Donkey Kong 64 split screen multiplayer at my neighbor's house got hella intense.

People only hate DK64 now because there's too much to play. Back then though? Having a game with this much content was absolutely amazing, even if it was repetitive. When you only got maybe 1 game a month if you were lucky, this was an excellent purchase.

Nowadays they call it a collect-a-thon, back in my day this was open-world!

Im happy my parents contributed to the profits this game made. I got this for Christmas 1999 and I loved it alot. RIP Mom and Dad, thanks for spoiling me and your love. 💝

Miyamoto freaking out about the gun was hilarious

"We all love to hate." I don't hate it...

Thank you for making a positive video about a great game. People never take into consideration when games were developed. I’ve never had a gripe with this game or Mario Sunshine, people just hate what they missed out on.

I can’t believe people had a problem with TOO many collectibles, I’ve beat this game 3-5 times over now and I always go for 100% completion and I have a ton of fun with it

I loved this game as a kid

DK Rap was the first song I completely memorized and I wouldn't have it any other way

I think it’s time for Nintendo to try and make a new 3D DK game. It’s been almost 25 years, it couldn’t hurt

I didn't hate DK 64, it was great, it was the cream the la crop, the creme de la creme of N64 games and I loved the collectathon aspect cuz that was what made the game fun. It bothers me greatly that others complain about this aspect but then again, people have bad taste also complained about the Star Wars prequel trilogy or The Hobbit trilogy (both were equaliy good of the original trilogy). The only things that bothered me about the game was the two jet pack battel challenges due to the controls of the jet pack barrels, as well as the last two Beaver Bother games were frustratingly hard that you had to do them again and again before you could win those.

The intro with the pull out to your room and the screen change. Thats 100k+ sub tier.

I don't care what anybody says, I love this game and the amount of collectibles. I feel the hate for this game negatively impacted Banjo-Tooie and there wasn't enough to collect in that game.

37:31 the fact one of the leads on this project made this rap himself gives such english teacher energy i fucking love it

Jak and Daxter 1 is surely a collectathon, as was Ty the tasmanian tiger in 2003. Other than that yep, DK64 was one of the last swan songs. I loved this game, more than Banjo even. Nowadays it may show its age, but Its truly the ultimate collectathon.

I love DK 64, I don’t mind back tracking and collecting things though.

I grew up with DK 64 and it is still one of my favorite platformers to this day. I honestly can't understand why people would hate the DK rap, I still love it to this day. It's so charming.

It’s time for another 3D DK game. Hopefully Nintendo can deliver something to the DK fans.

I remember how excited I was for this game, after playing games like Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros, I was wondering why Donkey Kong didn't have a mainline game on the N64 after having some really good games on the Super Nintendo, so when this game came out, I instantly loved it and I still do

I would trust the DK crew with my life (excellent video once again buddy!)

FYI: The same people who composed the DK Rap composed the rap in Yooka-Laylee. Which sounds the same but with different lyrics.

Remember that recently there was a rumor that switch 2 is gonna get a open world DK game.

I still remember having this game on Christmas Day 1999. I admit that I have some criticisms of this game, mainly the beaver minigame, the rematch with the detestable beetle from Crystal Caves, and the whole Fungi Forest level. However, I still have fond memories of when I first bought it, especially around the same time that the VHS copy of Disney's Tarzan was released. Also, I didn't know DK Rap was so hateful back then. I think it was catchy.

Nostalgia hittin tonight

*My* main complaint isn't really the excessive collectables (although it's also a problem), but the controls, the camera, and the difficulty spikes. There is so much of this game that I feel went untested, like some of the mini-games

Damn, such happy memories of my Nintendo 64. They were 'so' good on the 64 that any Rare game release became event.

I would like to see a future Donkey Kong game that is akin to Crash or Spyro. Also, it would be awesome if we ever get a "Donkey Kong Mania", a game that looks like the old 16 bit platformers.

I still don’t understand why Nintendo hasn’t ported this !?

ive never had the chance to play this game when i was a kid, i remembered my dad rent it for me on blockbuster , he brought the game, pop it up and saw the message it needed the expansion pack, after that never saw it again until last friday, my friend gave me his n64 i bought the expansion pack and the game. Its been such a amazing journey so far with the game, i discovered myself all the things i saw in this video “backtrack and collectibles” personally dont have any problems with it, its a great game 10/10

that tiny zenith TV in the intro brought back crazy memories

Ah, your preview from before is your videos intro. Well it certainly works for that result and it's nice that you shift rather smoothly to a brief history of Donkey Kong overall. 1:13 - Wait, it was over 10 years between Donkey Kong 3 and DK's next big game? I guess it was all the ports and guest appearances that kept him in the public eye, because in watching other retrospects, you wouldn't think DK had been gone that long. 2:28 - This 2.5D origin of Donkey Kong 64 is new news to me. Probably not the most surprising of starts but an interesting one to hear. 4:18 - Rare had a studio over in America? That I did not know. Given how early Nintendo and Rare had a business relationship, it's rather surprising how long it for Nintendo to set up a Nintendo of Europe (an that they chose to set it up in Germany over the UK). 9:12 - So it was mostly the same people who worked on DKC3 that started immediately working on DKC4. Sounds like they weren't getting much in the way of breaks from working on the series. I've heard of no complaints about their DKC dedication but I've heard stories of other developers being burnt out from working on the same series back-to-back (Tomb Raider comes to mind). 9:49 - That's a long time for active development and for nothing visually to have surfaced about this 2.5D version. The split path thing described... I think Yoshi's Story did that. 13:52 - Wouldn't a video on the history of an N64 game without a mention of the 64DD. Funny to think that this is a rare occurrence of game not being planned for the 64DD. 16:59 - Oh gosh; that certainly was a mistake to say. To think this one comment here is potentially why Donkey Kong 64 is so divisive to this day. 21:48 - Ah yes, so a lot of bedroom coders who grew up with the Spectrums and Commodore 64's. That makes sense given the British gaming scene and it's nice to hear a story where such developers continued into game development. A lot of the tales I hear from Retro Gamer paint a lot of such game makers as solo developers who struggled to adjust to developing games as a team and so left game making. 25:26 - Wonderful that we even have the visual footage of that here. The Coconut Gun Incident is hilarious to be told each and every time. 27:02 - What do you know; the thing I mentioned earlier about Yoshi's Story did get brought up. That's cool. I remember hearing at one point that Nintendo were interested in having some 2D games on the N64, as the N64 does have something dedicate to it (can't recall if this was in terms of the system's internals or as part of it's development kit), so I don't think they would reject Rare's initial idea of a 2.5D DK game. 29:25 - Happy to hear I'm not the only one who thought this depiction of DK was terrifying. 32:28 - Whoa; that's a lot of confidence in Donkey Kong 64 there. Delaying a Pokémon game in favour of Donkey Kong would be unheard of these days. 34:40 - An interesting thing about the whole tag-barrel thing is that the earlier releasing Mystical Ninja Goemon managed character swapping on the fly. It's surprising that the talented developers of Rare didn't quite manage the same, or perhaps the abundance of character specific collectables that would have to be loaded each time prevented such a mechanic. 38:37 - This is astounding to hear because I loved the DK Rap from day one. I'm not a fan of raps but the DK rap was memorable and funny, with the entertaining on-screen visuals enhancing it. 43:33 - If DK had an identity during this time, then it was drums. Those Kongo-Bongos even carried through into his Wii outings like Donkey Kong Barrel Blast and his final smash in Brawl. 47:14 - I think it being a 2.5D game could have helped it stave off some of the anti-2D thinking that was going about at the time and would also help it stand out amongst the open 3D platformers on the N64. I don't recall Kirby and the Crystal Shards having much criticism for being 2.5D. In any case, the bigger fix to DK64's reception is a retrospective one, as it did well at the time. The "too many collectable" issues is more of a problem that people hold against the game looking back on it, though it's a very understandable issue to have. Fantastic video by the way! An informative documentary on the game and nicely summarised in under an hour.

Good stuff! An in-depth and very professional documentary.

the coconut gun incident is hilarious hahaha

Finally got around to watching this, nice work man! I’ve never played DK64 personally since I never owned an N64 when I was younger, but it’s crazy how divisive this game’s legacy and reception has become years later. It’s a really fascinating story and really portrays just how bumpy and chaotic game development projects were back then. Keep up the good work my friend!

The intro to this video with the slow zoom out was wonderful. Subscribed because your PS2 video showed up in my recommended, currently binging all of your content. Keep up the great work, your videos are beautifully shot, well presented and highly enjoyable!

Great video man! Respect subscribed and liked! Conclusion was amazing! Perfect music for the end! Love this game and the memories. Childhood. When you turned thw tv off and the picture at the end made me emotional! Thank you! 🙏🏽

Kirkhope is truly a legend I hope his pillows and bed is always cold, crisp, and welcoming

I really enjoyed this video and when I went to subscribe I was shocked to see it didn’t have at least 100k. You definitely deserve more attention for all the work you put in.

That was a really nice video. Thanks for making it.

Still my fav game of all time. Incredible video, you’ve gained a subscriber for life 🖤

Excellent narration and video! Awesome to learn more about DK64.

It’s amazing how many reviewers and KZfaqrs hated this game but I LOVED it including the DK Rap. This was also the time I stopped subscribing to Nintendo Power and strictly stuck with EGM, so I didn’t really hear about Banjo Kazooie and I also never got it! Had I bought that too… it may have been a completely different story 😂Great video!! 💪👍🤘

Fantastic video! I love DK64. You can throw myriads of collectibles at me and I'll happily get them all. :3

Good video! Glad I found the channel

Thorough and informative! Thanks for another great video : )

This was really good. Glad i found your channel

Great vid. Thanks for making it.

Great job this was very extensive!

I was 14 when this came out and I loved it. I didn't mind the collectibles, N64 games were the same price then as games are now so I'd only get one every few months, collecting bananas definitely got my money's worth. Great doc

BRUUU - how the heckles do you only have 8.7k followers! Your channel is FANTASTIC! Keep up the great work 👏👏👏👏

Love this doc on this, one of the absolute favorites for the system. I hope we get a potential remaster someday.

I remember trying to play this over the summer as a kid. Back when there was no internet and I didn't have any manuals or know anybody else that played it. The game was a confusing fever dream with a total lack of direction or focus but it just kept on giving and giving and was probably the formative open-world experience of my early gaming childhood

There was a short while where I imagined an alternate DK64 that was a simple 2.5D platformer with DK and Diddy, but I had no idea that was the actual original pitch for the game. Nonetheless, I like to think of DK64 as the middle child in a trilogy of N64 Rare platformers sandwiched between the Banjo games. It's rushed and messy development had lead the game into becoming memorable for all the wrong reasons and is endlessly fascinating as a result.

Really really well researched and nicely put together doc. Nice pacinging and wrap up of themes and the idea. Very cool.

This is so well done. Subbed.

WOW this was such a great video!

This has to be one of the most underrated channels in all of KZfaq

Amazing vid. Thank you!

We would play the beaver-butting mini-game for hours - quick quick get the golden beaver!

This is a great video. 👍🏻👍🏻

DK 64 is one of my favorite games and it was such a great way to get the explore same areas in a new way. It never got boring as it was always something new to discover or to find.

I loved this game as a kid. To me it was extremely impressive and endlessly playable. Now? I don’t have the patience for it. That wont ever change my nostalgia for it, but I dont ever see myself playing through it ever again.

One of my most formulative games(and honestly life experiences). This game instilled a love of exploration and adventure that permiates my life to this day. There's always some quirky thing or neat location to find irl and dk64 really made me appreciate it to this day. I adore this game, even in if I never beat it. It was one of the first times I felt like I had a true sandbox to explore and play with. Love this game.

I started working at Best Buy in November 2001, and I remember they were phasing out N64 and we had dozens of copies of this game on the racks 😂 I’ve never played it to this day.

This game is amazing and as an adult I was shocked to hear so many criticisms. Such an amazing layout. So fun and so innovative for the time, and so much freedom using fun and satisfying features. A simple and easy to follow storyline that was still super engaging with tons of personality. I 100% this game as an adult and am doing it a second time now several years later and am surprised that people find it tedious in a casual playthrough

My son used to do the song and dance when he was about 4. And I loved ultimate games as a boy, underwurld being a favourite. Fond memories.

No matter what, I really like this game. I play it once per year! I love its charm, atmosphere and levels

Great history lesson on one of my favorite games as a kid 👏

I love DK64. Maybe that’s pure nostalgia. Just found your channel! Will subscribe 🎉

I still remember renting this game at my local video store, this game was tough haha

Fantastic! another quality video! :)

Great video.

premier quality video, great job

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU FOR THIS BRO

I only got this game as a kid bc my dad felt bad i couldnt play majoras mask unless i had the redtop. This game holds a special spot in my heart

Favorite game of all time

Great video thank you

Wasn't Iwata president of HAL Laboratory at the time? Why would he be checking up on DK64?

*WOW A ZENITH TV! WE HAD ONE OF THOSE. BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I SEEN THAT LOGO*

God bless Grant Kirkhope - the soundtrack of my childhood.

I KNEW the DK Rap sounded like a Run DMC song! Glad to finally have some confirmation on that.

The Danny Elfman shoutout warms my soul

I strongly defend the multi-colored bananas as integral to the multi-character game and as a key differentiator of the game v.s. other 3D adventure games. It doesn't work without them. When I look back on the Rare games, I am continually impressed and grateful for their depth. When you're a kid stuck in the endless grind of school... these games are your world. The deeper they are, the more you feel like you actually experienced/ accomplished something.

Quality content!

I love this game. It was the 1st game that got me to imagine designing a video game. It was the 1st game that I grinded to 100% and now my 8 year old son has done the same. I had to re-buy it for my parents house and beat it as well as again for my own home. (My brother's girlfriend got DK64 during a breakup)

Hindsight is well and good but at the time back in 1999 you paid $109.00_ $129.00 for a Rare game at retail in New Zealand. I think DK64 was about $149.00 with the expansion pack included. When you pay that much for a game back then, as a developer you would ensure that there was plenty of content especially on cartridges. I guess they had to flesh it out best they could. I thought DK64 was tech marvel at the time on such limited hardware. Thanks for your in-depth knowledge on this amazing development house Rare!

Man, Rare was on another level back then

That intro was beautiful

I’m thinking those who complained about the collectibles are the ones who were born in the 2000s and played it a 2 decades after it was released. I was 14 when I bought it back in November 1999 and enjoyed the hell out of it.

I got all 3820 collectables in 2000. It was a massive task for 16 year old me :D The only game I have 100% since is Twilight Princess, twice, for some reason.

Another banger

I hope DK64 gets added to the NSO.

You are telling me that Donkey Kong originally had a double barrel shot gun and they didn't approve of that?

This game didn’t fair well at the time because it came in closer to the end of the N64’s life in my opinion. But at the time, for the price; it was nice to have a game offer so much. Compared to most games now, it has a ton of replay value. Solving puzzles and collecting all the collectibles. It was nice. I remember getting it in 2000-2001 after begging my dad to get me a N64 after he just got me a ps2. He didn’t understand why I wanted to go backwards, but it was for this game alone. And then that sprouted into a major love for n64 games.

My favorite 64 game hands down. I would love and pay so much money for a new 3d dk game

The DK Rap was so good. I was a little kid back then though.

Still waiting for a new 3D donkey kong. The 2d games are great and all but DK64 was a HUGE part of my childhood

DK64 was my first game ever I got the green N64 for Christmas and me and my dad worked away at all the collectibles. We ended up getting all of them but we could never beat the last boss 😅

1 minute in.... HEY!! I was watching that