Reggie “Hated” Donkey Konga And Was Worried It Would Hurt The DK Brand

Update [Sat 7th May, 2022 12:30 BST]: G4 has now uploaded the full interview with Reggie – adding some much-needed context to that line about how much he “hated Donkey Konga”. It turns out, he was just protective and was worried about the music rhythm series ruining the Donkey Kong brand. In the end, though, he admits it sold “reasonably” well.

“I have to tell you, as an executive, I hated Donkey Konga. I hated it. I fought with our parent company. I thought it was going to hurt the Donkey Kong brand. Personally, I didn’t find it a lot of fun to play so I pushed back hard. You know what? We launched it. The first game actually sold reasonably well, but boy I was not a fan.”

Original article [Sat 30th Apr, 2022 02:30 BST]: The former Nintendo of America president, Reggie Fils-Aimé, is currently doing the rounds online to promote his new book Disrupting the Game. If you thought you’ve heard everything he’s had to say, perhaps not.

In a new teaser (that lacks context and is clearly poking fun) for an upcoming G4TV XPlay interview, Reggie can be seen answering some hard-hitting questions. We do hear him say a little bit in this short time frame, but possibly the most shocking (and hilarious) line is the following: “As an executive, I hated Donkey Konga.”

Again, there’s not really much context here, so there’s no need to raise that pitchfork just yet. It’s no doubt G4TV drumming up some excitement for this special interview. Reggie’s new book will be made available on 3rd May. It’s filled with inspiring stories and lessons about his “unlikely rise” to the top.

Keep an eye out for our Nintendo Life review next week.