Back in 1994 a video game ended the close war between the Sega Genesis and the Super Nintendo. Donkey Kong Country took over the gaming world with its extremely impressive graphics, addicting gameplay, and arguably the most successful soundtrack based off a video game up to that point. Rareware became the go-to gaming company after that smash hit, as it created a beautiful relationship with Nintendo for the rest of the decade. Yet after multiple classic games, several hits, and a few latter disappointments, Rareware was sold to Microsoft in the middle of the PS2/Gamecube/Xbox war. 16 years after the original classic, Retro Studios took a stab at the platform franchise.
This recent generation has created an influx of links to the past; ranging from Xbox Arcade to Virtual Console to remakes, to re-releases to re-imaginings. Nintendo, despite not fulfilling their nostalgia potential, has been the best at their linking to earlier days with the wildly successful New Super Mario Bros. Wii---with 21 million copies sold worldwide---in just over a year. So of course the idea of re-imagining Donkey Kong Country had been floating around for a bit. Retro Studios decided to avoid the 3-D and focus back on the basics: simple platform action with co-op mayhem. This back-to-the-basics stance would be the strong point of the fourth DKC. However, not enough linking back would also be its biggest flaw.
Donkey Kong Country Returns has Donkey and Diddy once again fighting to get their bananas back. Just like in the original. The difference is: no Kremlings. You know, the reptile-looking creatures and all their different species. No kremlings, no klaptraps, no krushas, and no King K. Rool. This game has a co-op mode, just like in the original. But, its not tag-team, as both players can control their characters in the same time. In the single-player mode, you can’t choose between Donkey and Diddy, but you can utilize some of Diddy’s abilities. But the KONG letters are back, the barrel blasting is back, the mine carts are back, and even some of the animal friends make a return.
Something enhanced in this edition however is the interaction between the environment and the characters. In the original Donkey Kong Country games, for obvious technical limitations, the environments were usually just backdrops, visually appealing settings for the action in play. In Returns, the background sometimes affects what happens in the foreground; as we see pirate ships launching cannons into the heroes (and enemies) being the best example. The other enhancement is the spectacularly frustrating challenge. Retro Studios, known for the merciless Metroid Prime games, continue the trend with the equally-evil Donkey Kong Returns. The levels themselves were nicely lengthy, but then add the nail-biting frustration factor and you have a game that will last in the Wii for quite some time.
Just like in the original three for the Super Nintendo, Donkey Kong Country Returns has a great variety of levels, as you won’t be playing back-to-back levels that feel the same. The mine cart levels were amazing, the rocket barrel levels are soul-crushing, and every level has excellent design and dozens of secrets and sinister surprises. This is what 2-D games should have evolved into a long time ago with the heavy advancement of technology in gaming. Look at what Call of Duty: Black Ops can accomplish and how far shooters have progressed. Donkey Kong Country Returns is a step in the right direction for the genre, even moreso than New Super Mario Bros. Wii.
Yet what kind of critic would I be if I didn’t point out all the random small things wrong with the game? Donkey Kong Country Returns is a great game, don’t get me wrong. However, its fascinating how Retro Studios went the whole nine yards in certain aspects of nostalgia, yet totally neglected other features. Much like the one tiny fraction of a flaw in Smash Brothers Brawl (Going all out in most aspects, yet half-arsing it in some elements—Subspace anyone?); Country Returns does a great job reliving the magic of the past---yet still missed some of the finer details.
Come on now, where the heck are the kremlings? What kind of Country game does not have the kremlings? That’s like Super Mario without Koopas, like Kirby without the waddle-dees, like Metroid without……the metroids. The animal baddies here aren’t disastrous additions, but there was a much better satisfaction taking out the hordes of different species of kremlings. Now, if you tried so hard to relive the good ol’ days of the SNES, why not bring back the original clan of enemies? Not even King K. Rool was here, that was quite baffling.
The other mishap involves the single-player. You can use Donkey, and can use some of Diddy’s abilities when he is alive and on your back. But….you can’t play as Diddy. Why? Some old-school gamers actually prefer to play as Diddy with his agility and higher jumping ability. So you can make nearly 10-minute long levels, provide dozens of secrets, virtually revive a nearly-dead genre, yet can’t make a second playable character? It is a baffling decision, and I don’t quite understand why they went with this. Retro Studios has their minimal moments with questionable calls—with Prime 2’s multi-player being my favorite example. Don’t let that deter you much, but to the extremely critical these small setbacks might depress you some.
Bottom Line: Donkey Kong Country Returns is a fantastic effort with fantastic payoff, as its throwback gameplay combined with some new-school additions makes for delightful gaming. From the art style to the soundtrack, Retro Studios reached back into the best days of Rareware and delivered classic SNES platform gaming to a new generation of gamers. While the lack of kremlings might anger the purist of Nintendo fans, it should not totally distract you from the fact that this is some of the best platform gaming since DK 64—the last time we had a ho-hum-decent Donkey Kong game. Highly recommend; prepare for some fun, plenty of frustration, and just an overall satisfaction and joy that the SNES had delivered so consistently back then. My 2010 was a great year for the Nintendo Wii.
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