DKC Atlas Forum

[Jomingo]

It looks, feels, and plays very, very close to Donkey Kong Country. From a purely gameplay perspective, this is Donkey Kong Country. The only thing they've misstepped on is the mythos. The story and characters and universe is a tad off from what we've seen. Whereas the gameplay and aesthetic gets an A+, the mythos gets a C+ to B-. They have enough elements to pass, but it's low enough to disappoint some people. But the fact is that the gameplay has been held in tact even though well over a decade has passed, and they still have the necessities of the characters represented. It's not the most fleshed out, but the necessities are there.

Besides, look at it like this. DKC3 didn't have DK or Diddy playable, had Cranky downgraded to a small cameo role, didn't have Rambi, had a much different overworld design, and had a ton of new characters and new enemies. That game is still an awesome game even though some characters didn't return and the gameplay was different in some places.

Also, speaking of DKC3, that game was the first step on the way to making Funky useless. It is generally easier to move about the world map without having to go to Funky's Flights, and that's what they did in DKC3. You can just leave a world at will and walk to the next world without having to use a plane. In DKC3 their still were boats, but they weren't necessary and since this game is all on one island it doesn't need planes or boats. So Funky is out.

[Simion32]

After some semi-heavy thought on this, I agree with Jomingo Funky Kong was on the path to becoming useless far before this game was even conceived of.

In today's gaming world, there is this unspoken concept that says something along the lines of "If the game is wasting my time getting to the level to actually play it, the game automatically sucks more because I'm an impatient bastard". I'm quite sure this is what negative reaction Retro may have been trying to curb.


HOWEVER. Funky Kong indeed DID add an element to the first two games: Without beating levels X Y and Z, you cannot leave the current level because without Funky's Flights, you're stuck there. Which actually made sense.

Same for Candy Kong: part of what made the original DKCs soooo difficult is that you COULDN'T save every damn time you got to the map. By today's "standards" that notion is ridiculous, but only because gamers whined and moaned that "I can't save until I beat X, Y, and Z levels!" [Along with the typical parents turning off the system 'for' the kid (yes, it happened to me too when I was young) before a save, thus loosing all that time you had just invested.]

EDIT: Heck, they could have had Funky on the map, and when you get to him he gives you a "plane ticket" or something that will automatically enable leaving the current world to go elsewhere. Just call Funky up and he would fly you off where ever you needed to go.

[Jomingo]

You're right, that did make it more difficult. But it's artificial difficulty, and it's not really good game design. This game is going to be difficult, but it's not going to try and squeeze out difficulty in places that don't need it, ie. you have to beat X, Y, and Z before you can save. Gorilla Glacier is hard, not because the levels are designed really well, but because you have to beat like 4 or 5 of them before you can save. I'm ok with that being omitted in favor of more direct gameplay. Also, Cranky sells you a key that unlocks a secret level in each world. That easily could have been done by Funky's Flights, but I'm not surprised that Retro wanted to do the most efficient thing possible and condense it into one shop. That's just the way they are operating with this game, and I guess I don't mind it much.

They'll be back guys. Funky Kong was in Mario Kart, he's not going away. They just aren't going to use him unless they need him.

[HavocReaper48]

NEW GAMEPLAY TRAILER! Retro music to be heard, some hope to be gained:

Spoiler!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P539vVqaVYI&feature=player_embedded

I remembered the spoiler tags this time.

[Tiptup Jr.]

Who the hell am I kidding, I can't stay away from here.

Simion was on the right track to a really great point there... I mean, I'm old-fashioned. Modern gamers argue that making you wait for a reward or playing several repetitive levels to get to a really good one is fundamentally bad game design. I disagree. Part of the charm of the DKCs, and ALL of Rare's old games, was that they were classically difficult. They didn't baby you along. They put you somewhere and said "alright, beat the game." You had to work before you could save. You had to work before you could get to another world. That's just the way it was. You don't have to always play a game for fun, I guess is what I'm saying. They're works of art and sometimes the makers of a game (or the artists) might want to make you appreciate their art more. If that makes sense to anyone.

I guess that's why I'm pissed about the helper Kongs being gone: gaming is just so different now. Everyone's all "oh I hate Candy because she served no gameplay purpose" or "well Funky was getting useless anyway", but no. They're only useless once you make them useless. If Retro really wanted to, they could easily fit all five helper Kongs in perfectly. Gamers today just don't feel like working anymore, all they wanna do is shoot this or jump on that. Haha, listen to me, I sound like Cranky! I think the era has finally come where WE, the DKC fans and 90's gamers, are the old, out-dated group. We're the old people of gaming. The arrogant kids of gaming, mainly fps-players, World of Warcraft buffs and the baby boomer Wii Fit players, are the group being catered to and leaving us in the dust. Notice how most recent retro revivals (Sonic 4, NSMBW, and now this game) are making fans of their series pissed off. That's because they're not being made for the fans, they're being made to attract new players.

Plus at least New Super Mario Bros. Wii respected Mario's legacy of enemies and characters, and at least had halfway-decent gameplay. DKCR has phenomenal gameplay while leaving the mythos in the dust, and does not "touch all the bases" as you guys have been saying. Touching all the bases would be at least having two (preferably three) helper Kongs and more than one animal buddy... To sum this post up, there's more to a good game than good gameplay.

[BigDonkey101]

I'm looking forward to this game. I know that some people are disapointed with the lack of Kremlin's but this looks like it will be a game that respects the DKC series(unlike a certain game called Jungle Beat).

[Jomingo]

Is that Modern Gamer thing a jab at me? Because I am not a modern gamer. I'm just like you. The only difference is I recognize that that is bad game design and doesn't have to be done just because we used to do it. Things change and that sucks. We can't change the fact that things change. But they do, and this is what we're getting, and I like what I see anyway.

Besides, we do have two animal buddies.

[DK4Ever]

Hey guess what guys! We haven't played the game yet!

People, ESPECIALLY Tiptup, save the griping for when you finally play the game in November. It REALLY, REALLY does no good to hear the same complaints over and over again masked by different possible issues each time.

The only time these complaints will have any merit WHATSOEVER is when the game is finally played by all of us.

[Tiptup Jr.]

Hey guess what DK4Ever! I'VE PROBABLY SEEN ABOUT A HUNDRED SCREENSHOTS AND VIDEOS, PLUS WE HAVE EXPLICIT CONFIRMATION THAT CRANKY IS THE ONLY HELPER KONG AND THE KREMLINGS AND WATER LEVELS ARE OUT. No we haven't played the game, but we are completely justified in bitching about it. Like... are you kidding me? We know tons more than we did at E3. Give me a break. Regardless, I've been trying to be optimistic about it lately, so I'd rather not be pushed over the edge until late November.

(And no Jomingo, the modern gamer thing was not directed at you... Carry on.)

[Phyreburnz]

You know what, you say that it does no good complaining... Well what about defending the game? If we don't have enough idea of the game to complain, how do YOU have enough of an idea to praise it?

And you guys need to stop attacking Tiptup with such anger. If you're going to argue with him, at least try to be nice.

[Blaziken257]

OK... here are my two cents on this.

Before I say anything else, I will admit that I do not know much about this game, and that I haven't paid much attention to it except for a trailer and some really basic information about it. That's because I want to be pleasantly surprised by the game when it finally comes out and I get it -- if I know a lot about the game beforehand and then play it, I already know what to expect, right? So I don't really want to be spoiled a whole lot. (Man, I find myself saying this about a lot of games that I've been looking forward to lately... XD)

So I understand that there are no underwater levels, less animal friends, and less Kongs. The lack of underwater levels bothers me, since Enguarde was by far my favorite animal friend, but the other two things -- not so much. Maybe it's because the DKL series were among the first games that I've ever played (as well as a few others), and I played them long before any of the DKC games (after all, the GB was my first system ever...). (The last time that I told this to someone, he was really surprised, even with my loads of DKL videos that I have on YouTube, so apparently not many people are aware of this.) So anyway, my point is that DKL1 in particular only had two animal friends too, as well as DK64 (which I also played before any DKC game), so if anything, I'm kinda used to that. The same argument can be made about the Kongs: Barely any of the Kongs appeared in any of the DKL games, aside from the playable characters. None of them even had Cranky, except for in the instruction manuals! So again, I'm actually used to this. I know that most of you aren't, but that doesn't stop me from looking forward to this game.

Oh, it's different from the other DKC games, so that makes it bad, right? Well, a lot of people (unfairly) hated DKC3 for that reason: It had no pirate ship setting, totally different enemies, no Rambi, Diddy was replaced with Kiddy (who I personally don't like much, even though he can water-skip, can carry barrels faster, and can throw Dixie, but that doesn't kill the game for me), and basically it overall "felt" different from the first two games. So everybody hated it. Well, almost everybody. I actually liked it a lot, it's about as good as DKC2 in my opinion, and certainly better than the first DKC. In fact, it's one of the most underrated games that I've ever played. (A lot of stuff that I'm saying here also applies to DKL3 as well, which was my very first DK game.)

So basically people's reactions to DKCR are the same as DKC3: ZOMG IT'Z SO DIFFERENT SO IT MUST BE BAD LOLZ!!11! Given how much I liked DKC3 (and the fact that I tend to like a lot of games that a lot of people dislike), I'm probably going to like DKCR as well. Geez, a lot of people don't like change for some reason, and it seems that a lot of people like their games to be the same as before. If none of you want to play a game with new elements in it, quit complaining and play the original games instead.

Yes, DKCR isn't made by Rare. I don't care. Retro made Metroid Prime, and those games were among the best on the GameCube/Wii. I'm confident that Retro can impress again.

The only way that I'm not going to get DKCR is if it gets loads of low reviews -- I mean really low. If that doesn't happen (and I'm sure that it won't), then I will get it. Nobody can stop me, and nobody can tell me what not to get.

Wow, I didn't even realize that I wrote so much until now... It seems that every time I write anything these days, I get really carried away and write long rants.

[clntgn]

I'm pretty excited about this game. It looks great, as shown by the new gameplay vids, and it looks like it'll be a lot of fun. I'm not missing Funky overly much, and the fact that I don't have to get through three or four levels to save is a good thing. It's one of the main things that drags down NSMB (DS version, haven't played the Wii one) for me. I actually play with a cheat code that allows me to save anywhere for just that reason. I think I can join in this chorus of having my mom turn off the system, or at the very least be frustrated with how long it took to get to save. I mean, it doesn't make sense to me that in order to leave a world and go back to the previous one, I'd have to get FURTHER in that world. Retro understands this. It's not real difficulty. I've been playing games almost my whole life (20 years) and I've never enjoyed that aspect of ANY game. I could deal with it in RPGs, but really anything else. No. Difficulty should correlate with skill more than anything. Its one of the main things that still bothers me when I fire up my SNES and play, well, ANY game really, not just the DKC games.

And the whole thing with the kremlings doesn't bother me either. It just doesn't. As long as I'm having fun playing it (and I haven't yet, so I can't judge that factor) I don't care who I'm hitting.

Only complaint is it sounds like they used some cheaper sounding samples in the music. Probably for nostalgialolololol.

EDIT: Also, DKC3 is my favorite as well. Better than one by miles in my opinion. I thought it did a better job of mixing in the something new and something the same in each level much better than the previous games.

[Jomingo]

This is what I have to say: I think we have have enough information to make an opinion, be it positive or negative. There is a fair amount of evidence for Tiptup to be pissed, and I think I have enough evidence to be as excited for it as I am. Sure, I think that there's still a considerable amount that we don't know and that Tiptup will still probably love this game, but at least at this point in time he can be justifiably pissed, though I don't agree with him.
Also, I don't think I'm attacking Tiptup. His opinion differs from mine, and I've stated why I think I'm right and he's wrong; he's done the same. This is pretty much how this goes, and I'm not sure what you expect me to do differently. We are going to continue to counter each other until we accept each other's opinions, and then new info will come out and we will bicker some more. Then we will play the game and bicker about it for years to come until the sequel comes out. If we weren't arguing there would be no point in posting. This is called conversation, and when everyone agrees there's not much to add to it. Like when DK4Ever and I were the only ones posting for awhile and it got boring.

So continue to disagree with me so that we can celebrate the release of this game in the usual ceremonial way: amongst constant bitching and contention. I think we all prefer it this way.

[Krow111]

The gameplay video (courtesy of HavocReaper48) shows that there will be remixes of old tracks along with new music as well. So far, the only remixes I've heard are the themes of the temple and mine cart levels from DKC. Also, this game has some cool levels with unique gimmicks (like Muncher Marathon in which you are chased by many spiders) which were present in the DKC games. My biggest question for this game right now is what do the puzzle pieces do, what bonus do you get for collecting all of them in a stage, and what happens when you get all of them? I wonder...

[Phyreburnz]

Jomingo, that was not directed toward you. I am NOT saying to not argue. I am saying NOT to attack. If you're going to argue, do it with justifiable material and try to respect the other person's opinion. I understand what conversation is and I do not see why you are being so rude toward me. If you didn't notice, it's pretty obvious that Tiptup is upset. Go to the "random thought topic" forum and read his last post. I feel bad because Tiptup feels that everyone is attacking him. Read what he wrote.

[Blaziken257]

I'd rather not say much about this because I don't really want to start a flame war, except to say that I mostly agree with you...

OK, now for the main reason why I'm posting: I just saw a second trailer when I looked at the Nintendo Channel on my Wii (yes, I didn't notice it until now, I don't want to hear that I've been living under a rock), which has footage of Rambi in it. I have to say: The game looks awesome and anybody who doesn't like the game after seeing that is nuts in my opinion. I'm sorry if that's insulting, but it's also the truth.

Wait, did I just repeat what someone said in an old DKC trailer in that last sentence?

[Cody]

Who the hell am I kidding, I can't stay away from here.

Simion was on the right track to a really great point there... I mean, I'm old-fashioned. Modern gamers argue that making you wait for a reward or playing several repetitive levels to get to a really good one is fundamentally bad game design. I disagree. Part of the charm of the DKCs, and ALL of Rare's old games, was that they were classically difficult. They didn't baby you along. They put you somewhere and said "alright, beat the game." You had to work before you could save. You had to work before you could get to another world. That's just the way it was. You don't have to always play a game for fun, I guess is what I'm saying. They're works of art and sometimes the makers of a game (or the artists) might want to make you appreciate their art more. If that makes sense to anyone.

I guess that's why I'm pissed about the helper Kongs being gone: gaming is just so different now. Everyone's all "oh I hate Candy because she served no gameplay purpose" or "well Funky was getting useless anyway", but no. They're only useless once you make them useless. If Retro really wanted to, they could easily fit all five helper Kongs in perfectly. Gamers today just don't feel like working anymore, all they wanna do is shoot this or jump on that. Haha, listen to me, I sound like Cranky! I think the era has finally come where WE, the DKC fans and 90's gamers, are the old, out-dated group. We're the old people of gaming. The arrogant kids of gaming, mainly fps-players, World of Warcraft buffs and the baby boomer Wii Fit players, are the group being catered to and leaving us in the dust. Notice how most recent retro revivals (Sonic 4, NSMBW, and now this game) are making fans of their series pissed off. That's because they're not being made for the fans, they're being made to attract new players.

Plus at least New Super Mario Bros. Wii respected Mario's legacy of enemies and characters, and at least had halfway-decent gameplay. DKCR has phenomenal gameplay while leaving the mythos in the dust, and does not "touch all the bases" as you guys have been saying. Touching all the bases would be at least having two (preferably three) helper Kongs and more than one animal buddy... To sum this post up, there's more to a good game than good gameplay.

Thank you very much for explaining exactly why I'm not at all interested in this game. It's appreciated and saved me a good half hour

[Tiptup Jr.]

Haha, you're welcome. I mean, I'm still getting it and all- but I'm taking it with a grain of salt. Or maybe a whole salt shaker.

There sure are a lot of negative feelings in this thread! Thank you for defending me Phyreburnz, but I don't necessarily feel attacked... Maybe just a bit. Anyhoo, peace, love and whatnot.

[Tiptup Jr.]

Alright. Do not- I repeat, DO NOT- click on this unless you're interested in viewing *possible* major spoilers. I am not kidding. Those interested in finding certain things out for themselves should NOT click this. You have been warned.

Spoiler!

http://www.gamespot.com/pages/forums/show_msgs.php?topic_id=27491447

Granted, it might not be real. But it looks legitimate enough, as concept art, to be real... and if it is. Holy motherflipping crap.

[Gnawzooka]

Spoiler!

to be honest not all that surprising. I hope it is indeed true though.
I'd guess the pessimisits are feeling a little silly now.

[Tiptup Jr.]

Spoiler!

Not really, as we had every reason to be pessimistic and there's still a large chance this is fake. The kid who posted it says on his profile that he's an artist; maybe he just posted a fake spoiler to see how believable people thought it was, to test his art ability and such.

[DK4Ever]

Hey guess what DK4Ever! I'VE PROBABLY SEEN ABOUT A HUNDRED SCREENSHOTS AND VIDEOS, PLUS WE HAVE EXPLICIT CONFIRMATION THAT CRANKY IS THE ONLY HELPER KONG AND THE KREMLINGS AND WATER LEVELS ARE OUT. No we haven't played the game, but we are completely justified in bitching about it. Like... are you kidding me? We know tons more than we did at E3. Give me a break. Regardless, I've been trying to be optimistic about it lately, so I'd rather not be pushed over the edge until late November.

(And no Jomingo, the modern gamer thing was not directed at you... Carry on.)

I mean, maybe you think YOU are justified, but until you play the game, you don't know how these elements are going to mesh. Plus, now, we don't know if K. Rool ISN'T the villain.

Essentially, I'm tired of the negativity about something that isn't out yet. On a completely unrelated note, what's your astrological sign, Tiptup?

[Krow111]

First of all, Retro Studios confirmed there will be no kremlings. Second, the guy who posted the pic is an artist, and was made as a fake to fool people. Nothing but fan art, really.

[HavocReaper48]

Can't everyone just be happy there is a new Donkey Kong Country? The newest DKC in over a decade. A DECADE WAIT. I personally think the game is more of a fan-loyalty test than the game intended to make DK fans flame each other on forums; they're pushing a lot of things but honestly to me the game looks like the game of 2010. And beyond. (see also: Donkey Kong Country, game of 1994). Just be happy we're getting HD Donkey Kong Country. Well, even more HD Donkey Kong Country, that is:



There's the HD Donkey Kong Country island, courtesy of the Donkey Kong Wikia.

Also keep in mind this is NOT the true Donkey Kong Country 4. We'll still have to wait for that legendary game to be released. For now, DKC Returns. Now it's returning, next after returning it will be more established.

[Jomingo]

I wasn't trying to attack anyone, and I certainly wasn't trying to be rude.

As for the "art", I'm almost sure it's fake.

[HavocReaper48]

http://www.dkvine.com/newnews/images/DKCR_NP_6.jpg No, that's the official artwork. Seen in Nintendo Power.

Also, I'd like to get off topic and show everyone the irony I just felt, best displayed in pictures:


^1994


^2010

DKCR is not the first time Diddy would be riding on DK's back...

[Krow111]

http://www.dkvine.com/newnews/images/DKCR_NP_6.jpg No, that's the official artwork. Seen in Nintendo Power.

He wasn't talking about the map, he was talking about the fake K. Rool picture for DKCR that Tiptup Jr. posted a few posts above.

DKCR is not the first time Diddy would be riding on DK's back...

They meant it would be the first time riding on his back in-game, for your information.

[Tiptup Jr.]

...Jungle Climber?

[Krow111]

I haven't played Jungle Climber so I wouldn't know. It's the first two player DK game where Diddy rides on his back then.

[Blaziken257]

The first main series one, too...

[Sockpuppet]

Spoiler!

Another gameplay video (with audible music ):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_vjj4-CnTU

[Gnawzooka]

Holy crap that's awesome. The mine carts look amazing.

On a side note: SOCKPUPPET!

[HavocReaper48]

Sorry uh, I don't know much beyond DKC series <_>

And uh, yeah you knew what I meant there Krow.

I just saw that new trailer, and gained so much more hope. I question some areas but I'll admit I underestimated Retro.

[Swing King]

I've come back from the dead for this game. I can't wait to play it, and discuss it with some familiar faces (and some new ones too)!!!

[Tiptup Jr.]

It's gonna be fricking epic, dude. I am pretty excited, despite all the stuff I've said previously... I'm completely alright with the Tiki Tak Tribe (tee hee) and while the lack of a few more Kongs is a bummer, I'd be a fool if I wasn't drooling out the mouth for this. I'm actually gonna try to stay away from looking at anymore videos or screenshots though- I want some of it to be a surprise! I don't want this game to be another Barrel Blast situation, where I practically knew everything about the game before it came out and then when I got it, playing it seemed pretty pointless. Still fun, but not much surprise.

[Swing King]

I've been trying that too, but to no avail so far.

Ilove the looks of the Tiki Tak Tribe. Being the weirdo I am, I thought of Tak and the Power of Juju (which seemed DKC-based anyway) when I saw the first trailer. The Tiki Army's name didn't help much either.

Now that I got that out of my system...

[donkey-kong]

Sucks there won't be any Kremlings(?), but ah well.. The tikis look cool. This game looks so sweet, I can't wait to get it! When I heard the song from the original DKC in the trailer, I felt a huge wave of nostalgia...

[Scraps69]

It's gonna be fricking epic, dude. I am pretty excited, despite all the stuff I've said previously... I'm completely alright with the Tiki Tak Tribe (tee hee) and while the lack of a few more Kongs is a bummer, I'd be a fool if I wasn't drooling out the mouth for this. I'm actually gonna try to stay away from looking at anymore videos or screenshots though- I want some of it to be a surprise! I don't want this game to be another Barrel Blast situation, where I practically knew everything about the game before it came out and then when I got it, playing it seemed pretty pointless. Still fun, but not much surprise.

I'm just going to add this quote just in case Tiptup Jr decides to edit his post and declare his hate for the game again heh.

But that gameplay video pretty much makes me grin.

[Kiddy14]

I just preordered DKCR! Yay!
But we've got no GameStop, we have GamePlanet O.o
Apparently, GameStop is giving Wiimote Banana Pouches for preordering... GamePlanet's giving backpacks...

Do you know if they're giving these anywhere else?

[Tiptup Jr.]

Not in my area. But what's that on the right? Something about the Donkey Kong arcade? ...I'm taking in Spanish in skewl, but it's a work in progress. I've still yet to preorder, but it's basically a matter of catching my dad in a good mood and persuading him to drive to the city to get it... we live like, half an hour away from a Gamestop. Grr.

OMIGOSH I'M SO EXCITED!!! Quite a bit of info has been revealed that hasn't been discussed in this thread. Not sure if this qualifies as a spoiler, but:

Spoiler!

This game's version of Super Guide will be a character named Super Kong, who apparently shows up after you die eight times and offers to play through the level for you. I won't use it, but as long as it's optional I guess I don't have a problem with it. Back in my day though... that kinda crap didn't exist. Link: http://wii.ign.com/articles/113/1132979p1.html

[Phyreburnz]

Well, Tiptup, I used some translator thing and got "Participates for an Arcady original of donkey kong" but I'm pretty sure it means "Participate for an Arcade original of Donkey Kong".

[Tiptup Jr.]

Well yeah, I had gathered that much without a translator, it just seems strange. And do you pay $999 to enter the contest or something? Ahhh! Still beats our crappy banana-shaped Wii Remote holder, though... sad face.

[Kiddy14]

No, you preorder your copy with $99 Mexican Pesos, the final game costs $999 Pesos (about $80 US dollars).
That to the right is just a teaser =P "Participate for an original Donkey Kong Arcade." It says "próximamente," which means "soon," so I have no idea D=
I'll take a picture of the backpack when I get it, mwahahaha!

Spoiler!

I didn't like the idea of Super Kong =[

[Tiptup Jr.]

Spoiler!

Eh... I don't like it either, but like I said, if I don't have to do it then I'm fine. I guess this kinda thing's pretty universal in Nintendo games these days (NSMBW, Galaxy 2). Plus it just dawned on me: we know some items require Diddy's jetpack to reach, so expect a white version of him too.

But holy fudge I can't wait for this, and to see who the final boss is... we still really don't know yet!

[HavocReaper48]

Though the backpack beats the yellow holder, I still would want something more, like a red Nintendo hat or even a DK tie

Spoiler!

WTF? Super Kong? ...that's the worst idea to enter the DKC series since Krocto-wat in DKC3. Come on, the point is to die many, many, (many) times in Gorilla Glacier and ACTUALLY FEEL A TON OF ACCOMPLISHMENT at the end! Not to have the stupid CPU walk you through it...

[clntgn]

Spoiler!

The point of Super Kong, I believe, is to allow the difficulty of the game to remain the same, while allowing a less skilled player the opportunity to see how a pro might do it. It still retains the difficulty for older gamers, but is still accessible by other people. Its a smart idea in my opinion. That way you sacrifice neither difficulty nor accessibility, thereby hopefully increasing marketability.

That all being said, everything looks top notch. Whether you agree with the lack of kremlings or not, I personally like the new enemy design. And from a recent video I saw as well, it appears that P2 has more control over Diddy than I previously thought. You can move around etc. which I really didn't see at first for some odd reason. Not too much had really been said on his functionality. Since me and my brothers and sisters (along with a majority of people world-wide) love the multiplayer on NSMBWii this is certainly a welcome addition. I thought multiplayer on the original series felt a little drab, but that was due to technical limitations at the time (having two playable character on a screen at the same time was tough in those days). Every little bit I see of this game makes me more excited. I'm a full grown adult, yet any time I see a new game, I don't let my adulthood get the better of me. I treat everything like a brand new experience, like I did when I was in first grade, around the time dkc3 came out (my favorite of the series). Its like, getting nostalgic about games that haven't been released yet. It feels so awesome.

[Krow111]

There is some new footage on the American DKCR website.
http://donkeykong.nintendo.com/
I can't wait! Only ten more days!

[Tiptup Jr.]

Yeah, I just got the new GameInformer and I can confirm they gave DKCR Game of the Month and a 9.5. They had nothing but praise for it, except one remark about shaking the Wii Remote to roll not being as intuitive as it could be... Which is something I've expected from the beginning. It baffles me why Nintendo didn't get cover space for this crap.

(And I have to wait a whole SEVEN DAYS before I can preorder!!! My dad doesn't get his paycheck until then, mooching off others ftw.)

[HavocReaper48]

Thank God, 9.5/10... I have a subscription myself but did not get the issue yet. Is it the one with the bunch of different video game characters on the cover, near a table?

Game of the Month... phew...



Hadda do that, sorry.

[Scraps69]

MAJOR SPOILERS:

NintedoWorld Article before it got put down (includes final boss, volcano and factory level details and tonnes more):

Spoiler!

After my last impressions, I don't have a lot more to say about Donkey Kong Country Returns. However, I know there are a lot of crazy Donkey Kong Country fanatics out there, and this post is dedicated to you. Let this be your final warning - I will be discussing later levels and end-game content.

First, the music. Donkey Kong Country was well known for its exceptional score by David Wise, which led to Nintendo's first CD and cassette game soundtrack in the US. This game's music is made up mostly of rearrangements of Wise's work, often with several very nice and unconventional variations and good use of dynamic music. Most of the new tracks aren't as catchy, though there aren't too many of them.

Donkey Kong Country Returns is by no means an easy game, but the difficulty really starts to ramp in the World 6: Cliff. World 7 is the Factory and World 8 is the Volcano, home of DK's new nemesis, the Tiki Tak Tribe.

While the factories in previous games were dark and dingy, this game's lighter side shows through. The levels themselves are quite inventive, including a level full of switches that toggle platforms. The silhouette style makes another appearance, and punctuating the designers' attention to detail, in the background you can see a couple neat Easter eggs: the ruins of the original Donkey Kong stage, and Mr. Game & Watch. Capping off the absurdity, it turns out that the factory is being run by a chicken!

The fiery volcanic stages can be pretty brutal, testing your platforming limits. Extra lives can be bought from Cranky for cheap, though. The final Tiki battle is highly reminiscent of a few other games, namely, Kirby Super Star's The Great Cave Offense, Star Fox 64, and Super Smash Bros. I don't want to spoil the ending completely, so suffice it to say, like much of the game, it's hilariously over-the-top.

After the battle, the game isn't over yet, though; there's still a ton of even crazier challenges to complete. The game has unlockable art galleries, music, and dioramas. After beating the game for the first time, the Golden Temple appears. However, to play the stages contained within, you'll have to find all of the collectables in the earlier stages. Other secret stages appear in the other worlds as well. And Cranky keeps talking about a mystical Golden Banana...

And again, if you don't mind spoilers, check out our exclusive footage of the later stages below.

impressions
Donkey Kong Country Returns (North America)

by Aaron Kaluszka, IT Managing Editor - November 12, 2010 - 1:22 P.M.
Total Comments: 1

WARNING: In this post, we spoil the entire game.

After my last impressions, I don't have a lot more to say about Donkey Kong Country Returns. However, I know there are a lot of crazy Donkey Kong Country fanatics out there, and this post is dedicated to you. Let this be your final warning - I will be discussing later levels and end-game content.

First, the music. Donkey Kong Country was well known for its exceptional score by David Wise, which led to Nintendo's first CD and cassette game soundtrack in the US. This game's music is made up mostly of rearrangements of Wise's work, often with several very nice and unconventional variations and good use of dynamic music. Most of the new tracks aren't as catchy, though there aren't too many of them.

Donkey Kong Country Returns is by no means an easy game, but the difficulty really starts to ramp in the World 6: Cliff. World 7 is the Factory and World 8 is the Volcano, home of DK's new nemesis, the Tiki Tak Tribe.

While the factories in previous games were dark and dingy, this game's lighter side shows through. The levels themselves are quite inventive, including a level full of switches that toggle platforms. The silhouette style makes another appearance, and punctuating the designers' attention to detail, in the background you can see a couple neat Easter eggs: the ruins of the original Donkey Kong stage, and Mr. Game & Watch. Capping off the absurdity, it turns out that the factory is being run by a chicken!

The fiery volcanic stages can be pretty brutal, testing your platforming limits. Extra lives can be bought from Cranky for cheap, though. The final Tiki battle is highly reminiscent of a few other games, namely, Kirby Super Star's The Great Cave Offense, Star Fox 64, and Super Smash Bros. I don't want to spoil the ending completely, so suffice it to say, like much of the game, it's hilariously over-the-top.

After the battle, the game isn't over yet, though; there's still a ton of even crazier challenges to complete. The game has unlockable art galleries, music, and dioramas. After beating the game for the first time, the Golden Temple appears. However, to play the stages contained within, you'll have to find all of the collectables in the earlier stages. Other secret stages appear in the other worlds as well. And Cranky keeps talking about a mystical Golden Banana...

And again, if you don't mind spoilers, check out our exclusive footage of the later stages below.

Partial (alliterative) stage list:

Jungle

1-1 Jungle Hijinxs
1-2 King of Cling
1-3 Tree Top Bop
1-4 Sunset Shore
1-5 Canopy Cannons
1-6 Crazy Cart
1-B Mugly's Mound


Beach

2-1 Poppin' Planks
2-2 Sloppy Sands
2-3 Peaceful Pier
2-4 Cannon Cluster
2-5 Stormy Shore
2-6 Blowhole Bound
2-7 Tidal Terror
2-B Pinchin' Pirates


Ruins

3-1 Wonky Waterway
3-2 Button Bash
3-3 Mast Blast
3-4 Damp Dungeon
3-5 Itty Bitty Biters
3-6 Temple Topple
3-7 Ruined Roost

Cave

4-1 Rickety Rails
4-2 Grip & Trip
4-3 Bombs Away
4-4 Mole Patrol
4-5 Crowded Cavern
4-B The Mole Train


Forest

5-1 Vine Valley
5-2 Clingy Swingy
5-3 Flutter Flyaway
5-4 Tippin' Totems
5-5 Longshot Launch
5-6 Springy Spores
5-7 Wigglevine Wonders
5-8 Muncher Marathon
5-B Mangoruby Run


Cliff

6-1 Sticky Situation
6-2 Prehistoric Path
6-3 Weighty Way
6-4 Boulder Roller
6-5 Precarious Plateau
6-6 Crumble Canyon
6-7 Tippy Shippy
6-8 Clifftop Climb
6-B Thugly's Highrise

Factory

7-1 Foggy Fumes
7-2 Slammin' Steel
7-3 Handy Hazards
7-4 Gear Getaway
7-5 Cog Jog
7-6 Switcheroo
7-7 Music Madness
7-R Lift-off Launch
7-B Feather Fiend


Volcano

8-1 Furious Fire
8-2 Hot Rocket
8-3 Roasting Rails
8-4 Smokey Peak
8-5 Bobbing Basalt
8-6 Moving Melters
8-7 Red Red Rising
8-B Tiki Tong Terror


Golden Temple

PICTURE of the FINAL BOSS

Spoiler!

dkcr final boss.png (210.66 KiB) Viewed 124766 times

REUPLOADED (by someone else) SPOILER VIDEO:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MJXoovV-8k