<s>
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64	I-Application
is	O
a	O
1999	O
platform	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Rare	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Nintendo	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
only	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
game	O
to	O
feature	O
3D	O
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
the	O
gorilla	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
,	O
the	O
player	O
explores	O
themed	O
levels	O
to	O
collect	O
items	O
and	O
rescue	O
his	O
kidnapped	O
family	O
members	O
from	O
King	O
K	O
.	O
Rool	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rare	O
began	O
working	O
on	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64	I-Application
in	O
1997	O
,	O
following	O
the	O
completion	O
of	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
Country	I-Application
3	I-Application
(	O
1996	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
conceived	O
as	O
a	O
2.5D	O
platformer	O
similar	O
to	O
Country	O
before	O
becoming	O
a	O
more	O
open-ended	O
game	O
using	O
the	O
engine	O
from	O
Rare	O
's	O
Banjo-Kazooie	B-Application
(	O
1998	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
16-person	O
team	O
,	O
with	O
many	O
recruits	O
from	O
the	O
Banjo	B-Application
group	O
,	O
finished	O
it	O
in	O
1999	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64	I-Application
was	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
to	O
require	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
Expansion	O
Pak	O
,	O
an	O
accessory	O
that	O
added	O
memory	B-Architecture
resources	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64	I-Application
received	O
acclaim	O
and	O
was	O
Nintendo	O
's	O
top	O
seller	O
during	O
the	O
1999	O
holiday	O
season	O
,	O
with	O
2.3million	O
units	O
sold	O
by	O
2004	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
cited	O
its	O
gameplay	O
and	O
visual	O
similarities	O
to	O
Banjo-Kazooie	B-Application
as	O
a	O
detriment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Critics	O
said	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64	I-Application
did	O
not	O
match	O
the	O
revolutionary	O
impact	O
of	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
Country	I-Application
but	O
was	O
still	O
among	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
's	O
best	O
3D	O
platform	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64	I-Application
was	O
Rare	O
's	O
final	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
game	O
prior	O
to	O
its	O
acquisition	O
by	O
Microsoft	O
in	O
2002	O
and	O
the	O
last	O
major	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
game	O
until	O
Jungle	B-Device
Beat	I-Device
(	O
2004	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Retrospective	O
reviews	O
of	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64	I-Application
were	O
mixed	O
;	O
critics	O
considered	O
it	O
emblematic	O
of	O
the	O
tedium	O
in	O
Rare	O
's	O
"	O
collect-a-thon	O
"	O
adventure	O
platformers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64	I-Application
is	O
a	O
3D	O
platforming	O
adventure	O
game	O
in	O
which	O
the	O
player	O
,	O
as	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
and	O
his	O
friends	O
,	O
explores	O
an	O
island	O
and	O
collects	O
items	O
to	O
progress	O
through	O
minigames	O
and	O
puzzles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
follows	O
a	O
traditional	O
storyline	O
for	O
the	O
series	O
:	O
King	O
K	O
.	O
Rool	O
and	O
his	O
reptilian	O
Kremlings	O
invade	O
the	O
idyllic	O
DK	O
Isle	O
and	O
kidnap	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
's	O
friends	O
,	O
planning	O
to	O
power	O
up	O
their	O
Blast-O-Matic	B-Application
weapon	O
and	O
destroy	O
the	O
island	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
a	O
tutorial	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
embarks	O
as	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
to	O
rescue	O
the	O
others	O
from	O
their	O
kidnappers	O
and	O
stop	O
K	O
.	O
Rool	O
's	O
plan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
exploring	O
the	O
in-game	O
world	O
and	O
completing	O
puzzle	O
minigames	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
collects	O
two	O
types	O
of	O
bananas	O
:	O
colored	O
bananas	O
,	O
which	O
are	O
color-coded	O
differently	O
for	O
each	O
Kong	O
character	O
,	O
award	O
the	O
player	O
with	O
banana	O
medals	O
and	O
can	O
be	O
traded	O
for	O
access	O
to	O
each	O
world	O
's	O
boss	O
fight	O
;	O
and	O
golden	B-Application
bananas	I-Application
,	O
a	O
certain	O
number	O
of	O
which	O
are	O
required	O
to	O
unlock	O
each	O
new	O
in-game	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Of	O
3,831	O
total	O
collectible	O
items	O
,	O
1,810	O
(	O
1,680	O
colored	O
bananas	O
,	O
100	O
golden	B-Application
bananas	I-Application
,	O
8	O
boss	O
keys	O
,	O
1	O
blueprint	O
,	O
15	O
banana	O
medals	O
,	O
4	O
K	O
.	O
Rool	O
crowns	O
,	O
the	O
Nintendo	O
coin	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Rare	O
coin	O
)	O
are	O
required	O
to	O
complete	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
prior	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
games	O
,	O
the	O
objectives	O
can	O
be	O
completed	O
in	O
any	O
order	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
's	O
kidnapped	O
friends	O
become	O
playable	O
characters	O
after	O
being	O
rescued	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
can	O
operate	O
levers	O
,	O
Chunky	O
Kong	O
can	O
lift	O
rocks	O
,	O
Tiny	O
Kong	O
can	O
crawl	O
through	O
holes	O
,	O
Diddy	O
Kong	O
can	O
fly	O
,	O
and	O
Lanky	O
Kong	O
can	O
float	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
some	O
doors	O
can	O
be	O
opened	O
only	O
with	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
's	O
coconut	O
projectiles	O
and	O
others	O
can	O
be	O
opened	O
only	O
with	O
Diddy	O
Kong	O
's	O
guitar	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Playable	O
versions	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
(	O
1981	O
)	O
and	O
Jetpac	B-Application
(	O
1983	O
)	O
are	O
hidden	O
within	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
and	O
playing	O
through	O
them	O
is	O
required	O
to	O
finish	O
the	O
story	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Optional	O
hardware	O
support	O
includes	O
a	O
widescreen	O
mode	O
and	O
Rumble	B-Device
Pak	I-Device
compatibility	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
British	O
studio	O
Rare	O
,	O
which	O
created	O
the	O
successful	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
Country	I-Application
games	O
for	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
Nintendo	I-Application
Entertainment	I-Application
System	I-Application
in	O
the	O
mid-1990s	O
,	O
developed	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64	I-Application
,	O
with	O
Gregg	O
Mayles	O
leading	O
the	O
effort	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Development	O
began	O
in	O
1997	O
,	O
shortly	O
after	O
the	O
completion	O
of	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
Country	I-Application
3	O
:	O
Dixie	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
's	I-Application
Double	I-Application
Trouble	I-Application
!	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
originally	O
intended	O
for	O
release	O
on	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
's	O
64DD	B-Device
add-on	O
,	O
but	O
transitioned	O
to	O
cartridge	O
after	O
the	O
64DD	B-Device
was	O
delayed	O
and	O
eventually	O
canceled	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rare	O
conceived	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64	I-Application
as	O
a	O
linear	O
,	O
2.5D	O
platform	O
game	O
similar	O
to	O
the	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
Country	I-Application
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
was	O
still	O
new	O
,	O
and	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
Rare	O
did	O
not	O
have	O
a	O
common	O
game	O
engine	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
linear	O
version	O
was	O
developed	O
for	O
around	O
18	O
months	O
before	O
it	O
was	O
eliminated	O
in	O
favor	O
of	O
a	O
more	O
open-ended	O
approach	O
similar	O
to	O
Rare	O
's	O
1998	O
game	O
Banjo-Kazooie	B-Application
(	O
1998	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
developers	O
transitioned	O
from	O
the	O
Banjo	B-Application
team	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
final	O
version	O
was	O
built	O
atop	O
the	O
Banjo	B-Application
game	O
engine	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rare	O
was	O
unable	O
to	O
reuse	O
the	O
models	O
from	O
the	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
Country	I-Application
series	O
,	O
where	O
they	O
had	O
been	O
pre-rendered	O
and	O
modeled	O
with	O
NURBs	B-Algorithm
using	O
PowerAnimator	B-Device
;	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64s	I-Application
real-time	O
3D	O
graphics	O
could	O
only	O
use	O
polygons	O
,	O
so	O
the	O
team	O
used	O
a	O
new	O
tool	O
,	O
Gamegen	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Though	O
the	O
real-time	O
graphics	O
prevented	O
Rare	O
from	O
reproducing	O
the	O
level	O
of	O
detail	O
seen	O
in	O
the	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
Country	I-Application
series	O
,	O
they	O
allowed	O
for	O
more	O
expressive	O
characters	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
strong	O
emphasis	O
on	O
collectibles	O
was	O
a	O
design	O
choice	O
made	O
at	O
the	O
request	O
of	O
Rare	O
co-founder	O
Tim	O
Stamper	O
to	O
distinguish	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64	I-Application
from	O
Banjo-Kazooie	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rare	O
attempted	O
to	O
differentiate	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64	I-Application
from	O
Banjo-Kazooie	B-Application
through	O
its	O
variety	O
of	O
playable	O
characters	O
,	O
cinematic	O
set-pieces	O
,	O
and	O
bombastic	O
boss	O
battles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Andreas	O
,	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
creator	O
Shigeru	O
Miyamoto	O
was	O
appalled	O
when	O
he	O
saw	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
shoot	O
a	O
realistic	O
shotgun	O
used	O
as	O
a	O
placeholder	O
during	O
a	O
pre-release	O
demonstration	O
,	O
and	O
quickly	O
sketched	O
the	O
coconut	O
gun	O
used	O
in	O
the	O
final	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
removed	O
feature	O
,	O
"	O
Stop	O
'	O
N	O
 '	O
Swop	O
"	O
,	O
allowed	O
data	O
to	O
be	O
transferred	O
from	O
Banjo-Kazooie	B-Application
to	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64	I-Application
to	O
unlock	O
in-game	O
bonuses	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
development	O
,	O
Rare	O
discovered	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
retained	O
flash	B-Device
memory	I-Device
for	O
several	O
seconds	O
after	O
a	O
cartridge	O
's	O
removal	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
implemented	O
a	O
feature	O
whereby	O
removing	O
the	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64	I-Application
cartridge	O
and	O
quickly	O
inserting	O
the	O
Banjo-Kazooie	B-Application
cartridge	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
former	O
's	O
memory	B-Architecture
was	O
still	O
in	O
the	O
console	O
,	O
would	O
unlock	O
bonus	O
content	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nintendo	O
requested	O
Stop	O
'	O
N	O
 '	O
Swop	O
's	O
removal	O
when	O
Rare	O
submitted	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64	I-Application
for	O
approval	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nintendo	O
was	O
concerned	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
would	O
not	O
retain	O
RDRAM	O
long	O
enough	O
for	O
the	O
feature	O
to	O
work	O
and	O
that	O
it	O
could	O
potentially	O
damage	O
consoles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Specifically	O
,	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
models	O
produced	O
after	O
Banjo-Kazooie	B-Application
release	O
reduced	O
the	O
amount	O
of	O
time	O
the	O
console	O
retained	O
flash	B-Device
memory	I-Device
,	O
making	O
Stop	O
'	O
N	O
 '	O
Swop	O
nearly	O
impossible	O
to	O
activate	O
as	O
intended	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64	I-Application
was	O
the	O
first	O
of	O
two	O
games	O
to	O
require	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
's	O
Expansion	O
Pak	O
,	O
a	O
console	O
RAM	B-General_Concept
upgrade	O
bundled	O
with	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Expansion	O
Pak	O
was	O
previously	O
used	O
to	O
power	O
optional	O
higher-resolution	O
graphics	O
,	O
but	O
in	O
the	O
case	O
of	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64	I-Application
,	O
it	O
was	O
marketed	O
as	O
improving	O
the	O
frame	O
rate	O
and	O
rendering	O
of	O
objects	O
at	O
a	O
distance	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Chris	O
Marlow	O
,	O
who	O
was	O
working	O
on	O
Conker	B-Application
's	I-Application
Bad	I-Application
Fur	I-Application
Day	I-Application
(	O
2001	O
)	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
,	O
claimed	O
that	O
Rare	O
could	O
not	O
resolve	O
a	O
bug	O
that	O
occurred	O
without	O
the	O
Expansion	O
Pak	O
and	O
thus	O
they	O
were	O
forced	O
,	O
at	O
great	O
expense	O
,	O
to	O
bundle	O
the	O
game	O
with	O
the	O
memory	B-Architecture
upgrade	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Grant	O
Kirkhope	O
composed	O
the	O
soundtrack	O
,	O
which	O
Nintendo	O
Life	O
described	O
as	O
closer	O
in	O
spirit	O
to	O
Banjo-Kazooie	B-Application
than	O
to	O
David	O
Wise	O
's	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
Country	I-Application
soundtracks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
Kirkhope	O
commented	O
that	O
he	O
tried	O
to	O
retain	O
the	O
darker	O
,	O
atmospheric	O
tone	O
that	O
Wise	O
brought	O
to	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
Country	I-Application
,	O
and	O
included	O
a	O
remix	O
of	O
Wise	O
's	O
"	O
Jungle	B-Application
Japes	I-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
Country	I-Application
3	I-Application
composer	O
Eveline	O
Fischer	O
was	O
originally	O
assigned	O
to	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64	I-Application
;	O
Kirkhope	O
became	O
involved	O
after	O
he	O
was	O
asked	O
for	O
assistance	O
,	O
and	O
he	O
provided	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
's	O
voice	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rare	O
announced	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64	I-Application
with	O
a	O
single	O
screenshot	O
on	O
its	O
website	O
and	O
coverage	O
in	O
the	O
January	O
1999	O
issue	O
of	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Power	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64	I-Application
was	O
expected	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
bestseller	O
,	O
as	O
the	O
console	O
's	O
"	O
crowning	O
achievement	O
"	O
in	O
graphics	O
and	O
sound	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64s	I-Application
sizable	O
marketing	O
campaign	O
doubled	O
the	O
typical	O
budget	O
for	O
a	O
major	O
Nintendo	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nintendo	O
projected	O
sales	O
of	O
copies	O
within	O
one	O
year	O
,	O
and	O
later	O
that	O
year	O
increased	O
the	O
number	O
to	O
4	O
million	O
copies	O
(	O
more	O
than	O
for	O
The	B-Application
Legend	I-Application
of	I-Application
Zelda	I-Application
:	I-Application
Ocarina	I-Application
of	I-Application
Time	I-Application
)	O
,	O
including	O
of	O
the	O
translucent	O
green	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
bundles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Polled	O
retailers	O
expected	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64	I-Application
to	O
be	O
the	O
top	O
console	O
game	O
sold	O
during	O
the	O
1999	O
holiday	O
season	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
had	O
little	O
holiday	O
season	O
competition	O
from	O
Nintendo	O
,	O
as	O
Nintendo	O
had	O
moved	O
releases	O
including	O
Mario	B-Application
Party	I-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
Perfect	B-Application
Dark	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Pokémon	B-Device
Stadium	I-Device
into	O
the	O
next	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rare	O
and	O
Nintendo	O
released	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64	I-Application
in	O
North	O
America	O
in	O
November	O
1999	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
worldwide	O
release	O
followed	O
the	O
next	O
month	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nintendo	O
offered	O
a	O
special	O
bundle	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
and	O
console	O
,	O
including	O
a	O
banana	O
yellow-colored	O
game	O
cartridge	O
,	O
its	O
required	O
Expansion	O
Pak	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
transparent	O
green	O
"	O
Jolly	O
Rancher-style	O
"	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
console	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2015	O
,	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64	I-Application
was	O
digitally	O
rereleased	O
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
games	O
added	O
to	O
Nintendo	O
's	O
Wii	O
U	O
Virtual	O
Console	O
catalog	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Why	O
it	O
was	O
never	O
released	O
on	O
the	O
Wii	O
Virtual	O
Console	O
is	O
unknown	O
,	O
although	O
Nintendo	O
World	O
Report	O
speculated	O
that	O
it	O
may	O
have	O
been	O
related	O
to	O
the	O
fact	O
that	O
it	O
contains	O
both	O
the	O
original	O
arcade	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
(	O
which	O
was	O
already	O
available	O
on	O
the	O
Virtual	O
Console	O
)	O
and	O
Jetpac	B-Application
(	O
which	O
Nintendo	O
does	O
not	O
hold	O
the	O
rights	O
to	O
)	O
as	O
playable	O
bonuses	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64	I-Application
received	O
critical	O
acclaim	O
"	O
universal	O
acclaim	O
"	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
video	O
game	O
review	B-Application
aggregator	I-Application
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
became	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
's	O
top	O
seller	O
during	O
the	O
1999	O
holiday	O
season	O
and	O
Nintendo	O
's	O
chief	O
defense	O
against	O
competitor	O
Sega	O
's	O
introduction	O
of	O
its	O
Dreamcast	B-Operating_System
console	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
a	O
bestseller	O
,	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64	I-Application
joined	O
Nintendo	O
's	O
"	O
Player	O
's	O
Choice	O
"	O
game	O
selection	O
,	O
where	O
high	O
sales	O
continued	O
through	O
the	O
next	O
holiday	O
season	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
won	O
the	O
1999	O
E3	O
Game	O
Critics	O
award	O
for	O
Best	O
Platform	O
Game	O
,	O
and	O
several	O
annual	O
awards	O
from	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Power	I-Application
,	O
including	O
best	O
overall	O
game	O
of	O
1999	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
described	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64	I-Application
as	O
the	O
biggest	O
and	O
most	O
ambitious	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
game	O
as	O
of	O
its	O
release	O
,	O
but	O
very	O
similar	O
to	O
Banjo-Kazooie	B-Application
in	O
its	O
platforming	O
and	O
puzzle	O
design	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
had	O
become	O
a	O
trend	O
in	O
Rare	O
's	O
games	O
,	O
and	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64	I-Application
followed	O
the	O
"	O
predictable	O
formula	O
"	O
of	O
making	O
players	O
collect	O
multiple	O
sets	O
of	O
items	O
and	O
in	O
full	O
for	O
a	O
special	O
ending	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpot	O
,	O
however	O
,	O
considered	O
parts	O
of	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64s	I-Application
gameplay	O
"	O
cerebral	O
"	O
,	O
requiring	O
the	O
consideration	O
of	O
several	O
simultaneous	O
tasks	O
to	O
solve	O
later	O
puzzles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Already	O
familiar	O
with	O
concepts	O
borrowed	O
from	O
Super	B-Application
Mario	I-Application
64	I-Application
,	O
Ocarina	B-Application
of	I-Application
Time	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Banjo-Kazooie	B-Application
,	O
critics	O
considered	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
tasks	O
less	O
innovative	O
or	O
interesting	O
to	O
decipher	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Edge	O
wrote	O
that	O
the	O
lack	O
of	O
camera	O
improvements	O
over	O
Banjo-Kazooie	B-Application
was	O
inexcusable	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Even	O
with	O
the	O
RAM	B-General_Concept
expansion	O
for	O
graphics	O
,	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64s	I-Application
visuals	O
were	O
only	O
found	O
marginallyif	O
at	O
allbetter	O
than	O
that	O
of	O
its	O
contemporary	O
games	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
previous	O
year	O
's	O
Banjo-Kazooie	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
avowed	O
that	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64	I-Application
was	O
not	O
as	O
pretty	O
as	O
Banjo-Kazooie	B-Application
,	O
especially	O
in	O
its	O
water	O
and	O
backgrounds	O
,	O
though	O
it	O
still	O
ranked	O
among	O
the	O
console	O
's	O
prettiest	O
games	O
because	O
the	O
setting	O
is	O
barren	O
and	O
nondescript	O
at	O
first	O
,	O
and	O
only	O
later	O
introduces	O
lighting	O
effects	O
and	O
richer	O
textures	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
N64	B-Operating_System
Magazine	O
said	O
the	O
enhanced	O
effects	O
were	O
most	O
often	O
used	O
for	O
decoration	O
,	O
though	O
they	O
also	O
played	O
some	O
role	O
in	O
puzzles	O
based	O
on	O
illuminating	O
paths	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Graphical	O
difficulties	O
were	O
reported	O
even	O
with	O
the	O
extra	O
memory	B-Architecture
,	O
such	O
as	O
frame	O
rate	O
slowdowns	O
and	O
distant	O
features	O
not	O
appearing	O
in	O
any	O
detail	O
,	O
though	O
overall	O
they	O
commended	O
the	O
graphical	O
flourishes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
said	O
that	O
the	O
music	O
was	O
less	O
clever	O
than	O
Banjo-Kazooies	B-Application
,	O
but	O
Kirkhope	O
's	O
soundtrack	O
still	O
delivered	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
moods	O
and	O
fit	O
the	O
setting	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
consensus	O
was	O
that	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64	I-Application
lacked	O
the	O
revolutionary	O
potential	O
of	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
Country	I-Application
but	O
was	O
of	O
a	O
sufficient	O
high	O
quality	O
to	O
sell	O
well	O
during	O
the	O
holiday	O
season	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Cincinnati	O
Enquirer	O
described	O
its	O
platform	O
style	O
as	O
coupled	O
with	O
many	O
others	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Super	B-Application
Mario	I-Application
64	I-Application
,	O
Banjo-Kazooie	B-Application
,	O
and	O
Jet	B-Application
Force	I-Application
Gemini	I-Application
(	O
1999	O
)	O
:	O
"	O
Replace	O
the	O
story	O
line	O
,	O
the	O
graphics	O
and	O
a	O
couple	O
of	O
gameplay	O
elements	O
and	O
you	O
basically	O
have	O
the	O
same	O
game	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nonetheless	O
,	O
he	O
said	O
"	O
its	O
mastering	O
of	O
elements	O
that	O
have	O
been	O
done	O
to	O
death	O
may	O
be	O
just	O
the	O
spark	O
needed	O
"	O
to	O
evolve	O
the	O
genre	O
in	O
games	O
released	O
in	O
later	O
years	O
,	O
celebrating	O
its	O
gameplay	O
as	O
addictive	O
and	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
best	O
on	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Though	O
hyped	O
fans	O
would	O
be	O
disappointed	O
,	O
IGN	O
said	O
that	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64	I-Application
remains	O
an	O
excellent	O
and	O
expansive	O
platformer	O
with	O
an	O
overwhelming	O
amount	O
of	O
things	O
to	O
do	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64s	I-Application
3D	O
platforming	O
was	O
commonplace	O
by	O
the	O
time	O
of	O
its	O
release	O
and	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
GameSpot	O
,	O
would	O
have	O
fared	O
better	O
as	O
a	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
launch	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
its	O
competition	O
considered	O
,	O
Daily	O
Radar	O
wrote	O
that	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64	I-Application
was	O
simply	O
the	O
best	O
3D	O
platform	O
game	O
on	O
the	O
console	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Edge	O
qualified	O
this	O
thought	O
:	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64	I-Application
was	O
the	O
closest	O
any	O
third-party	O
developer	O
had	O
come	O
to	O
outdoing	O
Nintendo	O
's	O
mastery	O
of	O
game	O
structure	O
and	O
was	O
"	O
a	O
fine	O
effort	O
...	O
in	O
its	O
own	O
right	O
"	O
,	O
but	O
its	O
gameplay	O
was	O
derivative	O
and	O
unimaginative	O
compared	O
to	O
the	O
freedom	O
and	O
flexibility	O
of	O
Nintendo	O
's	O
Super	B-Application
Mario	I-Application
64	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
a	O
retrospective	O
review	O
,	O
Nintendo	O
Life	O
found	O
the	O
Wii	O
U	O
controller	O
an	O
easy	O
substitute	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
's	O
controls	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rare	O
's	O
3D	O
platformers	O
became	O
notorious	O
for	O
their	O
emphasis	O
on	O
collecting	O
items	O
,	O
and	O
Kotaku	O
remembered	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64	I-Application
as	O
"	O
the	O
worst	O
offender	O
"	O
with	O
hundreds	O
of	O
color-coded	O
bananas	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Electronic	O
Gaming	O
Monthly	O
wrote	O
:	O
"	O
As	O
...	O
Super	B-Application
Mario	I-Application
64	I-Application
breathed	O
life	O
into	O
the	O
3D	O
platforming	O
genre	O
,	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64	I-Application
sucked	O
it	O
all	O
out	O
"	O
and	O
solidified	O
Rare	O
's	O
reputation	O
for	O
making	O
"	O
collect-a-thon	O
"	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
indie	O
developer	O
behind	O
A	B-Application
Hat	I-Application
in	I-Application
Time	I-Application
,	O
a	O
spiritual	O
successor	O
to	O
Banjo-Kazooie	B-Application
,	O
blamed	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64	I-Application
for	O
the	O
"	O
collect-a-thon	O
platform	O
adventurer	O
"	O
genre	O
's	O
decline	O
in	O
popularity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Retro	O
Gamer	O
and	O
Game	O
Informer	O
both	O
remembered	O
the	O
reception	O
as	O
"	O
mixed	O
"	O
,	O
in	O
consideration	O
of	O
its	O
similarities	O
with	O
Banjo-Kazooie	B-Application
and	O
lack	O
of	O
genre-pushing	O
changes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Though	O
decently	O
reviewed	O
,	O
this	O
and	O
Rare	O
's	O
subsequent	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
releases	O
did	O
not	O
meet	O
the	O
extolment	O
of	O
the	O
company	O
's	O
preceding	O
games	O
,	O
and	O
lackluster	O
sales	O
led	O
to	O
a	O
staff	O
exodus	O
that	O
culminated	O
with	O
the	O
company	O
's	O
acquisition	O
by	O
Microsoft	O
in	O
2002	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64	I-Application
was	O
resultingly	O
Rare	O
's	O
final	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
game	O
;	O
the	O
series	O
did	O
not	O
receive	O
another	O
major	O
installment	O
until	O
Donkey	B-Device
Kong	I-Device
Jungle	I-Device
Beat	I-Device
(	O
2004	O
)	O
five	O
years	O
later	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Electronic	O
Gaming	O
Monthly	O
noted	O
at	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
launch	O
,	O
that	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
was	O
approaching	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
its	O
lifecycle	O
,	O
as	O
gamers	O
turned	O
their	O
sights	O
to	O
the	O
Sega	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
and	O
Sony	B-Device
PlayStation	I-Device
2	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
later	O
named	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64	I-Application
as	O
worthy	O
of	O
a	O
remake	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
3DS	I-Operating_System
handheld	O
console	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Renditions	O
of	O
the	O
"	O
DK	O
Rap	O
"	O
appeared	O
in	O
Super	B-Application
Smash	I-Application
Bros	I-Application
.	I-Application
Melee	I-Application
(	O
2001	O
)	O
and	O
Donkey	B-Application
Konga	I-Application
(	O
2003	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2017	O
,	O
Kirkhope	O
composed	O
a	O
similar	O
rap	O
for	O
Yooka-Laylee	B-Application
,	O
a	O
platform	O
game	O
made	O
in	O
homage	O
to	O
Rare	O
's	O
works	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
rap	O
plays	O
during	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
's	O
introduction	O
in	O
The	O
Super	O
Mario	O
Bros	O
.	O
Movie	O
(	O
2023	O
)	O
,	O
included	O
at	O
the	O
behest	O
of	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
's	O
voice	O
actor	O
Seth	O
Rogen	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kirkhope	O
was	O
flattered	O
by	O
the	O
song	O
's	O
inclusion	O
,	O
but	O
disappointed	O
he	O
did	O
not	O
receive	O
credit	O
;	O
the	O
film	O
simply	O
credits	O
it	O
as	O
originating	O
from	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
64	I-Application
.	O
</s>
