Figuring Out Donkey Kong 64 - A Retrospective | PostMesmeric

Donkey Kong 64, more than 20 years later, has turned from a critical darling to a running joke, arguably what killed the collect-a-thon game genre. To celebrate the fourth year of Donkey Kong Month, it's time to revisit this strange title and see what happened in DK's transition to the third dimension. Today, we're looking at DK64 and trying to figure it out.

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[cameraguygimmick]

i have no idea why i was so connected to lanky kong as a child.. and to this day he is still my favorite kong

[jamjars]

Its nice to see a review that doesn't simply say "donkey kong 64 bad" its fair to not enjoy the gameplay overall but we can't just simply ignore the qualities and charm the game offers.

Its a game that with a few core alterations could've been remembered as an all time great, I'm tired of people acting like it was a mistake with zero value, the death of a genre and nothing more.

[JeffreySmiles_]

This was my first true experience with Donkey Kong as a 90s baby. Perhaps it is nostalgia, but I have such profound positive feelings toward this game I can't pin point why. Its charm, character appeal, and aesthetic, I guess really sold it for me. I REALLY wish there was a remaster with hot fixes for modern gaming. Ughhh. I miss my childhood, sometimes.

[GameDevYal]

Pointing out how artificial most of the obstacles feel is a pretty spot-on analysis, but I feel like constantly getting across collectibles you can't collect because you're the wrong character also rubs people the wrong way (definitely works that way for me, at least). In Banjo-Kazooie, lines of notes lead you along paths through the level. In DK64, you find coins of one color and bananas of another at the end of a corridor. If the level design had used collectibles to lead the way to that character's golden bananas more and cut down on mixing different colors on the same path (which forces you to backtrack if you want them) I'm sure the game would've been remembered more fondly - a lot of rooms in most levels basically only exist to be banana/coin closets, and thanks to mixing different kongs' collectibles you're forced to revisit them at least twice. (The starting section of Gloomy Galleon is the most obvious example of how tedious this gets). And of course, placing them so that they require a specific ability to reach (e.g. placing most of Lanky's bananas on steep slopes or hovering over damage floors you need the Baboon Balloon to traverse) would make the character-specific division feel less artificial.

[shadowdaffy]

I’m about to start this game. I remember loving it at a kid, except for that clown toy box boss..

[Zeik]

I loved this game as a kid and still love it now.

[alain]

This review/ analysis is the first (and probably the only one) that doesn't mention Beaver Bother at all! Respect!

[FreeXax]

When I was a kid, I hated this game. I thought it was incredibly beautiful and colorful, but I had small brain, so I didn’t quite vibe with it.
But as an adult, I think I’m a bit more patient, and it’s my favorite from the N64 Rareware games. I think it does a great job at filling up those big levels with everything, and the movement from each character is so unique and fun. I felt super nostalgic watching this from when I made my own video, and I want to pop it in again myself.
I do agree that the collectibles are distracting rather than naturally blending in with the levels. I think that was a great point.
Your video making skills have gotten so good over the years. I’m so interested to see where you’ll be in a couple of years.

[yankeegmen]

I never got around to playing much of Donkey Kong 64, as I only ever rented it. Even so, I remember feeling overwhelmed by the amount of things in the game the little I did play. Pretty good breakdown of a game that kind of came to be infamous for its shortcomings.

[hamsteru]

Playing Donkey Kong 64 at my grandma’s house I never got past the first few levels despite trying to so many times every year I visited. The world and characters fascinated me so much though as a kid.

The most fun though was playing the multiplayer with my cousins. I’d be curious how well that holds up today.

[olympusgolemoflight]

Something that might help in future playthroughs, is to clear the first two levels by Kong, and the later six levels by room. For example, in Gloomy Galleon take care of one lagoon before going to the other.

[KingYoshi]

22:39 I really wonder what Donkey Kong's legacy could've been if Rare had not been bought by Microsoft. Sequels to DK64 and more Country games. :)

[TheJadeFist]

Any game with Bananaporting is ok in my book.

[jayarmenian]

Don't you ever disrespect Donkey Kong 64

[kooldude]

I fundamentally disagree with the basis of this video. My brother and I played the game and got the 102% before we even hit middle school. I believe the games biggest strength is the vast openness of the levels and having to navigate the tough areas. It’s rewarding and adds a level of mystery to each level. I hate the Mario/sonic design where everything is so linear. DK64 was amazing in that you got to truly explore these levels that had their own stories to tell and characters to interact with. It was like a more advanced Banjo Kazooir

[DoctorMario]

This game was a joy to 101%. Although I will say, even after 4 or so years I'm still hesitant to go back and do it again 😂.

[jordanroberts]

The overkill on collectables was great, made the game longer in a time when we didn't have a lot of games

[obsidianchao]

This is one of my favorite channels and I’m so happy to finally see you cover this game! Love you PostMesmy ❤️

[lakelunko]

never had a problem with this game, I guess i was the target audience cuz i played it last year and it's one of my most cherished game memories now

[Metroidever]

DK64 is a very interesting game I actually replayed again recently, as an adult. I played the game as a kid, never beat it and found it frustrating. As an adult, while there are still some frustrating moments, I found myself enjoying the game more now than I did as a kid and I finally beat it. Very satisfying.

I found myself able to better memorize where I needed to bring a kong next (whether it be mini-bananas, doors, switches, etc.), so switching wasn't as tiresome. I found myself more just exploring and getting a layout of the land and not worrying about collecting everything right away. That said, the game is a glitchy mess, more so than the usual polish I would expect from Rare, and that's because of hardware problems and rushing to get a huge game out for the holidays. It needed at least 6-9 more months of polishing and difficulty balancing imo, and perhaps would have allowed the team to change up the gameplay as well.