Nintendo has again applied for a few new patents, including a Donkey Konga Bongo for the Nintendo Switch.
Years ago Nintendo released for the GameCube Donkey Konga and Donkey Kong Jungle Beat. To control these games you needed a special controller on which you had to drum. Although the games were well received Nintendo did nothing more with the concept further.
Donkey Konga Bongo patents
Now, however, the company has applied for a patent for a Nintendo Switch version of the Bongos. There is also a request for a keyboard that has to work on the Switch. Below you can view the description of the application;
[0138] For example, in the exemplary embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the extended input device 200 is a keyboard-type input device including a plurality of input keys 205. The user selects any one of the input keys 205 of the extended input device 200 and makes a touch operation or a press operation on the selected input key 205 with his/her finger. As a result, a letter corresponding to the operated input key 205 is input, a display object (e.g., a cursor) is moved in accordance with the operated input key 205, or a user instruction in accordance with the operated input key 205 is followed. Such a result of the input is displayed on the display device (e.g., the display 12 of the main body apparatus 2). A game in which a player object located in a virtual space makes a motion may be performed, or various types of information may be displayed, in accordance with an operation made by use of the extended input device 200. In the exemplary embodiment, a so-called keyboard may be used to make a user input to perform various processes.
[0152] In this example, as shown in FIG. 14, the extended input device 250 is a drum-type controller including a plurality of operation surfaces 255a, 255b, 255x and 255y, an operation button 255s and a microphone 257m. The user beats at least one of the plurality of operation surfaces 255a, 255b, 255x and 255y, inputs a sound of a voice or the beat to the microphone 257m, or presses the operation button 255s. As a result, a player character PC makes a motion in accordance with the content of operation and displayed on the display device (e.g., the display 12 of the main body apparatus 2). In accordance with the operation made by use of the extended input device 250, a process of changing a virtual object located in the virtual space may be executed, the degree of matching of the operation timings may be determined, or various information may be displayed. Various game processes or information processes may be executed.”
So … what does this tell us, are we going to get remakes from those games? Are we even wanting that? But a much more important question have you ever played with the Donkey Konga Bongos?
