Donkey Kong Jungle Beat NPC

When an army of invaders infiltrate Donkey Kong’s jungle home and help themselves to every banana they can get their hands on, you know there’s going to be trouble. With a rumbling stomach and the support of some fellow banana-starved simians, the agitated ape sets out to reclaim what’s rightfully his and liberate the Kingdoms he passes through in the process.

Finding DK’s favourite yellow fruit could cause a bunch of trouble, however. Bananas are strewn throughout every platform-based level, and some deft motion-controlled moves will be required to ensure the moody monkey bags as many as possible. Back Flips and Wall Jumps will help him scale new heights in his search for the precious fruit, while the high-impact Ground Pound will crush enemies as well as certain parts of the landscape – hopefully unearthing bananas in the process. But the biggest weapon at DK’s disposal is the super strong Sound Wave – an attack that can hurt enemies, repel attacks or shake some bananas loose.

As you advance through lush levels, you’ll gradually find the perfect rhythm with the Wii Remote and Nunchuk - stringing together DK’s many moves by making intuitive movements of your own. Once you’ve got a firm grasp of the rhythms of the jungle, you can expect to enjoy a unique sense of satisfaction as the subtleties of your gestures translate into inch-perfect platforming exploits from the monkey on your telly.

The more accustomed you become to controlling DK, the more bananas you’ll be able to grab. And although there’s nothing quite as tasty as a fresh banana, the fruit also serves a higher purpose. Not only will a certain number of bananas be required to reach new Kingdoms, the number you collect will also determine how much strength you have when you lead Donkey Kong into battle against the game’s banana-hoarding bosses.

In NEW PLAY CONTROL! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, there are a stack of new features to sample. While the GameCube original saw Donkey Kong’s every move governed by beats on the DK Bongos, the Wii version introduces an easy and intuitive control scheme that uses the Wii Remote and Nunchuk.

The Nunchuk Control Stick now governs Donkey Kong’s general walking movements, while his all-important Sound Wave attack can be unleashed with a shake of the Wii Remote (after determining which direction it should travel in with the Nunchuk Control Stick). Shaking the Wii Remote or Nunchuk will also launch DK from Barrel Cannons, punch certain enemies, throw items and enable him to grab onto helpful allies like Flurl, Orco and Helibird. Shaking the Wii Remote and Nunchuk alternately will now perform actions that were previously governed by a left and right drumming motion on the DK Bongos – like attack combos in boss battles or the act of scoffing as many bananas as possible in a fruit munching mini-game.

Also new on Wii is the addition of new level elements like Checkpoint Monkeys (to save your progress during a level), Controller Monkeys (who indicate the presence of a gesture operated action), and logs that cover-up new secrets. The addition of these new elements means new layouts on several levels, while new enemies like Thumpskull and Buzzball could be encountered at any time! Being hit by enemies (old or new) will now result in depletion of a life meter, rather than of your total number of bananas.

Topping off the additions are unlockable game modes and levels. Celebratory Feast brings a puzzle element into the gameplay as DK attempts to score a huge haul of bananas in an enemy-free environment, while Kong of the Mountain mode lets you try to fight your way through a series of massive monkeys using only one life bar. As with previous titles in the NEW PLAY CONTROL! range, every game mode you play can be in enjoyed in 16:9 widescreen.

• Officially licensed product.


• Reinvented controls let you experience Donkey Kong’s action platform adventure using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk to perform all the great ape’s actions


• Explore colourful levels and save Kingdoms as you collect bananas across a variety of action-packed environments.


• Battle giant bosses that could come in the form of birds, hogs, apes or mammoths, and master the right moves with the Wii Remote and Nunchuk to overcome them.