The Kongversation: Donkey Kong Universe Discussion

We've played Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair early! Here are our first, spoiler-free thoughts on the new 2D platformer from Playtonic.

Gavin Price, Managing Director and Creative Lead of Playtonic Games, joins us on the Kongversation! With a little over a week before the release of the studio's Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair (https://www.playtonicgames.com/yooka-laylee-and-the-impossible-lair-pre-orders-live/), Gavin opens up about the inspirations behind their second game, lessons learned from the original Yooka-Laylee, an...

On the seventh annual Talk Like a Pirate Day episode, Hyle and Jeff abstain from talking like pirates (for the most part). They do, however, finally make a ruling on Sea of Thieves' place in the tapestry of the shared universe of Rare and Donkey Kong. PK! Pepito Kong! PK! Pepito Kong is here!

Banjo-Kazooie are now in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate! Mitchell Wolfe, who has been with the Kongversation's Ultimate journey from the start, returns to the show to discuss this seismic moment in the Donkey Kong Universe.

Camelot's first Mario Golf game, Mario Golf, is 20 years old! Not to be confused with Camelot's second Mario Golf game, Mario Golf, which turns 20 next month.

20 years of fan culture. 20 years of like-minded weirdos. 20 years of DK Vine. Hyle, Matt, and numerous figures from the community look back on the past two decades.

Hyle and Jeff talk more about the upcoming Donkey Kong Island attraction at Universal Orlando's Epic Universe. Mine Cart Madness! Funky's Fly 'n' Buy! Ellie the elephant! All that, plus the bones of Benedict Cumberbatch!

It's another episode about a big Sea of Thieves update, but this one is different. Sea of Thieves' Anniversary Update is more akin to Sea of Thieves II (The Legend of Curly's Shores of Gold), dramatically enriching the game and making it the fully fleshed-out experience it was always destined to be. Hyle and Jeff discuss all the big changes, but mostly use the time to chat about the brilliant Tall...

So here it is. A mind-blistering four-hour podcast about Banjo, Kazooie and their inclusion in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. I hope this satisfies you as much as it broke me.

E3 is over, but what happened on the show floor? Hyle and Jeff talk about the games they played and the encounters they made along the way. Oh yes. We did. WE BROUGHT BACK THE SPIDERS.

ATTENTION! If you want to see us on video, watch this episode on YouTube to see Mitchell and Cameron's teeming frustration with Hyle's sleep deprived musings. Recorded over two nights and one morning, from Tuesday June 11th to Thursday June 13th, this episode captures the unfolding experience of Nintendo's E3 2019 Direct and the seismic reveal of Banjo-Kazooie in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

ATTENTION! If you want to see us on video, watch this episode on YouTube to see Jeff dress like a trash monster. This past Friday, Playtonic finally unveiled their second game: Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair. A Donkey Kong Country-inspired 2D platformer with a 3D, top-down overworld, it scratches so many itches that our bodies were writhing about with. Bee-lieve it.

ATTENTION! If you want to see us on video, watch this episode on YouTube to see Hyle's hair stick up on end for hours! Now then: the 2019 Xbox Briefing. What happened? Where was Rare? What the hell, Keanu Reeves? Go to hell, camera jib obscuring our view! Yes, the DK Vine Love Shack team was live in the audience, and we've got anecdotes! Oh, do we ever.

Hyle and Mitchell preview E3 2019 and everything we think we'll plausibly see (and some things we just hope to see) from Playtonic, Rare, Donkey Kong... and a certain bear and bird in a certain fighting game. Yep. Barter Bear and Parry the Parallel Bird in Clayfighter.

Spinning out of the Conker's Other Bad Day discussion last episode, Hyle is joined once again by I.M. Gibbon to discuss the newest project from Chris Seavor: The Unlikely Legend of Rusty Pup. It's a bit of a breather before E3 2019 madness begins!

Episode number aside, the only similarity this one has with the famed convenience store chain is the amount of rodent hair. We're talking extensively about the now-revealed plot for Chris Seavor's long-lost planned sequel to Conker's Bad Fur Day, Conker's OTHER Bad Day. Featuring shocking resurrections! Surprising deaths! Salacious double-crossing! And, as always, a sloppy supply of shit.

On this episode, Hyle reflects on the mistakes of his and DK Vine's past. This leads to a discussion on how the infamous quote supposedly given by Donkey Kong Jungle Beat's Yoshiaki Koizumi about the Donkey Kong Country characters not being "fresh enough for today" was actually mistranslated. Like most of the game, apparently! Featuring I.M. Gibbon of https://www.dkgirder.com

It continues! Hyle and Mitchell won't be Flappy Flighting over any details, as we complete the Yooka-Laylee Developer Commentary discussion with Moodymaze Marsh, Capital Cashino, Galleon Galaxy, and the climatic battle with Capital B. Those who manage to endure the duration will also be dealt a challenge that you can't refuse!

Playtonic recently completed their Developer Commentary series, where they discussed the development process and what went into the creation of each world. Since we also discuss things here on the Kongversation, we decided to discuss them discussing the development process and what went into the creation of each world. We also use the opportunity to reflect on where we are with Yooka-Laylee two ye...

Happy Earth Day! What? You're listening to this episode in October? That doesn't matter! EVERY DAY IS EARTH DAY! And on this episode of the Kongversation, Hyle and Shane discuss the ecological messages of the Donkey Kong Universe and what we can learn from those games to better improve the health of our own island. Uh, which is Earth. Because, like, it floats in space and stuff.

The Smackdown has been layeth, but now our Call Sack is overfloweth! It's time for put a towel on the floor and sop up the spillage. Hyle and David answer numerous listener calls about a wide range of topics across the Donkey Kong Universe, Rare, and Playtonic spectrum!

On this episode, Hyle and Jeff reflect on one year of Sea of Thieves, focusing specifically on the major updates recently made to the game: Shrouded Spoils from last November and the Anniversary Update dropping next month. That's all well and good, but the question most Kongversation listeners probably have is, "How is it that Sea of Thieves isn't part of the Donkey Kong Universe yet?" Then hit pl...

On this episode, someone DIES. Also dying? Our long-held understanding of what the Donkey Kong game in development for the Virtual Boy was going to be! In a follow-up appointment from episode 335, Hyle and Cameron pull out the red-and-black visor and blast off to Space World for a new round of information on the ever-so-brief Virtual Boy project at Rare. What was it if it wasn't a port of Donkey K...

On this episode, the true name of the screaming madman at the beginning of every Kongversation is revealed! But that got us thinking about mysteries still left unsolved, namely the ones of the Donkey Kong Universe. From dangling cliffhangers to in-game oddities, Hyle and Jeff try to get to (and in) the bottom of some of their favorites!

There's suddenly loads of news to discuss when it comes to our favorite Rs: Retro Studios and Rare Ltd! Retro is officially making Metroid Prime 4. What happened there? Hyle brings on the closest thing to a "resident Metroid expert" he knows, Josh Wallen from off of The Geek Critique, to discuss the tortured history of both Metroid Prime 4 and Retro's last five years. Then, Phil Spencer is droppin...