AKA Donkey Kong Barrel Blast. I actually prefer that title, as the acronym is less ambiguous. I could be talking about 1982’s arcade classic, DK Jr!

So this is that waggle-tastic racing game that was overshadowed by Mario Kart Wii. It’s an odd duck, being intended for the Gamecube bongo peripheral along with Jungle Beat. Delays forced it to adopt Wii Remote and Nunchuck flailing instead, but it also meant I actually had a chance to play it. Motion control haters have every reason to look down on it, but DK fans have reasons to love it, as it was made by the good folks at Paon. Like the peg-swinging King of Swing and Jungle Climber before it, Barrel Blast is full of DK fanservice. Lanky Kong is even playable!

Paon have always done well by us fans, and here we have a very nice-looking racing game with unorthodox mechanics and some weird and wonderful stages in DK’s lush world. Sure there may not be such a variety of tracks, but at its core you’ve got an interesting game if you’re willing to master it.

The challenge mode is the highlight for me, with various tasks to do and juicy character unlocks the prize. It gets really quite, well, challenging too, but in a good way much like the extra levels in Jungle Climber. Of course I wish there was more, but I feel that thinking of it as more of a budget game may help with such expectations. It really isn’t a Mario Kart killer, it doesn’t have that mass appeal, but it has a unique flavour and like I say, perfect for a DKC fan.

There’s a loose theme of Kremling vs. Kong rivalry, with the character selection having pairs of characters on both sides with similar stats. We get old favourites like Cranky, K. Rool, etc., lesser known faces like Ghost Wrinkly and Kopter, and new faces to fill out the Kremling side, including our first explicitly female Kremlings. Their personalities are fleshed out in the PAL Brawl’s trophies, if you want to have a look at that.

I feel very engaged by the mechanics, which include waggling to get up to speed and move side to side, attacking, jumping, boosting (and setting up obstacle smashing combos), collecting bananas, and using items. There’s a lot going on in races and on the courses that keeps you on your toes, especially if you’re going for those combo chains to get ahead. I feel that this complexity puts it above Mario Kart in some ways (again the obvious comparison).

Thinking back on it, despite frustration at times (I think it’s normal for racing games), I have happy memories of this game. Keep in mind I finished it only this morning. It was very hard to find a copy, but I’m glad I did. And if you enjoyed Jungle Climber or the unusual mechanics of Jungle Beat, you should give this a go… again, if you can find a copy.