14 years in the making, Donkey Kong Country Returns is a gaming treat for both fans and newcomers.
What's the easiest way to make a gorilla angry? I mean really, REALLY angry? Steal his banana hoard, that's what. In Donkey Kong Country Returns, a mysterious army of voodoo masks have worked up the audacity in doing just that, hypnotizing the local wildlife on Donkey Kong Island by way of a weird melody and forcing them to commit grand theft banana larceny upon our hero's coveted banana vault; the Fort Knox of slender, yellow fruit. The reason behind these nefarious acts have yet to be determined, but this is no ordinary monkey these villains are messing with. This is Donkey Kong, the toughest, meanest, angriest ape on the face of the planet. After dishing out a few tasty knuckle sandwiches with one of the voodoo hooligans, our simian ape hero sets off on a grand quest. Not to save the world. Not to rescue some helpless princess. Not even to discover himself. But to accomplish the greatest goal in all of video gaming---- getting his bananas back!
Harkening to the roots of the Super Nintendo games, Donkey Kong Country Returns follows the same trajectory as the recently released New Super Mario Bros. Wii---revisiting classic platforming elements dating as far back as the original Super Mario Brothers and dressing it up in a new coat of paint. If you've ever played any of the Rare-developed Donkey Kong Country games on the Super NES, you'll feel right at home here as the fun and frenetic gameplay remains relatively unchanged. The only real difference is the Wii Remote functionality for when you are performing specific DK moves like ground pounds by way of sporadically moving the Remote and Nunchuck in a drumstick-style motion, which is somewhat awkward, but certainly nothing game-breaking by any means. The lack of Classic Controller support is also disappointing, but for what it's worth, the Wii Remote and Nunchuck works well, and you can play using the Wii Remote tilted sideways if you prefer. If you can deal with the iffy nature of shaking the controller to perform tasks such as blowing air and stomping the ground to open up item depositories, you'll get used to it in no time split. No time BANANA split to be exact. (Yeah, that was lame.)
Two players can get in on the action, with the second player taking the reins of Diddy Kong (the one with the Nintendo cap) While it is most unfortunate that you're unable to choose between the two characters in single-player mode, the multi-player action presented therein is a great deal of fun. I had the opportunity to play Donkey Kong Country Returns with a friend the day I got the game, and we had a blast. The single player experience holds the most weight, but two players having at it is equally fun and engrossing; even if it doesn't fit the mold as a party game. Diddy Kong is a surprisingly fun character to play----he has a peanut gun, can jet-pack across wide gaps and can even do funny cartwheels to quickly avoid enemies. In some instances, two players can often tackle harrowing challenges found in the game that cannot easily be bested alone. No matter how you play, the game provides a great deal of fun for anyone and everyone involved.
From imposing jungle vistas to foreboding caverns and even a factory, the inspired level designs are meticulously well-crafted and elaborately designed in a platforming sense, and they do an admirably good job in paying a good enough homage to offerings past. You'll also encounter a host of enemies---some new to the game, others you've probably seen before. Disappointingly, the Kremlins are noticeably absent, as are other familiar faces like Dixie Kong (a heartbreaking omission to be sure) But, Cranky Kong is back; as sour as ever, but here to set up shop and sell you important items such as extra lives, parrots that help you find secret puzzle pieces and potions that give you temporary invincibility. (The fortune cookie banter he spews every so often is free---whether you appreciate it or not) And as was the case in past games, collecting bananas will afford you necessary extra lives for the heightened challenges that lay ahead, and finding the Puzzle Pieces and letters that spell the word "KONG" sprawled around in each stage will unlock neat rewards like conceptual artwork, music and toy dioramas for your viewing pleasure in the Extras section found in the main menu. As thrilling as these challenges are to the impressionable gamer, the game itself is by no means a banana cream pie. Whether you are trying to earn a gold medal during Time Attack mode or seeking out said items cleverly interspersed throughout each of the game's various levels, the player will be severely tested in nearly every fiber of their resolve. Fulfilling certain conditions will also unravel bonus stages that individually award one of a set of orbs upon completion, and will unlock a special surprise when you collect all of them. Of course, these bonus levels are even more difficult than the standard stages, but they're optional exercises for the completionist.
Hardcore gamers will appreciate these increased challenges, but for casual gamers easily frustrated by the game's often steep difficulty, Donkey Kong Country Returns will extend a helping hand by means of completing the level in question for you. Known as a Super Guide, this feature was first introduced in New Super Mario Brothers Wii and Super Mario Galaxy 2, ensuring that gamers of all ages and skill levels can aptly succeed in finishing the game without having to tear their hair out at conquering a particularly difficult stage. The only catch? It will not nab the Puzzle Pieces and KONG letters for you---you'll have to do that on your own!
As mentioned before, the visual presentation for Donkey Kong Country Returns is outstanding. When the original Donkey Kong Country was first released, it demonstrated the significant graphical capabilities of the 16-bit Super NES with its rendered graphics. As the times have changed, Retro Studios has done a marvelous job in painting the Donkey Kong world in all its well-deserved colorful splendor. The music is quite catchy and fun---capturing the spirit of its source material and illiciting an immersive auditory nostalgia for gamers who played the Super NES games.
Donkey Kong Country Returns shouldn't be considered so much a fan service to loyal Donkey Kong-o-philes, but rather a game anybody and everybody can enjoy. It can be a trying exercise in patience at times, but it is by no means unfair and you don't need to be a skilled platformer maestro to get the maximum fulfillment out of the experience. Whether you loved the Super NES games in the heyday or are just now beginning to monkey around in DK jungle territory, you would do well to make like a banana and split to Donkey Kong Island for some good old fashioned gaming fun.