Donkey Kong Land, Rare's sophomore entry in the DK Isles, and the second game in the Donkey Kong Country lineage, turns 30! Hyle and Malik look back to June 1995 and discuss how Donkey Kong Land helped shape modern Donkey Kong fandom... and its parallels with the current Donkey Kong Bananza Hype Cycle!
Broadcast live on https://www.twitch.tv/dkvine the day of the Donkey Kong Bananza Direct, Hyle and Dustin try their best to process a rarity in their line of work: 16 minutes of pure, unfiltered Donkey Kong news. Who, what, or when is the young Pauline? What's that about Donkey Kong's buttocks? Expresso's shoes WHERE? Diddy and Dixie Kong finally get Donkey Kong Racing off the ground... under the ground? All this and Hyle names the Kong he NEVER wants stuck in his teeth on a jam-packed episode!
Mario Kart World kicks off a new era for both Nintendo and the DKU, but does it also kick ass? Hyle and Dustin go on a rambling Free Roam discussion about the big launch title, with a special emphasis (as always) on Donkey Kong!
Broadcast live on https://www.twitch.tv/dkvine on June 12, 2025, Adam joins Hyle to discuss the just-released demo of Playtonic's Yooka-Replaylee... and for an in-depth breakdown of the recent controversies surrounding the studio.
Broadcast live on https://www.twitch.tv/dkvine the day of the June 2025 Xbox Showcase, Hyle and Gibbon make the best out of a fairly uneventful showing for Rare and DKU fans! Sea of Thieves was there just as we predicted, Everwild was not, and some harsh scolding is directed towards those deliberately riling up Banjo-Kazooie fans. But hey, how about that Rare 40th anniversary logo? A time to laugh, a time to weep. To everything, turn, turn, turn!
Broadcast live on https://www.twitch.tv/dkvine the morning of the Switch 2's launch, Hyle and Matt kick off a new era with a leisurely chat about what the video game announcement season (formerly known as E3) means to them before discussing the Stinky Ape Summer ahead. Nintendo Directs! Xbox Showcases! And at the center of it all: Donkey Kong Bananza!
DUNK DUNK! The new sci-fi and horror-themed basketball game for Steam and Switch is an over-the-top cartoon JAM featuring some beloved indie characters, including a few near and dear to the DKU. Hyle and Jeff give their initial thoughts and also share their joint experiences playing the madcap monster mash!
DK Vine Forum Mods Adam and Andrew recently visited Japan, gaining a firsthand look at Donkey Kong and the DKU's enduring popularity in Nintendo's homeland as they visited the Nintendo Museum, Super Nintendo World, secret Nintendo speakeasies, and more!
Hyle and Jeff SQUELCH about Season 15 of Sea of Thieves! Subtitled "Wild Things," it was the season that upped the wildlife across the islands and ocean of the game, as well as boosting the importance of the Hunter's Call faction. And like any good fishing trip, there's enough beer to last for the duration of this episode!
Despite Donkey Kong Bananza releasing in under two months, we still know little about DK's new adventure. With positive and negative speculation abundant for the first 3D Donkey Kong game in 25 years, Hyle and Dustin address their own Bananza hopes and fears!
With a millimeter of flesh between the eyes and some massive DDs smacking him upside the head, Diddy Kong's design for the new era of Donkey Kong has been revealed! Given how beloved the character is by the Kongversation's hosts, how are they dealing with the change... and what do they think this means for Donkey Kong Bananza, Mario Kart World... and Chunky and Swanky Kong?
What were the results of 2025's DKU Double Draft!!?? Hyle, Jeff, and Mitchell reconvene to analyze their picks on episode 1308, as well as discuss the Idaho Crew's own DKU Draft, breaking down the complex fan politics of Donkey Kong Universe games and characters!
The Kongversation takes a brief vacation from the Donkey Kong Bananza hype to focus on another 3D platformer coming out in 2025: Yooka-Replaylee! It's been some time since we caught up with Playtonic's enhanced remaster, so we discuss all of the additions, improvements, and surprises announced thus far! Plus: Is there room in our hearts for both Bananza and Replaylee?
The DKU Draft is back, but doubled up with a twist! Hyle, Jeff, and Mitchell are once again drafting 15 games from across the shared universe of Donkey Kong and Rare... but all 15 games drafted last year are now off the table! Which also-rans will comprise the Second Bananas? Then, who will be picked when the three teams also draft 15 CHARACTERS from the DKU?
The beloved setting of Donkey Kong Country 3 and Donkey Kong Land III, the Northern Kremisphere, appears on the Fossil Maps in Donkey Kong Bananza. Naturally, we have quite a bit to say about this. How far will we dig into the possible implications?
The Kongversation takes listener calls about Donkey Kong Bananza! From excitement to concern, Hyle and Cameron dig deep to address some of the hottest-button Bananza issues in DK fandom!
Trying to peel away from Donkey Kong Bananza, the Kongversation finally discusses Mario Kart World in length! But we are the Kongversation, so we're addressing all of the Donkey Kong stuff in the game. Namely, how World seems to finally be hitting the gas to actually be competitive with Diddy Kong Racing, our thoughts on new and returning DK-related tracks, and how we think the other Kongs will eventually show up!
A couple of days after Donkey Kong Bananza's reveal, Hyle and Josh sit down to discuss their in-depth thoughts on the first new, standalone Donkey Kong in 11 years, the first new 3D Donkey Kong in 25 years, and the beginning of Donkey Kong's new era under Nintendo EPD!
Broadcast live earlier in the day on https://www.twitch.tv/dkvine, Hyle and Malik discuss their initial thoughts on the Nintendo Switch 2, Mario Kart World... and the reveal of Nintendo EPD's long-in-development Donkey Kong game!
Sea of Thieves: Season 14 was all about MAKING MISCHIEF! From waddling around as barrels (like Klobbers in the Donkey Kong) to sneaking around (like the Sneak King in the Burger King), Hyle and Jeff recap the tumultuous, sometimes messy, often confusing, but otherwise delightful capper to Rare's 2024!
The Donkey Kong Country version of Donkey Kong, along with Diddy Kong, crossed over with Tetris for the very first in either franchise's history back in February with Tetris 99's 45th MAXIMUS CUP event. Was a complete Kongo Jungle reimagining of the classic puzzle game enough to finally convert Hyle... or at least convince him that it's nearly as good as It's Mr Pants?
Based on his appearance in the upcoming Mario Kart game for the Switch 2, as well as a new range of merchandise, it appears that Donkey Kong's design is being updated in the games. Specifically, to the design first seen in 2023's The Super Mario Bros. Movie. But put your mass hysteria about the death of Donkey Kong Country aside! DK Vine breaks down why DK's supporting cast is safe, why this is still our same guy, and why this can only mean good things for the future of the franchise!
The Kongversation is returning with the return RETURN to Returns! Donkey Kong Country Returns HD arrived in mid-January 2025 on the Nintendo Switch while riding a wave of unprecedented momentum for the Donkey Kong series. Still, the port is not without its controversies. Is Returns HD the definitive version of the thrice-released adventure?
Broadcast live on https://twitch.tv/dkvine, the Kongversation's season ends with our annual New Year's Forecast! Hyle and Dustin look ahead to what 2025 has in store for the DKU across Playtonic, Rare, and Nintendo! Hyle also finally goes too far and turns the entire F-Zero fandom against him, so that's fun.
In Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts, you could obtain a hood ornament called "The Spirit of Pants". But on this episode of the Kongversation, we argue that Mr. Pants is the true spirit of Rare. Honoring 20 years of the greatest puzzle game of all time, Hyle and Freezer examine the in-universe history of Rare's underwear mogul and television presenter who's appeared and been alluded to across their shared universe!
2004 was a year in flux for Donkey Kong as the franchise swung between its past and future, with one of the most memorable and successful new releases of the year being... Donkey Kong Country 2? Hyle and Cameron break down the brilliant, thrilling, surprising, and occasionally infuriating changes the Game Boy Advance remake made to the beloved adventure on Crocodile Isle!
The Geek Critique returns to the Kongversation to help Hyle grapple with a newly relevant question now that Banjo-Tooie is on Nintendo Switch Online: What is it about the game that's historically kept it from clicking with fans of even the original Banjo-Kazooie, or inspired rabid devotion that eclipses all else? With NSO making it easier than ever to get into it and helping to mitigate the issues for the former, Hyle believes he has an answer for the latter. Banjo-Tooie is the ultimate game for...
All three Donkey Kong Land games have finally arrived on Nintendo Switch Online! Hyle and Malik discuss why these counterparts to the classic Donkey Kong Country titles are so important to DK fanatics of the 1990s, then share some obscure or little-discussed Donkey Kong Land trivia!
Donkey Kong 64 turned 25 years old on November 22, 2024. Celebrated DK64 fan and annual 101% streamer of the game Courtney joins the show to discuss the Kongs' sole 3D platforming adventure (thus far), the complicated position it holds within the fandom, and how the Donkey Kong 64 Randomizer has breathed life into it for a new generation! (Unlike Wrinkly Kong.)
What made Donkey Kong Country such a unique, groundbreaking cultural event for Nintendo fans in 1994? Yes, it was the graphics, music, sound, and game design. But as Hyle and Dustin argue, it was also the instruction booklet's unique sense of humor. The Kongversation opens up Dan Owsen's manual masterpiece!
