My dad got cancer in 2008 when i was 13. Me and my brother were still playing n64 at that time so my oldest brother who was no longer living at home brought over this game and star wars shadows of the empire. Me and my brother did play this game quite a bit but never finished it but i will always remember it for being a game that helped me during a stressful time
I really love this game I grew up with the N64 so this was my first DK game. Back then i did not know about the Country Trilogy ( i really love dkc2) So this game will always have a special place in my heart I love the music!
I thought this game was hit or miss, but I'm glad to see its one that you don't diss. Thats the end of the games from Rare, now stop watching my channel and get that BEAR! :)
I gotta ask Grungy, shouldn't you rhyme? Before Tooie, you did it all the time. You're not Grunty, you're a fake! The real one was likely drowned in a lake!
Admitedly DK64 is hugely impressive. It had best character animation ever, for example. On first time play thru, DK64 offers everything. But this type of game should be simpler to have fun replay value, to just pick up and play your fafourite parts, or chapters. But unlike Super Mario 64, you can't re -do already completed things twice on DK64. After you play level thru, they are "empty". Most complex multicharacter 3D -game for sure. Via other monkey(s), it's possible to access completedly new places others can not. The whole point here is to be able enter new level areas courtesy of abilities of different playable characters. They work separately, but it's still team work and friendship withing the monkeys. Player can decide which parts to play on what order. It builds around characters and abilities really well when played from start to finish. The most amazing thing is, that this concept actually works. But if not played for a while when things aren't on your fress memory, coming back to pick it up gets really confusing. Game is really complicated, working on some sort of "Pulp Fiction" -style, but somehow manages to work from start to finish while pushing Super Mario 64 -formula into limits. While DK64 is achievement, i think simpler, linear, straightforward -platformer would have been more enjoyable & well received. During development Rare would have then been able to relax & concentrate on art & atmosphere even more. It must have been nightmare to achieve perfect balance on this type of struckture. Now, while playing it, you can almost hear developers scratching their hair just to desing and get all that content work together seamlessly. High pressure, potentially anticlimactic anticipation, frustration... True unnecessary obsession to better Super Mario 64, rather than making pure platform -sequel to DKC. Amazing game, for sure. But why to beat Miyamoto, when everybody really wanted Stampers to improve their own piece of art, that is DKC? Every aspect on first Donkey Kong Country felt just right, like all those things belong & fit there. Almost like it's meant to be. That was perfect game that transformed gaming into audio-visual artform. There was nothing that did not fit in perfectly. Sadly, same can not quite be said about the sequels, as there is lack of seamless playable content, while adding not so good unnecessary ideas and pacing is just not up there with the original. But all Donkey Kong games are true classics, including Donkey Kong 64, that even includes Arcade version of original Donkey Kong. Certainly some of the personal fafourites. Some of the most important pieces on whole gaming history. Still, better solution for N64 -console's lifespan would have been first release Expansion Pack enhanced HI -REZ Donkey Kong Country Trilogy on single cartridge for N64 1998. Then all new 2D DKC 4 for N64 year 1999, and finally 3D more platform -based version of DK64 aroung the end of year 2000 or even during 2001.
Oh, man, a remastered 480i/p version of the DKC trilogy would have been so cool, if they could make it work on the N64. But there would have been some major hurdles, even if the market wasn't so hostile to 2-D games in the late '90s: For one, the original trilogy already totalled 12 MB- about the size of a typical N64 cartridge- and using larger, Hi-Rez-ready assets probably would have pushed it well over 32 MB, unless Rare could come up with some really amazing compression! Plus, all of the original assets are effectively gone, so Rare had to rip them from the SNES ROMs (in the same low quality) in order to make the GBA ports. But maybe they actually had everything neatly organized until Microsoft bought them? ;) PS: The original DKC did play really well- the controls just felt right, and the courses were so smartly designed. It could even be said that the game is underrated, as popular as it is! The sequel might be even better, IMO, but like you hinted at, DKC3 just went overboard with the gimmicks.
I couldn't imagine DKC 2D on N64. I feel like I can count the number of 2D games on the console with one hand. The late 90's just wasn't kind to 2D platformers.
DK 64 surely had its flaws, but I think most of the public's bashing towards it nowadays isn't really fair. It comes from players who didn't even grow up when the collect-a-ton genre was relevant. Many people who played this game were not only impressed at the time, but also had a heck of a fun time. To me, the biggest flaws of this game weren't related to the ammount of collectibles, but instead to their placement and methods to achieve goals. Colored bananas were almost randomly distributed and certain missions asked for all kongs in a way that didn't engage the player, requiring meaningless backtracking and hurting severely the pacing (and thus the fun) of the game in some sections. Some bosses/enemies and characters could also have been more varied and fleshed out or better introduced in order to help with the immesion and the story. As Glenn said, maybe Rare's ambition in contrast to the limitations of the N64 worked against it. With all that said, DK 64 is still overall a great game, with lots to do and that feel of Rare's polish all thoughout the journey. Considering what they managed to do on the N64 hardware with this game, I'd say the outcome was impressive for the time. I remember I was eagerly awaiting for this game's launch back in the day and I wasn't disappointed at all. Still have good memories and come back from time to time for that 101%
I grew up during that time I didn't like it back then and I don't like it now. To me Mario 64 and to a lesser extent Banjo Kazooie had the balance right when it comes to collecting items but Donkey Kong 64 completely loses the balance. The flaws were too much for me to continue playing at the time I just got bored and gave up. Character switching the way it was handled made collecting a pain
I love 3D Collectathon Platformers, they're my favorite genre of game next to rhythm games, I grew up playing the best both Nintendo and Sony's consoles had to offer for them, and I will admit as a child I adored this game, but after playing it to 101% Completion? Oh god, I've had enough to last a lifetime, even as somewhat of an apologist for Rare's more... experimental age with Microsoft, even as someone who adores Yooka-Laylee for what it aspired to do, I can't help but look at this as one of Rare's few misfires. This was where they hit the ceiling, and they hit it hard, really, really hard. Thankfully they didn't cripple themselves, Banjo-Tooie, I find, is a much better representation of what this game was trying to be, even if that has it's own share of growing pains when it comes to size and collectible distribution.
@@lightninstriker10 I get what you're saying, though I think is more about whether you feel the game or not. As I said, I had fun with it most of the time and if not for a few issues it would be high on my list. Regarding Banjo Tooie, it really was what this game tried to be, and as someone who knows that game pretty well I find it an absolute joy from start to finish. No pain at all. I just love collect a tons. Maybe I got used to it at the right time by growing up playing the golden age of the genre.
Worst thing about that Expansion bug, is it doesn't fix it, just delays it. It happens after a certain amount of time the game has been played. It still happens in emulation and the virtual console ports too!
@@franzpattison Which emulator are you using? I played all the way through without issues on Project 64 a few years back... probably version 2.2 or so.
@@3dmarth pj64 yeah but when that one glitched I also tried a different one. Can't remember. But it emulated worse and besides I didn't feel like redoing all my progress
This game meant so much to me as a child. My older brother and cousin would play it for hours on end while I would watch and chime in with tips. My favourite game of all time for this particular reason. It brought us together and got us through some tough times. Truly a masterpiece.
One of the best games imo. Very fun stages. Mini games (some more fun than others). All the weapons, instruments and special moves for each kong. Collecting bananas was just as fun as collecting stars in Super Mario 64. I disagree with the music and sound effects. To me, it all made the game more memorable. Only thing that held it back was the fact that all the small collectables were reserved in colours for each kong. Made collecting it all more difficult than it had to be. Multiplayer was fun too, although it wasn't really anything special. The one were you kill the spawning enemies was good simple fun. The walls you could go through always gave fun reactions on people too.
I agree. It was my favorite game on the console back in the day besides Golden Eye, WWF No Mercy, Mario Golf and OOT but I dumped many countless hours playing the game and beating it 100%. This was also a time when the internet was in its infancy and you had to go to random sites to get help for a game. Google wasn't the google it is today so finding game sites sucked. Then you had to either write everything down or pay to print it off. My how times have changed. Anyway, People complained about DK64 being too long. I don't see what's wrong with that. I liked the idea of buying a game way back then and knowing it would take a while to beat. Not get it and just rape the game in a day. It's why Banjo was great. It's why Zelda Ocarina of Time was great. It took time. Only certain people will know the pain of the water temple in a time when walkthroughs were hard to come by. Beating things was a word of mouth thing. Your buddy would have a method or way you don't know.
I really love this game, still holds up really well! But I agree with some of the flaws you mentioned, the collectibles were a bit annoying since there's too many, more than Banjo-Kazooie. But I still really enjoyed this game!
I think that’s actually an improvement. Sure, there’s a TON more than BK and BK2, but you’re not required to find everything. You just need to grab a required amount out of a huge amount, so you never run around for hours trying to find the last single thing like you had to in BK1. Also, the levels don’t freaking repopulate every time you leave making you start over!
I loved this game as a kid and still love it just as much now. Me and my brother we're obsessed! I still bring out the old N64 and play DK64 at least once a year from start to finish. I have been waiting for a sequel to this game for too long! NINTENDO MAKE IT HAPPEN!
I really enjoyed tropical freeze but I found it really difficult, do I just suck? 😭 played dk64 for the first time on the Wii U virtual console when it came out on there (no idea how long ago that was) and other than the input lag it was so fun
I was about 10 years old when DK64 came out. It was a really big deal among kids my age. I know it has shortcomings, but I didn't really care about them then. It just felt like a big magical N64 adventure to me.
I did not have this game as kid. Now when I have Everdrive, I play it and finish it 101%. Before I start play , I see some negative reviews about how game did not age well and there is to many collect items and boring backtracking etc... I did not see any of that stuff. For me game is very good, graphic is amazing and collecting items is very easy because levels are from small to medium and everything is almost right under your nose. This game is more similar to Banjo-Kazooie than Banjo. Tooie is, because BT have huge levels and you can wonder for hours what to do next. Btw, DK Rap is so fun to me, idk why people have problem with that.
There is definitely nostalgia bias for me with this game, but I feel like a lot of people who play the game and give it crap now are basing it off of modern gaming standards rather than the time it came out. That is not a bad thing by far but still feels a little unfair, I definitely think this deserves a modern remake but guess I can only dream.
I absolutely loved this game! The music and gameplay was top notch! I did prefer banjo-kazooie and Super Mario 64 but Dk64 was a very close 2nd. Think I preferred Dk64 to Banjo-tooie🤔. The amount of collectibles as you put was very tedious and it can be just that. But I still enjoyed the game as a whole and its charm. N64 games have stuck with me for years, they seem to have made a better impression on me then gamecube /wii and wii U. Love the N64
DK64 had great graphics and music, I liked each playable character (Lanky being my favourite) and there was a lot of funny moments...but it also felt too big and sometimes even a little bland to me. I did indeed get tired of all the running around and collecting stuff and it was the first DK game I didn't actually finish. It will forever hold a special place in my heart simply for being a Donkey Kong game and for reminding me of my youth, but I still prefer the SNES games by a mile. What I like though is all the other comments in here just giving 100% praise. It's all about playing these games "at the right time". Great content as always mate!
Christmas 1999 was a time when the first Pokemon movie was released as well as two awesome RARE games that I remember playing during that holiday season. Rare's Donkey Kong 64 as well as Rare's Jet Force Gemini. the N64 Expansion Pack was thankfully bundled with the game with extra cardboard space in the box to make it clear this expansion pack was intended to be used. I liked Donkey Kong 64 but I felt pissed that they didn't have Dixie Kong in that game. I loved Jet Force Gemini more as it was clear that game was my main focus during the Christmas that dawned a new millennium as well as Pokemon Stadium that would be released shortly afterwards would be the reason why I brought a Pokemon Red game to include it. I have so many memories around this time, and me being really into everything RARE related as well as keeping track of games in progress at the time including the Conker game as well as Dinosaur Planet as well, I do have so much memories of this time in the N64's life. With Donkey Kong 64, I remember trying to get those Nintendo and RARE coins with the Arcade game and Spectrum in Cranky's lab. Donkey Kong Arcade as well as Jet Pack were awesome bonuses in a good yet flawed DK game. But I enjoyed the King K Rool's voice sounding like Dr Claw from Inspector Gadget and I felt that was awesome, sadly it was only used in the opening cut scenes.
I've heard in an interview how developers from the Conker team actually made fun of the game and talked about how bad of a job the DK64 team did with the optimisation. For most of them this was their first N64 game. And looking at Conker's Bad Fur Day you can see what is possible without the Expansion Pack. So if it weren't for the game breaking bug DK64 would most likely run fine with the Jumper Pack. As for my opinion, I keep coming back to DK64, but every time I feel annoyed by the unhealthy amount of collectables and constant backtracking which makes the game needlessly bigger than it already is. To me it is a chore to play sometimes, and if it weren't for the charming presentation I wouldn't care much to keep playing. It's still enjoyable overall, but I can only take it in small doses. This absolutely needs a remake, from a seasoned team this time. Sooo, how does it feel to be done with all the Rare games? :D
DK64 was never on my radar, even though I really liked Donkey Kong Country 1&2 on SNES, I was distracted by Rare's other titles Goldeneye, Perfect Dark and Conker's Bad Fur Day. Great review Glenn 🤘
A great review of a great game. I still need to beat it. As you said, it has a lot of backtracking, so it becomes overwhelming after some time. But the game is so good that I have to come back to it some time.
its good in small doses but I think that's part of the problem, if you leave it for too long its too confusing to return to on your first few playthroughs
@@n64glennplant Indeed, that's a game that you have to know the world, and being away for too long is not a good idea. There'll be a lot of exploring when I decide to come back to it.
One question I always wanted to ask about Donkey Kong 64. Why does everyone seem to burp in this game? Did they all drink at Moe's Bar and they all ended up burping in their audio recordings?
I just adore this game!! I’m kinda weird but I loved collecting everything with each kong. Admiring the huge worlds enjoying the music I took my sweet sweet time with the game looking for every nook and cranny. And I still play it to this day once in a while def had great memories with this one
I know everyone seems to really dislike this game nowadays, but I still enjoy it as a huge fan of collectathon platformers, yes it’s my least favorite of Rare’s N64 platformers, yes it’s pretty tedious at times. But I found it relaxing just exploring large worlds, collecting stuff. Yes the backtracking and the darkness of the game is pretty bad. But I still enjoy DK64, granted I haven’t finished it yet, but I am really enjoying it at the time.
as long as you're enjoying it that's all that matters. I think the level of collecting was a lil too much in this as it felt more tedious than enjoyable after there being so much of it
I 101%ed this as a 13 year old and really liked it as far as I remember but I tried to replay it a few years ago and boy does it not hold up. Between the framerate, the overly massive levels and the ridiculous amount of things to collect I was just frustrated. I feel the same way for Banjo Tooie which has similar problems. The original Banjo Kazooie still holds up, though! Sometimes bigger is not better!
Yeah, DK64 is a bit bloated... but Banjo-Tooie was the one that really went over the edge there, in my opinion. They dialled back the collectables a fair bit, but the levels were so huge and easy to get lost in. (Rare has seemed to struggle for a long time with making unique landmarks to help players navigate.) And then there are all of those passageways that go from one area to another, so that one Jiggy in Grunty Industries can only be reached through Hailfire Peaks or whatever. Still a great game, but I feel like that particular flaw really stood out in Tooie, moreso than in DK64.
As heartbreaking as it is to admit, but I can't help but agree with this review. It really did feel it was lacking, as well as missing that 'feel' of a Donkey Kong game. It's strange because I have great memories of playing this, and became desperate to play on the Wii's Virtual Console, alongside DK Country and Diddy's Kong Quest. I do remember having fun, completing with 100%. The camera at times, was a bit dodgy, and frame-rate seemed uncharacteristically low for a Rare game. But the graphics were ace, full of colour, and I too loved all the characters. For me, Rare weren't truly able to rival Mario 64 like they did with the DK series on the SNES. Still a damn good game, mind!
I played it as a kid but never finished it. It was a rental from Blockbuster. I don't remember much of it, but I was enjoying it until I got stuck at a slide race with Tiny Kong and I just stopped playing it.
I actually found the later levels to be ugly and boring and although I've played the game many times I usually quit when it came time to play creepy castle which I found ugly and miserable, and the goddamn water level which can go fuck itself with an angry porcupine. I usually outlast gloomy Galleon so I can play fungi forest and crystal caves though but I put it down after that. When I first played the game I fully completed it to 101 bananas. My favourite level (and music) is angry Aztec
Would it have looked any better on the DD? The textures were really bad in this game I remember being really disappointed and didn’t play much because I thought it was ugly and ran really bad.
I got the Donkey Kong 64 console bundle for Christmas the year it came out. The console and the controller were "jungle green" colour. I still have it.
I got this game for Christmas in 1999, and I finally defeated every boss, collect every golden banana, captured every fairy, and obtained both the Nintendo and Rare coins in May 2003
What’s wrong with collectathons? Sure, you pick up stuff, but the maps and mechanics are built around doing so, and you’re constantly rewarded for everything you find with new areas and levels opening up, so what’s wrong with it? You don’t even have to collect everything, there’s a ton of extra stuff and most things that you are required to find, you don’t have to collect ALL of them, so you never run around for hours trying to find one little thing. Good game design!
@@brendan9734 I agree. It gives the player a meaning and a sense of progression. If that was so bad, then most RPGs would also be terrible, as levels, equipment and such could be considered collectibles in a way. The whole point of exploration is learning, discovering, improving... but it seems that the average player's profile has changed drastically over the years (clearly for the worse).
The part I didn’t like as a kid was having to beat the Donkey Kong arcade game. Lunar Jetman “jetpac” was fine, not too difficult. Donkey Kong? INSANELY DIFFICULT (Because Donkey Kong arcade is just hard)! That said, if you want to 100% this game for whatever reason, you will spend HOURS upon HOURS trying to find everything! At least it’s not required, so you can just grab the minimum amount you need (excluding the freaking banana medals) and go straight for the end with no penalty.
i had (and still have) the dk bundle, xmas 99. the controller got smashed sadly, and i had to repair the nintendo after 10 years ... but 20 years later my DK bundle still works like a charm
I have the Wii U Virtual Console of this game as well as the Donkey Kong Country trilogy as well Donkey Kong Country Returns and Tropical freeze. DK64 I do agree that this game difficult to play but its still fun. Also what do think of the Banjo-Kazooie spiritual successor Yooka-Laylee have you tried the game? P.S. Its good to see King K. Rool in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
DKC 1-2 are pretty well tied for me. I didn't hate DK64 but I never feel like I want to go back to it either. Probably my least favorite Rare N64 game(besides Mickey which I haven't played).
I was a huge fan of the Donkey Kong Country series (first two are my favorites) and I couldn't wait for this one to come out. it was a big let down for me. It felt uninspired. just look at the ''New'' Kongs. sure Lanky is new. but Chunky and Tiny are just variations of Kiddy Kong and Dixie Kong. I would say that there is a good game underneath it all. but it could have been a lot better.
DK 64 felt like a chore. A job. I did not enjoy it. it got me tired after I unlocked all 5 chars and found out I have to get 100 bananas with EACH, also a lot of collectibles for each. No thanks.
I played this game at an age where It had maximum "engraving-into-my-brain-power", resulting now in it's profound ability to bring up the most intense feelings of nostalgia when i see clips from it. I remember spending countless hours exploring the Dk64 world and just being completely in AW. It never seemed to bother me all the wandering, back tracking, and confusion of what to do next, as I was just so enchanted by it's world. I havn't played it since being a kid, but i reckon now-a-days it would probably feel like homework at times. ahhh.. the fleeting joys of games, I really wish I could still get the same amazement and wonder out of games like i did when I was a little kid. Im sure I would still enjoy playing DK64 now as a throwback nostalgia trip and have a lot of great fun, but much like a drug, nothing could ever compare to the first high of playing Dk64 @ age 8, having never seen anything like it before, just straight thru the blood brain barrier, It may as well had been VR, I wasn't just playing the characters, I felt like I was apart of it's world, lost in wind with adventure and discovery in every direction.
People call this a terrible game but crap like Call of Duty and Fortnite are praised? Nobody has good tastes in games, anymore. Thank God I was a 90s kid! Everything went to hell after the 90s ended. I mean 9/11 was the beginning of the end.
My favourite Game, i know many dislike the fact that the game is too long and has too many collectibles. But personally i do want my collect-a-thons to be as long as possible.
Game always looked cool and my brother had it. I was a teenager and couldn't commit to this game at that time as I was into different things when this game was new. I just never went back to give it a fair chance. I should now though
I 100% agree with your Opinion. The Game is to long, to big !!! My favorite Donkey Kong Game is "Donkey Kong Country 3", Love it ;-) Greetings from London ;-)
Took me 8 years to beat it 101% only cause of the damn beetle, but glad to see this most people only speak negative of this game cause of all the collectibles
Good review, I been playing the N64 since I was a kid but. I think the game has it's ups and downs so. this was a really good review not every game deserves a really good review,but it's always good to have the negatives. so I agree with you glen though the game is a beast of its time as well as it sits on that rock of glory I think rare had done the best they could do since it was a short time for that competition they had.
Loved it at the time, although my memories if playing it are tinged with guilt. I was in my early twenties and living with my then partner, Donkey Kong with the expansion pack was quite a hefty outlay, too much for our meagre income, so I used the "emergency" credit card to buy it. It took me several months of furtive statement interceptions before I could actually enjoy playing the game in a sort of guilt free manner. Oh, the impetuosity of youth. Surprised you didn't mention the multiplayer, that was excellent and provided many evenings and weekends of four way action and entertainment. I haven't read all the comments, but did anyone else really enjoy the multiplayer?
The collecting was arguably my favorite part of the game. I'm one of those people that enjoy trying to get 100% on games if possible. I was also around 5 years old when I first got this game for Christmas back '99, so this game does hold a lot of memories for me
I want to like this game more than I do, but RARE really fumbled the ball on this one. Every time I sit down to try and play through this game, that second level always drains my enthusiasm and I end up ending my game somewhere in the 3rd level. The furthest i've ever gotten in this game is around Fungi Forest. The amount of collectables in this game is just simply absurd. It wouldn't be as terrible if you could freely switch between characters instead of having to trek back to a "tag barrel". It just extends the game in a not great way and makes you comb every level 5 separate times if you wanna get everything, not counting all the times you'll wander around levels just looking for collectables with the wrong characters to collect them. I still think DK64 is a good game, but it is definitely a test of will to get through the whole thing. I'll beat this game one day, but it's gonna take all my willpower.
My favorite game in the series is also 2 on the Super Nintendo! DK 64 was so unique to us because it was our first Rare platform/open world game (we never had Banjo and went with DK because we liked games that had him) I guess that’s why, to us, this game felt like a masterpiece.
I just played this for the first time in 100%’d it today. I can’t say I will go through the torture of doing a 100% play through ever again 😅 but there is a lot of fun to be had in this if you just play it. Every character shines with endless personality with subtle animations in spots that took me hours to notice. The factory and Crystal levels were my favorites. I was impressed by the amount of unique textures to capture a baked lighting feel to the world. I think you said it perfectly, as long as you go in with the intent of exploring at your own pace, you will have fun.
Im am not gonna lie, i really want to see a updated n64 collection from you. Since you have not done that since 2012. And i al really courius to see how must it have grow in the last 6 years
DK64 was my first game with the N64 bundle while I aslo grabbed SM64. After couple of years I decided to complete it 100... 101% and I had alot of attempts along the way but overall was a great game for my first video games back then!
if you played this before many of the other n64 platformers then I can see why you'd want to ace it - would have been a great title to start with for sure
I'd say this was a perfect lead on to conkers bad furday rares true n64 masterpiece. but seriously look at the graphics and gameplay leading up to conkers is amazing it's all still n64.
The first two for SNES were the best. This one was my least favorite. I don't know why. It feels like the game just didn't have enough design behind it. Plus, the controls felt a bit clunky. I feel like it got rushed.
After the Super Nintendo trilogy becoming some of my favourite games at the time the N64 version was a mega disappointment to me. It just didn't play like Donkey Kong it played like Banjo Kazooie and created tedium with the charachter switching. I wanted to like it but I burnt out and I didn't manage to complete it
I didn’t mind revisiting previous worlds or the collectibles. I also enjoyed getting to play 5 other kongs. What I didn’t like though was how hard the bosses are and that it felt like a game of chance more than skill especially at only being 12 years old. I also didn’t like how the two mini games were forced on you to get a coin in order to get to K Rule. Other than that, it is my favourite DK game. I don’t enjoy the 2D ones as much even though I do play them.
@@n64glennplant it’s hard for me to play the 2D ones hours on end. I turn it on and after an hour I am bored even though the fist Donkey Kong game holds a lot of nostalgia for me. Whereas DK 64 I can play for hours one day and again the next and as well I have done several playthroughs. But that being said, the several playthroughs, I always gave up playing when it came down to getting the coins lol. I managed to get them once and beat King K Rule, I think I was like 14 years old, a couple years after I got the game. It would be nice though to see another 3D DK game made for me to make an opinion if that’s the way the series should go. I also watched some of your other videos as I have just found your channel and I currently just started playing Conkers, and after I will start playing Banjo as I haven’t actually had the opportunity to play those games as a kid lol and who knows, I may change my mind on DK and prefer Banjo.
Hey Glenn I noticed in past you used Elgato Game Capture HD with the Ultra HDMI, and afterwards you upgraded to Elgato Game Capture HD60s. Can I ask you why? I ask because I'm having issues with Ultra HDMI + EGC HD (visual artifacts, signal losing, sound bad sync), I want to understand if the problem is that and I should upgrade. Thanks in advance
I did it because the S model meant that I could connect direct to my IMac with next to no lag which meant that I didn’t need to use a separate screen for gameplay as I could instead use the elgato software
@@n64glennplant I've just ordered it as well. What resolution you use in your Ultra HDMI console? 720p or 1080p? I have issues on 1080p, while Elgato works perfectly on 720p. Thanks!
My dad got cancer in 2008 when i was 13. Me and my brother were still playing n64 at that time so my oldest brother who was no longer living at home brought over this game and star wars shadows of the empire. Me and my brother did play this game quite a bit but never finished it but i will always remember it for being a game that helped me during a stressful time
thank you for sharing such a personal memory, kinda the same with me and banjo kazooie as I talked about it in the past
Me and you can relate my old man passed in 09 form cancer to I wus 13 also :(
@@JasonFolk07 sorry to hear that man
@@wadelockard5592 like wise man it's not easy at the age I can tell you that
@@JasonFolk07 no not really my dad didn't die till i was 16 but damn that was a rough 3 years
I once heard "DK rap" in the nightclub!
You must be old if you were old enough to be in a nightclub in the late 90s ;)
@@franzpattison No man, I heard it a few weeks ago haha. Totally unexpected!
@@RetroMoments people must have been like "wtf?"
@@franzpattison At first yeah! Then most people were dancing and singing along xD
did you eat some special mushrooms and smoke some herbs before you went In by any chance? hehe
Almost looks like a PS2 game. It's amazing N64 was able to run this.
I really love this game
I grew up with the N64 so this was my first DK game. Back then i did not know about the Country Trilogy ( i really love dkc2) So this game will always have a special place in my heart
I love the music!
I thought this game was hit or miss, but I'm glad to see its one that you don't diss. Thats the end of the games from Rare, now stop watching my channel and get that BEAR! :)
I gotta ask Grungy, shouldn't you rhyme? Before Tooie, you did it all the time. You're not Grunty, you're a fake! The real one was likely drowned in a lake!
@@shaggysnax01 You don't uderstand. Its Tooie Grunty, but with skin. Smh my head 🙄
Admitedly DK64 is hugely impressive. It had best character animation ever, for example. On first time play thru, DK64 offers everything. But this type of game should be simpler to have fun replay value, to just pick up and play your fafourite parts, or chapters. But unlike Super Mario 64, you can't re -do already completed things twice on DK64. After you play level thru, they are "empty".
Most complex multicharacter 3D -game for sure. Via other monkey(s), it's possible to access completedly new places others can not. The whole point here is to be able enter new level areas courtesy of abilities of different playable characters. They work separately, but it's still team work and friendship withing the monkeys. Player can decide which parts to play on what order. It builds around characters and abilities really well when played from start to finish. The most amazing thing is, that this concept actually works.
But if not played for a while when things aren't on your fress memory, coming back to pick it up gets really confusing. Game is really complicated, working on some sort of "Pulp Fiction" -style, but somehow manages to work from start to finish while pushing Super Mario 64 -formula into limits.
While DK64 is achievement, i think simpler, linear, straightforward -platformer would have been more enjoyable & well received. During development Rare would have then been able to relax & concentrate on art & atmosphere even more. It must have been nightmare to achieve perfect balance on this type of struckture. Now, while playing it, you can almost hear developers scratching their hair just to desing and get all that content work together seamlessly.
High pressure, potentially anticlimactic anticipation, frustration... True unnecessary obsession to better Super Mario 64, rather than making pure platform -sequel to DKC. Amazing game, for sure. But why to beat Miyamoto, when everybody really wanted Stampers to improve their own piece of art, that is DKC?
Every aspect on first Donkey Kong Country felt just right, like all those things belong & fit there. Almost like it's meant to be. That was perfect game that transformed gaming into audio-visual artform. There was nothing that did not fit in perfectly. Sadly, same can not quite be said about the sequels, as there is lack of seamless playable content, while adding not so good unnecessary ideas and pacing is just not up there with the original.
But all Donkey Kong games are true classics, including Donkey Kong 64, that even includes Arcade version of original Donkey Kong. Certainly some of the personal fafourites. Some of the most important pieces on whole gaming history.
Still, better solution for N64 -console's lifespan would have been first release Expansion Pack enhanced HI -REZ Donkey Kong Country Trilogy on single cartridge for N64 1998. Then all new 2D DKC 4 for N64 year 1999, and finally 3D more platform -based version of DK64 aroung the end of year 2000 or even during 2001.
thanks for sharing such a detailed opinion, have a love and a like :)
Oh, man, a remastered 480i/p version of the DKC trilogy would have been so cool, if they could make it work on the N64.
But there would have been some major hurdles, even if the market wasn't so hostile to 2-D games in the late '90s:
For one, the original trilogy already totalled 12 MB- about the size of a typical N64 cartridge- and using larger, Hi-Rez-ready assets probably would have pushed it well over 32 MB, unless Rare could come up with some really amazing compression!
Plus, all of the original assets are effectively gone, so Rare had to rip them from the SNES ROMs (in the same low quality) in order to make the GBA ports. But maybe they actually had everything neatly organized until Microsoft bought them? ;)
PS: The original DKC did play really well- the controls just felt right, and the courses were so smartly designed. It could even be said that the game is underrated, as popular as it is! The sequel might be even better, IMO, but like you hinted at, DKC3 just went overboard with the gimmicks.
dat a lot of word
I couldn't imagine DKC 2D on N64. I feel like I can count the number of 2D games on the console with one hand. The late 90's just wasn't kind to 2D platformers.
@@TBrizzle01 That was my point. 2D was still popular to play, but developers didn't support it.
About. Bloody. Time. Despite its flaws, I love this game.
got there finally Adam, still some big hitters left on the todo list
Been waiting for this Glenn Plant review for years!!
glad I could finally deliver for you :)
I have the green jungle DK N64! I thought all N64s were supposed to be green for the longest time 😭 lmao
One of the prettiest N64 color by the way
I love and adore this game. Easily my favorite collectathon game
It’s certainly got collecting in abundance hasn’t it!
DK 64 surely had its flaws, but I think most of the public's bashing towards it nowadays isn't really fair. It comes from players who didn't even grow up when the collect-a-ton genre was relevant. Many people who played this game were not only impressed at the time, but also had a heck of a fun time.
To me, the biggest flaws of this game weren't related to the ammount of collectibles, but instead to their placement and methods to achieve goals. Colored bananas were almost randomly distributed and certain missions asked for all kongs in a way that didn't engage the player, requiring meaningless backtracking and hurting severely the pacing (and thus the fun) of the game in some sections. Some bosses/enemies and characters could also have been more varied and fleshed out or better introduced in order to help with the immesion and the story. As Glenn said, maybe Rare's ambition in contrast to the limitations of the N64 worked against it.
With all that said, DK 64 is still overall a great game, with lots to do and that feel of Rare's polish all thoughout the journey. Considering what they managed to do on the N64 hardware with this game, I'd say the outcome was impressive for the time. I remember I was eagerly awaiting for this game's launch back in the day and I wasn't disappointed at all. Still have good memories and come back from time to time for that 101%
I remember at the time playing as 5 different Kongs was unique and impressive. Come to think of it. That is still unique for a platformer.
I grew up during that time I didn't like it back then and I don't like it now. To me Mario 64 and to a lesser extent Banjo Kazooie had the balance right when it comes to collecting items but Donkey Kong 64 completely loses the balance. The flaws were too much for me to continue playing at the time I just got bored and gave up.
Character switching the way it was handled made collecting a pain
If anything it was taken to the logical conclusion
Ad absurdum
I love 3D Collectathon Platformers, they're my favorite genre of game next to rhythm games, I grew up playing the best both Nintendo and Sony's consoles had to offer for them, and I will admit as a child I adored this game, but after playing it to 101% Completion? Oh god, I've had enough to last a lifetime, even as somewhat of an apologist for Rare's more... experimental age with Microsoft, even as someone who adores Yooka-Laylee for what it aspired to do, I can't help but look at this as one of Rare's few misfires. This was where they hit the ceiling, and they hit it hard, really, really hard. Thankfully they didn't cripple themselves, Banjo-Tooie, I find, is a much better representation of what this game was trying to be, even if that has it's own share of growing pains when it comes to size and collectible distribution.
@@lightninstriker10 I get what you're saying, though I think is more about whether you feel the game or not. As I said, I had fun with it most of the time and if not for a few issues it would be high on my list. Regarding Banjo Tooie, it really was what this game tried to be, and as someone who knows that game pretty well I find it an absolute joy from start to finish. No pain at all. I just love collect a tons. Maybe I got used to it at the right time by growing up playing the golden age of the genre.
Worst thing about that Expansion bug, is it doesn't fix it, just delays it. It happens after a certain amount of time the game has been played. It still happens in emulation and the virtual console ports too!
Yeah, but who would want to play DK64 for over 10 hours in a row anyway.
Yeah I cant play on emulation cuz it always corrupts in crystal caves :( but I've never had it corrupt on actual console even after two dozen hours
@@franzpattison Which emulator are you using? I played all the way through without issues on Project 64 a few years back... probably version 2.2 or so.
@@3dmarth pj64 yeah but when that one glitched I also tried a different one. Can't remember. But it emulated worse and besides I didn't feel like redoing all my progress
Omg now I know why my copy stopped working as a kid
Best game for N64.
This game meant so much to me as a child. My older brother and cousin would play it for hours on end while I would watch and chime in with tips. My favourite game of all time for this particular reason. It brought us together and got us through some tough times. Truly a masterpiece.
One of the best games imo. Very fun stages. Mini games (some more fun than others). All the weapons, instruments and special moves for each kong. Collecting bananas was just as fun as collecting stars in Super Mario 64. I disagree with the music and sound effects. To me, it all made the game more memorable. Only thing that held it back was the fact that all the small collectables were reserved in colours for each kong. Made collecting it all more difficult than it had to be. Multiplayer was fun too, although it wasn't really anything special. The one were you kill the spawning enemies was good simple fun. The walls you could go through always gave fun reactions on people too.
I agree with many of the points you made my friend
I agree. It was my favorite game on the console back in the day besides Golden Eye, WWF No Mercy, Mario Golf and OOT but I dumped many countless hours playing the game and beating it 100%. This was also a time when the internet was in its infancy and you had to go to random sites to get help for a game. Google wasn't the google it is today so finding game sites sucked. Then you had to either write everything down or pay to print it off. My how times have changed. Anyway, People complained about DK64 being too long. I don't see what's wrong with that. I liked the idea of buying a game way back then and knowing it would take a while to beat. Not get it and just rape the game in a day. It's why Banjo was great. It's why Zelda Ocarina of Time was great. It took time. Only certain people will know the pain of the water temple in a time when walkthroughs were hard to come by. Beating things was a word of mouth thing. Your buddy would have a method or way you don't know.
I got the green see through console combo for my birthday. Still have it to this day
Beautiful color!
This game still holds up quite well, in my opinion. Great review also!
Thanks silent 😬
I really love this game, still holds up really well! But I agree with some of the flaws you mentioned, the collectibles were a bit annoying since there's too many, more than Banjo-Kazooie. But I still really enjoyed this game!
I think that’s actually an improvement. Sure, there’s a TON more than BK and BK2, but you’re not required to find everything. You just need to grab a required amount out of a huge amount, so you never run around for hours trying to find the last single thing like you had to in BK1. Also, the levels don’t freaking repopulate every time you leave making you start over!
@@brendan9734 but that doesn’t help since this game is more about collecting than platforming.
Dk64 has the world record for most collectibles in a game lol.
@@MR.__G I like collecting the items
I loved this game as a kid and still love it just as much now. Me and my brother we're obsessed! I still bring out the old N64 and play DK64 at least once a year from start to finish. I have been waiting for a sequel to this game for too long! NINTENDO MAKE IT HAPPEN!
See I much prefer the newer 2d ones myself
@@n64glennplant They are incredible games for sure, I am a fan of them too.
I really enjoyed tropical freeze but I found it really difficult, do I just suck? 😭 played dk64 for the first time on the Wii U virtual console when it came out on there (no idea how long ago that was) and other than the input lag it was so fun
One of those games I couldn't believe what I was seeing when it was released!
in a good or bad way?
@@n64glennplant Definitely in a good way!
I was about 10 years old when DK64 came out. It was a really big deal among kids my age. I know it has shortcomings, but I didn't really care about them then. It just felt like a big magical N64 adventure to me.
I think thats the perfect age for this game but there are some mega hard parts that I think any 10 year old would struggle with
@@n64glennplant I was 9 & I couldn’t get the Nintendo coin ☹️☹️😂😂
The “Be Here Now” of Rare games - so big and pretentious that it ultimately crashes under its own weight.
I did not have this game as kid. Now when I have Everdrive, I play it and finish it 101%. Before I start play , I see some negative reviews about how game did not age well and there is to many collect items and boring backtracking etc... I did not see any of that stuff. For me game is very good, graphic is amazing and collecting items is very easy because levels are from small to medium and everything is almost right under your nose. This game is more similar to Banjo-Kazooie than Banjo. Tooie is, because BT have huge levels and you can wonder for hours what to do next. Btw, DK Rap is so fun to me, idk why people have problem with that.
Konkey Dong
Dankey kang 😂
Tiny Dong or Lanky Dong. You choose
Chunky dong
Kinky Thong
Wonky Dong
There is definitely nostalgia bias for me with this game, but I feel like a lot of people who play the game and give it crap now are basing it off of modern gaming standards rather than the time it came out. That is not a bad thing by far but still feels a little unfair, I definitely think this deserves a modern remake but guess I can only dream.
I absolutely loved this game! The music and gameplay was top notch!
I did prefer banjo-kazooie and Super Mario 64 but Dk64 was a very close 2nd. Think I preferred Dk64 to Banjo-tooie🤔. The amount of collectibles as you put was very tedious and it can be just that. But I still enjoyed the game as a whole and its charm.
N64 games have stuck with me for years, they seem to have made a better impression on me then gamecube /wii and wii U.
Love the N64
The only thing I don't remember is if there was a snow world 🤔 always my favorite worlds but not sure if Donkey Kong 64 had this.
Seeing some of the bosses really took me back, thanks for the great review Glenn
Thanks for tuning in Mat!
Super Nes version blows N64 version of this game out of the water.
Amen to that, they were incredible
DK64 had great graphics and music, I liked each playable character (Lanky being my favourite) and there was a lot of funny moments...but it also felt too big and sometimes even a little bland to me. I did indeed get tired of all the running around and collecting stuff and it was the first DK game I didn't actually finish. It will forever hold a special place in my heart simply for being a Donkey Kong game and for reminding me of my youth, but I still prefer the SNES games by a mile. What I like though is all the other comments in here just giving 100% praise. It's all about playing these games "at the right time".
Great content as always mate!
The N64 coin and the rare coin ruined my experience when I was a child.
Christmas 1999 was a time when the first Pokemon movie was released as well as two awesome RARE games that I remember playing during that holiday season.
Rare's Donkey Kong 64 as well as Rare's Jet Force Gemini.
the N64 Expansion Pack was thankfully bundled with the game with extra cardboard space in the box to make it clear this expansion pack was intended to be used.
I liked Donkey Kong 64 but I felt pissed that they didn't have Dixie Kong in that game.
I loved Jet Force Gemini more as it was clear that game was my main focus during the Christmas that dawned a new millennium as well as Pokemon Stadium that would be released shortly afterwards would be the reason why I brought a Pokemon Red game to include it.
I have so many memories around this time, and me being really into everything RARE related as well as keeping track of games in progress at the time including the Conker game as well as Dinosaur Planet as well, I do have so much memories of this time in the N64's life.
With Donkey Kong 64, I remember trying to get those Nintendo and RARE coins with the Arcade game and Spectrum in Cranky's lab.
Donkey Kong Arcade as well as Jet Pack were awesome bonuses in a good yet flawed DK game.
But I enjoyed the King K Rool's voice sounding like Dr Claw from Inspector Gadget and I felt that was awesome, sadly it was only used in the opening cut scenes.
They should have done a Donkey Kong All-Stars 64. Give a 'graphical update' ( or not ) to the previous games for the n 64 platform.
I would have loved that !
I've heard in an interview how developers from the Conker team actually made fun of the game and talked about how bad of a job the DK64 team did with the optimisation. For most of them this was their first N64 game. And looking at Conker's Bad Fur Day you can see what is possible without the Expansion Pack. So if it weren't for the game breaking bug DK64 would most likely run fine with the Jumper Pack.
As for my opinion, I keep coming back to DK64, but every time I feel annoyed by the unhealthy amount of collectables and constant backtracking which makes the game needlessly bigger than it already is. To me it is a chore to play sometimes, and if it weren't for the charming presentation I wouldn't care much to keep playing. It's still enjoyable overall, but I can only take it in small doses. This absolutely needs a remake, from a seasoned team this time.
Sooo, how does it feel to be done with all the Rare games? :D
DK64 was never on my radar, even though I really liked Donkey Kong Country 1&2 on SNES, I was distracted by Rare's other titles Goldeneye, Perfect Dark and Conker's Bad Fur Day.
Great review Glenn 🤘
they were just a beast of a developer back then that not everything they touched could be pure gold
A great review of a great game. I still need to beat it. As you said, it has a lot of backtracking, so it becomes overwhelming after some time. But the game is so good that I have to come back to it some time.
its good in small doses but I think that's part of the problem, if you leave it for too long its too confusing to return to on your first few playthroughs
@@n64glennplant Indeed, that's a game that you have to know the world, and being away for too long is not a good idea. There'll be a lot of exploring when I decide to come back to it.
One question I always wanted to ask about Donkey Kong 64.
Why does everyone seem to burp in this game?
Did they all drink at Moe's Bar and they all ended up burping in their audio recordings?
well speaking as a brit like the studio team are - they probably were down the boozer too often in the 90s hah
I got the bundle for xmas the year it came out. I remember this game was always too hard for me to beat
Yeah it’s certainly one that’s hard even for completionists!
I just adore this game!! I’m kinda weird but I loved collecting everything with each kong. Admiring the huge worlds enjoying the music I took my sweet sweet time with the game looking for every nook and cranny. And I still play it to this day once in a while def had great memories with this one
I always loved this game's lighting. That's what the expansion pak was for.
Some great lighting
I know everyone seems to really dislike this game nowadays, but I still enjoy it as a huge fan of collectathon platformers, yes it’s my least favorite of Rare’s N64 platformers, yes it’s pretty tedious at times. But I found it relaxing just exploring large worlds, collecting stuff. Yes the backtracking and the darkness of the game is pretty bad. But I still enjoy DK64, granted I haven’t finished it yet, but I am really enjoying it at the time.
as long as you're enjoying it that's all that matters. I think the level of collecting was a lil too much in this as it felt more tedious than enjoyable after there being so much of it
i use to beast this game sum serious back in the day
4 player battle was fun as well
beast mode engaged!
Excellent review. I'm playing it for the first time in 2023 and I'm loving it. I definitely love everything Rare did for the N64, even with its flaws.
So much love for this game.
The information about the bug that the expansion pack needed to fix is actually incorrect that has been debunked
I 101%ed this as a 13 year old and really liked it as far as I remember but I tried to replay it a few years ago and boy does it not hold up. Between the framerate, the overly massive levels and the ridiculous amount of things to collect I was just frustrated. I feel the same way for Banjo Tooie which has similar problems. The original Banjo Kazooie still holds up, though! Sometimes bigger is not better!
Yea I popped it in my kids and we tried playing, they loved it. But I agree it doesn't hold up well. Still fun though least.
Yeah, DK64 is a bit bloated... but Banjo-Tooie was the one that really went over the edge there, in my opinion. They dialled back the collectables a fair bit, but the levels were so huge and easy to get lost in. (Rare has seemed to struggle for a long time with making unique landmarks to help players navigate.) And then there are all of those passageways that go from one area to another, so that one Jiggy in Grunty Industries can only be reached through Hailfire Peaks or whatever.
Still a great game, but I feel like that particular flaw really stood out in Tooie, moreso than in DK64.
As heartbreaking as it is to admit, but I can't help but agree with this review. It really did feel it was lacking, as well as missing that 'feel' of a Donkey Kong game. It's strange because I have great memories of playing this, and became desperate to play on the Wii's Virtual Console, alongside DK Country and Diddy's Kong Quest.
I do remember having fun, completing with 100%. The camera at times, was a bit dodgy, and frame-rate seemed uncharacteristically low for a Rare game. But the graphics were ace, full of colour, and I too loved all the characters. For me, Rare weren't truly able to rival Mario 64 like they did with the DK series on the SNES.
Still a damn good game, mind!
I played it as a kid but never finished it. It was a rental from Blockbuster. I don't remember much of it, but I was enjoying it until I got stuck at a slide race with Tiny Kong and I just stopped playing it.
I actually found the later levels to be ugly and boring and although I've played the game many times I usually quit when it came time to play creepy castle which I found ugly and miserable, and the goddamn water level which can go fuck itself with an angry porcupine. I usually outlast gloomy Galleon so I can play fungi forest and crystal caves though but I put it down after that. When I first played the game I fully completed it to 101 bananas. My favourite level (and music) is angry Aztec
Would it have looked any better on the DD? The textures were really bad in this game I remember being really disappointed and didn’t play much because I thought it was ugly and ran really bad.
I got the Donkey Kong 64 console bundle for Christmas the year it came out. The console and the controller were "jungle green" colour. I still have it.
A crystal clear remaster of this would be amazing. Just like they did with 007 on game pass.
I got this game for Christmas in 1999, and I finally defeated every boss, collect every golden banana, captured every fairy, and obtained both the Nintendo and Rare coins in May 2003
I loved Donkey Kong Country but was disappointed by the direction this game took, being just one huge collect-a-thon.
What’s wrong with collectathons? Sure, you pick up stuff, but the maps and mechanics are built around doing so, and you’re constantly rewarded for everything you find with new areas and levels opening up, so what’s wrong with it? You don’t even have to collect everything, there’s a ton of extra stuff and most things that you are required to find, you don’t have to collect ALL of them, so you never run around for hours trying to find one little thing. Good game design!
@@brendan9734 I agree. It gives the player a meaning and a sense of progression. If that was so bad, then most RPGs would also be terrible, as levels, equipment and such could be considered collectibles in a way. The whole point of exploration is learning, discovering, improving... but it seems that the average player's profile has changed drastically over the years (clearly for the worse).
Agree. Nothing wrong with exploring and looking for stuff but multiple backtracks and having to repeat levels just sucks.
The part I didn’t like as a kid was having to beat the Donkey Kong arcade game. Lunar Jetman “jetpac” was fine, not too difficult. Donkey Kong? INSANELY DIFFICULT (Because Donkey Kong arcade is just hard)!
That said, if you want to 100% this game for whatever reason, you will spend HOURS upon HOURS trying to find everything! At least it’s not required, so you can just grab the minimum amount you need (excluding the freaking banana medals) and go straight for the end with no penalty.
@@brendan9734 that's exactly what happened to me! It took me FOREVER to beat that arcade game! Glad to know I wasn't the only one!
It was my first Rare game on N64. And, yes, I thought it was amazing.
Great review
thank you :)
I thought the game was mediocre it was a huge step backwards compared to banjo
i had (and still have) the dk bundle, xmas 99. the controller got smashed sadly, and i had to repair the nintendo after 10 years ... but 20 years later my DK bundle still works like a charm
N64 hardware is so robust isn’t it
I love DK64, great worlds and magical music/atmosphere.
Nintendo needs to do a remake so we can see it in today's graphics
That would be cool but many of the characters are rare owned so can’t see that happening anytime soon but I’d love to be wrong
Actually Microsoft bought rare so it's up to Microsoft to do it
Danny Hayes yup that what I meant x
I have the Wii U Virtual Console of this game as well as the Donkey Kong Country trilogy as well Donkey Kong Country Returns and Tropical freeze. DK64 I do agree that this game difficult to play but its still fun. Also what do think of the Banjo-Kazooie spiritual successor Yooka-Laylee have you tried the game? P.S. Its good to see King K. Rool in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
I’ve not played yooka but heard very mixed things about it
DKC 1-2 are pretty well tied for me. I didn't hate DK64 but I never feel like I want to go back to it either. Probably my least favorite Rare N64 game(besides Mickey which I haven't played).
I would agree with you there I think, shows just how high the bar was at rare
I was a huge fan of the Donkey Kong Country series (first two are my favorites) and I couldn't wait for this one to come out. it was a big let down for me. It felt uninspired.
just look at the ''New'' Kongs. sure Lanky is new. but Chunky and Tiny are just variations of Kiddy Kong and Dixie Kong. I would say that there is a good game underneath it all. but it could have been a lot better.
Know the feeling as 1 and 2 are my personal favs, probably 2 if I was pushed to choose
DK 64 felt like a chore. A job. I did not enjoy it. it got me tired after I unlocked all 5 chars and found out I have to get 100 bananas with EACH, also a lot of collectibles for each. No thanks.
yeah they took it too far didn't they
I love this game. This is my childhood.
I played this game at an age where It had maximum "engraving-into-my-brain-power", resulting now in it's profound ability to bring up the most intense feelings of nostalgia when i see clips from it.
I remember spending countless hours exploring the Dk64 world and just being completely in AW. It never seemed to bother me all the wandering, back tracking, and confusion of what to do next, as I was just so enchanted by it's world. I havn't played it since being a kid, but i reckon now-a-days it would probably feel like homework at times.
ahhh.. the fleeting joys of games, I really wish I could still get the same amazement and wonder out of games like i did when I was a little kid. Im sure I would still enjoy playing DK64 now as a throwback nostalgia trip and have a lot of great fun, but much like a drug, nothing could ever compare to the first high of playing Dk64 @ age 8, having never seen anything like it before, just straight thru the blood brain barrier, It may as well had been VR, I wasn't just playing the characters, I felt like I was apart of it's world, lost in wind with adventure and discovery in every direction.
People call this a terrible game but crap like Call of Duty and Fortnite are praised? Nobody has good tastes in games, anymore. Thank God I was a 90s kid! Everything went to hell after the 90s ended. I mean 9/11 was the beginning of the end.
amen to that brother!
I enjoyed this game as a kid mainly for the mini games and bosses really. The multiplayer was lit with friends though.
Interesting! I never really did any multiplayer on it back in the day
10/10
best video game ever made.
nothing will ever come close to it, the only bad thing about it are the rare/Nintendo tokens for the last key
Whoa some high praise right there!
My only gripe is that the 5 should have been Donkey, Diddy, Dixie, Kiddie, and Funky
Amen to that
It'd break the whole theme of your channel but I'd like to hear your thoughts on Starfox Adventure for the GameCube
maybe one day, sticking with n64 to get everything wrapped up first but then ill see
My favourite Game, i know many dislike the fact that the game is too long and has too many collectibles. But personally i do want my collect-a-thons to be as long as possible.
then this would be the perfect game for you to have, its cool to know its some peoples favourite
Game always looked cool and my brother had it. I was a teenager and couldn't commit to this game at that time as I was into different things when this game was new. I just never went back to give it a fair chance. I should now though
its worth a replay but needs patience
I 100% agree with your Opinion. The Game is to long, to big !!!
My favorite Donkey Kong Game is "Donkey Kong Country 3", Love it ;-)
Greetings from London
;-)
I love 2 the most - so many memories of that
@@n64glennplant To be honest, I have great Memories on all of them ;-)
DK64 wasn't the first game I ever played, nor was it my favorite, but for some reason, it's my most nostalgic game.
Not a fun game to go back to visit at an older age. Work, family, life happens. Too much chores in this game.
Brad K you can always find the time
probably my most fav game on n64, very critical its easy to see the flaws now but back then this game was ingenious!
7:00 - Did you just compare DK64 to FIFA?
you bet! :)
Took me 8 years to beat it 101% only cause of the damn beetle, but glad to see this most people only speak negative of this game cause of all the collectibles
yeah I try to be as objective as possible with reviews, doesn't always work that way but always trying :)
The more of your Videos I watch, the more I feel the need of wanting a HDMI modded System.
How much?
couple hundred dollars if you can't find an installer with stock normally
exactly my thoughts too
Good review, I been playing the N64 since I was a kid but. I think the game has it's ups and downs so. this was a really good review not every game deserves a really good review,but it's always good to have the negatives. so I agree with you glen though the game is a beast of its time as well as it sits on that rock of glory I think rare had done the best they could do since it was a short time for that competition they had.
great minds think alike Aaron :)
And then there's Chunky. He's dead
Loved it at the time, although my memories if playing it are tinged with guilt. I was in my early twenties and living with my then partner, Donkey Kong with the expansion pack was quite a hefty outlay, too much for our meagre income, so I used the "emergency" credit card to buy it. It took me several months of furtive statement interceptions before I could actually enjoy playing the game in a sort of guilt free manner. Oh, the impetuosity of youth.
Surprised you didn't mention the multiplayer, that was excellent and provided many evenings and weekends of four way action and entertainment. I haven't read all the comments, but did anyone else really enjoy the multiplayer?
haha man thats an awesome story!
Just passed DK64 with 101%.🎉
Skills right there
This was a great game
I honestly believe retro studios needs to make a sequel to this
We can live I. Hope brother
The collecting was arguably my favorite part of the game. I'm one of those people that enjoy trying to get 100% on games if possible. I was also around 5 years old when I first got this game for Christmas back '99, so this game does hold a lot of memories for me
see apart from maybe zelda and a few other games I've never really been a completionist
I want to like this game more than I do, but RARE really fumbled the ball on this one. Every time I sit down to try and play through this game, that second level always drains my enthusiasm and I end up ending my game somewhere in the 3rd level. The furthest i've ever gotten in this game is around Fungi Forest.
The amount of collectables in this game is just simply absurd. It wouldn't be as terrible if you could freely switch between characters instead of having to trek back to a "tag barrel". It just extends the game in a not great way and makes you comb every level 5 separate times if you wanna get everything, not counting all the times you'll wander around levels just looking for collectables with the wrong characters to collect them.
I still think DK64 is a good game, but it is definitely a test of will to get through the whole thing. I'll beat this game one day, but it's gonna take all my willpower.
Don't forget you have to beat the original Donkey Kong an arcade game designed to steal your quarters with zero lives.
I look back fondly on this one. Good video!
Thanks CR 👍
My favorite game in the series is also 2 on the Super Nintendo! DK 64 was so unique to us because it was our first Rare platform/open world game (we never had Banjo and went with DK because we liked games that had him) I guess that’s why, to us, this game felt like a masterpiece.
Good video. I loved this game and still do today!!
Glad to hear it!
Is it weird that i got a Nintendo Switch ad on this video??
could be a sign lol
I just played this for the first time in 100%’d it today. I can’t say I will go through the torture of doing a 100% play through ever again 😅 but there is a lot of fun to be had in this if you just play it. Every character shines with endless personality with subtle animations in spots that took me hours to notice. The factory and Crystal levels were my favorites. I was impressed by the amount of unique textures to capture a baked lighting feel to the world. I think you said it perfectly, as long as you go in with the intent of exploring at your own pace, you will have fun.
Im am not gonna lie, i really want to see a updated n64 collection from you. Since you have not done that since 2012. And i al really courius to see how must it have grow in the last 6 years
I jacked inc collecting a few years ago so sadly its just a few pieces I keep for nostalgia and some pieces Ill be using for future videos
The game came out with the expansion pack included. Perfect dark was coming out soon after. I had no regrets.
what a time to be alive thats was hey
DK64 was my first game with the N64 bundle while I aslo grabbed SM64. After couple of years I decided to complete it 100... 101% and I had alot of attempts along the way but overall was a great game for my first video games back then!
if you played this before many of the other n64 platformers then I can see why you'd want to ace it - would have been a great title to start with for sure
I'd say this was a perfect lead on to conkers bad furday rares true n64 masterpiece. but seriously look at the graphics and gameplay leading up to conkers is amazing it's all still n64.
The first two for SNES were the best. This one was my least favorite. I don't know why. It feels like the game just didn't have enough design behind it. Plus, the controls felt a bit clunky. I feel like it got rushed.
Agreed
Why did you leave out DKC3 out?
After the Super Nintendo trilogy becoming some of my favourite games at the time the N64 version was a mega disappointment to me. It just didn't play like Donkey Kong it played like Banjo Kazooie and created tedium with the charachter switching. I wanted to like it but I burnt out and I didn't manage to complete it
I as the same when I was younger, even now id struggle to go all the way through it
I didn’t mind revisiting previous worlds or the collectibles. I also enjoyed getting to play 5 other kongs. What I didn’t like though was how hard the bosses are and that it felt like a game of chance more than skill especially at only being 12 years old. I also didn’t like how the two mini games were forced on you to get a coin in order to get to K Rule. Other than that, it is my favourite DK game. I don’t enjoy the 2D ones as much even though I do play them.
Whoa that’s a shame as the 2d originals are still the best although I did also quite like donkey Kong returns
@@n64glennplant it’s hard for me to play the 2D ones hours on end. I turn it on and after an hour I am bored even though the fist Donkey Kong game holds a lot of nostalgia for me. Whereas DK 64 I can play for hours one day and again the next and as well I have done several playthroughs. But that being said, the several playthroughs, I always gave up playing when it came down to getting the coins lol. I managed to get them once and beat King K Rule, I think I was like 14 years old, a couple years after I got the game. It would be nice though to see another 3D DK game made for me to make an opinion if that’s the way the series should go.
I also watched some of your other videos as I have just found your channel and I currently just started playing Conkers, and after I will start playing Banjo as I haven’t actually had the opportunity to play those games as a kid lol and who knows, I may change my mind on DK and prefer Banjo.
Hey Glenn
I noticed in past you used Elgato Game Capture HD with the Ultra HDMI, and afterwards you upgraded to Elgato Game Capture HD60s. Can I ask you why?
I ask because I'm having issues with Ultra HDMI + EGC HD (visual artifacts, signal losing, sound bad sync), I want to understand if the problem is that and I should upgrade.
Thanks in advance
I did it because the S model meant that I could connect direct to my IMac with next to no lag which meant that I didn’t need to use a separate screen for gameplay as I could instead use the elgato software
@@n64glennplant I've just ordered it as well.
What resolution you use in your Ultra HDMI console? 720p or 1080p?
I have issues on 1080p, while Elgato works perfectly on 720p.
Thanks!
I remember renting this from a video game store in the early 2000's. Glad it's on my Wii U through Virtual Console.
good game to have on VC!