Hey guys if you liked this writeup check out the analysis I did on level 5-3 (Fruit Factory):
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1343573
Lol love how OP said that cranky isn't the best of the assist characters.
That monkey is broken as fuck.
After discussing it with
TheMoon we agreed that Cranky is the best assist for speedrunning and high level play, but for novice-intermediate players that go at a slower pace, Dixie is the best one. Diddy is only useful in some very specific situations underwater.
I really enjoyed DKC Returns but just couldn't get into tropical freeze. The controls didn't feel as good to me. Maybe it's an input lag issue or something but yeah.
The game controls rely a lot on inertia and weight. DK takes a while to start moving, also I think the jump animation has around 4 frames of startup (which is quite a lot when compared to something like Mario where it´s instantaneous). He also takes some frames to stop and turn around. All this makes him feel a bit sluggish, specially when you´re learning the game and are going slow and carefully. But once it clicks and you start playing at higher speeds, it becomes awesome: the inertia system shines in this circumstance and it´s really engaging to get through the levels without stopping on the ground for a second.
From what I've played it was a decentish game, I think as time went on I started to grow less interested in it (particularly at the Owl boss and after), but something with the game never outright clicked with me. I got use to the way you control DK and everything and I can tell they put effort into it, but I'm just...not really that into this game.
The same happened to me (twice in fact) and it wasn´t until my 3rd attempt at the game, when I reached world 5, that the game clicked and became one of my all time favorites, to the point that I restarted it again and have played through all the levels many times in all the different modes (normal, time attack and hard mode). Try to make it to world 5, it has some really cool levels that can change the way you feel about the game.
I loved it, but man, it took me nearly two years of on-and-off play to 100% it. I think if there's any critique I can give it is that the levels are just a bit too long, especially when you consider the collectibles and some of the areas that require certain buddies to access, the latter of which is something that was worse in DKCR, if I'm remembering correctly. Still, it's a top-tier side-scroller. Those temple levels are some of the most fun, challenging, and zen-like experiences!
The levels do feel long the first time, specially if you´re looking for secrets and going slowly seaching for the puzzle pieces, but once you find them you can actually beat any level in under 2 minutes.
there's nothing else quite like getting in the zone for a tough Tropical Freeze level, which for those harder temple levels means eventually being able to breeze through the first 3/4's of the level and then struggle to finish the end lol
I love this! This is the highest praise I can give TF: it´s incredibly easy to get 200% engaged with any level and get into the zone. The Temple levels are my favorites. I died a lot in them
No. The game relies too heavily on scripted scenes, and the flow is always broken up in the retro games by weird mechanics, and so many collectables that it diminishes what a collectable is. Also no competitive mode!
Scripted scenes? Yeah, there are some setpieces, but you are almost always on control and you can play through them, so IMO they add to the experience. There are many collectibles but each of them serves a different function: KONG letters are there for those looking for an exra challenge and to teach you high level techniques, while Puzzle Pieces are hidden and make you actively explore and look for secrets to find them. Apart from their location, their basic properties are tailored to this end: after grabbing a KONG letter you must reach a checkpoint or you´ll loose it and have to collect it again, so you need mastery of the level. They are also placed in such ways that getting one doesn´t slow you down or force you to waste time, instead they are alternate routes to the basic one which most times are even faster. Puzzle Pieces are immediately saved when you grab them so you never have to collect them again. This allowed Retro to make them take more time as they are a one-time-event, so sometimes you have to backtrack a bit, solve a small puzzle or beat a minigame. It´s an awesome way to mix exploration, hardcore platforming and to provide changes of pace to the levels and I think it´s one of the best things about the game.
Can't believe I never saw this thread. What a fantastic OP. I agree with every word.
I've wanted to do a similar analysis of this game for a long time. As far as I'm concerned it's by some distance the best 2D platformer of all time for all the reasons you mentioned.
Thanks, glad you liked it! Check out my analysis of level 5-3, I think you´ll enjoy it (link is at the top of this post).
This is an amazing write-up and while I found the game to be too frustrating for my skill level without the narrative payoff that usually inspires me to keep going in a game (Hollow Knight is the most recent example), I think the take-aways from game design you got are definitely worth learning.
Thanks for the sweet comments! I can see how the game can become frustrating for some people, the difficulty is really some levels above the usual game. I did die a lot too (I think I may have died 500 more times playing this than Dark Souls) but finally getting through the challenges was incredibly satisfying. Check the highly detailed writeup I did on level 5-3, there are many game design-gold nuggest there (link at the top of this post).
