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The original Donkey Konga released in Fall 2004 and I rated it a "B+" (Click Here for the review). In retrospect I feel that score is exactly right. I have four bongo controllers and have often played the game with friends and family. New Years wouldn't have been nearly as fun without Donkey Konga! Needless to say I was looking forward to the sequel with its new song list. After playing Donkey Konga 2 with friends we all felt the game was good, but not quite as impressive as the first one. The songs are definitely more hip, but gone are Nintendo tunes and wacky children songs that were fun to play while intoxicated! Donkey Konga 2 is still a worthy addition to your GameCube library since at its core it's still a fun game. Some will argue one way or the other whether or not the song list is better or worse than the original Donkey Konga. I prefer the songs in the original, but some of my friends dig the new songs more. Your mileage will vary depending on music tastes. At its core Donkey Konga 2 plays almost exactly like the original. You can buy the game with or without the konga bongos. As you listen to the songs you'll have to keep beat with the on-screen drum icons. As they pass through the target on the left side of the screen you'll need to hit the corresponding drum. You need to hit the left drum for yellow targets, the right drum for red targets, both drums at the same time for pink targets, and clap or hit the sides of the drum for blue targets. If the target has a solid color line following it you'll need to do a drum roll on the corresponding drum. The more consecutive hits you get correct, the higher your combo meter will go. When playing multiplayer it will total combos and good hits versus bad hits to show who was the best performer.
There are several modes of play in Donkey Konga 2. In Street Performance one or two players can earn coins by performing songs. In the first Konga this mode was only open for 1 player, so it's nice they allow a second player to join in. This helps to collect coins faster and unlock new drum sounds and play mini-games. Challenge allows one or two players to see how many songs they can clear in a row. Expect some tired hands and sore arms after this one! Battle mode is designed for two players where they duel to see who is the better drummer. There will be special slot machines and POW blocks to even out the scores. Concert mode allows for up to four players to take part in the songs. This is where the real appeal lies and goes over great at parties. As I mentioned, the actual gameplay is identical to the prior game. So, it really comes down to the music. Here is a list of songs included in Donkey Konga 2: All Star, Losing My Religion, Shiny Happy People, Send the Pain Below, I Don't Want To Know, The Anthem, Come Clean, Pieces, Drive, Wish You Were Here, Trouble, It's Been A While, Road Trip, Sidewalks, Predictable, Headstrong, Boombastic, La Bamba, U Don't Have To Call, Rock The Boat, Why Don't We Fall In Love, Hit'em Up Style (Oops!), Full Moon, No More Drama, Unpretty, Donkey Konga 2 Theme, Minute Waltz, Habanera, Trepak, Born Too Slow, High Roller, and Contact. These songs are performed by cover bands, not the original artists. Donkey Konga 2 is a great multiplayer music experience. If you already own the first game and have invested in the konga bongos then the sequel is a no-brainer. If you have never played a Donkey Konga game before, you will want to see which game offers the better music selection for you. I still prefer the first one because it was new and innovative whereas the sequel does little other than add new music. If Donkey Konga 3 makes it out I hope there are some new play mechanics to keep the game fresh.
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