Donkey Kong 64 (abbreviated as DK 64) is a platformer video game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64. It was released in North America on November 24, 1999; in Europe on December 6, 1999; and in Japan on December 10, 1999. The game is a follow up to the Donkey Kong Country trilogy on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Donkey Kong 64 follows the adventures of the titular Donkey Kong and four of his simian relatives as they try to win back their hoard of Golden Bananas and banish the evil King K.Rool and his cronies from the vicinity of their island. Players can control all five Kongs in eight individual levels as well as a greater worldmap, a multiplayer mode, and several minigames.
Donkey Kong 64 was the first game to require the Expansion Pak, which provides more RAM for enhanced graphics and more expansive environments (in future games, the Expansion Pak was entirely optional, with the exception of The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask). Donkey Kong 64 went on to become a Nintendo 64 Player's Choice title.
King K. Rool is trying to destroy Donkey Kong Island with a large laser called the Blast-O-Matic, but it malfunctions after a crash that puts his floating, mechanical island face-to-face with Donkey Kong Island. To buy some time, he captures some of the Kongs and locks them up. He then steals Donkey Kong's precious hoard of Golden Bananas. As Donkey Kong frees his fellow apes, they set off to recover the bananas and defeat King K. Rool and his army of Kremlings and other evil creatures.
The intro cut scene of the game features a full-length song with vocals, called the "DK Rap". The line "His coconut gun can fire in spurts. If he shoots ya, it's gonna hurt!" was named the fourth worst game line ever in the January 2002 issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly.[citation needed] Also the rap contains the word "hell" being spoken out loud during the rap and is the first Rare game to use mild language (Conker's Bad Fur Day had strong language since it was rated M for Mature where DK64 was rated E for Everyone). It was also used in Donkey Konga and as the background music for the Kongo Jungle stage in Super Smash Bros. Melee, but was remixed. The song is performed by James W. Norwood Jr., who used several different voices and effects for the remix in Super Smash Bros. Melee, but used the same voice for the original Donkey Kong 64 version.
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