The game revolves around a relatively simple and vaguely familiar plot: One day, whilst loafing around and possibly discovering fire, DK and Diddy’s banana stash is stolen by the mysterious Tiki Tak Tribe, who have “enlisted” (via hypnosis) the help of the island’s animals to transport the Kong’s precious fruit… somewhere. Like Jungle Beat on the Nintendo GameCube, the technology required to fully appreciate the game simply wasn’t there yet-but two years after its release on the Wii, and with some help from Monster Games, Donkey Kong Country Returns has finally found its home on the Nintendo 3DS. Shifts in perspective and depth allowed enemies to come at you not only from the sides, but from the background as well.ĭespite the fantastic work Retro Studios did with breathing life back into the series, Donkey Kong Country Returns felt more like a game that was adapted to the Wii. Rool’s horde of crocodilian creeps (and a few indigenous barrel throwing orangutans), the antagonists of Donkey Kong Country Returns ranged from the frazzled frogs, mad moles, and berserk birds to the mischievous, banana-loving Tiki-Tak Tribe. The atmosphere of their island home changed from gloomy and lonely to bright, lush and bursting with life. But DKCR is a colourful, creative romp with one of Nintendo's oldest creations, and with all the hidden levels, bosses and treats thrown in, you'll still be playing it after Christmas.The original Donkey Kong Country Returns represented a dramatic shift in the Kong world. So no, it's not perfect and it probably won't catch the imagination in the same way that the original did. Practice makes perfect, of course, but I'd rather games were fair as well as tough. Both work well enough until you get to specific points that require shaking the controller while moving at speed (for instance stunning enemies or rolling across pits) where control definitely suffers. Personally, I find this a sneaky way of making the game seem artificially challenging, but there are plenty of fans for this less-forgiving approach, so it's horses for courses.Įqually divisive will be the interface – which can either be played using Wiimote and Nunchuck together or a sideways-held Wiimote. But the main reason for the difficulty is having to restart every level from the beginning if you lose a life.
It's also as rock hard to play as the original, although you can enlist Diddy Kong's help (by hitting a DK barrel) or ask a buddy to play him. Each new terrain (including factories, treetops and, of course, jungles) brings its own vivid detail and natural enemies, including the boss battles, which are as big, boldly coloured and as fiendishly unpredictable as they always seemed to be. However, once you get through a few levels – particularly to the fondly remembered mine-cart sections – level design improves significantly. Occasionally, you may be shot into the screen to access a hidden area, but compared to the way Sonic Colours seamlessly blends 2D and 3D action, it is slightly underwhelming. Graphically, it's about as pin sharp and colourful as we've seen on the Wii but the formulaic early gameplay does rely too much on nostalgia for its appeal. It's all about conquering each of an initial eight lushly-coloured worlds, gathering bananas for health and hidden extras, and grabbing puzzle pieces or letter icons for bonuses. With the Wii's reputation for quirky and innovative gameplay under new threat from Microsoft's Kinect, could this be the game that rekindles affection for the format?Ĭonsidering the fact that 16 years have passed since the release of the original, Donkey Kong Country Returns could have been mapped out in the mid 90s (albeit with the later addition of motion control). F or mature gamers such as myself, Donkey Kong Country holds a treasured place the game that started a memorable Indian summer for arguably the greatest console ever made, the SNES.
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