Nintendo Switch Online Added a Classic Full of Jungle Fun – NSO Round up 6/26
June was a quiet month for Nintendo Switch Online. Nintendo only released one game for their online service in June, and it was for the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, so if you only have the base service, you didn’t get anything new in June. However, if you have the Expansion Pack, June was a month for an absolute classic, which is also a bit of an oddball.
Nintendo Switch Online Added Donkey Kong 64
Nintendo Switch Online added Donkey Kong 64 on June 5th. Donkey Kong 64 was the first 3-D game in the beloved Donkey Kong series, and some people consider it one of the best games the Nintendo 64 had to offer, while others say it hasn’t aged that well. It followed the excellent Donkey Kong Country trilogy on the Super Nintendo, so it had to live up to high expectations when it first came out. So, what do I think of the game?
As soon as you boot up the game, you know you’re in for a new kind of Donkey Kong experience. Donkey Kong 64 boots up with the “DK Rap,” a snippet of which would later be used in “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” The cheesy rap introduces the five playable characters: Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Lanky Kong, Tiny Kong, and Chunky Kong. There’s even some rare Nintendo swearing when the rap calls Chunky Kong “one (expletive) of a guy.” Good on Nintendo Switch Online for not censoring the lyric.
Like most Nintendo 64 platformers of the time, Donkey Kong 64 is a game of exploration. Each level is open-ended, letting you go where you want, although some areas are blocked off until you unlock certain characters. As such, there is some backtracking, which could annoy some players, but fortunately, transport points are frequent, meaning you can easily get around the levels most of the time.
The Seeds of Donkey Kong Bananza
Last year, Donkey Kong Bananza floored Nintendo fans and easily ranked as one of the greatest Donkey Kong games of all time. While Donkey Kong 64 might not seem very similar to Donkey Kong Bananza at first, a closer look reveals that yes, Bananza took quite a bit of inspiration from Donkey Kong 64, and that inspiration goes beyond the “DK Rap” being an unlockable record in Bananza.
Both Donkey Kong Bananza and Donkey Kong 64 are shameless collect-a-thons, to the point where a completionist might get nightmares. The collecting is equally fun in both games, since it encourages you to go exploring every last corner of each level. However, in Donkey Kong 64, some collectibles can only be collected by certain characters, meaning that backtracking is plentiful. Donkey Kong Bananza offers a more streamlined experience, since you only control Donkey Kong (with Pauline on his shoulders).
In addition, both games offer a strong sense of exploration. The levels in both games are distinctive, with plenty of room to just roam around and listen to the excellent music. Donkey Kong Bananza has quickly become one of my favorite games of all time. Is Donkey Kong 64 anywhere as good as Bananza? No, especially since there are times in Donkey Kong 64 when you might be unsure of where to go. Still, the exploration and collecting in Donkey Kong 64 is super exciting, and each character has different skills, meaning that a closed-off area will fill you with curiosity before you unlock the necessary character to open it.
Nintendo Switch Online Added a Treasure
Fans have been waiting for Nintendo Switch Online to add Donkey Kong 64 for ages. Now a new generation gets to experience this wacky jungle adventure. Cranky Kong is a mad scientist and Winky Kong is a ghost, and that’s just a taste of the kooky fun to be had. Hopefully Nintendo Switch Online will add some more awesome games in July.
