The Kongversation: Donkey Kong Universe Discussion

Well, this is weird. Hyle and Josh "The Geek Critique" Wallen imagine a fantasy E3 where almost everything breaks DK Vine's way. A week full of DKU announcements and surprises across the entire spectrum of studios and franchises. Escape from the dreary world to a fantasy haunted spider hotel where your E3 wishes actually come true!

A weekend of rumors snowballing like some sort of ursine mammal transformed on the ice side of a volcanic island lead to... disappointment! What else? Hyle and Jeff talk about Bear Hikes, bears taking a hike, and the genuinely exciting Sea of Thieves update announced at today's Xbox presentation!

Welcome to the E3 of the mind. With no official show this year but the potential for game announcements, DK Vine's "Not E3" 2022 will combine the thrills of gaming's annual event with the uncertainty of every other time of the year. On this live kickoff episode, we speculate what may be shown DKU-wise from Rare, Nintendo, and Playtonic!

Is Donkey Kong's beloved rhinoceros companion named after Bambi or Rambo? This is about the only thing we DON'T discuss in this episode that delves into the ins, the outs, and the outs made ins by Rambi smashing through walls!

What makes the level names of the Donkey Kong Country and Land series so memorable? Hyle and Matt have a lovely little chat about the poetry of the map screen, including our favorites and some memorable interpretations across multiple languages!

I'm the key figure in an ongoing government charade, the plot to conceal the truth about the existence of extraterrestrials in the Donkey Kong Universe. It's a global conspiracy, actually, with key players in the highest levels of power, that reaches down into the lives of every monkey, bear, and squirrel on this planet. So, of course, no one believes me. I'm an annoyance to my superiors, a joke t...

Did Donkey Konga hurt the public's perception of Donkey Kong in the West? That's the claim that former Nintendo of America COO Reggie Fils-Aimé has made, so it's time for DK Vine to partner with the Geek Critique to look back on the most divisive time in DK fandom! Josh Wallen is in the co-host chair!

In the juiciest episode of the Kongversation ever recorded, Hyle and Dustin book a ticket to the eco-friendly island factory of Juicy Jungle! More than just Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze's fifth world, it's a location steeped in the lore of Donkey Kong and the DKU. Make like a pig and lap up these audio juices with your ears!

The return of RareRacers, plus general geeking out over the existence of Great Mighty Poo, Rareware, and DKU merchandise! https://www.fangamer.com/collections/rare

Released on the same day as Banjo-Tooie and effectively replaced only two-and-a-half years later with another remake, the Game Boy Color version of Donkey Kong Country is a relatively forgotten curiosity in DKU canon. But we? We sort of love it. The Kongversation puts the Spotlight on a game where you can't even properly display spotlights: DKC GBC!

Yooka-Laylee has turned five! Hyle and Dustin celebrate the Yooka-Layleeversary by looking back at how the presence of Playtonic Games has boosted Donkey Kong Universe fandom over the last half-decade. Plus, we also speculate and share what we'd like to see from them next!

The Kongversation discusses the newest DKU Cameo Game, Jitsu Squad! It's an indie 2-D beat 'em up/1990s martial arts pastiche with guest appearances by Yooka, Laylee, and Rextro Sixtyfourus! Master Ramen requests that you listen. Master Ramen also reminds you that you can't hear the podcast if you can't stop laughing at his name.

For a character with relatively few games, Conker's had some dramatic tweaks to his art style and presentation throughout the years. The Kongversation discusses the evolution of Conker's look (and his world) from marshmallow fingers to football head!

JINJO! Hyle and Malik get into all of the hidden lore and history of the Jinjo species from off of the Banjo-Kazooie series!

For Women's History Month, Hyle is joined by Gibbon and Courtney "Altermentality" Svatek to look at the ladies of the Donkey Kong Universe! From quiet trailblazers like Dixie Kong and Kazooie to those who caused flooding on the path (Candy Kong, Berri), it's an expansive look at some of our favorites across the DK series, Banjo-Kazooie, Conker, Dinosaur Planet, Yooka-Laylee, and more! Additional r...

The Rarenaissance era, which we've been living in for the past eight years, has seen the embers of Rare reignite across the games and studios of the Donkey Kong Universe. As the era nears its end and we prepare to embark on what's next, Hyle and Mitchell reflect on the last near-decade of the DKU!

Happy holidays! Hyle and Jeff discuss the holiday season, and a season of change, in Sea of Thieves. As Season Five winds down, we look back at sitting down, talk about eating pounds of rat, question who's the true star of loads, and review the introduction of Belle and the Shrouded Islands adventure!

Let's guzzle some tea and have another chat about Sabre Wulf! Hyle has revived his DK Vine Forum series "The Slush Fun'd" to chronicle his experiences playing the Game Boy Advance cult classic, and he and Dustin will delve into all of his findings and theories, including the game's timeline placement in the DKU and a grand unifying theory between it, Donkey Kong Land, Conker's Pocket Tales, Donkey...

We give our quick thoughts on Banjo-Kazooie on Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack. The performance, the differences, and the joy of having the Nintendo 64 version available once again!

In the first of several special Tribunal episodes throughout the season, Hyle and the gang set out to reexamine if Sabre Wulf for the Game Boy Advance should be considered part of the shared universe of Donkey Kong. It's a twisty, convoluted journey into how shared universes have evolved in the popular imagination over the past 50 years, DK Vine's own rules on the subject, and how it all relates t...

It's a special LIVE New Year's Forecast 2022! Hyle and Gibbon look into the ORB to see what the year ahead may entail for the Donkey Kong Universe, and then they usher in 2022 for the homeland of Rare and Playtonic!

Inspired by the fervor that Fangamer's RareRacers pins caused, Hyle, Cameron, and Jeff sit down to discuss all of the various shapes and sizes that a new Rare racing game could take and what we would most like to see. Got milk?

Since our discussion of the Dinosaur Planet ROM, even more of it has been uncovered. In fact, we now have an entire view of the game's storyline and shocking twists, some of which differ quite a bit from Star Fox Adventures. Steve from off of Rare Gamer returns to discuss the alternate reality that could have been!

In the Kongversation's last Sea of Thieves recap of the year, Hyle and Jeff look back at Season Four of Rare's ongoing pirate prequel, which explored the underwater kingdom of the Sirens, saw Halloween and Thanksgiving-inspired events, and... introduced Kremlings?

The Kongversation discusses all of the big news about Playtonic's ambitious plans before focusing on Demon Turf, the new Hell-based 3D platformer published by Playtonic Friends and featuring an appearance by Yooka and Laylee!