The Kongversation: Donkey Kong Universe Discussion

Hyle and Jeff "Listup" their top 10 Donkey Kong Universe games! Which elite titles from the past 30 years made their lists? Why did some controversial picks make the cut, while some widely beloved entries fail to reach the tiptop of the Tiptup? Hopefully, neither of the hosts is too Tanktup to make their case!

Which period of time is the least discussed from the height of Donkey Kong Country Mania? The months before Donkey Kong Country Mania! The Kongversation goes back 30 years to the summer of 1994 when Nintendo of America announced DKC, and their whole new attitude, to the world at the Summer Consumer Electronics Show!

Season of Thieves: Season 12 introduced new tools and mechanics, some a long time coming, that further evolved Rare's bestselling pirate adventure. However, as the gameplay possibilities expanded, the game's narrative integrity degraded. Welcome to the Sea of Thieves season where ghost parents used a magic sword off-screen to remember their daughter's arm!

Expresso the ostrich has never reached the stature of Rambi, Squawks, or Enguarde in the menagerie of Animal Buddies in the Donkey Kong series. But he's come close. And despite being mostly known for the original Donkey Kong Country, he's had one of the more diverse and storied careers out of not just the Buddies, but all DK characters! The Kongversation explores the adventures of Expresso: the jo...

The Donkey Kong Universe has been in a severe game drought since 2019, but it's been even longer if you've been counting since the last original, standalone Donkey Kong game (10 years) or the last Banjo-Kazooie title (16 years). How does a diehard fanatic of any or all of these franchises cope? Hyle is joined by Josh Wallen from off of the Geek Critique to discuss historical methods he's used in t...

We answer some of the calls we've received on the DK Vine Hotline (1-202-630-VINE) over the summer game announcement season concerning Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, Yooka-Replaylee, Super Mario Party Jamboree, and more!

Celebrating 20 years, Rare's overlooked and underappreciated Game Boy Advance gem Sabre Wulf followed up Sabreman's revival in Banjo-Tooie with a sprawling, innovative adventure unlike anything else in the GBA library. Hyle is joined by gaming collector and handheld aficionado Freezer to discuss one of the DKU's more obscure branches!

The Kongversation explores Forever Entertainment S.A., the mysterious studio behind the mask of Donkey Kong Country Returns HD!

Broadcast live earlier in the day on https://twitch.tv/dkvine, Hyle and Dustin discuss today's Nintendo Direct and the surprisingly logical decision it announced: the definitive version of Donkey Kong Country Returns!

Broadcast live earlier in the day on https://twitch.tv/dkvine, Hyle is joined by the Cartoon Gamer for a robust and lively chat on all things Yooka-Replaylee, Playtonic's recently announced enhanced remaster of the original Yooka-Laylee!

Broadcast live earlier in the day on https://twitch.tv/dkvine, DK Vine discusses the 2024 Xbox Showcase! While lacking any grand Banjo-Kazooie revival announcement or even an update on Everwild, we did get the expected Sea of Thieves trailer... and the surprise trailer for another long-awaited Rare franchise reboot.

Broadcast live earlier in the day on https://twitch.tv/dkvine, DK Vine kicks off its Stinky Ape Summer by discussing what's possibly on deck concerning Rare and Donkey Kong in the upcoming game showcases from Xbox and Nintendo... and what was just revealed by Playtonic in the form of Yooka-Replaylee!

Diddy Kong Racing upended Donkey Kong Country fandom in 1997 by setting itself up as a backdoor pilot for Rare's Banjo-Kazooie and Conker franchises. This created a lot of expectations for the rest of the cast. Hyle and Jeff reflect on all of the Diddy Kong Racing spinoffs we wanted... and some that came close to existing!

The original Mario vs. Donkey Kong, which received a Nintendo Switch remake earlier this year, has turned 20! While controversial within corners of the Donkey Kong fandom, the series has endured for two decades with numerous sequels. Resident Mario vs. Donkey Kong enthusiast I.M. Gibbon joins noted skeptic Hyle to discuss the history of Donkey Kong Arcade Era revivals, how it led us here, and the...

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair." There was one Dickens of an E3 that contained enough Donkey Kong Universe games for two cities... and wildly di...

The Kongversation catches up with all the latest news and updates on the Donkey Kong Country half of Super Nintendo World! While the expansion has been delayed until the end of the year in Japan, Universal Orlando has fully revealed its existence for next year's Epic Universe. This includes new details, never-before-revealed specifics, and a fresh international identity for a certain Donkey Kong c...

The results are in! DK Vine's Patrons (https://www.patreon.com/dkvine) have voted on who drafted the best library of DKU games on the DKU Draft 2024 Special. Hyle and Jeff analyze the politics of DKU fandom and what went into drafting the winning team (as well as the losing two)!

We get into all of the features, both exciting and controversial, of the Shmegoobagooba's Season 11! Yes, welcome to Worm Week. Rare's doubled it! Number go up :)

Inspired by the NFL Draft, the Kongversation sits down Hyle, Jeff, and Mitchell to each draft five Donkey Kong Universe video games for their respective teams. With a mad scramble to recruit the favorites, it quickly becomes a mad scramble of gamesmanship and heartbreak. Which captain will score the superior DKU library?

One of the most iconic and enduring locations in the Donkey Kong Universe, Banjo's comfy country cottage tucked away in Spiral Mountain has been the starting point of nearly every adventure he and Kazooie have embarked on since 1998. Hyle and Dustin break down the history, and the hidden secrets, of this charming bear den!

Nintendo and Illumination have announced they're releasing "a new animated film based on the world of Super Mario Bros." in 2026. The question that naturally arises with such odd phrasing is, will this be a direct sequel to the previous film or the purported Donkey Kong spinoff? The Kongversation champs some popcorn and slanders some Hollywood stars in our debate over the nature of Nintendo's next...

The Kongversation once again opens up the Call Sack! Our listeners called the DK Vine Hotline at 1-202-630-VINE to prompt us on what to discuss across the wide Donkey Kong Universe!

In DKU Architects, the Kongversation examines the creative philosophies behind the minds that helped shape the Donkey Kong Universe. Up first is the design brilliance of Gregg Mayles, the creative juggernaut at Rare who lent his talents to Donkey Kong Country, Banjo-Kazooie, Viva Piñata, Sea of Thieves, and more!

Hey, it's Tiptup! Believe it or not, Diddy Kong Racing's speedy turtle, who would go on to become a minor character in the Banjo-Kazooie series, was once one of Rare's most popular characters. Learn about the fervent late 1990s devotion to the maestro as we explore his life history on the Kongversation!

Why do a fourth episode on Stop 'N' Swop? What more could possibly be said for the fabled scrapped feature that would have connected Banjo-Kazooie, Donkey Kong 64, Banjo-Tooie, and at least three more of Rare's N64 titles? Steve from off of Rare Gamer is back to take it to the fridge, freezer, or shower!