Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze discussion thread

With it's release in a little over a week, it seems appropriate to have a topic on the game.

Excited? Getting excited? Not for you?

Discuss.

Now with Retro Studios DK concept art, and timeline!

Unfortunately I this upcoming release does nothing for me. As much as I've tried getting into the D.K. series I never could do it. Even back during the N64 days when I was desperately looking for games to play, it didn't satisfy.

Understandable. I could never get into Kirby (aside from the NES game), myself. I will say that there are some poor/average DK games out there (and the 64 game was not for everyone), but the "Country" series have always been pretty consistently great. The series "clicked" for me, I never had to try.

It's unfortunate though, with the sparse releases this winter season.

While Tropical Freeze is eagerly awaited by fans, it's probably not a game that will satisfy every Wii U owner. Donkey Kong Country 1 and 2 are almost "cult classics." There are people who absolutely love them but they don't have the fanbase of other games from that era like Yoshi's Island and A Link to the Past.

Donkey Kong Country Returns was a popular WIi release but it was very difficult, the controls evoked mixed reactions, and it didn't have the same fanbase behind it as some of Nintendo's other releases. There's also a good amount of people who enjoyed it, but wanted Reto to move on to something new afterwards. Personally, this is exactly the sequel I've been oping for, but this really is a minority opinion.

I'm excited for it. I wasn't a fan of Rare's DKC games (maybe I was too young to appreciate them, IDK), but absolutely loved what Retro did with Returns. Have had Tropical Freeze paid off for a while now, can't wait to finally get it.

Unfortunately, I am not looking forward to it. I loved DKC on SNES. I also really liked DKC2. But by the time DKC3 came out, I saw the game as more of the same. Nothing new was introduced. I feel like they could've all been one long game.

DKC Returns on the Wii was also the same. The only difference being the move to polygon graphics. Again, nothing really new. I did like it, though.

And now, Tropical Freeze just looks like DKC in HD. If there were new mechanics or something. I mean, I know Cranky has his Scrooge McDuck pogo stick, but I don't feel it's gonna change the game much.

I think a lot of people were fatigued with the series by DKC 3 ... it was the least inspired. More of the same, but the music and atmosphere weren't as good.

Returns felt pretty fresh, to me. I can't think of any platformer that utilized dynamic, interactive environments so well (not that the standards for this are high, few even try), and the foreground-background interactions were pretty neat. Some of the levels also had a sort of fun, cartoony story line.

But yeah, tastes change. It is worth noting that the composer of DKC 1 and 2 returned to work on Topical Freeze. I have high expectations for the soundtrack.

From the last trailer shown at N Direct it looks like the best side scrolling platformer ever.

I will admit the trailer shown in today's Direct piqued my interest.

I really liked that part where DK broke a block to reveal an octopus in the background. Later on they showed that octopus following you throughout the level, looking pretty ominous.

@Grieverr: That trailer got me rather excited as well. Soundtrack is absolutely epic.

Banjo Kazooie's Grant Kirkhope actually applied for a position at Reto Studios in late 2012 and got turned down ... because they didn't have any open positions at the sound team.

While turning down such a known and talented composer (and one with a histroy of great work on Nintendo games, no less) seems unwise, I guess it makes sense if they were employing David Wise, at the time.

I mean, between their talented sound design team, David Wise, and Kenji Yamamoto adding anyone else would be financially impractical.

It's the ultimate culmination of 20 years of Donkey kong platform games, i've been counting the days for a couple weeks

Good thing it'll be so great because it's all Wii U's getting for half a year...

Yes, it looks awesome. Definitely picking this up.

Definitely getting it, love the DKC series and Retro is doing a great job with it.

The only WiiU title out fairly soon that almost makes me want to go out and get one! I loved DKCR.

Getting it on release day :)

Ugh, there's a rumor going around that McShea's gonna give this game a 5.0. Looks like I might have to stay off System Wars for a few days just to save IQ points.

@Demonjoe93: Yeah, I saw that. I highly doubt it actually gets a 5. I think a 7 is about as low as it could go. Regardless of the score, I'm getting the game. It looks quite amazing. The only thing I can see maybe being a problem is the controls, but who knows until you actually play it.

Yeah, it seems doubtful to me too. I mean, McShea (I'm just assuming he's the only reviewer that would ever give this game a 5; I don't think even Caroline would do that) did give DKCR a 8.5 and gave SMG2, a direct sequel much like Tropical Freeze is, a 10, so one would be inclined to believe that he wouldn't give this a 5. A 7, maybe, but not a 5.

Then again, I've seen McShea give some pretty crazy scores. Just so I can post on System Wars without having to hear about his edgy reviews, I hope the rumor is false.

@Demonjoe93: Even if it is true, it'll most likely be an outlier review. I know IGN overrates games like nothing, but I think it got a 9 or so over there. GS is just one man/woman's opinion.

I agree that 7 seems like the low end for this game. Of course I haven't played it but looking at current reviews and previews a 5/10 would seem like a pretty biased score, to me.

However apparently other scores have been leaked in this exact same way, so I'm kind of leaning towards it being true.

I believe you're thinking of GameInformer. I can't find an IGN review, but I know GameInformer gave it a 9.25.

I've got this game pre-ordered and will pick it up day one. Retro have only made top tier games and Returns was perhaps the greatest platformer ever made.

I wish I had a WiiU for this. The trailers for it are awesome.

GameSpot's review (and a bunch of other reviews) are out.

I don't understand it.

What's not to understand? It's a shock review probably. Before reading the review, I decided to take a quick look at the "good and bad" summary, and saw a really lol worthy contradiction about the boss fights. He praises them for their challenge, and then criticizes the checkpoints that obviously make part of the challenge. I'm not going to take the chance of giving another GameSpot shock review the time of day. I'm just going to read the IGN review. Read the GameInformer review, and it sounds like another Donkey Kong Country game, which is absolutely awesome! I loved DKCR, and, when I get a Wii-U, I definitely will pick this one up.

Lol at anyone who pays serious attention to reviews. Paid monkeys of mainstream media

@Chozofication: It is funny though to see one that so drastically differs from everyone else.

Yeah.

I still remember when gameinformer gave Paper Mario TTYD a 6, that blew my mind as a kid, heh.

Slapping a number at the end of a review is asinine though.

i dont like the cartoon look of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze ... there is nothing special about this kind of visual style. This is how Donkey Kong Country "Next Gen" should look like: http://youtu.be/7-T32JakzyI?t=2m

Donkey Kong Country on SNES was revolutionary and famous for great photorealistic graphics back in 1994. ... it was a benchmark for the SNES System. Nintendo, please bring back the photorealistic visual style!!!

really loved the music in worlds 4 and 6, especially 6's.

i dont think there willl be another donkey kong country game this gen....

here is a cool review by playeressence

In world 2 now, really enjoying it so far. Not to spoil anything but there is a minecart stage(big surprise :P) in World 2 that I really love, it was a cool idea Retro had, incorporating 2 different elements into it.

World 1 starts out slowly, as it seems to be the norm with every platformer, but World 2 really picks up the pace.

I am about ten levels into the game and I already have a few remarkable songs playing over and over in my head.

Great level design and music so far, and I assume it will only get better.

Plus, the graphics are absolutely gorgeous. The colors and scenarios are beautiful!

I just posted my video review of this game (my YouTube channel is in my sig).

I don't mean this to be an advertising post, though, because the review says everything I want to say about it! ;)

Really, though, this game is a serious gem! I couldn't be happier with Retro Studios' work on it!