Why Donkey Kong 64 is the Worst Platformer Video Game
Donkey Kong 64, released in 1999 for the Nintendo 64, is often hailed as a nostalgic classic in the gaming community. It is remembered fondly by many who grew up with the system, but upon closer inspection, Donkey Kong 64 stands as one of the most problematic and flawed platformer games of its time. Despite its bright visuals, expansive world, and promising premise, there are multiple aspects of the game that tarnish its reputation and ultimately render it one of the worst platformers ever made. From its excessive collect-a-thon design to its tedious gameplay mechanics, Donkey Kong 64 fails to deliver on the qualities that make platformers truly enjoyable.
Excessive Collecting and Poor Pacing
The most prominent flaw in Donkey Kong 64 is its overwhelming emphasis on collecting. Platformers, at their core, are supposed to offer tight, engaging platforming challenges. However, Donkey Kong 64 veers away from this, focusing more on the collection of items than offering satisfying gameplay. The game is laden with an endless number of collectibles, such as bananas, golden bananas, and other items that serve no real purpose other than padding the game’s length.
Each of the five playable characters (Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Lanky Kong, Tiny Kong, and Chunky Kong) has their own unique set of collectibles scattered throughout the expansive levels. While this may sound like an interesting way to introduce variety, it ends up feeling like a tedious chore, especially when certain collectibles are locked behind specific characters, forcing players to backtrack multiple times through the same environments. This design decision leads to unnecessary repetition, making the game feel more like an exhaustive scavenger hunt than a fun, immersive platforming experience. As a result, the gameplay quickly loses its momentum, and the player's sense of accomplishment is undermined by the constant need to stop and collect.
Slow Progression and Poor Pacing
Another significant issue with Donkey Kong 64 is its slow progression. The game forces players to repeatedly backtrack through levels with different characters to collect specific items. While the levels themselves are large and well-designed, the sheer amount of time spent running around looking for collectibles creates a lack of flow in the game’s pacing. The difficulty curve is not dictated by challenging platforming sections, but rather by the frustrating task of hunting down an ever-growing list of items. This causes the gameplay to feel drawn out and tedious.
Additionally, the game’s repetitive nature does little to reward players for their time. In many platformers, the challenge lies in mastering levels and overcoming obstacles, with new skills or abilities earned along the way. However, in Donkey Kong 64, the key to progression is simply finding more collectibles. There is little in the way of actual skill progression or the feeling of growing stronger as a player. Instead, the player’s success depends primarily on their willingness to continue hunting for items, which can quickly become exhausting.
Outdated Controls and Clunky Mechanics
When Donkey Kong 64 was released, the Nintendo 64 controller was often praised for its innovative design. However, the game’s controls have aged poorly, and they feel clunky and cumbersome compared to other platformers from the same era. The precision required for platforming sequences is hindered by a lack of smooth control over the characters, especially in situations where fine movement is crucial.
The game features a mix of on-foot platforming and various vehicle or transformation-based segments, but none of these sections manage to feel particularly tight or responsive. The camera system, another recurring issue with N64-era platformers, is frequently problematic, as it struggles to keep up with the player’s movements, often forcing awkward perspectives that make platforming even more frustrating. This clunkiness is a far cry from the polished controls seen in other beloved platformers, such as Super Mario 64, which successfully combined tight controls with intuitive mechanics.
Lack of Real Innovation
Despite its grand ambition, Donkey Kong 64 feels more like a series of borrowed ideas rather than an innovative addition to the platformer genre. The game follows a formula that was already popularized by the likes of Banjo-Kazooie and Super Mario 64, but it fails to add anything new or exciting to the genre. The exploration and collecting aspects of the game were certainly influenced by earlier titles, but Donkey Kong 64 lacks the charm, originality, and engaging gameplay that made these predecessors so successful. While the world is vast, it never quite feels as fun or rewarding to explore as the worlds of Mario or Banjo-Kazooie.
The emphasis on gimmicks and repetitive tasks also detracts from the experience. From collecting a variety of items to playing mini-games that offer little meaningful reward, Donkey Kong 64 often seems more concerned with ticking off boxes than offering a truly captivating experience. The overall lack of focus on the core gameplay elements of platforming makes the game feel unfocused and meandering, ultimately leading to frustration rather than enjoyment.
Conclusion
While Donkey Kong 64 holds a nostalgic place in many people's hearts, it is clear that the game fails to live up to the standards of quality that should define a great platformer. Its excessive focus on collecting, lack of progression, outdated controls, and uninspired design choices all contribute to an experience that is more tedious than enjoyable. In a genre that thrives on fluid movement, engaging challenges, and a sense of reward, Donkey Kong 64 falls short at nearly every turn. Ultimately, while the game may have offered some fun moments, its flaws far outweigh any merits, cementing its place as one of the worst platformers in the history of video games.
