The Kongversation: Donkey Kong Universe Discussion

Has Diddy Kong really been the bus driver on Toad's Turnpike in Mario Kart 64 this whole time? A possible overlooked Easter egg is debated by Hyle and Malik "The Cartoon Gamer" McLeod!

Streamed live during Day 1 of DK Vine's "Not E3" Stream-A-Ganza, it's an E3 Nintendo episode without the E3! What is the state of the Switch, and, with it, Donkey Kong, Star Fox, and... Banjo-Kazooie?

Streamed live during Day 2 of DK Vine's "Not E3" Stream-A-Ganza, it's an E3 Xbox episode without the E3! What is the state of the Xbox One and Xbox Series X, and, with it, Rare, Sea of Thieves, and... Banjo-Kazooie?

Streamed live during Day 3 of DK Vine's "Not E3" Stream-A-Ganza, it's an E3 episode without the E3! What is the state of the hallowed annual gaming event now that we've had our first year without it since 1994? Featuring Jeff, Jeff's candlelight, Jeff's buzzing generator, Jeff's grandfather, Jeff's grandfather's oxygen machine, and the demon that claimed them all.

We discuss the Sea of Thieves novel "Athena's Fortune" by Chris Allcock! An official tie-in that's canon with the game, it explores the history of the Pirate Lord, the discovery of the Sea of Thieves, and the foundation of piracy across the shared Rare universe.

Reactions to Funky and Dixie Kong being added to Mario Kart Tour. How should one react when a moment that should thrill you happens in a game you don't much care for?

Diddy Kong Racing is forgotten. Well, not by those of us who were there in 1997, or those who had N64s after their heyday, or those who are students of history. But to the general gaming populace and younger Nintendo fans? It's barely a footnote. And, as a result, the actual history of the Donkey Kong Universe is blurred. Hyle and Jeff discuss how we got here, the complicated legal rights of Diddy...

Finally! It's the Spotlight episode for Mario Golf (Game Boy Color), the RPG counterpart to the Nintendo 64 classic. Kid! Joe! Sherry! Azalea! And, for a few brief seconds, Donkey Kong! It's one of DK Vine's favorite Cameo Games... and one of our favorite games, period. Well, until Kiddy's Kitties knocks it off the list.

When the culture around a series changes, either through a new creative direction or evolving popular tastes, an older generation of fans is usually left feeling cold. It eventually happens to every fandom, and Donkey Kong is no exception. Neither is Sonic the Hedgehog, and that's why Hyle is joined by Josh "The Geek Critique" Wallen to discuss the war between generations (and why it's inevitably...

Happy thoughts! To keep our minds off of distressing times, Hyle and Jeff count down the top 10 happiest moments in Donkey Kong Universe fandom. Game reveals, surprising moments, and E3s and Nintendo Directs that put us on the moon. So that we may better punch it, naturally!

The here and now is a confusing, scary, uncertain place to be. So let's live in the future! In this episode, Hyle and Jeff examine the trajectory the Donkey Kong franchise seems to be on and attempt to figure out what this means for the next game... or even the next several games!

After we recorded a roughly six-hour commentary on Playtonic's Yooka-Laylee commentaries last season, we posed a challenge to our audience. Who among you would be the first to record a roughly six-hour commentary on our commentaries on Playtonic's commentaries? Just Andre was the one who answered the call, and so we must record the Kongversation topic of his choosing: the life story of Banjo-Tooie...

We continue our discussion of Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair! Spoilers on everything up to the fifth Trowzer Paywall (around Chapter 14). Please note that Hyle and Cameron are both bees in the game.

What's been going on in Sea of Thieves since it was last discussed on the show? Too much! The "omni-prequel" to nearly every Rare franchise ever continues to expand and evolve in both gameplay and lore, even becoming a full-fledged follow-up to a classic Ultimate: Play the Game franchise. But Hyle and Jeff are cranky old men and first want to discuss how annoying Superbowl commercials are, apparen...

A new season of the Kongversation kicks off with a recounting of our experiences hosting DK Vine's first-ever convention panel at MAGFest in January! What was it like unleashing the Donkey Kong Universe on unsuspecting attendees?

The Kongversation wraps up 2019 with the announcement of another silly season-wide contest, then looks back at the amazing year for the Donkey Kong Universe. Then, we get-a-predicting for what we'll see from Playtonic, Rare, and Donkey Kong in 2020!

The voice of Donkey Kong. The composer of more games than we can name. Grant Kirkhope finally comes to the Kongversation to discuss how it felt becoming the first western composer in Super Smash Bros., farts, bathroom etiquette with Shigeru Miyamoto, whether or not he'd write for another Banjo-Kazooie, and why his rendition of Donkey Kong sounds like an ape having an orgasm.

20 years on, The Kongversation looks at the legacy of Donkey Kong 64 and how an arguably flawed Donkey Kong game (and an even more flawed 3D platformer) still resonates with people. Yes, this one is expanded length.

Rare finally showed off their mysterious new game at X019: Everwild! Hyle and Jeff give their thoughts on the trailer and what their hopes for the game are, as well as discussing the other Rare news (and scorpions) coming out of the show!

Playtonic's Chris Sutherland returns to the Kongversation! Last time, it was before the Yooka-Laylee Kickstarter campaign had even been announced. This time, with it and Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair both released, we discuss his experiences developing them, what's on the horizon for Playtonic, and then get him to do more of the silly voices he's so well-known for.

Take a pill each time you hear befuddlement about the medical credentials of Mario and Donkey Kong characters during this one. I think you'll have unpleasant stomach bleeding by the end.

It's a scary stroll through everyone's favorite elevated haunted forest for crocodile people: Gloomy Gulch! In the very first Destination DKU episode, Hyle is joined by Playtonic's Daley "Kong" Johnson to discuss the beloved Donkey Kong Country 2 world!

Because we promised it, here it is: another deep-dive into the Nintendo Power catalogs of the 1990s. Come be amazed with us at the weird merchandise and the even weirder descriptions. You can even listen to this while you're pounding it out in the gym!

We begin our intensive and thorough discussion of Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair! Spoilers on everything up to the third Trowzer Paywall (around Chapter 8). Please note that Hyle and Jeff are both bees in the game.

Take a shot each time you hear an exasperated sigh during this one. I think you'll be pleasantly alcohol poisoned by the end.