The Kongversation: Donkey Kong Universe Discussion

Ever since Nintendo's arguably underwhelming showing at E3, and the death of President Satoru Iwata, the company's actions have been... well, curious is the polite phrasing. Chad, Hyle, and a selection of callers (most of them Mametchi) attempt to unpack the past and divine the future of Nintendo Company Limited. Check our our rewards on Patreon! https://dkvine.com/patreon

Though the Donkey Kong Universe started as a series of child-friendly games, it's never shied away from the unsettling. Chad, Hyle, and a handful of callers remember and uneasily celebrate some of the creepiest moments this cartoon animal-centric series has to offer. Check our our rewards on Patreon! https://dkvine.com/patreon

So it's come to this... Patreon. DK Vine is evolving, and with this episode we're proud to usher in the new era of the site. Discover what you get by becoming a Patron and what DK Vine can become if we convince enough of you to do so. Then, in the second hour, we take listener calls and discuss some of the Donkey Kong Universe news of the day. Learn more about DK Vine on Patreon at https://dkvine....

Donkey Kong Land recently came to the Virtual Console and celebrated its 20th anniversary. Only the second-ever game in the modern Donkey Kong series and the entire Donkey Kong Universe, it didn't just ride the wave of Donkey Kong Country mania when it debuted: It helped make that wave a tsunami. So why has this classic Game Boy game been mostly forgotten by the history books? Hyle and Chad dust o...

The most surprising crossover of 2015 has to be Donkey Kong (and the other guy... you know, the turtle thing from Mario) appearing in Skylanders SuperChargers. Hyle, being the DKU absolutist he is, went all in on the game and its myriad of starter packs. So, how does the snobbish Donkey Kong Country fan take to a game that's commonly thought of as a cash grab for children? Surprisingly, it might b...

A squirrel can have as many lives as he thinks he can get away with. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for his games. Chad, Hyle, and a few callers celebrate Rare's Conker Theme Week with a look back at the cancelled titles in his oeuvre, including the newest game to join those ranks: Project Spark: Conker's Big Reunion. It's true what they say; You don't really know what it is you even have u...

We're often asked why we consider one game part of the Donkey Kong Universe and not another. Our legal framework is simple: We cover every game that follows on from or spins out of Donkey Kong Country. Well, it USED to be simple, but we live in an ever-complicated era full of Twitter proclamations from the creators and confusing IP ownership. Join us as we discuss three games that may or may not b...

Yarr ha-harrr, hoist the mainbrace, etcetarrrrrrrra! We take a break from Rare Replay to indulge a handful of bizarre listener calls, followed by an update on everything we (probably don't) know about Rare's upcoming pirate game, Sea of Thieves! Call the Kongversation with your questions at 1-281-410-KONG (5664).

Gregg Mayles recently released a massive amount of information on the early days of Banjo-Kazooie. That is, everything between Project Dream and the version we've come to know and adore (and have sexy dreams about). In this episode, we discuss the saucy tidbits of Banjo's development we never knew before. Programming note: Chad's continuing to have issues with his microphone, so his audio becomes...

With a steady amount building up over the last several weeks, we've got no choice but to stop, drop everything, and empty our Call Sack once again! Yes, it's a listener call episode. If you'd like to participate in this nonsense, don't forget that you can contribute by phoning the DK Vine Hotline at 1-281-410-KONG. Nervous? Then have no fear, because this week's episode is sponsored by alcohol!

In honor of the Virtual Boy's 20th anniversary, we take a look at the controversial but charming "third tier" of Nintendo in the mid-1990's. Touching upon every released game for the system, we lead up to the brief development of Rare's red and black Donkey Kong Country 2 port. Welcome to Space World. Let's go!

We're once again joined by Steve from Rare Gamer (raregamer.co.uk), this time to discuss his experiences at Microsoft's X15 show in Toronto. He dug in deep with several Rare employees, but did he get any dirt? Later in the show, we get a special call from a VERY IMPORTANT PERSON concerning the canon of Rare Replay's opening musical number. WHO COULD IT BE? Oh, it's Chris Allcock from Rare. Hi, Chr...

Instead of having this be part 2 of 30, we opted instead to get in as much Rare Replay discussion as possible in this episode, touching on nearly every game. See, we could have just said "from the sublime games to the BALL-BUSTING INFURIATING ones, Rare Replay is a massive achievement and a worthy tribute to the company's storied legacy." We could have said that. We turned it into a two hour-plus...

It's a Rare Replay; let's join the fray With opinions and nostalgic talk! The most rambling words that you've ever heard, We're far less skilled than Chris Allcock.

It's the return of Kevin Callahan and new Diddy Kong Racing Wii U rumors! Before that, we discuss the latest from Rare Replay and Super Smash Bros. For, including that controversial K. Rool costume. Fake characters and fake news. Is there anything real about this week's episode?

After taking a handful of listener calls, Chad and Hyle make a borderline inappropriate tonal shift into a somber and respectful (yes, really!) conversation about the sadly deceased corporate president, game developer, and gamer Satoru Iwata, and the legacy he has left us all.

Chad and Hyle are joined by Kongversation caller and DK Vine Forum member Mitchell Wolfe to discuss the Donkey Kong Universe showings at San Diego Comic-Con 2015! Mitchell was in attendance and gives his recollections from the front lines on both Rare and Nintendo's presence at the only show nerdier than E3.

Happy Xmas (E3 is Over)! It's been a ridiculous amount of time since we checked in with our listener hotline, but there's no better time than the present. Unless that time was a few weeks ago, so we wouldn't be in this mess at all. That probably would have been a better time.

We put E3 2015 to bed with an orgy involving the DK Vine staff. Well, not Jeff. Learn the thoughts, opinions and reflections of Matt, Cameron, Nick and Joe as DK Vine wraps up our wildest E3 yet.

Here's the inside story of Chad and Hyle meeting close to a dozen Rare staffers, both past and present, at E3. The most surreal week ever of our years of fandom involved lengthy conversations about Rare Replay, Sea of Thieves and the entire history of Rare. This episode is a day-by-day recounting of our time with the Twycross crew, and we share everything we believe we're allowed to discuss. Is th...

So what do we think about the old N's showings? The boys give their thoughts on Donkey Kong's starring turn in Skylanders, Star Fox Zero and the ramifications this has on continuity, Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash and more! We also share our experience with Nintendo on the show floor at E3, including chance encounters in the men's room. Spicy stuff!

The #Rarenaissance goes to the past! The #Rarenaissance takes to the seas! Rare fans unite, as Chad and Hyle are joined by Amir from Killer Instinct Central and Steve from Rare Gamer to talk about Gears of War 4! Wait, no. We're talking about Rare Replay and Sea Of Thieves, as well as the new Rare logo and return of the company's grand ethos of humor and world building. All this, plus a very speci...

Chad and Hyle are joined by DKVine staffer Jeff Onan to discuss everything they hope to see at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo! As the trio is fond of bragging, they have become quite good at "reading the tea leaves" over the years. Prepare yourself for both well-reasoned soothsaying and wild, blind stabs in the dark. All told, this episode encompasses DKVine's final predictions for E3 i...

With only a week until E3, we're scrambling to get things ready for the biggest time of the year (for a weirdo Donkey Kong website). We've got some Yooka-Laylee news to discuss at the very end of the show, but first some basic E3 pimping and lots more listener calls to plow through.

An unprecedented E3 announcement leads the show (after an unnecessary David Letterman discussion), which has largely been telegraphed by this episode's title. But after their BOMBSHELL ANNOUNCEMENT, they spend the bulk of this episode plowing through the backlog of listener calls that piled up the last two weeks while we were busy shitting on nostalgic rose-tinting.