Game Spotlight: Donkey Kong Country Returns

I seem to be writing up a lot of Game Spotlights for Wii games even though I’ve been playing more 360 and PS3 games lately… I promise after this one, I’ll focus on other platforms for awhile.

When it was revealed that Retro Studios was working on a brand new Donkey Kong Country game, the first thing I thought was that it seemed to be a waste of their skills. Of course, I quickly realised that this team up of the Metroid Prime trilogy developers with a series started by Nintendo previous favourite adopted child was the greatest thing that ever could’ve happened.

What you’re treated to with Donkey Kong Country Returns does feel like it belongs with the original Donkey Kong Country series (for the SNES, ignore DK64… everyone else does). There may be a few differences, but I felt that for the most part, it did feel like I had truly returned.

It’s actually been quite a long time since DK was in a proper platformer… he’s been stuck playing the bongo’s and racing barrels for a few years which is a real shame, at least I think so. Of course, he’s back with Diddy and they’re out to cause mayhem. You know the deal, for whatever reason, some creatures come along and steal DK’s banana stash and the big ape isn’t just going to sit back and let that happen so he’s off to clobber those who stole from him. You don’t really need to know any more than that… just bring on the levels and the items to collect and let’s have some fun!

I’ve played through the game using mostly the Wiimote + Nunchuk combo since it feels the most natural to me, however you do have the option of also using the Wiimote on its side as a NES controller. I started off using that but found that I preferred it the first way when performing any of the motion control moves.

I haven’t been able to play as Diddy yet, mostly because there’s not really anyone to play co-op with around here and if I did, the other person would play as Diddy, but I’m sure he controls just like he always has. Donkey felt a little heavier than he does in the original DKC game, but it’s pretty easy to get used to and he still has quite a lot of speed in him when he does get going so you don’t feel like you’re lugging around too much weight he can’t handle. If you’re skilled enough you can get through levels pretty fast with him actually. It’s a fine balance and the levels are designed to fit him perfectly… though I can only assume that playing as Diddy would be easier than playing as Donkey.

Retro wasn’t out to emulate Rare 100% with this game. They obviously wanted to make their own mark as well and it shines through just by the level design alone. There’s a tonne of awesome barrel blasting to do and plenty of platforming as well as some vine climbing and mine carting. Just like with the old games, you’re really going to have to think on your feet with some of the faster portions of the game and time your way through certain areas for the best results. You’re certainly going to get quite a few surprises as you progress through the game… never take your eyes off of the background and assume it’s all there just for show.

It may have all been inspired by the way Rare used to do things, but a lot of the hidden areas reminded me a lot of how Retro did things in Metroid Prime. They do have their own style and it shows through in this game. There is always a bit of exploration to be done when you play through a level again to find all of the puzzle pieces you’ve missed and also finding the best way to grab those KONG letters. I mean, you’d think such linear levels wouldn’t have that much room for exploration, but you’d be wrong. There’s many nooks and crannies you’ll need to poke your nose into if you want to get all of those items.

There are quite a few side-scrolling 3D games on Wii now starting with New Super Mario Bros. and now going onto Donkey Kong Country Returns and Kirby’s Epic Yarn (just to name the big 3 from Nintendo). I think the easiest way to describe where these three fit with each other is this…

Kirby’s Epic Yarn is the most kid/family friendly of the lot. You can’t die and it’s more about the fun of getting a high score and co-operating with someone else. There’s no pressure and no worries if you make a mistake, just safe and friendly fun.

Then in the middle we have New Super Mario Bros. which is the intermediate game of the three. It’s fun and mostly safe, you still have to watch out for wasting your lives and it can get pretty rowdy when playing with 3 other people. The levels aren’t that challenging but there’s still an element of danger and you can still carry less experienced players through easily enough.

Now, Donkey Kong Country Returns on the other hand is a different barrel of monkeys… I can’t believe I just said that… What DKCR brings to Wii is a more pure oldskool experience. Sure, you can still carry a second player on your back to help them through the more difficult parts, and the extra lives balloons are more frequent than in the original DKC games, but this is still a lot more difficult game than the previous two mentioned.

If you’re not careful you can end up losing quite a lot of lives trying to get by particular areas or levels… and it doesn’t take that long for the difficulty to suddenly ramp up. This game was made to be accessible by using the Super Guide, but it was also made specifically for the fans as well who don’t want to waste time with any sort of handicapping system. Prepare for a very nice challenge when you play this game, and prepare to think your way through certain levels as you replay them to get all of the puzzle pieces and KONG letters.

…and prepare to have a lot of fun doing it.

Also, this entry is SO late… I’ve been trying to post this entry up for half a month only to be distracted by Steam games and such. It was meant to be the first entry I posted up this month.