Unlike traditional platformers, Jungle Beat contains score-attack elements: the goal is not simply to get to the end of the level, but to get as many points, or "beats", as possible. Completing the first three levels unlocks the fourth and final level, which unlocks a downloadable Donkey Konga wallpaper and screensaver upon completion. Jungle Beat is designed for use with the DK Bongos, a bongo drum-style GameCube controller created for the Donkey Konga (2003) rhythm game. Donkey Kong Barrel Blast was originally planned to use the Bongos before it was switched from the Nintendo GameCube to the Wii. The main gameplay is largely identical to the Taiko no Tatsujin games, which were also designed by the same developers.

Division heads Yoshiaki Koizumi and Takao Shimizu—who had previously led development on Nintendo's Super Mario Sunshine (2002)—respectively served as director and producer. Maxim gave the game a score of eight out of ten and said that four bongos should be added "to create a frenzied, unholy din suitable for ritual virgin sacrifice". Connect up to four DK Bongos for rollicking jam sessions or match your rhythmic prowess against a rival in the 2-player vs.The controller was primarily designed with the Donkey Kong franchise in mind, with the appearance of a pair of barrels that have been put together as a pair of bongos. A displayed scoreboard counts by accuracy (Great, OK, and Bad) along with the number of missed beats. During a showing at the Nintendo World event in November 2004, Koizumi and the team carefully observed player feedback and used it to polish the game shortly before its release.

The Japanese, North American, and PAL region versions have different track lists, and in the North American version of the first two games, almost all of the licensed non-Nintendo/traditional songs are shortened covers. Adobe Flash) • Hurling for Distance (2005, Adobe Flash) • Barrel-Blastapalooza (2005, Adobe Flash) • Donkey Kong: Jungle Fever (2005, arcade) • Mario vs. Like he did on The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (2002), sound programmer Masafumi Kawamura attempted to synchronize the music with the gameplay, like when Donkey Kong jumps.With the iconic red and yellow color scheme, these bongos perfectly capture the spirit of Donkey Kong, adding a touch of vibrancy to your gaming setup.

The player can purchase three mini-games to play in the ape arcade, two of which have a 2-player competitive (Vs.

He felt that the game would appeal to a busy person because it did not contain long save or load times. Before the second installment was released in North America, Nintendo and Namco had already started plans for the third game in the series, which, unlike the first two Donkey Konga games, was eventually released only in Japan on March 17, 2005. A health and safety warning is featured in every regional release of Donkey Konga 2, but this exact warning was also featured in the Japanese version of the sequel.