The puzzles are often reminiscent of Banjo Kazooie, although there's more variety to them. In general you'll be called on to complete a tricky platform section with the appropriate character, followed by a mini-game challenge. If you survive, a bonus banana is yours for the taking. There are countless other tasks and hidden extras to find, including elusive fairies that must be captured on film in order to win cheats. There's even a nod to Rare's past with the inclusion of Jet Pac, an ancient Ultimate title from the days of the Spectrum; and the complete arcade version of the original Donkey Kong, emulated to perfection. Both have to be completed in order to finish the main game.

The game is certainly a looker, boasting the best lighting effects yet seen on the N64. Almost every room has a moving light source of some kind, be it a swinging lamp or reflections from a pool of water, so there's constant activity on the screen even when you're standing still. It's mostly a way for Rare's programmers to flex their muscles, but a few areas do use it as more than just a visual touch. One in particular sees your character followed by a lantern-carrying bird, illuminating only a tiny part of the treacherous beams ahead.

All this graphical flair comes at a price. The game won't run without an Expansion Pak, and instead of simply providing a voucher in the box for anyone who hasn't already got one, DK64 comes bundled with the extra 4Mb of memory, making it the most expensive N64 game on the market. If you bought an Expansion Pak to go with Turok 2 or Rogue Squadron, that's just tough. You'll have to part with £60 for the privilege of owning DK64 and a completely redundant second Pak.

But if you don't already own a Pak, or you don't mind paying over the odds, DK64 is second only to Mario when it comes to platform fun. Huge, challenging and far too good to leave to the kids.