The Kongversation: Donkey Kong Universe Discussion

It's looking to be a fairly substantial year for the Donkey Kong Universe at E3. With confirmed appearances by both Donkey Kong and Rare, Playtonic keeping mum about potential announcements, and the eternal mystery of what Retro is up to, Hyle and his E3 2018 cohort, Mitchell Wolfe from off of Super Jump, look at what DKU fans can expect this time around.

With news that Nintendo has filed a trademark for the Nintendo 64 Classic mini console, Hyle once again invited Josh Wallen from off of The Geek Critique on the show to have a Kongversation about both the Super Nintendo Entertainment System Classic and the Nintendo 64 Classic... and how the latter would even be possible without the majority of Rare's titles.

Now that Hyle has a Switch, he's finally turning his attention to the Donkey Kong Universe-centric games he has yet to pick up. Before any potential Yooka-Laylee DLC hits, that means he's first got to try out the Switch port of Yooka-Laylee. Done in-house by Playtonic over the better part of 2017, does it give Nintendo fans a worthwhile experience? Furthermore, have our opinions on Yooka-Laylee ch...

Did you know that Retro Studios is working on a spiritual Diddy Kong Racing successor starring Star Fox characters and featuring one or more cameos from the Kongs? You did? Of course, because it's CRAZY E3 RUMOR SEASON. Even in the face of potential malarkey, we do have some real news to report: Playtonic preparing to unload some new Yooka-Laylee content, Rare doing the same with Sea of Thieves, t...

We've unwrapped Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze (Switch, no colon)! What are our opinions on New Funky Mode, the price point, and, perhaps most importantly, where it takes place on the Donkey Kong Universe timeline? Join Hyle and Josh "The Geek Critique" Wallen for a freewheeling discussion!

There's a new book out, "Tales from the Sea of Thieves", that's presented as an in-universe journal from several hundred years ago. Mildewed and blood-splattered, it's as if you're holding a piece of the game world in your hands. Plus, not only does it expand and flesh out the lore of Sea of Thieves, but it also begins to tie it to the larger Donkey Kong Universe as well...

OOPS! It's another Kongversation Mini that has nothing to do with the topic matter the show is supposed to be about! Hyle and Jeff talk the DC Comics Universe in light of Action Comics reaching 1,000 issues, DC Rebirth, and the DC Extended Universe collapsing in on itself like that time Kyle Rayner imploded the planet Oa. DON'T PRETEND LIKE YOU DIDN'T GET THAT REFERENCE.

There's a new Animal Buddy in the Switch version of Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze. Introducing Funky's personal parrot: Tawks!

Sea of Thieves is finally here! The Kongversation gives its first impressions of the game in its released form, discussing what we love and addressing the somewhat shaky critical reception. How can anyone hate on a game that lets Hyle play as the ultimate pirate beefcake he's created?

Before the Kongversation embarks on several Sea of Thieves-related episodes, we take care of the dirty business of Smash Bros. discussion. Now that the fifth (or sixth?) iteration of the series has been announced for the Nintendo Switch, Hyle invites Mitchell Wolfe back to the show to help him deal with the recently scabbed wound being ripped open all over again. WHY WON'T YOU LOVE K. ROOL, SAKURA...

The Kongversation gets topical. More than a dozen topics, actually. After discussing some of the recent Donkey Kong news, we open up the show to what our listeners brave enough to phone in want to talk about. Shockingly, it's not just about wanting K. Rool in Smash Bros. It's, uh, a little of that though.

Dixie Kong. Video game hero. Trailblazing heroine. The second most famous woman of the 1990's to wear a beret. Dixie's in-universe life story is told here, while we also keep an eye on her constant struggles in the real world, from being ignored by marketing to her frequent multi-year hiatuses. Nevertheless, Dixie persisted. Also, how in shit's name does her hair work?

Recorded on Valentine's Day, Hyle and Nick look at the lovelorn, lusty almost hook-ups across the Donkey Kong Universe. It's a raunch-filled evening with more sex than you can shake a stick at. Although if you really want to be successful in the ways of romance, please refrain from shaking your stick at podcast hosts.

Hyle and Cameron discuss their experiences in the Sea of Thieves Closed Beta, which ran from January 24th through the 30th. Blissfully, it wasn't under an NDA, so we're actually able to talk about what happened! Are we still fanatical about Rare's newest release, or have ocean temperatures cooled? I realize that ocean temperatures cooling would be a good thing, but in this one specific case it wou...

Before you listen, check out our YouTube video on the T.T. matter at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VR1jH6zDA9k. Caught up? Good. #TTInSeaOfThieves!

Donkey Kong's going to be DLC in Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle this spring as a playable character inside a DKC-style world, all set to some new Grant Kirkhope music. Mitchell Wolfe is back in the co-host chair to discuss the finer points of Rabbids, hard-to-pronounce Creative Directors, and the glorious return of Donkey Kong 64's helivines.

A brand new year for the Kongversation begins with a near half-decade old game! But when that game is the brilliant yet overlooked Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze, is that really so bad? Hyle and TheCartoonGamer, Malik McLeod, discuss Tropical Freeze for the Switch and the all-new Funky Mode!

The season finale of the Kongversation sees us looking ahead to the distant, far off future of 2018, where we speculate (with reason) on what we'll see for Donkey Kong, Playtonic, and Sea of Thieves 'n' Rare!

Before the year is out, Hyle Russell and Jeff Onan reconvene to debate the legality of more games that are potentially part of the shared Donkey Kong Universe: Super Mario Odyssey, Kirby: Planet Robobot, Lunchables Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts Aerial Challenge, and Super Mario Maker! Along the way, they get into extremely nerdy debates about, well, everything, up to and including the actual defin...

The modes, worlds, tracks, and bosses of Diddy Kong Racing take us to the finish line of our Spotlight series, along with a contemplative look on the enduring legacy of the game. It's mostly those haystacks with eyes.

In the second part of the Diddy Kong Racing Spotlight, the boys discuss the surprisingly deep plot and characters of the game. Well, deep for a game where monkeys and mice race each other so they can then fight a large pig man. I'M SORRY YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND, DAD. Also, I don't give a crap that Apple Jacks taste nothing of apple.

20 years on, Hyle and Cameron reflect on perhaps the most important game ever for fans of Donkey Kong and Rare. It's the game that not only fulfilled the promise of Diddy Kong as a "Video Game Hero", but it introduced the world to Banjo, Conker, and an entire universe of characters.

Mumbo Jumbo is a magic man who turns things into other things. He wears a funny skull and has scaly pink skin because of reasons. This is an unnecessary podcast about him.

It looks as though "the merger" was more volatile than we had thought! In this Kongversation Mini, Hyle is joined by Cameron and David to analyze if Super Mario Odyssey's New Donk City has wrecked Donkey Kong continuity, and to also initiate the discussion about whether or not it should be considered a "Donkey Kong Universe" game. Spoilers for New Donk City!

The new book from Nintendo and Prima Games chronicling the history of the Super Nintendo is the latest tome the Kongversation takes off the shelf for a Literary Analysis. This is made somewhat surreal given that DK Vine itself is featured in the book. WHO WAS FIRED FOR THAT BLUNDER?