DK: King of Swing [GBA]

Taking a well-deserved break from the Donkey Konga series of drumming games, Nintendo icon Donkey Kong returns to his platformer roots with King of Swing. DK's latest is a quirky game with a unique and innovative two-button control system. It's a terrible cliche, but an appropriate one -- so if you like that kind of thing, you'll probably like this game.

Almost every move in King of Swing is performed with the shoulder buttons. Hold L, and DK runs left. Hold R, and he runs right. Tapping both of them makes him leap into the air, and once airborne he can grab pegs, wheels, or other level furniture with either hand by holding the corresponding shoulder button.

Once he's hanging off one of these pegs, he'll automatically swing around it in circles. Release the shoulder button, and he'll let go, flying through the air in a graceful arc. OK, perhaps graceful isn't the word for Donkey Kong, but you get the point. You can also hold both buttons down for a short time before releasing, which will perform a powered-up version of the normal jump - this is DK's attack move. The A and B buttons are used occasionally, to replenish your health or do an even more powerful attack, both of which will deplete your stock of the collectible bananas every DK game features.

King of Swing's appeal rests just about entirely on whether you like this control system. Keeping your fingers on the shoulder buttons the whole time can be a little painful, depending on the shape of your hands and which of the four (are we really up to four already?) hardware platforms you're using.

If that's not too much of a problem -- and it didn't prove to be for us --once you have a feel for the momentum and behavior of DK, basic maneuvers quickly become second nature. Good thing, because the game doesn't hesitate to crank up the difficulty just as fast. With precision, most of the enemies aren't too much of a problem, but King of Swing has fiendish level designers. Often you'll fall victim to a spike or other hazard placed in exactly the wrong place.

King of Swing's levels generally go upwards rather than sideways and include very little solid ground, so one mistake can often leave you some way below where you had reached. You'll almost always be either in the air or swinging from a peg.

If you're a veteran of past Donkey Kong games you'll probably enjoy the familiar music. Likewise, the colorful 2D graphics have a pleasant retro feel. Well-drawn and clear, they're just right for the GBA's screen and fit the simple, easygoing theme of the game very well.

Beyond the regular game, King of Swing features a set of minigames that can be played either against CPU opponents or multiplayer. They're pretty generic, and few players will be sufficiently motivated to play them more than a handful of times.

King of Swing is defined by its gimmick. Enjoy the unique control system and you'll find the game a pleasant and diverting play. If you're left cold by it, you'll quickly tire of the game's one-trick-pony style.