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Because sales are the ultimate measure of success or quality?
Theres a lot of positive reviews, and the negative ones are focused on vague "Its just another platformer!" criticisms, or weird "Will Donkey Kong save the Wii U?" positions. I'll see when I play it for myself, but from glancing at the reviews and based on the footage i've seen I think it'll be a great time.
While Legends is an easier game that lowers the barrier to feeling like you're flowing through a stage like Origins/DKCR's time trials, I have to disagree with this bit. There was usually a new element of some sort in each stage, and the basic elements aren't any more samey than any other platformer. If Rayman Legends counts as copy/paste then imo that leads credence to reviewers saying that Tropical Freeze's level designs are trial/error or dull/derivative.
I've been feeling this way for a while. Its unreal how many times "Its just another platformer" is used as a catch-all criticism of the genre regardless of what the game is actually doing or not. Even back in the PS2 days criticisms like "Its focused too much on collecting" just seemed to mean "I didnt like this one so let me trot out a generic complaint" more than anything else. Its hard to find criticism of the genre with any nuance in the games press EDIT- just so it doesnt seem like Im complaining solely about negative reviews, even positive reviews tend to operate in broad strokes. Although I think thats a complaint that could be lobbied at most reviews
While Legends is an easier game that lowers the barrier to feeling like you're flowing through a stage like Origins/DKCR's time trials, I have to disagree with this bit. There was usually a new element of some sort in each stage, and the basic elements aren't any more samey than any other platformer. If Rayman Legends counts as copy/paste then imo that leads credence to reviewers saying that Tropical Freeze's level designs are trial/error or dull/derivative.
theprodigy
Member
So, confirmed bomba?
Yes because review scores have never affected sales of a game before.
If you believe the eurogamer is being hypocritical in light of his past reviews, that's fine. I was commenting more generally on an opinion shared by most of the lower score reviews. Personally I think Nintendo gets held to a higher standard with their serialized games when it comes to the question of originality sometimes because reviewers genuinely expect more from Nintendo than other developers and sometimes because reviewers feel that Nintendo has become too repetitive and complacent with their tried and true gameplay formulas.
nssdigitalchumps
Member
Coming soon to a Metacritic near you, our review
http://digitalchumps.com/game-revie...1431-donkey-kong-country-tropical-freeze.html
Steve is generally spot-on with his reviews. Looks like a fun game (it was fun at E3 last year).
http://digitalchumps.com/game-revie...1431-donkey-kong-country-tropical-freeze.html
Steve is generally spot-on with his reviews. Looks like a fun game (it was fun at E3 last year).
D
Deleted member 125677
Unconfirmed Member
Allright then.
I think I've added everything posted so far. Give me a heads up if you miss anything!
I think I've added everything posted so far. Give me a heads up if you miss anything!
Booty Patrol
Banned
I see gamespot increasing their score by 1 point so the leak would look false.
Yes, in my opinion it is. Games aren't wine, you can't just savour them and pass judgement, your personal ability matters. A LOT.
If you're not good at a particular mechanic/genre, due to your lack of reflexes or cleverness or experience, and you blame it on the game, you're not impartial and fair.
You can't publish a review seen by million of peoples, where you should indicate them more or less what to expect when playing the game, and miss by a light year the mark: as in finding harshly difficult a game which almost everyone finds too easy (not talking of DK here, general example).
If your opinions are going to differ so greatly from those of 99% of the gaming population, you might as well not bother reviewing games, what's the point in doing that? You're not informing anyone*, you're actively creating misinformation, the opposite of what a member of the press or critic should do.
*Aside from that 1%, but to do that you do a disservice to the vast majority.
There's no such thing as absolute objectivity, especially if you take a game by itself, but there are elements one can fairly judge and rate through comparisons with other games, so as to be as impartial as possible. We need no more of these:
Reviewers are feeling more and more self-important, they're becoming too subjective in their judgement, I'd go as far as to say that sometimes they're detaching themselves from reality.
Gentle Rodriguez
Member
Yes, W101 sucked. Oh wait...
Gonzo The Great
Banned
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze - 7.0/10
Tom Bramwell said:
Meanwhile...
FIFA 14 - 8.0/10
Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 - 9.0/10
FIFA 13 - 9.0/10
Pro Evolution Soccer 2013 - 9.0/10
FIFA 12 - 8.0/10
Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 - 8.0/10
Holy shit. This is why I hate games journalism. At least be consistent in your criticisms.
Agent Unknown
Member
Game looks amazing. Sorry if this has been asked a million times but can you choose to play as Cranky and the other characters in single player or only multi?
Glad review summary threads like this exist so I no longer have to give places like Gamespot my clicks.
Glad review summary threads like this exist so I no longer have to give places like Gamespot my clicks.
Anticitizen One
Banned
WHAT!? Not until I get my DKC 3:Rise of the Kremlings
Honestly Retro should just continue making games set in the DKC universe it's a really good fit for them.
StreetsAhead
Member
From that Polygon Review
Did some reviewers really find the owl that difficult? I've seen a couple of people bring it up. It only took me, like, 10-15 tries. That's not much for a DK game.
I'd love a 3D platformer from them set in this universe. The 3D camera sections look great.
The Librarian
Banned
A Wii U game has to use the gamepad and be a system seller in order for it to be good?
Coffee Dog
Banned
So people that give a shit about game design love the game
People that just want flashy shit dont
Sounds great.
People that just want flashy shit dont
Sounds great.
I guess, it's just confusing when you say a game's better than its predecessor and proceed to give it a worse score. I'd have had the same person review it if possible.
That's not at all what the critics are saying.
That's not to say agree with the criticisms they're leveling at the game, but they have little to do with lack of flashy shit.
Basically this.
Bolded: Kind of gross that's what some people who review games tend to focus on...
ViewtifulJC
Banned
Especially considering this the flashiest DKC ever made
Coffee Dog
Banned
You dont understand the point of the DKCR series if you think their should be gamepad integration; the series is purposefully designed to be a throwback. Gimmickry would be a distraction.
adjusted to review score inflation
Coffee Dog
Banned
The amount of criticisms that say that the game is boring, predictable, and does nothing new, when we can look at the level designs and say otherwise, point to journalists that flat out don't have an understanding of what makes a platformer good on a mechanical level.
They care not for mechanics. They want flashy bullshit and instant gratification.
Joe Shlabotnik
Banned
Well it's a measure of success, at least, pretty much by definition.
thesurfshop19
Member
I do actually appreciate your POV here, but I think the distinction is that Gamespot's audience is whoever they decide it is, and they're going broader than us.
I don't think it's fair to call anyone posting on GAF representative of 99% of gamers -- we're about as close to a dedicated 1% as there exists in anything. GAF members are more knowledgeable, informed, and skilled than the vast majority of gamers and perhaps even many game reviewers.
Gamespot's not representing us, and I don't think it's unfair or impartial for them not to. If their review staff found the game to be difficult, I think it's fair to say that many others who aren't as into games might as well. For their audience, I think they're actually informing, not creating misinformation.
To each his / her own, though. I think I'm going to love DKC:TF. That's all that matters to me.
Vampirolol
Member
I think that Nintendo might give the next DKC to Monster Games, it's just a feeling.
I must have a different skill set, because i found Rayman Origins to be a harder game than DKCR, nothing in DKCR was hard, only the bosses sometimes posed a annoying challenge, the levels were a breeze.
Legends is easier than Origins though, but Legends is also better than Origins and DKCR (to me).
Surprised this game is already at 82, thought it would stabilize at 90 mc, looks good, and surely Retro have improved on the issues in the first game, such as not having annoying motion controls waggle parts.
Legends is easier than Origins though, but Legends is also better than Origins and DKCR (to me).
Surprised this game is already at 82, thought it would stabilize at 90 mc, looks good, and surely Retro have improved on the issues in the first game, such as not having annoying motion controls waggle parts.
I'm perfectly fine with the Gamepad being used primarily for Off-TV play (which I use all the time), but... am I reading correctly that the Gamepad does not mirror the TV when using both? If so, I hope there's an option to reverse that.
Typically when I play the Wii U with our daughter, she curls up on the couch so that she's only looking at the Gamepad, while I'm looking at the TV (and yes, it's a fine TV set, but 7 year olds these days seem to immediately prefer private screens, hence part of the lure of the Wii U to her). It'll be immensely annoying if she has to always stare at the TV during our multiplayer when she has a perfectly capable screen in her hands.
Typically when I play the Wii U with our daughter, she curls up on the couch so that she's only looking at the Gamepad, while I'm looking at the TV (and yes, it's a fine TV set, but 7 year olds these days seem to immediately prefer private screens, hence part of the lure of the Wii U to her). It'll be immensely annoying if she has to always stare at the TV during our multiplayer when she has a perfectly capable screen in her hands.
Sure, Nintendo should just put their many, many other western studio's in charge of games that cater more towards the western audience.
I would agree with you on the whole and have read their pages since teletext days but they've never liked donkey kong country, any of them, they consider them competent at best so their reviews of them don't mean anything to me as I have thoroughly enjoyed them all!
Yoshi
Headmaster of Console Warrior Jugendstrafanstalt
I'm the Gaming-Universe reviewer, so I've rated the game very highly, but the criticism that it doesn't much new is justified. There are some neat new ideas, but it really is a level pack to DKCR, much in the same way as Yoshi's Island DS is to Yoshi's Island. What makes DKCTF so absolutely fantastic is the level design, which really is terrific. Lots of great ideas, both mechanically and presentation wise (I loved the dancing trees level) and an impressive combination of "collectathon"-design and "performance" / "time-attack"-design. It's always amazing when you play the time attack on silver up to shiny gold levels and the whole level offers a perfect flow.
Nocturnowl
Member
What I can take from these reviews is that the games level design is either inventive, diverse and inspired or it the review is more middling then it changes to something more in the line of dull, rote and uninspired, obviously opinions and all but it's quite funny how contradictory the views on the level design ranges from. Though I figure it's more of what you want from a platformer that informs this decision (or if you even wanted one at all judging by some of the closing statements).
Genuinely shocked to hear most reviews praising the boss battles, I want to believe but I just can't, I'm still expecting grief and a painful learning process.
Anyway I was waiting on Carter's review (Destructoid) since he had the same love for Returns that I did so seeing him say Tropical Freeze is stronger than Returns is all I need to hear. More of the same but better was just what I wanted from a Returns sequel, along with the Wise one of course.
Genuinely shocked to hear most reviews praising the boss battles, I want to believe but I just can't, I'm still expecting grief and a painful learning process.
Anyway I was waiting on Carter's review (Destructoid) since he had the same love for Returns that I did so seeing him say Tropical Freeze is stronger than Returns is all I need to hear. More of the same but better was just what I wanted from a Returns sequel, along with the Wise one of course.
don't think there is an option ..I prefer the gamepad to be black, back when playing 3D world I hated that the game mirrored the same stuff as the tv, it's a big distraction to me cause It's easier to see up close on the gamepad which drawback was that I would miss Nintendo HD on the tv
Yoshi
Headmaster of Console Warrior Jugendstrafanstalt
You read it correctly and there is no such option. It's even impossible to play with the GamePad mirroring the main screen when playing in two player mode. If you play in two player mode, choosing Off-TV-Play disables the controls on the GamePad and both players need an alternative input method.
Yoshi
Headmaster of Console Warrior Jugendstrafanstalt
The level design is the strong point of the game - besided the music. It's really a work of love.
Did you like the Returns boss fights? You will like the TF boss fights as much as them, because they are structred the same and offer about the same amount of challenge.
Chubzdoomer
Banned
Thanks for reminding me never to visit Eurogamer again, if only to avoid that idiot's reviews.
Ok, since when do we refer to sequels as level packs, people???
The same junk happened in the 3D World threads and now it's happening again?
TheSpaceBetween
Member
I think it there is a very large chance we will see a 3DS entry from them. I mean let's be real... Retro did not need their help to create Tropical Freeze... They proved beyond any doubt that they can make a great 2D platformer with Returns. It seems much more logical to me that with porting over DKCR to the 3DS and even adding their own new levels, working on Tropical Freeze for a bit with Retro was a great way for them to get even more of a sense for modern DKC. I will actually be surprised if they end up doing something else.
I haven't had the time to finish the game yet, but so far, boss fights are harder and much better than DKCR's. DKC never had good boss fights, I'd say this is the first time it does, they're not phenomenal, but they're fun and challenging.
Nocturnowl
Member
That's what I like to hear.
It'll be interesting stacking this up to the other direct platforming sequels on Wii U such as NSMBU and Rayman Legends, TF seems to be getting a dinged more for being a safe sequel more than either of those two games yet I just can't see it having less to show than either of them (especially NSMBU as much as I enjoyed it).
Well just a few days left to find out myself.
Unfortunately not at all, outside of perhaps Mangoruby at least.
Though it's already an improvement if there's nothing as lame as that pirate crab trio in Returns.
This game looks great! The reviews seem to highlight what I was hoping for in a DK platformer. Everyone needs to chill, though. Platformers are always underscored because they are "just platformers". Meanwhile, people can play the same basic TPS over and over again and love it to death. To each their own, but I take all this with a grain of salt. Viva la Donkey Kong!