25 Things You DIDN'T Know About Donkey Kong 64

An Extensive Marketing Campaign

Nintendo had big dreams for Donkey Kong 64, and spent an awful lot of money and time making sure they came true. It spent $22 million on marketing, which was a lot for the time and twice as much as what it spent on other first party titles. Pretty much everywhere you looked, youd spot DK and his friends. There were ads in movie theaters, magazines, and on billboards. There was a sweepstakes with Dr. Pepper, and a tour across the US called The Beast is Back featuring a truck full of Nintendo games. It also released a bundle with a special jungle green N64. And a few weeks after release, Nintendo of America held a contest where fans could submit a video of themselves performing their own version of the DK rap in order to win said bundle, along with a trip to their headquarters.

A Mountain of Collectables

The most infamous thing about Donkey Kong 64 is the amount of collectables packed into it. Most agree that developer Rare went overboard, and that includes the people who worked on it. The reason there are so many is due to Rares co-founder, Tim Stamper, wanting to differentiate it from the studios then-recent Banjo-Kazooie. Director George Andreas has stated Stamper would often instruct him to add more. Looking back, Andreas has also said he wished he had reined himself in, specifically mentioning how every level features 100 color-coded bananas for each of the five playable characters.

A Guinness World Record

So, just how many collectables are in Donkey Kong 64? Well, enough that the Guinness World Records felt the need to single it out. In 2001, the game earned the record for Most Collectable Items in a Platform Video Game. Across all five Kongs, the total of color-coded bananas comes to 3,500. There are also 201 Golden Bananas, 40 banana medals, 20 banana fairies, 40 blueprints, 8 boss keys, 10 battle crowns, 1 Nintendo coin and 1 Rareware coin, all of which adds to your progress and earning 100%. There are also 949 banana coins, which the game doesnt keep track of. Good. Lord.

A Decline in 3D Platformers

Donkey Kong 64 certainly has its defenders. I think its pretty fun, but I will never go for 100%. Or rather, 101%. But there are others who look to it as the downfall of 3D platformers, which were fairly oversaturated at this point in time. In a 2005 issue covering the most overrated games, Electronic Gaming Monthly said it sucked all the life out of the genre. Websites like Complex and Kotaku have written similar opinion pieces, mostly due to how many collectables there are. Even Jonas Kærlev, the creator of 2017s A Hat in Time, a spiritual successor to 3D platforming collect-a-thons, listed DK 64 as the reason for the genres decline soon after release.

The Final Rainbow Coin

Many of you are likely aware of the final Rainbow Coin, one of the collectables in Donkey Kong 64, since it was the subject of a lot of articles when it was discovered. But its still an interesting secret that deserves inclusion. Most levels include one Rainbow Coin, which gives each Kong five regular Banana Coins. But in 2017, a speedrunner named Isotarge found a second one in the level Fungi Forest. You get these by performing a Super Slam on top of special dirt mounds. But Isotarge found this one hidden in a field of grass. They only knew where to go after looking at how the game formats save data and noticing the levels rainbow coin information was incomplete, with analysis tools showing them the exact spot.

The Out-of-Bounds Bananas

Like I said, Donkey Kong 64 has its defenders. And many of those players love collecting everything, and even digging into what they can find out of bounds to collect even more. In case 500 bananas per level wasnt enough for you, there are a few bananas you can find outside the limits of their levels. In Tiny Kongs section of Gloomy Galleon, you can find a single purple banana out of bounds. In Jungle Japes, theres a yellow banana far below the Rambi Crate. And in the same level, probably the easiest of these to glitch your way to, theres a red banana for Diddy Kong under the ground near the mine cart mini-game.

Sidescrolling Roots

Rare began working on Donkey Kong 64 soon after the release of the third Country game, 1996s Dixie Kongs Double Trouble! The team spent 18 months making their next game in line with previous titles. The original version was a 2.5D sidescroller, and would have been much more linear than what we ultimately got. However, with 3D platformers growing more popular and featuring a more open-ended approach to progression and exploration, with the likes of Super Mario 64 and Rares own Banjo-Kazooie, development changed course. Some team members from Banjo-Kazooie moved over to DK 64 when that game was completed, and it even used the same engine.

Stop n Swop

Stop n Swop was a famously canceled feature that would have worked with Banjo-Kazooie and its sequel, Banjo-Tooie. Basically, you collect a group of mysterious eggs, and one Ice Key, in Banjo-Kazooie. Youd then swap cartridges without turning off the system, since it allowed RAM to be stored briefly, and this would unlock bonus content in the other game. Nintendo told Rare to cancel these plans, stating it could potentially damage N64s, and that later models wouldnt store RAM, making the feature not work anyway. Well, Donkey Kong 64 was another game planned to use this feature. In early promotional footage, a Banjo-Kazooie-themed fridge could be seen in DKs home. And an unused cutscene focusing on the spot where it would have been was found in its code. Players have also found that there was meant to be a Big Icy Door in the Crystal Caves, likely opened with the Ice Key and speculated to be a shortcut to DKs treehouse. There was also to be a golden Donkey Kong statue atop a pedestal in Creepy Castle. Though, what would have been the purpose of the statue is a mystery.

The Original Fungi Forest

As you can tell, there are a lot of connections between this game and Banjo-Kazooie. Fungi Forest is one of the best levels in Donkey Kong 64, featuring a cool day and night cycle that changes which areas you can access and how enemies behave. Interestingly, this level was originally intended to appear in Banjo-Kazooie with the slightly different name of Fungus Forest, but was removed due to time constraints. The game already featured different wooded levels, even one that cycled between seasons instead of day and night, Click Clock Wood. So, it worked out that the similar gimmick was moved to the other game.

Collected Instruments

Sometimes, an Easter Egg can stare us right in the face and we wont even recognize it. In Donkey Kong 64, Candy Kong lets each character purchase their own musical instrument, though shell also later upgrade them as well as your overall health. Sitting to the side in her shop, collecting cobwebs, youll spot a banjo, a kazoo, and a xylophone. Well, those first two should clue you in that these are a reference to Banjo-Kazooie. The bear and bird play those instruments during the opening, with Mumbo the shaman being the one who plays the xylophone.

Repurposed Music

Most diehard fans of Banjo-Kazooie are aware of Project Dream, Rares canceled title that was its precursor. Before this game was canceled, composer Grant Kirkhope wrote 107 tracks for it. Not wanting his work to go to waste, Kirkhope used many of the songs in future games from the studio, including Donkey Kong 64. These include the level themes for Creepy Castle, Hideout Helm, and Gloomy Galleon. Interestingly, that last one reused music meant to accompany the villain of Project Dream, a pirate named Captain Blackeye.

Secret Musical Cue

In our final connection between Donkey Kong 64 and Banjo-Kazooie, we have a musical Easter Egg. Whenever players hand over enough bananas to Troff and Scoff, the duo who unlock boss fights in every level, youll get appropriate fanfare music when the door reveals which Kong is meant to fight them. This victorious theme is actually a sped-up version of what plays when you discover one of the Stop n Swop secrets in Banjo-Kazooie.

The Impact of the DK Rap

The opening rap of Donkey Kong 64 is one of the most divisive pieces of video game music ever created. At the time, many reviewers and players hated it, but it was never meant to be taken so seriously. It started as a joke between composer Kirkhope, director Andreas, and programmer Chris Sutherland. Kirkhope would later recall being confused over everyone taking it seriously, and it being his first experience of people reacting negatively towards his music. Time has been kind to it, however, with its utterly ridiculous lyrics making it one of the more memorable moments from the game. Even Nintendo came around on it, including it in the 2023 Super Mario Bros. Movie. However, Kirkhope was frustrated to find that he went uncredited as the writer of the song. When he reached out to Nintendo, he was told the company decided not to credit any of the writers of music from games it owned, with the exception of Koji Kondo.

The Expansion Pak Rumor

Donkey Kong 64 came bundled with the Expansion Pak, a small device that inserted into your N64 for higher RAM power that would improve graphics, framerate, and the ability to render distant objects. Since this was the first game to use it, a rumor circulated that it was created specifically for this game, which began with a Rare employee, Chris Marlow. He claimed a game-breaking bug was discovered late in development that couldnt be fixed without the Expansion Pak, hence why the game was bundled with it. However, this was proven false by others who worked on it, namely artist Mark Stevenson. While the bug was discovered late in development, DK 64 was planned to use the Expansion Pak from a much earlier point. And the reason it was bundled with the system was because Nintendo wanted to avoid confusing customers.

The Dolphin

Another Easter Egg that stares you right in the face can be seen at the beginning of the game. Inside DKs home, you can find a red steel girder, a nod to the original Donkey Kong arcade game. Next to it is a phonograph, a nod to the opening of Donkey Kong Country, where Cranky Kong plays the original games theme music. However, sitting above these items is a painting of a dolphin. Youd expect to maybe see one of the animal buddies from across the series, but a dolphin has never been one of them. This is believed to be a reference to the GameCubes codename before it was officially revealed, the Dolphin.

NFR Cartridge

In the world of collectible cartridges, any that are marked Not For Resale are some of the most highly sought after. These were usually used in stores for demo purposes, and the DK 64 one has quite a few noteworthy differences. It features three playable sections. The first is a fight against the boss Dogadon, which includes a counter of white balloons, thought to represent lives like previous Donkey Kong games, an aspect that was removed before release. Then theres a mine cart mini-game, which only features minor changes, like how much Squawks the parrot talks and the amount of coins you need to get to win. Finally, its the boss fight against Armydillo. This is actually the second fight against him, but within the arena of the first. We again see the life balloon counter, and hear the boss talk instead of just making noises.

Test Room

Many games have test rooms you can reach through certain tricks. In Donkey Kong 64, you first have to collect all 40 of Snides blueprints, meaning you wont gain access to it until late in the game. Once youve done that, pressing the C-up button while speaking with Snide will get you to the mini-game menu, and then pressing A and B at the same time will take you to the test room. There isnt much to do here. There are some pillars to jump on, a yellow banana balloon, and a very creepy model of DK that never moves and can only blinkyou know, the usual stuff. If you walk out into the black void, youll eventually be teleported back to your starting location, with the only way out to reset.

Krusha in Adventure Mode

You can unlock the classic Donkey Kong enemy, Krusha, in the games multiplayer mode by photographing 15 banana fairies. Hes a fun alternative to the Kongs, but you can actually play as him in the story mode, though only through hacks. Doing so comes with certain restrictions; you cant activate warp pads, enter a character selection barrel, or collect any bananas since theyre meant to be for the Kongs. This also reveals some interesting, unused animations for Krusha. One happens when he takes fall damage, since that isnt a thing in multiplayer. Another is a unique idle animation where he tries not to fall asleep.

Accessing Levels Early

As is tradition for these types of games, you have to collect a certain number of Golden Bananas in order to enter new levels. In this game, portals into levels are guarded by B. Locker, an extremely grouchy signpost who hates his job. However, if you dont feel like collecting the required amount of Golden Bananas, there is a way around it. If a character simply touches a portal into a new level, the game counts it as entering. So, if you can touch the portal behind B. Locker, you can get past him. This is most easily done with Lanky Kong, whose stretchy arms give him a lot of reach.

Kong Guns

One of the best stories about Donkey Kong 64s development concerns the guns that each of the Kongs use. Theyre made of wood and shoot things like nuts, fruit, and feathers, but they still each resemble a real-life firearm. In fact, for DKs coconut gun, a shotgun was used as a placeholder during development. Director George Andreas forgot that it was in there until a visit from series creator Shigeru Miyamoto, future Nintendo president and CEO Satoru Iwata, and Nintendo of America chairman, Howard Lincoln. When the shotgun came on-screen, Andreas recalls seeing a horrified look from Miyamoto, who then quickly drew up a sketch of the coconut gun and handed it to him. Regardless of what Rares eventual plans were, I love the idea of Miyamoto being stunned by DK wielding a shotgun.

The Fourth Melon

There were more than a few things cut from Donkey Kong 64 that players have discovered over the years. Melons are used to represent your health. You begin with one, but can eventually unlock two more through Candy Kong. Apparently, we were supposed to get a fourth. Using a GameShark, players could give themselves infinite health. If you turned the cheat off, a fourth one would remain. Its unclear why this extra bit of health was removed. But if I had to guess, it came down to a simple difficulty balancing decision.

Removed Enemies

Keeping with the cut content angle, there were also a few enemies that were removed, but whose models have been uncovered. These include Re-Koil, a spring-tailed Kremling that first appeared in Donkey Kong Country 3. Theres also an armadillo enemy, which first appeared in the original Donkey Kong Country, and a unique insect enemy. More interesting are two jack-in-the-box type enemies, one of which is a clown, and the other a boxing glove. Perhaps these were removed due to their similarity to one of the games best boss fights, Mad Jack.

Unlocking DK

When you start the game, all Kongs other than DK are locked, with different colored question marks holding their place inside the character selection barrels. However, the game actually treats him as if hes locked too; you just wont ever notice it. Hes locked until you exit the tutorial area by opening the gate at the exit. However, if you glitch your way past this gate without doing so, the game will still read DK as locked. A yellow question mark exists within the game to represent him in the character select screen. Though, why this exists is unclear.

Anti-Piracy

Nintendo has often included clever anti-piracy methods into their games. And Donkey Kong 64 features one of the most brutal. If a pirated cartridge didnt feature a specific lockout chip, it could potentially erase your entire save file. This could happen randomly, at any point in the game. Since weve gone into detail about just how many collectables are packed into this frankly giant game, this could hurt particularly badly depending on how far you were able to make it into the game before it happened.

No Dixie Kong

After making a strong debut in Donkey Kong Country 2 and landing the starring role in its sequel, you would think Dixie Kong would have appeared in Donkey Kong 64. Its especially odd that she doesnt, considering Tiny Kong exists and features a similar ability to hover using her hair. She is mentioned in the manual, written from Cranky Kongs perspective, who mistakes Tiny for Dixie since theyre sisters. So, why was a new character designed when one with the same ability already existed? When asked about it in 2018, designer Mark Stevenson said he couldnt recall clearly, stating "I guess we just loved creating new Kongs! I would say it would be because we wanted a character that fit with the shrinking ability." So, they probably wanted to keep Dixies hover, but also include a shrinking mechanic. And thus, Tiny Kong was born.

Do you know of any other fun facts about Donkey Kong 64? Share them with us in the comments!