Poll: Okay, It's Time To Ask The Obvious - Will We Get Donkey Kong 64 On NSO?

Conker would be a FAR better option.

Honestly I assume the big reason for the holdup is Jetpac. They've probably worked something out by now given all the other Rare games on the service but I can see where that'd be an issue. As for Diddy Kong Racing I can see them wanting to wait until they can do DS games so that you don't have eight-year-olds Googling Conker.

That said, while I'm eager for Diddy Kong Racing I've really never had a taste for DK64. Game's just too overstuffed and the Kong swapping and excessive amount of minigames are just obnoxious.

People gave this game crap for being a collectathon but those type of games were my Jam! It's just like Banjo and Mario 64 before that so why the hate? Everybody loves those.

I never hear that complaint about Mario odyssey and that was one heck of a huge collectathon!

Diddy Kong racing needs to be on the NSO it's not complete in my eyes unless they have DK64 and DKR

@Truegamer79 it’s all down the character specific collectibles. If it weren’t for that, I think people would love this game.

There is some time for them to release DK64 on NSO this year, but I’m kind of leaning toward next year for a possible release. I’m just waiting to see them release Conker and DKR on there, the latter especially.

I think either December or February. You can tell there's been a focus on DK since the November Super Nintendo World Direct but I don't see DK platformers being added to NSO in January because of the Returns HD retail release.

Next week would be a good opportunity for a "we're not doing anything at the Game Awards but here's a NSO shadow drop while the event is happening" type thing like they did last year.

Oooh. I was unaware DK64 wasn't yet on NSO. Mayhap it's due to a forthcoming HD remake?? Prob just wishful thinking.

@Truegamer79 DK64 came out in a time when I still had the time and wanted to 100% my games. Mario Odyssey is definitely bad but I don't have the time or the care.

Actually in general I found Mario Odyssey to be incredibly underwhelming. The fact that it's the only 3D Mario game the Switch has gotten outside of Bowser's Fury is mind blowing.

All I wanted for Christmas as a kid was the jungle green n64 DK Bundle. All I want for Christmas now is DK64 on NSO.

Well I most certainly hope that they are finally back and performing for you and that if you know the words...well that we all can join in too! And you should also put your hands together, if you want to clap as they take us trough their monkey rap ❤️

How about donkey kong 94 on gameboy?

I'd be surprised if we didn't. I mean, we got the other Donkey Kong Country games on Virtual Console and NSO, so Donkey Kong 64's appearance is inevitable.

DK64 and DKR now!

I remember that DK64 has been notoriously difficult to emulate for quite some time. One could decently emulate all Rare games for the N64 as early as 2004-2005 on the PC, even Conker's Bad Fur Day and Perfect Dark, but not DK64. Yes, they got it working on the WiiU, but the Switch has a different architecture, so it might be purely technical stuff. After all, it's hard to say that the NSO N64 emulation has been perfect with no technical hiccups.

Honestly I kind of doubt it's coming. They probably want to save some ammunition for the Switch 2. Same reason why we haven't seen games like OG Wario Land (and Wario Land 2), Super Smash Bros., and probably mainline Pokémon yet, I would imagine.

But it's definitely a possibility we'll get DK64 on NSO before too long. I just personally doubt it, and believe we'll see it on NSO for the Switch successor.

I hope we get it soon, I haven’t been able to play through it but there was this fun multiplayer side mode I played once.

Either that or Diddy Kong Racing will hopeully be the expansion Pak release for December given the focus on getting as much Kong on Switch as possible. I'd prefer Diddy Kong Racing, as (1) I never played it first time round, and (2) it would be perfect for Christmas.

Honestly, I don’t get the feverence for DK64. I have it on Wii U and there’s alot that’s not fun to go back to.

I’d rather see Conker, Diddy Kong Racing and Smash 64 sooner, alongside some other lesser beloved 3D platformers

@GalaxyGreg Don't leave us in suspense. Did you get the bundle you wanted?

I played DK64 on my wiiu a few years ago and that being said, I would much prefer Diddy Kong Racing. I do like the somewhat creepy atmosphere in some of the areas in DK64, but the collectathon nature of the game drives me a little crazy after awhile. I see a trail of transparent bananas I can't collect and sigh deeply.

ITS DK DECEMBER HOW IS THIS EVEN A QUESTION

Miyamoto even mentioned it in the SNW Direct so I really do expect it to be coming very soon. It just feels like the right time.

Also Donkey Kong 64 is one of the best games ever made. Just wanted to put that out there.

I got the game on my N64, so I have no need for this.

A challenging game to 100% with great Rare vibes. I think I love it.

This is another terrible poll. I know it's "for fun."(but you know what's more fun than bad polling?)

the choices are
"yes, in the next roughly three weeks,"
"yes but slightly later,"
"yes but somewhat later than that," or
"no, AND I don't want it."

three ways to say "yes" with slightly different baseless predictions about the time frame, only one way to say "no," tied directly to a negative feeling about the game for no reason, as though they are related in any way.

here are four objectively better choices, as they represent four corners across two distinct axes.

"Yes, can't wait!"
"Yes, but I won't be playing it (clarify in comments.)"
"No, sadly."
"Couldn't care less."

thanks for listening 👍✌️❤️

I'm hoping we'll get it at some point. Though there's a good chance I'll find the gameplay unpalatable to my current soft tastes and drop it like I did with Banjo Tooie. I can't believe I 100%'d Banjo back then, because man is it ever a slog now.

I'm not sure about December, but if they plan to keep up the current NSO pace, we'll see it before the release of DKC Returns HD in January.

I'm certain we'll get DK64 & DKR eventually, it just feels inevitable. Especially considering we've already gotten Banjo Tooie & Goldeneye, those were really good signs that the rest of Rare's Nintendo catalog will drop on NSO. Conker is the only weird one mostly because of the Mature rating but not impossible. It'll probably be the last of the major Rare-Nintendo drops.

@DwaynesGames not the jungle green sadly lol. I got the n64 bundle with the grey and atomic purple controller and a copy of DK64. Still played the heck out of it though.

The best thing about DK64 is playing Lanky Kong and walking around slowly, waving your long arms in the air. Almost worth subscribing to the N64 package just for that.

Gimme '94, not 64!

@Asantos @mlt This! DK94! 💯

DK 94, Diddy racing, and conker please. DK64 I’ve never had an interest in. My younger brother played it and it just seemed like such a slog.

Will We Get Donkey Kong 64 On NSO?

No, you'll still need a Wii U.

@AG_Awesome I beat it and unlocked everything (101%, was it?) on Wii U. I had to do it as a Rare fan. There are some sections and mini games that are really hard and frustrating because of the controls and camera. I borrowed the N64 cartridge from a school friend, but of course I could not finish it in a week. I never understood why Dixie was not there.

@Kazman2007 A remake is what this and other games like the early Sonic 3D games need for me to replay them: Sonic Adventure, Sonic Adventure 2, Sonic Heroes...

I'll give this another shot when it hits NSO.

@Asantos that is the best GameBoy game, I go back all the time. I recently got a super Gameboy and love playing it with it's enhancements.

@ParsnipHero I also found Super Mario Odyssey underwhelming, not just because of the great amount of pointless moons, but I find it unexpectedly boring overall.

@Truegamer79 @MSaturn I wasn't really bothered by the constant switching. Or at least not at the time, although I might be more bothered now.

My larger issue with DK64 is the constant minigames. I don't want to be taken out of the sandbox platformer gameplay to basically play Warioware. I want to platform and explore, not do random quick fire junk challenges.

@ibis_87 I'm not subscribed to Nintendo Online so I don't know this, but maybe there are no Expansion Pak games in there yet because the Switch emulator is not ready for them?

I'm pretty sure it's coming sooner or later. But even if not, I couldn't care less.
I can play it on my original N64 or on Wii U. And that's working without paying 40€ per year.

@OldManHermit I agree with that. I was thinking of including things I like in my comment above and I would say that it's precisely the creepy atmosphere of some sections. The excessive money swopping and some mini games would be my least favourite things. I also remember Diddy's tricky airborne controls.

Certainly. It was outperformed by the Banjo games but not bad in either way, despite the oversaturation of collectathon things and the kinda annoying forced switching back and forth between the kongs. Still fun to play if you have the patience and the inner determination of someone whom simply must get 101% clear (yes 101% is not a typo).

@Bolt_Strike
I did hate some of those mini games. Beaver bother especially. So annoying 😡

@-wc- I didn't pay attention to this poll, but I have made similar complaints in the past regarding poll answers. They should be balanced and as few as possible.

@Banjo- I gotta admit, as Nintendo gamer since 91ish, I do have a void in my heart for never taking on DK64. And I’m sure when it gets added to the switch I’m just gonna at least give it a few hours energy. Will I see it all the way through… I don’t know. But I have to try it a little bit.

@Solomon_Rambling @TheBigK Please forgive me but as you might expect I need to friendly defend Banjo-Tooie. It's super complicated at first, so the way to enjoy it is to learn the layouts and connections and that takes time. It's not as intuitive as Banjo-Kazooie, that's for sure, but if you like platformers and you have the time, it becomes rewarding.

I refuse to believe 43% actually believe it's coming out this month of all times

@AG_Awesome On Wii U, I used the suspension points, on Nintendo Online there is a similar thing. I don't want to imagine beating it 101% on N64! I mean, especially certain mini games, like the hard version of one with crocodiles. Definitely, at least give it a go when available.

@Axecon Isn't there a "mature" collection on Nintendo Online?

Yeah, I think like others said, it's Jetpac holding it up and perhaps even the Donkey Kong arcade game. I could absolutely see modern Nintendo being hesitant about their own game appearing in another game, lest subscribers get too much value (especially when it is also available as part of the Arcade Archives).

As far as whether or not I would play it again? I don't think I would. I fully completed it back in the 90s, got everything, and had a lot of fun. But I've moved on, and I see no reason to revisit it now.

@Banjo- um. . .Majora?

There's no way that Nintendo would drop a classic DK game that takes dozens of hours to complete onto NSO, just before they release another classic DK game.

If you're a DK fan, you would then be forced to choose which one to play: one of them is free on NSO and the other one is $60.

Personally, even though I owned DK64 on the N64, I never really go that much into it. I also bought DKC Returns on the Wii, but I never finished that either. I did play through Tropical Freeze on the Wii U. The SNES DKC games were 100% my jam though.

@batmanbud2 Yes, Majora's Mask requires Expansion Pak.

I mean, whether it's this month or early next year, it's pretty much solidified at this point given how much they've been leaning into the DK stuff. Considering DKCR and the theme park expansion are still a good bit away, there's still plenty of time for them to bring 64 over. Heck, while they're at it, they may as well bring over the GBA ports and even Conker. (I know he's Rare and not Nintendo, but we did just get the N64 17+ app.) Why not? If there's a time to go all out with DK, this is the time!

@burndive I agree. Nintendo would definitely not add a huge game like this to Nintendo Online before a fully-priced port. Your taste is excellent, Donkey Kong Country 1, 2 and 3 are the best Donkey Kong games. 😁

@burndive you think the kids would care? DKCRHD isn't for longtime fans. It's for kids interested in DK either from his appearance in the Mario Movie or his new theme park expansion.

I think we still have a bit of a wait before we see Donkey Kong 64, but I can't see it not coming next year. Diddy Kong Racing will definitely be the next Rare game coming to NSO - N64.

For those interested, there's a fan hack of DK64 out there called Donkey Kong 64: Tag Anywhere, which lets you instantly switch between any character you've unlocked at any time using the D-Pad. It's a really nice way to mitigate the frustration with the character-specific collectibles.

From what I understand DK64 is hell to emulate due to a slowdown bug that makes mandatory minigames incompletable which is present in basically all emulators, both official and unlicensed.

Hmmm, the poll lacks options. I think it will come eventually, I’m just not sure if it will be within the next year or so.

Took years between banjo kazooie and tooie after all.

Or it could release tomorrow, who knows?

Nintendo wants us Wii U adopters to feel loved. So it will never come to NSO.

But will he still be "one h*** of a guy?"

@SuperBro64 That sounds like a great idea.
@SilentBluntman Right.

Let me ask a perfectly legit question to people complaining there's no Donkey Kong 64: Do you really want to play it?

I'm pretty sure the mayority of those complaining about the lack of DK64 will eventually complain about the game itself. Once they get to Beaver Bother, they'll probably give up.

As for myself, that's a game I enjoy despite its flaws for being more or less Banjo-Kazooie 1.5. At least I think my 3 playthroughs of 2021 gave me a level of appreciation to the game for what it is.
Not to mention, that' game is probably the most menacing King K. Rool has ever been, despite still being a goofball.

@ibis_87 I've heard stories about how buggy the game was on its own (rumor is that the Expansion Pak was required for this game, not because the game was utilizing its capabilities but merely because it happened to plug a severe memory leak the devs couldn't properly debug in time for its release schedule).

Of course it's going to happen. Do I want it? No, I enjoy Kong fans suffering too much. Ideally, the only Donkey Kong games on NSO would be Donkey Kong 3 and King of Swing

@KingMike It was not true.

https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/11/feature_donkey_kong_64_devs_on_bugs_boxing_and_20_years_of_the_dk_rap

@Zeebor15 I wouldn't expect less from Eggman.

@Ultimapunch ah, yes, because literally every action they've made since moving BOTW to Switch DEFINITELY shows how much they love Wii U owners.

@batmanbud2 I think it was sarcastic. Nintendo literally killed Wii U and completely ignored their supporters. They (we) didn't get anything at all. On the contrary, Nintendo delayed one year and removed features from the original (Wii U) version of Breath of the Wild to match the Switch port, with no cross-buy option between platforms, even after merging the NNID and Nintendo accounts.

I agree that the timing couldn’t have been better between the 25th anniversary and the theme park, but considering they just released another big 3D platformer in Banjo-Tooie under two months ago, it’s sadly not happening right now. I still believe it’ll come at some point though. When it does, I just hope the emulation is decent enough that certain bonus stages like Krazy Kong Klamour can be beatable at the highest difficulty.

I’d say Lanky is my favorite because he’s the fastest Kong to travel through this game’s large stages with his hand standing run, and his silly animations made him fun to play.

@Axecon They specifically have a Mature Rated NSO N64 app for games like Conkor.

@Banjo- I'm a walrus

@Solomon_Rambling Yeah, despite my love for Banjo and Kazooie, I completely understand that! It was confusing for me at first and I can see why some players did not bother to go beyond.

@Banjo- I know. That's why I myself was being sarcastic.

@Yosher
Whilst OG Pokémon potentially does have that power, those other games are fun filler announcements to keep people perceiving value in the NSO sub.

No one is going to buy a next gen console to play an emulated n64 game and it would be genuinely concerning if Nintendo had so little in the lineup that they held that back for it.

No shade on any of the games themselves btw.

@Solomon_Rambling
Interesting! Would you mind elaborating on what put you off Tooie?

I played Mario 64 and DK 64 back then and BK during the Wii era so have Nostalgia for the 3d platformers of the era but I had no prior attachment to Banjo Tooie and just played through for the first time and loved it!

Other than finding the 1st person bits really awkward I feel the game has held up really well.

I mean, after Super Mario R.P.G and Link's Awakening. I feel as if DK64 should be remade to sort of out iron out the kinks.

@shoeses @Banjo- True, there's an "N64 Mature" NSO app but it's mostly gun/weapon/blood violence. There are themes in Conker that definitely would not fly today. It's surprising that the game even released in the first place, it probably got away with what it did because it was at the end of the N64's lifecycle and it was a passion project for Rare.

I'm honestly more interested for Donkey Kong '94 to come NSO first.

@Axecon Like many of their games, Rare published Conker's Bad Fur Day themselves. Still, there were many games and things back then that were allowed and that would be in trouble under today's arbitrary censorship. I played the original game on Xbox One and the remake on Series X. The gore is the most brutal thing in this game, I believe. When I played the remake, I tried to see gore as a parody, like the characters and dialogues. I feel a bit sad because Chris Seavor had to apologise for some silly jokes. The game is outstanding and unique, but some people will make a big deal of the humour because it's not politically correct.

Weirdly for how much flak dk64 gets for being too collecty, it's the only game of its kind I ever got into. Something about that super slow exploration you have to take on the relatively small areas because there is so much to dig into just jives with me. But that one golden banana in the ice cave cabin can stuff it. Beaver bother isn't so bad once you get the trick down, but the pinpoint precision needed to wipe out all those enemies in time is so ridiculous, even save state scumming on the Wii u. Anyway, hope it comes over but I suspect it won't be until after DKC Returns. I'll always give this game a replay.

@AJWolfTill Maybe not individually, not quite to that extent at least, but they could present them together later as a showing of "Look what's coming soon!". It's all about how it's presented in this case, I think. Well, aside from actually having the stuff to present and offer.

Of course I'm not denying that DK64 could come to NSO soon. We'd all rather have them sooner rather than later!

I hope so I don't have a 4mb expansion on my n64 and I don't really want to pay the second hand market prices for it just to play a small few games and I've never felt this game emulated well.

so this is high on my list of games I want for the system.

Just wish the game had Dixie and Kiddy rather than Tiny and Chunky.

It'll eventually come out. As for the game itself, I liked it. I could never 100% the game, but even if the collectables were overwhelming, it was still a lot of fun. The multiplayer battle mode was pretty fun as well.

Christmas Day. Or Boxing Day as it's a Thursday, lol.

They will hold it back till the version of the ride opens in Florida.

MARK MY WORDS!

Dude, DK64 with online multiplayer would be EPIC! I really hope we get that game soon!

I remember playing it on Wii U and after a while, the game just froze. Never had that happen with any other VC game- it worked again after I reset, thankfully. It's very possible that there are emulation issues that Nintendo wants to iron out before releasing it.

I always figured it was because of the arcade Donkey Kong included. At the same time I don't think Nintendo had to do much since it was Rare who developed DK64, but what do I know. Either way it goes I think they'll probably be dropping DK 64 very soon on NSO.

I love how there's no "No but I want it" option

@speedyb
It happened to me too. I read you have to save and reset the game once in a while to avoid this issue.

@HammerGalladeBro
The four save states option will make the game much less frustrating and more playable. The only reason I was able to finish DK64 was with the save state option on the Wii U virtual console.

Maybe it's a Mario RPG situation...

Better question. When are we going to get a sequel or another Donkey Kong 3D game? I mean a lot of people I have known over the years loved this game and I will never understand why they haven't made a second 3D game after all these years.

Bring back Lankey and Tiny!!!! Lanky was such a fun and unique Kong to play as. 😀

Banjo Kazooie
Banjo Tooie
Donkey Kong 64
Conker's Bad Fur Day
Pokemon Snap
Mischief Makers
Rayman 2: The Great Escape
Super Mario 64
Diddy Kong Racing
Yoshi's Story

Were all amazing games and my favourites on the Nintendo 64.

You know, youngsters, back in the 90s our biggest problem was excessive monkey swapping.

Maybe I'm being deliberately obtuse, but this entire thing boggles my mind: if people actually want to play this game it's available right now, no need to wait for a subpar experience on NSO.
I think what's really the case is that people don't actually want this - it was considered a bad game then for a variety of reasons (compared to DKC games at the time, or N64 contemporaries), it hasn't gotten any better with age.
Nintendo isn't stupid, DK64 isn't a headline title so it won't pull people to NSO on its own. Plus they probably know people don't -really- want it.

I liked DK64 a lot as a kid, and it's sort of crazy that we haven't gotten proper 3D DK games since then. Switch definitely needs a follow up or at minimum a remake of this to have something on offer for the system. Doesn't have to be a collectathon like Mario, but SOMETHING other than DKC.

DK 64 would have been good if you could swap out kongs whenever you wanted. I feel like most of the game is back tracking to the DK barrel. Diddy Kong Racing is my pick for Switch Online!