DK Jungle Climber

DK Jungle Climber is the sequel to Paon’s first Donkey Kong game, DK King of Swing for Game Boy Advance. Like its predecessor, the game’s mechanics are reminiscent of Clu Clu Land, and control primarily involves use of the shoulder buttons. Unlike its predecessor, the game features Donkey Kong Country-style graphics rather than a cartoon style. In general, Jungle Climber improves upon the unique control of the first game.

The plot of the game is a little odder than most. DK and crew are vacationing on Sun Sun Island. A massive banana is sighted at the top of the island, and a hungry DK goes to retrieve it. It turns out that the giant banana is actually a banana-shaped spaceship piloted by a banana-shaped alien named Xananab. The Kongs learn that King K. Rool is up to no good again and agree to help Xananab defeat the reptilian leader.

Jungle Climber’s key feature is its unique control mechanism. While on the ground, DK can walk much like in a normal platformer, except using L and R to move left and right, but once he leaves the firmament, control is turned on its head. The jungle environments are covered in pegs and peg boards. As DK passes over a peg, pressing L or R will cause him to latch on and begin rotating either left or right. Releasing the button will let DK swing from peg to peg. Grabbing pegs with both hands will let DK charge up for a powerful boost. Once you get the rhythm down, you can make DK swing across the stage from peg to peg quite fast. While its predecessor was played almost entirely with the shoulder buttons, Jungle Climber also introduces the A button into regular play. This button allows DK to perform an attack lunge.

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