DKC Atlas Forum

[Stormy Fairweather]

Been giving it alot of thought... and I think I know what would be the best possible project for DKC.

The characters need to be Donkey Kong and Dixie. The only animation that would need to be made (or modified) would be to give him a 'holding buddy' effect (the riding animation will work great when dixie picks him up). Using the mechanics from number 3, DK can throw Dixie far, while DK can smash things like Kiddy (maybe slightly increase DK's size if it can done without distortion). And there is no reason DK can't keep Kiddys splash jump. As for story, besides the obvious who gives a monkey, have mr rool kidnap diddy.

The foundation needs to be DKC2, its engine is polished with some great little effects (like splashes when you knock enemies in water). Using the end level barrels from DK2 should work great with Donkey Kong by giving him a victory dance a la DKC intro (with the stereo), and he even has the eyes buggin out for bosses animation. It is a better engine than three, although I really can't put my fingers on why.

As for levels... as we can likely bypass SNES limitations, all of them. Among the new levels made for the Dixie/Donkey game there should be tokens to buy access to the original levels from DKC 1 2 and 3. Due to the similarities among the titles I don't see why it should be too hard to directly port the levels over and polish them from there. And for more fun, in this original levels should be hidden coins for playing new 'uber' levels.

Using almost only graphics and animatins already available, and the fantasitic game mechanics in 2, I speculate that a truly fantastic game could eb made on par with the original trilogy providing porting such things between them and utilizing the DKC2 engine can be done in a relatively simle manner. After all, using all three will allow for an amazing variety of monsters and obstacles. And aside from needing the change the diddy barrels to donkey barrels, there would be nowhere diddy could get to that donkey/dixie couldn't.

Of course, I am likely lamenting the loss of what I had expected DKC 3 to be... even after all these years I still can't think of a reason for that retarted baby instead of the guy the game was named after.

That being said, what I outlined here would be very popular, and probably closer to what people wanted from that 'new' donkey kong than what they got. Had I the resources and skills I would make this myself, if someone with the skill would care to make a project out of this with me, I will be game.

[A7Penn]

That doesn't sound half bad! Really well thought out idea. While I may not be able to help you with the technical stuff, if you ever were able to get something together I would totally be willing to help out with the level design or whatever else you needed.

[Simion32]

And your proposed tools for designing said game would be... ROM hacking?

I'm sorry, but it's just not that simple. You cannot just madly copy and paste from one game to another. This is not a high-level compiled language where things like that are possible.

Exactly one of the reasons why I'm developing the DKCLB — to bypass not only the SNES limitations but also the bloody insane complexity. It takes a lot of experience in 65C816 ASM to even do minor hacks, and the information you must know is very dry.

Tiles: maybe (DKC2/3 both use compression almost everywhere and have on the whole a lot more data than DKC, but less leftover room).
Sprites: possible.
ASM code? May as well forget that.

Oh and by the way, documents on DKC2/3 are lacking in the extremes. Makes using DKC2 as a base (even if technically possible) a complete shot in the dark.

[Stormy Fairweather]

Has anyone asked rare for the tools they used?

[Simion32]

All of that stuff is privatized and licensed out by Nintendo solely to the game devs while they are making the game.

I doubt Rare has any copy of it now. And there's no point in asking, as it's privatized c*pyrighted material and they are NOT going to give it way even if they still had it.

Buried somewhere in a (Nintendo Power?) magazine is told the graphics software they used, but it was designed solely for the Silicon Graphics workstation of olde.

That won't help us either, because DKC's graphics are not in the 3D format anymore, and to re-render everything would require the actual models (and we ain't getting hold of those until someone bans c*pyright law and force-leaks the material).

Welcome to the world of Corporate Greed.

[Stormy Fairweather]

I can understand greed (at least as a concept), but sitting on something that is of no value to oneself makes no sense to me. Nintendo, or Rare, stand to gain nothing by keeping the code under lock and key. Being greedy about something with no worth is just foolish, akin to the kid at the playground that would try and hoard the sand.

I sent a letter to Rare, in the letter I asked what would eb required or who I should talk to... if they tell me to send a letter to Nintendo I will do that.

Who knows... maybe something will actually come of it.

Edit - Is the term 'copyright' really so offensive that you need to censor it?

[Simion32]

You didn't happen to refer them here did you? If so, bad idea.

Also, don't mention ROMs or emulators anywhere or Nintendo will be on your trail like a rabid tiger. Seriously.

I've read letters before (a long time ago) where honest fans just got rejected. It's not worth trying, really.

Regardless, care to post the message here?

EDIT: No, but I sometimes do that to prevent direct searches of the term from leading to here.

The code and models aren't worth any active value, they are considered a corporate asset and have potential value.

EG: "We keep this stuff under lock and key because else wise we would loose $$$ because someone not authorized by us would have freedom to make as many XYZ games as they want -- without having to pay up."

Authorization - the false idea that you have to have permission from someone to do something. It's just a farce to control people in the end.

[Stormy Fairweather]

It never occured to me to point them here. But sure, below I have included the message. I think it better illustrates what I would actually like to see a little bettr than my first post here.

Spoiler!

I have a vision, a project I would like to breathe to life.

I want to make a new Donkey Kong Country, one that takes the greatest strengths of the original trilogy to create an entirely new experience that also encompasses the original. I am fully willing to do this on my own time as a fan project, I would be equally willing to go on a payroll to make this game for your companies profit. I don't care about the technicalities, I just want to make this vision real.

And here it is. Starring Donkey Kong, with Dixie as co-star, out to take over new banana hoards. We don't ask why bad guys have banana hoards, nor do we ask how they got there, no, what we will ask is: "How the hell do I beat that?"

The levels will range from cheery beaches to haunted mines. Sometimes even haunted beaches and cheery mines. The variety of levels in the DKC trilogy cover almost every feasable combination of enviroments. And new ones like a moonlight stroll in the snow, flooded ruins, burning brambles and nearly anything else that isn't already done would be a cinch with the same resources. New level themes ideas and challenges could easily be made with existing graphics.

The game will use the engine and physics from Donkey Kong Country 2. As well as the awesome prize barrel and victory riff. Well, Dixie will riff, DK will do something different, of course. Each level will have the 1 DK coin, kremcoin bonuses that can be collected once per level, and silver banana coins that respawn and will serve many uses. There will also be a wide variety of 'unlisted' secrets in the style of Donkey Kong Country ane even better, secondary exits that unlock different paths and levels. The world map will play very much like DKC3, except there will be no little use of vehicles aside from Funky's Plane (from DKC).

In addition to the game itself would be access to the worlds of DKC 1, 2 & 3, wherein there will be additional hidden tokens to access more features in the main game. Simply by giving Donkey the splash Jump and putting his mug on the Diddy Blast Barrels would make all three completable. And having a 'classical' option to use the original cast would not be out of place either.

It would be a compilation, homage and sequel all in one. Not only to Donkey Kong Country itself, but to the entire era of 2d patformers that climaxed in that iteration of patforming perfection.




Donkey Kong Country (all of them) look and play fantastic. Better graphics only takes focus, both in game and in development, from the game itself. The engine was genius, and there is a huge vacuum in the 2d platform genre. And frankly, Donkey Kong Country Returns is only a marketing success because in the last fifteen years people have forgotten how to play a platformer. People want what I am proposing, and people would love whoever gave it to them, with a pricetag or not.

The only animations required would be a victory dance for Donkey and a 'carrying buddy' walk/pose. And I could easily see Dk throwing down a boombox, putting on shades and crossing his arms as diddy's rap is played. And all the graphics that would be needed for that action already exist in DKC. Point is, nothing really new need be made to create the game I envisioning. I have given it much thought, and with the tools, time and dedication a single person could do what I envision with the resources already made... if we allow collaboration to take place.

Now, I know nothing about the legal mumbo jumbo (and care even less) surrounding propriety, ownership or any of that otehr nonsense. I am sending this letter to you because if anyone would actually have the data/tools I seek it would be you. I will make whatever concessions/compromises are required to make this project happen, with the exception of surrenduring creative control.

So please, if you can, release these tools/resources to me (or the community at large), and if for some reason you cannot, please tell me what I would have to do, or who I should appeal to to get them.

Stormy Fairweather

After having sent the letter, I realized I was mistaken about the graphics for Donkey Kong, as I overlooked the fact that he does not have animations for grabbing a rope over his head. I am confidant I could work out a solution were the resources available to me, so I doubt it is signifigant.