

Wait for Mario Kart Wii or purchase Mario Kart 64 on the Virtual Console instead of impulsively buying this game. After a few plays, you probably won't even care how many characters that there are left to unlock. There's no desire to go back and set new records. Even moderately-skilled players will get through all that this game has to offer in a few hours, and the multiplayer options do nothing to add any fun. The game is lacking two of the most critical components that any good racing game needs to have: tight, responsive controls and a sense of speed. While it's understandable that Nintendo would want to showcase one of their signature characters in a Wii game, it quickly becomes obvious that Donkey Kong Barrel Blast should not have made the jump from the GameCube. Avoid this one, as it's not even worth the time of casual racing fans unless they are truly desperate for a game that involves moving forward along the basic semblance of a race track, in which case, a brief rental should suffice.

Despite how good some of those titles have been, this is a new low for the ape's name, to be sure. The poor gorilla's namesake has been slipping away in recent years ever since this 'bongo' business came into play and every one of his recent games revolves around a simplistic control scheme. While Nintendo has been proving lately that core games are still important to them, it's clear that this title was meant to be released a year or two back on the old GameCube. Once in a while, a sense of speed may be experienced, but it's short-lived and certainly not worth the effort required to ignore every other flaw present. Still, with just a slight reworking of the controls, more modes, and a better multiplayer component, this really could have been a great game.Īs it stands though, this is just a fairly lackluster and easily forgettable title. There are no other games out there that let you race around with rocket bongos that are fueled by arm pain. Although they didn't work as well as they should have, they still made the game a unique experience. While it is short and somewhat disappointing, Barrel Blast did make interesting use of the Wii's motion-sensing controls. If the answer is yes then this may be the game for you. Does the idea of a lipstick-wearing gorilla in a tight shirt and cut-offs who blows you a kiss from in front of a pink heart frame when you beat a challenge turn you on? Not only does the game have an extended cast of lame DK-related characters (Funky Kong? Give me a break) but it also has a mode called Candy’s Challenges, starring perhaps the most disturbing female videogame character ever, Candy Kong. So who, then, is this game for? Pretty much the only slice of the market we can think of would be furries.

The game’s appeal will be very limited for older gamers, but younger players may find the mechanics too convoluted. There’s nothing drastically wrong with Donkey Kong: Jet Race, but the gameplay really doesn’t gel as a whole. Shake the Wii Remote and Nunchuk to accelerate, then shake one or the other to turn. Learn more details about Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast for Wii and take a look at gameplay screenshots and videos.
