Released in the US on November 21st, 2010, Donkey Kong Country Returns marked a spirited return in modern form to the beloved platforming series of the SNES era. And who would of thought that Retro Studios, the developers whose only previous work included the esteemed first-person shooter envisioning of the Metroid Prime Trilogy, would go on to make what is one of the finest platformers to grace us in a generation. Masterfully blending nostalgic elements with fun and creative ideas, this game takes players on a wild ride that feels right at home. The adventure begins on an all too-familiar note, some nefarious no-doers, this time a group of hypnotically-enchanting tikis, stealing the coveted hoard of Kong bananas. As DK happens to be immune to the tiki's hypnotic gaze, players make use of the Wii's motion controls to deliver a satisfying flurry of punches in exaggerated cartoon fashion, and burst into a journey of justice, barrel blasting and plenty of bananas.
Every facet of this game is just filled to the brims with personality and an incredible attention to detail. The striking designs of enemies and set pieces. The way plants, planks and more all shake to the heavy slams of DK's fists. The plethora of secrets so expertly hidden in every single level, you'll often find reason to play them multiple times over. And while the game recycles many tunes from the original Donkey Kong Country, you can't really argue with the master of ambiance that is perhaps the greatest soundtracks of the SNES era. It all adds to the delicious mix of nostalgia served up with top notch gameplay. Sure it's still barrel blasting, treacherous mine cart rides and more, but turn up the creativity and thrills several exponential notches, and you have an experience you soon won't forget. Looking for cover along a coastal cove as threatening tidal waves come crashing forward and wiping out all in its path. Riding through a mine cart in which tracks are crumbling all around from a barrage of bomb-tossing moles. Rolling through a jungle canopy in which all characters and scenery are displayed in striking silhouettes against the gorgeous sun-soaked sky. There is no end to sheer brilliance on display in this game.
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| This is no concept art, but actual gameplay from the beautiful level of Sunset Shore. Breathtaking. |
The game boasts over 60 levels of this brilliant design spread across 8 distinct and creative worlds that make up Donkey Kong Island, of which has never looked more delightful. I absolutely love how the worlds sprawl out and connects from one to the next, with the incredibly catchy map tune adapting from locale to locale. I adore how there is an entire world devoted to mine carts and rocket barrel levels. And who doesn't love the wicked return of a factory world, filled with all sorts of devious machinery, steampunk funk, mechanized chickens and even chickens piloting mechs. And the ending of this game is one of the most exaggerated and hilarious take-downs I have ever seen, perfectly fit for the likes of a Saturday morning cartoon with the ridiculous turned up to max. I love it.
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| The 7 Tiki bosses, each based off a different musical instrument which they use to hypnotize various island inhabitants to fight against DK and crew. |
If you're a fan of Donkey Kong Country Returns and wish there was more to enjoy, you'd be in luck as there is a sequel with Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze. Released in February, 2014, for the Wii-U, Tropical Freeze has our esteemed gorilla now teaming up with three simian partners (Diddy, Dixie, and Cranky) to take down a tribe of snowmadic penguins and polar bears who've kicked our simian heroes off their island. Taking place across six different islands, this sequel still boasts incredibly fun and creative level design, and a mesmerizing soundtrack with many new tracks composed by the infamous original Donkey Kong Country song writer himself, David Wise. And seeing the last world of Donkey Kong Island all frozen over, revisiting familiar sites in icy cool new ways was a chilling thrill. But I think that's a testament to just how stupendous the thematic design and world building of the former game really was. Both are fantastic games and worth playing to be sure, but my heart lies with Donkey Kong Country Returns as the king of Kongs and platformers to come. Go ahead and beat your chest proudly DK. You deserve it.
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