


Donkey Konga - Nintendo's Drumming Oddity Analyzed 67
Thanks to Game Informer for its hands-on look at Nintendo's GameCube rhythm game Donkey Konga, the newly Japanese-released title "that has you pounding on a drum controller to match up with beats on-screen." As well as conga-ing in time to the beat of songs which include "a few classic Nintendo tunes including the Mario Theme, DK Rap from Donkey Kong 64, as well as other western songs like the original Mambo No. 5, and La Bamba", the player has other actions to do: "A special star-like icon indicates that you need to clap your hands together (the conga controller features a nifty sound detection device.)" Lik Sang has a few more pictures, including what's inside the drum controller, and Game Informer conclude by praising the quirky title and musing: "While Nintendo hasn't officially announced it for the US, we've heard rumors that it may appear stateside in the second quarter of 2004."
I hope it sells well (Score:2)
Re:I hope it sells well (Score:2)
Re:I hope it sells well (Score:1)
Exceptions to this rule, currently: Tetra's Trackers. I don't know WHAT Nintendo was smoking when they came up with THAT idea.
Re:I hope it sells well (Score:2)
Re:I hope it sells well (Score:2)
Re:I hope it sells well (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:I hope it sells well (Score:2)
Re:I hope it sells well (Score:2)
Me neither, considering the drum arcade game (Percussion Freaks in the states or Drum Mania in other markets) and the guitar arcade game (Guitar Freaks) have been available on both Playstations for years with drum and guitar controllers included. Granted, mainly as imports from Asia but popular ones, at that.
I love Nintendo but as a fan of Percussion Frea
Re:I hope it sells well (Score:3, Interesting)
Is it just me or does it seem like most of the really cool crap never makes it outside of Asia? Or Japan, really. My best theory has been that with fewer people (or at least fewer stores) in Japan it's easier to distribute something and not lose your ass if it doesn't sell. If you distribute guitar controllers to every Wal-Mart in America and they don'
Active Games (Score:5, Insightful)
I wonder if games like this could be used to teach music? Certainly this has to have an effect on hand-eye co-ordination. "Games are a waste of time -- my ass.
Re:Active Games (Score:1)
Of course, if you wanted a way to teach music developing the software might not be that hard. Assuming we want a system that teaches how to play a wide range of instruments, we'll let the user supply the instrument. Then provide a good mic that can be wired up to receive the sounds you're producing. On scree
Re:Active Games (Score:2)
Re:Active Games (Score:1)
It's certainly possible. I have a piece of software on my computer (sharewar
Re:Active Games (Score:1)
Re:Active Games (Score:1)
A quick google search brought up this:
http://www.seanbaby.com/nes/egm10.htm
htt
and a boatload of cheap flash games.
Re:Active Games (Score:1)
Re:Active Games (Score:1)
My little brother's PE teacher got a PS2, DDRMAX2, and 2 pads, and when they do "stations", where they move around the gym and do various activities, DDR is one of them. However, my brother has enacted the "N00b alert" in me by telling stories of her only letting kids play light songs... even when a few of the kids are skilled enough to do better... *shudder*
Re:Active Games (Score:1)
Re:Active Games (Score:2)
Is 'moving their wrists around a little bit' how you envision somebody playing congos? Heh. Oookay.
"if that were true, masturbating to porn videos would be the new exercise craze."
Since the internet was commercialized, I think it's far exceeded 'craze' phase.
DK Rap? (Score:5, Funny)
Super MariOboe (Score:5, Funny)
Babaloo! (Score:4, Funny)
Is it just me... (Score:2)
Re:Is it just me... (Score:1)
Call me crazy...
Re:Is it just me... (Score:3, Funny)
I'm a test tube baby you insensitive clod.
Re:Is it just me... (Score:1)
The photo of it split apart had the twisted wires giving hints of a kind of pelvic shape, and maybe there was a kind of two-thighs/vulva proporioned 'gap' in between the drums. However, I'm having a hard time trying to get a uterus into any of the pictures.
Phil
Interesting... (Score:1)
Re:Interesting... (Score:1)
Re:Interesting... (Score:1)
Re:Interesting... (Score:2)
Entertainment? (Score:2)
Mario Party is an example of a game that everyone loves, even those not playing. I remember I once threw Parappa the Rappa into the PS at one of our parties (it came on a demo disc). Five minutes in everyone was asking, "Is that all you do? Um, something else please". It didn
Re:Entertainment? (Score:1)
I remember saying "is that all you do?" myself, but that was when i was just watching... Once I got the controller in my hands and was playing, next thing you know, it's ten hours later and we're still playing Soul Calibur using Voldo.
All musical games suck. There is no strategy in them; you aren't competing against the other player, just pushing in your memory long strings of arrows, movements, whatever. It's like the difference between running a marathon and playing
Re:Entertainment? (Score:2, Interesting)
I haven't played most of them, but I have found myself quite obsessed with Amplitude and Frequency. Most of the other 'rhythm' games don't appeal to me. That being said, Amplitude and Frequency are not games that I play with friends, either (though my gf occasionally watches
Re:Entertainment? (Score:1)
Plus, doing something that "looks stupid" in front of other people is a good icebreaker. I've only managed to find 3 people that outright refused to play. We even broke it out
ARE YOU SERIOUS (Score:2)
Re:Entertainment? (Score:3, Informative)
Probably not.
"On top of that, you don't make any real music or do any real dancing."
Unfortunately, that's the result of making the games much harder. I used to play Beat Mania when it first appeared in the arcades in Japan. The difficulty level was really low, which meant that you could hit notes during the intervals between notes without a score penalty. Most of my gaming ended out being "make a new intere
Re:Entertainment? (Score:2)
It sounds like a metaphor for the entire Japanese culture...
Why do I see.. (Score:3, Funny)
On a side note, the DK rap that gets stuck in my head is the one from Smash Brothers Meele. You know, the one where you are fighting the Mini DKs. Yea, that's the one.
Re:Why do I see.. (Score:2)
Did you say drinking game? I like how you think.
Western Songs (Score:1)
Just think how scary a Dixie Chicks version of La Bamba or Alan Jackson doing Mambo No. 5 would be...ok, the second one could be pretty funny
I grew up with this already. (Score:2)
IGN has covered this game also. (Score:2, Informative)
I'm waiting for the Neil Peart edition (Score:3, Funny)
...except the controller would have to revolve and have forty buttons.
It would quickly be copied in a much less tasteful manner by the Mike Portnoy edition.
Re:I'm waiting for the Neil Peart edition (Score:1)
these [alternatemode.com] next to his kit, I think we'll need more buttons
Re:I'm waiting for the Neil Peart edition (Score:1)
Then I saw who wrote the comment;)
Re: (Score:2)
In an attempt to be informative... (Score:3, Informative)
Quest for Fame (Score:3, Interesting)
http://www.rockthisway.de/game_questforfame.htm
Great (Score:2, Funny)
Rus
DK vs DDR? (Score:1)
In other news, does anyone remember the original pad play game Nintendo Track and Field, where the damn athlete never seemed to match the rate at which you ran on the pad, no matter how coordinated you were?
Re:DK vs DDR? (Score:2)
Beatmania and DDR had combinations to play together in a horrid Club mix.
Keyboardmania, Guitar Freaks and Drummania also all link together for up to a 5-person jam session.
Re:DK vs DDR? (Score:1)
Music games are fun but.... (Score:4, Interesting)
Incredible! (Score:2, Interesting)
Amazing technology! (Score:2)
A microphone! What will they think of next?
Mambo what now? (Score:3, Funny)
You mean Mambo 5.0?
not very impressed (Score:2, Informative)
I had the chance to play Donkey Konga in the store the other day (Nintendo seems to be doing a huge push for this game in Japan--most stores had several pallets of the controllers). I was