Publisher: Nintendo
Ages:
five and up.
Family
Rating:
Parental
Advisory:
Cartoon violence
With the beloved Donkey Kong as its star, Nintendo's DK King of Swing offers a fun platform and puzzle game that has players swinging in the trees.
It seems that one King K. Rool has stolen the medals for a big king of the jungle contest, and it's up to Donkey Kong and his friends to traverse the treetops and bring the coveted medals back. The game offers innovative action that combines the platform and puzzle genres and has players swinging through trees. It literally aims for higher ground.
As you would expect, players guide Donkey Kong through a series of puzzle stages, take on lots of bad guys and grab all of the bananas and other key objects that they can along the way. Spinning left or right on cranks open or close doors, and spinning on bolts can loosen them until they pop out, making Donkey Kong lose his grip. A fun twist, Donkey Kong can spin on pegs, gain momentum and launch himself to reach other pegs. The controls are simple, but take a while to learn to use.
Good multi-player support allows one to connect with up to three others and participate in fun mini-games. The cartoon-style graphics are first rate. And despite the fighting, the game is bloodless and fine for most kids.
With puzzle elements and a fun new platform angle that takes players up into the trees, as opposed to side-to-side, Donkey Kong doesn't disappoint. And long time fans will enjoy this one.
-Wayne N. Kawamoto
