Price: $54.99 with bongos, $39.99 without
Remember Nintendo's R.O.B., the toy robot that came with the deluxe version of the company's original NES? Probably only the most diehard nostalgists do, because Robot Operated Buddy was the most extraneous piece of video-game hardware imaginable: It picked up little tops, dropped them in a device to make them spin, then placed them on a second controller's button. Yes, R.O.B. looked awesome in the ads, but he served no purpose—gamers could just as easily save valuable time by pushing the buttons themselves. Last year, for the song-oriented Donkey Konga, Nintendo introduced the DK Bongos controller, which must have induced some boardroom shudders.
Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, the second bongos-compatible title, should provide some relief: Far more enjoyable than it would immediately seem, the game provides a simple, blustery workout that should be fun for all ages, or at least those ages whose families don't mind indoor drumming, loud clapping, and sore arms. Controls for this fast-paced, side-scrolling adventure are simple: Tap the left bongo to run left, tap the right bongo to run right, and clap—hard, so the microphone can hear—for various actions, most frequently a sonic wave that knocks stuff around. Compared to the regular controller's nine trillion buttons and levers, it's pretty simple, which is appropriate, since you're a big, dumb ape.
Specifically, you are Donkey Kong (unlike in the game Donkey Kong, where you're Mario), and your mission is to become king of something or other—it doesn't matter. The clearest path to purple robes and obedient serfs is, of course, bananas, so collecting those is a must: They provide "beats," which measure your life. Run out of beats and you're dead—but don't worry about it, because DKJB is easy enough to get through without keeling over more than a few times. Once the basic moves have been mastered, it's just a matter of puzzling through levels, whether climbing walls, riding animals, swimming, or pounding the crap out of a giant warthog with your fists.
Beyond the gameplay: Donkey Kong Jungle Beat is almost as much fun to watch as it is to play, though the screen images aren't the good part: Watching somebody else go wild on the bongos—particularly someone over the age of 14—can provide an evening's entertainment.
Worth playing for: The boss fights, which provide a bit of static gameplay in an otherwise scrolling game. Determining what to do against, say, an angry elephant (throw pineapples into its trunk, duh!) provides more joy than expected.
Frustration sets in when: Never, really. It's tough to get stuck, because DKJB's levels are quite short, and there's even a little helper-monkey that guides Donkey Kong through unfamiliar territory, telling him when to clap.
Final judgment: Ridiculous fun while it lasts, Donkey Kong Jungle Beat should nonetheless be stored away for a yearly dose of primal-beat therapy. But it's best played when no one's trying to sleep.