video game music tracks, however.

* DarkerAndEdgier: The second installment featured a T-rating with more songs from modern hip-hop culture, along with tunes with sadder melodies and alcohol references. Definitely a step up from the first game, which mostly used public domain children's songs.

At the {{turn of the millennium}}, {{video game}} creators Creator/{{Nintendo}} and {{Rare}} were at a parting of ways. After years of cooperating on hit franchises like ''VideoGame/KillerInstinct'', ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'', and of course, the ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry'' games, Nintendo, having acquired a large part of Rare's assets, had the chance of buying out the company once and for all. They chose not to, selling Rare's services to Microsoft instead. Thus ''Franchise/DonkeyKong'' was left largely adrift and directionless.

''Donkey Konga'' is a {{rhythm game}} you play using the [[UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube GameCube]] bongo controller, literally [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a contact-sensitive controller shaped to resemble a set of bongo drums]]. You strike the correct drum at the correct time as depicted on the screen, to the tune of public domain music, old-school Nintendo themes, and some songs by popular artists such as WillieNelson and {{Music/Devo}}. The game sold well enough in Japan to warrant a pair of sequels, but in the west, it was poorly regarded and flew largely under the radar.

At the {{turn of the millennium}}, {{video game}} creators Creator/{{Nintendo}} and {{Rare}} were at a parting of ways. After years of cooperating on hit franchises like ''VideoGame/KillerInstinct'', ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'', and of course, the ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry'' games, Nintendo, having acquired a large part of Rare's assets, had the chance of buying out the company once and for all. For [[MoneyDearBoy a host of delicate and complicated reasons]], they chose not to, selling Rare's services to Microsoft instead. Thus, [[Creator/ShigeruMiyamoto Miyamoto-san's]] wallet got a little fatter, Rare packed their bags to go spruce up your {{Xbox}} Live DigitalAvatar, and ''Franchise/DonkeyKong'' was left largely adrift and directionless.

Without any more ''Country'' games to come in the future ([[VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryReturns or so it seemed at the time]]), Nintendo made an effort to distance the character from Rare's stint with him. Since Rare had distanced him so much from his roots at the arcade, it felt illogical to return to the barrel-rolling, ladder-climbing, girder-grappling days of yore. So they made two offbeat games starring the character. One was a {{platform game}}, similar to ''Donkey Kong Country'' but featuring none of its popular characters or aesthetics: ''Videogame/DonkeyKongJungleBeat''. The other was a {{rhythm game}} you play with aсtual drums.

''Donkey Konga'' is a {{rhythm game}} you play using the {{GameCube}} bongo controller, literally [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a contact-sensitive controller shaped to resemble a set of bongo drums]]. You strike the correct drum at the correct time as depicted on the screen, to the tune of public domain music, old-school Nintendo themes, and some songs by popular artists such as WillieNelson and {{Music/Devo}}. The game sold well enough in Japan to warrant a pair of sequels, but in the west, it was poorly regarded and flew largely under the radar.

At the {{turn of the millennium}}, {{video game}} creators Creator/{{Nintendo}} and {{Rare}} were at a parting of ways. After years of cooperating on hit franchises like ''VideoGame/KillerInstinct'', ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'', and of course, the ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry'' games, Nintendo, having acquired a large part of Rare's assets, had the chance of buying out the company once and for all. For [[MoneyDearBoy a host of delicate and complicated reasons]], they chose not to, selling Rare's services to Microsoft instead. Thus, [[ShigeruMiyamoto Miyamoto-san's]] wallet got a little fatter, Rare packed their bags to go spruce up your {{Xbox}} Live DigitalAvatar, and ''Franchise/DonkeyKong'' was left largely adrift and directionless.

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Donkey_Konga_1499.jpg
[[caption-width:428:[[VideoGame/DonkeyKong64 They're finally here, performing for you...]]]]

''Donkey Konga'' is a {{rhythm game}} you play using the {{GameCube}} bongo controller, literally [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin a contact-sensitive controller shaped to resemble a set of bongo drums]]. You strike the correct drum at the correct time as depicted on the screen, to the tune of public domain music, old-school Nintendo themes, and some songs by popular artists such as WillieNelson and {{Devo}}. The game sold well enough in Japan to warrant a pair of sequels, but in the west, it was poorly regarded and flew largely under the radar.

Without any more ''Country'' games to come in the future ([[VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryReturns or so it seemed at the time]]), Nintendo made an effort to distance the character from Rare's stint with him. Since Rare had distanced him so much from his roots at the arcade, it felt illogical to return to the barrel-rolling, ladder-climbing, girder-grappling days of yore. So they made two offbeat games starring the character. One was a {{platform game}}, similar to ''Donkey Kong Country'' but featuring none of its popular characters or aesthetics: ''DonkeyKongJungleBeat''. The other was a {{rhythm game}} you play with aсtual drums.

At the {{turn of the millennium}}, {{video game}} creators Creator/{{Nintendo}} and {{Rare}} were at a parting of ways. After years of cooperating on hit franchises like ''VideoGame/KillerInstinct'', ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'', and of course, the ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry'' games, Nintendo, having acquired a large part of Rare's assets, had the chance of buying out the company once and for all. For [[MoneyDearBoy a host of delicate and complicated reasons]], they chose not to, selling Rare's services to Microsoft instead. Thus, [[ShigeruMiyamoto Miyamoto-san's]] wallet got a little fatter, Rare packed their bags to go spruce up your {{Xbox}} Live DigitalAvatar, and DonkeyKong was left largely adrift and directionless.

Without any more ''Country'' games to come in the future ([[DonkeyKongCountryReturns or so it seemed at the time]]), Nintendo made an effort to distance the character from Rare's stint with him. Since Rare had distanced him so much from his roots at the arcade, it felt illogical to return to the barrel-rolling, ladder-climbing, girder-grappling days of yore. So they made two offbeat games starring the character. One was a {{platform game}}, similar to ''Donkey Kong Country'' but featuring none of its popular characters or aesthetics: ''DonkeyKongJungleBeat''. The other was a {{rhythm game}} you play with aсtual drums.

At the {{turn of the millennium}}, {{video game}} creators {{Nintendo}} and {{Rare}} were at a parting of ways. After years of cooperating on hit franchises like ''VideoGame/KillerInstinct'', ''VideoGame/BanjoKazooie'', and of course, the ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry'' games, Nintendo, having acquired a large part of Rare's assets, had the chance of buying out the company once and for all. For [[MoneyDearBoy a host of delicate and complicated reasons]], they chose not to, selling Rare's services to Microsoft instead. Thus, [[ShigeruMiyamoto Miyamoto-san's]] wallet got a little fatter, Rare packed their bags to go spruce up your {{Xbox}} Live DigitalAvatar, and DonkeyKong was left largely adrift and directionless.

Without any more ''Country'' games to come in the future ([[DonkeyKongCountryReturns or so it seemed at the time]]), Nintendo made an effort to distance the character from Rare's stint with him. Since Rare had distanced him so much from his roots at the arcade, it felt illogical to return to the barrel-rolling, ladder-climbing, girder-grappling days of yore. So they made two offbeat games starring the character. One was a {{platform game}}, similar to ''Donkey Kong Country'' but featuring none of its popular characters or aesthetics: ''DonkeyKongJungleBeat''. The other was a {{party game}}, their zany answer to ''GuitarHero'': ''Donkey Konga''.