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[correojon]

This is an awesome level which perfectly showcases what makes Tropical Freeze such a great game. The level is set in the 5th island, a colorful jungle environment where fruit is processed to make ice creams and it takes place in an automated factory. The developers managed to squeeze (pun intended) many gameplay mechanics into the level while keeping the theme consistent.

The level seems to be divided in 3 main parts:

• Introduction
• Development
• Conclusion

In the following sections we´ll go through each part and study all the challenges found in them, analyzing the design decissions behind them and trying to figure out how they fit in the bigger picture of the whole level, both thematically and mechanically. As the text is too long to fit one post, I´ll be diving each section into a single post.

INTRODUCTION

The level starts in a long platform with no immediate danger. There is a breakable door on the left which hides a puzzle piece. To get it the player must grab a barrel and backtrack to the start of the level. This stablishes early enough that, even though the level has a lot of platforming, the player should also keep an eye open for secrets.
Just some steps forward the player must jump over a bottomless pits to another big platform. This platform features a plant that must be activated with the stomp attack. Doing so will stop DK on his tracks, right before the first enemy of the level: a carnivorous plant hanging on the ceiling. This is a very nice setup to hint the player to stop and take a look at the enemy from a safe spot.

Passing below this enemy is trivial, but will trigger it to attack downwards. There is also a barrel right after the enemy which will invite the player to go after it. All is set so the player has many reasons to advance without doubt, thus safely avoiding the plant´s attack. This way the player has learned the way the enemy works in a nice, safe environment.

Another simple jump will place the player before another plant, but this time the plant is on the ground and can freely move around. However, the player has many space to move and may even have picked up the barrel a few seconds before, so he should not have problems dealing with it. Even if he does get eaten by the plant, this will serve to teach the player the way to get out of it unscathed. The biggest threat of this type of enemy is to stop the player and make him waste some time, which may become tricky later in the level but is totally safe now. To get damaged, the player will have to ignore the button prompts for quite some time, so this can be considered another rather safe challenge. By the way, the barrel+carnivorous plant is a recurring theme in the level as we´ll see later.

A rope will ask the player to pull it to reveal an exploding barrel. This acts as a simple refresher so that when it comes up again later in the level the player can instantly recognize it. Getting into the barrel will blast the player to the next part of the level, signaling the end of the first challenge. Even though it´s separated by a small sequence the next part keeps on presenting new mechanics, so we´ll thematically consider it as a follow-up of the first section and part of the level introduction as well.

The player lands on another safe platform, with fruit being transported above him. A golden right to the left reveals some hidden bananas. Again, the game is using this safe spot to remind the player to stay on the look for secrets, but the main intent seems to be to give him enough time to recognize that something is also going on at the top of the screen.

The next part features a rather long challenge and it introduces many new elements at the same time, but manages to do it gradually. First, the player jumps on a conveyor belt. The conveyor belt moves to the right and the fruit that falls from the ceiling impedes the player´s advance, thus allowing him to acknowledge the situation. The fruit can be jumped on allowing access to a platform where some bananas and a golden coin can be collected. This platform is guarded by two penguins, which can easily be taken care of with any of the moves in DK´s arsenal. This platform also grants a safe spot to watch more carefully the next mechanic. But before that, it´s important to note that the presence of the penguins signals that the player must expect to encounter them throughout the level. It´s also noteworthy that these 2 penguins are of the least dangerous variety.

The next obstacle is a big knife that will come down cutting everything on it´s way. The fruit is a big help here, as it will signal exactly the moment the knife comes down. The player can walk between two pieces of fruit, or just stick to one and he´ll get through safely. However, the next jump poses the first real challenge of the level: a wide bottomless pit. The player must jump on the fruit to gain some extra height that´ll allow him to make the jump. The fruit is wide enough and there is sufficient space after the knife, so even though the challenge seems complex at first, it is in fact pretty easy and any player who´s managed to make it this far in the game will have no problem making it. The challenge continues with another conveyor belt, this time moving to the left, with another knife at the end of it. Some bananas will promp the player to jump, teaching him an easy way to move on conveyor belts that move to the left.

This conveyor belt leads to a bottomless pit, and right after that another conveyor belt (moving to the right) with a knife close to it´s beginning. There is also a flying owl over the bottomless pit, which will allow the player some margin of error. The second knife triggers before the first one and strikes 3 times in quick succession. Thanks to the slow advance due to the conveyor belt moving to the left, the player naturally gain some time to assess the situation. After watching one or 2 repetitions it´s easy to determine the correct moment to jump but even if a mistake is made the owl allows acts as a safety net. The conveyor belt moving to the right helps in quickly passing under the knife as well. This conveyor belt is a long one, featuring a smaller one on the middle with the first KONG letter guarded by a fire owl. Getting this letter is easy, as the owl is above the smaller conveyor belt so the player can safely come up with a plan from a safe location and wait for the owl to power down before going for the letter. Note that this, as all KONG letters in the game, is an optional route.

The long conveyor belt ends with another knife which strikes twice, followed by a short jump over a bottomless pit with a flying owl (which again is more a help than an obstacle) and a solid platform with a companion barrel. There is a walrus throwing fish with an arc motion, but the platform, the fish trajectory and speed allows them to easily be dodged. The nice thing however is that the conveyor belt will give the player some momentum, so it´s actually easy to just be carried away into jumping forward, which will allow the player to get through the walrus. This small section is really nicely timed and is a very nice example of how the game works best when trying to keep momentum instead of stopping at every chance.
If the walrus wasn´t enough (it takes 3 hits to kill or a barrel hit) there is also a plant that will grant the player some collectibles. The platform where the plant is located is also wide enough, so everything is designed to hint the player that he should stop here and take a breath. It´s also very natural to do so after the long challenge the player just had to get through. This platform marks the end of the second challenge.

The safe platform allows the player to study the next obstacle featuring another new mechanic: a spiked device that repeteadly swings forward and backwards on a conveyor belt.

Note that there is a group of bananas over the device, hinting that jumping over it can help get through this challenge. There is also enough space to duck under it, but the conveyor belt (moving to the left) makes this option not feasible: the player must learn to time his jump. The device foretells it´s actions with a little shake up with enough time to react, so it isn´t too difficult even the first time. Besides, the player already had all the time he wished to study it from a safe platform. Another solid platform is next, guarded by a penguin with helmet. The platform is wide enough to allow to easily get rid of him. There is a golden coin high in the air prompting the player to bounce on the penguin, which will disable the little critter and allow DK to grab it. A fire owl is next, so the helmet penguin will actually become a help rather than a real threat for those who can take advantage of DK´s moveset by using it to safely get rid of the owl without directly engaging it.

Another conveyor belt (moving to the left) awaits, giving way to a big vertical drill:

The conveyor belt helps the player get some time to take a look at this new obstacle and the camera also zooms out a bit to get a better view of the situation. The drill can be surpassed by waiting for the right time to go under it or by jumping on it when it comes down. Whichever option the player takes will take him to another conveyor belt moving to the right, which will push the player towards a knife. There is enough space for the player to stop safely though. However, the knife will block the way until the player pulls the rope located high above the conveyor belt. This knife is acting as a permanente device to the block the player´s advance and not in the usual way this mechanic appears in the level. The rope can´t be reached with a normal jump, so the player will have to discover that he can jump on the drills if he didn´t realize it the first time.

Pulling the rope will stop the knife, allowing the player to quickly get through another drill. This is where a nice example of the awesome design in this game takes place: the challenge of having to pull the rope felt a bit out of place the first time, but it was nothing but a smart trick to teach the player to jump on drills, which has an immediate use and another that will come later. Doing so in the second one will get the player to a secret room where he can collect some bananas and a puzzle piece. There is always a reason even behind the most out of place situations in this game.

The challenge ends with the last conveyor belt and a small jump to the first checkpoint.

This challenge introduces a new wonderful mechanic: fruit platforms! This is a great mechanic gameplaywise, but it´s also masterfully implemented in the level´s theme. The floor is filled with saws (a bottomless pit would have sufficed). Oranges will roll towards them from the background (another unnecessary detail). The saws will pierce the oranges, throwing small pieces upwards at set locations (we´ll come back to this later). Big pieces of fruit will fly upwards, hover in place a bit and fall towards the saws. All these unnecesarry details serve to place the mechanic inside the level´s setting in a superb way. It´s really commendable how Retro went the extra mile to make the player feel he´s really traversing a fruit factory. But all these cosmetic stuff wouldn´t be so impressive if they didn´t mix with gameplay as well as they do: The saws in the floor act as bottomless pit and show clearly that you want to stay away from them. The oranges in the background set the timing with which the pieces of fruit will appear and disappear. The big pieces of fruit act as platforms. The small pieces that get blown from the saws point the locations from which the big platforms will rise...everything works together beatifully, making it impossible to separate the theme from gameplay. Other mechanics in the level are also dressed with the theme, but nothing comes close to how every detail works together in this setting.

The fruit platforms will trigger when the player gets close to the border of the solid platform. This allows him to jump right away, which makes spedrunning possible without having to resort to trial and error. Also, it completely eliminates dead times, so that if the player dies he won´t have to wait even for a second for the platforms to get on the right position. This first challenge consists of just two platforms with a simple jump between them. The timing is set perfectly so the player can jump right away to the first platform, or if he chooses to wait he will see what´s going on instantly, reducing waiting times. Also, the framing is set so that both platforms are visible. A group of bananas up high are also visible, hinting at the path to follow. Careful players will also be able to see the border of a conveyor belt, so the player can get all the necessary information about the challenge with a little observation. But even if he decides to go for it the first time, the bananas will guide him successfully. This is how the introduction to new mechanics should be done. Also, this mechanic continues with the level´s theme of waiting for the right moment to jump, though adding now more contraints as the target of the player´s jump is only available for a short moment.
The challenge continues on a conveyor belt with a carnivorous plant on the ceiling. The conveyor belt moves to the left, thus providing a nice pause after the hardest part of the challenge and helping the player stop momentum and get his feet on the ground. A circle of bananas is set as a small optional challenge. They can all be collected with a single jump to spawn a golden coin, but the player must keep an eye out for the plant on the ceiling as it´ll try to eat the player. The challenge ends with a simple jump to a small solid platform, which will trigger another flying fruit sequence.

Up until know, all mechanics have been introduced with a small challenge followed by a slightly harder one, so that´s why we should consider the following challenge as another part of the previous one.
This challenge starts exactly like the previous one, but after those already known 2 platforms things start to get interesting. It´s nice to have this throwback so the player can start with confidence and be prepared to expect something else. At one point the platforms will force a jump to the left, which is easily predictable if the player has learnt the way the mechanic works and identifies the hint of the small pieces signaling where the platforms will appear. The second KONG letter is located right before the last jump to a barrel and is easy to get, though not going after it with decission can make you fail the challenge.

The purpose of this challenge is to make sure that the player has grasped how the fruit platform mechanic works, as he will need this knowledge to triumph in what´s coming next.

The barrel propers the player to the depths of the fruit factory, where a giant spinning column of blades is waiting for him:

A door will block the way forward as the blades accelerate, rising the tension. After a few seconds the door will slowly open and allow the player to push forward. The player will have to navigate through some simple jumps, with the added tension and difficulty of the pursuing blades.

The third KONG letter can be collected here, forcing the player to put his nerves to the test as the blades approach, effectively making go towards the blades in a nice subversion of the persecution challenge´s concept:

This section felt a bit random, with many mechanics that haven´t appeared before in the level (fire shooting penguin, swinging platforms...), though they are easy to identify and have already appeared in previous levels. My guess is that the developers wanted to to rise the tension and create this crysis moment, for which the rest of the mechanics of the level might not work properly as they are timing-based and may not flow as nicely under the constant pressure to keep advancing (they actually do when you try to speedrun, but in that case it´s teh player who´s setting a faster pace by himself). In this persecution sequence, the player needs to move fast, so it clashes with how the other mechanics have been used up until now, teaching the player to take his time and wait for the right moment to jump.

The last part of this sequence will pit the player against a penguin with a blunt helmet and another with a horned one (which will damage the player if he jumps on it) on a smaller platform. There is enough space in the small platform to deal with the second penguin with the stomp attack, however the player can also bounce on the first penguin, grab it and throw it to safely take care of the horned one. This is a sequence that, when played correctly, will make the player feel great.

Another barrel awaits at the end to propel the player to the next checkpoint, thus putting an end to the first part of the level.

SUMMARY
The introduction section presented a bunch of new mechanics, giving the spotlight to each of them separately and following with a simple challenge to reinforce what is being taught, so the player has the chance to get familiar with them. These mechanics are:

• Carnivorous plants: We learnt that they can appear both on the ground or in the ceiling, that they can move around, attack horizontally or vertically and that more than dealing damage they slow you down.
• Conveyor belts: We learned that they can move to the right or to the left. The ones that move to the left can be used to time jumps nicely and to safely observe what is ahead, while the ones moving to the right can provide a nice boost in speed to get through some tricky parts.
• Knives: We learnt that they have a cyclic period, that each can work differently and that some may even require additional actions to get through them.
• Spiked devices: We learnt that they are periodic, that they signal when they are going to move and that we can jump over them.
• Drills: We learnt that they also move cyclicly and that we can go under them or jump on them to reach higher places.
• Fruit platforms: We learnt that the sequence triggers when the player gets close, that small pieces of fruit will signal the location of the next platform and that the player must wait for the right moment to act.

That´s six new mechanics, which frankly is quite a lot! However, almost all of them are really periodic devices that test the player´s abbility to choose the right moment to jump to a static target. Also, most of them are really different modifyers of conveyor belts: if the player learns to correctly use the conveyor belts he should have no problem in getting over all the challenges in the level. Fruit platforms are another variant with vertical movement instead of horizontal, but the skill theme of timing a jump to a static target remains the focus.

 

[correojon]

Things start to get serious now! The first part of the level introduced each mechanic with a simple challenge, then expanded upon it to make sure the player had understood how it worked. In this second the challenges focus on one of these mechanics and rise the complexity.

Right after the checkpoint the player is met by three conveyor platforms: each one in a different direction (left-right-left) with two synchronized spiked devices on them:

This is a very interesting challenge, as there are many ways to get through it. The player can follow the bananas and coin and time his jump so he rises above both devices as they close towards the center. Another option is to take advantage of the medium conveyor belt moving right and crouching to safely get under both devices. Also, the moment when the player takes on the first jump can change the challenge a lot. He may try to jump over the first device as it moves to the left, though he´ll need some speed to do so as the conveyor platform will kill his momentum. Or he can wait for the spike to move to the left and quickly cross the conveyor belt with two small jumps. The way he gets through this part will affect the timing of the second device, changing the challenge. Also, the last conveyor belt may look like a safe place at first, but the second device can in fact hit the player if he stays there. If the player uses advances techniques like boosting, he can even discover other ways to beat this part.
With a rather simple layout, the designers created a very nice challenge which can be replayed several times while still feeling fresh.
Above this challenge there is a set of platforms with a carnivorous plant that guard a Puzzle Piece, but it´s a rather simple challenge. However it adds some variation and an exploration component, which gets amplified by there being a secret exit hidden up there as well. It´s a very nice addition that adds another dimension to the challenge.

Before the next proper challenge there is a very cool setpiece:

A penguin shooting fish, a barrel and a carnivorous plant on the ceiling allow the player to make a cool combination of moves: bounce on the fish, grab the barrel, bounce on the penguin to gain height, throw the barrel to kill the plant and get a companion power up in the process. Very cool! Note that once again, the designers have placed a barrel close to a carnivorous plant. In fact, we had another barrel right before the walrus in challenge #2, which is another enemy who takes 3 hits to kill. The level is telling us that whenever we find a barrel, it may be a good idea to save it for a powerful enemy close by.

This is followed by another simple challenge which just serves to introduce spiked fruit and uses carnivorous plants and a new type of moving platform which in fact is the horizontal variation of the drills seen in the third challenge. The purpose of this challenge is to add some variation and introduce spiked fruit, as the previous and next challenges both revolve around conveyor belts and spiked devices. Thehorizontal drills work very similarly to the vertical ones, allowing the player to safely stand close to the blade.

This is the last challenge using spiked devices and it´s a very intelligent reinterpretation of the first challenge featuring spiked devices:

A long conveyor plantform moving left transports piled fruit, with 3 spiked devices at different heights destroying the topmost ones. The player has to move against the conveyor belt while jumping on the fruit to gain height, all while keeping an eye on the spiked devices. This is a very intelligent way to say goodbye to this mechanic as it will test everything the player has learned about it. An important observation to make is that the originality of this challenge isn´t a consequence of adding more elements, but of modifying simple variables like the conveyor belt direction and the height of both the spiked devices and the fruit (which is just the result of setting the exit point of the challenge at a high point). The number of elements is almost irrelevant, as the player takes on them sequentially, which each one being different than the previous one.

The time for knives and conveyor belts to leave the level has come, but they´ll do so with a bang.

The challenge is made of 4 alternating conveyor belts and groups of knives with different timings, forcing the player to stop and fight the conveyor platforms between each jump. This challenge really puts to the test the player´s abbility to navigate conveyor belts so it makes a lot of sense for it to be placed so late in the level. The last platform features a long set of seven knives which fall down in sequence, so the player must rush through it. The conveyor belt will help with this dash, resulting in a very nice final sprint to put an end to the challenge.

It´s really cool to roll under the knives while they fall down just a hair behind you! It´s a very cathartic moment and the best possible way to say goodbye to knives and conveyor belts. I found this is a very nice resource to use in levels where the player has had to suffer through a menacing object through all the level: place a final challenge where the player has to get through many of them in a flashy way, maybe even allowing him to destroy them and give them a wel earned payback.

The player will be blasted to another escape sequence which, after some simple platforming and some time consuming obstacles (which are placed there just to create tension as the column of blades approaches) will give way to another fruit platform challenge:

Once again, the first 2 platforms are exactly the same as in the 2 previous fruit platform challenges, except for a spiked fruit jumping inbetween them. However this fruit is only there to warn the player, as it´s placed in a location where just jumping to the second platform will clear it without any additional considerations. In fact, this section is the same ad the previous one with 2 small variations:

1. There are 3 additional smaller platforms.
2. There are spiked balls jumping between them at different heights.

Again, this familiarity allows the player to easily get through the first part of the challenge and gain some confidence to take on the final part.

The designers used this trick through all the level, slowly adding new stuff and making small tweaks to previous challenges to create something that feels and plays very differently. This way the challenges stay fresh, the level feels like there is a ton of content, there is a lot of variety and at the same time the player feels like he´s getting better at every step and getting familiar with all the mechanics.

After this sequence the player will get on a barrel to blast to the goal of the level. But there´s still one surprise left:

The goal is pulled upwards, making you miss it! It´s a very nice touch how the camera frames the action as is this screen marks the boundaries of the level, only to follow you as you fall down to the true last sequence.

SUMMARY
In this section each mechanic is explored further one last time. The mechanic development in this level is pretty quick with a small number of challenges dedicated to each one of them. This is a consequence of there being so many mechanics in the level, as further exploring each one woul have made the level too long.

 

[correojon]

This last part is just a quick conclusion to the level, with a single challenge that makes the level end at a high point, while maintaining the consistency in the level´s mechanics and providing a last twist.

The player will fall on a big piece of fruit that is being pierced by saws, showing no place to go...

until the fruit explodes and small platforms start flying everywhere!

Again, one of the level´s mechanics is tweaked by changin it into a vertical section instead of an horizontal one, completely changing the feel of it. The player can climb through the left of right paths, with the right being more natural and easier. The last Puzzle Piece can be found on the left path and it´s masterfully hinted at by previous platforms having bananas first, then coins. Even during the final challenge, the player must stay on the look for secrets!

Getting to the top will make the player reach the goal and beat this awesome level.

SOME WORDS ON ENEMIES

There are a lot of different enemy types used in the level, not counting the carnivorous plants:

1. Normal penguin
2. Helmet penguin
3. Spiked helmet penguin
4. Archer penguin
5. Firey archer penguin
6. Owl
7. Fire Owl
8. Walrus

However, none is used inside any challenge that makes use of the level´s mechanics, except for optional challenges (like the fire owl guarding the first KONG letter) and the first flying owl which acts like a safety net. The rest of the enemies are placed between challenges. I think the developers intended to use them to add more variety between challenges instead of simple plain walk sections or other jumping sections which may either crash with the timing theme or double down on it, making the level more repetitive. Enemies are great for this, as some act as moving targets though requiring a totally different jumping strategy from the main one in the level, which uses static targets. Others require different actions like using the stomp attack, bouncing repeteadly, or grabbing and throwing stuff. The will to add variety explains the many different types of enemies as well. It´s clear that enemies are not a focus on the level, as most of them are placed outside from the natural path and can easily be ignored. For the most troubling enemies (like the Walrus, some carnivorous plants or the spiked helmet penguin on a small platform) the player is given a barrel or a throwable enemy right before them, so he can easily take them out. Any other enemy placed directly in the natural path as an obstacle can in fact become a great help for speedruns. A very good example of this is the helmet penguin before the spiked helmet one: instead of throwing it to the spiked one the player can bounce on it and, with enough speed, get over the spiked one saving some previous time. Not a single detail has been placed randomly!

FINAL THOUGHTS
The same 6 mechanics seen in the first part of the level are used in different and varied ways through the level, following a formula of introduction-reinforcement-final test. The chase sequences help with shaking up the flow of the level, adding tension at the right moments to keep the level from becoming stale and nicely separating it´s main parts. This is more important than it seems, as most challenges require the player to wait for the right moment to jump, so pushing him forward is a nice change. However, note that this is only used twice in what I think is a very smart decission, as throwing in more of this sections could´ve made the level´s pace too hectic and directionless. A simplified layout of the level would be something like:

• Introduction + reinforcement challenge: Knives-Spiked device-Fruit platform chase sequence.
• Developed mechanics: Spiked device-Knives-Fruit platform chase sequence.
• Final exam: Vertical fruit platform chase sequence.

Even though there are many different mechanics, all of them rely on the same skill: timing. The player just has to choose the best moment to jump. Conveyor belts complicate things with it´s horizontal movement, while fruit platforms follow the same principle vertically, but not even once in the level the player is forced to jump on an horizontally moving target, except when dealing with enemies, which was already covered int he previous section. Conveyor belts are static and fruit platforms only move vertically, so the target location of the jumps is clear; it´s all about timing. This is what makes this level work and have a nice continuity even with all the different mechanics: the player is always executing the same basic skill. It´s all about timing.

 

[harz-marz]

GOAT 2D platformer. Wow that's some in depth analysis!

 

[InfiniteCombo]

Do you work for GameXplain?

Just kidding... Excellent work, I'll read the full thing later.

 

[sanstesy]

🙏GOAT🙏

 

[Celine]

The level design in Tropical Freeze is stunning.
It's almost "too good to be true".

 

[Fess]

Fantastic analysis! And wow this is such a great game, Retro Studio are platforming gods, can't wait to see their next game!

 

[abstract alien]

I haven't read it yet, but I must say, I wasn't expecting all of this. That just makes it even more intriguing. Thank you for this!

 

[Sodding_Gamer]

I sold my Wii U but kept this game because I loved it so much and was hoping Nintendo's next console would be backward compatibly. Now that this isn't the case I really hope they port it to switch. Want to replay this bad boy! Will read this at lunch!

 

[The Hermit]

Will read this later. That is the GOAT stage for me in Tropical Freeze and second overall.

First is Music Madness in DKCReturns.

 

[K' Dash]

Sweet baby Jesus.

Reading...

 

[correojon]

Will read this later. That is the GOAT stage for me in Tropical Freeze and second overall.

First is Music Madness in DKCReturns.

I´ll have to check that one, DKCR had some awesome levels as well.

BTW, I intend to analyze another level from TF but haven´t decided yet which one, so if anyone is interested in a specific one let me know.

 

[phanphare]

oh wow

sub'd and will read later

 

[Subaru]

This is an amazing level

But the best part of it is this video:
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/42574278
Watch it from 4h09minutes

It is hilarious, I guarantee

 

[Xenoblade]

Fuuuuuuuuuuuck

 

[eoa-swam]

This concept as a text analysis seems weird and a waste of time, as reading someone describing the layout of a level ends up being very simplistic and dull. Pair some commentary with a video and it will stand up better.

 

[EVO]

I'm dying to play this along with Super Mario 3D World. What are the chances of both games appearing on the Switch?

 

[TheSpaceBetween]

This actually might be my favorite level in the whole game. Just brilliant.

 

[ryechu]

This is an amazing level

But the best part of it is this video:
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/42574278
Watch it from 4h09minutes

It is hilarious, I guarantee

This video is hard to watch. I swear this guy doesn't roll jump more than like 10 times in the entire playthrough, let along infinite roll when he has a partner. This is no way to enjoy the rhythm of this games level design.

The best part is when he starts comparing the game to Rayman unfavorably and ranting about the games level design and controls He spend the entire 4 hours refusing to learn anything he didn't already know about platforming, and then thats the opinion he arrives at. A textbook example of whats wrong with gamers today.

 

[phanphare]

ok I finished reading it

great analysis. I loved this level, especially the conclusion where they flip one of the main stage gimmicks on its head. retro really are masters of level design and even more than that their visual story telling and sense of context are second to none. like you said there are some details that are totally unnecessary from a pure gameplay perspective but they add to the level's theme and its place within the larger world.

I don't know how long this took you but I'd love to read more analyses like this. I've always wanted to go level by level with world 2 and detail the narrative of each level, how the narrative informs the gameplay, and how each level plays into the world and story. I don't think I'm good at getting my thoughts out into coherent write ups tho nor do I have the patience haha.

either way great work

 

[watershed]

OP you should make this a video series on YouTube. Much more accessible and clear that way, if you have the means and interest.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

Great thread for the greatest 2D platformer of all time.

 

[QuixoticNeutral]

This concept as a text analysis seems weird and a waste of time, as reading someone describing the layout of a level ends up being very simplistic and dull. Pair some commentary with a video and it will stand up better.

No. I vastly prefer reading—it's searchable, skimmable, and easy to take non-linearly or at my own pace—and the mass abandonment of written design analysis for video, such that the only people left writing at all are early-career academics in cultural studies trying to build portfolio (as interesting as that work can sometimes be), is one of the worst things to happen to the conversation about video games on the Internet in the last five to ten years.

Thanks for putting this together, OP. Just a magnificent stage in an exemplary game, and like everything about DKCTF, much tighter from moment to moment than the surface visual spectacle would suggest. World 5, more than any other, also creates a great, coherent sense of flow and progression throughout the factory from stage to stage, a continuity of world design not often seen anymore.

This is an amazing level

But the best part of it is this video:
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/42574278
Watch it from 4h09minutes

It is hilarious, I guarantee

Good heavens, the whining. For platforming players, we've found our Polygon Doom.

 

[pirateluigi]

This concept as a text analysis seems weird and a waste of time, as reading someone describing the layout of a level ends up being very simplistic and dull. Pair some commentary with a video and it will stand up better.

Very much disagree. If anything I'd like to see more written analysis. There's a lot of information that can be conveyed through writing in a way that can't be through videos. I appreciate having both and commend the OP for the thorough, thoughtful analysis.

 

[ElectricBlanketFire]

This concept as a text analysis seems weird and a waste of time, as reading someone describing the layout of a level ends up being very simplistic and dull. Pair some commentary with a video and it will stand up better.

I completely disagree.

 

[sanstesy]

This is an amazing level

But the best part of it is this video:
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/42574278
Watch it from 4h09minutes

It is hilarious, I guarantee

Damn, seeing this just wants me start playing this again. Switch remaster when?

 

[ryechu]

Good heavens, the whining. For platforming players, we've found our Polygon Doom.

It's far worse, unfortunately. It would be like the Polygon journalist had the audacity to criticize Doom's control and difficulty curve because "too many enemies were coming from too many directions, with not nearly enough time to deal with them all."

 

[sixteen-bit]

I should really put more time into TF.

 

[Gin]

this game is the reason i havent sold my wii u as of yet...

 

[Bronetta]

The level design in Tropical Freeze is stunning.
It's almost "too good to be true".

When I played Tropical Freeze my dong was too expanded to be true.

A masterpiece in 2D platforming, I think I'll fire it up today for a few levels.

 

[Barrel Cannon]

I haven't finished my second play-through because my coworker borrowed it but the level design in Tropical Freeze is fantastic. The level design is arguably better than NSMBU for many stages which is a big praise from me because I love NSMBU

 

[TheMoon]

This is an amazing level

But the best part of it is this video:
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/42574278
Watch it from 4h09minutes

It is hilarious, I guarantee

So depressing to watch. Literally every single thing he says is objectively wrong.

 

[Bronetta]

This is an amazing level

But the best part of it is this video:
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/42574278
Watch it from 4h09minutes

It is hilarious, I guarantee

What a trash player. Whats sad is theres many people like this who specifically go into a game to nitpick and complain whether the game warrants it or not.

Then they go online to bitch about things which most other reasonable people just dont understand and we end up having arguments.

 

[SOR5]

Jesus Christ I love tropical freeze

 

[shandy706]

My 4 year old had a little trouble with this one, but managed to get through it.

She hasn't beaten TF, but she did beat 3D World. I'm sure she'll beat TF soon. She's as good if not better than her 9 year old sister at platformers.

 

[ChaosXVI]

A master class in level design, but it's a Retro Studios game, so that's what happens. I look forward to reading more of this when I'm done with work. But damn, Tropical Freeze is irrationally good. I seriously can't wait for their next game.

 

[Bronetta]

My 4 year old had a little trouble with this one, but managed to get through it.

She hasn't beaten TF, but she did beat 3D World. I'm sure she'll beat TF soon. She's as good if not better than her 9 year old sister at platformers.

Wow thats impressive considering theres grown ass men who complain about TF being too hard.

 

[Zalman]

This game is a masterpiece.

 

[To Far Away Times]

These are the sorts of things that separate the good games from the great ones.

DKCR is a special game.

 

[El Odio]

This is an amazing level

But the best part of it is this video:
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/42574278
Watch it from 4h09minutes

It is hilarious, I guarantee

Holy shit, watching this the guy literally points out the same type of system the OP outlines in a different level, wing dings, BUT IGNORES IT COMPLETELY. In the level he rolls past the first set of bells and actively acknowledges "oh I can ring them, that's cool" then hops on the first slide rope, past a set of bells and into a wall that gets destroyed when you ring the bells only he dies because he didn't ring them. He then goes on to literally complain that the game is unfair because the game is throwing obstacles in your face that you've never encountered before or been taught to handle. Like, holy shit dude.

 

[Niraj]

Nice post for a really great level. World 5 was my favorite.

This is an amazing level

But the best part of it is this video:
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/42574278
Watch it from 4h09minutes

It is hilarious, I guarantee

This remains as fucking bad as it was the first time I saw it (think somebody linked it in one of the old Tropical Freeze threads, or maybe the OT). Just so miserable.

 

[correojon]

This is an amazing level

But the best part of it is this video:
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/42574278
Watch it from 4h09minutes

It is hilarious, I guarantee

Wow that hurt. He just walks forward, jumps and dies at the same spot every time without learning anything. The problem is that he doesn´t trust the game at all, when the game is in fact telling him at any step what to do. Follow the bananas, the coins, use those safe platforms right before a new obstacle to take a moment and look at it...once you understand how it works you can blaze through everything. Don´t repeat the same thing over and over expecting different results and get angry when you get the same outcome.

I don´t consider myself a superplayer, but I could pull off some crazy stunts going at full speed because when I was lost I just followed blindly the bananas and hints the game gives you. If anything, this game is EXTREMELY FAIR.

ok I finished reading it

great analysis. I loved this level, especially the conclusion where they flip one of the main stage gimmicks on its head. retro really are masters of level design and even more than that their visual story telling and sense of context are second to none. like you said there are some details that are totally unnecessary from a pure gameplay perspective but they add to the level's theme and its place within the larger world.

I don't know how long this took you but I'd love to read more analyses like this. I've always wanted to go level by level with world 2 and detail the narrative of each level, how the narrative informs the gameplay, and how each level plays into the world and story. I don't think I'm good at getting my thoughts out into coherent write ups tho nor do I have the patience haha.

either way great work

Thanks for the kind words! While watching the above video I even found some new details in the backgrounds mixing the setting and the mechanics, the amount and quality of detail is amazing.

The analysis took around 4 days, I´m open for suggestions for more levels to review so just ask I´d like to review one or 2 more levels before moving on to another game, possibly NSMBU. Anyway I have a busy schedule so I won´t start on the next level for at least a few weeks.

OP you should make this a video series on YouTube. Much more accessible and clear that way, if you have the means and interest.

Thanks, I like that idea and may take on it on the future, but right now I don´t have much free time and a video would take me much more to edit (besides I have never done it so it would probably turn out horrible). But even if I make videos, I´ll still keep on doing written reviews as well.

No. I vastly prefer reading—it's searchable, skimmable, and easy to take non-linearly or at my own pace—and the mass abandonment of written design analysis for video, such that the only people left writing at all are early-career academics in cultural studies trying to build portfolio (as interesting as that work can sometimes be), is one of the worst things to happen to the conversation about video games on the Internet in the last five to ten years.

Thanks for putting this together, OP. Just a magnificent stage in an exemplary game, and like everything about DKCTF, much tighter from moment to moment than the surface visual spectacle would suggest. World 5, more than any other, also creates a great, coherent sense of flow and progression throughout the factory from stage to stage, a continuity of world design not often seen anymore.

Good heavens, the whining. For platforming players, we've found our Polygon Doom.

Glad you like it! I 100% agree with you, there´s a serious lack of this kind of content and even though I enjoy videos as well, I don´t think they should completely replace written reviews. BTW, World 5 was when I fell in love with the game, it´s just fantastic.

Very much disagree. If anything I'd like to see more written analysis. There's a lot of information that can be conveyed through writing in a way that can't be through videos. I appreciate having both and commend the OP for the thorough, thoughtful analysis.

Thanks! I think that I hadn´t written it I wouldn´t have been able to notice a lot of things and some would have become lost in speech, you´re spot on.

Holy shit, watching this the guy literally points out the same type of system the OP outlines in a different level, wing dings, BUT IGNORES IT COMPLETELY. In the level he rolls past the first set of bells and actively acknowledges "oh I can ring them, that's cool" then hops on the first slide rope, past a set of bells and into a wall that gets destroyed when you ring the bells only he dies because he didn't ring them. He then goes on to literally complain that the game is unfair because the game is throwing obstacles in your face that you've never encountered before or been taught to handle. Like, holy shit dude.

Yeah, I only watched him play 5-2 and 5-3 and by that point he was utterly antagonistic to the game, he had completely shut to any information the game was trying to tell him. I have to admit that it took me 3 tries for the game to click for me (or rather, for me to learn to listen to it) so I can understand his frustration, specially when playing through it all in a go. When reaching the last set of knives he starts saying that Rayman is better because everything works in set ways so that obstacles are predictable, while at the same time acknowledging the repeating cycles of the knives...and then he jumps straight into the knives and starts rushing forward without second thoughts :S

 

[zashga]

Nice analysis. Tropical Freeze is an all-time great 2D platformer in my book. Here's hoping it gets a Switch port so more people can give it a look.

This is an amazing level

But the best part of it is this video:
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/42574278
Watch it from 4h09minutes

It is hilarious, I guarantee

Oh god, I remember this guy. Absolutely exasperating watching him make the same dumb mistakes and fail every challenge over and over again, whining all the while about how unfair the game was.

 

[Tarry]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5wIIwBL784
Might like this video if you haven't seen it already.

 

[The Xtortionist]

This is an amazing level

But the best part of it is this video:
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/42574278
Watch it from 4h09minutes

It is hilarious, I guarantee

It makes my head shudder uncontrollably

 

[Pandy]

This is an amazing level

But the best part of it is this video:
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/42574278
Watch it from 4h09minutes

It is hilarious, I guarantee

Brilliant.
I loved that I knew he was going to compare it to Rayman several minutes before he did. In it's more 'difficult' moments it's guilty of exactly the crimes he's accusing Tropical Freeze of. Rayman's still good though, and about as good 2D platforming gets outside of a Nintendo platform.

Thanks for the thread, OP. I've got Tropical Freeze in my WiiU now, and planning to 100% it before Switch arrives.

 

[Marow]

Excellent write-up! You should start a blog or something. The game is so good and now I want to replay it, so thanks for that >_< I wish we got a third one, but a duology is fine too.

Since some have commented in videos, I do kinda agree it'd be a better fit for this kind of analysis. It allows the viewer to directly see what you're referring to in actual, moving, context. Images alone can't do that and you're particularly sparse with them, making it more hard than it should be to grasp things. Just some thoughts!

 

[phanphare]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5wIIwBL784
Might like this video if you haven't seen it already.

this was great too

dear whoever likes doing this kind of stuff

I'll donate to a kickstarter or equivalent service to get a deep dive into every level of the game

 

[Chezzymann]

This is an amazing level

But the best part of it is this video:
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/42574278
Watch it from 4h09minutes

It is hilarious, I guarantee

I was thinking about getting this game but Id probably play it like this guy, returns was just so damn hard for me. Couldnt get past world 4. Brought some friends over and they couldmt either lol