It's On Like Donkey Kong
I don't normally write a review before I've beaten a game but after several hours of play I've got to say Donkey Kong Country Returns is grand. I've been playing it since the midnight release. Where do I start? It's like slipping on an old glove. I didn't even have to read the manual. The graphics are gorgeous, the controls are great and for once the motion controls didn't feel like a gimmicky addition. Rare just got owned!
Many hours of my misspent youth involved playing Donkey Kong Country on the SNES, whether alone or with a friend, I remember playing that silly Mine Cart Madness level until I had it memorized. All I can say is the people at Retro Studios must've loved DKC like many of us because they just knocked it out of the park with this one. They took everything I loved about the first DKC; barrel craziness, lots of enemies, easy and accurate controls, and beautiful scenery; and magnified these things by a factor of 100. This is just the kind of sequel I've been...
Is it a good return?
I always make sure I play a game all the way through before a leave a review about it since many games grow on me over time, and some games are very exciting for a week until you realize the replay value is non existent. Many of the reviews for this game and others are given on release day or the next day! Leaving a hasty assessment of the game. It was a difficult journey but I have finally completed the game and can give it a fair and honest review. To get 2 things out of the way before I start the review I want to say that this review is coming from a game developer and very looooong time fan of the Donkey Kong Country series. Needless to say I was extremely excited when I heard the announcement of this title at E3 and it became my most anticipated game of the year. I was also very pleased to hear that the game would be developed by retro studios who are held in very high regard with their Metroid prime series. But has the Return been a good one?
For the most...
Donkey Kong is back!
This is a quick review without my nostalgia goggles:
Pros:
+ Amazing gameplay: The controls are really smooth and although you are only limited to the "wii remote" and "with nunchuck" controls, the game plays flawlessly, specially with the nunchuck.
+ Incredible level design: Most levels are very clever, they are a step ahead of you and I always liked that, specially coming from a DK game. I really love the fact that this element was left intact.
+ Challenging: Veteran gamers of DK games will not be disappointed. The game packs a somewhat high difficulty almost similar to the originals. However, you now have to get hit twice before you die (or 4 times if you have Diddy). And even with this new "life system" the game will manage to make you lose. Casual gamers should not get scared though, the game offers a vast amount of extra lives and an item that increases the amount of hits DK can receive. One warning though, stay away from the extra levels located...
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