(studio)
(certificate)
04 February 2011 (released)
04 February 2011
Being of a certain age, I have very fond memories of one particular games console. I have fond memories of many machines, C64 especially. However, if I had to choose one console that I have owned, that filled me with the most excitement, it was the Super Nintendo Entertainment System - or SNES to its friends.
The SNES played host to many classics, from little plumbers to spaceship flying foxes. For me, one of the most groundbreaking in terms of looks and feel was Donkey Kong Country. Released in 1994,it was one of Rare's finest moments on the SNES. After a little research (well Wikipedia) it turns out that with sales of over 8 million copies it was the best selling non bundled game of all time (feels like I need some echo on my voice there...). One of the things that stood out was the graphics. Rare had created a new method of rendering 3D graphics. It was the first time such a method had been used on a home based machine, and it looked stunning!!
That's all well and good, but it's 2011 now. So why am I talking about such ancient history, with a little tear in my eye? The reason is, Nintendo have given me a new Donkey Kong Country to play with - Donkey Kong Returns. This time round the duties of bringing Donkey Kong to life on the Wii have been handed over to Retro Studios. In case you don't know, Retro Studios are the go to guys for Nintendo when it comes to reviving old franchises. After their great work with Metroid Prime, I must say hopes were high for this!
Set after sometime after the adventures in Donkey Kong Country 2, the game opens with an evil tribe Tikis (Tiki Taks) hypnotising all of the animals in the jungle and stealing all of the bananas. Not a great idea in Donkey Kong's Jungle!
With the scene set Donkey Kong, with the help of his trusted side kick Diddy Kong, must jump, roll, fly from barrels and ride rhinos through the sumptuous 2D jungle collecting his precious bananas. The setting, look and feel are all familiar to Donkey Kong veterans, but there are a few little twists.
To start with, the interaction between Donkey and Diddy is different this time around (in single player). Rather than being able to do their own separate things, Diddy is used as a kind of jet pack add on - allowing Donkey Kong to do longer jumps. A little disappointing, but it does give a change to the gameplay mechanic. Another big change is the use of more than one plane. What do I mean? Well, at certain points of the game Donkey Kong will have to step a little into the Third Dimension, but heading into the background scenery. This actually makes things very hard as it is difficult to judge jumps, but it is a nice touch.
What isn't a nice touch is the pointless inclusion of motion controls. This is a plea to all games makes out there who are making something for the Wii. If you don't need to add motion control, don't add it just because it is on the Wii. Only use it of it adds to the immersion of the game. The same was true in The New Super Mario Brothers. Here we have the need to shake the controller with other D-Pad movements to achieve certain effects. The main one is to bash the ground below you. This is fine in quite areas of the maps, but in the middle of an intense action sequence, this just makes an already hard game just plain annoying.
That aside, there is a lot to love about this game. It looks gorgeous, with detailed characters and backdrops. There is the return of a few old favourites. Cranky Kong is the shop keeper again and Rambi the Rhino makes an appearance. Lovers of the original will really feel at home. This is not a game for the faint hearted. It is extremely hard and unforgiving! However, in this world of throw away casual games, that is not actually a bad thing!
Completeists will find many reasons to keep coming back. There are things to collect and secrets galore. Multiplayer is also catered for here. I mentioned before that in single player mode Donkey and Diddy have a kind of symbiosis – where Diddy is used as a jet pack. Well in Multiplayer mode, Diddy gets a little freedom. He is able to run off and do his own thing. If one player dies he floats back into the play area in a barrel, ready to be brought back to life by their partner. Diddy can also climb onto Donkey Kong's back to help him with some of the jumps. This mode works extremely well and is much less frustrating than the New Mario Brothers multiplayer mode!
All in all this is a great come back for everyone's favourite simian. Whilst it is harder than a Ninja wearing a steal jockstrap, it is fun and will have you wanting to beat it. Something that is missing from a lot of mainstream games these days is that “Just one more go before bed” factor. This has it in bundles! For old gamers and new alike, this is a must have. Long live platformers!
Gameplay 9
Graphics 8
Sound 9
Overall 9
Review by
Andrzej Marczewski @ Yet Another Review SiteTo be in with a chance of winning 1000 CDs/DVDs including rare, signed and promotional copies simply ‘like’ our Award Winning facebook page here! And double your chances by following us on Twitter For all CDs, gig tickets and other music related prizes visit our sister site music-news.com competitions page here.