Game Reviews From a Parental Perspective!
Gaming with Children
Home Forums Review Archive Columns Feature Articles
Looking for the perfect videogame for your kids? Visit GamerDad's Videogame Review Archive.
GamerDad Site Search:
 
What is GamerDad?
Games are fun and excellent bonding tools. At GamerDad, we believe in Gaming with Children.

Note: GamerDad is intended for Parents.


Email Us, Visit our FAQ, learn About Us, Bookmark us now and join our message board. We update daily!





In Association with Amazon.com
Buy something from Amazon using this link, and GamerDad gets a percentage!

Home > Review Archive > Video Games > Results: Donkey Kong Barrel Blast

Donkey Kong Barrel Blast
by Cary Woodham
November 28, 2007

This game is at the bottom of a barrel full of rotten bananas.

Reviewed for Wii.

Format For Printing | Tell A Friend | Digg | Slashdot | del.icio.us | Buy This Game

Scroll down for our Kid Factor.

GamerDad Seal Of Approval - 6+.  Click to learn more about our review seal. The ESRB says:
Cartoon Violence: GamerDad made monkeys and gators shove each other out of the way during a race.
Mild Suggestive Themes: Candy Kong is a bit too shapely and busty for her own good.

Back on the Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo released a pair of bongo drum shaped controllers that looked like the barrels that Donkey Kong tosses all the time. Nintendo made a couple of Donkey Kong themed music rhythm drumming games using these bongos, as well as a very creative and highly recommended 2-D platform title. A racing game was planned where you drummed on the bongos to speed up and steer Donkey Kong, but it was postponed until the release of the Wii. Now, instead of the bongo controllers, Donkey Kong Barrel Blast uses the Wii remote and nunchuck to simulate hitting the bongos. Does it work? Unfortunately, the answer is a chest-pounding NO!

To play Donkey Kong Barrel Blast on the Wii, use the nunchuck and the remote and imagine as if you're playing 'air bongos.' Wave the nunchuck to steer left, and the remote to go right. Wave both alternately to speed up, and move both up at the same time to jump. Use the buttons on the nunchuck and remote to use items and knock barrels and opponents out of your way. Unfortunately, play control doesn't work well at all. You'll jump for no apparent reason, steering is really inaccurate, and players will tire quickly from moving the nunchuck and remote up and down all the time. It's a shame they don't let you still use the bongo controllers, since the Wii has GameCube controller ports, but since the game is so bad anyway it probably wouldn't help any.

Players can pick from their favorite Kong characters, like Donkey Kong, Diddy, or Dixie, plus a selection of Kremling crocodile enemies, too, all from the Donkey Kong Country series. Enter Grand Prix, Time Trial, or other special challenge races. Graphics are colorful and look like a sharp GameCube game, and music fits the DK theme well. But bad play control, coupled with ruthless computer opponents, make this a game you'll definitely want to skip out on.


Click to learn more about GamerDad's Kid Factor review section. Kids will like the Donkey Kong characters and settings, but that's about it. They'll probably get frustrated and tired of the awful controls and steep difficulty. If they can get past the first Grand Prix races, I'll be impressed (I couldn't). Not recommended for anyone.

Format For Printing | Tell A Friend | Digg | Slashdot | del.icio.us | Buy This Game

Home > Review Archive > Video Games > Results: Donkey Kong Barrel Blast
GamerDad Game Of The Year 2006

Best Games of 2006!


GamerDad 2007 Holiday Guide
Read the GamerDad 2007 Holiday Guide!

Game Info:
Platform(s):
Wii

ESRB rating:
E - Everyone

Cartoon Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes

Score:






Visit the GamerDad Store and Buy Stuff!


Retroblaster - Free Online
Advertisement