CNET Networks Entertainment GameSpot | GameFAQs | SportsGamer | Metacritic | MP3.com | TV.com
Home | About Metacritic | About Metascores | What's New | Wireless Versions | Discussion Forums | Advertising Inquiries | Contact Us | RSS
Metacritic.com: We Deal With Criticism
     Help
> Switch to Advanced Search  
Film Video/DVD Music Games TV

Games

Playstation Reviews
PS3 | PS2 | PS One | PSP

Xbox Reviews
Xbox 360 | Xbox

Nintendo Reviews
Wii | DS | GBA | Cube | N64


PC | N-Gage | Dreamcast

How Metascores Are Calculated
Discuss Games In Our Forums

 

Upcoming & Recent Releases

sort by name sort by score

40 Alone in the Dark
37 Backyard Baseball '09
46 Big Beach Sports
80 BlastWorks: Build, Trade, Destroy
70 Block Breaker Deluxe
85 Boom Blox
xx Brothers in Arms: Double Time
xx Cabela's Trophy Bucks
67 Castle of Shikigami III
65 Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, The
52 Cocoto Fishing Master
xx Cocoto Kart Racer
58 Critter Round-Up
xx de Blob
71 Death Jr.: Root of Evil
50 Deca Sports
67 Defend Your Castle
70 Dog Island, The
xx Don King Presents: Prizefighter
72 Dr. Mario Online Rx
43 Emergency Heroes
48 Family Table Tennis
xx Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli
80 Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King
77 Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon
73 Guitar Hero: Aerosmith
70 Gyrostarr
xx Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility
57 Helix
xx Hell's Kitchen
xx Igor The Game
45 Incredible Hulk, The
44 Iron Man
xx Jeep Thrills
xx Kawasaki Snowmobiles
32 King of Clubs
71 Kung Fu Panda
xx LEGO Batman
78 LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures
xx Line Rider 2: Unbound
69 Little League World Series 2008
81 LostWinds
82 Madden NFL 09 All-Play
70 Magnetica Twist
45 Major League Eating: The Game
72 Mario Super Sluggers
xx Midnight Pool
79 MLB Power Pros 2008
xx Monster Lab
38 Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, The
xx My Aquarium
47 My Pokemon Ranch
49 NCAA Football 09 All-Play
xx NHL 2K9
76 Order Up!
53 Pirates: The Key of Dreams
xx Pong Toss: Frat Party Games
64 Pop
40 Protothea
xx Rebel Raiders: Operation Nighthawk
81 Rock Band
xx Samba De Amigo
64 Secret Files: Tunguska, The
xx SimCity Creator
76 SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1
xx Space Chimps
69 Speed Racer
18 SPOGS Racing
63 Star Soldier R
xx Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
76 Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People Episode 1: Homestar Ruiner
60 Summer Athletics: The Ultimate Challenge
xx Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 All-Play
xx TNA iMPACT!
79 Toki Tori
67 Top Spin 3
65 TV Show King
49 V.I.P. Casino: Blackjack
40 Wacky Races: Crash & Dash
52 WALL-E
xx Wario Land: Shake It!
76 We Love Golf!
68 We Ski
80 Wii Fit
62 Wild West Guns
36 Wonderworld Amusement Park

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.



Printer-Friendly Version Email This Page Discuss In Our Forums
Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast wii Game Reviews
Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast
Critic Score
Metascore: 46 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
7.0 out of 10
based on 34 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 14 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game

(Known as "Donkey Kong Taru Jet Race" in Japan; as "Donkey Kong Jet Race" in the UK/EU) Donkey Kong and his pals have gotten their mitts on some high-powered Barrel Jets – incredible engines that boost when struck by a pilot. By beating on the DK Bongos controller, players can make their character swoop up, bank side to side and launch attacks on rivals. (The game also can be played using a Nintendo GameCube controller.) Players challenge the Kremlings or up to three pals on five worlds, each boasting 3-D aerial maps filled with countless obstacles and powerful items. With four people beating the bongos as they battle for the skies, this game is more party than race. [Nintendo]

PUBLISHER: Nintendo
DEVELOPER: Paon Corporation
GENRE(S): Racing, Action
PLAYERS: 4
ESRB RATING: E (Everyone)
RELEASE DATE: October 8, 2007

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

70
Official Nintendo Magazine UK
The on-rails steering mechanic will be an insult to your gaming ability. [Apr 2008, p.79]
65
Nintendo Power
To Barrel Blast's credit, it looks like there was a concerted effort to make the game look better--a smooth frame rate and some nice effects spruce up an otherwise mundane racer. [Nov 2007, p.99]
62
n-Revolution Magazine UK
Decent but unspectacular, Donkey Kong Jet Race can be fun in spite of its many flaws. Wait for it to land in the bargain bins. [Issue#19, p.76]
60
games(TM)
Despite all of its problems, you’ll almost certainly have a great deal of fun playing Donkey Kong Taru Jet Race. [JPN Import; Sept 2007, p.118]
58
IGN AU
Does the idea of a lipstick-wearing gorilla in a tight shirt and cut-offs who blows you a kiss from in front of a pink heart frame when you beat a challenge turn you on? If the answer is yes then this may be the game for you.
Read Full Review
55
NintendoWorldReport
A strange beast full of half-baked ideas and poor controls, yet it contains deceptively clever level designs.
Read Full Review
52
GameTrailers
Had Barrel Blast come out just after the Wii’s launch, it would be forgivable, if still not a very good game. But at this point in the system’s life cycle, releasing long-delayed GameCube games with Wii controls grafted onto them is a no-no, especially when said game is published by the system’s manufacturer itself.
Read Full Review
50
Cheat Code Central
While it is short and somewhat disappointing, Barrel Blast did make interesting use of the Wii's motion-sensing controls.
Read Full Review
50
GameDaily
The Wii remote and Nunchuk simply don't work well at all, forcing you to constantly build up speed and perform frustrating motions to do even the simplest of maneuvers like dodging on-track objects and jumping. Avoid this bottom of the barrel release.
Read Full Review
50
DailyGame
With poor gameplay and too-strict rules for unlocking new races, this is one game Nintendo should've let die. Instead, it'll just kill you to play it.
Read Full Review
50
Game Informer
The lack of online racing and leaderboards makes this game even more useless. If you want arcade racing on the Wii, dust off your copy of Excite Truck or just wait it out for Mario Kart.
Read Full Review
50
Video Game Talk
While it’s understandable that Nintendo would want to showcase one of their signature characters in a Wii game, it quickly becomes obvious that Donkey Kong Barrel Blast should not have made the jump from the Gamecube.
Read Full Review
50
Zentendo
After a mere couple of hours, players will feel as if they're beating a dead horse rather than a pair of bongos -- which isn't even an option in the first place despite the clear theme of drums and the obvious Gamecube controller ports.
Read Full Review
50
Gamer.nl
Jet Race isn't for everyone. There are some weak points that will irritate some players to no end, like the grading level design and lack of Bongo-controller support. There's nothing better than Mario Kart, but if you can see through the negatives, you might find some entertainment here.
Read Full Review
50
Maxi Consolas (Portugal)
The alternative found for the lack of the bong drum support fails for being so imprecise. And the sense of speed is always missing. It’s likely will keep accelerating without realizing your already at top speed. [March 2008]
45
PTGamers
Not very appealing, with impractical and tiresome controls, excessive repetition of scenery and short lifespan, Jet Race is way far from Nintendo’s standards.
Read Full Review
45
IGN
If DK Barrel Blast would have released well over a year ago on GameCube like it was supposed to the title might have had a chance at being remotely entertaining. After some seriously basic motion control, the removal of bongo support (even for those that already invested in the accessory), and some quick Mii integration the game has become a garbled mess of slow racing, shallow gameplay, and an overall boring experience.
Read Full Review
45
GamePro
Controls aside, the gameplay itself is nothing to be excited about. The courses are clumsily designed, the races are repetitive, and the characters are unmemorable. In short, Barrel Blast is offensive to all the senses. It feels wrong, looks awful, and it isn't a treat for the ears, either.
Read Full Review
45
GameSpot
If the inconsistent controls aren't enough to steer you away from this fifth-rate Mario Kart clone, the frustrating AI and total lack of personality probably will.
Read Full Review
43
Gaming Target
Although Nintendo and Paon must be applauded for trying to do something innovative, a racer like this simply does not work with a rhythm based control scheme. Those Wii owners looking for a quality racing title would be better off waiting until next year for Mario Kart Wii.
Read Full Review
42
The Wiire
Judged against what's already available for Wii for those with access to the Virtual Console, it's hard to imagine anyone choosing Barrel Blast over the superior Virtual Console game.
Read Full Review
40
Gameplayer
Donkey Kong was Nintendo’s original big baddie. He’s now been reduced to an inanity-grunting, tie-wearing corporate wuss, shilling lacklustre knock-offs of games his mortal adversary in Mario aced the market with. It’s time to stand up and fight! Don’t support this emasculation of a – perhaps THE - classic arcade bad dude.
Read Full Review
40
EuroGamer
Barrel Blast is an abortive and uncannily anachronistic attempt at a character racer with impossible controls, dreadful, imbalanced AI and boring design. It's not even worth the hour of your time that it takes to get completely sick of it.
Read Full Review
40
Games Master UK
Quite simply the worst game to bear the Nintendo logo in a generation or two. [Feb 2008, p.78]
40
VideoGamer
The fairly generic presentation and cheating AI could be overlooked if the core gameplay was great, but it's not. The motion sensitive controls are fiddly and at times completely broken, making Jet Race mildly fun for about an hour at most.
Read Full Review
40
1UP
In plenty of cases, the system has done a great job at reducing the barrier of the controller, making it easier to interact with games thanks to simple motion controls. In a game like Barrel Blast, however, it's added a whole lot of complexity -- not to mention physical exhaustion -- to what would otherwise be simple steering controls.
Read Full Review
40
NGamer UK
A game so bad, it brings shame upon Donkey Kong and his entire family. [JPN Import; Oct 2007, p.60]
39
Kombo
It's impossibly hard to like Donkey Kong Barrel Blast; it's fundamentally flawed from the start. The Wii-waggle controls hope to compensate for what is otherwise a poorly designed Mario Kart wannabe, but it all backfires – they're the game's leading failure.
Read Full Review
35
PALGN
Donkey Kong Jet Race is yet another example of the uneventful consequences of uninspired motion controls.
Read Full Review
30
NZGamer
Graphically the game would have been very impressive, if it was a launch game for the GameCube.
Read Full Review
30
GameTap
Sense of speed is way too slow; items are useless; racing is clumsy.
Read Full Review
25
Ferrago
If you belong to that weird subset of racing game fans who feel their life won't be complete till there's a game that enables you to race around the sky using a control method inspired by a love of percussion instruments then you may possibly eek an evening's worth of entertainment out of this, if you're forgiving. For the rest of us there's nothing to see here, keep on walking, someone will be along soon to sweep up the mess.
Read Full Review
20
GameSpy
Level design is bland, weapons are bland, control is a novelty at best and irritating at worst. As a free Wii launch pack-in meant to familiarize people with Remote/nunchuk controls, this game might have gotten a pass. Right now the only thing it gets is a big thumbs-down.
Read Full Review
16
Game Revolution
As the slacker par excellence, Donkey Kong would seem to be more suited to the casual gaming era than any other character in the Mario pantheon. Instead, as with any aging slacker, he’s simply a frustrating bore.
Read Full Review

What Our Users Said

Vote Now! The average user rating for this game is 7.0 (out of 10) based on 14 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Jim U. gave it an8:
Personally i think game reviewers need to get off their high horses. Sometimes a game, is just that - a game! It's not all about high level graphics and "AI". These types of reviews - which is every review - are very misleading for the general public. Anyone considering this game should have a look in the store and ignire this lame reviews by so-called "gamers". These nerds only know about Splinter Cell and Halo. Donkey Kong Jet Race is fun for all.

Daniel Y. gave it a7:
This game is simply under-rated. It does not deserve the poor scores it has been given overall. Gameplay is fun and there's plenty to do. It may not offer the Wii's best graphics but, to be honest, i don't think it's trying to. It may not be a 'hardcore game' but it's a great family game and is best enjoyed with more than one player.

Russell C. gave it a7:
Actually was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. As a family game it is pretty decent, especially for those, who like me, have younger kids at home. It doesn't punish you for touching the side of the track, which makes it easier for everyone to play together. The characters were fun and the courses were probably a bit too long, but the short-cuts and helpers (mine cart, rhino, dolphin) make for a good challenge. Frame rate has some issues on the water level, which hurts the multiplayer experience. Overall, I think it is a very solid family game, but certainly not a gamer's game. Since most of the "professional reviewers" are gamers and not family people, it's worth getting a different angle. For the right group, like my family, it's a game we sunk a fun 20 hours into over the week I rented it.

cin gave it a9:
Pretty fun, easy to get started.

Alexandre B. gave it a6:
Not Good, but not bad, it'S an okay game. I had fun with this game but.. that's it.

Discuss this game in our forums

Return to top of page
Home | FILM | DVD/VIDEO | MUSIC | GAMES | TV | Forums | About Metacritic metacritic.com

Popular on CBS sites: Fantasy Football | Miley Cyrus | MLB | iPhone 3G | GPS | Recipes | Shwayze | NFL

About CNET Networks | Jobs | Advertise

© 2008 CNET Networks, Inc., a CBS Company. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use