How'd you make a 3D Donkey Kong game?

[Koopaul]

I've had the discussion on many other forums. DK only had one outing in the third dimension. That was DK64, and for the most part... that wasn't really a Donkey Kong game, it was Banjo-Kazooie.

So I wonder how would you do DK in 3D? What kind of a game it be? I'm interested in your ideas considering how many of you aren't biased fans of the series like on my other forums. You guys must have very different ideas.

(Oh and I think you guys know which Donkey Kong I'm talking about, right?)

[Kriven]

DK64 wasn't Banjo-Kazooie at all, really. And it was a fantastic game. I would do that again.

Unless that style of game was already being used to carry out my dream of the Timber the Tiger game, the I'd have to get more creative.

[Koopaul]

DK64 was Banjo-Kazooie both in style and in gameplay.

Collecting tons of stuff and learning new moves to help you collect golden objects in colorful worlds? Sounds like Banjo-Kazooie to me.

Yeah me personally. I would want a 3D DK gameplay to play like this:



Look at that free roaming swinging and graceful acrobatics! DKC was very similar to most 2D platformers as it was based on timed jumping on things. I would like to see DK have a more ape-like platforming experience, using jungle-gym environments creatively to complete objectives.

I mean look at that video! That looks like fun!

[Kriven]

The problem is: DK's a gorilla, and gorillas don't climb like that.

You know, I can't really see DK transitioning to 3D well without it being similar to the DK64 title. He's so 2D that it's difficult for me to picture. Kirby is another character I could never visualize well like this. I mean, I'm not stifled here. I've got great ideas for DrillDozer, Starfy, or Yoshi in 3D, but DK just doesn't seem to work in something that isn't DK64.

With one exception. Although it's way bias on my part because I love this genre, but DK could probably work well in something like Marvel Ultimate Alliance with maybe more emphasis on platforming and a few different gameplay mechanics (like Animal Buddies, and less combat-centric controls.)

Edit: While we're in a Kong topic, does anybody know who owns the rights to the Diddy Kong Racing characters? Is that Nintendo or Rare?

[NICKtendo DS]

DKR is developed by Rare, but aside from their own IPs like Banjo, the game is owned by Nintendo.

[Kitsu]

I've got great ideas for DrillDozer, Starfy, or Yoshi in 3D,

Oh man, I'd love to see these some time.


Also I'd agree with Koopaul that I'd want to see something focused primarily on acrobatics and moves associated with jungle divers. Even if gorillas don't really do that irl, DK really seems to be more the acrobatic type in these games. If it's really that much of a problem, the game could once again do a multiple characters route, such as Diddy being the speedy acrobat for air routes and Donkey Kong being more a slower, stronger brute for taking crowded ground routes.

Note: I haven't actually played any DK-centric games. DKC's platforming physics were far too slippery for me to get into, and DK64 I never even had a chance to play (not counting emulation), not to mention I don't really enjoy giant collectathons (I forgive Wario games since collecting tends to be more about progression items and special treasures while still focusing on linear environments).

[Koopaul]

Like you said, maybe DK himself wouldn't be as good at tree leaping as Diddy, but would be better for combat on the ground. Then you have a third option of Dixie Kong who is in-between the two, able to do some ground combat and tree leaping, but not as well as DK and Diddy.

[Helmo]

[Goemar]

I think a game like the 3D Bionic Commando (but you know, less crap) would work. Some cool platforming and swinging to get around (DK would have to made more agile, or well - DKC 2 story again). And then some fun, but not overly complicated, combat.

... I think I just described the Prince of Persia reboot... damn...

[Sengir]

Sengir's Design for Donkey Kong 3

The overworld is high above the ground with a ton of vines hanging down from the jungle canopy and a bunch of treetops to swing to and from. There are no enemies that can do damage in the overworld but if DK or Diddy fall they will lose a life. DK's tree hut is located here.

"Dungeons" are just parts of the world where enemies exist, usually themed. DK does not have to go through a loading screen to get to dungeons as they are seamlessly integrated into the world. Examples of dungeons include a tall mountain with a mineshaft the DK can enter, an opening in the trees below that drops DK at the shore, a section of jungle where trees were removed and in their place an ancient ruin or even a barrel cannon that fires DK towards a tall cliff.

DK moves with the circle pad with a peanut gun-armed Diddy atop him. Diddy can change directions with the d-pad.

Multiplayer allows Diddy to be controlled by another player with the circle pad

[Ton]

DK64 was crap. It's like Rare played Banjo-Kazooie and thought "How can we fuck this up?"

And they they figured out how:
-Those collectables? People like those, right? Why don't we make a bunch more of them, and then make it so that only certain characters can pick them up. And even though you have access to all of the characters, you have to backtrack half a stage to swap just to get three banana coins that are useless anyway because once you've got your upgrades we just have a billion of them sitting around for no good reason.
-Oh, and what if the detection is only slightly off? Clipping is serviceable, but it's a little shoddy. Sometimes you'll grab a ledge you're not supposed to grab and get stuck in an endless loop of your character trying to pull himself up on top of it, and then it's too thin, so the clipping forces back into the grabbing frames. And it'll just repeat, cause who cares? Also, the controls are slippery like everything is covered in goddamn banana peels.
-And on top of that, we can make every sound effect for every character ear-bleedingly, cloyingly awful so that after Tiny jumps three times, the player will be hunting for the mute button. So they all make sounds for every action, and they all make it every time. And it's all akin to the sounds a baby choking on a vuvuzela while being tossed down a gorge might make. Hmm, is there any way we can make an announcer everyone will hate, too?
-Also, randomly make a Golden Banana impossible to fucking get unless you're Superman on crack. Gamers love impossible challenges.

[Koopaul]

Huh? Sound was one of the few good parts of DK64. The sound effects are fantastic and the voice acting is hilarious.

To me, pretty much everything EXCEPT the gameplay (the most important part) was great in DK64, sadly.

[Garamonde]

DK64 was crap. It's like Rare played Banjo-Kazooie and thought "How can we fuck this up?"

And they they figured out how:
-Those collectables? People like those, right? Why don't we make a bunch more of them, and then make it so that only certain characters can pick them up. And even though you have access to all of the characters, you have to backtrack half a stage to swap just to get three banana coins that are useless anyway because once you've got your upgrades we just have a billion of them sitting around for no good reason.
-Oh, and what if the detection is only slightly off? Clipping is serviceable, but it's a little shoddy. Sometimes you'll grab a ledge you're not supposed to grab and get stuck in an endless loop of your character trying to pull himself up on top of it, and then it's too thin, so the clipping forces back into the grabbing frames. And it'll just repeat, cause who cares? Also, the controls are slippery like everything is covered in goddamn banana peels.
-And on top of that, we can make every sound effect for every character ear-bleedingly, cloyingly awful so that after Tiny jumps three times, the player will be hunting for the mute button. So they all make sounds for every action, and they all make it every time. And it's all akin to the sounds a baby choking on a vuvuzela while being tossed down a gorge might make. Hmm, is there any way we can make an announcer everyone will hate, too?
-Also, randomly make a Golden Banana impossible to fucking get unless you're Superman on crack. Gamers love impossible challenges.

S-Someone's got a banana peel up his hiney...

[Kosheh]

Huh? Sound was one of the few good parts of DK64. The sound effects are fantastic and the voice acting is hilarious.

YEAH
FACCK YOU
FACCK YOU!!!!

there's one fundamental problem with all this: Rare pretty much turned Donkey Kong games into collectathons similar to Mario. Rare, however, is ridiculously good at making collectathons on crack (as if that'll help with lack of story development and character design), so when Nintendo started using the Donkey Kong IP, they stuck with collectathons with Jungle Beat, King of Swing and DKC Returns.

what poopaul is suggesting feels like if rocksteady took on the donkey kong IP and made arkham country where DK swings around the jungle with ultimate grace
what you're suggesting, really, is an entire rethink of a game series that fundamentally consisted of platformers

i personally wouldn't mind another Jungle Beat that expanded on the formula, because that was a standard platformer but an amazingly innovative idea (controlling a character in a platform with a rhythm game controller) and perhaps including Diddy and Dixie segments that involved using the bongos would be pretty amazing

but yeah, asking us to reimagine DK64 along the lines of DKC, using Mario 64 as a benchmark basically

gives you DK64 again :/ which honestly, i wouldn't really mind just a spiritual sequel of DK64 and Banjo Kazooie made by like, ex-rareware members or something

maybe i can just keep wishing as a chance of a new game like that would---


oh, hi warren spector
what's that you got there


leaps of faith and collecting everything featuring mickey mouse?

[OverlordNext]

a few years ago I made a tiny gameboy out of cardboard and made games that I could put into it and i made Donkey Kong games but i had never even played one!! Only one time really short at my uncles place.
but I did make a 3d donkey kong then because the cardboard is 3d!!