DK: King of Swing

NintendoWorldReport (9.5 out of 10)

As mentioned earlier, King of Swing is a great game, and not one that you should miss if you own a Game Boy Advance. It's so good, in fact, that even if you stripped away the DK license and made it, oh, I don't know, "Raven's That's SO Swinging", you'd still have a great game. Donkey Kong is just the icing on the cake. You want innovation, but still want a full game? It's right here.

Fragland.net (92.5 out of 100)

I am glad that for once I can tell you something about those rare occasions in my life where I feel truly happy. When I saw that Donkey Kong - King Of Swing was listed between the assignments, I literally puked from sheer excitement. Before I knew what happened, it had already been dropped in the letterbox. That was so fast that I believe our postman bought a racing-bike instead of his doing-twenty-mph moped. Without any patience I removed the Donkey Kong NES Classic cartridge from my GBA SP so I could click DKKOS in.

NintendoWorldReport (8.5 out of 10)

King of Swing is a bit short, but unlockable modes and characters, including a very difficult time attack, extend the game's longevity surprisingly well. Paon and Nintendo have invented a stylish, off-beat gem worth anyone's time; I look forward to their next collaboration.

Officiel Nintendo Magazine (8.5 out of 10)

Frais, original, inventif et offrant un challenge de taille, DK King of Swing fait partie des titres à posséder si on aime les jeux de plate-forme.

The Video Game Critic (B+)

As usual, Nintendo gets a lot of mileage out of this simple concept, with advanced levels that let you toss rocks at enemies and turn levers to open doors. King of Swing's gameplay doesn't really lend itself to fancy effects or scenic backdrops, but the understated visuals are clean and attractive. In addition to the main story mode, there are a slew of mini-games you can play alone or against friends. High scores are saved within the cartridge. So if you're looking for an old-fashioned platformer with a unique twist, King of Swing offers wholesome and addictive fun.

GameSpy ( )

With so much coming out for the DS lately, it'll be easy to let DK: King of Swing slip by unnoticed. Don't make that mistake, though. It's a fantastic game that's unlike anything you've played before (except maybe Clu Clu Land on NES). Pick it up and give those shoulder buttons a workout!

64 Power / big.N / N Games (80 out of 100)

Donkey Kong ist der King of Swing, aber der GBA ist nicht der König der Ergonomie - weder der ‘alte‘ GBA noch der SP. So innovativ die Spielidee auch sein mag - die ganze Zeit über nur die Schultertasten zu bedienen, führt irgendwann zu schmerzenden Händen. Das Leveldesign schwankt zwischen pfiffig, einfallslos, originell und gnadenlos unfair. Die Comic-Grafik sieht mit ihren witzigen Animationen aber ganz süß aus, auch die locker-flockige Dschungel-Musik geht ins Ohr. Neben dem Haupt-Abenteuer gibt es noch ein paar Minispiele für vier Spieler, in denen ihr um die Wette klettert oder möglichst viele Fässer zerschlagt. Der große Pluspunkt von DK: King of Swing ist sicher die originelle Spielidee, die Steuerung erfordert vom Spieler aber viel Geduld und starke Nerven.

IGN (7.8 out of 10)

DK: King of Swing is a classic example of a Nintendo game attempting something that's both unique and familiar at the same time. It's a concept that could only be successful on the Game Boy Advance for its rather basic structure, but even with its simplistic design DK: King of Swing has a lot going for it. Simple L and R gameplay isn't enough to keep interest high all the way through, so it works best as a quick-shot experience.

Game Freaks 365 (7.8 out of 10)

All in all, this has turned out to be quite a surprising title. I can definitely see this game becoming a sleeper hit, should anyone actually be willing to give the game a chance. All I can say is that anyone who's not sure, I hope this review pushes you to at least rent it and go bananas.

Game Informer Magazine (7.75 out of 10)

The great single-player mode is also fleshed out by some nice multiplayer and minigame modes as well The only downside is the sometimes frustrating level of difficulty and obtuse level design.

4Players.de (76 out of 100)

Swing when you’re winning: Die Grundidee von King of Swing ist gleichermaßen super wie abgefahren, das Hin- und Herschwingen klappt nach längerer Zeit wie von selbst. Bis es soweit ist, fragt man sich allerdings sehr oft, wieso die Entwickler eine derart umständliche Steuerungsvariante gewählt haben – gerade das Springen und Angreifen hätte wesentlich einfacher gelöst werden können. Vor allem in höheren Levels, in denen sich der Schwierigkeitsgrad durchaus auf der Höhe eines Wolkenkratzers tummelt, sägt die Kombination aus nicht intuitiver Steuerung und pixelperfektem Gehopse schnell am Spielernerv. Wenn man dem Game eine Chance gibt und sich wirklich reinkniet, dann bekommt man ein sehr »anderes« Schwing- und Hüpf-Erlebnis – ein vergleichbares Spiel gibt es nicht. Nur sollte man eine gewisse Frustresistenz haben.

1UP (7.5 out of 10)

Unfortunately, while the game's offbeat interface makes for a novel experience, it also results in a something of a one-trick pony. Maybe I'm just a fickle bastard, but for me Swing went from "breath of fresh air" to "played out" somewhere around the mid-point. There's plenty of unlockable content to be unearthed by collecting items and clearing levels (including new playable characters and extra modes) and a handful of different challenge modes -- which would be a great way to extend the game's play value if the spin-and-pivot design had just a little more depth, and thus staying power.

GameZone (7.5 out of 10)

All things considered, DK King of Swing is a solid effort by the Big N to try something new. The game takes an innovative concept and control scheme and puts them in a familiar universe. While the gameplay gets very repetitive, the game still offers a refreshingly original take on the platforming genre.

GamingEvolution (7.4 out of 10)

Overall, King of Swing is a fun experience making Donkey Kong's return to the adventure genre a welcomed one. If you're looking for a new Gamboy Advance game to get, King of Swing is an excellent choice.

GameSpot (7.3 out of 10)

All told, DK: King of Swing is a unique and interesting take on the puzzle genre that people will either love or hate depending on how accepting they are of the game's innovative control scheme.

games xtreme (7 out of 10)

Overall I think that it’s nice to see a developer try out a new idea but this one didn’t really wash with me, maybe its just that the game is not my cup of tea but it seemed to be too repetitive and frustratingly difficult all of a sudden at various points for my liking.

Cheat Code Central (3.5 out of 5)

King of Swing is simple but fun. It's the kind of lighthearted fodder that the GBA was designed for. A perfect gift for youngsters and a good little rental for gamers of all skill levels.

Gameplanet ( )

King of Swing doesn't go out to amaze, just to show the gamer something new. While it works extremely well it might not hold your attention for too long.

GamerDad ( )

The cartoony 2D graphics are bright, cheery, and typical Nintendo. The game makes use of the Game Boy Advance's sprite rotation capabilities, but little details like DK's red necktie always dangling downward no matter which way he is swinging are nice graphical touches. The music features remixed classic Donkey Kong Country tunes as well as new catchy songs. There is quite an emphasis on multiplayer as well. Up to four players can link up and have climbing battles and races. If you are looking for a unique and challenging 2D action game, DK: King of Swing is your gorilla.

Eurogamer.net (UK) (7 out of 10)

But ignoring the entirely superfluous Jungle Jam, the single-player adventure more than makes up for it and although has arguably way too many incidences of annoying level design to get too excited about, for those with a steely mindset and a longing for something genuinely new DK: King Of Swing is a surprisingly worthwhile addition to the handheld (swinging) scene. Monkeys and bananas are still evidently doing it for us.

Jeuxvideo.com (14 out of 20)

Moins intéressant que Mario Vs Donkey Kong, mais tout aussi original, DK : King of Swing propose un concept innovant et fonctionnel, mais le plaisir de jeu n'est pas toujours au rendez-vous. Entre plates-formes et réflexion, le jeu exige beaucoup de précision et demeure sympathique au demeurant, mais sans être vraiment indispensable.

Games TM (6 out of 10)

You see, every five or six levels the game ups the difficulty by throwing in the most frustrating levels we've ever seen. (...) To have the basic rules of the gameplay (the grabbing threshold, basically) change so abruptly is criminal. Moreover it's extremely frustrating and makes the game hard for all the wrong reasons. There are several levels like this, which is too many by half; if we weren't determined to finish the game for the sake of a review it's likely we would have given up at this point. It's a shame too because, these levels aside, there's a great little game in there. It's unlike Nintendo to punish gamers for no reason, but this time it's slipped up.

Sydney Morning Herald ( )

Nintendo's latest stab at innovation might have been better left on the drawing board.