Def Jam Vendetta

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Aki Corp.

I really liked Def Jam Vendetta when it first came out. Revisiting it again for this list, I can honestly say that it has aged pretty well. The gameplay, which somewhat feels like a faster-paced, arcadey WWF No Mercy, is usually very fun. The cast of characters are mostly enjoyable as well…though, I'm not much of a hip-hop guy, so I didn't really like the inclusion of some of the hip hop artists in this game….especially since I know some of them look so thin that they could jump into a box of uncooked spaghetti to hide. Then again, I'm complaining about appearances that take me out of any potential realism, when some of the moves in this game are so over-the-top that they're simply impossible to perform in real life. So if a guy is gonna lift me over his head and slam me to the mat by doing a cartwheel, I suppose it might as well be someone that looks like they'd be crushed under the weight of it all after the initial lift attempt. It should also be noted that I'm sure that there are folks that loved the Def Jam license being used, so my complaint about using the rap folk will definitely not apply to everyone. Outside of the solid in-ring action, you've got a "meh" story (which is the same, regardless of which wrestler you select at the start) where you basically use women and beat up people so that you can steal the lass from D-Mob, the big boss of the wrestling empire. While the story isn't great, the gameplay is still solid enough to keep most folks going. If you're a fan of wrestling games, but want a hip-hop flavor to it, where a bunch of fictional fighters and rappers brawl it out, then give Def Jam Vendetta a try. It's still a very solid game to this day.

Review added: 04/02/2025

Donkey Konga

Also known as: N/A

Developer: Namco

While it's not overwhelmingly fun or even all that innovative, Donkey Konga is still a solid music game for Gamecube owners. The bongos are a fun peripheral to use and they help give the game a little bit of a unique and simplistic experience. Basically, you’ve got a left bongo and a right bongo…and you’ve probably got a left hand and a right hand. The goal in Donkey Konga is to use those hands of yours to hit the right and left bongos, and to occasionally clap your hands, which a microphone between the bongos picks up. Unfortunately, while Donkey Konga is fun initially, there simply is not enough here to ensure that the fun lasts much longer than maybe an hour or two at most, which drags the experience down a little. Also disappointing is the sound track. I’m not much of a music person, but much of the soundtrack seems like an odd choice. I get the video game music – that makes sense….but going from doing a song from the Legend of Zelda to “Louie Louie” feels odd. Why Louie Spicolli’s entrance theme from ECW in 1996/1997 is in a Nintendo music game from 2003 is beyond me…sorry, bad wrestling joke. Anyway, Donkey Konga is still fun while it lasts, even if it doesn’t last long, and well worth checking out if you're a fan of music games, especially music games with musical instrument peripherals. Just don’t expect it to be amongst the best in the genre.

Review added: 07/12/2019