kunonabi
Member
do golds or shiny golds count for percentage at all?
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Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze |OT| There's always money in the banana stand
- Thread starter Frolow
- Start date
do golds or shiny golds count for percentage at all?
The Hermit
Member
Just finished the main game, well that credits song sure reminded me this pic:
Anyway, while the OST is amazing, its still not that close to DKC2. My fav music Alpine Incline was the only part where I stopped playing just to hear the song, and its sounds totally from DKC2.
The gameplay is basically an extension to DKCR, but I though that game was better in that regard.
Anyway, while the OST is amazing, its still not that close to DKC2. My fav music Alpine Incline was the only part where I stopped playing just to hear the song, and its sounds totally from DKC2.
The gameplay is basically an extension to DKCR, but I though that game was better in that regard.
EatChildren
Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
Retro's visual storytelling in a goddamn platformer of all things is sublime.
The Xtortionist
Member
Nope. Only completion of levels in regular and hard mode.
Can you elaborate?
EatChildren
Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
Much like Returns, a ludicrous amount of detail has gone into most of the level assets and animation variety. Not just gimmicky background stuff, but the diversity of the assets across a single stage. It's rarely like Mario where start-to-finish a stage generally recycles the same assets over and over. Retro's stages take you on a bit of a journey. You'll start somewhere and as you progress the level scenario will escalate and you'll find yourself travelling to new areas with a great sense of cohesion between what came before and what's coming up. The dust storm stage in world three is a great example of this.
They kind of go for the on rails spectacle set pieces (almost like Call of Duty), but in the best possible way. Mario never really even thinks of level design in terms like that. They aren't designing a story in Mario, but designing an arena for toys to play in, in unique ways.
Just very different approaches. Both awesome.
Kai Dracon
Writing a dinosaur space opera symphony
It's the same design sensibility that informed the Metroid Prime series. The world is practically a single cohesive piece of art rather than a series of generic boxes and columns click-copied and dragged around to populate the scenery because space has to be filled.
EatChildren
Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
Right, but I guess I'm more impressed with Retro's approach as not only does it add incredible personality to each level, but comes at no cost to gameplay. They manage to present their stages this way combined with outstanding, creative platforming.
Yep, exactly. I love it.
The Xtortionist
Member
This. It's pretty much on the level of Uncharted in terms of how much shit goes wrong for the characters.
A typical Mario level is more or less "here's the challenge, see if you can get past it" while DK is like "here's the challenge...sike! The whole level is collapsing now, good luck!". Retro puts a lot if effort into thrilling and surprising the player, often through subversion, while Mario is generally more straight forward in terms of obstacles. I think DK's approach is far more engaging.
Yeah, it's still gameplay driven.
But at the same time, something about Mario is just pure. It's a kid with Legos, no rules, and the most vivid imagination ever. I wouldn't really want to see Mario go through scripted areas like that, with transforming, dynamic levels to that extent, tornados and cinematic plane and boat crashes.
Don't get me wrong, if they tried that, I'm sure I'd love it. I love TF after all.
But I'm fine with them doing different things. Mario just sets you in a world and you go. DKC has the world guide the experience through environmental transformation in a way that would be a little strange in a Mario game. Works brilliantly for DKC though.
plutoknight
Member
Beat the game. Best credits music ever (and I loved the hell out of 3D World's staff roll).
Attempted time trial. Thought I did good on the level, considering my skill level (ranked 651st in 1-B!), then watched the top 5 people. Holy sweet monkey jesus. How the hell. I don't even. gah. One day I'll get close to those folk.
Time to go back and get all those levels I missed! (I only unlocked 1-B and 3-B in my initial run)
Attempted time trial. Thought I did good on the level, considering my skill level (ranked 651st in 1-B!), then watched the top 5 people. Holy sweet monkey jesus. How the hell. I don't even. gah. One day I'll get close to those folk.
Time to go back and get all those levels I missed! (I only unlocked 1-B and 3-B in my initial run)
Tathanen
Get Inside Her!
Retro's greatest strength in terms of art design is that they don't reuse structural assets (or at least, they keep it to a minimum). It's exemplified in those 5-1 screenshots. You won't find that geometry recycled in the exact same way anywhere else in the level. From start to finish, every element is placed with artistic purpose. Like this here:
Look at the curling vine at the bottom. That vine doesn't exist anywhere else. The specific curl, and three leaves come out in a bunch, then two, then one, then another one, then two after that. They have a whole toolbox of assets and they place each and every one of them in unique bunches and patterns. The fruit in the background trees will be placed slightly differently in each tree, the vines hung in custom patterns. Leaves overlay the foreground in non-repeating bunches.
All of this comes together to create an actual place. Like a real place, nothing repeats! Sure, they're the same leaves, the same trees, but they don't just repeat on a grid like they do in the NSMB games. Or hell, like the 3D Marios. It's what's most immediately distinct between Retro's art and a lot of EAD's. You can see it in all three Metroid Primes, and both DKs. Virtually nothing is recycled, nothing repeats.
And it's almost entirely distinct from the FUNCTION of the level, too. There's a huge amount of environmental interaction in these levels sure, but even if they were completely static, they could still look the same. Which I think helps to counter an argument that this art style is paired with a "scripted" kind of feel that would go against something like a Mario game. To the contrary, I think you could have a Mario level play exactly the same, but absolutely implement this kind of artistic design. I think it'd be extremely interesting to hear the actual people behind Retro's and EAD's in-game visual designs talk about how they approach these things. We never really get to hear from them. The closest we get are concept artists, but those aren't the people actually placing the elements in the levels. Gimme those people!
Yeah! I think that's a good way to put it.
...and I bet that's why the filesize for DKCTF is so much larger than that of NSMBU. Each level is basically a unique asset, vs a series of block assets used to build a variety of levels.
Look at the curling vine at the bottom. That vine doesn't exist anywhere else. The specific curl, and three leaves come out in a bunch, then two, then one, then another one, then two after that. They have a whole toolbox of assets and they place each and every one of them in unique bunches and patterns. The fruit in the background trees will be placed slightly differently in each tree, the vines hung in custom patterns. Leaves overlay the foreground in non-repeating bunches.
All of this comes together to create an actual place. Like a real place, nothing repeats! Sure, they're the same leaves, the same trees, but they don't just repeat on a grid like they do in the NSMB games. Or hell, like the 3D Marios. It's what's most immediately distinct between Retro's art and a lot of EAD's. You can see it in all three Metroid Primes, and both DKs. Virtually nothing is recycled, nothing repeats.
And it's almost entirely distinct from the FUNCTION of the level, too. There's a huge amount of environmental interaction in these levels sure, but even if they were completely static, they could still look the same. Which I think helps to counter an argument that this art style is paired with a "scripted" kind of feel that would go against something like a Mario game. To the contrary, I think you could have a Mario level play exactly the same, but absolutely implement this kind of artistic design. I think it'd be extremely interesting to hear the actual people behind Retro's and EAD's in-game visual designs talk about how they approach these things. We never really get to hear from them. The closest we get are concept artists, but those aren't the people actually placing the elements in the levels. Gimme those people!
Yeah! I think that's a good way to put it.
...and I bet that's why the filesize for DKCTF is so much larger than that of NSMBU. Each level is basically a unique asset, vs a series of block assets used to build a variety of levels.
Watch Da Birdie
I buy cakes for myself on my birthday it's not weird lots of people do it I bet
My favorite thing about World 4 is
how it's implied to be the crash site of some hyper-advanced (yet simian-like) alien species, with all these bizarre electrical ruins you travel through.
BigEvilTurtle
Banned
This really really upset me. The arrangement is barely even heard in the level it's in anyway!
TheSpaceBetween
Member
I would be perfectly content if I didn't stomp a single Goomba in the next Mario.
Tricky I Shadow
Banned
Gorgeous shot!
Oh man, I so agree with this.
Retro is so good at telling stories through the environment. Juicy Jungle is incredible because you see the whole process of them refining the fruit.
Watch Da Birdie
I buy cakes for myself on my birthday it's not weird lots of people do it I bet
Well, starting with Super Mario World, Goomba's did sort of get phased out a bit...SMW only had the weird round ones, Yoshi's Island only had them in like one level, 64 they weren't all that common (then again there weren't too many enemies overall), and Sunshine had none whatsoever if I recall correctly.
11GBs worth of truth.
TheSpaceBetween
Member
Indeed. I was simply in awe the entire Juicy Jungle island. Not only some of the best game design in a platformer, but some of the best game design I have ever experienced period.
TheSpaceBetween
Member
Their visual storytelling is actually one of the reasons I love Corruption so much. Forget about the voice acting. Seeing the Hunters do battle with the Pirates as you roll through morphball tunnels, watching Ridley fly through the sky while chaos reigns on the battlefield, exploring Bryyo as you pass by deformed mushrooms with Rundas' ice all ove them, shitting your pants while you walk past Metroids in their containment fields, knowing damn well what's going to happen in a few minutes. I could go on. It's absolutely incredible and I am glad they have been able to uphold the spirit and design principals of the studio even with heavy staff turnover. It's going to be a brutal wait for their next game.
Yup. And both levels and worlds do this. You can see DK Island in a backdrop on the first level. Multiple places in the second world give you a view of the giant mountain at the top of the island. And it gets more prominent as you get closer to the top of the mountain. The first world has crashed planes everywhere and it uses them to come up with different platforming challenges. And the first world's boss stage takes the airplane theme in a different direction. The first level shows the Snowmads coming in and taking over the place, storing boxes and other things. And there's a ton more, of course.
The whole thing come together to make something far more cohesive and visually interesting than many recent games, especially platformers (from what I've played).
Freezie KO
Banned
I posted earlier about how I loved how the Sawmill Thrill level progressed. It's a Looney Tunes level of violent absurd comedy. DK goes from mine cart to log flume back to mine cart, this time with a giant buzz saw after him. Retro's storytelling and humor is very evident.
As for Mario, that series needs some sort of shake up. Art and storytelling are two obvious candidates if they don't want to mess with the gameplay formula too much.
Took me a few seconds at first also. You are required to grab things and do a ground pound action at the same time though, so it wouldn't work if grab and "action" were the same button.
As for Mario, that series needs some sort of shake up. Art and storytelling are two obvious candidates if they don't want to mess with the gameplay formula too much.
oatmeal said:
Took me a few seconds at first also. You are required to grab things and do a ground pound action at the same time though, so it wouldn't work if grab and "action" were the same button.
Retro absolutely designs with storytelling in mind. Just check out Matt Manchester's blog. He worked on Metroid Prime 3, and if i'm not mistaken, Returns and Tropical Freeze.
http://frogskull.blogspot.co.uk/2008/02/metroid-prime-3-corruption-art.html
Everything he makes is done in a way that it tells a story. It's fantastic, and Retro is full of people like this.
Coffee Dog
Banned
Played through worlds 4, 5, and a bit of 6.
This is one of the best games I have ever had the joy of playing. The almost scientific precision by which retro creates their levels combined with the art and music remind me why I love this hobby.
It is truly wonderful to see that instead of chasing the cinematic dreams of other games, this game stands above all of them by exploring an art unappreciated: that of game design itself.
This is one of the best games I have ever had the joy of playing. The almost scientific precision by which retro creates their levels combined with the art and music remind me why I love this hobby.
It is truly wonderful to see that instead of chasing the cinematic dreams of other games, this game stands above all of them by exploring an art unappreciated: that of game design itself.
DICKS AHOY
Banned
Don't worry, it's nonsensically stuck at the 10 second beginning of a rocket barrel level instead!
The credits version of Stickerbush Symphony is especially amazing.
Macready1306
Banned
Downloaded this on Saturday and I'm possibly too lazy to look, but what the hell is with the shoulder buttons in this game? As in, I press either the left or right bumper when using the analog control method. DK plus side kick give a clap and then, nothing! What the hell is the significance of it?
Phire Phox
Banned
Damn finding all the puzzle pieces is a bitch. Some of them are so well hidden. Especially the ones you have to collect bananas to make appear.
OrbitalBeard
Member
World 6 is really something special. Only Retro could make a
this much fun and full of variety.
snow world
Someone who has played (and beaten) DKCR very recently: How does this game stack up? It's been a while since I've played DKCR, but I feel like I want to say it's still the better game level design wise, whereas TF schools it in presentation value.
But it's been so long since I've played returns, so I could be full of shit.
But it's been so long since I've played returns, so I could be full of shit.
MindCollizion
Member
Does using the parrot to find puzzle pieces adversely affect your profile?
CrimsonCommie
Member
Finally beat the fourth world! That was kinda tough.
It's a screen clearing move. You'll only notice it's effects if there are enemies on screen. Should have paid attention to Professor Chops
Random shots I took -- I just love the sculpted look of the levels in World 2:
And like I said, I'm really digging these enemy designs:
And a priceless reaction shot:
SPOILERS:
Face shot for the World 2 boss
Figurine for the World 2 boss
Figurine for the World 3 boss
Diorama for World 1
And like I said, I'm really digging these enemy designs:
And a priceless reaction shot:
SPOILERS:
Face shot for the World 2 boss
Figurine for the World 2 boss
Figurine for the World 3 boss
Diorama for World 1
Finally my moment of glory!
Busted Bayou. I wish I could record it because it took me so damn long to get it haha.
I knew Dixie was better than Cranky at this one.
Damn dude! I will have to watch yours next time I play. I saw Nihashing's run through 1-1 after barely getting Silver on my first try. Getting gold on these levels is HARD.
Watch Da Birdie
I buy cakes for myself on my birthday it's not weird lots of people do it I bet
I like how all the Bosses have Viking-type names.
(Proper Noun) The (Adjective)
(Proper Noun) The (Adjective)
The Xtortionist
Member
The more I think about it, the more I think the credits theme is my favorite track in the game. The first part is great, going from celebratory, to somber, to uplifting, but it's the
that brings it all home. Maybe I'm looking into it too much but I interpret the remix as a David Wise really writing a love letter to the fans, not just by remixing what most fans could probably come to a consensus on as the definitive DKC track, but by going the extra mile and putting that special touch on it by playing live saxophone. He knows what we want and gives it to us in a highly personal way. This part might be reaching a bit maybe the early fade out on this bit acts as a sort of "to be continued..."? I hope so. Just a fantastic track and the best possible note for the game to go out on. Never leave us again, Mr. Wise. Gaming fucking needs you to make music.
Stickerbush Symphony remix
Speaking of the idea behind certain song selections, and when and where they play, I think the Stickerbush Symphony remix in Twilight Terror was placed there as a nod to the fans. It's an Easter egg to reward the long-time fans who love DK's world so much that they'll take that extra second to soak in the ambiance at the start of Twilight Terror, and then they'll notice the lovely remix Wise has provided there. In a sense it's fitting that the stage Bramble Scramble has an all-new theme, because it appears in an all-new game; the Stickerbush remix tucked away at the start of Twilight Terror is a nod to the game's roots, I'd say.
D
Deleted member 125677
Unconfirmed Member
I think I'm in the small minority who actually really like the rocket barrel levels.
The Xtortionist
Member
I can see that. I think most would agree that something you discover on your own is more fulfilling than something that's thrown in your face, like the same track playing on yet another bramble stage would have been. I can imagine the surprise on a hardcore DKC2 fan's face when they go in blind to Twilight Terror and stick around for the music.
Aquatic Ambiance may be similar. Even though the track is eventually used in its intended context, players can discover hints of it much earlier in Mangrove Cove if they spend a bit of time in the water.
I don't mind them at all now that you get 2 hearts.