4) Donkey Konga
Released: GameCube, 2004
Plastic, electronic bongos might initially seem doomed for failure as a video game peripheral, but after a few rounds with Donkey Konga it became clear why Nintendo invested the effort into the things. Sega’s maracas for its Samba de Amigo were clearly a precursor to Donkey Konga‘s bongos, but Nintendo took it to the next level with its exceptional peripheral. As notes scrolled from right to left, players tapped their bongos, clapped their hands, and soaked in the mixture of Nintendo and popular tunes. Nintendo managed to squeak in a sequel, but the series has been dormant for years. It’s a shame, as the concept could do wonders on Wii U with the Nintendo Network for online play and song downloads.
I don’t really like music games… but have to admit this list has a lot of quality software on it.
My only complaints:
* Donkey Konga and Mario DDR were great ideas but Nintendo needed more remixed NES tracks and fewer public domain songs thrown into the mix
* Rock Band 2 should be replaced by The Beatles Rock Band (not because Rock Band 2 is bad, but because The Beatles version is just that awesome)
;)