There may be some slight bias present here, as this was the first DKC game I played as a kid (and also one of my childhood favorites.) It was incredibly difficult, and can still be at times, especially in that one world thats nothing but minecarts (WHO DID THIS?)
definitely a worthy successor to rare's offerings.
definitely a worthy successor to rare's offerings.
One of the best memories I have with this game was playing it with my (at the time) 8 years old cousin, as he called Donkey Kong "GRAMPA" because to him he looked like our grandfather..... I dunno where he saw the similarities but I love that memory.
Country Returns is great: it's a awesome revival of the series after DK went in sort weird places throught his "bongos-junglebeat-kingofswing" phase. It takes the magical atmosphere of previous renditions of DK Island and adds a new twist to hit, creating incredibly memorable environments for a 2D platformers (especially the sunset levels: those are gorgeous).
As a game it's way tougher compared to your other platformers on the Wii, but it never feels unfair: it's a great balance between challenges that makes for really enduring and fun to revisit levels.
The secrets are as great as the ones from the first games, and the flow goes own for almost all of the worlds. Some specific levels I absolutely love have to do with swarms of spiders constantly chasing you into an endless tunnel, canyons full of unhinged fossils, and everything that has to do with Rambi, cause Rambi is the GOAT
The bosses are also really neat. They are nothing extremely memorable, but they are mostly fun in terms of designs and gimmicks.
My only gripe with this game is... the overall lack of older DK characters: Diddy and Cranky are back, but for the rest of the memorable cast, apparently Retro Studio didn't want to "steal" Rare's ideas so they came out with new villains and settings.
WHich is kinda fair, but also the results are not endearing: the Tikis are not really a memorable part of this game, especially compared to the Kremlins, and the rest of the allies are either completely absent or turned into item shops (Like Country returns did Squawks dirty, I loved that guy in DKC2)
Overall a great platformer, and the perfect title to make a lot of people return or jump into the franchise.. I just feel like it misses a lot of the charm and overall creativity of previous titles. Still a great time.
(BT TIki Tong's plan SUCKS: dude literally sacrificed all of his allies to create a pair of hands that breaks in 2 hits: dude is an idiot why is he allowed in the Nintendo theme park?
Country Returns is great: it's a awesome revival of the series after DK went in sort weird places throught his "bongos-junglebeat-kingofswing" phase. It takes the magical atmosphere of previous renditions of DK Island and adds a new twist to hit, creating incredibly memorable environments for a 2D platformers (especially the sunset levels: those are gorgeous).
As a game it's way tougher compared to your other platformers on the Wii, but it never feels unfair: it's a great balance between challenges that makes for really enduring and fun to revisit levels.
The secrets are as great as the ones from the first games, and the flow goes own for almost all of the worlds. Some specific levels I absolutely love have to do with swarms of spiders constantly chasing you into an endless tunnel, canyons full of unhinged fossils, and everything that has to do with Rambi, cause Rambi is the GOAT
The bosses are also really neat. They are nothing extremely memorable, but they are mostly fun in terms of designs and gimmicks.
My only gripe with this game is... the overall lack of older DK characters: Diddy and Cranky are back, but for the rest of the memorable cast, apparently Retro Studio didn't want to "steal" Rare's ideas so they came out with new villains and settings.
WHich is kinda fair, but also the results are not endearing: the Tikis are not really a memorable part of this game, especially compared to the Kremlins, and the rest of the allies are either completely absent or turned into item shops (Like Country returns did Squawks dirty, I loved that guy in DKC2)
Overall a great platformer, and the perfect title to make a lot of people return or jump into the franchise.. I just feel like it misses a lot of the charm and overall creativity of previous titles. Still a great time.
(BT TIki Tong's plan SUCKS: dude literally sacrificed all of his allies to create a pair of hands that breaks in 2 hits: dude is an idiot why is he allowed in the Nintendo theme park?
still a damn fantastic game even after all these years! the levels and worlds feel so vibrant and alive, there's so many little details in the environments and enemies and it's clear how much care went into everything. the difficulty is perfect for the most part, most of the levels are a great challenge and it's super satisfying to get them done and get all the KONG letters in one go at the same time. i say most because there are a certain few levels that feel slightly unfair cause of inconveniently placed checkpoints or diddy kong barrels (or lack thereof... looking at 6-K). but overall? had a really good time revisiting this instead of working on stuff for finals like i should've been doing
This game is very heartwarming and fun, I have a lot of nostalgia for it!
Donkey Kong Country Returns is a vibrant and challenging revival of the classic side-scrolling platformer. Featuring stunning visuals, creative level design, and tight controls, it honors the legacy of the franchise while adding modern flair. The difficulty can be punishing at times, especially with its optional collectibles and hidden levels, but the sense of accomplishment upon mastering a stage is immense. If you enjoy demanding platformers filled with secrets and charm, Donkey Kong Country Returns is a triumphant return for the ape.