The Kongversation: Donkey Kong Universe Discussion - podcast cover

The Kongversation: Donkey Kong Universe Discussion

hyle@dkvine.comwww.dkvine.com
Let the weekly podcast from DK Vine be the anthem in your ears whether you’re on the street or feeling the Jungle Beat. In these uncertain times, you don’t want to just fight the power. You want to fight the power while playing with Nintendo Power! It’s a regular Rarevolution as we debate current events or the lessons of history from the Donkey Kong Universe: Donkey Kong Country, Banjo-Kazooie, Conker, Dinosaur Planet, Yooka-Laylee, Sea of Thieves, and much more. No kings. No tyrants. Just the power of the people. Oh, and we've also invited some apes, monkeys, bears, squirrels, lizards, and bats. © 2025 DK Vine and File Two Productions
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Episodes

910 - Reappraising Mario Kart Tour

The Kongversation has been historically negative about Mario Kart Tour. But recently, Hyle and Jeff got upgraded phones and have been able to give the game a fairer shot, discovering the hidden joys not immediately apparent to anyone afraid their phone is going to catch on fire halfway through a race. Also, Hyle spent $39.99 on Dixie Kong and feels the need to defend his choice.

Jun 10, 20211 hr 50 min

909 - Crash Team Racing, DK, and the Celebration of Characters

Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled, as well as other recent entries in the Crash Bandicoot series, embraced the full history of the franchise's extensive characters and lore. Donkey Kong, on the other hand, has been whittled down to eight core characters. Come share the plight of the DK fan with Hyle and Jeff!

Jun 04, 20212 hr 25 min

908 - Remembering E3 2001

E3 fever is in the air, but we just passed the 20th anniversary of an E3 that still hasn't been cured for Donkey Kong Universe fans. Hyle and Cameron reminiscence about the magical pandemic of DKU games at E3 2001!

May 28, 20212 hr 52 min

907 - Heard Any Good Rumors Lately?

Well, the rumors are out now. Is Nintendo EPD working on a Donkey Kong game? Hyle finally discusses everything he knows (mostly) with Josh "The Geek Critique" Wallen before they speculate about what this potential game might entail!

May 18, 20213 hr 5 min

906 - Stop 'N' Swop: A Revelation

Rare Gamer's Steve returns to the Kongversation to discuss even more about Stop 'N' Swop! Two days after our last episode on the subject, Rare employee and Stop 'N' Swop architect Paul Machacek revealed even more secrets about the fabled connectivity between Rare's N64 games, including a secret ending to Donkey Kong 64 and exactly how and when Nintendo killed the plan!

May 13, 20211 hr 39 min

Mini 014 - Hair Where Before There Was No Hair

Have you heard about Diddy Kong's old render made new by becoming a bit hairier? You've probably heard about it since it's been all over the news sites and social media the past week. But is there any burning fur coming from all of this smoke? DK Vine weighs in on what this could mean!

Apr 25, 202135 min

905 - Sea of Thieves: Season One

Hyle and Jeff discuss Sea of Thieves' new season structure and why the recent changes made to the game make it more accessible than ever... and why old-school Rare fans who still haven't gotten on board may want to finally grab hold of that ship ladder!

Apr 22, 20212 hr 37 min

904 - Spotlight: Conker's Bad Fur Day (part 3)

Our Conker's Bad Fur Day retrospective ends in bloodshed and regret, as these things often do, as we discuss the night portions and multiplayer of the game! Conker faces the darkness in Spooky, It's War, and Heist, then we face our callers for nearly an hour!

Apr 15, 20213 hr 44 min

903 - Spotlight: Conker's Bad Fur Day (part 2)

How about some chat you little twat? On the second part of our Conker's Bad Fur Day Spotlight series, we discuss the opening Chapters of the game, all taking place during the chaste wholesomeness of the daytime. This episode is dedicated to the memory of Bloopie the dinosaur.

Apr 04, 20213 hr 45 min

902 - Spotlight: Conker's Bad Fur Day (part 1)

One year shy of the legal drinking age in the Cock and Plucker, Conker's Bad Fur Day has turned 20! On the first installment of our patented Spotlight series, the Kongversation follows the long, winding road from the cute and cuddly 'nice' Conker's Quest to the poo-swimming, urine-guzzling 'nasty' of Conker's Bad Fur Day!

Mar 19, 20212 hr 38 min

901 - The Dinosaur Planet ROM

The Kongversation begins a new season of episodes by discussing the leaked Dinosaur Planet Nintendo 64 ROM! Before it moved to the GameCube, before it became Star Fox Adventures... but not before Fox McCloud joined the game!

Mar 09, 20212 hr 58 min

831 - New Year's Forecast 2021

The Kongversation looks ahead at what 2021 will bring for the Donkey Kong Universe, including DK's 40th anniversary, what Rare and Playtonic are up to, and the usual bit of Smash chat!

Jan 27, 202156 min

830 - Stop 'N' Swop: A History

Featuring Steve from off of Rare Gamer, it's the audio history of Stop 'N' Swop! The notorious abandoned feature would have linked Banjo-Kazooie with not only Banjo-Tooie, but Donkey Kong 64 and other Rare games to bring the Ice Key and ? Eggs across Rare's shared universe! We discuss what we know, what went wrong, and the immeasurable legacy it's left across both Rare and Playtonic!

Jan 20, 20212 hr 57 min

829 - Spotlight: Banjo-Tooie (part 3)

In the final part of our Banjo-Tooie retrospective, we discuss the last five worlds of the game: Terrydactyland, Grunty Industries, Hailfire Peaks, and Cloud Cuckooland, as well as the finale in Cauldron Keep!

Jan 17, 20214 hr 33 min

828 - Spotlight: Banjo-Tooie (part 2)

In the second part of our Banjo-Tooie retrospective, we discuss Spiral Mountain and the Isle O'Hags, followed by the first four worlds of the game: Mayahem Temple, Glitter Gulch Mine, Witchyworld, and Jolly Roger's Lagoon!

Dec 23, 20203 hr 33 min

827 - Spotlight: Banjo-Tooie (part 1)

The Kongversation finally tackles the mammoth, sprawling sequel to Banjo-Kazooie in the first part of our mammoth, sprawling retrospective in honor of its 20th anniversary! To kick things off, Hyle and Cameron discuss the plot and characters, as well as the hype surrounding the game before its release!

Dec 10, 20203 hr 20 min

826 - Mighty Fight Federation First Impressions

Yooka and Laylee have been added as playable characters to the 3D arena fighter Mighty Fight Federation! We give our first in-depth thoughts on the game, plus we discuss what it adds to Playtonic lore!

Nov 24, 20201 hr 38 min

825 - The Playtonic Invasion

Playtonic has recently Infinity Inked deals for cameo appearances of their characters in several indie titles, bringing a diverse lineup of games into the DKU. On this episode, we discuss all of the ones announced thus far!

Nov 14, 20201 hr 34 min

824 - Fearbringers Part 2: The New Blood

Recorded live during DK Vine's "Not Halloween" Scream-A-Ganza, Hyle and Jeff take Season 3's Fearbringers episode up to the lab and revive it with a bolt of lightning to discuss the last five years of fright in the Donkey Kong Universe!

Oct 31, 20201 hr 59 min

823 - Yet Another Sea of Thieves Catch-Up

Before the October update, Hyle and Jeff discuss the summer that was in Sea of Thieves! Captain Flameheart's growing incursion on the waters, plus ancient treasure vaults and pissing dogs!

Oct 27, 20202 hr 13 min

822 - A Eulogy for Nintendo Handhelds

Nintendo has announced that they're ceasing production on the 3DS, signaling the end of 31 years of full-fledged secondary handhelds that sat parallel to the main consoles. The Kongversation takes a nostalgic look back at them all, with a specific focus on the Donkey Kong Universe landmarks along the way.

Oct 12, 20202 hr 56 min

821 - Talk Like a Pirate Day 2020

Broadcast live on www.twitch.tv/dkvine, our annual Talk Like a Pirate Day episode sees the Kongversation ranking the top 10 pirates across the entire Donkey Kong Universe!

Sep 19, 20202 hr 18 min

820 - The Banjo-Kazooie Iceberg (?)

What the hell is the Banjo-Kazooie iceberg? It's this, apparently: https://dkvine.com/kongversation/bk_iceberg.png HOW DEEP DOES IT GO? Hyle and Mitchell discuss every item on it, elaborating on and debunking the forbidden knowledge of the Banjo-Kazooie series!

Sep 10, 20202 hr 39 min

819 - Battletoads First Impressions

Hyle's joined by Dustin Jackson to discuss our (spoiler-filled and filled diaper) thoughts on the new Battletoad's Act One! Plus, the all-important question for DK Vine: is the game part of the DKU?

Aug 25, 20202 hr 31 min

818 - The Super Donkey Leak

In the midst of all of the leakin' and L-is-Realin' over at Nintendo, a surprise early version of Yoshi's Island labeled "Super Donkey" has flown (literally) under the radar. The Kongversation discusses why this might be a long-forgotten attempt at reviving Donkey Kong months before Nintendo's fateful meeting with Rare!

Aug 09, 20201 hr 30 min

817 - Interview: Chris Allcock of Rare Ltd. Fame

A longtime staffer at Rare, Chris Allcock left the studio in 2017 to pursue a freelance writing career... which meant writing for Rare. Helping shape the lore of numerous games, he's recently written the official Sea of Thieves novel "Athena's Fortune." He's now on our podcast. We will ask him questions. He will answer.

Jul 25, 20201 hr 27 min

816 - Why Donkey Kong Land Still Matters

25 years after its release, Donkey Kong Land's impact on the DKU is as strong as ever. Come on a journey with Hyle and Jeff as they discuss how Donkey Kong Land is covertly one of the most impactful games in the canon!

Jul 17, 20202 hr 25 min

815 - Another Sea of Thieves Catch-Up

It's another Sea of Thieves catch-up! Recorded at the onset of the most recent update, Hyle and Jeff discuss everything added to the game from February through May, including the Heart of Fire Tall Tale and the progression of the Flameheart arc. Also, an update on Jeff's grandpa.

Jul 10, 20203 hr 23 min
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