Donkey Kong 64

Game Overview
Donkey Kong 64 came out in 1999 for the Nintendo 64, developed by Rare and published by Nintendo. It was one of the bigger 3D platformers on the system, arriving in an era when expansive worlds and collect-a-thons were starting to define the genre.

You control a crew of five Kongs, each with unique abilities like Chunky’s strength or Tiny’s ponytail helicopter, and explore large, interactive levels to gather golden bananas, musical instruments, and colored bananas. The main goal is to stop King K. Rool, but the real focus is on methodical exploration and backtracking with different Kongs to access new areas. The pacing is deliberate, sometimes slow, as you revisit zones to collect items you couldn’t reach earlier. It feels like piecing together a massive, colorful puzzle where every character brings something new to the adventure.