Lightguns, trackballs, Airpads, maracas, light-pens, Kempston Pro joysticks. Yes, every novelty peripheral has its 15 seconds in your sweaty palms before it's condemned forever to the same dank Dreamcast/PC Engine-laden corner. But that's not so with the bongos left over from Donkey Konga because Nintendo have found another use for the drums. And it doesn't involve propping doors open
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DK Jungle Beat once again uses the drums to control Donkey Kong but, instead of matching beats and claps, this game uses the plastic percussion instruments for platforming. Hit the right drum and your simian slave will scoot that way. Beat it again and he will accelerate but slap the other skin and the monkey will leap into the air. But not everyone loves letting the musical monkey rampage through the landscape, so he can also throw punches with a clap or a tap on the side of the drum.
With bonus boss battles demanding rapid pummelling to fire Donkey's punches, and the race and chase events demanding almost breakneck beats, DK Jungle Beat looks like an insane idea, if a little bit of a tiring one.
And if that sounds like a little bit too much effort, slowly use your clicking finger to inspect the cornucopia of screens we've discovered for you.
DK Jungle Beat will be released for Gamecube on 4 February
