Donkey Kong country returns is not just the wii game of the year, it's also hovering up in the highest echelons with Super mario galaxy as one of the finest games available for
nintendo's beloved console. Paying homage to one of the greatest platforming games ever made, DKCR is beautiful example of retro studios in the prime of their creativity.
As a gamer who holds the original platforming classic in such high regard, my personal expectations for this game were nearly insurmountable. I had been waiting nearly sixteen years for a true follow up ( or faithful homage) to Donkey Kong country so when i heard that critically acclaimed "retro studios" was going to be at the helm of a new 2d donkey kong game, my heart was overjoyed. Perhaps part of what makes this game so special could be the incredible circumstances surrounding its origins. Taken straight from the wiki
"At that time(april 2008), Shigeru Miyamoto wanted to create a new Donkey Kong game and, at his request, producer Kensuke Tanabe recommended Michael Kelbaugh, the CEO of Retro Studios, who had previously worked on the Donkey Kong Country series while he was employed at Nintendo of America. Satoru Iwata frequently referred to this turn of events as "fate" in his meetings with Retro Studios, which is why Kelbaugh suggested the homophonous project codename F8".
When Nintendo starts throwing words around like "fate"...you know your in good shape.
Donkey Kong Country returns revamps the pre-rendered art style of the original series, with a new more organic visual presentation. A risky change, but the end result is a game that is literally exploding off every inch of your television with some of the most polished,vibrant, visuals available on the wii. As a gamer who plays quite a few wii games i couldn't help but feel retro studios had tapped some hidden graphical well buried deep within the wii's core. The layers of depth and detail displayed here (especially for a 2d platformer) are unparalleled.
Even more impressive was how much the environment would react to donkey Kong in very simple, yet natural ways you raley see in a game of this nature. For example when you ground pound in certain areas not only does the surface below your feet ripple and shake but the trees and overgrowth in the immediate background shake as well! Ill be honest it would have been really interesting to see a studio tackle the original Pre-rendered graphical style that Donkey Kong country sported back in 1994 ...but the move retro studios made here was very wise. The visual approach was the first step in infusing donkey Kong country returns with its own identity, while paying homage to the original.
Controls are everything in a platformer and i was happy to find the original feel of the classic games in tact. Sure at first controlling donkey kong can feel a bit sluggish compared to many other modern platformers....but that's where the challenge lies. Sure Mr. Kong may not move with the speed of something like super meatboy, but in return the player is treated to a platforming experience that requires and rewards "patience". At first i was skeptical about losing the "tag team" setup from the original games. I always loved switching between donkey Kong or Diddy Kong on the fly and when Donkey Kong when down...you had the swift and agile Diddy to bring up the rear(ahem..). However the new setup works fantastic. Now when Donkey Kong comes across a "DK barrel" Diddy hitches a ride on donkey kongs back, thus allowing donkey Kong to acquire 2 extra hearts(wich help quite a bit) and the ability to soar for short periods of time via a cute little jet pack that diddy kong is wearing. Some of the scenes with Diddy Kong riding on Donkey Kongs back gave the game a strong "ICONIC" feel(especially in the silhouette levels that absolutely steal the show). Different yet....incredibly balanced. Another example of retro studios cleverly forging their own identity with "returns".
I must be honest when i say the original donkey kong country separates itself into legendary category for me with its incredibly classic, ethereal music. Mario games have always have had a slightly more obnoxious bounce to their melodies, while sonic games lean a bit more toward the relaxing-electronic inspired gaming tunes. Donkey kong just really does it for me in the music department and here retro studios has done a great job bringing back many of the original classics as well as some incredible new tracks that are sure to get stuck in your head for days. The musical vibe tends to be a bit more "upbeat" than the original overall, but that definitely works to the benefit of the overall experience. Playing this game makes you feel all the familiar "happy pangs" of a kid on christmas morning.
Donkey Kong country returns is not only one of the finest games to grace a nintendo console in years it really reminded me of that classic "feeling" i had playing a great nintendo game in my youth.The charm is through the roof, and the visuals are absolutely staggering for a wii game. Nothing here is revolutionary by any means, but retro studios have ever so lovingly created one of the most complete traditional 2d platforming games ive ever played. Developing a game like this can be tricky. You need to summon much of the nostalgia and charm that the original games provided, while carving out your own identity, and in this regard Donkey Kong Country Returns is a complete success.
Would love your thoughts!
mo
Donkey kong Country returns, The wii Game of the Year
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