Donkey Kong Bananza Spoilercast - Kinda Funny Gamescast

Summary

Kinda Funny Gamescast: Donkey Kong Bananza Spoilercast Summary

Release Date: August 8, 2025
Hosts: Tim Gettys, Greg “GameOverGreggy” Miller, Blessing Adeoye Jr., and Andy Cortez

---

1. Introduction

In the Donkey Kong Bananza Spoilercast, the Kinda Funny team delves deep into the highly anticipated release of Donkey Kong Bonanza. Hosted by Tim Gettys, Greg Miller, Blessing Adeoye Jr., and Andy Cortez, the episode promises an extensive discussion filled with reviews, spoilers, and in-depth analysis of the game’s various elements.

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2. Initial Impressions and Ratings

Blessing Adeoye Jr. shares his early thoughts on the game, highlighting his excitement as a long-time Donkey Kong fan:

"As someone who grew up loving and adoring Donkey Kong 64 and has been waiting for another 3D Donkey Kong entry... I would give Donkey Kong Bonanza an 8.5. I think it's a great game."
[05:00]

Barrett Courtney recalls Blessing’s initial score and reflects on his own high praise:

"I believe I gave it a 10 out of 10. Yeah."
[07:58]

Tim Gettys concurs with the high ratings, emphasizing the game’s mastery:

"I gave this game a 10. I stand by that 10. The more I play it, the more I firmly believe that it is a 10 out of 10."
[13:24]

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3. Gameplay Mechanics and Level Design

The hosts discuss the innovative gameplay mechanics introduced in Donkey Kong Bonanza, such as the emphasis on the smashability of environments and the unique properties of different surfaces:

Blessing Adeoye Jr. praises specific mechanics:

"The switcheroogu... I love what it does, right. Where you punch one thing and then it goes into a different kind of mold. I think ideas like that are genius."
[08:27]

Tim Gettys draws parallels to other Nintendo titles, highlighting the creative freedom:

"It's like these Nintendo devs are just finding game tool sets that are fun to play with and creating games around them."
[46:10]

However, the hosts also express concerns about certain levels feeling repetitive:

"A lot of the game design started to wear thin for me, for sure."
[28:22]

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4. Story and Finale Reactions

A significant portion of the discussion centers around the game's finale and the reveal of King K Rool. The hosts share their genuine reactions to this pivotal moment:

Barrett Courtney reacts to the King's reveal:

"Oh, like genuine. That's fucking awesome."
[19:10]

Blessing Adeoye Jr. appreciates the nostalgic nods:

"It's the DK64 acknowledgement that I was looking for."
[55:22]

Tim Gettys praises the narrative integration of classic elements:

"We really succeeded in redefining Donkey Kong for a new generation."
[48:13]

Despite the overall praise, they also critique aspects of the story's execution, such as missed opportunities for deeper character arcs and more dynamic interactions between Donkey Kong and Pauline.

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5. Art Style and Visuals

The team examines the game's art style, noting its divergence from traditional Donkey Kong aesthetics while still paying homage to classic designs:

Tim Gettys discusses the unique visual approach:

"They went for an art style that allows the concept of texture to be played with... not my favorite, but it was a good call."
[57:43]

Barrett Courtney reflects on his evolving appreciation:

"At first, I didn't love it. It was a bit of an acquired taste... I ended up vibing with it more."
[58:13]

They appreciate specific level designs, such as the Fruit Level and Resort Layer, which stand out due to their unique interactions and aesthetics.

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6. Comparisons to Previous Titles

The discussion frequently references past Nintendo games, drawing comparisons to Donkey Kong 64, Mario Odyssey, Breath of the Wild, and Mario Galaxy. The hosts explore how Bonanza both pays tribute to and diverges from these predecessors:

Blessing Adeoye Jr. highlights the game's ties to Donkey Kong 64:

"Donkey Kong 64 inspired a lot of what Nintendo is today... All of the new Nintendo games just kind of do this and that."
[60:11]

Tim Gettys emphasizes the evolutionary leap in game design:

"It's a new era of Nintendo magic where it can mean many things and does mean many things."
[46:10]

---

7. Influence of Donkey Kong 64 on Current Nintendo Games

The hosts delve into the legacy of Donkey Kong 64 and its influence on modern Nintendo titles. They argue that Bonanza inherits and builds upon design philosophies established by DK64, such as extensive collectible systems and intricate level challenges:

Barrett Courtney asserts DK64's lasting impact:

"Donkey Kong 64 inspired a lot of what Nintendo is today... Mario Odyssey, DK Bonanza, Astro..."
[60:11]

Blessing Adeoye Jr. adds to the conversation by connecting past and present game mechanics:

"The bonus level thing specifically... It was a pure platform challenge level."
[61:36]

They conclude that Donkey Kong Bonanza stands as a testament to the enduring influence of DK64 on Nintendo's game development trajectory.

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8. Final Thoughts and Ratings

Wrapping up the episode, the hosts reiterate their high praise for Donkey Kong Bonanza while acknowledging areas for improvement. They express enthusiasm for potential future installments, hinting at the possibility of a sequel that builds upon the game's strengths:

Blessing Adeoye Jr. reflects on his overall experience:

"I continue to think about it and the more I do, the more I continue to love it."
[12:19]

Tim Gettys emphasizes the game's legacy and future potential:

"I expect that we'll see King K Rool constantly from now on. That's great."
[49:38]

Barrett Courtney envisions Bonanza 2 reaching even greater heights:

"A Bonanza 2 being like a 10 out of 10 for me... it's what I want to see more out of Nintendo platforms."
[56:37]

Overall, the podcast episode celebrates Donkey Kong Bonanza as a standout title in the Donkey Kong franchise, lauding its innovative mechanics, nostalgic storytelling, and visual artistry, while also offering constructive critiques to enhance future developments.

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Notable Spoiler Moments

• King K Rool's Revelation: The hosts express surprise and excitement upon the reveal of King K Rool as the main antagonist, comparing it to classic finales in Nintendo games.

  "That's the thing is... we're getting the Kremlins and King K Rool back."
  [19:39]

• Final Battle Sequence: Detailed reactions to the game's final battle mechanics and its seamless integration of nostalgia through music and character design.

  "When that song kicks in... you fight him on his stupid little jet pack... this is pure magic."
  [17:33]

• Post-Game Content: Discussions on the game's post-game challenges, including rehearsals and additional missions that extend gameplay beyond the main story.

  "The post game needed to have them all of their classic things. That was a huge letdown for me."
  [24:33]

---

Disclaimer: This summary intentionally contains spoilers for Donkey Kong Bonanza. If you wish to experience the game without prior knowledge of these details, consider skipping this summary.

Transcript

[Barrett Courtney]

Foreign.

[Tim Gettys]

What's up? And welcome back to the kinda funny donkcast for Friday, August 8, 2025. Of course. I am your host, Tim Gettys. I'm joined today by my Donkey Kong brothers, bear, Courtney.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Hi, Tim. I forgot that we were doing this this morning, and I was like, damn it. I look more like than usual, like.

[Barrett Courtney]

I usually look like.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

But, like, before I get on content, I like to shave the head. I like to shave the scruff. And, like, I just totally blanked on that. And I was. As I got into the studio, I was like, I'm on camera today.

[Barrett Courtney]

You didn't wear your signature. You look good, first of all. And then you didn't wear your signature hat.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I wasn't feeling the hat today, weirdly enough. What do you think is my signature hat?

[Barrett Courtney]

No, you just mean hats in general.

[Tim Gettys]

What is. What is the signature one?

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah, a beanie.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

The beanie.

[Barrett Courtney]

The beat of the. The beanie.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Okay.

[Barrett Courtney]

Okay.

[Tim Gettys]

I feel like I'd like to see you in bigger hats if I could make a request. No, because I've seen you in small hats. Yeah, but how big can we go?

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

You know, there's that big one in the left.

[Tim Gettys]

Yeah, you gotta.

[Barrett Courtney]

You like an Xavier woods hat?

[Tim Gettys]

Yeah. Do you see Xavier Woods?

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

No.

[Tim Gettys]

He's in mourning. Him and Kofi lost the tag team championship and they're very upset about it. So they've been dressing in like, a few funeral garb the last couple weeks, and he came out with a very, very large hat. Roger, if you could somehow find that. Thank you very much. There you go. Barrett.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

What the fuck?

[Tim Gettys]

So I'd like to see Barrett in that hat, but we'll have to wait for that.

[Barrett Courtney]

It looks so good.

[Tim Gettys]

Blessing out of area, junior.

[Barrett Courtney]

Good day, Tim.

[Tim Gettys]

Good day to you. You still thinking about those little guys?

[Barrett Courtney]

I'm thinking about all those little guys, man.

[Tim Gettys]

Yeah.

[Barrett Courtney]

What's the little guy gonna be in the next DK Bonanza game? Because I hope it's Diddy.

[Tim Gettys]

Pauline.

[Barrett Courtney]

I want dk. I want DK and Diddy reunited.

[Tim Gettys]

Diddy is the ultimate little guy.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah, man. I love Diddy.

[Tim Gettys]

I love Diddy Kong as well.

[Barrett Courtney]

Diddy Kong.

[Tim Gettys]

Yeah. This is the kind of funny games cast each. Every weekday we get together to talk about the latest in reviews, previews and spoiler casts here on YouTube, Twitch and podcast services around the globe. If you love what we do, please support us with the kind of funny membership on YouTube, Spotify, Patreon or Apple podcast to get all of our shows ad free. You also get a Daily exclusive show. For a chance to be part of the show, subscribe me your thoughts and opinions as you YouTube super chats as we go. If you have any thoughts on Donkey Kong Bonanza, full spoilers. You can say whatever you want. Please super chat them in. We will discuss them on this episode. Little housekeeping for you. We're an 11 person business all about live talk shows. After games or after. For this we did games daily. It was me and bless it was a fun episode that was completely rational and no one got upset. And then after. This is going to be a amazing episode of Nick Scarpino's Game showdown.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

The big finale. The big finale.

[Tim Gettys]

It's been a tournament the last couple weeks. All of the winners will face off against each other for a life changing prize. A $25 gift certificate to Outback Steakhouse. Who will win? Tune in to find out. Then after that, the stream is going to be more Battlefield 6. If you're a kind of funny member, today's Greg Way is coming to you from Roger. Roger. What's about Roger?

[Barrett Courtney]

It's Roger and Mike.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

We're going to do an extra long one because Mike forgot to do it yesterday.

[Barrett Courtney]

So we're going to do an extra.

[Tim Gettys]

Long one for y' all gonna hang.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Out and collude some more. All right.

[Barrett Courtney]

We also, we, we also got some.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Ideas for Fantasy Critic. We're gonna pitch that to my ideas. We got some other. We got some other trades. We got some other trades that we.

[Barrett Courtney]

Gotta ban both of them from the next season. We gotta. Oh, okay. The two funnest people in the fucking league you're trying to ban. Didn't know you didn't.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Didn't know you didn't like fun.

[Barrett Courtney]

We're gonna work together for the entirety of this thing.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Roger, what happened to you?

[Barrett Courtney]

What happened to you?

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

What happened to you?

[Barrett Courtney]

Also, you dropped Ninja Gaiden 4. Mitchell Saltzman said it's the best game ever made. How do you feel now? I don't, I don't. I don't even know that man.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I don't even know.

[Tim Gettys]

The men. We do know, of course, our Patreon producers, Carl Jacobs, Omega Buster and Delaney. This psalm Twiny. Thank you so much. Today we're brought to you by kind of funny in review, but we'll tell you all about that later. For now, let's start with the topic of the show. Donkey Kong Bonanza has been out about three weeks. Obviously we have reviewed it, we have talked about it extensively, but there are many things that we have not been able to talk about, because we didn't want to spoil it for anybody. We wanted you to have your experience with the game. But here we are now, taking all that back, and we're about to spoil everything. If you do not want to hear about Donkey Kong Bonanza, leave. This is not the place for you. Go play the game and then come back. You might be like, how are you gonna. How is there going to be spoilers in Donkey Kong Bonanza?

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I've seen a lot of that this morning.

[Tim Gettys]

There just are.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

There just are.

[Tim Gettys]

Okay.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

It's crazy.

[Tim Gettys]

It's. It's. And you just need to know that. And we're about to talk about all of them. So that is your warning from here on out. It is full spoilers if we want to. About every single element of. About Donkey Kong Bonanza. And if I'm being honest, all Nintendo games, you're about to get spoiled at this point. I mean, like, context.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

You have to beat every Nintendo game.

[Barrett Courtney]

Get the fuck out of here.

[Tim Gettys]

I imagine we will be, to some extent, spoiling Mario Odyssey and Donkey Kong Country. You know what I mean?

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah.

[Tim Gettys]

You know what I mean? You're here. We're about to have a good time. But we're going to start that off with Bear Courtney's review of Donkey Kong Banana. He's the only person at this table that has not yet given a score to this game or really given many thoughts. You've kind of talked here and there.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah, it was. I think it came out well. Obviously, like, we got the one review code, and then I didn't beat it until, like, the night before I left for Denver. So I've just been. It was, like, unfortunate timing for me. But, yeah, as someone who grew up loving and adoring Donkey Kong 64 and has been waiting for another, like, 3D Donkey Kong entry in the series for a majority of my life, like, the idea of Bonanza was so, Like, I was so hot on. I was. I was so excited for. Especially after Mario Odyssey. Right. Like, you. Like, even back when that game came out. Bless. Like, you and I were going back and forth on, like, how much influence in terms of, like, mobility, we felt like DK64 had on, like, what Odyssey does. Yeah. And then the excitement of, like, oh, it's the Odyssey team doing Donkey Kong. Like, this is just. It's going to weirdly come full circle in, like, a weird way. Right. And then after getting to play it and going through it and having a lot of. A lot of highs, and then a lot of kind of not Lows, but feeling kind of just eventually going through the motions, especially in like kind of the middle part of the game. I think this. This game has really fun gameplay feel. I think in terms of gameplay design as you're playing through the game, I think it does get a little bit samey for a little too long. But then it ends with incredible payoff. As someone who's a big Donkey Kong fan in terms of all of the goofy like, lore and like, of Donkey Kong. And so I think at the end of the day, after beating it, after doing the like, kind of main post game thing and re rolling credits with that, I think I would give Donkey Kong Bonanza an 8.5. I think it's a great game. I think it is a worthy kind of successor to Mario Odyssey and Donkey Kong 64 in a. In a weird way, if that makes sense in terms of collect a thon and how big of a collectathon is and can be and all this stuff. So I had a really great time with it. Definitely a contender for. For me. But yeah.

[Barrett Courtney]

Oh, yeah.

[Tim Gettys]

Bless. Now that you are a couple weeks removed, you first played the game and I don't think you gave it a score. And then because you didn't beat it yet. And then when you beat it, you did give it a score, which was.

[Barrett Courtney]

I believe I gave it a 10 out of 10. Yeah.

[Tim Gettys]

And now we're.

[Barrett Courtney]

Oh, yeah. You weren't on that. It was me and Greg and I think Roger.

[Tim Gettys]

Yes, yes. Yeah, yeah. It's the secondary review run of the game. Where are you at with it now? Reflecting on that 10 and have you played it since?

[Barrett Courtney]

I've not played much more of it, which is not like. It's not an indictment on the game. It's not like a. Oh, damn, it didn't keep me. I do want to play more. I was very into what they presented as the post game after finishing and then them being like, all right, here's an additional challenge that actually does require you to have the gold, golden bananas, the Bandium gems. You're gonna have to get a certain amount so you can do these rehearsals and help Pauline rehearse this song or whatever. Right. Like, I really like that as an additional challenge as like a post game kind of thing. I just haven't had the time to, like, go back and like, really dedicate myself because I've been trying to play some other games at the same time too. That said, like, I think my feelings remain. I think they remain even more so after sitting with it just for the Sense of. I like how bold the direction of Bonanza is mainly for having it revolve around the smashability of everything and then also the properties of different types of surfaces and materials and what that does in terms of solving different kind of puzzles. What that does as far as making unique materials. Right. I love the one where. I love the. I love the name of the switcheroogu and I love what it does, right. Where you punch one thing and then it goes into, like, a different kind of mold. I think ideas like that are genius. The one that you pick up and then you float into the sky. The one that you fucking punch and then it creates, like, an arching surface that goes far. Like, there are so many cool ideas in this game that I love. And since it's a spoiler cast, we can now talk about the finale. And this finale, I think, is maybe I'd have to. I would have to think hard about it, even though I can't think of anything else that I'll say compares, I think is the best Nintendo finale of any Nintendo game.

[Tim Gettys]

I remember playing platformers, perhaps.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah.

[Tim Gettys]

Here's the Kingdom. I think that's that the.

[Barrett Courtney]

I think I put this above tears.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Insane.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I think I put Kirby's ending over this one.

[Barrett Courtney]

Kirby's ending was fucking weird. Yeah. I like. I like.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

So anime is so fucking awesome. I think for me, the ending for this one, it was like, we'll show some clips later. But it was one of those. It felt like an incredible high that immediately got flattened out because I remember your initial review, you were saying, like, they went places and they could have gone farther. And I felt that, like, over and over, like, oh, my God, I can't believe we're getting this. But then it was like a. Oh, but we're only, like, you're gonna evoke this thing from. You're gonna evoke the boxing ring. Right. But we're not gonna, like, go full tilt into that. Like, there. There were decisions that felt like they didn't want to fully commit to fan service. And so in my mind, I'm like, well, then why do it at all kind of thing. And so that. Yeah, that was like, a weird thing for me.

[Barrett Courtney]

Now, when we say the tears, the Kingdom finale, do we include the last tier that you pick up that, like, has the big reveal and all that shit?

[Tim Gettys]

Yeah.

[Barrett Courtney]

Tim is. You're saying yes.

[Tim Gettys]

I mean, well, yeah. And even if you don't like that, what the end is follows up on that.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah, yeah.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Diving after Zelda and you do the hand thing again. And it's the same exact shot from when he let her go accidentally, but now he actually grabs her and they fall into the water and they're totally fine. Don't ignore science for a second.

[Barrett Courtney]

King K rule. King of rot.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I don't.

[Tim Gettys]

I'm not going to argue with.

[Barrett Courtney]

I got to go Bonanza. I didn't, but I might. I have a scientific mind. Yeah. I want to do this. I want to make sure that when I make this claim I can say it with confidence. And I think I can still say with confidence. Yeah, I think because. And I think the thing that I love about it. And this goes back to the full game. Right. I don't know. We're. We're DK64 weirdos. Like we love this game. And like obviously game was popular when it came out, sold many copies. Plenty of people played DK64. Right. So it's not like Nintendo doesn't know that a lot of people have memories of this game, but they also treat it like it doesn't exist. And so like.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

But then treat it like he does.

[Tim Gettys]

Didn't sell that well though.

[Barrett Courtney]

Are you sure?

[Tim Gettys]

Yeah, it was expansion pack you required like yeah, that was. They limited that the availability of that game like pretty intensely.

[Barrett Courtney]

Well, there's a video. I say that lied to me, but there's a. I think there is a. A lot of follow up in terms of like what, what DK64 is as a platformer and what DK Bonanza is as a platformer that have like a lot of parallels. I don't think they're necessarily purposeful, but they are cool to see as far as how grand it is and how much those games go for it. DK64, probably its biggest Achilles heel is how much it goes for it to the. To the place where it's like, okay, this is excessive. And I think that excessiveness kind of shuts it down a little bit. But DK Bonanza, however, in its finale, in its final like two and a half to three levels, it's. It builds on top of itself so much to where that game could have ended. Five different times would have been like, all right, cool, that was a great. That was a great finish. But it just kept doing that over and over and over again in a way that made me so impressed by where Nintendo has gone. Just like narratively. And I know it's weird to talk about Dick Menenzo narratively, but it does way more than usually what you get out of the Nintendo 3D platformer in that regard. And so the more I sit with it, the more I continue to think about it and the more I continue to love it.

[Tim Gettys]

Yeah.

[Barrett Courtney]

Tim, what about you?

[Tim Gettys]

I mean, I am, I'm right there with you. I gave it a 10. I stand by that 10. The more I play it, the more I firmly believe that it is a 10 out of 10. Nintendo game, video game, period, 3D platformer, mascot. Like so many things about this, I'm like, I think that this game is a masterpiece. I specifically have not been able to talk about the end and I am obsessed with it. Like to your point, it's up there for me. I am a Donkey Kong country sicko. Love those games dearly. And the Kremlings and K Rule are a big part of that. The music surrounding those characters is a big part of that. The look of the Donkey Kong country games, the, the. The shadows on the trees and the way the dirt looks and the animal buddies and all of that is so well reflected and represented in this game to a degree that I didn't know was possible. Like, I love the retro games dearly. Specifically Tropical Freeze. And I think that their art style is incredible and the games look fantastic. They don't look like the old Donkey Kong country games and the, the nostalgia based levels in Bonanza look like Donkey Kong Country. And that is so impressive to me because it's not just the look, it's the sounds, it's the feel, it's the energy. And when you get towards the end of this game and you get onto that minecart and there's not many minecarts in this game, I'd say surprising lack of mine.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah, I was surprised how much they pulled back, which I think was a smart thing for when you actually did like a sequence in a minecart. It fucking, it hit and there's.

[Tim Gettys]

There are some Minecart sections in this game for sure, but I feel like most of them are more getting you from one area of a world to another area. It's more like transportation as opposed to like challenge. Yeah, I think there's only like two challenge levels that are minecart based in the whole game. But anyways, towards the end of the game when you're getting through all the layers, right, you get in this minecart and it starts going down like a roller coaster style, long ass drop. And they start giving hints of the Kremlin's music in the background and they just start playing the notes subtly and I'm like, oh, I'm getting chills right now. Even saying this, I was like, they're doing it. Like, there's been so many hints throughout the game that the Crocs are here. They're all Croc looking like they're those skeletons.

[Barrett Courtney]

Looks like.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Look like, you know, crocodiles.

[Tim Gettys]

And we're Getting rid of VoidCo one by one in a way that I'm like, there has to be another big Bad. There has to be something. And I would have been very let down if there wasn't, but I didn't need to, because you get down to that layer after the music hints at playing, then the music starts playing and you start to see the bad guys. And it's like, it's the Kremlinks. Yeah, yeah, it's them. It's the Bee. It's the freaking Armadillo. It's all of the different gators. So many of the T1, they're making the exact same sounds when you hit them. Bliss. Like, absolute bliss wrapped in this new Donkey Kong experience. Like, this is not just a nostalgia play of, hey, it's the old stuff. It is. But they're nailing the old stuff with gameplay mechanics that are super fun. That I feel like those layers were really using all of the different. You need this substance to beat that substance. Like playing with that stuff more than they did in most of the game. And I was just thrilled with all of that by the time you keep going. Then there's the thing of, like, wait a minute. Is that K rules. Belly is the root. His big old belly. And it is. And then you face off against him, and music's playing. That sounds cool, but it sounds very Mario Odyssey. It's very. I'd say, not Donkey Kong or not King K Rul. And I was like, what a missed opportunity. Like, you got to use his theme song. What are we doing here? I was a silly, silly fool Silly fool. Of course, 10 minutes later, the credits have a fake out, just like they always do in Donkey Kong games. You get all the Kremlin said and credited, and then he opens his eyes as Gank.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

He always. He always has to open his eyes back up, you know, I can't believe.

[Tim Gettys]

How hype this was. When that song kicks in, the fucking guitar hits, and you fight him on his stupid little jet pack with a propeller, and then you end up in New Dong City. He takes it over. You go to the fucking fighting ring. This is magic, man.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah.

[Tim Gettys]

This is pure magic.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah. I couldn't. What's funny is, I think my expectations just weren't that high for landing not landing the end. I thought they're gonna land the end, right? But I guess I didn't expect them to go over the top with it. As we were getting to that through the forbidden layer and like the final fight with Void Void Kong and all that stuff, right? I, I saw the metal or the gold, like tummy thing. I didn't even think King K Roll. I was just like, okay, what's the, the is this root thing?

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I I It was like it was all weird vibes when you get down there. Like, it's not a lot of happy music. The, the rock dudes are all weird and they're like turn back and stuff like that. And for a second saying we both streamed our the, the ending of the game. And when I got down there, I was like, this is going to turn into some weird Neon Genesis Evangelion. And I saw that gold belly and I was like, they're going, they're going somewhere weird with it.

[Barrett Courtney]

I thought when Void Kong had DK covered in like the Void company stuff, like the Void co purple stuff, I thought that it was going to be because I knew someone was coming. Because I've heard enough people be like, oh, man, this finale is crazy. Oh man, you're gonna love it. As a fan, I was like, okay, maybe Void Kong makes like a copy of Donkey Kong and there's an evil Kong and then that it kidnaps Pauline and then that's how we get a clone. So that way the original arcade Donkey Kong is actually a clone. And see, I was like coming up with so many theories just because I was like, we're this late in the game. This would be such a crazy thing to introduce like Kremlins. And so if you and I don't know if this is the time for the first reaction of watching my reaction to fucking.

[Tim Gettys]

I mean, let's do it. I feel like, yeah, we might as well.

[Barrett Courtney]

Ye I Roger. I think it's the first. Yeah, There we go. I was. I really did not expect this. So this is a genuine reaction. Oh, like genuine.

[Tim Gettys]

Yes.

[Barrett Courtney]

Holy hell.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah.

[Barrett Courtney]

That's fucking awesome. Yeah. That's a crazy way to reveal King K Rool. And you can probably stop it there. I don't know if there's much more. Like I legitimately was. I did not expect it. Oh my God. The he looked. And he looks so good.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

He looks so good.

[Barrett Courtney]

He looks so good.

[Tim Gettys]

That's the thing is the, the Kremlins and the in King kid rules specifically, they had this like 90s CG plastic quality to Them.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yes.

[Tim Gettys]

That they lean into that gives them such an identifiable. And they seem foreign.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

They always look like they're toys.

[Tim Gettys]

Yeah. Yeah. It's so cool, man.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Barrett Courtney]

I kept calling it because I before it was King K Rule when he just saw the tummy, I was. I kept looking at. I was like, it's a weird titty. I was like, why he's got a nipple. Like, what the is going on? If we.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

If we want to go over to. To mine. Rog for me, when you go there, I kept looking at it being like it's a weird belly button, man. But not like totally forgetting that like King K rolls whole thing. And so I was like, it's going to be something weird. So like we're going to get into some weird trippy shit with whatever this weird belly button thing is. And yeah, I also just like completely kind of forgot because I will say is like the voidco I thought were like strong enough villains like that carried it much, much better than the Brutals, you know. And so yeah, that's my thing is.

[Barrett Courtney]

I was like, okay, cool, we're doing something new. We're introducing new villains. And I like, I like there was a point where I was like, ah, they're not doing the thing. And I think the only times I was kind of disappointed was Poppy Kong's boss fights that I thought were basic.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah. Well, I think a lot of. Besides the final King K Rool fight, I think all of them were kind of basic and disappointing.

[Barrett Courtney]

See, I liked a lot of the boss fights, but Poppy's was so bad. Right. Where I like I would just keep tapping attack and because she does thing where she turns invisible and then comes at you, as long as you're attacking, you're going to hit her.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah.

[Barrett Courtney]

As long as you're tapping the attack button, you're going to fucking knock her out of the thing. Yeah.

[Tim Gettys]

I just can't stress how important it is to me that K Rule is back and that they did it this way. Like it. This isn't for people that don't know about Donkey Kong or care. I know that. It just sounds like, oh, the bad guy from the games is here. Like, why is that a big deal? It really felt like he was written out of history.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah.

[Tim Gettys]

Like him coming back to Smash Brothers really felt like Banjo of just like, we'll give him a bone.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah.

[Tim Gettys]

You know, these people want this. But like. And even that was nuts. But for them to bring back the entire crew and for them to make it a story thing like throughout the game, when you were talking to Cranky Kong, he's telling you, he's like, yo, there's a banana napper. Like, he. Yeah, he. His whole journey is chasing down K Rule.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

But it's funny too, because, like, every time. Because it was the same before we show my reaction, it was the same rant every time you ran into Cranky. And I was like, I. I would have loved more like him doing rants about every level, having a complaint about the fruit level. For some reason, I was like, we're doing the same rant for every time you find him to get a golden banana. And so because of that, I was just so dulled of like, oh, yeah, I guess he's talking about the VoidCo president or whatever. But then it's like when you think back to all of those rants, you're like, oh, he was talking about King K Rool. All right, audio up on this one. It's not gonna be what you think it is. Oh, God. Yo, it was a belly but button. King G Roll's belly button. Yeah.

[Barrett Courtney]

Holy.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Oh, they haven't been here the entire game. Let's go. Hey, you can. You can stop it there. But yeah, I was again, even putting together the belly button thing, but still having that disconnect was like, such a. Such a moment.

[Barrett Courtney]

Like, when did they play the. The, like the DK 64 King K rule theme?

[Tim Gettys]

That was right.

[Barrett Courtney]

Was that right here? Okay, cool. Yeah. Because I think. I forget what my reaction was, but I think that was another one where I was like, oh, my God, they're doing it. They're doing it.

[Tim Gettys]

I mean, it's crazy too.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

God, even his anime, like, how jerky he is in his animations. It's so good. It's so perfect.

[Tim Gettys]

But even seeing the. The other bad guys, like, the bee, the quality of that.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah.

[Tim Gettys]

Like, it looks like the box art from Donkey Kong.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah, I know. And it was one of the, like, clock. The, like the skeletons for the Kremlings very early on, like, we were streaming it together and I'd said that and having that and then having that payoff, but then not putting together of like, oh, my God. All of. All of the enemies we've been fighting the entire time have been the, like, iconic classic Donkey Kong country, like, enemies and shit. It was like, so cool. And like, the bees.

[Barrett Courtney]

It looks so good. That part of me was upset to then go back up through other levels and not see them replaced versions.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

The post game needed to have them be all of their classic things. That was a Huge letdown for me, for sure.

[Tim Gettys]

And. And so that's the thing is I. I was hinting at this in my review of Just like, I wish they went a little further. I am so spoiled because, like, I can't believe they did this. I can't believe they're back. And all of it's so great. And I really love how they presented it. I think the post game of this game is fantastic. I think that what you get at the end of it is a huge letdown. So, like, again, here we are in the spoiler cast. Like, when you beat this game, there's so much for you to do because one, you want to go back and collect things. Collecting things in this game is fun. Two, they're incentivizing you with a clear post game of where there's like levels to it where you go back to each of the elder animals and they issue you a challenge, but you need to have a certain amount of bananas to be able to do that challenge.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Which is like, weirdly where the game finally becomes a collectathon. Like, Janet brought this up on Blue Sky, I think the other day of. Because I. I don't. I don't think she's beaten the game, but she's like, can we really call this a collectathon when they don't kind.

[Tim Gettys]

Of gate you to do anything?

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah. It was kind of weird that they saved that for post game because even Odyssey did that. Like, you had to collect a certain amount of moons to keep going. So.

[Tim Gettys]

And I, throughout the game was collecting a lot. Like, I had a lot. So, like, by the time I got to this post game, it was never too big of a struggle for me to. I think when I beat it, I already had access to what, three out of five of them?

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I think. Yeah. When I think the last one is 600 or something, or maybe even 550. I remember by the time I beat the game and I saw like, oh, you start at 300, I was like, okay, it's probably gonna be 50 every time. And I already had like 630 or something like that.

[Tim Gettys]

So, yeah, so I went back and had to get a bunch, which I had a blast doing. And I loved those levels. Not all equally. Like, I. I do the snake is just not a power up. I like. Yeah, so that snake level was.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I like the bounds. I don't like how the slowdown thing feels. It always feels weird and off.

[Tim Gettys]

But anyways, doing all these things, I was like, this is awesome. I love that there's a lot of content. You get the final level, which I thought was a blast. A perfect, perfect example of a Nintendo final gauntlet level where it is vastly more challenging than the rest of the game, but doable in a way that's not just like, you hard for no reason and shows off what the whole experience of the game was. I love, like, them putting your abilities to the test in all the different ways. It just feels like it has a really nice sense of progression. But then you beat it. And all of the post game was doing rehearsals with the elders to, like, learn a new song that Pauline's gonna sing and then she doesn't sing a new song. The game ends with this screenshot.

[Barrett Courtney]

So off. Yeah.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

So it's. It, you know, you do the final one and it's all the elder DJs, like, jamming out. And then she's like, oh, I think I have like a little melody. And then she goes. And it's like, oh, that's cute. And then the credits roll again. And so I'm expecting, oh, we're going to hear this song. Yeah, in the credits. And it's just the same credits. And then you get that. That screenshot is like the big payoff. And that was like. That was a big, like.

[Barrett Courtney]

Oh.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Like, I don't. I don't think it's a strong post game. I think it's a really disappointing post game, really, for me. Oh, yeah.

[Tim Gettys]

Why so, though?

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Because of this, like, what you do, like, I think the ward, but in.

[Tim Gettys]

Terms of the game, like, I mean.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I think the gameplay. I think the gameplay is, you know, I. I don't think it's. I think it's fun, but it also reminds me of, like, I wanted more of this level of challenge in the main game. And so it's one of those, like. I think it's a high, but I wanted. I guess I wanted the main game to match that and for the post game to be higher in terms of gameplay and design and stuff like that. Because again, my biggest gripe with this game is that, like, the kind of middle section of this game, going into the last act or whatever, a lot of the game design started to wear thin for me, for sure.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah. I mean, I'm excited to get back to the post game. I. That's crazy. That's how that. That ends. I.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

And I think, what if the new song is Jump Up Superstar to then play, then use Jump Up Superstar in the fucking.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah. And I would have totally been down for. Yeah. Like a remix or a premix. I don't know what you call, like.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

A demo of Jump Up Superstar.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah, like a little demo, acoustic version, I don't know of Jump Up Superstar because I like the musical numbers in this game. I like all the Bonanza form songs. But I think this game might have missed, like, a central Pauline music number. Like, I think this game might have needed, like, a Jump Up Superstar.

[Tim Gettys]

It should have been here.

[Barrett Courtney]

And that should have been.

[Tim Gettys]

Really should have been it.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah. Because I think I still. I would still say I like Jump Up Superstar more than any of the Bonanza form songs, even though I like those songs.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

God, they're jams.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I love them.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah.

[Tim Gettys]

I don't know. I agree with that. I'm not.

[Barrett Courtney]

Oh, really?

[Tim Gettys]

Jump Up Superstar. I with. But, like, not heavy, really.

[Barrett Courtney]

Oh, I with.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I will say the better song is the anime song at the end when you play as Bowser.

[Barrett Courtney]

Nah, man, I'm still. I mean, I do like that song.

[Tim Gettys]

I like that song. I prefer Jump up over that. They're just telling about the lyrics and all these things that, like, I get it. It's just not the style of thing I'm gonna want. But, like, I. It's a little too literal for what's happening. And in ways that I feel like they're. They're not having enough fun with the lyrics. And it's just a little bit like this guy's jumping and that's a mushroom. And I'm not exaggerating that much. You know what I mean? Or literally zebra, zebra, zebra. Which, again, I'm not talking.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

But for me, the. The lyrics of it or whatever, it's. It's just the musicality of it. The. The. The song itself where I'm actually jamming to, where it's like whenever she has like a lyrical, like, actual number in like a cut scene or whatever those were, that's where I'm snoozing.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

That's where I'm like, okay, I loved.

[Tim Gettys]

When she does sing a little bit of the Donkey Kong intro song. There's hints of it, like, when he gets turned to stone and he fights.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Out of it, which, like, how does that work?

[Tim Gettys]

Who cares? You know what I mean?

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

He's frozen. How is he doing this when he's frozen like this? It doesn't make sense.

[Tim Gettys]

But yeah, I. I feel that the. The post game stuff, to me, like, I am still having fun going in and getting all the. The fossils and the bananas. I have quite a bit left to do, but I got to a point where I bought all the maps from every single layer. So I now have everything spelled out.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

For me so I can just, like.

[Tim Gettys]

Pop in and actually go do it. And. Oh, man, it's just like, so, so fun to. To clear everything out and explore the. The levels. And I feel like one of the things that I see a lot of people criticize this game with is that none of the levels are memorable and that everything looks the same. And, like, to an extent, I kind of get that. But I also think you can't say that about a game with a ostrich hotel. Like, yeah, there's so many things that, like, I'm going to remember about this game. And like, I. It's funny because I feel like a lot of people compare it against Odyssey, and I love. I adore Odyssey, but, like, I don't think Odyssey has that many, like, I mean, the memorable things, the.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

The lunch level I remember from Odyssey, and that's because it, like, it has a unique art style in that world. I think the main thing is that, like, because every level has to kind of be the same materials that you're breaking through, a lot of it does start to feel samey in terms of art style, not so much of, like, world design, because, yeah, the ostrich hotel as an idea is really cool, but in terms of art style, it does all start to feel a little bit the same. But I still like some of the designs of those worlds and the creativity is of, like, what some of those were like. I loved the fruit level. The fruit level is really fun and weird, you know?

[Barrett Courtney]

Was that the feast layer?

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I assume so.

[Tim Gettys]

No, no, no, no, no. The resort layer was the.

[Barrett Courtney]

Oh, yes, yes.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

And that's why that one stood out because the mechanics of those, like, what you're busting through was actual, like, food. And because of that, it didn't feel like the same stuff that you're always interacting with throughout the game. And that's why the burger, the carnival, huge standout as well, because it actually felt different.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah, I. I mean, as I. I'm looking at the list of levels here, right? And I think I had the thing in the first half of the game where I was kind of like, okay, a lot of these feel like standard 3D platformer levels. And like, I. I think I felt that until I got to the divide. And like, even after the divide, right, you get the freezer layer and they. You get the forest layer, but I think forest is where they have the ostrich hotel and like, the freezer one. I. I honestly can't even think that hard about, like, what you're doing in there. I know. That was another one where you're doing, like, a.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

We did that on stream that. I think that some elder. It was the zebra one. So was that zebra. And so it was. It was. What is it? Like, you're using ice. And then also there was, like, the lava segment of it. So you're using a lot of, like.

[Barrett Courtney]

Oh, you know what? That was tight. I like that. Yeah. No, I. With these levels, I think.

[Tim Gettys]

But Thunder Asenses. I needed more from the racing layer. I agree. That was a huge letdown. Dixie level, it's like, come on, guys.

[Barrett Courtney]

The racing layer was the ruined kingdom of this game.

[Tim Gettys]

Amen.

[Barrett Courtney]

Where, like, you get there and you're like, let's go. And then it finishes and you're like, what the. We should have been here way longer. This is the coolest thing.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah. There are so many moments like, that is, like, where I wanted them to go further with it. Yeah. Like having Diddy and Dixie in this and kind of just be it for that one level and it feeling like, hey, here's a fun little idea that's inspired by a game that got canceled for the GameCube. Right. But let's. We're not gonna, like, fully flesh it out. I. I felt was a little bit.

[Barrett Courtney]

Disappointing, especially because the race mechanics, I thought were really cool.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah, they're really fun.

[Barrett Courtney]

The fact that, like.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah, you're like.

[Barrett Courtney]

Like going through the materials to then kind of collect like a. I forget what you're collecting. A thing to then throw and then turn into a ramp or. No, you boost off of something and.

[Tim Gettys]

Even I forget you're creating a boost ramp.

[Barrett Courtney]

You're creating a boost ramp. Thank you.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yes.

[Barrett Courtney]

And then that makes it go.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah, I liked that design of, like, all right, like, let's do setup in, you know, lap one to pay off in lap two and three. Like, I thought that was really cool.

[Barrett Courtney]

It was so good that I was like, yo, this could be a multiplayer segment. Yeah. Like, I would be down. If not, maybe not an entire game, but if I could, like, play just this mode with friends or something, there could have been something here.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

The Bander SN says that should have been where all the Kongs were hanging out. And Tundra boy says, I needed the. I needed Diddy and Dixie in that final fight. Also cranky.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

That was like. The other thing is that, like, there you're building. And this is where my kind of, like, disappointment a little bit comes with, like, the. The finale and some of the big moments is that, like, you're building up cranky, like, going down. He's on a mission. Because DK doesn't even understand what he's getting into. And you're setting up cranky because he knows what's up. And then he never really shows up for that final sequence. I was like, oh, man, that was, like, a lot of setup for, like, no payoff. And, you know, eventually Pauline is, like, talking a lot about her grandma. All of a sudden, I'm like, we're gonna get the retroactive dk. The arcade game was really cranky. And Pauline's grandma, also conveniently named Pauline.

[Tim Gettys]

Which I still buy.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I still buy. But I would have liked to see, like, not like a recreation or just. Just a bit more acknowledgment that that's what they were trying to, like, imply or whatever. I don't know. I. I think there could have been more fun in that. And then the big one for me. Bless. You can't evoke the boxing ring and not give King K Rule boxing gloves. You can't evoke the boxing ring and not bring back the other Kongs, man.

[Barrett Courtney]

We got the lanky reference.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

We got the lanky reference. And I do love, like, in my. Like, I'm gonna put up my playthrough ending tomorrow for people to watch. And in that first King K Rule fight, it's just that, like, kind of golden dome or whatever. And when you hit him against the wall, I was thinking to myself, I was like, this is satisfying, but it could use a boxing ring. And so it was hilarious. Like, 15 minutes later, you get the boxing ring. But in my mind, when I was going through and you're using all of the different Bonanza forms to fight King K Rule and all this stuff, I was thinking to myself of, like, man, like, they even show, like, the same angle of showing the lights that you use to drop on King K. Rool's head as Diddy and all this stuff. And I was just thinking of, like. Like, man wouldn't have been great. You know, you're using all of these different powers as the bonanza forms. What if they had translated those powers to the different Kongs so that, like, mechanically it still feels the same, but now it's like, the high jump one is Diddy Kong because he uses his tail to jump high. The ostrich flying around, that's tiny because she uses her hair to spin. Chunky would obviously be the one sucking in elements and all this stuff. And is this just payoff for, like, you know, dorks like us. Yes. But, like, I don't know. I feel like there could have been some fun setup in there.

[Barrett Courtney]

I'm with you. But also for me, it's a beggars can't be chooser situation. Sure. But they've given us so much. But again.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Why do it at all, then?

[Barrett Courtney]

Because it's dope. I see. My thing is, like, why do it at all? I think the MMA arena octagon situation they got for me was a nod. And, like, I'm. I'm surprised we got any nod whatsoever.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

That's fair.

[Barrett Courtney]

And so for them to do it in that way, for me, I was like, oh, let's go. And then I think if you put the Kongs in there, I think it just confuses people.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah. And that's totally fair.

[Tim Gettys]

Like, I've had the real Kongs and then there's the DK 64 Kongs. And I understand what I'm doing. I understand what I'm doing. I can't take it back. I can't take it back.

[Barrett Courtney]

That's crazy.

[Tim Gettys]

I'm just saying, all of the power ups. Dixie suppression.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I'm just saying, all the power ups conveniently translated to the rest of the, like, the DK crew, which I thought.

[Tim Gettys]

Those from the animal buddies from Donkey Kong country. Oh, my God. Wow.

[Barrett Courtney]

Listen. Allegedly people might mod it on PC anyway.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah, allegedly. Like, I. I know people are going to take me way too seriously and what I wanted. And it's mainly just like, I think it would have been fun type of thing. I don't think it actually would have been.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Made the game better or be paid off in any sort of way. But there was a moment of like, oh, man, I would have loved to see them go a bit further with this.

[Barrett Courtney]

You would have had.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I think it's just another example in my. In my brain.

[Barrett Courtney]

You would have had to sow the seeds of, like, funky and all.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

But that's like, you know, were Diddy and Dixie are hanging out. Have the rest of them hanging out.

[Barrett Courtney]

Oh, God, I would.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

And, like, the minimum I wanted. Like, okay, you know, maybe we don't get the other Kongs. The cranky setup I felt like, was disappointing.

[Tim Gettys]

I. I disagree and I'll tell you why. After a word from our sponsors. This episode's brought to you by our own show, Kind of Funny in Review. It is our movie review show and it is the best place to get all of our thoughts on all the latest in entertainment. Greg. And how has it been this year?

[Barrett Courtney]

It's been awesome because I came back. Alien vs.

[Tim Gettys]

Predator in review.

[Barrett Courtney]

Superman in review. Fantastic Four currently happening in review. It's been a great time and I've been crazier than ever.

[Tim Gettys]

You really have. It's been banger after banger after banger of episodes of In Review doesn't mean the movies necessarily work. Oh, they often we're talking about some all time greats. Sometimes we're talking about some of the worst movies ever made. But no matter what, Greg is drinking his cokes and having a good time and saying some of the craziest things you've said on Kind of Funny content ever. That's right.

[Barrett Courtney]

If you're unfamiliar, of course, In Review is us picking a movie series, watching.

[Tim Gettys]

Them all, then ranking and reviewing them all. All while meticulously recapping the plot and.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Not screwing anything up.

[Tim Gettys]

But here's the thing. I know a lot of you are watching live, probably on kind of Funny Games daily or kind of funny games cast. We cover video games, but we also cover movies and we have a great time doing it. Just best friends hanging out. So don't worry. We're getting back to Alien versus Predator, everybody. Right after we get through some of the big summer movies. But Fantastic Four, Superman, Alien versus Predator, it's been a great time. The good times are just starting.

[Barrett Courtney]

That's right. So right now, like subscribe, share on your favorite podcast feed or YouTube.com kindafunnygames and we'll see you at the movies.

[Tim Gettys]

That was good.

[Barrett Courtney]

Thank you.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I mean, we stole it.

[Tim Gettys]

It's, you know, I think Siskel and Ebersland. It's nothing crazy, but to me, the cranky stuff, I liked how bare bones it was because it's like, this is not. Don't turn this into this massive story thing if. Unless you're gonna like bring the good.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I don't think it needed to be a massive story thing. I just, you know, he's going on his own little journey to also get down there. And I just thought weird that he just wasn't down there at this.

[Tim Gettys]

He kind of sucks. Like to me it's like it's all about Donkey Kong, right? It's Donkey is the one that's out there doing the journey, like actually getting things done.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah.

[Tim Gettys]

But I don't know. To me the biggest let down was in the post game not getting to DK island. And I feel very similarly to how I did about Odyssey. And this is the Bakers can't be choosers thing. What we got here was amazing. I gave this game a 10. I am. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't let down by the fact that we don't actually go to the island.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Because talk about it so much with.

[Tim Gettys]

How good the nostalgia levels look. Let us actually just have even just one layer of it. Like in the same way that Mushroom Kingdom made the appearance in Odyssey. Right. Which was freaking awesome. I was let down by that too. Like I wanted the castle to actually have paintings you can jump into.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Right.

[Tim Gettys]

I'm not saying remake all of Mario 64 in Mario Odyssey.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

But if you're gonna not.

[Tim Gettys]

You know what I mean?

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Because like we've gotten games like metal gear solid 4 where it's like you're gonna go back. You know. And like if. And that game came out in 2009 or whatever. 2008.

[Barrett Courtney]

Sure.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Like we've gotten that level of reverence for an original title where it brings something back into a full circle thing. So when you're gonna evoke a big thing like that, like the castle. Like talking about DK Isle for so much throughout this game and not. Not actually going through it.

[Barrett Courtney]

Nintendo's like originally the ones to do that with gold and silver. Right. Of going back to Kanto type stuff. Right. And you know that. Would that be sick if we do. If we could do that? I think so. But even like just a Let me go to the aisle and just search around. Let me. You know, it could be a inspired level of hey, this is DKL. But it's not. It's not straight up DK64 kind of thing.

[Tim Gettys]

And with all that. I said this in the review. But there's something about this game that really reminds me of Mario Galaxy in the sense of. Of. I wouldn't be surprised if we get a sequel expanding on the ideas. I feel there's so much of this game. Like I don't disagree with Barrett that the middle portion of this game is easily its weakest section and does start to get a little bit. Been there, done that. Mechanically it's still fun. And I think especially as you still satisfying.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

You know. Yeah.

[Tim Gettys]

And to Janet's point of like you don't need. It doesn't need to be a collectathon. You can just like keep going. It's like if you're not vibing, just go to the next level.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Someone in earlier said that Logan Plant did a no banana run.

[Tim Gettys]

Yeah.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

And just the bosses. Which is crazy.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah.

[Tim Gettys]

So cool. That sounds game allows you to do that.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah.

[Tim Gettys]

But I feel like there are certain bits with The. I forget what you called it, but where you smash one thing and it makes something else appear somewhere else.

[Barrett Courtney]

Oh, the switcheroogu.

[Tim Gettys]

Yes.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Is that what it's called?

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

That's awesome.

[Tim Gettys]

That is so Mario Team coded. That is so Mario Galaxy. Every time you jump, the platforms of pink and blue change. Like, that's their shit. And I loved that when you and.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I wanted more of that type of.

[Tim Gettys]

When you shoot some of the surfaces and it kind of creates those like arcs that then create platforms that you can run on and all of that stuff. There's so many great examples in this.

[Barrett Courtney]

Game of it, like singing that in the forest layer. Right. There's like a big seed that you throw and like once it lands on this thing, it creates like a platform.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah, you can walk up that.

[Tim Gettys]

And I think to me specifically one thing that when they introduced it, I was like, like, oh my God, we're about to get some sick ass puzzles with this. And we just never did was. I guess in some of the challenge levels you get a little bit of it, but it's where you need to. There's a ton of balls rolling down a hill and then you need to break a hole to get the balls to like.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah.

[Tim Gettys]

Settle into that hole so that they're not hitting you and like you can redirect things.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah.

[Tim Gettys]

There's so much cool opportunity there that we kind of hint at and we get a little bit of.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

But I thought, I think there's only like three or four other puzzles.

[Tim Gettys]

I thought we were going to go full bore into that. In a game that is all about distortion, destroying the environment, but like now.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

You got to figure out how to destroy it in a certain way.

[Tim Gettys]

Exactly. Like that type of stuff. I'm like, oh, Galaxy 2 did that for Galaxy 1. And I really think that we can get a Bonanza 2 that maybe that's.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

When you get to DK. I could see a Bonanza 2 being like a 10 out of 10 for me. Like, and that's where like. Because someone else in the chat was like, ah, Barrett just wanted DK64 too. And that's why he's disappointed. It's like, no, like, we all want that, especially Tim. For me, I was like, you know, I kind of joke talk about the DK 64 of it all, but for me it was more so thinking of this as a follow up to Odyssey. And I feel like I had more fun going throughout Odyssey the first time than I did Bonanza just in terms of like, mechanics and the platforming. Of it all. And like, I know this game is less focused on the platformy type of stuff. Stuff, but there is some of that in there and that's like some of my favorite stuff in this game. So I just kind of wanted more of that.

[Barrett Courtney]

So, yeah, I think also to the thing of, you know, having the balls that like, will land in the thing. Right. And like more unique bespoke mechanics like that. I. The reason why I also would love to see it too, is that I think there are so many of those systems and mechanics. Mechanics in this game where it's almost. The game is too ambitious for its own good. So once you add one small thing, it might just break the game. I was like, when Roger was showing the racing gameplay, there was like a part where the person essentially boosted the ramp to like cut, cut halfway through the thing. And I never even thought to do that.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah.

[Barrett Courtney]

And I'm sure. I'm sure these videos are already probably circulating. Right. But it's the Tears of the Kingdom thing of you. When you can do anything you want, it's so hard to make a game that. That restricts people to being able to play it the way that you kind.

[Tim Gettys]

Of want them to play it, that is. We obviously talk about Nintendo magic a lot and for decades, yeah, we're in a new era of Nintendo magic where it can mean many things and does mean many things. But I think specifically now it means we're playing with physics in a way that is just a sheer joy.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yes.

[Tim Gettys]

Like you look at the Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom systems and you look at Donkey Kong Bonanza. It's like these Nintendo devs are just finding game tool sets that are fun to play with and creating games around them and having the creativity to come up with puzzles supporting just being able to do everything and solve things in different ways. I've been seeing a ton of videos of people picking up the rocks and like doing these insane jumps. Even without the ostrich form.

[Barrett Courtney]

Jesus.

[Tim Gettys]

Of just like double jumping and turning it into like triple jumping, quadruple jumping.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Oh, that's crazy.

[Tim Gettys]

Going nuts. And it's like, that's cool because if you don't do this, to do that.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

If you don't do that, this is where the game finally becomes a collectathon. And I think it's interesting that it's about the gold you collect and not like the bananas. That was like a interesting moment for me.

[Barrett Courtney]

Well, I was out streaming it. Chat told me about how you can skip all the giving them gold stuff. Oh yeah, because I didn't have enough gold to get through the last segment and there was a person in chat that was like, let me just tell you how to. How to skip it. And I was like, oh, of course. Okay, cool. I need to use the skill tree more is basically the answer. So yeah, honestly, it kind of becomes about the bananas if you just upgrade your skill tree, which is what the bananas do, funny enough. But I think this game, this is going way back to talking about the levels and like the. The pace of it. But it hits such a stride in those last few levels because it goes from the resort layer to. And this is like post junction, right? Resort Lair Tempest Landfill Racing Radiance Groove Feast Forbidden. God damn.

[Tim Gettys]

Yeah, like, what a run.

[Barrett Courtney]

That's what I. What a run. It's like when you get to like an album that just has hit after hit after hit after hit it. That is like what I want to see out of a Bonanza 2. That is what I want to see more out of Nintendo platforms. Because yeah, like you talk about the racing layer being so brief. I feel like Nintendo sometimes will hit on gold or maybe this specific Nintendo EPD ep EPMD will hit on gold and then they'll either save it for like those last levels or it'll be a brief thing. And I'm like, brother, I didn't need to be in the hilltop layer for that long. We could have. We could have of, you know, maybe shortened that up and gave me some. Some of these hits.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I mean, that was still a pretty small level though.

[Barrett Courtney]

It was pretty small, you're right. But even still, it's like I could have skipped it. Like, give me to the racing layer.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

We could have cut the landfill layer. It was a fun idea, but I don't think it needed to be.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah, I just like when people. I just like when you break up the structure or you try something different. I think that's why I like Baby. But you're right. The landfill mostly was just me just. I shouldn't do that motion. This is just looking at me breaking.

[Tim Gettys]

Over and over again. We got a ton of super chats. Pandora Senses Nintendo Cement k rule as DK's Bowser was awesome. And that the enemies you've been fighting are all Kremlings. Holy. Did any of you follow the explorer tone story? It has a great payoff. Like I've been saying, I love the cable stuff. I think that this game did. This game is such a re coming out story for Donkey Kong and like redefining it for a New generation. I think it's awesome. They really succeeded in that. I expect that we'll see K roll constantly from now on. That's great. The explorer tone story. No, I don't really know.

[Barrett Courtney]

There were signs that you would read. Basically every level would have one. It'd be like the documents of Explorer tone. It's like an explorer that's going from level 12 and it'll tell you a bit of lore about that level.

[Tim Gettys]

I read them all, but I. I don't know about the payoff.

[Barrett Courtney]

I don't know about the payoff either. I read probably maybe like I've read 70 of them. Yeah. But I don't. I didn't.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I don't recall getting to the racing layer one was really tough, but I got it.

[Barrett Courtney]

Well, do you remember what it said? Said?

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

No, that's my thing is I don't.

[Barrett Courtney]

Remember what most of them said. I. I viewed them more as kind of filling you in on some story around the level you're in as opposed to like some kind of narrative through line. But now I might go back and check that.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Mr. Knight says you find out what happened to him at the end.

[Tim Gettys]

Oh, Bender sand who super chatted in says you find his grave at the end. But if you Grave in quotes. But if you dig down at the end, you just find him hanging out in a cool room. No way.

[Barrett Courtney]

That's cool. Cool.

[Tim Gettys]

Good for him. Alex Frazier says Snake DK is some cursed.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah.

[Tim Gettys]

I do appreciate they try to get his buns in like all the.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

All of them forms, you know.

[Barrett Courtney]

Snake was a snake though. The only one. We were all like kind of like.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

It's because the snakes are. Have arms as well. Like they don't have arms. And it's weird that he has arms.

[Barrett Courtney]

For me, just the way he moves the.

[Tim Gettys]

In terms of the power, it feels slower. Snake and Zebra. I didn't really like like Zebra in theory. I like like the ability. But there's something about the feel of it that wasn't my favorite.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

It never felt right. Yeah.

[Barrett Courtney]

I wanted Zero to run faster. Okay. Because like his whole thing was running like fast enough to avoid like crumbling under the surfaces. But.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

But it always felt just normal.

[Barrett Courtney]

It felt normal speed. Yeah.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah, yeah. Zebra does have the best song. I will say I agree. Pixelated soul.

[Tim Gettys]

Yeah. I. I am firmly in the camp that it came awards. It's going to be the Kong Bonanza song song. Because the Kong Bonanza song, it's the main theme of the game. It's what they play in the credits.

[Barrett Courtney]

I don't recall how it goes.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I'm just saying that, like. No, I don't think they'll do it. They don't like having fun.

[Tim Gettys]

Superstar. Last time they didn't do the Mario Odyssey theme.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

That's fair. Oh, so they like to have fun with Nintendo.

[Tim Gettys]

They do.

[Barrett Courtney]

Give me the ostrich sign. Yeah, give me ostrich.

[Tim Gettys]

If they did zebra, they'd. That's the. The true non cowards. Cobra says is a King K rule main and smash. I thought the ending was dumb and unrealistic. Actually. King K Roll would not lose to dk.

[Barrett Courtney]

I was. Yeah, it was the unrealistic word that took me on a journey.

[Tim Gettys]

I was about to be pissed off.

[Barrett Courtney]

What the are you talking about?

[Tim Gettys]

Shane writes in saying I 100 of the game took me 75 hours. Powers sequel in the sky where K Rool gets punched a la Tears of the Kingdom. Maybe he gets to the Odyssey moon where we last saw Bowser.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Whoa.

[Tim Gettys]

Yeah, man. There's a lot of fun that they could have if they. If they do a sequel to this one.

[Barrett Courtney]

I. I know the rule with Nintendo and Lore is to not think about it. That said, I love what this does for like, just everything.

[Tim Gettys]

Bless the fact. Me too.

[Barrett Courtney]

The fact that the Earth, the surface, is Mario's world world, theoretically. Right. It's New Dock City. It's the Luncheon Kingdom. It's Mario Mushroom King, Luncheon, Mushroom Kingdom, all that. And then you dig a little bit further and all the layers of the Earth are just different things going on as well.

[Tim Gettys]

But here's my question. Where's DK aisle?

[Barrett Courtney]

I mean, it must be on the ocean.

[Tim Gettys]

Is it on the surface of this planet?

[Barrett Courtney]

Yes, I think. I would think it's on the surface. Yeah.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Because they do confirm the existence. They do confirm in this game that DK64 did already happen. Did already take place. Yeah, it's in the. It's in the fruit level. And when you take the quiz with the quiz tone, he does mention that like. Like, oh, what fruit won't. Won't you find on this level? And I think it's like oranges or some shit like that. And then he goes like, oh, at least they don't explode this time. And he does talk about like, you know, that event or whatever. So it's like, ah, see?

[Barrett Courtney]

And that's all I need. I'm like, just. Just tell me that it exists. Me, Nintendo. That you acknowledge it. Its existence.

[Tim Gettys]

Yeah, yeah.

[Barrett Courtney]

Can we. Can I show my reaction to Lanky Kong?

[Tim Gettys]

Yes.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah. And then after that I want to show my. Just because I know that, you know, I wanted to go further with the boxing ring, but I still did freak the fuck out at the boxing ring because basically it's.

[Barrett Courtney]

I believe it's the second time code. Roger. You do the whole segment. It might be the third time code. You know it's the third time code. Sorry. Oh, let me tell you, I'm a dumb dumb because like I didn't see the King K Rule thing coming. And when I tell you, you, I. This is what I realized. I don't think I've beaten like a Don Kong country game because I didn't see this.

[Tim Gettys]

I need to change this. This is good news. This is exciting for Donktober.

[Barrett Courtney]

Aside from Tropical.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

That's what this is why Donktober exists.

[Barrett Courtney]

Because I was doing this and at first I was like, damn, okay, that's crazy. And then I was like, wait, like, can I get this with sound? There we go.

[Tim Gettys]

So good.

[Barrett Courtney]

What the is happening? Hold on, hold on. What the is about to happen? Happen? Like legit. Like genuinely.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

The logo was King K Rule, man. Do you think they were gonna end with that?

[Barrett Courtney]

I don't know. I thought it was a cool nod to like, guess what, the Kremlins are back. And I was like, oh cool.

[Tim Gettys]

I can't explain to you guys what this does to me.

[Barrett Courtney]

I went back and I did watch the endings of like the Donkey Kong country. And so I went, I experienced it.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Come on.

[Barrett Courtney]

But yeah, that was cool. But yeah, the third time code is actually the one that I want you bring up here because you then do that segment. You fight King K Rule up through the thing.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yep.

[Barrett Courtney]

And then you land in New Donk City. If I can get sound here. Linky.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Jungle James, baby.

[Tim Gettys]

Oh my God.

[Barrett Courtney]

This means something to me, y'.

[Tim Gettys]

All.

[Barrett Courtney]

Candy means music.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah.

[Barrett Courtney]

Like the more you look around in just this area, the more you will see cuz there's Linky's kind of everywhere. Cuz he's right ahead of us on the top right corner. Right there, there's another Linky ad.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

No style, no grace, funny face.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah. And then like as I turn around, I see even more funky's flights right there in the top, in the bottom right.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yep.

[Barrett Courtney]

This is the DK64 acknowledgement that I was looking for. And you can see I'm reeling throughout this whole thing. My hands are on my head, I'm like, I can't believe the universe we live in that they're actually acknowled. Mikey's existence. I do love that we love new Don City stuff.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I mean. Yeah, that was. That was definitely more than I was expecting. For sure.

[Barrett Courtney]

Many in chat says there's a tiny Kong bank. I think, oh, hell yeah. Come on this.

[Tim Gettys]

Yeah.

[Barrett Courtney]

And then.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah, the. I think. I don't know which time code. I think I only sent two. Roger. I think that second one is the me realizing what's. What's happening in this final phase of the King K rule fight, which jumping takes me a second.

[Tim Gettys]

Shit walks.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

It's the boxing ring. The boxing ring.

[Tim Gettys]

No.

[Barrett Courtney]

God, we're such nerds.

[Tim Gettys]

Oh, my God.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I think I was also two beers in at this point. A couple bananas in as well.

[Tim Gettys]

Good inner jet stream. Super chat saying. Just popping in for my future self. So excited to listen to this later. Super excited to hear what y' all think of that killer finale. It's certainly my favorite in sometimes time. Thanks for all you do. Hell yeah.

[Barrett Courtney]

Hell yeah.

[Tim Gettys]

Mellow fellow says. What do you guys think of the visuals of the levels? For me, I think the digging mechanic brought down the visuals making a lot of levels look like mush slash dirt. Like the theme park level and food level. I. My take on this is that the game all does kind of look the same. And because you're just breaking everything, everything does have that mushy kind of vibe to it. I think over time that's going to make this game memorable. If every 3D platformer and every Donkey Kong game and every Mario game going forward looked like this, it'd be a problem. I don't think they're gonna use Super Mario Bros. This one, though. Like, I feel like this is going. This is an art style choice for this game. That sure is not my favorite. It's not. But I think it does a really good job of allowing the concept of texture to be played with. Like, when you are punching through snow, it feels different than punching through a.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Watermelon and punching through a burger.

[Tim Gettys]

Yeah. And all of that. I think they do a. When you see the giant trophy in the race layer and you're like, if I get to that, I'm going to get so much gold.

[Barrett Courtney]

It's the King K. And then you.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Punch through it and you're like, oh, this was really thin.

[Tim Gettys]

The elephant, like sucking it all up and falling through. But like, I think that that stuff is like, that is hopefully something unique to this game that I do think that it.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

It.

[Tim Gettys]

It works. And I. I think that there's something special here that they like went. Went for that. Yeah. Not my favorite, but I think it was a good call.

[Barrett Courtney]

Hey, I, I, I agree. I think at first I didn't love it. It, it was a bit of an acquired taste of an art style. I ended up, yeah, vibing with it more. I think what I would want to see from the future are more levels like the groove layer, which I think takes that art style, but then adds an additional extra level of style with the, what that level was doing to make it feel like, okay, cool. Like this is in conjunction with this, right? Like, I think having levels that kind of reel that stuff in a little bit. I know it's like, it's totally anti to what the, the ethos of this game and what Tears of the Kingdom, Breath of the Wild do. Right. Which is more about the freedom and you know, when you can't smash everything, then maybe you're taking away from it a little bit. But I do like the groove layer. I think the groove layer did a really great job of giving you the smash, but then also so giving you the guidance, but then also like having a unique look because you're in, you're not in an entirely smashable environment. I think a couple of those sprinkled in more could help with it.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Another thought I had that I posted on Blue Sky, I think a week or two ago was that Donkey Kong 64 inspired a lot of what Nintendo is today. And I will not expound on what that means. I will expound on it now. You know, a lot of Donkey Kong and chat. Correct me if I'm wrong with maybe Banjo Kazooie, because I forget how a lot of that game design works. A lot of DK64 bless if you remember. Like, yeah, you're collecting golden bananas, like fighting enemies or stuff like that, finding them throughout the world. But there was a lot of challenge rooms, a lot of, oh yeah, you know, like you go into a barrel and then you do like a little mini thing like where you fight enemies or you do a puzzle or you go through a maze in a certain amount of time. Right. I was thinking about like, man, all of the new Nintendo games just kind of do this, that, you know, Breath of the Wild, Tears of the Kingdom, Mario Odyssey, Donkey Kong Bonanza. Even the, the things that you smash down on kind of look like the, the coins that you like, zip off of in Donkey Kong 64.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

And so sunshine. We don't talk about sunshine. We don't talk about sunshine.

[Barrett Courtney]

But yeah, no, there's like the specific. It's funny because I always wonder why they didn't have more of these in DK64, but when you, yeah. Have like a little platform with I think King K Real's face on it that then transport you to like a battle.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah. You would have to fight like rounds of like enemies and stuff like that.

[Barrett Courtney]

That like the ones in Bonanza are like exactly the same.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

They look exactly the same.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

And so I was just thinking about that. I was like, interesting. We all, we always. Everybody in the industry wants to shit on this game, but I think it's more influential than people are giving it credit for.

[Tim Gettys]

Can I tell you, I see Wiener says you shouldn't expound, you should apologize. Sorry.

[Barrett Courtney]

I've seen so many DK64 video essays pop up in my timeline in the last week.

[Tim Gettys]

You're so out.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Good.

[Barrett Courtney]

And I keep watching them, keep watching them. And they're all like, regrettably, they're all the same video essay. They're all like, why do people hate DK64? And I'm good. I replayed the game to form my own opinion or whatever. And then they talk about like it's all the same right. Of like, oh, man. You know, I have nostalgia for this game. This game had a great, like, tone and. And you know, had like a great theme to it and all this stuff. A lot of collectibles. Like that's pretty much every single video I say about. About the game game. But yeah, like, I think to the DK64 thing, right. I think really it is rare. Like really.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

And the bonus.

[Barrett Courtney]

The bonus level thing specifically, I think.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Is 64, but then also just platform country and stuff.

[Barrett Courtney]

You might be able to reach that back to Super Mario Brothers of going down a pipe in that leading you to a special place.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

But I think it's just the format of it.

[Tim Gettys]

I'm with Barrett here. Like just in the sense of it's not about bonus levels, it's about challenging levels. And that's like part of the game. Not, not just like, oh, extra things you can do, but like, like the understanding this is a core part and core loop of the game. And like in the same way that I was bringing up Sunshine of just like the. They take away flood. And this is a pure platform challenge level. And I think that the way Bonanza does it is one of my favorites so far in these games where it functions like just every level of Astrobot does, where you're. There's the three bananas in it and you know you're going to get them in order. So if you have one in Three and you're. The second one is great out. You know, it's going to be in the middle somewhere. And being able to go back in and have them be way more just platform challenge focused. Like, I do think that that is great game design, and it had to come from somewhere. I'm not going to Credit Donkey Kong 64.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I will.

[Tim Gettys]

But.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I will.

[Barrett Courtney]

I will, too. But I also think. I think beyond the challenge stuff, right? I think Rare had, like, such a profound impact on everything. It's funny because, yeah, like, Super Mario 64 obviously did the damn thing. But, like, what Rare did and, like, developed with Banjo, going into dk, going into tui, Going into. Even though I didn't play tui, I should get around playing TUI someday. Going into Conquer, going into all these things. Actually take Conquer out of that. I don't.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah.

[Barrett Courtney]

I don't like the gameplay. Conquer.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

No, I like.

[Barrett Courtney]

I like the riding and, like, the energy of Conquer. I never enjoyed, like, actual, like, the gameplay that's fair, but like, Mario Odyssey, DK Bonanza, like Astro, like any modern platformer, armor, banjo and Mario 64 kind of, like, created it all. Oh, yeah. You know what I mean? Like, they're the. They're the ones. Shout out to Rare.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Shout out to Rare.

[Barrett Courtney]

Also shout out to Nintendo also adopting the Rare thing. Let's just put googly eyes on things and call that a googly eyes. Yeah.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Those little freaks. You're the one who said it first. There's proof of it. Go look at the first song. Someone says there's a mod for DK64 where you can switch. Switch Kongs whenever you want. Want. The game feels a lot better. Bonanza taking that lesson was huge. And that's just where, like, I don't want Donkey Kong turn into weird animals. Just bring back the Kongs.

[Barrett Courtney]

But then narratively, how would. Would it. Would it be a thing of. We'll workshop it, right? Void Kong. Void Company is back. And instead of, like, trapping things in the Void Kong tape, now they have, in the same way, trapped.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

They've trapped other Kongs.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yes.

[Barrett Courtney]

Five Kongs, one body. They've trapped them all. So now, yes, the Kong family. DK Diddy Kong. Funky. No, sorry, not funky.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Lanky.

[Barrett Courtney]

Lanky. Chunky. Chunky. Chunky Tiny.

[Tim Gettys]

Y' all need to move on.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Never.

[Tim Gettys]

Like, dude, I want to let you know y' all are arguing for the brutals of the Kong universe.

[Barrett Courtney]

Okay, you calm down. Fuck you.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I'm sorry.

[Tim Gettys]

I'm so sorry. Sorry.

[Barrett Courtney]

Name one brutal I can't and we can.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Everybody knows Lanky Kong.

[Tim Gettys]

Fair.

[Barrett Courtney]

I guess Lanky Kong could come back.

[Tim Gettys]

But you, like, let's just be real. Let's compare tiny and lanky and chunky. Two.

[Barrett Courtney]

Two. Kitty. Where's Kitty been? Where's Kitty been?

[Tim Gettys]

And Dixie. Cranky and funky.

[Barrett Courtney]

Oh, no, we like. We like funky here. We like candy.

[Tim Gettys]

Cool. But he's ours.

[Barrett Courtney]

No, y' all funky. Funky.

[Tim Gettys]

Oh, where did he start? Where's he first giving flights? Y' all popping up. Oh, funky flights.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

No, no, no. That's not from 64. No, he was a gun salesman in 64. And again, he can be yours because where was he on January 6th?

[Tim Gettys]

I'll be honest.

[Barrett Courtney]

Holy Ms. Red. Funky is chunky in the video. When I was looking at the video in my brain, I. I said funky, but in my brain, I was picturing chunky. Makes sense. What the are y' all talking like?

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I have no idea.

[Barrett Courtney]

Like, this is is. This is horrible.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

This is great content.

[Tim Gettys]

This is a super chat saying, hey, Tim, going to the Lincoln park concert tonight. Have you heard the new album and deluxe tracks? Have fun, man. I have heard the album. Enjoy it a lot. It's, you know, it's. I'd say mid tier Linkin park albums, but still into it. Tundra Boy says is the OG game. Pauline's grandma and Prime Cranky. I simultaneously could not give less of a. And I've never cared more about anything in my life. You know what I mean? And that's where I want to be with Nintendo.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

She kept bringing up her grandma and, you know, everybody's been obsessed with the whole timeline. How does this all work if DK has already taken Pauline?

[Barrett Courtney]

I will say that is kind of where I draw the line is I just can't care about the timeline because I, I. Nintendo has proven time and.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Time it's a more important timeline than the Zelda timeline.

[Barrett Courtney]

People would argue Nintendo was proven especially with Zelda. Nintendo's proven they don't give a about timelines. And so I'm just like, I refuse to think about the Kong timeline.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

But yeah, what about the Great Kong War?

[Barrett Courtney]

Well, that I kind of.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

That's part of the timeline.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah. Why did. Why did Funky Kong take that turn in his character? That's where. That's where I kind of care. But outside of that, I'm like, listen, dk, the arcade game happened, guys.

[Tim Gettys]

All right?

[Barrett Courtney]

We just gotta all accept it.

[Tim Gettys]

BG2580 says could he use a jump up superstar level mid game set piece to Baron's point about the samey level design. It's never more evident to me that this was a smaller game and Mario 3D is coming soon.

[Barrett Courtney]

Smaller game.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

I wouldn't say the smaller game. This is a pretty big game.

[Barrett Courtney]

Might have been a. I won't say bigger, but this is like Odyssey sized.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah, there were reports, I forget who I was listening to. Probably Grub and Minati at some point saying that like they were thinking about releasing this for Switch one and like there were those rumors of like Switch Pro a few years ago and then the pivot to Switch two. So I could have, I could see that this game might have been. Been ready for a hot minute and I could see another Mario coming sooner than we expect because of that. But like I, I wouldn't quantify this as a small game.

[Tim Gettys]

Yeah, I don't agree with anything said here except that this game could have used to jump up superstar level. Mid game. Yes, a mid game set piece. And also overall, like I loved the beginning of this game, like setting up DK and Pauline's relationship. It just stays one note the entire game.

[Barrett Courtney]

And what do you want?

[Tim Gettys]

I wanted just a little more.

[Barrett Courtney]

You want DK to respond like.

[Tim Gettys]

No, they just, they set it up as like this Pixar like adventure and it's, it just doesn't ever get there. And they, there's, there's emotional moments, there's hype, things that happen, like him busting out on stuff. I'm like, I'm feeling feelings I could have been feeling a lot more. Yeah, just with literally just one more set piece moment in the, in the middle of the game to like have some level of character arc. I'm not looking for the deepest shit ever. I'm just looking for something.

[Barrett Courtney]

I mean, I, I, I feel you. I guess when the way the moment where the like monster swallows Pauline.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah, that was like kind of the.

[Barrett Courtney]

Moment should have been more, more emotional than it was, I guess. But like I just, I can't. I think because of the history of DK, it feels nigh impossible. I said 9. It feels nearly impossible to like have that, have DK be a character in my head that like has feelings or cares.

[Tim Gettys]

Doesn't need to just give Pauline more things to do and say and feel.

[Barrett Courtney]

I feel like that's tough.

[Tim Gettys]

Like how do you opening scene of her as a human and she's like scared to sing. And then there's like the, the brilliant comedic beat of you hitting a. And she just keeps jumping and like kind of like, like jump cutting between different like Poses and stuff. There's a personality there.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah.

[Tim Gettys]

I want more personality. I guess that's all that I need. I need growth in personality and some like ebbs and flows and her getting more comfortable with dk. She gets comfortable with him and then just comfortable with him. Like I feel like we could have done something where it's like throughout the game she's getting more and more comfortable with him. It just, it never has any dynamics from that initial, like an arc after. Yeah, but I understand.

[Barrett Courtney]

I like, I like the check ins at the. Anytime you take a nap.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah, I love that stuff.

[Tim Gettys]

Is amazing.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah.

[Tim Gettys]

Some of my favorites.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

All over black screens, which is fine.

[Tim Gettys]

I'm cool with that.

[Barrett Courtney]

Yeah.

[Tim Gettys]

Joshua says, did the DK fossil confuse anyone on the timeline again? I've simultaneously never cared more or less about something, but yeah, it is weird that there's a fossil.

[Barrett Courtney]

I. Yeah, there was an early on point where I started noticing the designs on the fossils and I, I was like, hold on, is this them like actually doing something here? And yeah, I, I cared about it for like one level and then the next level collecting more fossils. And I was like, okay, I don't care. There's none of this. There's no rhyme reason to this.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

That was another theory that we had early on too, that this was all going to lead to them recreating like the DK arcade game and Mario was going to show up.

[Barrett Courtney]

I'm still kind of surprised they didn't.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Yeah, I'm surprised they didn't do either. They do kind of the like, kind of last segment of like the rehearsals or whatever kind of has you doing a side scrolling barrel thing. But that's like the most that they do. And that was another bummer. I was like, oh, we could have, we could have gone a little farther here in terms of spectacle and having it be like a full fun thing. But.

[Tim Gettys]

So that's been our spoiler cast of Donkey Kong Bonanza. Thank you boys for joining me today. Thank you all for watching, listening, getting ready for game showdown.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

Thank you. Thank you for humoring our nonsense.

[Tim Gettys]

Yes. And also I'm gonna end this episode saying something that's gonna piss people off. Know the jump up Superstar set piece moment. It's overrated.

[Barrett Courtney]

Oh, get the out of here.

[Tim Gettys]

Bye.

[Barrett Courtney]

I'm off. I'm out of here. You're wrong.

[Blessing Adeoye Jr.]

He's right. He's right.