1403 - Mario Tennis Fever First Impressions

Hyle and Dustin discuss Mario Tennis Fever, Camelot's latest Cameo Game featuring Donkey and Diddy Kong, medical malpractice, adults embracing the diaper life, creepy romantic gestures, reverse vampiric spiders, loads of spilled goo, and sometimes the sport of tennis.

Is this finally all that there is to know about Stop 'N' Swop? The legendary scrapped feature across Rare's Nintendo 64 library was laid bare by bear and bird creator Gregg Mayles, revealing precisely how Banjo-Kazooie, Donkey Kong 64, and Banjo-Tooie would have interacted, what the Ice Key would be used for on both Donkey Kong Island and the Isle O'Hags, and what might have been taken out of Tooie into a future Rare game!

The Kongversation is returning with the return of the return RETURN to Returns! Donkey Kong Country Returns HD received an unexpected update in January 2026, adding enhanced graphics, resolution, and loading times for Switch 2, as well as a new Turbo Attack mode... and Dixie Kong as a playable partner character!

Broadcast live on https://twitch.tv/dkvine, the Kongversation's annual season-ending New Year's Forecast reckons with the monumental year we've just had for Donkey Kong... and looks at what 2026 might bring for the entire DKU!

Hyle and Jeff check back in with Sea of Thieves, giving their thoughts on the game's recently-concluded Season 17! Subtitled "Smugglers' Tide," it gave the creaky seasonal structure a much-needed refurbishment and a fresh wainscoting of storytelling. Narrative? In a DKU game? What does Sea of Thieves think it is, Donkey Kong Bananza?

The Kongversation wraps up its 2025 Donkey Kong Bananza coverage with one last look at the game's DLC! Hyle is joined by Sxips to discuss the intricacies of Emerald Rush, the monthly events that kicked off in October, the statues celebrating DK series heritage, and how the mode can serve as a bridge to the next Donkey Kong game! Note: This episode contains spoilers for the Emerald Rush DLC.

Out of the 24 (Krocodile) core, singular characters in the game, how does the cast of Donkey Kong Country 2 rank? Hyle and Jeff put the Kongs, Animal Buddies, Bosses, and other errant notables of Diddy's Kong Quest through Tier Maker to see how they stack up to each other... using only the criteria of their performance and presentation up to that point in history!

It's a Hyle and Matt chat about Rare Collection 1, the new 12-game compilation on Evercade! Featuring a dirty dozen of Ultimate Play the Game and Rare Ltd. classics, DK Vine's primary concern is the first-ever reissue of Conker's Pocket Tales. Does Conker's solo debut still hold up? Did it ever? What do we think of this format and the Evercade itself? And what future Rare Collections would we like to see?

Just as Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest improved on the original in numerous ways, so too did its classic instruction booklet! Once again written by Nintendo of America's Dan Owsen, with story by Rare newcomer Leigh Loveday, it's 30-plus pages of immersive table setting and subversive tablecloth pulling!

Celebrating three decades of Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest! Hyle and Dustin discuss how the second Donkey Kong Country game still holds up to this day, now made ever more relevant thanks to Donkey Kong Bananza.