My first impressions of this game weren't too positive. Don't get me wrong, it looks good and plays well, but for the first two worlds the game feels less like an original IP and more like a Donkey Kong Country 2 romhack with a fresh coat of paint. The back half of the game still feels that way, with plenty of level gimmicks still straight from DKC, however the level design gets a lot better and the game becomes more enjoyable as a result.

The whole wild masks gimmick is a bit underwhelming. They're just powerups you get in levels designed for them and you have them for the rest of whatever level you get them in. Powers range from something you should have anyways (Shark), to something you get so they can do more DKC gimmick levels (Bird, Lizard), to something that sucks (Tiger).

Besides these gripes, it's a breezy game to 100% if you're seasoned at these games, they do end up making the most out of the gimmicks, (the lizard autoscroller with the corn is excellent) and the boss fights are better than most DKC games. Also if you're going to do time trials in your videogame, have a gimmick. Just running through the levels to beat a lenient timer makes what should be a fun challenge into busywork for some measly percentage points.