CGR Undertow - DONKEY KONG 64 for Nintendo 64 Video Game Review
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- Опубликовано: 6 фев 2025
- Classic Game Room presents a CGR Undertow review of DONKEY KONG 64 on the Nintendo 64 (N64). The Official Unofficial Donkey Kong week continues at CGR Undertow with Donkey Kong 64 from Rare, released in 1999. Donkey Kong 64 was released to much praise and has been subjected to criticism in the present day, but it is somewhere in the middle. This CGR Undertow video game review features Donkey Kong 64 video gameplay footage and commentary from Classic Game Room's Derek.
I highly disagree with this review. I remember renting the game back in the day and I had no problem achieving fun out of it, despite being a long game and it's one of the best N64 games I've ever played.
@Marsu Bleu I have to agree, with some games anyway. Smartball for example, liked it a kid but I couldn't really play it today
Seeing the dislike bar lets me know that the truth often hurts.
well, it's my favourite ever N64 game...
My new favourite game reviewer right here. This is probably the first serious bait video I've seen in my entire life.
2010 video and cgr undertow is shutdown...lol fool
Grigori Rasputin :(
Wahaller yeah bit late mate
To be honest, despite the dislike for this video, this is one of the most honest reviews for the game. I just got to Gloomy Galleon in the game and I'm ready to quit. So much backtracking, it's unreal. It's not hard, it's just boring and tedious. I LOVED this game as a child, and the graphical aesthetics and music as MASTERFUL, but the gameplay literally wrecks the experience. It just makes me want to stick in Super Mario 64 or Banjo Kazooie and play it again.
is this a girl or a boy? were you born in 1999 even?
derrick used to give serious reviews
Controversial review... Loved the hell out of this game when I got it for Christmas, along with my N64 as a kid. The fun in the game IS the collecting and exploring. The world was varied enough and there was so much to collect, it just never felt tedious to me. On the contrary you felt like you accomplished quite a lot the further that you got in this game, and that feeling of accomplishment culminated in a magnificent triumph every time you found another golden banana. I still haven't gotten around to finding everything, and honestly, it makes me want to come back to this game someday. Exploring such a huge and beautiful world was also still a novelty back then for a lot of kids, myself included. No other 3D platformer looked quite this good at the time, and the worlds were fun just to run around in. It isn't Donkey Kong Country 3D, but its also not trying to be that either. Its more Banjo Kazooie/Conker's Bad Fur Day, with Donkey Kong characters in place of Rare characters... and I'm certainly alright with that, given how awesome the former were. As far as the "core game mechanic" goes... fundamentally this is identical to the core gameplay mechanics of Mario 64, Banjo Kazooie, and Conker's Bad Fur Day, yet those games, unlike Donkey Kong 64, don't get a bad rap for that "basic" style of gameplay? That doesn't seem fair. I think this game gets the hate that it gets more because it was so popular and so acclaimed when it first came out, and so it instantly became the cool thing to hate on. But if you are going to come out and bash this game, then its open season to apply the same criticism on such beloved classics as Mario 64, Kazooie/Tooie, and Bad Fur Day. I agree with you this wasn't revolutionary. But, at its core it remains a very solid game, created in Rare's magic formula. That formula, and 3D platformers in general, just aren't for everyone, but I remain resolute... This is one of my favorite games of my childhood, and I even went back a few years ago to play it... still fun, and the final boss battle was nothing short of epic.
The good old days when 32 MB used to be considered large.
Don't forget to dislike and unsubscribe.
@kevinbuster3000 6 months old comment.
"It's not very fun"
Then why am I playing it and having fun?
bullshit, I played all big titles at the time, banjo, mario and donkey 64, and i must say this one is the one that blew me more away, like holy shit stop undermining games, mario is a masterpiece, but this one beats it.. Banjo is hella great too.. XD
+ElCapo696 Banjo Tooie blew me away far more than this game did. The worlds are even bigger, but it just somehow feels a bit less tedious? I don't really know. I still love both games though.
Linktothe_Awesome This was harder to complete and on every time you beat a boss you would feel accomplished, i know i did..
Grigori Rasputin You eat shit, what?
Grigori Rasputin *your luggage
Not you're.
Hypocrisy at its finest.
Linktothe_Awesome it's called a typo nerd, i dont give a shit about grammar on youtube, i have finished college a long time ago, you on the other hand are still in high school i assume? and please....look at your profile only stuff on video games....get laid Lol.
NEXT!
I also disagree with the review, Donkey Kong 64 is an excellent game (and I'm also a fan of the Donkey Kong Country and Donkey Kong Land games). I beat Donkey Kong 64 at 101% and I loved it
It's always sad to see a review that points out good and bad stuff and explains both (-> makes it kinda subjectiv) gets such a bad rating from the viewers..... Guys, it's not only praise or hate - there is a hugh palette!
that intro gave me nightmares back in '99
pussy
Love all the comments saying that this reviewer is stupid because, "I had fun with it in 1999!! I was nine!! So fuck you!!!"
Guys, games age, and games that are big (but not that big anymore) and involve you collecting a ton of items with five different characters to increase the length of the game isn't fun anymore. This game sacrifices depth for scope, as anyone who wants to sink the time into it can beat this game, it doesn't actually take much skill to complete. As such, it now becomes boring after about two hours of play, when you realize the whole game is going to be less a genuinely difficult platformer, and more of an artificially long collectathon.
I played it as an adult. Loved it.
This guy couldn't be more wrong. Bad review
eh IDC what anyone says I still love it to the bone
im playing this game at the moment and i love it! i think the leveldesign is great and the collecting is a lot of fun. the game has a lot of variety with all the minigames, puzzles. i never played it as a kid, so this is not just nostalgia.
Everytime you say somting more negetive, you dig your grave deeper :(
Great points, amazing review ~ loved watching this! :)
derek is such a fruit
I had no problems with this game I loved it
CGRundertow then give me your copy of dk64 since you obviously don't want it.
Well, I disagree. "Good games don't follow." That is a direct quote from this review, and yet CGR seems to wish this game simply followed Donkey Kong Country, simply because Super Mario 64 and Zelda: OOT followed their respective franchises in spirit. Donkey Kong 64 instead chose to try something new for itself, and create a truly memorable game. When you are a kid, you would think that the tedium of collecting stuff would be too much to bear, but I found myself playing this game until 100%
I've never played this game, but I don't plan to anytime soon. It just looks like a carbon-copy of Banjo-Kazooie with DK's face slapped on. And just because Derek has a different opinion that you don't agree with, dosen't mean you have to be a butthurt crybaby like the people on his Jak and Daxter review.
It's actually made by the same developer, so it makes sense it seems like that
Shut the fuck up, this game is better than mario 64, and that itself should shut you up..
***** Now you're just being biased..
I believe I have the right to have opinions. Don't be a dick.
Gumiworm the Gumiworm But nigga it's like saying black ppl have good music nowadays, its just not true..
Once I heard this kids voice, I stopped the video, once I saw the comments I'm glad I did.
It's a fair review. People who grew up playing this game will be like "OMG THIS GAME WAS MY CHILDHOOD!!11" There were many flaws. Some of the mini-games just to get one golden banana were WAY too hard for what it was worth. The camera was also awkward. Compare to a game like Zelda OOT where the camera is usual behind you. In this game you are constantly adjusting the joy stick to accommodate the camera. Even moving sucks when it just hits walls. "Tedious busy-work" sums up the adventure, too.
Are you nuckin futs? You basically just said "This game is super polished, has lots of content, had lots to collect", but it wasn't fun??? I remember this being one of my favorite 64 games. Have you ever heard the term "collect-a-thon", it's a game that has tons of stuff to collect. Rare was well known for that type of game with DK64, Banjo Kazooie and Banjo Tooie, and Concker's Bad Fur Day!
***** Wait the 2d sonic games are easy? Really now?
this is my favorite game ever
What's the name of the song at the beginning that they use for each video called?
I've been playing this game for about a week now and i don't see how this game is bad i'm not nostalgia blind i didn't have this game when i was a kid (sorta still am now that i think about it) but i really am enjoying this game and don't say that i'm a kid so my opinion is invalid that's just an excuse to make people dislike this comment everyone can have an opinion and im not trying to say that anyone's is wrong i'm just trying to say that i like this game.
"People raved about this game in 1999 they shouldn't have" Says the guy who enjoyed Tony Hawk Ride.
Why so many dislikes? CGR Undertow, people need to learn and respect that this is your OPINION
As much as I disagree with this review (considering that this is one of my favorite games of all time), I can respect it. I personally think this game has its own identity and works perfectly. In the words of JonTron, "This game may be a 'collect-a-thon' if you will, but I never understood why that's a derogatory term to describe games. Yes, it is a game where you collect things...but the levels are built around it so it's fine." I personally love this game, but still a good review nonetheless.
Derek is the best reviewer of the undertow-crew!
Having played and owned the original cartridge back in the late 90s, I played the game to completion and enjoyed it. Now having replayed the game on WiiU...Its not as great as I once thought it was. The biggest complaint I have is the wonky camera that just has a hard time staying behind my character. Its simply not as good as Super Mario 64 or even Banjo Kazooie. Secondly is the tedious collecting that wouldn't be so bad if I could switch the characters on the fly. Lastly the game seems more about completing mini games then completely challenging platforming feats like in Super Mario 64 or even its predecessor DKC. Still I'm grateful for the opportunity to relive a childhood gem. 7.5/10
This was one of my favorite games as a child. It's actually how I learned my colors. I'd give it a 9.5/10. It was amazing.
I respect that you have an opinion, but claiming the original DK arcade port is the "best thing" about DK64 is ridiculous. Like every other review you do, nothing positive can be said about DK64, and it's a failure in everyway. Derek, I'd love to know, are there any video games you don't think are shit? I haven't found a single review where you praise anything, and you've reviewed several games that are generally well liked.
5:43 - looking at Candy Kong in this video makes me feel like taking a "well-oiled, trip through the motions" if you know what I mean.
really good review!
DK64 was a huge disappointment, it was the first time we realized maybe rare wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Endlessly delayed, when we finally got it, I can't even describe that disappointment. Maybe young kids didn't get that, but as a 14yr old it was soul crushingly bad. DK series on snes were brilliant, but in the forced transition to 3D it lost everything that made the snes games so good, and just became another run of the mill collect a fest 3d platformer. It's easily one of the WORST games on the N64, and a huge disappointment.
The beginning of the downfall of rare.. such a shame.
***** easily rares lowest moment IMO.
***** Its a terrible, bland, boring game. Reviews back that up. Banjo Kazooie was incredible compared to this turd.
***** Don't you see dude, everyone can't be wrong. The popular opinion is this game sucked.
***** you are so weird to love this game so much dude lol. It's such an average mediocre game I feel sorry for you. If you were talking about ocarina of time or something I'd forgive you.
***** lol
Love all the comments saying that this reviewer is stupid because, "I had fun with it in 1999!! I was nine!! So fuck you!!!"
Guys, games age, and games that are big (but not that big anymore) and involve you collecting a ton of items with five different characters to increase the length of the game isn't fun anymore. This game sacrifices depth for scope, as anyone who wants to sink the time into it can beat this game, it doesn't actually take much skill to complete. As such, it now becomes boring after about two hours of play, when you realize the whole game is going to be an artificially long collectathon.
Trolls is all I see on here. DK64 was all good, hands down. More than half of you probably never beat it, which would explain why y'all are hatin'. Just sayin'..*shrugs*
I'm on the other side of the fence, sorry but I'm in the "do not agree with your opinion" crowd on this one. Off Subject: Please less reviews of obviously junk anti-creative games that were churned out in a relative 10 minutes for proift as opposed to games that had effort and love put into them. Like no Barbie Island 10 for gameboy. I really appreciate it when Derek takes a review seriously as well, the ones about the trash games are short and pointless and drone on with bad joke after bad joke about how terrible it is, we know it's terrible before even opening the box. Maybe you're trying to find gems in the trash and giving every game no matter what it is a chance... But some game just have no chance, please don't put yourself or us through that kind of pain.
The part with Candy Kong talking made me lol
does this game use the same engine as banjo kazooie? because it looks just like it
Best Donkey Kong game ever. And no, being able to play the original Donkey Kong is not the best part. The best part (for me) is having five different characters to play as, each with their own unique ability. Lanky is my favorite.
come on people, stop hating, i mean everyone has their own opinions, just because someone doesn't like a game you like doesn't mean you have to call him a bad reviewer.
Hey, I know his opinion on this game isn't all that popular (especially after looking at the comments for this video), but he's entitled to his opinion regardless. Besides, he makes some valid points. Give the guy a break.
I think you guys are harsh on Derek's criticisms. The game itself was good, but it had a lot of problems. One, the graphics werent any better than something like Banjo Kazooie, in fact I'd argue they were worse, despite needing the N64 ram expansion. Two, the collecting was taken to extreme levels, Banjo Kazooie had a lot but it didnt have so much that it made you want to quit due to the pointlessness. Three, the multiplayer modes weren't that fun, Rare did a much better job with Conker's.
I've been playing through this game for the 1st time for the past week and having a blast.
Um i completely disagree, this is a kids game and was one of the best games ive played as a kid. My game didnt save so i played it non stop until my N64 over heated. And i played it over and over to get further. Your also rating a 1999 game in 2011 for kids as you yourself have out grown this game.
Yes that's unfortunately the case. They never want to hear something negative 'bout their favorites.
2:00
thats where i quit on the virtual console.
i had great memories of this game, but the controls were clumsy. backtracking way too much and the worst thing is the camera. its almost unplayable these days.
I was raised off of this game. People always bother me when they say it was a shit game. At a young age this was adventure and cartoons at their best! Such great exploration and large amount of time to play it.
I learned to read the story lines in games because of this great invention!
My childhood was this. My Mom sold my N64 when I was older and out of this game but I went out of my way years later to search and search for a N64, the additional memory card, and this game specifically!
Back in my day, Donkey Kong 64 was the best game we had. I remember every satureday night, me and my brothers would take turns playing the game, and every time would get a little further, and the further we got, the more stuff we found and that was really exciting. It took us almost 6 years to finish the game and we still enjoy it to this day, but now that have played through it once, it's not nearly as exciting as we remember it.
Well, I had fun playing it. The collecting added an additional challenge that games today just don't have. That made it a million times better when I finally found everything in the game. :)
WALNUTS, PEANUTS,PINEAPPLE SMELLS, GRAPES, APPLES, ORANGES, AND COCONUT SHELLS!..................Take it to the fridge
Welcome to the internet. ;)
@OsConscript "I grew up on this game." doesn't make it good. I'm 23 and thought that Roger Rabbit for NES was a good game until I got older and realized it sucked. DK64 doesn't suck, but the tedious busywork as this reviewer perfectly put it, takes away from the fun. It seems like any time someone gives a bad review to an old game, the only way people justify their love of the game is "I grew up on it" Well, that's not good enough.
I COMEPLETELY disagree with you on this one. This was definitely one of my favorite games of all time. I used to play it for hours on end and enjoyed every second of it! Who wants a game that can be easily beaten? ugh..
It sounds to me like the only reason you didn't like DK64 was because your expectations were set too high after playing the DKC series.
I enjoyed the collecting and exploration aspect to this game. It felt like a huge build up to the epic boss battle at the end of each world.
"Journalistic review" eeyep. "journalistic"
Most of this review was negativity towards one of the greatest games I have ever played.
Sorry but I am jumping on the crazy RUclips commenter bus. Just because there are things you may not like about that game does not mean the game sucks. DK64 is one of the best games ever crafted.
This game is great and I mostly disagree with Derek, but I found Banjo-Kazooie and Banjo-Tooie to be vastly superior.
im sorry which statement hasn't been opinion based? its not supposed to be like the prior games which is precisely my point. collecting the objects was where the fun was in the game. All the different mini games you had to do to get them, the camera with the banana fairys etc. For him to say the original donkey Kong game is the best thing about this game ignores just everything else. The boss fights alone negate that statement.
"Unlike Super Mario 64 which brought the core principles into 3D", I'm going to scream if I hear this one more time. Super Mario 64 is NOTHING like the old Mario games. Outside of the Bowser levels there's barely any platforming, and it's no where near as linear or fast-paced as the NES and SNES Mario games. Not saying this is a bad thing, but I can't stand how people always use this an example and then turn around and slam games like DK64 and Sonic Adventure which take a similar route.
And things haven’t gotten better for Derek from CGRUNDERTOW ever since.
m.ruclips.net/video/DuaNK9ziSMA/видео.html
You’d think that he’d know that if it wasn’t for One PAC Man Platformer in particular, this being Pac Land from 1984, we wouldn’t have Super Mario Bros in the First Place!
im confused is this a positive or negative review....btw this is one of the best games on the n64
Sorry but I have to come to his defense on this one. He's a better reviewer than 95 percent of them, but since he makes a negative review of a game you like, it means he sucks? Please, all reviews are opinions, and you can't say that any of his points are wrong. All you really do is go around collecting stuff, and while you may like it, he doesn't. It's simple as that
This game has been my second most played game of all time. Where the boring single player games of today come in, Donkey Kong 64 never fails to entertain.
I don't know, I have to disagree. I enjoyed DK64 a hell of a lot more then Banjo Kazooie. I've played both games to completion and I have also went back and done so recently and I still believe that DK64 has more charm and is just alot more fun to play while being more memorable. The most memorable part of Banjo was the last part when you play that board game and that was it for me. On the other hand, KD64 had Crystal Caves with one of my absolute favorite themes EVER while also having one of the MOST INFURIATING RACE LEVELS IN HISTORY, it also had Creepy Castle which I also loved. It was actually creepy and was completely surprising to find and play during my first and recent playthrough of DK64. As was the Factory level, it's boss was bloody terrifying to me when I was a kid...and still kinda is to be entirely honest, and then just exploring around DK island and K.Rool's ship was fun as well. All of those equally stand out to me as being just fun and awesome still.
Though one thing it did spawn was one of the few water levels I hated...while DKC made me fall in love with both water levels and ice levels, DK64 somehow took my love and squashed it...and don't even get me started on the Banjo water levels, seriously fuck you Rare, it was like you were trying to make me hate water in your 3D games.
In my absolute honest opinion,
Banjo was the template while DK64 nearly perfected it. Just wish they made a sequel to it like they did Banjo...
I loved this game, and still do. I don't really think of it as a Donkey Kong Country game, but more in the same place in my heart as Banjo Kazooie. Am going to have to play this again in the next few days.
i was so close to beating this game. And then I realized that I had to beat the Arcade Donkey Kong TWO TIMES IN A ROW.
It's a great game, I just can't beat the arcade Donkey Kong twice in a row.
I both agree and disagree Derek. The reason why, is that DK64 does become EXTREMELY tedious, especially in level 4 and later, heck I'm currently putting up gameplay of it on my channel. However it's only tedious if you go for 100% or in this game's case, 101%. If you only go for what is required to enter new levels, and to enter boss areas, it's still long, but it's no longer tedious. That's where you missed it in my opinion, that the game is only tedious if you make it tedious.
This is a memorable classic. It defiantly deserves a lot more that the review credited. This game was a hit when it was new, and I believe it's still just as good today.
Just because it's not popular doesn't mean he still can't express his own opinion.
This game perfectly fits the definition's of boring and bad. Un-adjectively boring and bad.
True story - This coming from a guy who as a kid, after getting bleach spilled in his eyes and taken to the hospital, afterwards I wanted nothing more than to play this game and loved it to death. So, I have the nostalgia factor, yet I still see it for what it is. The simple fact is, most N64 games don't hold up, and that's saying the least. Although, quite a few do.
The Donkey Kong arcade game included in DK64 is the best rerelease of the arcade ever! It is a perfect copy of the arcade title. It includes the pie factory and the in-game cut-scenes; something that the NES version and all other versions that followed forgot to include.
that argument holds NO water whatsoever
The real problem is that he said that the people who like the game should have like it because he said so.
People calm down, afterall it is just Derek's opinion, no one said that you had to agree with him.
If you like the game, then you like the game, it doesn't mean he has to like it too.
As a huge Donkey Kong Country fan, I can tell you that this game is unfaithful to the originals.
You're joking, right? This is one of the most memorable Donkey Kong games I've played. In fact, it's one of the first N64 games I've really enjoyed. To say this game is not fun to play is intolerable blasphemy. It's not as good as Banjo-Kazooie or Banjo-Tooie, but it's definitely solid.
I wish there wasn't so many restrictions on getting items. Putting items where you need another Kong is one thing, but forcing the player to keep switching characters because, for whatever reason, Donkey Kong can't pick up red blueprints. Because science.
I can, but it's how you say it. For example, there's a big difference between saying something like, "It's a good game even though I don't personally care for it" and "I don't like this game. It's boring, uncreative, and bad".
1.arbitrary? oh plz! So your saying golden bananas aren't a necessity? Your saying golden bananas aren't useful? Explain how and why its arbitrary.
2.Thats exactly why I like it more. The world weren't as rushed as Bk. It gave me time to enjoy the worlds more.
3.less design? Explain what you mean by less design?
4.So what if its not like the original dkc games.
5.The game isn't that slow paced.
Will you trolls please leave this guy alone?! This is HIS opinion. You might disagree, but don't hate on him just because he feels a different way about a video game!
does anyone know the 2D version of this game? i swear i was playing a 2D version of this game on Nintendo 64
My childhood ruined in six and a half minutes.
would I stick to the fact that this game is fantastic or would I stick with my obsession with cgr and my fanboyism of the people who work on it, and foolishly say that they are right?
That's a question a lot of people ask specially when someone has the audacity of saying crap about a classic like this.
To a causal gamer such as myself, DK64 is good up 'till the end boss. The collecting gets a bit boring and tedious at times and repetitive. However, to a hardcore gamer, this game is really great as there is tons upon tons of items to collect. DK64 is a good game to casual gamers because of its sound, graphics, and gameplay while to hardcore gamers or devoted gamers, it is long and fun to play and get rewarded with a 101% on their file.
D-K...Donkey Kong.
He's the leader of the bunch,
You know him well,
He's finally back,
To kick some tail.
His coconut gun,
Can fire in spurts,
If he shoots ya...
Its gonna hurt!
He's bigger, faster,
And stronger too.
He's the 1st member,
Of the D.K. Crew.
says the guy who spends his time watching "Most Outrageous Cat Call Ever"....
Why no DK 2 or 3 or Dk jr math? Or are you guys not going in order? You should cover all DK games even the other systems that got the legendary game.
i think i'm one of the only few to agree in this review. i just couldn't tolerate collecting all of the random crap throughout the game whether it be all those colored bananas or the (yawn) blueprints. i mean it's impressive that it's one of the biggest n64 games ever, but that doesn't mean that i didn't constantly get lost
I think you judged this game just a bit unfairly. You immediately started comparing the game to the Donkey Kong Country series to which it didn't hold to the principles of. However, I don't think that's what they were shooting for with this. Notice the game is labeled "Donkey Kong 64" and not "Donkey Kong Country 64" This game was made to stand alone without anything else holding it back. It would be like comparing Donkey Kong Jungle Beat to Donkey Kong Country just because Donkey Kong's in it.
tell me people: ?/10
i really want to know what you think! :)
for once a ballsy review from Undertow
Honestly, if Derrick hadn't said that first sentence, there wouldn't be all these dislikes and hate comments.
i loved this game so much. i don't see how anyone could be so harsh about this game. rare did a good job with every single N64 game they released. they never released a bad N64 game.