Other features include slightly improved graphics, the inclusion of some classic Donkey Kong characters and a variety of new minigames. Players earn coins by accurately beating their drums, which they can spend on new sound schemes that replace the conga noises (such as dog barks or sounds from past Nintendo games) or expert challenges. The DK Bongos feature three primary buttons: the two drums and a start button on the middle section. The bongos also feature a built in microphone to detect clapping, though the sides of the bongos can be hit to replicate it. The automatic camera also allowed Koizumi to avoid camera problems he found in previous 3D games that he had worked on.

Destructoid said the connections between Jungle Beat and Galaxy were obvious when considering Jungle Beat 's "level of imagination and surrealism. During the Refurbish and Inspection process, original games and accessories may have minor internal or external parts replaced with brand new 3rd party parts including but not limited to switches, capacitors, buttons, plastic disk cases, batteries, etc.

While it is compatible with a traditional GameCube controller, Jungle Beat is designed for use with the DK Bongos, a controller that resembles a pair of bongo drums and was previously used for the Donkey Konga (2003) music game.

Nintendo's showing was considered "[b]old, energetic, full of attitude and unexpected surprises", [22] and IGN described Jungle Beat as "[t]he sleeper hit of the show" and wrote that attendees did not want to stop playing its presented demo.

Jeremy Parish, writing for Polygon, considered it the franchise's best game behind Donkey Kong (1994) for the Game Boy, summarizing it as "a one-of-a-kind thing that really shouldn't work but absolutely does". The Donkey Konga Bongos feature a sturdy and responsive design, inviting players to unleash their inner percussionist.

There are tracks from the Mario series, The Legend of Zelda series, and other Nintendo related music.It received positive reviews from critics, who complimented its use of the DK Bongos; they also praised its visuals and level design. which] wasn't present in the [ Donkey Kong Country] games", [63] while Kotaku noted further parallels between level tropes in Jungle Beat and Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2010). Division heads Yoshiaki Koizumi and Takao Shimizu—who had previously led development on Nintendo's Super Mario Sunshine (2002)—respectively served as director and producer. IGN praised the GameCube version's graphics, saying that "DK's fur makes StarFox Adventures models look primitive". Using the DK Bongos presented some challenges; since the controller restricted the player's movements, EAD Tokyo had to conceive new game mechanics as a workaround.

After they make a lot of loud noise, DK becomes discouraged and admits that he and Diddy are not good at playing the bongos. Donkey Kong creator Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka also served as producers, [6] while Sunshine programmer Koichi Hayashida was the assistant director and contributed to some level design. The main gameplay is largely identical to the Taiko no Tatsujin games, which were also designed by the same developers.Hitting the individual drums causes Donkey Kong to move; the player hits both drums to jump and claps in front of the DK Bongos' built-in microphone to send a shockwave.