Retro|Spective 044: Donkey Kong Country

[Neon Ignition]

Time to go bananas for...




Mainline Entry 01 - Donkey Kong Country
Formats: Super Nintendo, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance
It was 1994 and already eyes were beginning to turn to what Nintendo might have planned for its next console. However, the company and UK based Rare had a megaton surprise in store as they unveiled Donkey Kong Country that brought silicon graphics to the existing SNES and drew eyes from all over. Taking the form of a traditional 2D platformer that saw Donkey Kong take centre stage alongside new character Diddy Kong, the game proved an immediate hit that would go on to outlive its home more than Rare did itself.



Mainline Entry 02 - Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
Formats: Super Nintendo and Game Boy Advance
The very next year Rare wasted no time in having this refined sequel ready. Removing DK from the gameplay and making him the titles McGuffin, Dixie Kong and her pony tail became the main change alongside some new animal rides. The visuals of the game were ramped up to deviate from the jungle climbs of the first game and provide a bit more variety. The result was an efficient sequel that proved more popular than the game that spawned it.



Mainline Entry 03 - Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble
Formats: Super Nintendo and Game Boy Advance
Another year later and Rare snuck in with one final entry to close out the generation. Quickly gamers had moved on to the new generation of consoles and even for Rare, the constraints of putting the game together so quickly as resources moved on to the new system and it shows in some areas but they still delivered a solid trilogy closer that is still seen as the runt of the series.



Mainline Entry 04 - Donkey Kong Country: Returns
Formats: Wii and Nintendo 3DS
After a long break Retro Studios revived the series with some changes to the formula including a new villain line up and a stronger focus on more difficult platforming design. The change up proved a successful one as the new game was broadly well received and paved the way for the franchises return.



Mainline Entry 05 - Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Formats: WiiU and Nintendo Switch
The final entry as it seems was this second outing for Retro that refined the design philosophy they'd begun in the last game. DK and Diddy returned alongside Dixie and Cranky with an ice theme. Generally considered to be the stronger of the two recent entries rumour seems to have it as Retro's cap on the series having moved on to other series.



Share your thoughts and memories of the series

[Dogg Thang]

This was never a series for me and the biggest barrier was actually the graphics. The compressed renders just looked mucky to me and the design didn't hit. I was just about to write that I much prefer clean pixel art but then Oddworld came out on the PS1 and that totally worked for me. But then I was never a fan of Rare's design generally. So looking back on it now, I let the graphics put me off and that's probably the wrong reason not to have given the series a good shot.

[cutmymilk]

Gameboy Donkey Kong Land was genius and I played it a lot. I had a lot more patience back then and now find them a little bit too frustrating.

[Neon Ignition]

I always adored the SNES trilogy, they lacked the genius of the Mario games but I just loved the world's and flow of the games. I don't mind Retro's games but I find the character designs less appealing with the whole Tiki thing. Freeze is better in terms of its looks and the theming but they always felt like two separate series, you can tell too much that the foundation is the same but the DNA is too different between Rare and Retro. I can understand why some adore the Retro instalments but for me they'll always be a decent homage more than true continuations.

[nakamura]

The series isn't perhaps as good as people say but they are consistently decent. The music is the first game still blows me away.

[wakka]

The Wii game is Nintendo's Dark Souls. Except harder. It's reasonably easy to run through all the levels but the time trials and other challenges I thought were insanely difficult.

[Leon Retro]

The first SNES game was stunning back in the day. Every time I go back to it... I'm always impressed with how good it looks, despite obviously looking quite rough around the edges(especially without scanlines). The music and sound effects are also top quality, so technically it's a stunning example of what the SNES can do. It's the fact that it also runs smoothly and has responsive controls that makes it a classic that stands the test of time. Little wonder it was a huge thing back in 1994.

I also love Donkey Kong Returns on the Wii. The graphics and overall design stay very true to the SNES games, but take full advantage of the extra power. It's a joy to play through all the levels.

Tropical Breeze is really nice on the Wii U, so I'm sure the Switch version will sell well. It's a very impressive 2D experience for fans of the genre.

[Neon Ignition]

And for thread 45:

Clue - Aged to 99

[Cepp]

The SNES games are still stunning, I adore the pre-rendered graphics. Never really got very far in the Wii game but I'm kind of interested in Tropical Freeze.

2 was the best, Dixey and Diddy Kong both control so well.

[replicashooter]

Whilst they were technical marvels for the generation I don’t think I played more than 10 minutes of the first one with its basic formula and clunky platforming.

Much Kool Aid has been chugged over this series.

[_SD_]

Never did like these games, everything felt too chunky and large, it wasn’t as precise as Mario. Tried again on the Wuu and still didn’t like the game.

[randombs]

We've been playing DKC on the SFC Mini, taking turns. It's frustrating at times but once I got the hang of the controls, it became great fun. Of course it's no Mario but the graphics and sound are insane. And that mine cart level. Jesus. That twangy sound effect when you jump haunts my nightmares.

I tried DKC 2 and 3 but I feel they were trying too hard with the graphics and they just look a bit of a mess. The graphics in the first game are simpler and thus more pleasing to mine eye. My wife played DKC3 when she was younger so I put it on there but I'm not interested in playing it or DKC 2 as there's zero nostalgia for me.