Donkey Kong 64 - Gameplay

Gameplay

The game is a 3D adventure with strong platforming links, similar to that of Super Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie. There are a total of five playable Kongs, each with unique and upgradeable abilities. The player starts out with access to Donkey Kong only, then goes on to unlock each of the other four Kongs as part of the gameplay (in the order of Diddy, Lanky or Tiny, and then Chunky). Unlocking all 4 Kongs (bringing the total to 5) is necessary to defeat character-specific bosses in each level. There are a total of 7 areas (subtracting the DK Isles, the overworld for the game and Hideout Helm): Jungle Japes, Angry Aztec, Frantic Factory, Gloomy Galleon, Fungi Forest, Crystal Caves, and Creepy Castle. Each new Kong that is freed can be accessed as playable through tag barrels that are scattered throughout each world. Additionally, each Kong is represented by a color which works alongside the game's unique collecting system where objects such as bananas and coins can only be collected by the Kong whose color corresponds to the color of that object. The colors are as follows: Yellow for Donkey Kong, Red for Diddy, Purple for Tiny, Blue for Lanky, and Green for Chunky.

Each playable Kong has several different collectables within the game. First and foremost are the Golden Bananas. There are five Golden Bananas per Kong in every level that only that specific character can get. One Golden Banana per Kong per level can be collected by delivering the color-appropriate blueprint to Snide after getting them from the Kasplats. The Golden Bananas are used as payment to get past B.Lockers that guard the entrance to every new level.

Each character can also find 100 color-appropriate bananas per level — single bananas, bunches of 5, or balloons to be popped that are worth 10. The regular bananas are necessary to unlock boss fights and acquire Boss Keys. There are eight boss keys in all (though seven of the eight are actually obtained via defeating the area's boss). In turn, Boss Keys are used to free K.Lumsy, who, in his excitement, often unlocks new levels to be completed.

A third important thing to collect is character-specific colored coins. With these coins, each Kong is allowed to buy essential combat items: Cranky Kong's special ability potions, Funky Kong's guns, and Candy Kong's musical instruments (as well as upgrades of the same). All of these skills and supplies are necessary to complete the game, either just by killing enemies or because of specific pads and switches that needed to be activated.

Two single items of grave importance later in the game are the Nintendo and Rare(ware) Coins, that can be obtained in classic games in the game. 15 Banana Medals, which are obtained when a Kong gathers 75 of the 100 regular bananas each can get, are required for the player to play Jetpac to get the Rareware Coin. The Nintendo Coin can only be found in the game's third area, Frantic Factory, with Donkey Kong, by playing the original Donkey Kong arcade game and winning twice (first for the Golden Banana, and second for the Nintendo Coin).

Other items to be collected are ammunition for guns, orange grenades (a self-explanatory item usable by all five Kongs), crystal coconuts used to fuel Cranky's special abilities, film for taking banana fairy pictures, and headphones scattered in each level to restore the instruments' powers that Candy gives each Kong.