Donkey Kong 64 (1999)
Donkey Kong 64 is a 1999 platform video game made by Rare and Nintendo.
Donkey Kong 64 goes wide: five playable Kongs, each with unique weapons and musical instruments, scattered across eight enormous worlds inside K. Rool's mechanical island. The game is built around collection on a massive scale, with coloured bananas, golden bananas, blueprints, crowns, and coins tracked per character per level. Each Kong has a move set tied to their personality, from Chunky's brute firepower to Tiny's size-shifting abilities, and the worlds branch and interconnect in ways that reward thoroughness.
Quick answers
What is Donkey Kong 64 about?
Donkey Kong 64 goes wide: five playable Kongs, each with unique weapons and musical instruments, scattered across eight enormous worlds inside K. Rool's mechanical island. The game is built around collection on a massive scale, with coloured bananas, golden bananas, blueprints, crowns, and coins tracked per character per level. Each Kong has a move set tied to their personality, from Chunky's brute firepower to Tiny's size-shifting abilities, and the worlds branch and interconnect in ways that reward thoroughness.
When was Donkey Kong 64 released?
Donkey Kong 64 was released on 22 November 1999.
Who made Donkey Kong 64?
Donkey Kong 64 was made by Rare, Nintendo and Gradiente.
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A few thoughts on Donkey Kong 64
The Donkey Kong Country animated series shares the full cast and setting, making it a natural companion piece to the game's world-building.
Open worlds built for the completionist who wants every corner
Donkey Kong 64 spreads coloured bananas, golden bananas, blueprints, crowns, and coins across eight sprawling worlds, tracked separately for all five Kongs, so finishing it means combing every inch of K. Rool's island. Skyrim, the Witcher 3, both Grand Theft Auto entries here, and Red Dead Redemption 2 reward the same instinct: huge maps built for players who won't leave a corner unchecked.
Cartoons and comedy as goofy and over-the-top as a Rare game
K. Rool runs a cartoonish, over-the-top villain operation, and Donkey Kong 64 never loses its sense of humor even while tracking hundreds of collectibles. Crayon Shin-chan, Dr. Slump, and Sabrina the Teenage Witch all share that same broad, silly energy, The Simpsons has built decades on cartoon absurdity, and Tenacious D turns comedic excess into a whole musical bit.
Team rosters where every member brings a totally different skill
Donkey Kong 64 splits its roster into five distinct Kongs, each with a move set built around their own personality, from Chunky's brute strength to Tiny's shrinking trick. My Hero Academia, Assassination Classroom, Patlabor, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Rurouni Kenshin's dojo crew all lean on the same idea: a team only works because nobody on it does the same job.