Donkey Kong Country Returns Hands-On
By:
Micah Seff
|
October 28, 2010, 1:02 pm

When the GameXplain crew got the invite to check out Donkey Kong Country Returns extensively over the past two days, we jumped on the opportunity. Both Andre and I have been foaming at the mouth over this game ever since we first played the demo at E3. Our goal: tear our way through the game so that we could come back with extensive impressions for you all.

We barely managed to beat the game during our time with it (the end credits started rolling just as our appointment was set to end), but we’re glad we did, as it was quite the experience. Since there’s a whole lot still that we can’t yet talk about, so we thought we’d split our preview coverage into a few different stories, so make sure to check back in a few weeks for our ridiculously extensive hands-on with the game.

For now, I’ll walk you through the awesomeness that we can talk about. Like I’m assuming many of the Nintendo fans who read this site, I had my concerns about Retro delivering on the promise of a Donkey Kong Country title. Despite the flak that the series has caught over the years, it’s still one of the most revered 16-bit franchises ever, and Retro had some pretty big shoes to fill.

 
I’m happy to report that those fears were completely unfounded. Retro seems to have delivered a Donkey Kong Country game that is eminently worthy of wearing that crown. The world of Donkey Kong Country Returns is so vibrant and full of life and action that it transforms into one of the most immersive 2D platforming experiences ever.

Every level in the game is packed with delicious little tidbits that excite the obsessive compulsive gamer dwelling inside me. In addition to the K-O-N-G letters scattered throughout the level, there are several hidden puzzle pieces to find. These are sometimes just hidden in the environment, but at other times are revealed for solving puzzles or completing challenges. It is so gratifying to attempt to find everything hidden in a level, as well as offering more tangible player rewards in the way of extra levels and other unlockables.
 
 
This constant hunt through the environment to find every hidden goodie makes the whole world come together in a way that I hadn’t really imagined. Every single manipulation of the environment results in some sort of desirable effect, so players are constantly on their toes to look for anything that might be out of the ordinary, whether it be a flower you can blow in the background, a boulder you can smash with a ground pound, or a wall you can destroy with a barrel. Your actions feel so much more immersive because their impact is felt in a tangible way. It all works beautifully, and really makes you feel like a rampaging ape, tearing apart a jungle in his quest for bananas.

The level design and pacing augments this exponentially. In one level I found myself ducking behind stone obelisks to seek refuge from crashing tidal waves sweeping in from the background. As the waves struck, bananas and other goodies were washed away and my shelters were battered to pieces under the oppressive force. It was really just awe-inspiring and so damn clever that I was amazed I had never played anything like it before. On several other levels, we found ourselves in control of a Rocket Barrel that cruised across the screen and gained or lost altitude depending on how much we hit the A button. Every level with the Rocket Barrel was simply amazing, and we were always excited to see one. Flying through caves, dodging creepy, puffy monsters of varying sizes as they popped out at us while inside our trusty Rocket Barrel was more fun than I thought I was going to have at any single moment this week.

 
The way the foreground and background interact is one of the most engaging things about the level design. Not only did we find both Donkey and Diddy Kong blasting their way between foreground and background stretches, but we also saw background objects interacting with us, such as pirate ships firing cannonballs or spiked boulders crashing through the background to crush us. There was even an Indiana Jones-esque puzzle on one of the gorgeous silhouette levels (Sunset Shores) involving lining up foreground and background elements, so that the silhouettes make the shape of, what else, a banana! It was awesome, and totally clever, and just, well, awesome.

So many of the levels impressed to this degree as we made our way through the adventure. I kept thinking that each subsequent mine cart level was the best one I had ever played, as some of the later ones just blew me away completely. For the most part, the boss fights impressed on this same level, with fun lead-ins, a ton of character, and compelling mechanics. My favorite by far was a battle with a villainous mole driving a speeding drill-train down a mine track. This same train had been seen in the previous level spiraling out of control along a roller-coaster mine track, loops included. The boss battle took place on the carts of the speeding train, and was a hectic affair, resulting in plenty of deaths.

 
Speaking of deaths, the difficulty level of the game seemed to be spot on. There were some incredibly hard challenges that kept us from progressing through certain areas far longer than we’d like to admit. The number of lives available seemed like overkill at times, but then felt absolutely necessary at others. Since there are shared life totals in the game, it’s pretty easy for one player to drain all your lives even as the other player finds things a little easier. If you do find yourself getting stomped, you can always buy more lives and Power-Ups at Cranky’s Shop. Here, exchange your hard-earned banana coins for items or keys to locked secret levels. There is an incredible variety in the types of platforming challenges, and each requires slightly more refined skill sets than the last, making for a very satisfying difficulty curve.

Animal buddies have made a return, and they are as fun as ever. I say they although the only one we encountered was Rambi the Rhino (still holding out hope for more). Even if Rambi is the only animal buddy to make an appearance, it is quite the appearance. His levels are intense and action-packed and make great use of his unstoppable ferocity. Playing through a silhouetted jungle at Sunset with Rambi smashing his way through everything in sight while DK’s blazing red tie flaps in the wind was just awesome. Plus, a Rhino with a jet-pack is nothing to scoff at!

 
If I haven’t already made it clear, the game plays brilliantly. Despite the noticeable lack of fur-shading, it also looks brilliant. Every element of every stage is so lively and dynamic, that there was never a dull moment during which I could have wished it was in HD or something trite like that. The silhouette levels I mentioned earlier are simply a sight to behold, and in my eyes put something like Limbo (which relied on its visual motif) to shame. The golden-pink rays of the setting sun filtering in over the foliage around you, as Diddy’s flaming red cap and DK’s similarly fiery tie danced around over the rest of your dark surroundings all made me incredibly impressed with what Retro is capable of, all over again.

I can’t really say enough good things about this game at this point. I’m sure once I get the time to go more in depth with it I’ll start nitpicking it to pieces, but as it stands after my first playthrough, Donkey Kong Country Returns stands out as one of the best games I’ve played in the past year, and one of the most fun 2D platformers of all time.
Page URL:
blog comments powered by Disqus
Background Check: Micah
I’ve always held the Donkey Kong Country series in high esteem, with number 2 not only being my favorite, but also representing one of the best platformers I’ve ever played. The level design was sublime, particularly with the added emphasis on well-hidden collectibles. As far as gaming reboots is concerned, I thought New Super Mario Bros. Wii was an admirable, if flawed attempt, so I began playing DKCR with some hesitation.

Donkey Kong Country 1: Loved
Donkey Kong Country 2: Loved
Donkey Kong Country 3: Liked
Donkey Kong 64: Kill it with fire
New Super Mario Bros. Wii: Liked