Donkey Kong Country Returns Review

By Ellie Gibson Published 19 November, 2010

Chimp off the old block.

Version tested: Wii

Times is 'ard, as we're so often reminded. The newspapers are full of stories about how eight-year-olds will soon be charged 15p per times table learned, while Ireland may be forced to solve its financial crisis by auctioning off Enya. Not even being told we've got to pay for the wedding of the seventh richest young millionaire in Britain is enough to cheer us up.

But here's something which might do the trick: Donkey Kong Country Returns. This isn't a HD remake or a franchise reboot or whatever the heck a redux is. It's simply a new instalment in a classic series.

It's so reminiscent of the original titles you can almost forget this credit crunch nonsense ever happened, and pretend you still live in a world where going to the shops on Sunday is a novelty, saying "Psyche!" is acceptable and a long and successful career lies ahead for Chaka Demus & Pliers. The illusion would be complete if Cranky Kong didn't look so much like Vince Cable.

1

It's all going to be all right. Just focus on the screen and pretend you never did learn that lesson about voting Lib Dem.

Just like all the old games, Donkey Kong Country Returns features a forgettable storyline revolving around the theft of some fruit. (The old plots have blurred into one in my mind, though apparently they were different. Wikipedia notes that DKC2: Diddy Kong's Quest was "less cheery and more darkly themed" than its predecessor, which must have been seriously cheery, considering DKC2 was about a monkey being held to ransom by a pirate crocodile for some bananas.)

This time the bananas have been stolen by members of the Tiki Tak tribe, weird floating masks which appear to have been stolen themselves from the Crash Bandicoot games. Your mission is to retrieve the bananas, avoiding death at the hands of giant orange spiders, bright pink vultures, animated bongo drums and so on along the way.

You play as Donkey Kong. As usual Diddy can be found hiding in barrels dotted around each level, and smashing them open will free him up to hop on Donkey's back.

2

If only you could go on actual holiday to the locations featured in DKCR. Pass me a pina colada and a coconut bra.

You can't switch between the two characters with a button-press, as in previous games, but having Diddy on board is handy as he doubles Donkey's default number of health hearts to four. Plus, he's equipped with a jetpack which enables Donkey to remain in the air for a little longer when he jumps. This is a lifesaver during trickier platforming sections.

The movement mechanics are instantly familiar and perfectly tuned. Donkey's jumps have just the right amount of floatiness and his animations are as fluid as they ever were. However, he's now got some new moves. Giving the Wii remote a swift waggle makes Donkey hammer his fists on the ground, which reveals hidden secrets and stuns enemies. It's a neat addition.

The same can't be said of Donkey's barrel roll or blowing action. If you're using a remote on its own, held sideways, pulling these off involves holding down a direction on the d-pad while you waggle. This isn't too difficult, but it feels awkward and interrupts the flow of the gameplay.

The moves are easier to perform using the remote and nunchuck combo, but miserable purists who prefer good old d-pads to those new-fangled analogue sticks will no doubt whine about this. And they'll probably write very strong letters to their MPs when they learn you can't play DKC Returns with a Classic Controller.

This does seem like an oversight. Old Donkey Kong Country games downloaded from the Virtual Console can be played with the Classic, so why can't this new one? Why not map the waggly moves to the shoulder buttons?

Presumably because Nintendo wants to remind us all that motion control makes for more immersive gaming, as if being a huge primate with the power to cause earthquakes feels just like shaking a small white plastic cuboid, and as if immersive is even a word.

But before you race off to download the old trio of DKC games, hold up. Remember that they weren't designed for the nice big widescreen LCD telly sitting in your lounge today. Know that they won't look nearly as pretty as you recall, but will appear to have been constructed out of thousands of small yet individually distinguishable LEGO bricks.

3

He's copied that stare from Nick off The Apprentice.

DKC Returns, by comparison, looks beautifully detailed, smooth and polished. Just as the old games did on the SNES, in fact. (Remember when the height of cutting-edge visual sophistication was snowflakes which went in different directions? Heady days.) This is undoubtedly the best-looking instalment in the series, and a strong contender for the title of prettiest Wii game released to date.

It helps that the environments you get to explore are so picturesque. Lush jungles, sandy beaches, blue seas, pink dawns, golden sunsets, sparkling waterfalls, arching rainbows... Good job there's also the odd rusting industrial power-plant and lake of boiling lava to provide a bit of balance.

But even the darker areas have been designed with a lighter touch. Take the ominous-sounding Caves. As it turns out, these are painted in various shades of purple and populated by massive lilac bats.

4

What savage Tory cuts? We're too busy being shot out of exploding barrels into the mouths of giant stone monkeys amongst showers of golden stars to care!

Every location is packed with power-ups, collectables and secret bonus areas. Along with the traditional K-O-N-G letters there are hidden puzzle pieces to seek out. Finding them all will require the kind of time, dedication and single-minded focus only possessed by pre-teen children and English Literature undergraduates.

For many people, finishing the game at all will be a challenge. By the time you reach the fifth world, DKC Returns has become a properly hard game. There's always an awful lot happening on-screen and it's often occurring at a rollicking pace. Lightning reflexes and precision control are essential if you're to have any hope of handling all the moving platforms, exploding barrels, airborne missiles and massive lilac bats.

Good job there's a Super Guide feature, then, just like the one in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Activating this enables you to see how the level should be played through and skip on to the next. Yes, it's cheating, but you won't care when it's a choice between embedding the Wii remote into your own eye socket out of sheer rage or using the Super Guide so you can carry on playing.

And you will want to carry on playing. This is partly because there's so much variation between levels, in terms of both pace and content. Even when you're stuck on a particularly tricky bit you know there's probably a gentler platforming section, a pretty new environment or a fun mine cart race just round the corner.

Yes, DKC fans, mine cart races are back. So are stampeding rhinos and exploding barrels and banana coins and life balloons and silly boss battles. If all that wasn't enough, the same old sound effects and theme tunes are also there to take you right back to the good old days.

All those chirpy hooks, pounding drums and bright sound effects which sound like they were created by someone taking a hammer to a coconut are present and correct. Even the Game Over tune is the same. You know, the one with the ominous pan pipes playing over the mournful synthesiser. I want it played as I go through the curtains at the crematorium.

Unfortunately, the similarities between DKC Returns and the original games also extend to the multiplayer mode. Just as it was in those games, it's a bit rubbish. One player controls Donkey while the other is in charge of Diddy, and you're always on-screen at the same time. Or at least that's the plan - in reality, with so much happening on-screen, such large character sprites and that close-up camera, you spend a lot of time waiting for each other to catch up.

More on Donkey Kong Country Returns

When it comes to the on-rails levels the two-player mode is seriously flawed. You're both in the same boat, or rather mine cart, so you can't tell who messed up that jump or who was responsible for that leap to victory. Plus, if one player makes a mistake you'll each lose a life. This makes it easy to burn through those red balloons, and impossible to complete the trickier levels if you're playing alongside an idiot.

So forget the formal multiplayer mode. You're better off sticking with the tried and trusted formula my brother and I patented in 1994, where you swap the controller every time someone dies or finishes a level. We call this mechanism, brilliantly, lifeforalifelevelforalevel. We employed it when playing DKC Returns the other day and it was great fun, even though we now have a combined age of 60.

In any case, the DKC games were never about multiplayer. They were about great gameplay, varied levels, plush graphics and staying up all night riding a giant ostrich through a jungle full of angry wasps and golden bananas. Donkey Kong Country Returns lovingly recreates all those elements and presents them in an even prettier package.

You could argue that it doesn't move the series forwards much. There are a few new twists in here, but nothing which fundamentally changes the game or represents a significant departure from the tried and true formula.

But who cares? DKC fans who just want to remember the good old times won't, and nor will newcomers to the series. This game has the potential to win over a whole new generation, and to do so without eliciting any whinges from those of us old enough to remember the taste of a McRib washed down with Tab Clear.

If you fit into either of those categories, and you're looking for a bit of fun, old school escapism this Christmas, pick up a copy of DKC Returns. It's great to be back in the old Country.

9 / 10

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy
Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (82) Latest comment 1 year ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • X #1 2 years ago

    Kongratulations!
    Edited by X at 20/11/10 @ 01:50

  • FenderMaster #2 2 years ago

    How did I know Ellie would be on reviewing duties for this?

  • smithdown #3 2 years ago

    This game looks bananas

  • SwashbucklingStuff #4 2 years ago

    I really hope this is better than, rather than as good as, Sonic 4.

  • mrpon #5 2 years ago

    Nooo!! Too many games!!

  • caesar_ #6 2 years ago

    Finding them all will require the kind of time, dedication and single-minded focus only possessed by pre-teen children and English Literature undergraduates.

    I'm an English Lit undergrad and I'm not sure how to take this haha. :( :)

  • Ceelion #7 2 years ago

    Better dust the wii off for this!

  • TonyHarrison #8 2 years ago

    It's been 14 years too long...

  • TearYouAsunder #9 2 years ago

    Never in any doubt, Retro Studios do it again!

  • nurrish #10 2 years ago

    This game really a peels to me

  • DonnieDarko333 #11 2 years ago

    WOOP! Already knew it was great though...can't wait for Chrimbo morning!

  • ColdShoulder #12 2 years ago

    After Ellie's 9 for Sonic 4 I think I'll go get a second opinion from somewhere else before buying this.

  • Ninja_Tino #13 2 years ago

    Nice review, Ellie Gibbons! Whey! I'm also an English Lit Undergrad. What are you implying, Gibbons?! *shakes fist menacingly, indicating my indignant disposition*
    Negs are a bit harsh. I don't normally talk like that. Just being a bit self-deprecating is all.
    Edited by Ninja_Tino at 19/11/10 @ 18:00

  • linksdad #14 2 years ago

    Adults: Before letting your child on Megaton, you may want to adjust the brightness WAY down and have them wear shades. And get the eye bandages ready for the inevitable bleeding.

  • andywilkie35 #15 2 years ago

    Will certainly be getting this, even if the fact you can't use the classic controller does sour it somewhat. I don't want to waggle shit, I want to play DK!

  • t8yman #16 2 years ago

    yay for no review embargo! or at least a sensible one if there was.

  • Genyus #17 2 years ago

    What a week this is turning out to be!

  • BigDannyH #18 2 years ago

    Ooooh, chimpanzee that!

  • TheTrueSpin #19 2 years ago

    I hate reviews based on Nostalgia. Like Sonic 4, reviews hyped it as amazing, when in reality it was an average platformer that relied on my childhood memories.

  • kinky_mong #20 2 years ago

    If all that wasn't enough, the same old sound effects and theme tunes are also there to take you right back to the good old days.

    This is the fantastic icing on the amazing cake that the review paints of the game. Just watching videos of the game with that classic soundtrack filled me with youthful joy again. I can't wait for the 3rd December.

  • LiteMrBubbles #21 2 years ago

    If I see one more goddamn pun I am going to go ape on all of you.

  • uglygamer #22 2 years ago

    I'd like to know if this game truly justifies a full priced retail release though... could it have been put on steam, PSN or XBL for 13-15 Euro like Sonic 4, Megaman, Trine, Super Meat Boy etc (i know, it' san exclusive), or does it justify its full priced disc release?

    You saying that because the game is 2d?

  • bladdard #23 2 years ago

    More Wii love my favourite fetish. :o)

  • JohnnyWashnGo #24 2 years ago

    The original games on the SNES were nothing special at the time - at least that is what I thought way back then. Awkward looking graphics, clunky gameplay mechanics and ropey characters all amounted to a huge pass for me. Looks like this is a case of history repeating itself.

    What anybody saw in those games I will never know.

  • joelstinton #25 2 years ago

    awesome. Time to dust of my wii!

    Been so looking foward to this. Although i would have to disagree about how dated the originals look, the graphic still hold up pretty well methinks.

  • FenderMaster #26 2 years ago

    @uglygamer

    yes, because standard 2D platform games like these have far lower production costs, and generally lower file sizes than, for example AC Brotherhood, I don't feel that it is worth the same amount of money, because less money and time was put into it...

    I also think the new NBA Jam titles for Wii/PS3/360 should be 15 Euro DL titles because they are 2D, smaller, cheaper to make games

    feel free to disagree and mark me down, but imo, a 15 Euro DL title is a much more reasonable prospect than full retail title, considering development costs for an SD 2D platformer...

  • varsas #27 2 years ago

    @ainsleyharriot: Ellie is known to be a big DK fan so this is one review to trust if you don't like her reviews.

    She also played the previous games a lot as an undergrad; both bits of info from a previous eg podcast.

  • Gaol #28 2 years ago

    Remember this?

    "There's no question that Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time is a quality platformer, complete with a superb combat system, decent puzzles, fun weapons, pretty visuals and plenty of variation. If you've never played a R&C game before, you should, and this is a great place to start. If you're a fan who just wants more of the same, you won't be disappointed. But I've been playing R&C games for years now, and I was hoping for something extra. 7/10"

    That was Ellie, and EG, giving an excellent platformer 7/10 because it didn't do anything new. Yet now we have:

    "You could argue that it doesn't move the series forwards much. There are a few new twists in here, but nothing which fundamentally changes the game or represents a significant departure from the tried and true formula. But who cares? 9/10"

    Horrendous lack of consistency. Whether we like it or not, the number at the end of the review does matter if you choose to use one.

    edits: formatting!
    Edited by Gaol at 19/11/10 @ 20:06

  • layleeloo #29 2 years ago

    Fecking Brilliant! I have all 3, Wii, 360 and PS3 consoles and if this isnt the single most needed/wanted to be plyed game this year then I don't know what is! Black ops - weve had 5 in the last couple of years alone. Nice to see some fun classic gameplay again! Hurrah!

  • layleeloo #30 2 years ago

    @fendermaster. So you think this game is not worth the price of rip off extortionate games like Black Ops, MW 2 etc? I tell you, Id rather pay £43 for this over the affor mentioned any day. For the simple reason weve played them all a million times as of later and they are all as boring as shit..

    You cant compare this to 10-15 quid games like Sonic 4 as they are a quarter of the size of this. You are paying for overall game - not just type.

  • FenderMaster #31 2 years ago

    @layleeloo

    double standards... you think all fps titles are the same... i've played hundreds of 2D platformers,it's my favourite genre, and you easily level the same argument at DKCR... I just think that game costs and distribution should reflect development costs and size

    evidently, many people disagree, and think that development costs and size should have no impact on cost and distribution... we'll have to agree to disagree

    i'm not saying this is a worse game than Black Ops, actually, I'm sure I'd enjoy it more.... But I still believe that as a cheap to produce, 2D platformer throwback, that digital distribution makes more sense, and more reasonable pricing for a cheap to produce game could be used.

    look at thhe New Rocket Knight Adventures, 10 Euro on PSN, non innovative 2d platform sequel with 3d HD graphics... I see DKCR as being a similar type of title, with similar value, and thus should be similarly priced, and available digitally....

  • Tachiki #32 2 years ago

    @Gaol,The difference is that we, literally, have a Ratchet game every year. DKCR,although the game does not innovate too much, the absence of the series in the last 14 years may explain this aspect.
    It's just pure nostalgia , and i think that's stupid to compare 2 different franchises.

  • figaro7 #33 2 years ago

    Cant bloody wait!

  • DarkSeptember #34 2 years ago

    This is a day one for me , looks great :)

  • RobotRocker #35 2 years ago

    Ireland may be forced to solve its financial crisis by auctioning off Enya.

    We fucking wish.

  • Katanax #36 2 years ago

    Dammit! Now I really want a McRib... :(

  • Lusterpurge #37 2 years ago

    Some people don't think DKR is worth full price? That's it, it's on like Donkey K---

    Dear Sir or Madame,
    It has come to our attention that your post contains a word or phrase owned and trademarked by Nintendo Co., Ltd. Permission was neither asked nor granted to reproduce word or phrase and your post therefore constitutes infringement of our rights. In terms of the Copyright Statutes, we are entitled to an injunction against your continued infringement, as well as to recover damages from you for the loss we have suffered as a result of your infringing conduct.
    In the circumstances, we demand that you immediately:
    1. remove all infringing content and notify us in writing that you have done so;
    2. pay a licensing fee in the amount of $600,000,000;
    3. immediately cease the use and distribution of copyrighted material;
    4. undertake in writing to desist from using any of our copyrighted Work in future without prior written authority from us.

  • Smoped #38 2 years ago

    @fightman9e: I don't know if that's meant to be a compliment or a clumsy Jade Raymond joke or if you're just a creep, but either way it's fucking revolting.

  • f00b_inc #39 2 years ago

    I remember playing the original DKC at a friend's house when it first came out, except he either had a broken cartridge or a bootleg copy of the game (we lived in the Middle East, assume they were all bootlegs at the time?!) - so we had to play through the entire thing without saving it. Cue an intense weekend trying to beat the whole thing whilst trying to prevent anyone from switching off / resetting it! We failed, every time, but would try again the next weekend x10 :-D

  • Sid-Nice #40 2 years ago

    IGN
    Edited by Sid-Nice at 19/11/10 @ 23:22

  • lavalant #41 2 years ago

    So the only thing stopping this from getting 10/10 is it has tacked on waggle controls, When will devs learn to include options to turn that shit off.

  • smelly #42 2 years ago

    >because standard 2D platform games like these have far lower production costs


    Says who? I presume you know of the deep inner workings of how much a game costs to make then?

    A LOT of time would've had to have gone into the level design/art to make it play right.. Much more than (for example) a modern day shooter - which is made using an existing engine, etc etc.

  • Darren #43 2 years ago

    Do want. Will add this to my Christmas list.

  • smelly #44 2 years ago

    meh - okay maybe i was trolling a bit with the fps comment.

    But it IS true that NSMBwii (for example) gave me MUCH more gameplay time/fun than most modern "state of the art" games. I cant remember the last "proper" game i've rented which i didnt complete/get bored of/etc in a few days and returned to store.

    Was NSMBwii a 2d game? Yes.. but i spent WEEKS on it trying to get all the coins, finishing the star road, etc etc.

    Can i say same about fallout 3 vegas, halo reach, modern warfare, fable 3, punchout (all titles i've played through recently)? Nope.. Finished them all within a couple of days (got bored of punchout on similar time).

    Im guessing/hoping this will be the same as nsmbwii.. and will be worth more than just a rent.

    Games nowadays dont seem to give me much entertainment time for my money - they also tend to be too easy as well (and before anyone asks - no i dont play online as i refuse to pay monthly for gold membership out of principle)

    Edited by smelly at 20/11/10 @ 01:09

  • FenderMaster #45 2 years ago

    ...

    Look at Super Meat Boy... Look at Rocket Knight... Look at Sonic 4... at Megaman 9/10

    games like this can, and are released as digital download titles on other formats, games with similar production values, tight, honed old school level design, art, controls etc... and they are £10-15

    I never said this was a bad game... or an inferior game... But anyone who thinks this game, or NSMB Wii didn't cost less to make than Black Ops are dead wrong... Is DKCR better than AC Brotherhood? or Black Ops? Who knows? it isn't out yet...

    But I don't think smaller games, with smaller budgets, smaller development teams, smaller development times etc should cost the same as Bigger budget games that had more work put into them by more people, over longer periods of time, regardless of quality.

    I see Rocket Knight on PSN for £10, which I loved, and I see DKCR on Wii for £40, see what looks like similar quality and production values, and think: why does this cost 4 X more? Super Meat Boy is probably better than this, but it only costs £10

    The cost of great 2D platformers has decreased enormously in this digital download age, but DKCR and NSMB Wii have not... I'm not saying this isn't a great game... I'm saying that it costs 4 times more than other great 2D platformers available on other formats...

    I can't justify the $40 knowing that on PSN/XBL/Steam, I could pick up Sonic 4, Rocket Knight, Trine and Super Meat Boy, all great 2D platformers, for the same price as this one title... If this was released on PSN/Wiiware for £15, I'd pick it up in a flash, but as it stands, thers at least 4 great digital download 2D platformers I can get on other formats for the same price as this one disc based 2D platformer.
    Edited by FenderMaster at 20/11/10 @ 01:36

  • Oh-Bollox #46 2 years ago

    see what looks like similar quality and production values

    Then you need to look a bit closer. Appearances can often be deceiving. If you have the budgets of these games you insist on comparing, let's see them.

    But I don't think smaller games, with smaller budgets, smaller development teams, smaller development times etc should cost the same as Bigger budget games that had more work put into them by more people, over longer periods of time, regardless of quality.

    So people should pay more for bigger games even if they're not as good? That's simply going to lead to games being packed with filler. Oh look, it's already happened! Never mind eh.

    I'll be buying DKCR, and I daresay I will get my money's worth, however much I pay for it.

  • hy4000uk #47 2 years ago

    FenderMaster, are you retarded?

    alongside platformers you can pick up shooters, strategy games, puzzle games, fighting games and adventure games on xbla/wiiware/ps3 (among other genres). by your logic games in these genres can, nay must be relegated to 15 dollar downloads.

    of course if you look a little closer, you can see clear differences in production values, length etc. but if you're a stupid cunt that wont pay over a certain amount for games in a certain genre then you can wait for games to go down in price

  • FenderMaster #48 2 years ago

    FenderMaster, are you retarded?

    alongside platformers you can pick up shooters, strategy games, puzzle games, fighting games and adventure games on xbla/wiiware/ps3 (among other genres). by your logic games in these genres can, nay must be relegated to 15 dollar downloads.

    of course if you look a little closer, you can see clear differences in production values, length etc. but if you're a stupid cunt that wont pay over a certain amount for games in a certain genre then you can wait for games to go down in price     --- hy4000uk

    the poster above you made the same argument in a much more mature manner, you just look like average anonymous internet prick # 6856870...

    Theres a big difference between Battlefield BC2 and Battlefield 1943... or MW2 and Blacklight Tango Down, in terms of quantity, polish, design, content and production values

    But between New Super Mario Bros Wii and some of the digital download platformers? not so much... I'd even argue some HD platformers look much better and have better level design. DKCR I don't know yet, based on video's it doesn't look like it's quality is significantly better than digital download platformers... We'll see... maybe DKCR will last longer than Bionic Commando Reamed, look better than Rocket Knight, have better level design than Super Meat Boy, but if it doesn't, then my argument stands.
    Edited by FenderMaster at 20/11/10 @ 02:36

  • varsas #49 2 years ago

    @FenderMaster: I see Rocket Knight on PSN for £10, which I loved, and I see DKCR on Wii for £40, see what looks like similar quality and production values, and think: why does this cost 4 X more? Super Meat Boy is probably better than this, but it only costs £10

    You're assuming the amount of content is equivalent in all of these titles. Would you agree that if DKCR is larger then it should cost more?

    On the general issue of other titles in the same genre being cheaper, just because one publisher is selling their game cheaper doesn't mean another should too. If they need to then yes but this sounds like the same point that some commentators have made when equating iPhone games to DS games stating DS games should be cheaper due to the prices on the iPhone.
    Edited by varsas at 20/11/10 @ 03:05

  • smelly #50 2 years ago

    @Fendermaster : You're comparing super meat boy with this? You're comparing the (REALLY SHOR) sonic 4 episode 1 with this? How miuch do you think sonic 4 will cost when ALL the episodes are there?

    This isnt some grey and brown shooter where all the wall textures look the same.. where you spend half the game walking down carbon copy corridors.

    I used to work in games. And from what i've seen of this (not played it yet), i can gaurantee that the GAMEPLAY elements of this are probably more expensive to make than the latest shooter.

    Sure, fps games have bigger budgets because they dont care about long single player GAMEPLAY experiences.. they're interested in paying actors lots of money, and expensive cutscenes, etc. But those things dont make the GAME any more fun to play - they just serve to stop you getting bored of a repetitive gameplay experience.

    Its like arguing that you shouldn't pay full price to watch a GOOD movie with a GOOD plot - because it wasnt as expensive to make as the latest mediocre special effects blockbuster.

  • AdamAsunder #51 2 years ago

    I think the reviewer needs to play the original DKC again. Donkey's ground pound isn't a new addtion at all. Call yourself a fan? Pah.

  • AdamAsunder #52 2 years ago

    And FenderMaster.....I think you make a good point. However videogames and value is a difficult argument and I do think the team that made DKC Returns is undoubtedly bigger than the digital download games.

  • The_Asking #53 2 years ago

    My brother and I called it Lifebylifelevelbylevel, which I think flows better.

  • trip919 #54 2 years ago

    Whoohooo!

    King Kong, Ding Dong, Bing Bong....?

    /this is harder than I thought

  • Cid #55 2 years ago

    "Can i say same about fallout 3 vegas, halo reach, modern warfare, fable 3, punchout (all titles i've played through recently)? Nope.. Finished them all within a couple of days"

    You could only have finished Fallout 3 or New Vegas "within a couple of days" if you stuck to the main quest line. In which case you skipped 90% of the game.

    I love NSMBWii, but even completing it 100% doesn't take THAT long. If we're talking value for money then the Fallout games win hands down.

  • humble #56 2 years ago

    So Ellie's brother is 16 then?

  • andromeda #57 2 years ago

    @fightman9e

    you think a couple of dirty clicks makes your comment somehow acceptable?

    You are a sad disrespectful a$$hole

    Prob single.

    No wonder.

  • JeroenZM #58 2 years ago

    I admit the original Donkey Kong Country probably hasn't aged that well. Some odd collision detection and weirdly placed bonus rooms at times make for a grating experience. But I'll argue that DKC2 is one of the best platformers of all time, even when going toe to toe with the likes of Yoshi's Island and Super Mario World. And let's not forget the fantastic soundtrack of David Wise, whose compositions were so strong that they basically remixed the entire album in this game.

  • TheApologist #59 2 years ago

    Fucking loved McRibs

  • layleeloo #60 2 years ago

    @federmaster. Again we will have to agree to dissagree on development costs. The main development costs of recent same old same old FPS games comes from graphical realism - thats where the time and money goes in these games. Development will cost substantial amounts on games like this imply because they have to come up with some new interesting ideas to throw into the game. The recent spate of FPS - there are no ideas. They are all "walk round some jungle/city, shoot people, big conspiracy plot etc" with the main difference between them all being the picture on the front of the box, and the content inside is all so similar its hard to tell one from the other. So, similarly you can say this is just another playtormer, jump from platform to platform etc - but a main factor being these games are becoming a dying breed nowardays in light of the concentration on multiplayer FPS games developers are forgetting about the kind of single player experiences that got the games industry to where it is today. Development costs and time in DK would no doubt be massive because they have to think of more interesting ideas rather than just make an HD version of the SNES game. So where as this is hardly pushing the genre forward - nor are any FPS games which are the same every time.

    So, when I say I would choose to rather pay the extortionatee price of £43, i would be happier paying it for a game which we havnt played more than 5 times this last couple of years, which has some new, interesting and most of all fun ideas, rather than the same old same old games simply rebranded in a box with a different sleeve.

  • layleeloo #61 2 years ago

    @cid. I understand and agree - but games are more about fun than value for money. The latter is a consideration but not a determining factor. You say you have done SMBW 100%, great. I bet you had a damn signt more fun doing that and playing DK than you did Fallout? Nothing against fallout, but you see my point. Fun is more important than the value for money factor, which is why i refuse to pay £43 for a game we have all played a million times before, a la Black Ops.

  • VeggieWokker #62 2 years ago

    Did anybody expect any other score for a game developed by Retro Studios? One by one, they are revitalizing Nintendo's forgotten franchises. But wait... Does this mean a crappy Donkey Kong: Other M(onkey) is on its way? With DK exploring his grandfather-grandson relationship with Cranky and crying over a banana that gave its life to save him from King K. Rool?

    Why is everyone saying DK's ground slap is new? Press down and the attack button in DKC and see how new it is.

    @layleelloo: I have to agree with Cid, Fallout 3 was one of the best game-for-your-buck values of the past years. And it was a lot of fun, although riddled with bugs. Then MH3 came out and knocked it off the longevity throne :p.
    Edited by VeggieWokker at 20/11/10 @ 15:45

  • Jamiesan #63 2 years ago

    Many apologies in advance for the following rant, which contains the use of many more caps than is necessary.

    I stopped reading at waggle controls. My Donkey Kong Country nostalgia DOES NOT include that shit!
    What the hell is wrong with games this gen? Are regular buttons TOO HARDCORE for the masses? Every fuckin' console now is trying to shove either waggle, point, body tracking, gestures, etc into traditional games when there is absolutely no need for it!
    Of course there are great games that make use of this stuff, and no doubt even better to come as devs learn to utilise it further. But keep it the hell out of the old school, set in stone genres that rely on quick reflexes, and control schemes that have been accepted for over a decade.

    I fear that as publishers look to further increase their profits, we will see even more of this, as 'casual' gamers become a higher percentage of the consumer base. People like me, who have played(and coded) videogames as a hobby for over twenty years and have supported this industry from the start, will be pushed further into obscurity to make way for casual games like Black Ops, and gimmicks designed for my mother.

    /end rant

  • Cid #64 2 years ago

    @layleeloo

    What makes you think I had more fun with NSMB?

  • FenderMaster #65 2 years ago

    You're assuming the amount of content is equivalent in all of these titles. Would you agree that if DKCR is larger then it should cost more?

    actually, yes... Sonic 4 took me about 3 hours to beat, and another 2 or so hours to get all the chaos emeralds.

    if DKCR takes 10-12 hours to beat, then another 10 or so hours to find everything, then i would be willing to pay twice as much (though not 4 times as much) but there are other areas where DKCR is inferior, lacking HD visuals, online leaderboards etc, so length alone isn't the only factor in value... though it is a very important one.

    On the general issue of other titles in the same genre being cheaper, just because one publisher is selling their game cheaper doesn't mean another should too. If they need to then yes but this sounds like the same point that some commentators have made when equating iPhone games to DS games stating DS games should be cheaper due to the prices on the iPhone.

    this is where i disagree, if an identical third party title is £30 on DS and £2-5 on IPhone, then something is very wrong with the DS price... if a service exists that could be used to sell a game digitally on DS for a price equivalent to IPhone, then digital consumers should have the option to not pay 6 times more than IPhone owners imo

  • layleeloo #66 2 years ago

    @cid. I didnt word that right. I shouldnt have said you had out and out more fun with MSBW than Fallout, but its a different kind of fun. I've loved some FPS etc, but you must admit - typical Nintendo games have their own kind of fun element which is different to serious FPS which you enjoy playing, but isnt the same sense of fun when playing at the time if you know what I mean? Like Mario games, DK and the like you cant help smiling at and enjoying the music and idead. Playing games like Metro 2033, Fallout are tense atmospheric games so its a different sense of fun. Its hard to explain but being a multi platform gamer like myself Im sure you get what I am trying to say.
    Edited by layleeloo at 20/11/10 @ 21:56

  • Cid #67 2 years ago

    @layleeloo

    Fallout 3 is an RPG, not an FPS. If your problem is with identikit shooters then it's not really fair to include F3/NV.

    In any case, I don't even understand what this discussion's about anymore.

  • layleeloo #68 2 years ago

    @cid. There is no problem with any form of games, more your concentration span. Forget it.

  • Cid #69 2 years ago

    @layleeloo

    It's not my fault you're not making any sense. No need to get stroppy.

  • LiamK #70 2 years ago

    @fightman9e

    You really are a twat, aren't you?

  • TonyHarrison #71 2 years ago

    I really do despise the notion that a full 2D platform game has to be a budget DL title because there are a lot short 2D platform games available on XBLA/PSN that were relatively cheap to create.

    They are not one and the same, just because they are both 2D.

    SMG2 and Jett Rocket are both 3D platformers available on the Wii. Jett Rocket is a short WiiWare game available for 1,000 points (£7). Does that mean that SMG2 should also be £7? I mean, they're both 3D platform games so they obviously have the same dev costs, right?

    Also, should LBP have been £10 at launch because Episode 1 of Sonic 4 was on PSN for £9.99?

  • S2K #72 2 years ago

    I can't believe all these discussion about value for money and stuff...strap yourselves a time machine to 1995 when DKC got released, and u'd be expected to pay £50 for it...that, and DKC2 (which cost £60 at the time!!!) was GREAT gameplay experiences, something that is completely lacking in today's saturated nonsense of FPS' and high production valued games. (not to say all games are like that, but still).

    Its like saying with the advent of DLC and xbla/psn, certain genre's need to be dumbed down cos they fit those certain production scales. Complete nonsense. Sorry, but me personally, would fully pay £40 a pop for games like DKC:R.

  • smelly #73 2 years ago

    If this takes me more time to complete than fable 3 or halo reach did (i.e. 3 evenings), then in comparision it's worth the money.

    Which is why i rented those two games - but i think i'll be buying this as i expect it to last me longer.

  • headrush #74 2 years ago

    Wow, didnt think I would buy a Wii this late in the generation. but this and golden eye make me really think about it.

  • Sicho #75 2 years ago

    @FenderMaster

    maybe some people don't want all their games as downloads but they want a disc and a manual?

  • SG #76 2 years ago

    I FUCKING KNEW IT!

    I've always said that Retro are the new Rare of Nintendo and they've just gone and proven it. When is this out in the US? I'd better get myself a copy ordered.

  • SG #77 2 years ago

    Ah it's released today in the States. Ordered. :p

    FWIW I still think that the original 3 games still look gorgeous on my 22" HDTV, I wish they could get a resolution boost though. Same goes for Yoshi's Island.

  • keatsunn #78 2 years ago

    I'm relieved it turned out great.
    But I'm still disappointed that retro didn't move the series forward.
    We have gotten enough 2D platformers on the Wii.

  • Deno #79 2 years ago

    This game looks cool, its great to see DK in a new game that you don't need bongos to play it with!
    Maybe a Wii version of Diddy Kong Racing next? I'm sure a lot of people would "go ape" for that.

  • GarethBale3 #80 2 years ago

    Top Banana

  • hello_fi #81 1 year ago

    Has Ellie ever written a review that is less than three pages?

  • robson_wii #82 1 year ago

    I'm enjoying this game and look forward to multi-player fun at Christmas.