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Donkey Kong Country Returns |OT| Retro Studios Has Done It Again!

Gambit

Member
cooljeanius said:
My brother and I decided to pick this up again. Whoever decided that an entire world of minecart levels would be a good idea deserves to be slapped.


I loved that world! It was actually my favourite. The adrenaline rush of minecart levels is hitting all the right spots for me.

Then again, DKCR was my game of the year 2010, so I am biased.
 
Gambit said:
Then again, DKCR was my game of the year 2010, so I am biased.

Yeah, I didn't play this in 2010 but it's probably going to be my GOTY 2011 if it doesn't fall apart near the end. It's already one of those titles I know I'm going to pick up every year or so to play again (like OoT, DKC, etc.)
 

Lathentar

Looking for Pants
Chuckpebble said:
I wanted to post this for two reasons:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLFMKkGPHKQ

1. It briefly sums up how I feel about the game.
2. I want to present a friendly challenge to those who are playing the game without the motion controls. If you can record, even with a cell phone, I'd like to see if it can produce better results.
I just double checked my best time and its in the low 57 seconds. I'll need to find some way to record it.
 

Chuckpebble

Member
Lathentar said:
I just double checked my best time and its in the low 57 seconds. I'll need to find some way to record it.

That's incredible. Off the top of my head, I can only think of 2 spots where I can save any time at all on that run. I don't think it would be anywhere near 2 seconds worth though. So are you using the button to roll hack?

I loved the 4th world which was mostly minecarts. They managed to each have a unique quality to them. For instance, carts that you keep the whole time and then the courses where you can jump from one to the next.
The end of that one track where you are inside of a giant C-shaped track
is my favorite part of the game.
 

Lathentar

Looking for Pants
Chuckpebble said:
That's incredible. Off the top of my head, I can only think of 2 spots where I can save any time at all on that run. I don't think it would be anywhere near 2 seconds worth though. So are you using the button to roll hack?
Nah, I haven't bothered with the roll hack. I have no problems playing with the nunchuk. There are a couple places you could certainly shave time. When you hit the rocks to knock them over you can do a roll to do that part just a bit faster. Also, it takes a bit of careful jumping but you can get that first diddy barrel without losing too much time and cruise through the one long section where you can roll the entire time.

Its been a while, but I'll see if I can Time Attack it sometime this week.
 
Oh man, I finally arrived at 8-B. The game is killing me, but for some reason I keep coming back to it.

I do think 8-B is a little unfair for not giving you Diddy at the final boss when you die there. I spent 10 lives there and it's enough for now. I'd like to keep my Wiimote in one piece. I'll try again tomorrow.
 

Chuckpebble

Member
I actually beat the last two bosses by playing the game 2 player with my 2 year old.

Throw Diddy on your back, instruct toddler to shake controller thus shooting peanuts. (Its useless in those fights, but kept her engaged.)

Pros:
-You actually keep Diddy for three hits instead of just two. First hit damages Diddy, second DK, third Diddy again leaving you with one last hit.
-When you die, you always restart with Diddy again.

Cons:
-When you do die, you lose two balloons instead of one.

When I first realized what was going on, I felt like a cheap hack, then I just told myself it was balanced with the -2 baloons thing and soldiered on.
 

Wizpig

Member
Just got 101%

A question: is there an alternate ending
if you beat the final boss again after you get the Mirror?
 
Mortrialus said:
Just beat the final boss. This game breaks my heart. I absolutely hate it.

FZ2Nd.jpg


I had a big fucking smile on my face the whole way through. And I've beaten it 4 times now.
 
The Xtortionist said:
FZ2Nd.jpg


I had a big fucking smile on my face the whole way through. And I've beaten it 4 times now.

I summed up my thoughts earlier in this thread (Either this page or the previous). My thoughts haven't changed.
 

Datschge

Member
Mortrialus said:
I summed up my thoughts earlier in this thread (Either this page or the previous). My thoughts haven't changed.
Think of DKCR as a sequel to DKC in an alternate universe where DKC2 didn't exist.

For me DKCR was great fun playing through with a friend in coop, but unplayable alone due to the slippy 3D-ish controls. Most design and gameplay decisions are at best slight improvements over those in DKC, but both games don't go the final step that's necessary to turn it into a polished great platforming experience. Both feel like beta games to me. DKC2 on the other hand was pure game design gold, showing all the lessons learned from DKC and resulting in what I personally consider the best platforming game package ever (and it was developed in less than a year). I was hoping Retro would do just that as well, directly taking the lessons learned from DKCR and turning it into something polished, but now I'm not holding my breath anymore with some staff reportedly leaving and all that.
 
Datschge said:
Think of DKCR as a sequel to DKC in an alternate universe where DKC2 didn't exist.

For me DKCR was great fun playing through with a friend in coop, but unplayable alone due to the slippy 3D-ish controls. Most design and gameplay decisions are at best slight improvements over those in DKC, but both games don't go the final step that's necessary to turn it into a polished great platforming experience. Both feel like beta games to me. DKC2 on the other hand was pure game design gold, showing all the lessons learned from DKC and resulting in what I personally consider the best platforming game package ever (and it was developed in less than a year). I was hoping Retro would do just that as well, directly taking the lessons learned from DKCR and turning it into something polished, but now I'm not holding my breath anymore with some staff reportedly leaving and all that.

I would still call DKC1 and DKCR "polished great platforming experiences". It's just that DKC2 is the perfect platforming experience (it's still my favourite platform game of all time).

I really hope we see a DKCR2, and it borrows as heavily from DKC2 (and maybe DKC3 as well) as DKCR did from DKC1. I definitely agree with DKCR feeling like an alternate sequel.

In any case, I certainly hope that if we do get another DKCR, we see Kremlings make a return, and the removal of mandatory motion controls.
 
Shotgun Kiss said:
I would still call DKC1 and DKCR "polished great platforming experiences". It's just that DKC2 is the perfect platforming experience (it's still my favourite platform game of all time).

I really hope we see a DKCR2, and it borrows as heavily from DKC2 (and maybe DKC3 as well) as DKCR did from DKC1. I definitely agree with DKCR feeling like an alternate sequel.

In any case, I certainly hope that if we do get another DKCR, we see Kremlings make a return, and the removal of mandatory motion controls.

KremlingRaceDK2.jpg


One of the most bad ass crew of villains in video game history. I remember reading through the strategy guide thinking how cool it would be if there was a game where you could play as them.
 

Tyeforce

Member
I finally got around to unlocking and beating the
Golden Temple
the other day. I really want to see a sequel to this game now, lol.
 

JaseC

gave away the keys to the kingdom.
If there is just one leaf Retro need to take out of the brilliant book of DKC2, it's David Wise.
 

Myriadis

Member
Mortrialus said:
Just beat the final boss. This game breaks my heart. I absolutely hate it.
And now you know how I feel about DKC3. Which is quite a feat, because I normally don't really hate games. I even don't know if I should buy DKC2 now, as Dixie is one of the PCs there (and Diddy is, uh, rapping at the end of a level? What? ). Still have to check out DKCR.
 

Darktalon

Member
You need to understand that DKC2 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> DKC3

Play DKC2 for the sake of all that is good and holy!
 

FreeMufasa

Junior Member
I liked DKC3 when I played it last year for the first time. I don't think it's nearly as good as 2 or Returns but it's much better than the first game. The first game is actually a pretty rubbish platformer.

DKC3 has the best soundtrack out of the 4 games too. Dennis Wise again?
 

Datschge

Member
No, DKC3 is rubbish. First of many following times Rare was overdoing the collect-a-ton part (it was perfected in DKC2). Level design is back to uninspiring with repeated sections instead having unique look variations and mechanics in every single one of them (it was perfected in DKC2). Music is by Eveline Novakovic (nee Fischer) and in my opinion wasn't as good at mood setting as David Wise's DKC2 was (but I didn't like DKC3's setting to begin with so maybe it was spot on?). What DKC3 did well were the boss battles, but unlike those in DKC2 I personally didn't like any of the new characters and baddies (who got the idea to give them all a huge ugly chin?).
 
Eh, I'm a bit torn on how I feel about DKC3. It's technically more polished than DKC2 and balances the whole 'heavy vs light character' mechanic I think the original DKC fucks up pretty badly (and DKC2 completely side-stepped), fixes some of the niggly bits the first two games had (can save whenever without paying, far more interactive map, Funky goes from a relatively pointless gimmick in the first two games to being pretty important) but at the same time seems to miss out on some of the charm DKC2 and even DKC1 had.

Cranky's barely in it, Kiddy is both unlikable and is functionally identical to DK, the level archetypes are far more dull (DKC opens up to a jungle that slowly turns to night time, DKC2 a pirate ship with a ransom note and DKC3... A boardwalk in the middle of nowhere) and despite what GAF always seems to bitch about, where DKC1's character design to me only suffers from the CGI-dating and DKC2's is actually pretty great, DKC3's new enemies and characters looked like dog shit. They should of either gone with new drones that fitted better with KAOS or just remixed the old ones with a set theme like DKC2 did.

Think it's worth pointing out the team that made DKC and DKC2 was working on Project Dream/Banjo-Kazooie by the time DKC3 started development, which was instead developed by the team that would go on later to make DK64. I don't think it's too surprising with that in mind that DKC3 feels 'weird' (though by no means bad IMO) compared to the rest of the DKC's and DK64's just BK1.5 without any of the charm and all of its issues exaggerated. Though that might be an unfair judgement since what with Rare being so secretive those days you're never really going to know how or why those games turned out the way they did.
 

oracrest

Member
Chuckpebble said:
I wanted to post this for two reasons:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLFMKkGPHKQ

1. It briefly sums up how I feel about the game.
2. I want to present a friendly challenge to those who are playing the game without the motion controls. If you can record, even with a cell phone, I'd like to see if it can produce better results.

Good run!

I am the same as you, I gotta play games like this with just the wiimote. Simple. old-school. It just feels right...
 

StevieP

Banned
Mortrialus said:
KremlingRaceDK2.jpg


One of the most bad ass crew of villains in video game history. I remember reading through the strategy guide thinking how cool it would be if there was a game where you could play as them.

I'm sure there are a lot of people that look at that photo and facepalm at how bad most of them are, as well. I'm one of them.
 
Myriadis said:
And now you know how I feel about DKC3. Which is quite a feat, because I normally don't really hate games. I even don't know if I should buy DKC2 now, as Dixie is one of the PCs there (and Diddy is, uh, rapping at the end of a level? What? ). Still have to check out DKCR.

Dixie> Donkey Kong. Yes, Diddy rapping at the end of the levels is cheesy, but it's pretty minor. As far as DKC3, I remember renting it as a young lad and really not caring for it, but I truthfully don't remember much about the game itself.
 
Basing world 4 on the carts/rocket mechanics was a bad idea. They're good for one level per world or something, but fuck they drag when you do five or six in a row.

I'm enjoying the game a lot so far now, though. The motion controls are too distracting even now I'm on world 5, but other than that I like it a lot.
 

NEO0MJ

Member
Foliorum Viridum said:
Basing world 4 on the carts/rocket mechanics was a bad idea. They're good for one level per world or something, but fuck they drag when you do five or six in a row.

I liked that world, personally. Maybe it's because I love hearing the cart and rocket music.
 

chixdiggit

Member
So my nephew got this for his seventh birthday. It has cartoon monkeys on the cover, is rated E, and is for the Wii. His Grandma assumed it would be a great game for him. Thing is that it is far too difficult for someone as young as him first getting into video games. We played a bunch of co-op together and had a great time but even I was having a tough time at spots.

So why not an easy mode?
 
When I got it last Chriistmas I got to world 2 with my girlfriend in co-op and then gave up. I think the game is even harder in co-op, personally.

I'm glad I came back to it solo after all that time. It is a good game and much more enjoyable solo... which is really rare. I can't think of another game I don't prefer playing co-op in with her. It made New Super Mario Bros Wii 10x better, for example.
 

chixdiggit

Member
Foliorum Viridum said:
When I got it last Chriistmas I got to world 2 with my girlfriend in co-op and then gave up. I think the game is even harder in co-op, personally.

I'm glad I came back to it solo after all that time. It is a good game and much more enjoyable solo... which is really rare. I can't think of another game I don't prefer playing co-op in with her. It made New Super Mario Bros Wii 10x better, for example.

Ah. Maybe so. We didn't even try single player, but I can see how it would be nice to have diddy strapped to your back for the jumps.
 
chixdiggit said:
Ah. Maybe so. We didn't even try single player, but I can see how it would be nice to have diddy strapped to your back for the jumps.
You can have Diddy on your back in single player. You will find him in barrels throughout the levels and he gives you two extra hearts. Lose those two hearts, though, and you lose Diddy. So he acts a power-up of sorts when playing solo.
 
It is a lot easier. My girlfriend isn't as good at platformers as me so she died a lot and then I was handicapped because I didn't have Diddy etc. We probably could've done it but we weren't having fun.

The game is pretty rough either way, though. I've used up a silly number of lives on some levels aready and it's only getting worse.
 

Neiteio

Member
This game is so exacting in what it demands of the player that it feels more like following a Guitar Hero string of inputs than a play-it-as-you-want platformer. The correct route through the later rocket barrel stages, for instance, basically boil down to a very specific sequence of button presses with little room for deviation.

But... There's an addicting quality to this. It's that "one more try" mentality of knowing you pushed the jump button a nanosecond too long, causing your cart to jump too high and hit the spiked ceiling, and then on the next playthrough when you get past that bit and die a nanosecond later because you didn't jump right away to clear the gap in the track, you think, "OK, just -tap- the jump button, then tap it again." It's like learning a choreographed dance.

Whether that's good game design is debatable, but for right or wrong it was compulsively playable. I couldn't stop until I reached the end.
 
That's so true and it's the issue I had with world 4. When you play a cart/rocket level back to back you realise how it's so based on trial and error, unless you have really good reaction time/luck.

I don't feel it's like that in the normal platforming sections (mostly), but in the vehicle bits it's completely like that.
 

gkryhewy

Member
I am by no means a super-skilled player (I play every game on normal, and shmups on easy), and I beat this without feeling unduly frustrated. Tremendous game.
 
Neiteio said:
This game is so exacting in what it demands of the player that it feels more like following a Guitar Hero string of inputs than a play-it-as-you-want platformer. The correct route through the later rocket barrel stages, for instance, basically boil down to a very specific sequence of button presses with little room for deviation.

But... There's an addicting quality to this. It's that "one more try" mentality of knowing you pushed the jump button a nanosecond too long, causing your cart to jump too high and hit the spiked ceiling, and then on the next playthrough when you get past that bit and die a nanosecond later because you didn't jump right away to clear the gap in the track, you think, "OK, just -tap- the jump button, then tap it again." It's like learning a choreographed dance.

Whether that's good game design is debatable, but for right or wrong it was compulsively playable. I couldn't stop until I reached the end.

Exactly this. I've had this unshakable feeling that DKCR has a sort of...rhythm/timing to it that no other platformer out there does. Somewhat akin to a music-based game.
 
Foliorum Viridum said:
That's so true and it's the issue I had with world 4. When you play a cart/rocket level back to back you realise how it's so based on trial and error, unless you have really good reaction time/luck.

I thought the hazards were telegraphed well enough - this isn't IWBTG or even Sonic Unleashed in that regard. The was only one instance where I felt I couldn't react, and that was ascending/descending bats in Crowded Cavern, only because I didn't know how they operated. As for the mine cart stages' falling stalagmites, or falling ceiling, or just the jumps in general, it all felt very fair with the amount of time they give you to react. The balance of fairness and excitement/peril was spot on.
 
Oh it's not unfair, and I often saw what I had to do in time, it was just a matter of missing the mark, getting the timing wrong, etc etc.

I was just speaking of my own experience, struggling with my less than stellar skills :p
 

maeda

Member
Electivirus said:
Exactly this. I've had this unshakable feeling that DKCR has a sort of...rhythm/timing to it that no other platformer out there does. Somewhat akin to a music-based game.
Huh? What about Jungle Beat?
 
Foliorum Viridum said:
Oh it's not unfair, and I often saw what I had to do in time, it was just a matter of missing the mark, getting the timing wrong, etc etc.

I was just speaking of my own experience, struggling with my less than stellar skills :p

No problem. Honestly, Cranky should have just sold an item that increases health while on a mine cart/rocket barrel. The levels aren't "cheap" but they're still pretty goddamn difficult. I can't imagine how many players got stuck at the final rocket barrel stage, especially since it can't be bypassed.
 
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