The racing is as rhythmic as banging on a bongo drum in “Donkey Kong Barrel Blast.” But this control scheme has its pros and pitfalls.
The action is more absorbing - from a physical standpoint - than prior racing games. Donkey and Diddy Kong, Kritter and other creatures from the jungle playground of Nintendo's great ape are outfitted with rocketing race belts that accelerate when they pound the twin barrels affixed to them.
They pound them when you pound your Wiimote and nunchuk - up and down in alternating rhythm, like drum sticks - until the character reaches full speed. To turn, you only wave one of the controllers and to jump, you raise them both. Coordinating your racer's movements is no picnic, but once you've mastered it, the process can be a rewarding alternative to navigating with a simple D-pad or analog stick.
However, it's only a rewarding idea - the execution is a somewhat different story. Although an on-screen prompt tells players they've reached full speed, it seems you always have to accelerate again within seconds or risk falling behind.
The controls respond weakly as well. An attempt to make a minimal turn to avoid an obstacle often takes an abundance of movement. While accelerating, the character is likely to veer into another racer or a wall unless the player's motions alternate in absolutely perfect rhythm.
Racing in “Barrel Blast” can also grow exhausting. More fit players should find the game a merely mild workout, but others may be nursing sore wrists and elbows after furiously waving their controllers up and down for several minutes at a time.
If the game wasn't so subpar, they might be tempted to stick through a few sessions to play pain free, because - for better or worse - “Barrel Blast” is yet another example of Nintendo giving its gamers a way to exercise.
The poorness of “Barrel Blast's” controls extends to its presentation. The depiction of the Donkey Kong cast and race tracks is decent for the Wii system, but the soundtrack rarely excites and grows repetitive after a few laps. Even though the characters are all apes and lizards, they make very few vocalizations.
The lazily designed tracks - 16 total - are typical climate variations like jungle, ocean and volcanic, with a mishmash of barrels, bananas and bees obstructing the courses at certain moments. Racers receive an all-too-brief speed boost by collecting 50 bananas. They can also remove each other from their paths with objects like zinger swarms and backward barrels, or very short-range punches to each other's faces that only reach forward.
Few modes of play are available to mix up the action. Standard time attack and grand prix modes are complemented by special in-race challenges from Candy Kong, such as hitting opponents with X number of backward barrels or collecting Y number of bananas.
While “Barrel Blast's” controls distinguish it from other racing games, the title still faces a dilemma of fruitlessness due to the success of Nintendo's signature racing series, “Mario Kart.” With such a high standard to meet, “Barrel Blast” seems destined to fail or, at best, fizzle. And with an ambitious but almost annoying control scheme and phoned-in presentation, the game falls somewhere in the middle. Players would be wise to wait for the Wii debut of the phenomenal “Kart” series, due in the spring.
Staff writer David Wilcox reviews video games for The Citizen. He can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 245 or david.wilcox@lee.net
If you play
What: “Donkey Kong Barrel Blast”
Score: 45 out of 100
Parental rating: E for everyone
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo Wii
Price: $49.99
Features: 4 player
Life span: Endless
The final boss: “Donkey Kong Barrel Blast” introduces an innovative control system for racing on the Wii that gives gamers intense exercise, but those controls - combined with average presentation - fail to translate into a fun playing experience.
They pound them when you pound your Wiimote and nunchuk - up and down in alternating rhythm, like drum sticks - until the character reaches full speed. To turn, you only wave one of the controllers and to jump, you raise them both. Coordinating your racer's movements is no picnic, but once you've mastered it, the process can be a rewarding alternative to navigating with a simple D-pad or analog stick.
However, it's only a rewarding idea - the execution is a somewhat different story. Although an on-screen prompt tells players they've reached full speed, it seems you always have to accelerate again within seconds or risk falling behind.
The controls respond weakly as well. An attempt to make a minimal turn to avoid an obstacle often takes an abundance of movement. While accelerating, the character is likely to veer into another racer or a wall unless the player's motions alternate in absolutely perfect rhythm.
Racing in “Barrel Blast” can also grow exhausting. More fit players should find the game a merely mild workout, but others may be nursing sore wrists and elbows after furiously waving their controllers up and down for several minutes at a time.
If the game wasn't so subpar, they might be tempted to stick through a few sessions to play pain free, because - for better or worse - “Barrel Blast” is yet another example of Nintendo giving its gamers a way to exercise.
The poorness of “Barrel Blast's” controls extends to its presentation. The depiction of the Donkey Kong cast and race tracks is decent for the Wii system, but the soundtrack rarely excites and grows repetitive after a few laps. Even though the characters are all apes and lizards, they make very few vocalizations.
The lazily designed tracks - 16 total - are typical climate variations like jungle, ocean and volcanic, with a mishmash of barrels, bananas and bees obstructing the courses at certain moments. Racers receive an all-too-brief speed boost by collecting 50 bananas. They can also remove each other from their paths with objects like zinger swarms and backward barrels, or very short-range punches to each other's faces that only reach forward.
Few modes of play are available to mix up the action. Standard time attack and grand prix modes are complemented by special in-race challenges from Candy Kong, such as hitting opponents with X number of backward barrels or collecting Y number of bananas.
While “Barrel Blast's” controls distinguish it from other racing games, the title still faces a dilemma of fruitlessness due to the success of Nintendo's signature racing series, “Mario Kart.” With such a high standard to meet, “Barrel Blast” seems destined to fail or, at best, fizzle. And with an ambitious but almost annoying control scheme and phoned-in presentation, the game falls somewhere in the middle. Players would be wise to wait for the Wii debut of the phenomenal “Kart” series, due in the spring.
Staff writer David Wilcox reviews video games for The Citizen. He can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 245 or david.wilcox@lee.net
If you play
What: “Donkey Kong Barrel Blast”
Score: 45 out of 100
Parental rating: E for everyone
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo Wii
Price: $49.99
Features: 4 player
Life span: Endless
The final boss: “Donkey Kong Barrel Blast” introduces an innovative control system for racing on the Wii that gives gamers intense exercise, but those controls - combined with average presentation - fail to translate into a fun playing experience.
The Citizens' Say
There are No comments posted.