Donkey Konga was Nintendo’s first venture into new waters. Historically, Nintendo consoles have had very little to nothing in the way of official, specialised peripherals. Indeed, the few memorable exceptions such as the Super Scope 6 and infamous 64DD have been met more with ridicule than marketplace success. The ‘Tarukonga’ - Donkey Konga’s plastic bongo drum peripheral – was Nintendo’s first attempt in a long time at an official, specialised peripheral. With the first game proving something of a hit, a sequel was of course inevitable.

It is hardly worth mentioning that Donkey Konga: Hit Song Parade is ‘more of the same’. In terms of gameplay, nothing has changed since the original, or indeed the game’s spiritual predecessor, the Taiko no Tatsujin series. A song plays along in the background and, as it does, symbols roll across the screen requiring the player to hit the bongo accordingly, in time with the music. Yellow and red symbols indicate the left and right bongos; pink is for both at the same time, and a spiky blue symbol requires a clap. Getting the correct drum or clap at the correct time earns coins essential for progress in the rest of the game. At the end of each song your performance is assessed in accuracy and consistency, and a trophy is rewarded accordingly.

One of the main problems experienced with the first Donkey Konga was not to do with the gameplay or graphics, but with the songs themselves. Ranging from TV themes to classical music, a major problem was that few songs had any appeal to players outside Japan’s borders. Perhaps playing on the Japanese love of Karaoke, most songs were short, had little melody and were simply boring. Donkey Konga 2 is little different, so if you were holding out for some better songs perhaps the Western release might be more appropriate. The subtitle “Hit Song Parade” is something of an indication that the songs are typically the Japanese equivalent of the Eastenders’ theme tune. That being said, the game has many enjoyable tunes and overall has about twice as many as the first. A few notable songs pop up now and then, including songs from the anime Naruto, Donkey Kong 64, and the classic Zelda theme.

To little surprise, the structure of Donkey Konga 2 is much the same as the first game. There are two easier difficulty modes available from the offset, with songs for the hardest mode unlockable with the aforementioned coins. To anybody expressing concerns about the original’s difficulty (or lack thereof), Donkey Konga 2’s expert mode does seem harder than the original, and some of the high-speed songs can be absolutely frantic. Extra songs for all difficulty settings are also available, as well as short but enjoyable mini-games. Now available on a pay-per-play basis, these revolve more around the same mechanics as the main game than the completely detached mini-games of the first Donkey Konga. One game involves repeating a pattern played out to you; another involves breaking down a stack of symbols by hitting the right drum pattern, and each ends with an odd ‘find the pairs’ card game. Find a matching pair and you can then use the uncovered picture as an avatar on the high score tables in the main game.

Of course, like all games of this sort, multiplayer is the big focus. The enjoyment and value offered increases exponentially as you add friends and extra drums. Unlike before, winning in multiplayer is no longer determined by who can hammer the drum fastest on the final drum roll (a welcome fix on Nintendo’s part), calling for more skill or underhand tactics in order to win. Another major gripe with the original was the need to complete songs in single player in order to get coins to unlock the harder songs for multiplayer. This has been changed, thankfully, and now you can gain coins, and all the unlockable extras, without once going solo.

Donkey Konga 2 is quite obviously an extension of the original innovation. More songs, more mini-games, and more fun. And a lot more polish. With a much smoother front end and far more relaxing, sedentary backdrops in-game, visually, the game seems crisper and more vibrant with the overall quality of presentation a step up from the original. If you are an owner of the original, then a purchase seems inevitable. If not, the price and availability of the first game, and the drums make this a worthwhile outing. Fans of rhythm-action games, or collectors of these extra peripherals, or those in want of an experience not before seen on a Nintendo console, will also find value in Donkey Konga 2. It’s good to see Nintendo branching out into a new type of game and it’s particularly heart-warming to see them supporting (and continuing to support) their new and innovative brands.