The Kongversation: Donkey Kong Universe Discussion

DK Vine enters a new era! Broadcast live on https://www.twitch.tv/dkvine, Hyle's joined by Josh from off of the Geek Critique to discuss what's ahead for DK Vine as the hub for Donkey Kong Universe fandom in the weeks, months, and hopefully years to come!

Sea of Thieves' Season Nine was its longest yet. Stretched out over seven months, it was intended to be a lowkey series of updates focused on quality-of-life improvements that, due to delays for future content, bore the weight of much of Rare's 2023. However, it wasn't without its charms! Hyle and Jeff check in with Rare's ongoing pirate adventure!

It's autumn! Crisp air, pumpkin-flavored beverages and desserts, and all the cider your supple little cheeks can swallow. And what better place to spend the fall than the island in the Rare Archipelago most associated with it? Hyle and Dustin celebrate Oktoberfest in Autumn Heights!

Hyle and Cameron discuss the end of new content in Mario Kart Tour, the strange melancholy of it, and what it and the end of the Booster Course Pass could mean for the future of Mario Kart!

Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty's Revenge. Overlooked. Dismissed. Forgotten. And... vitally important to the history of Banjo-Kazooie? Hyle and Dustin honor the Game Boy Advance midquel in light of its 20th anniversary, examining why the underrated gem means so much to the hardcore Banjo-Kazooie and DKU fandoms!

Stinky Ape Summer comes to a close with our annual Talk Like a Pirate Day episode! This time, Hyle and Dustin pick up a discussion they started back in June about Rare, Rare's legacy, and how they could do a better job in honoring it. The answer? Put Captain Blackeye in Sea of Thieves!

Broadcasted live on DK Vine's Twitch channel at https://twitch.tv/dkvine, Hyle and Josh from off of the Geek Critique discuss the September 2023 Nintendo Direct! From a leak that unnecessarily raised expectations to a nine-year drama ending in victory, few Nintendo Directs ran the full gamut of emotions for Donkey Kong fans!

Having recently passed the 25th anniversary of the infamous Donkey Kong Country cartoon's premiere in his native United States, Hyle comes to terms with the adaptation that many fans love and that he's historically loathed. The Cartoon Gamer joins the show to discuss with him how his feelings have softened over the years and why he now respects its place in history. (Mostly!)

The Kongversation reflects on Charles Martinet's surprise retirement from voice acting in Mario games. What's the hardcore Donkey Kong fanatic perspective on the loss of his frienemy's familiar mouth sounds?

An entire episode of the Kongversation centered on the upcoming Donkey Kong Country section of Super Nintendo World in Osaka and Orlando! Hyle and Dustin break down everything that's known and leaked about the little slice of Kongo Jungle, including all the twists and turns of the minecart coaster!

Why is Camelot's second console Mario Golf game so beloved by a subset of Donkey Kong Universe fans? Hyle and David discuss the legacy of Toadstool Tour in light of its 20th anniversary, including Diddy's playable debut in a game not developed by Rare. We also delve into the history of DK Vine's infamous "prosthetic golfing fingers" rationale, pinpointing the precise date and time Hyle vomited out...

The Donkey Kong sub-series for LEGO Super Mario has arrived! Hyle shares his first impressions with Dustin, full of amusing anecdotes about building the characters and playsets, navigating the LEGO Super Mario app, and trying to figure out the all-important question: IS IT CANON?

The Geek Critique is back on the Kongversation for a lengthy discussion about the most magical time for a fan of a video game series. No, not when you're playing a new game. Before that. The time between the official reveal and release, when your brain centers on this one monumental target of upcoming excitement. Being that it's now been a decade since Donkey Kong fans got to experience this, we l...

Everyone has ideas for a new Donkey Kong or Banjo-Kazooie game, but what about the third pillar of the DKU? Being a more auteur-driven series, most people have written Conker off as a dead franchise. But what if it indeed got a new full-length game? In a unique Kongversation, three DK Vine staffers with wildly contrasting opinions on where to take the peeing squirrel all convene for a wild and mes...

A reconciling of the drama surrounding the "mob_dk" nonsense for Mario Kart Tour and, by extension, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe! The hope brought about by the data-mining of a new Donkey Kong track earlier this year affirmed the belief that Diddy Kong was coming to the Booster Course Pass... and now it's turned out to be something completely different. Where do DK fans (Donkey Kong, not dokan) currently s...

Squawk! How did the most minor regular character in Donkey Kong Country become one of the most beloved and essential characters in the entire Donkey Kong Universe? It's a fascinating tale of Rare's development philosophies and never letting a character go to waste. It's the tale of Squawks the parrot! Bwark!

In honor of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the Kongversation looks at the very real impact the original trilogy had on the development of the DKU, specifically in how Rare reconceptualized the Kongs for Donkey Kong Country. Anything goes when it comes to lifting traits and set pieces from the classic films!

Banjo-Kazooie has Beak Bombed the quarter-century mark! The Kongversation celebrates with a massive chat about the game's enduring legacy, how the series continues to make new fans despite the lack of new titles, how it's maintained its sibling relationship with Donkey Kong, and, of course, our hopes for its future!

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Apparently, that means swinging a sharp sword around while driving a go-kart. Hyle and Cameron have a Kongversation about the new costumed Donkey Kong variant in Mario Kart Tour while also discussing some dispiriting rumors about what may (or may not) be ahead for the Kong cast in both Tour and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe!

The Game Boy Advance remake of Donkey Kong Country has turned 20 years old in June of 2023! But why does an "inferior" version of DKC deserve a long Spotlight episode and the respect of Donkey Kong fandom? Hyle and Dustin discuss why the GBA version might actually be the most crucial game in DK's history after Miyamoto's original arcade game and the SNES DKC!

Broadcast LIVE on https://twitch.tv/dkvine, Hyle is joined by Josh Wallen from off of the Geek Critique to discuss Nintendo's big June 2023 Direct! Did we get the new Donkey Kong game? Nope! Was Diddy announced for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe? Nope! Were there any cool DKU Nintendo Switch Online titles revealed? Nope! So why is Hyle feeling so good about Donkey Kong's future?

A discussion about the Donkey Kong Country cartoon on DK Vine's Kongversation? Hold your loved ones tight and say goodbye to all you hold dear! Hyle and Cameron sit down with the key creative minds behind the surprise animated short that reunited the cast of the classic animated series. How did they recruit them? What was it like blending them into a more games-accurate version of the DKU? And wha...

Broadcast LIVE on https://twitch.tv/dkvine, Hyle and Dustin are back with thoughts on the 2023 Xbox Showcase! What did we think about Rare's announcement for the big green digital presentation? We also pause to acknowledge the fact that it's been ten years since Tropical Freeze's reveal, reflecting on the heaviness that comes with being a Rare and DKU fan. Why is it so gosh darn hard compared to e...

Broadcast LIVE on https://twitch.tv/dkvine, Hyle and Dustin kick off Stinky Ape Summer and the game announcement season with a look at the Donkey Kong Universe's chances over the next three months. Less blind predictions and more a State of the Union of our fandom, we speak our concerns and express our hopes on everything Yooka-Laylee and Playtonic, Rare's franchises both new and old, and Donkey K...

The most overlooked Mario Kart? The most underrated Mario Kart? Or a middling compromise between Super Mario Kart and Mario Kart 64? The Kongversation looks back at the first handheld Mario Kart game that bridged the divide between the Nintendo 64 and GameCube eras and also launched the Game Boy Advance!