So, I've gotten a bit more familiar with the mechanics now and I think I've found my groove with the Time Attack mode. I've got 3 Shiny Golds down in the first world (lol, long way to go!). It may be my imagination, but they seem a bit easier (so far) to obtain than in the original. That could be because I've done this shit before though. I definitely have a natural affinity/eye for when it comes to stage flow/cutting corners in these games. As Retro meticulously did in the first game, stages seem designed around Time Attack mode, right down to specifics like enemy/platform placement. However, they could also be more manageable now because there are videos to watch on the fly (which I will admit, I have looked at a few to see how some of the top players are getting higher positions). It's a lot easier to check out a video from the menu instead of huddling over your laptop to watch the scarce few who had the time/dedication to record/capture their footage. I'm trying not to watch videos too much though as the fun/reward comes from learning/breaking down the stages on your own. I did pick up on a few things from other people so far that I had no idea you could do in relation to cutting time:
-If you have a buddy and you're rolling, you can skip/bounce across water if you continuously roll off a platform into the water.
-For mine cart stages; it seems like you can "improve" the speed of your cart by jumping constantly. That's at least how I got my Shiny in the canopy stage in world 1.
As for the game itself, yeah, this is just another example of refined, polished and perfected level design. I can't imagine the play testing that much be done during development. These stages are just designed so tightly and are woven together so meticulously, I can't imagine the process. Time Attack, again, brings out the best in its level design showcasing how much emphasis there is down to the little things like enemy placement/patterns. It really is on a whole different evel than most platformers.
I really, really like these Retro DK games, but I will admit that I still feel like something is missing from them. It's hard to describe, but I still find something a bit more appealing (aesthetically/atmospherically?) about Rare's games, I don't know. I miss the darker, more grittier vibe. I'm only on world 2 so far and I'm waiting for that "serious" DK moment, if you know what I mean. Wise's compositions are good and everything so far, but it's all way too upbeat/jazzy for me. There are a few tracks I'm digging, but overall, up to world 2, I haven't found what I'm looking/hoping to hear yet. I guess you could also say that I feel like these games are almost too perfect, almost too refined, in some respects. But it's like a different kind of perfect that's not necessarily always a good thing, you know what I mean? It's hard to describe.
