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Preview  Donkey Kong Coconut Crackers
- By Dan Doll


Donkey Kong is usually only fair game for the NAdventures bunch, but thanks to Rare's DK Coconut Crackers, that is about to change.

Donkey Kong Coconut Crackers offers either an isometric or overhead view of a large, square play area. Coconuts pieces filled with one of a few different colors fall from the sky and the player must rotate and position these pieces onto the board. On impact, the coconuts break open filling tiles of the jungle floor with paint.

From there, pieces can only be stacked on top of each other if their colors are different. The key to then clearing the board is in creating one-color squares and rectangles from the falling coconuts. Therein lies the basic survival challenge.

However, there is a twist. Lurking around the playing field is one of Donkey Kong's old enemies, a Kremling. Whenever this baddy touches a piece, he renders it useless, essentially shrinking the size of the floor. Luckily, Donkey's animal pals will fend off the Kremling as the player clears more tiles from the floor.

Players can put this idea to test in several modes including endurance, Cranky Kong's challenges, and multiplayer with up to three other players.

The game is set for release 1st quarter 2002.

- 11.2.2001