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[correojon]

I´ve been studying some classic 2D platform games for the last months and when it came the turn of DKC Tropical Freeze it surprised me how good this game is. Like, GOAT good. I´ve written a very long and very in-depth analysis of the game from a design perspective, trying to analyze the game´s systems, level design and extracting everything I think the game does well to learn from it and I´d love to hear people´s opinions on it. I also think others may find it useful and learn some things from this awesome game.

INTRODUCTION
At first, it looks like a simple 2D platformer, with some fluff thanks to the camera transitions and the beautiful graphics. The detail of the backgrounds made it hard to identify some objects at first, the controls felt a bit clunky and I didn´t understand what was up with the flying bananas that sometimes will pop-up or the non-sense stuff to grab or hit with the stomp attack. I started playing it once and gave up on it pretty soon. After some time, I started playing it again and reached the 5th island, only to give up again. Not because of difficulty or anything (yeah, the game´s pretty hard), but because I wasn´t really enjoying it as much as I hoped and I wasn´t make sense of many things.

Some months later, I tried it again. And then it clicked.

I had a bit of a rough start getting accustomed to the controls: I used to misplace the dash and grab buttons, tried to run in Mario Style instead of making short dashes, wasn´t accustomed to the more responsive height control when jumping...But I slowly started to get into the game and started understanding how everything worked. DKC: Tropical Freeze is one of the best platformers I´ve ever played. Maybe the best.

Level design is exceptional, each stage is designed around a small number of mechanics and insane care has been taken to make everything accomodate each level´s theme. Even common secondary objects often change their appearance, but at the same time are somehow immediately recognizable as what they truly are and their use. Where Mario usually keeps a consistent look for these kind of elements, TP uses any available chance to provide aesthetic variety. Even the last 3 hidden levels, which some players may never see, have their own assets that aren´t used anywhere else in the game. Thanks to this care, every level brims with personality and uniqueness, while at the same time helping the gameplay mechanics of each level to become recognizable. But this amazing attention to art is only the icing on the cake.

Where the game truly shines is in the gameplay department. To make things clearer, I´m going to divide this review in 3 sections:

• The player: All about the player´s abilities, movement, powerUps...
• Collectibles: The different type of collectibles in the game and how they help to elevate it to a whole different level.
• Level design: The amazing level design and how it encourages different styles of playing.

THE PLAYER
Controls may take a bit to get used to, specially for someone so accustomed to the classical Mario controls, but once you do they work amazingly. The game uses the DPad/control stick (somehow this is the first time playing a platformer where it felt strangely natural to use the control stick) and the following buttons:

• Jump: Hold to jump higher, tap for a short hop. It seems this game uses a similar approach to Super Meat Boy, where the jump is much more responsive to the player input as opposed to Mario games, where there is more inertia when going up. At the same time, it doesn´t feel as light as Meat Boy, in fact it feels even weightier than Mario games, but I think this is because of the slow horizontal accceleration, specially when turning around or jumping from a still position. Regarding jumping from a still position, it seems DK will also make a lower jump like Mario and not Meat Boy, who can always make a high jump regardless of horizontal speed. This, added to the low horizontal acceleration, makes getting speed before jumping something really critical. Anyway, the jump feels great and once you learn to control it you´ll be surprised at the stunts you can pull off. The jump button is also used to bounce on things, be it enemies or any type of device, but unlike Mario games where it´s enough to keep it held, the jump button must be tapped right when DK is about to land on the target. This makes it harder to perform, but also keeps the player more involved and makes linking bounces much more satisfying. At the same time, due to this requirement, the slower horizontal acceleration and the linearity of most levels (more on that later), there aren´t many challenges where DK must change direction between bounces: usually bounce sections always push the player to press forward or at most make small adjustments, but always in the same direction. It is also very noticeable, specially when doing dash jumps, that there is quite a lot of safety time to make a jump after leaving a platform.
• Run: The run button works like a short dash forward. This dash can be used to attack enemies, break some obstacles, move faster or get a lot of extra jump distance by jumping during it. If there is a buddy available, the button can be tapped repeatedly to extend the dash as long as desired. However, to make this dash DK must first take a step forward: this caused me many deaths, some for lack of habit (I would just press forward+run at the same time) or because I didn´t walk enough. It was frustrating that in these situations where the dash didn´t come out DK didn´t perform the stomp attack and instead just walked forward to his doom. There is a stomp attack which is performed by pressing the Run button while standing still: this is used mostly to unlock secrets, destroy some objects, stun enemies (specially useful against those which can´t be attacked from the front or from above), make enemies fall from vines...I didn´t like much this mechanic, I felt it was a but underused and it would´ve been better to somehow link it to the grab mechanic. It´s a nice touch how enemies protect and attack themselves in different ways with horned helmets or spears and how the player must use every trick in his arsenal to deal with them. You can stomp the floor to make armed enemies drop their weapons or jump on them, you can dash through the simpler unarmed enemies or stun them...Felt a little underdeveloped, but this is a fast platform game after all and the focus needs to be on traversal more that in combat, which would slow down the pace. These variations were a nice touch to keep enemies fresh, meaningful and give them some depth.
• Grab: Pressing this button will make DK grab some elements: vines, barrels, stunned enemies...I felt like it´s only real use was to complicate a bit more sections that use it and for some other circumstancial situations. As with the bounce mechanic, it felt great when it worked, specially in fast paced sections, but when it didn´t it was very frustrating. I really think it could´ve been automated to some extend and linked with the stomp action to simplify things and make both actions more meaningful.

Apart from this universal mechanics, there are 3 PowerUps which grant additional abilities:

• Diddy: Allows to hover. Useless due to Dixie´s existance.
• Dixie: Allows to hover and gain some height. It´s superiority compared to the other 2 buddies is insulting. She´s even the best one underwater too, due to her propeller abbility.
• Cranky: Allows to bounce like in Duck Tales and safely attack any enemy (even spikes) from above. Not bad, but worse than Dixie and only really useful in specific situations designed around him to get a KONG letter or some other secret.

It´s funnny how sometimes, specially in the more trickier levels, it´s specially rewarding (and easier!) to just go with DK without using any hovering abilities from Dixie or Diddy. The level design is often tailored to this default state, so extending your air time can cause you to go out of sync with moving elements.

Summing up, controls and player mechanics feel like a middle point between Mario and Meat Boy, providing more control than Mario but not as much as Meat Boy. This makes some stunts incredibly satisfying to perform and feels better, but this precisely puts more reponsibility on the player´s hands and makes some challenges harder than they could be. Challenge complexity is scaled down compared to Mario games, but the focus on execution may frustrate the less skilled players or those who don´t put in enough effort to get better...like I did at my first 2 attempts at the game.

COLLECTIBLES
There are 4 main types of collectibles in DKC:

• Bananas: This is the most common collectible in the game and in part because of this it has the least value. However sometimes it´s given more importance by using a specific set as a requirement to unlock puzzle pieces, so in the end a player after collectibles may end up going after all of them. Their most common use is to show the player the safe way forward, specially in fast paced sections.
• Coins: The second most common collectible. It´s something intermediate between bananas and KONG letters: they are usually placed in situations where they´re away from the easier path to take and might require some stunt, but never in such crazy places like where KONG letters like to spawn.
• Puzzle Pieces: There are between 5 and 9 of them and are very nicely hidden around the level. Sometimes they are even locked behind a minigame, being it in a secret room or in the main level (by forcing the player to collect moving bananas before they vanish). They give another dimension to gameplay, allowing satisfying exploration to take place and being able to change completely how a player going after them plays a level. Amazing use of collectibles to affect gameplay positively. The only bad thing about them is that once collected they can´t be lost, so suicide runs can be used to get them.
• KONG letters: There are 4 of them in every level. They are usually at plain sight and the player must perform a crazy stunt to collect them. They aren´t saved unless the player gets to a checkpoint, so suicide runs don´t work with them. They need to be recollected after every death if the player didn´t reach a checkpoint, but their location and way of collecting usually allows them to be collected using little time. Sometimes they´ll even teach the player a faster way around the level! Another masterful use of collectibles, trying to get all of them was what changed my view of the game and made me fall in love with it.

A lot of thought and refinement has gone in designing these collectibles: each one of them serves for one distinct positive purpose from a gameplay perspective. All of them are worth collecting or can be safely ignored, depending on how the player wants to play the game. I didn´t use items so coins didn´t feel worth grabbing to me, which made me discard them quickly in most situations where the risk was too big, but I appreciate their what the developers were trying to do with them. The rest, are just perfect. I think that their success is that, more than them being designed on a good idea, they were implemented really well and seem to have been taken into account when designing the levels.

LEVEL DESIGN
This is the big one. This is what truly makes this game stand out as one of the greatest platformers of all time (I´m not exagerating). The main level structure follows a layout of presenting the main mechanic, then gradually evolving it and throwing more variables into the mix. Most levels feature secondary mechanics that take over for whole sections of the level before the main mechanic takes over again for the grand finale. Minigames when looking for puzzle pieces can interrupt at any moment, providing a change of pace, a moment of fun, a release of tension or just a paletter cleanser from the main mechanic. This structure is nothing revolutionary (though I intend to analyze in detail some levels in the near future) as is certainly not what makes the game shine, but it is an important part of it.

What truly makes this game great is how everything is placed in the exact place, how every moving element is synchronized to the milisecond with the rest, how every single part of the level works in perfect unison. This includes platforms, enemies and obstacles, but also collectibles, special effects or background alterations...even the music! When you are very concentrated playing a game you can sometimes get in the zone, a magical state of mind where you don´t think, just act and everything seems so easy and to have so much sense. This may happen once in a long gaming session, never happen in weeks or months...it´s not a common occurrence. This game makes it astonishingly easy to repeteadly get in the zone. When you start navigating a new level at full speed, bouncing around, making the right choices at every turn, grabbing all the KONG letters you know this game is something else. This doesn´t mean you just have to press forward and jump at the right moment: sometimes maybe a dash or a low jump are better. Sometimes it´s better not to bounce on an enemy. Sometimes it´s better to wait for half a second before making a jump to a new platform. Even when going full speed it´s not just rushing, you are constantly making decissions and reacting on the spot to what the level throws at you. KONG letters will give you glimpses of this style of play and the game even features a time attack mode, so it´s clear that this is not just a happy accident: the devs really put a lot of care into this aspect. The game´s high difficulty encourages this: you´ll die often, and a lot of times at the same spot, so it´s natural that you´ll try to find faster ways to that place. This takes away frustration, as usually in a few seconds you´ll find your way back to that critical spot. It´s important to highlight how there´s almost no down time at all; it´s true that the game makes you wait a few seconds after dying while the death and respawn animations play, but once in control you can push forward and everything will be in the right place for you to continue without having to wait for a moving platform to get in position or a path to open forward. What´s more, the slight pause when dying gives you a moment to think about what caused you to die, though it´s true that the slow respawn animation was a bit tedious and something faster and shorter would´ve been much better.

At the same time, the game will reward you with secrets and puzzle pieces if you take your time and explore every inch the levels. The layout is extremely linear, even though the game tries to spice things up with camera changes or mixing some vertical or underwater sections, but there are so many secrets that force you to get slightly out of the way or into secret rooms that it helps make the levels feel bigger than they really are. This is a very important aspect of the game which made me start to consider it at the level of masterpieces such as SMW: the exploration is very rewarding and it adds a lot of depth to every level and to the gameplay in general. There are however 2 things I didn´t like much: first of all it´s how puzzle pieces can be collected in suicide runs, often making the challenge they´ve set up totally avoidable. The second is how there´s no way how to tell which levels have secret exits. It´s true that often the map hints at it, but there are situations in which this isn´t enough, so looking for a secret exit in all levels can be a bit tedious...but at the same time, isn´t that what exploration is all about?

It´s necessary to remark how the challenge design is rather simple: there aren´t any complex contraptions that become a level´s main mechanic. Instead, most challenges are fairly simple: moving platforms with a set rythm or in an easily identifiable path, simple enemy interactions...The complexity is placed more on the player´s execution, rather than on understanding how the mechanics work. This is the same approach Meat Boy or SMB3 take and it works really well!

A FEW WORDS ON BOSS FIGHTS
Finally, a few words on bossfights. I´ve seen many people complain about them being too long and complex, I think they are superb and make a good case for how great boss fights are possible using platforming mechanics. I liked a lot how they escalate and evolve their attack patterns through the fight, though I can understand them being frustrating to someone if they die and have to repeat the intial phases over and over again...Funny thing is that, as I approached the end of the game, boss fights started feeling shorter everytime. I think it may be a consequence of me getting better and replacing tension for pure fun!


LESSONS LEARNED
These are the most important concepts learned from Tropical Freeze:

• Camera: The camera has a predetermined behaviour, usually there´s not much vertical movement as everything is framed at every moment (DK is even allowed to leave the screen from the top). Camera may zoom out in set behaviours for some challenges.
• Tap jump to bounce: This is a cool mechanic, makes bouncing on enemies and obstacles very satisfying, but limits the complexity of this type of challenges.
• Controls: The game is a middle point between Mario and Meat Boy control-wise and this translates to the rest of the game.
• Puzzle pieces: Awesome idea to add exploration to the game, but suicide runs should be discouraged.
• KONG Letters: Awesome way to provide more challenge and to teach the player about high-level play.
• No down time: Everything is set at any moment for the player to push forward without having to wait.
• Everything is synchronized: Platform, obstacle, collectible and enemy distances, placement and movement patterns are where they need to be.
• EVERYTHING works together: Even the level´s backgrounds, visual effects, music work together with the gameplay elements, like if the whole level itself was another character.
• Hint at secret exits in the map: Secret exits may need to be better hinted at from the map.
• Bossfights: Bossfights are complex and engaging, but they may be too long and can become frustrating to some players. A solution could be to make the initial sequences shorter in repeated attempts?

EDIT: I wrote a very detailed analysis of level 5-3 (Fruit Factory), check it out: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1343573

 

[Nakasan]

Great write up and analysis. My wife and I have just started co-oping it and are at "world" 3. I realised how good this game was when, after 4 consecutive levels I found myself saying "wow, that was a really fun level!". Like, usually you get one of those per world if you're lucky in a platformer.

You briefly mentioned the music. It ties the music into the gameplay of some levels more subtly than any game I've played before. And the music rocks. I know it is already known as a game with extremely good music - but it needs repeating. The music is phenomenal and actively improves my experience.

What you mention about the boss fights I'll double down on - my wife finds it frustrating to have to do the initial stages of them again and again, loses her concentration due to that and then dying earlier and earlier and finding that annoying. I told her "Git Gud" but then I found myself sleeping in a separate bed. So each night since then it's DEFINITELY the designers fault.

Fantastic production values so far and really looking forward to playing it more.

 

[Bluth54]

Yeah Tropical Freeze is easily one of the best, if not the best 2D platformers ever made and I really hope Retro is working on another Donkey Kong game for NX.

The only (fairly minor) issues I had with it was a I wish retro would go with an atmosphere that was a bit similar to the SNES Donkey Kong games and I wish this had been a full price game with another world or two.

 

[tenderbrew]

Man every time GAF brings it up it just makes me want to jump back in and 200% it all over again. What a delight of a game, and easily the best platformer of this generation.

Edit: Are you sure about the jumping thing? I"m pretty sure you can just hold it...

Edit2: That's right I remember now, you need to press it again, but you can press it immediately, you don't need to time it with the exact moment your character hits. Jump on A, release jump, hit jump again immediately and hold, high bounce off B - repeat.

 

[CTLance]

Seems like I really need to trick my friend into buying that game. >

Thanks for the long write up.

 

[Celine]

Yes, it is.

 

[ramparter]

Edit: Are you sure about the jumping thing? I"m pretty sure you can just hold it...

Both work but tapping it at the right time results in a much higher jump.

Edit2: That's right I remember now, you need to press it again, but you can press it immediately, you don't need to time it with the exact moment your character hits. Jump on A, release jump, hit jump again immediately and hold, high bounce off B - repeat.

Really?

 

[tenderbrew]

Both work but tapping it at the right time results in a much higher jump.

Yeah I was mis-remembering the mechanic as its been awhile. Did twice edits. You can re-press the button to get the higher jump but don't need to time with the exact moment you ricochet off.

 

[Stoze]

Man every time GAF brings it up it just makes me want to jump back in and 200% it all over again. What a delight of a game, and easily the best platformer of this generation.

Edit: Are you sure about the jumping thing? I"m pretty sure you can just hold it...

Edit2: That's right I remember now, you need to press it again, but you can press it immediately, you don't need to time it with the exact moment your character hits. Jump on A, release jump, hit jump again immediately and hold, high bounce off B - repeat.

I'm with you, I keep telling myself I need to replay this like every month.

Correct, you don't need to time it so you're hitting jump button right as you touch them to bounce. I think it was the same in DCKR but I don't remember.

 

[Yukinari]

They stuffed so much DKC1 love into Returns and yet TF is very subtle with its DKC2 references. You hear a tiny bit of Run Rambi Run or Snow Bound Land in some of TF songs but its waaaaay too subtle.

Ive probably said this in other threads regarding TF but i cant get over it. Stickerbrush Symphony's wasted potential bothers me to this day.

Why in the holy hell would they purposely make a Bramble level and NOT put the Stickerbrush remix in it? Instead they threw it into the starting section of a rocket barrel level and into the credits. (Which you cant hear the full version of in-game by the way)

Oh right and theres a beehive level but no Flight of the Zingers remix. I dont know who made some of these decisions, David Wise or Retro, but it sucks.

 

[Peléo]

Great analysis OP. Loved Returns, can't wait to try Tropical Freeze, seems like an improvement in every level from the original.

 

[tenderbrew]

BTW if you were having trouble with some of those jumps on the hidden stages, knowing that's how the jump works makes it 200% more fun to play. I remember it being literally a revelation.

 

[Kurt]

I'm prefering the gameplay from the rare dk games instead of the retro's one.
I still find that the character jump's heavy. Also doing a roll jump ore roll attachs are more frustrated then within the older games.

Besides that it's a very good game.
The level design is something that retro is always good in. (metroid prime...)

 

[TheDinoman]

I just 100%'d the game very recently, and yeah it's a masterpiece.

Don't think I'll do the hard mode stuff, lol. I already got frustrated by all the harder levels, don't wanna do it with only one heart and no check points.

 

[Eliseo]

One of the best games on the Wii U and one of the best platformes, I could rate it higher than DKC 2 BUT the bonus levels and load screens rest points to an amazing game.

 

[TheRedSnifit]

The GOAT 2D platformer.

 

[kc44135]

Wow, I know the thread title says ", in-depth analysis", but I wasn't expecting something THIS in-depth. This is probably the best analysis of this game that I've seen! Great work, correojon! Also, yes, you're absolutely right about this game. It's one of the best platformers ever made, and a true masterpiece.

 

[tenderbrew]

I just 100%'d the game very recently, and yeah it's a masterpiece.

Don't think I'll do the hard mode stuff, lol. I already got frustrated by all the harder levels, don't wanna do it with only one heart and no check points.

Hard mode is really fun except for one huge pain - the bosses.

 

[correojon]

Great write up and analysis. My wife and I have just started co-oping it and are at "world" 3. I realised how good this game was when, after 4 consecutive levels I found myself saying "wow, that was a really fun level!". Like, usually you get one of those per world if you're lucky in a platformer.

You briefly mentioned the music. It ties the music into the gameplay of some levels more subtly than any game I've played before. And the music rocks. I know it is already known as a game with extremely good music - but it needs repeating. The music is phenomenal and actively improves my experience.

What you mention about the boss fights I'll double down on - my wife finds it frustrating to have to do the initial stages of them again and again, loses her concentration due to that and then dying earlier and earlier and finding that annoying. I told her "Git Gud" but then I found myself sleeping in a separate bed. So each night since then it's DEFINITELY the designers fault.

Fantastic production values so far and really looking forward to playing it more.

Lol, yeah bossfights are polarizing. They are like the rest of the game, in that you get better and can get through the challenges more easily every time, but at the same time they are different because they don´t allow you to get through the parts you´ve mastered faster; everytime you must play through the starting phases completely. I think something could be done to make this better.

I agree with the music, I focused a lot on gameplay but music is truly great. My SO usually show little interest when I´m playing a game, but when I was playing that level in the Savanahh where the trees dance she couldn´t take her eyes off the screen and couldn´t stop repeating how it reminded eher of the Lion King musical and how cool the music was.

Man every time GAF brings it up it just makes me want to jump back in and 200% it all over again. What a delight of a game, and easily the best platformer of this generation.

Edit: Are you sure about the jumping thing? I"m pretty sure you can just hold it...

You mean when jumping from a still position? Maybe I didn´t explain myself well: in Mario games if you take a few steps you reach maximum horizontal speed and if you jump then your jump will get higher than jumping from a still position if you hold the jump button. In Meat Boy however, even when totally still if you keep the button held you can reach maximum height. I Think TF works like Mario, so even if you hold the jump button you won´t jump as high as if you took one or two steps before jumping.

Seems like I really need to trick my friend into buying that game. >

Thanks for the long write up.

You´re welcome! Glad you enjoyed it! And tell your friend to get it ASAP!

Yeah Tropical Freeze is easily one of the best, if not the best 2D platformers ever made and I really hope Retro is working on another Donkey Kong game for NX.

The only (fairly minor) issues I had with it was a I wish retro would go with an atmosphere that was a bit similar to the SNES Donkey Kong games and I wish this had been a full price game with another world or two.

Yup, when I saw Retro was releasing this instead of a Metroid game I was very disappointed. Now I couldn´t be happier if they decided to release another DK game for NX (I´d still love a Metroid game too). I´ve started playing DKCReturns in the 3DS and it´s also a superb game, so count me into the DK fan legions from now on

 

[Greddleok]

It's on sale in the UK eshop right now. Have it downloading while I'm at work, terribly excited to play it after work.

 

[dreampeppers99]

I just 100%'d the game very recently, and yeah it's a masterpiece.

Don't think I'll do the hard mode stuff, lol. I already got frustrated by all the harder levels, don't wanna do it with only one heart and no check points.

^ endorsed

 

[Darrenf]

Incredible game. My favorite 2D platformer. Hopefully some day the soundtrack gets released on CD.

 

[Nocturnowl]

Great writeup and dare I say that you've only just scratched the surface of the level design, when you factor the time trials and speedrunning into them it only gets more impressive.

I'm happy you overcame your initial gripes with the game's style of control, I feel as if most people who don't click with the game are quick to blame the game for not copying Mario style movement 1:1 and being unresponsive when it's anything but. (also yes control stick master race)

 

[correojon]

I'm with you, I keep telling myself I need to replay this like every month.

Correct, you don't need to time it so you're hitting jump button right as you touch them to bounce. I think it was the same in DCKR but I don't remember.

Now you´re making me doubt, I am 100% sure in DKCR you have to time it, I thought that for TF Retro just made the window bigger but haven´t tried the release-hold method.

Wow, I know the thread title says ", in-depth analysis", but I wasn't expecting something THIS in-depth. This is probably the best analysis of this game that I've seen! Great work, correojon! Also, yes, you're absolutely right about this game. It's one of the best platformers ever made, and a true masterpiece.

Thanks, glad you liked it!

I'm prefering the gameplay from the rare dk games instead of the retro's one.
I still find that the character jump's heavy. Also doing a roll jump ore roll attachs are more frustrated then within the older games.

Besides that it's a very good game.
The level design is something that retro is always good in. (metroid prime...)

I think the heavyness is only when you have to change horizontal speed (starting to walk, changing direction...). Once you´re on the move it´s really fluid. I like this method a lot, it forces you to commit to your jumps, but at the same time gives you enough mobility when you have to get through quick challenges.

BTW if you were having trouble with some of those jumps on the hidden stages, knowing that's how the jump works makes it 200% more fun to play. I remember it being literally a revelation.

Once I learned to time the jump presses I had no problems bouncing off enemies. In fact I think this makes those section much funnier! Though for some reason I still miss some bounces in the minecart levels, so I´ll try your method, thanks!

Great writeup and dare I say that you've only just scratched the surface of the level design, when you factor the time trials and speedrunning into them it only gets more impressive.

I'm happy you overcame your initial gripes with the game's style of control, I feel as if most people who don't click with the game are quick to blame the game for not copying Mario style movement 1:1 and being unresponsive when it's anything but. (also yes control stick master race)

I think that having played so many Mario games made it harder for me to adjust to the controls, I remember dying a lot because the roll works so different from running in Mario. But once I adjusted I really like this control scheme and you´re right, this game controls like a charm with the stick.
After I get all Puzzle Pieces I´ll start with Time Trials, I´m sure that will be awesome.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

Yes, it is the greatest 2D platformer ever.

Nice OP!

 

[TEJ]

Better than super mario world? Dunno, SMW is still my number 1 game of all time.

It's still a damned good game and a top tier platformer.

 

[Nocturnowl]

I'm positive TF increased the timing window for high bouncing though you can also still do the whole "hold jump again at any point in the air" thing with DK by himself, obviously Diddy and Dixie's abilities interfere with this.

I think that having played so many Mario games made it harder for me to adjust to the controls, I remember dying a lot because the roll works so different from running in Mario. But once I adjusted I really like this control scheme and you´re right, this game controls like a charm with the stick.
After I get all Puzzle Pieces I´ll start with Time Trials, I´m sure that will be awesome.

With time trials you'll start to see how enemy placement that once seemed almost a bit random turns out to be a time saving tool. That and the worth of Cranky's Cane.
I think Seashore War has one of my favourite hidden in plain sight shortcuts, the owls during the scrolling wheel platform sections aren't just there to pose an extra obstacle that's for sure.

 

[TheDinoman]

I have to say, I really don't like how that outside of hard mode, the game forces the first player to always play as DK.

Lets face it, a reoccurring problem with the Donkey Kong Country series is that the least interesting character to play as has always been Donkey Kong himself. This is a factor into why DKC2 is the best of Rare's trilogy, because that game makes that fat bloke into the damsel-in-distress and balances its level design around two smaller/agile characters (Diddy and Dixie) with their own unique strengths that compliment each other.

I don't know, I think it's a waste to make three unique and distinct characters, all with their special abilities and animations, only to relegate them to multiplayer and as powerups in singleplayer, all while forcing you to play as a character who's practically useless all on his own (playing DK without another character backing him up in those temple levels was hell on earth). It's a nice gesture that you can play as them in hard mode but still.

On my playthrough I actually did find a work around: Get a second controller, load multiplayer, select character (Dixie in my case), enter a stage, throw DK's fatass into a bottomless pit, and bring out the second controller and just play as Dixie the whole way through lol. It made getting past those temple levels and the levels in the Secret Seclusion by the end quite a breeze.

 

[marmoka]

Great analysis dude!! This game is very underrated. There are many relevant factors many of us didn't realize while playing.

 

[correojon]

Better than super mario world? Dunno, SMW is still my number 1 game of all time.

It's still a damned good game and a top tier platformer.

SMW is one of my GOATs too! I don´t know if I´m still in the honeymoon period with TF, but I really can´t remember another 2D platformer I enjoyed as much as this one (since SMW). It´s a serious contender.

I have to say, I really don't like how that outside of hard mode, the game forces the first player to always play as DK.

Lets face it, a reoccurring problem with the Donkey Kong Country series is that the least interesting character to play as has always been Donkey Kong himself. This is a factor into why DKC2 is the best of Rare's trilogy, because that game makes that fat bloke into the damsel-in-distress and balances its level design around two smaller/agile (Diddy and Dixie) characters with their own unique strengths that compliment each other.

I don't know, I think it's a waste to make three unique and distinct characters, all with their special abilities and animations, only to relegate them to multiplayer and as powerups in singleplayer, all while forcing you to play as a character who's practically useless all on his own (playing DK without another charcter backing him up in those temple levels was hell on earth). It's a nice gesture that you can play as them in hard mode but still.

On my playthrough I actually did find a work around: Get a second controller, load multiplayer, select character (Dixie in my case), enter a stage, and throw DK's fatass off the stage, and bring out the second controller and just play as Dixie the whole way through lol. It made getting past those temple levels and the levels in the Secret Seclusion by the end quite a breeze.

I used Dixie as the powerUp most of the time, but to tell you the truth as I played more I found it more enjoyable to play as DK with no helper character. Dixie´s gliding kills your momentum and messes up timing in many challenges where moving platforms/elements are linked, so in the end I prefferred going as DK. Besides, you feel like a real badass when you beat a temple stage with DK getting through every challenge at full speed

 

[Macapala]

Best platformer ever and best Wii U game.

Anyone looking for a good laugh should check out the Gamespot review.http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/donkey-kong-country-tropical-freeze-review/1900-6415667/

 

[jdw_b]

Amazing game, great write up OP

I don't think another game will ever make me smile as much as Grassland Groove. I could replay that level forever

 

[TEJ]

I will say that it has my favorite videogame soundtrack ever.

I adore Grassland Groove and windmill hills, and all the other songs are almost as groovy.

 

[Jimnymebob]

I was actually playing this last night (I got it at Christmas, but only played on it over the holidays and got to World 2). I've just beat the saw mill level on World 2, and I'm really enjoying it so far. I never beat Returns, but I got quite far in it, and I'm enjoying this one a lot more. It's certainly quite difficult though, but in a hard level of a traditional platformer sense, not a Super Meat Boy sense.

My only complaints so far are the timed bonus rooms, because they take me out of the main part of the game, but so far they're not creative/completely different than the main gameplay like the Sonic special stages for example, and the grab move isn't really fluid. Like I'll stun an enemy, but I can't run and grab them straight away, I seem to have to position myself correctly and grab them, unlike how Mario works with picking up items.

I've also never played any DK Country really aside from the first world of the one with Dixie and the Baby Kong, so I can't really compare the Returns series to the Rare ones.

 

[Hilarion]

Not sure I'd go so far as to say best platformer ever, but I will say that it is best game Retro ever made. I hope we get part 3 of the DKCR trilogy next from them.

 

[grandwizard]

There are two things to me that stand out and make DKCTF the GOAT. The first is the level designs. Every level has some great hook to it to make it unique and the way they plan the flow of the level so that you have nice 'free running moments' but also tough platforming sections is just great. The second thing is the controls of the characters. Retro nailed how it felt to be platforming around with a gorilla and his pals, you feel the weight of every jump and landing and the momentum of the roll jump is perfect at never feeling like you are totally in control, like every single jump could get away from you if you aren't careful. I love this game.

 

[phanphare]

great OP! I do believe it's the best 2D platformer ever made. the game just excels at everything it sets out to do. also yeah, this is the first 2D platformer where I've completed it using the analog stick. I try to preach the good word in Tropical Freeze threads because I'm sure some people just use the dpad out of habit with any 2D platformer but the stick really is superior. it's crazy. pretty sure someone at retro confirmed that the stick was how they intended the game to be played. it definitely makes the under water controls go from ehhh to GOAT.

 

[Stoze]

Now you´re making me doubt, I am 100% sure in DKCR you have to time it, I thought that for TF Retro just made the window bigger but haven´t tried the release-hold method.

I booted up Returns on 3DS to check, and it does indeed work the same way as in TF of holding and not needing to time it. That's just with DK by himself though. In Returns you're stuck with Diddy a lot of the time, so releasing and then holding jump activates the hover instead, and hitting an enemy while hovering or coming down from hovering doesn't bounce you without tapping jump again. This means with Diddy you do end up needing to time jumps to bounce with him unless you use up all your hover and fall from a large height or something.

 

[Diddy Kong]

I'm really surprised at the amount of Wii U owners that skipped over this game. It's a damn gem!

 

[Gnomist]

...misplace the dash and grab buttons...

Sounds like you opted to use D-Pad controls. I would highly recommend to anyone that has yet to play through the game to use the Control Stick instead. That might sound weird for a 2D game and I think we can all point to examples of where that control scheme was not desirable. But the newer DKC games are the exception to that rule as they were very much built primarily around using analog controls instead of digital controls. Of course different people have different preferences, but even if you typically opt for the D-Pad in other platformers I would encourage people to give the default control scheme a try first.

 

[TheMoon]

Apart from this universal mechanics, there are 3 PowerUps which grant additional abilities:

• Diddy: Allows to hover. Useless due to Dixie´s existance.
• Dixie: Allows to hover and gain some height. It´s superiority compared to the other 2 buddies is insulting. She´s even the best one underwater too, due to her propeller abbility.
• Cranky: Allows to bounce like in Duck Tales and safely attack any enemy (even spikes) from above. Not bad, but worse than Dixie and only really useful in specific situations designed around him to get a KONG letter or some other secret.

Man, I was on board with this until I got here and you were dead wrong lol.

Diddy is super-fast underwater. Dixie is only superior if you need to save yourself from a pit a lot, otherwise Cranky is the way to go due to his insane speed and ability to bounce on damage zones. It's not even funny how crazy a great Cranky run looks.

Best platformer ever and best Wii U game.

Anyone looking for a good laugh should check out the Gamespot review.http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/donkey-kong-country-tropical-freeze-review/1900-6415667/

Holy fucking shit how can you be so objectively wrong in EVERYTHING you say lol.

 

[kunonabi]

Great writeup and dare I say that you've only just scratched the surface of the level design, when you factor the time trials and speedrunning into them it only gets more impressive.

I'm happy you overcame your initial gripes with the game's style of control, I feel as if most people who don't click with the game are quick to blame the game for not copying Mario style movement 1:1 and being unresponsive when it's anything but. (also yes control stick master race)

I'm making it a point to 100% every major Wii U game and getting those shiny time trial times is probably going to take me longer than my Xenoblade save which is already at 530+ hours.

 

[Prodigal]

Is Donkey Kong Returns on 3DS worth playing after I beat Tropical Freeze? I was never sure how similar the two titles were.

 

[TheGreatMightyPoo]

Really good game but the locations of the puzzle pieces lack inspiration.
They were either better hidden in Returns or it's the been-there-done-that formula back again.
Retro needs to rehaul that and come up with more interesting ways to find them as it's pretty stale already.

 

[Pancakes R Us]

Is it a good game? Yes. Best platformer ever? Nah, no chance. This is thrown around way too much for this game on GAF for my liking.

 

[PumpkinPie]

I don't believe that difficult games can ever be considered the greatest because they alienate players. To be the greatest it would have to be something like Super Mario World.

 

[Greatest Ever]

As someone who's played platformers for a long time, this is definitely up there as a favorite.

However, in both this and its prequel, I cannot get past one thing (as an analysis too): I can't stand Donkey Kong himself. Not the character himself, but how he controls. The way his roll feels truncated, how his jump isn't exactly satisfying, his air controls feeling weird, I could just go on.

It's really strange playing a game where the level design is ace but the character isn't.

 

[TheMoon]

Is Donkey Kong Returns on 3DS worth playing after I beat Tropical Freeze? I was never sure how similar the two titles were.

Play the original Wii version. 60fps.

3DS version runs at 30 only. You'll have to deal with motion controls though.

Is it a good game? Yes. Best platformer ever? Nah, no chance. This is thrown around way too much for this game on GAF for my liking.

But it's correct.

 

[Mohasus]

I completed both TF and Returns for the first time this year, and I don't see any way TF is better.

1 - new kongs are unbalanced. Most of the secrets are available only for dixie (and one for cranky), no reason to use Diddy at all.
2 - swimming/underwater levels suck.
3 - game is easier.
4 - dumb "collect all bananas" after slamming the ground to reveal a puzzle piece (or some useless item).
5 - less levels (at least there isn't a vehicle only world like DKCR's 4th).

Play the original Wii version. 60fps.

3DS version runs at 30 only. You'll have to deal with motion controls though.

The extra levels are really good.

IMO, Luigi U is still the best 2D platformer on Wii U.

 

[GAMETA]

DKC TF is amazing, but to be honest I still think DKC Returns is the best DKC ever made (yep, including the SNES ones).