(Retro) What have you been playing this week? Vol.2

[Jay]

The first DKC is excellent, you nutters.

[Leon Retro]

Thought I was the only one . I love that game and the series , used to play it loads in my local chippy; in the good old days when pubs and local chip shops had Arcade machines

I remember first seeing World Heroes 2 running on a huge 29" arcade screen and thinking it was incredible. The huge sprites and creative design really impressed me. I still think it's a good looking game.

[garrz32]

Tomba...first time I've actually played it

[DeathAdder]

No the SFC one. The first one I played I should have said rather.

Ah, that makes sense - that one was great. I think that one and Gokujou are my favourites, followed by Sexy.

[nakamura]

They are all top games. But for me it does feel like you own one and that's enough.

[Nu-Eclipse]

The first DKC is excellent, you nutters.

I don't think that anybody is saying that it isn't - I'll never forget my jaw hitting the floor when I first saw it running in the mid-1990s. And I certainly think it is the best game in the original SNES trilogy by a distance.

But it certainly isn't better than Super Mario World - the game that it is basically trying to emulate.

[Jay]

But what *is* better than Super Mario World?

Happy to play the first DKC. It's not bad for a western platformer from that era. Doesn't overstay its welcome,
nice music, nice colour palette. Startlingly unoriginal though, feels like it was made using a tick-box list of all the '90s western platform game tropes and cliches.

is it unoriginal though? I completed the game fairly recently with my son and came to the conclusion that it doesn't really get enough credit these days. I think people remember the first fairly generic jungle level and write it off as derivative. The sections where you hit the switches to 'pause' the enemies, the barrels that act as cannons, some of the animals you can employ, the neat lighting tricks. I think these were pretty original at the time. There is so much variety in gameplay which I think gets forgotten. It's not just running from left to right and jumping over things. It's a truly great game (albeit let down in places by difficulty spikes) and the graphics and - even more so - incredible sound design are just the icing on the cake.

[Protocol Penguin]

Yeah, it is mostly unoriginal. It's a mash-up of Super Mario Bros type gameplay with western platform game tropes of the time. Well, it's more of a western 16-bit platform game on many levels, but done spectacularly better, and you're right about the sound and visual design, still pretty amazing. Still have high regards for the game on many levels, recognising its lack of originality doesn't mean I dislike the game, far from it. Still my favourite of the original DKC series, before Rare ramped up the collect 'em up aspects too highly for my liking.

[Wools]

But what *is* better than Super Mario World?

is it unoriginal though? I completed the game fairly recently with my son and came to the conclusion that it doesn't really get enough credit these days. I think people remember the first fairly generic jungle level and write it off as derivative. The sections where you hit the switches to 'pause' the enemies, the barrels that act as cannons, some of the animals you can employ, the neat lighting tricks. I think these were pretty original at the time. There is so much variety in gameplay which I think gets forgotten. It's not just running from left to right and jumping over things. It's a truly great game (albeit let down in places by difficulty spikes) and the graphics and - even more so - incredible sound design are just the icing on the cake.

I've never played Donkey Kong Country besides the opening few levels on a mates SNES but you've almost single handedly have made me want to play it!

Is Donkey Kong Country on the Wii U a patch on the original?

[Leon Retro]

There is so much variety in gameplay which I think gets forgotten. It's not just running from left to right and jumping over things. It's a truly great game (albeit let down in places by difficulty spikes) and the graphics and - even more so - incredible sound design are just the icing on the cake.

I couldn't agree more. It may be quite a simple game in many ways, but it's such a slick, well-designed experience. I think the control feels spot-on and everything about the gameplay feels totally professional and highly polished. I also think the graphics stand the test of time, as well as the brilliant music and sound effects. Of course, it now looks low-definition, but still attractive and quite impressive in places.

I'd say Super Mario World is the better game, but DKC isn't really competing with that. No, it does its own thing and offers a very compelling and enjoyable experience. It's at least an 8/10 game.

[Protocol Penguin]

So everyone, Super Mario World versus Yoshi's Island?

Used to prefer the latter when it came out. It's got single levels that have as much imagination and new ideas in them as entire platform games of that era. The stylised graphics are wonderful; definitely ahead of its time, looking back at them. Lots of new visual trickery, really wringing the last drops out of the hardware (so to speak). Worth celebrating is that Nintendo didn't give us another straightforward Mario game, like they later did too many times with the New Super Mario Bros series, but tried something new.

But these days… I place them equal, if not SMW slightly ahead. The collect 'em up aspect of YI I don't really like. That seemed 'different' at the time, Nintendo didn't really do that, but they've overdone it since with all their Mario series games. I like how you have to work out the tricks in the level design (or remember them from 20+ years previously) to unlock the entire game world and all the different routes through to the battle with Bowser. In YI, it's just a matter of collecting stuff and replaying levels, which these days just irritates me.

[Leon Retro]

But these days… I place them equal, if not SMW slightly ahead. The collect 'em up aspect of YI I don't really like. That seemed 'different' at the time, Nintendo didn't really do that, but they've overdone it since with all their Mario series games. I like how you have to work out the tricks in the level design (or remember them from 20+ years previously) to unlock the entire game world and all the different routes through to the battle with Bowser. In YI, it's just a matter of collecting stuff and replaying levels, which these days just irritates me.

SWM is more easy-going and straightforward, which makes it more relaxing, so you can just boot it up and have some top quality platforming fun without any stress. Yoshi's Island is more elaborate and demanding, so you have to be in the mood to dedicate patience and brain power to it.

When it comes to visuals, there's a stark contrast between the two, and I really like both. They are both charming. When it comes to the overall ambience of both games, I'd say I like the vibe of SMW a bit more, as I love the classic Super Mario Bros design.

I go back to either game depending on what sort of gameplay I crave. But I have definitely gone back to SMW more often. I'd say SMW is a 10/10, with Yoshi's maybe being a 9/10. But I might say they're both 10/10 games, with SMW being my favourite of the two.

[Team Andromeda]

I've never played Donkey Kong Country besides the opening few levels on a mates SNES but you've almost single handedly have made me want to play it!

I wouldn't waste your time. Great technical showcase , but not a great game to play imo . Donkeykong on the Wii U is a much better game too

[Protocol Penguin]

SWM is more easy-going and straightforward, which makes it more relaxing, so you can just boot it up and have some top quality platforming fun without any stress. Yoshi's Island is more elaborate and demanding, so you have to be in the mood to dedicate patience and brain power to it.

Oh, this is definitely true. Known quite a few people who couldn't 'get' the control system for Yoshi's Island, or the subsequent sequels, despite getting the hang of the Super Mario series.

[Leon Retro]

Oh, this is definitely true. Known quite a few people who couldn't 'get' the control system for Yoshi's Island, or the subsequent sequels, despite getting the hang of the Super Mario series.

I think anyone can pick up and play SMW and get a good degree of enjoyment from it. But Yoshi's Island is more complex and demanding, so would quickly frustrate some people. But, for me, Yoshi's Island having more layers to its design isn't a bad thing. I think both games are brilliant for many reasons.