Anyone who's ever played the old Country games will instantly recall fond memories across tropical islands, dark caves, and old ruins. True to its name, this is a return to form for Nintendo's resident tie-sporting ape dude. Up Up: A nostalgic throwback to the SNES Donkey Kong games I can't count the number of times I accidentally sent DK rolling into a pitfall after slightly moving my hand while making him run. There's no other control option, so you're stuck with the tacked-on setup. In order to blow on flowers, perform roll attacks, or pound the ground, you need to shake the Wii Remote and Nunchuk. Unfortunately, the Wii original suffers from finicky motion controls. I prefer the Wii version of Returns over the 3DS remake (ported by Monster Games) despite the latter's stereoscopic visuals and bonus world due to the fact that I can play it on a much bigger screen. Adding to the challenge (and longevity) of the game is an unlockable Mirror Mode that reverses all of the levels and gives you a notably different and substantially tougher experience - damn those one hit kills!ĭown Down: Wii version's motion controls can be a nuisance While Returns isn't exactly Super Meat Boy levels of tough, it's quite unforgiving in its own right, and it's not uncommon to come across the Game Over screen at least a couple of times throughout your playthrough. True to its SNES roots, this is a highly challenging game that isn't afraid to throw deathtraps and enemies at you en masse. Whichever version you stick with, however, the game is a quality platformer that deserves to be played by any fan of the genre. Depending on whether you're playing it on the Wii or 3DS, there are different things to love and dislike about it. Such was the case with 2010's Donkey Kong Country Returns.ĭeveloped by Retro Studios, Returns is an absolute blast to play. That's never been the case with Donkey Kong games, and every time a new installment is introduced, I receive it with the utmost excitement. Zelda's great, too, but Skyward Sword was a massive disappointment. I mean, I like Mario games, but I tend to get sick of them when Nintendo shamelessly turns out entry after entry. You don't need to seek out the extras to appreciate Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, but I enjoyed the excuse to keep playing.I consider Donkey Kong one of those special, treasured Nintendo franchises that's impossible for me to hate. Additionally, each stage holds a number of hidden puzzle pieces, good for unlocking art and music. On top of the eight-ish stages in each area (including the levels accessed by purchasing keys from Cranky), there are secret stages, opened by obtaining every single K-O-N-G letter in each level of a given world. It's still annoying, but it happened with far less frequency than it did on the Wii.Ī glut of secrets and bonus content add replay value and extra challenge to Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D. This can result in disaster - with DK rolling straight into an enemy or falling to his death. The most frequent of which is Donkey Kong's tendency to launch into a barrel roll when you really just wanted him to ground pound. Donkey Kong is and always has been a heavy character who can't turn on a dime - but for the first time, I felt like I was controlling his momentum instead of guessing at it. The circle pad allows for more accuracy and nuance than the Wiimote's stiff D-pad, and all commands are mapped to buttons instead of fired when you physically shake the controller. Regardless of the mode, Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D's controls are worlds better than they were on the Wii. But the "new" difficulty level hits a better balance between "this time I'll get it" and frustration. It's still a challenging game on "new mode" - the frequent insta-deaths on mine cart levels and bottomless pits nearly everywhere else are still uncompromising. Both Donkey and Diddy can take a bit more punishment, and the items bought at Cranky Kong's storefront in each world are much more helpful. The 3DS version offers the chance to play the game in its original mode, or in "new" mode, which eases things just a bit. All are pattern-based fights that recall the best old-school bosses in the series - half the fun is figuring out what to do, and the other half comes from finally punching the offending tiki in the face.ĭonkey Kong Country Returns was at times brutally tough on the Wii, with some stages requiring dozens of playthroughs just to make it to the goal. Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D aims to keep you on your toes, across stages and in boss fights.Įach world has a big bad, many of which come back for rematches in later worlds. In fact, the entire game feels engineered to keep you in a platforming flow-state. You're always moving and facing new challenges, but it never feels like ADHD game design.
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