Originally, I intended to make my way through the entirety of the original DKC Trilogy. Oddly enough, however, this was the only game in the series I could see to the end. Without implicating that I thought DKC2 or 3 were too flawed to continue in comparison, (because they aren't, I drop games all the time for obtuse reasons. I intend to get back to them.) DKC1's captivating simplicity struck a chord with me.
When I think of the 2D Mario platformers, I think the term I always associate them with is "athletic." I wanna run really fast, time my jumps to cross pipes just right, fit into tight gaps and push on; it's a part of the flow. For Donkey Kong Country, its flow isn't athletic- but acrobatic. I want to constantly move forward in Mario, but in DKC, I want to constantly move in general. I always want to be jumping, I have some strange need to always be moving in SOME direction, whether it be forward, backward, up, down- whatever. It leads me to plan my course better, something really integral to DKC's gameplay. There isn't a lot of stop-and-go, but when there is, I don't mind it, since carrying momentum is as easy and jumping in place and weaving myself through whatever bunch of enemies is in front of me. It's one of those platformers that lunges you into a Zen state. Once you get going, there's no stopping until you blink.
I usually try to keep talk about aesthetics in these reviews brief, but it can't go without stating how beautiful the original Donkey Kong Country is. I'm absolutely in love with the mixture of compressed 3d models and genuinely awe-inspiring pixel art backgrounds. I can never forget the gradient coloring in the background on Jungle Japes, or the intricate texturing on some of the animal buddies. I know this is one of those things people don't shut up about with this game, but it really does add to the experience. It's a technical and artistic marvel- this game wouldn't really be the same without it.
If there's one thing I can criticize, it's the differences between Diddy and Donkey and how that correlates into the levels- but only exclusively in Co-Op, which is how I played the game. We switched back and forth between the two Kongs constantly, so I got a real feedback on their differences. Diddy's faster, jumps higher and farther, but can't deal with the bigger enemies as well as Donkey. Donkey's slower, jumps lower, but is a real powerhouse and can easily mow through enemies- where Diddy would have to tread lightly. It's an interesting dichotomy, but when playing Co-Op, a problem arises. Obviously certain sections of levels are made for Donkey to have an easier time on, or vice versa, but when you and a friend have chosen your dedicated kong, there's really no way for either of you to have feedback on how either character is meant to operate a challenge. There's no frame of reference, it's really strange. Let's say, for example, I'm playing as Diddy Kong during a section that Donkey would have an infinitely easier time going through- chances are, I'm pretty screwed because I have NOTHING to compare to how I should tackle the situation. I don't know what makes it so easy for Donkey Kong, so finding my own way as Diddy is a lot more jarring. Of course, though, this isn't such an issue in single-player, since you can swap kongs at will; so its really more of a nitpick than anything. Plus, like I said, my friend and I swapped between the two kongs a lot. This criticism is mostly aimed at the potential issue within the system, not my own experience.
All in all, Donkey Kong Country is a really great game. Objectively, this game probably deserves 4 stars. There's virtually nothing glaringly wrong with it from my point of view, and the only reason it doesn't hit that mark is that I lack a personal attachment to it... which may seem arbitrary to you, but... whatever, who are "you", yknow? 3.5 means, like, really good.
When I think of the 2D Mario platformers, I think the term I always associate them with is "athletic." I wanna run really fast, time my jumps to cross pipes just right, fit into tight gaps and push on; it's a part of the flow. For Donkey Kong Country, its flow isn't athletic- but acrobatic. I want to constantly move forward in Mario, but in DKC, I want to constantly move in general. I always want to be jumping, I have some strange need to always be moving in SOME direction, whether it be forward, backward, up, down- whatever. It leads me to plan my course better, something really integral to DKC's gameplay. There isn't a lot of stop-and-go, but when there is, I don't mind it, since carrying momentum is as easy and jumping in place and weaving myself through whatever bunch of enemies is in front of me. It's one of those platformers that lunges you into a Zen state. Once you get going, there's no stopping until you blink.
I usually try to keep talk about aesthetics in these reviews brief, but it can't go without stating how beautiful the original Donkey Kong Country is. I'm absolutely in love with the mixture of compressed 3d models and genuinely awe-inspiring pixel art backgrounds. I can never forget the gradient coloring in the background on Jungle Japes, or the intricate texturing on some of the animal buddies. I know this is one of those things people don't shut up about with this game, but it really does add to the experience. It's a technical and artistic marvel- this game wouldn't really be the same without it.
If there's one thing I can criticize, it's the differences between Diddy and Donkey and how that correlates into the levels- but only exclusively in Co-Op, which is how I played the game. We switched back and forth between the two Kongs constantly, so I got a real feedback on their differences. Diddy's faster, jumps higher and farther, but can't deal with the bigger enemies as well as Donkey. Donkey's slower, jumps lower, but is a real powerhouse and can easily mow through enemies- where Diddy would have to tread lightly. It's an interesting dichotomy, but when playing Co-Op, a problem arises. Obviously certain sections of levels are made for Donkey to have an easier time on, or vice versa, but when you and a friend have chosen your dedicated kong, there's really no way for either of you to have feedback on how either character is meant to operate a challenge. There's no frame of reference, it's really strange. Let's say, for example, I'm playing as Diddy Kong during a section that Donkey would have an infinitely easier time going through- chances are, I'm pretty screwed because I have NOTHING to compare to how I should tackle the situation. I don't know what makes it so easy for Donkey Kong, so finding my own way as Diddy is a lot more jarring. Of course, though, this isn't such an issue in single-player, since you can swap kongs at will; so its really more of a nitpick than anything. Plus, like I said, my friend and I swapped between the two kongs a lot. This criticism is mostly aimed at the potential issue within the system, not my own experience.
All in all, Donkey Kong Country is a really great game. Objectively, this game probably deserves 4 stars. There's virtually nothing glaringly wrong with it from my point of view, and the only reason it doesn't hit that mark is that I lack a personal attachment to it... which may seem arbitrary to you, but... whatever, who are "you", yknow? 3.5 means, like, really good.