Donkey Kong Country Returns

Aura · Post by **Aura** » 2011-01-14 06:53pm

Well since I don't feel like doing that intro thread, I'll add this bit to my post.

I've lurked here for a few months so I'd like to think that I'm familiar with the style and some of you. I like writing a lot, I do movie reviews (I love to talk about movies), game reviews, I'll do some commentary on particular events. My end goal is to get a career in writing something I actually give a shit about. I'd appreciate comments on my pieces, I mean if you have any thoughts on a review or fanfiction or whatever, good or not, try sending them my way. Hopefully this goes well. By the way, I have a bad habit of not always reading over my works thoroughly enough.

Old formula + New tricks and controls = Very refreshing experience

Platforming games aren’t exactly my forte, but I still try to play them. Its like the worse feeling in the world when you fall off the level and have to start over, so for every level my heart is pounding more and more the further I go in. For all of that tension there’s always that satisfying feeling of making it to the end of the level that makes you come back for more.

The story is simple, a volcano erupts and a bunch of tiki figures emerge from it and start hypnotizing everyone, of course this doesn’t work on Donkey Kong (for reasons unexplained) and he and Diddy decide to go after them once they steal their bananas. Yeah … its revolutionary stuff.

The game gives you the typical 8 worlds set up and its up to you to beat all of the levels in each world and defeat each boss at the end. The boss battles are actually challenging, simple, but it’ll take you a few tries to take them down. The game really shines with its level design. None of the levels feel the same and they each contain some heart pounding sequences. From dodging a giant squid that’s attacking you from the background to dodging explosions and enemies while riding a rocket barrel. While the game is 2d, it incorporates some 3d elements in the ways previously mentioned. Some of the games best moments are when you’re not even playing and you’re just sitting there watching Donkey Kong and Diddy blast through barrels in such ways that are a real treat for the eyes. The game finds this medium level of difficulty and just stays there for much of the beginning, but it does get pretty difficult which will help sustain the length of the game.

One of the new features is that this time around Diddy isn’t a fallback guy, he’s a power up that gives Donkey Kong extra health and allows him to hover over the air a little while longer while Diddy rides on his back, while you don’t NEED him, he makes some of the sequences a lot easier. There’s also co-op which is well incorporated. In this mode, Donkey Kong and Diddy are apart. Player 1 plays as Donkey Kong and Player 2 is Diddy and you both share a pool of lives so if one of you dies, one life is lost and you the character is instantly revived and both of you can keep going without having to start at the previous checkpoint which is great because if the two players aren’t on the same page with the jumps, you will die a lot.

The game controls well and the motion controls are a welcomed add on that doesn’t feel excessive. Shaking the Wiimote while moving results in a barrel roll, beating the Wiimote or nunchuck up and down when standing results and Donkey Kong pounding the ground which can stun or flip over enemies, and beating the Wiimote while lying down results in DK blowing wind which can be used in a few ways (Run on sentence, I know). So even with the new controls its still your usual go through a level collect K-O-N-G and a few puzzle pieces. You’ll get to ride Rambi every now and then. And people rejoice, NO UNDERWATER LEVELS!

One area that the game is lacking in is extras. I mean if you’re diehard collectomaniac (I don’t think that’s a word), then you’ll have a blast beating each level collecting all of the K-O-N-G letters in addition to all of the hidden puzzle pieces, but the main challenge for that type of player are the time trials. If you don’t fall into that category, then there really isn’t much for you once you beat the game outside of looking at pictures.

You pretty much know what you’re getting with this game since you’ve pretty much done it before, but the new look and feel are more than enough to justify a purchase.