Nerd Mentality

Good to the Last Drop

Posted November 14th 2006 by J Edison Thomas.

I feel that our generation has so entirely worn down, torn apart, and in all other ways reamed the concept of irony to the point where I'm often at a loss as to when to classify something as "ironic" or "fitting". So to avoid an argument, affix whichever adjective you wish to the situation I'm in now, where during the Cataclysm's Eve that is Wii launch anticipation month, I'm wholly engrossed in Nintendo's daring failed attempt to bring innovative control to their heartwarming red-headed stepchild, the GameCube. I am of course talking bongo drums here.

Strike any ideas you may have about Donkey Konga. The only reason bongo drums need ever be mentioned in the realm of gaming is in reference to Jungle Beat, one of the most overlooked gems of the GameCube era that I was lucky enough to spot in my local gamery for $20 this past moon, complete with said bongos.

There is probably no better answer to the quandary cited in my past blog than Jungle Beat. If you've ever longed for a game that leaves you sweating and breathless in the vein of shadow boxing and/or tantric sex, this game needs to be in your collection. While the game's 50-odd levels could probably be bested in a focused night of gaming, I found myself hard pressed to move through an entire set of kingdoms before throwing in the towel. The theme of the game overall, actually, is that it can typically be completed with a moderate amount of effort, but will require you to pant to truly beat. I rarely finish a session of Jungle Beat without having to resort to taking my shirt off (that's right ladies).

Nights on end I've spent playing and replaying levels in an attempt to string together more combos, discover new ways to make each tap of the bongo drum count towards my end score, and absorb more of the game's toe-tapping music. Why the game never caught on is beyond me, other than perhaps the fact that you had to buy a seemingly retarded peripheral to play it, because this is most certainly one of the more admirable works of creativity and fine-tuned gaming to be found on the Cube. The music and graphics are agreeable in a way that enhances the entire experience, and in nearly every way the game is the superior to the old Donkey Kong Country series that people still can't seem to shut up about. God willing, this is the version of DK that we'll see in Brawl.

Jungle Beat succeeds as an experiment in alternative controls and an earnest attempt to create a beautiful, enjoyable, and utterly addictive arcade experience on the GameCube in a day when very few developers understand the difference between a rewarding challenge and a piss-poor collectathon attempt to increase gameplay hours. Both awesome, so good thing I nabbed it before the Wii took over my life completely. I can only assume that bongos can work in the Wii just like any other Cube controller, so when you whine about sore wrists a month from now from Wii Tennis or something, hook up those drums and jam a few rounds in DK's new country and talk to me then.

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