Many years ago, Kong fought a ferocious battle with Chiros.  Chiros is the inherent evil of Kong Island, and he was determined to destroy civilization as we know it.  He even went as far as to sink to the city of Atlantis!  (I'll bet Disney wasn't too happy about that.)  The all-powerful Kong was too much for Chiros to handle though.  After defeating Chiros, Kong used 13 Primal Stones to imprison him forever.  But forever only lasts as long as the Primal Stones stay in place.  If they are removed from their place, Chiros will regain his powers and the world will once again suffer.

Years later, Kong is abducted and killed by the local "civilized" men.  Dr. Lorna Jenkins had discovered Kong Island, but not in time to save the heroic ape.  As the leading anthropologist and explorer of her time, Lorna dedicates her life to the study of evolution and DNA.  In time, she is able to create a new Kong using samples of DNA from the original Kong, mixed with some DNA from her grandson, Jason Jenkins.

Because of the mixed DNA, Kong is able to merge into Jason, and Jason is able to merge into Kong whenever necessary.  There are times, however, when Jason can no longer hold back his animal urges.  When his body is shared with that of an ape, he feels unusually beast-like.  Eventually, he may not be able to contain the rage any longer.  At that time, he'll become Mega Kong, a larger, more powerful version of the Kong we all know and love.  This is a key part of the gameplay, which I'll explain later.

A short time later, Dr Jenkins invites Jason to visit Kong Island during Spring Break.  Foolishly, she agreed to let him bring his friend Eric Tannenbaum, and his archaeology professor, Ramone de la Porta.  Why in the world would a professor want to spend his break with a couple of his students?  It's not the students he cares about, but rather, 13 Primal Stones...

At the start of the game you'll be in control of Kong.  His moves seem fairly basic at first, but the levels aren't very complex, so it works pretty well.  As expected, Kong can walk, jump, roll, climb and attack enemies by punching or by slamming his giant arms onto his foes.  Kong and Jason are connected via the Cyberlink system, and when you are in range (you'll see his picture on the monitor in the top left corner of the screen), you can switch between the two characters to complete specific tasks.  Kong can jump higher, but Jason is good for exploring the lower areas, so it's wise to become familiar with both characters.

Jason's moves are similar to Kong's, except that he can't climb on vines, and his attacks aren't as strong.  His fists would be much to weak to take on a wild animal, so he uses a long wooden staff to take down anyone who stands in his way.  Throughout the game you'll find dozens of fruit (bananas, watermelon, etc.) pick-ups.  These pick-ups seem useless at first, but once you collect one hundred of them, you'll be glad you took the time to snatch them all.  100 fruit pieces = one extra Try (there are no lives in this game -- when you die, that's it!  Extra Tries are necessary to continue playing the game from where you left off.).  A password is given at the end of each level, allowing you to re-start at the beginning of the following level as much as you want.  Because of this, it's sometimes a good idea to forget about saving the fruit and use it as a weapon instead.  Only Jason and Mega Kong can throw fruit, but it's a good weapon to use against far away foes and enemies that you'd rather not come in close contact with.

When standing near each other, both characters can merge together.  If Jason loses control while inside of Kong, he'll transform into Mega Kong!  Mega Kong is great for boss battles, as he is the most powerful (and most versatile) playable character in the game.

All of this adds up to a surprisingly entertaining game.  It is a bit on the easy side -- after all, this game is based on a cartoon that's intended for kids -- but Kong: The Animated Series is good enough for everyone.  Experienced players (young or old) will beat this game very quickly, but they'll enjoy it while it lasts, and it is certainly one of the better ways to kill time.  I can't recommend that you buy it, since it is short and easy, but if you can rent it or play it at the store for free, do so.  It's better than you think.

Gameplay: 6.9
For a kids' game, Kong: The Animated Series plays well.

Graphics: 7.6 
Kong has quite a few eye-catching characters and backgrounds, especially Kong himself.

Sound: 5
Kong features more repetitive beats than you can shake an ape at.

Difficulty: Easy
Kids who have had a hard time beating the Mario games will like Kong's simpler gameplay.

Concept: 6.6
The story is pretty original for a syndicated cartoon, but this gameplay style has been used for more than a decade.

Multiplayer: N/A

Overall: 6.8
Whether you're a fan of the show or not, you'll probably like Kong: The Animated Series.  It's definitely geared toward a younger audience, but don't let that fool you.  There is fun to be had with this game, even for older players.