DKC Atlas Forum

[Gaz]

Just as the topic says. This forum topic is intended to be a comprehensive list about things that Rare could've improved in their re-releases of Donkey Kong games (the Donkey Kong Country series, Diddy Kong Racing DS, and possibly Donkey Kong GB - Dinky Kong and Dixie Kong).

We all know that the re-releases for the Donkey Kong games were rushed in certain ways, right? Well, it means there could've been some room for improvement, even for the re-releases (which I like and feel is underrated). Like Diddy Kong Racing DS could've had less touch screen challenges, Time Attack for DKC3 GBA, etc. All of the games are categorized by release order.

This list should be updated in the future. Feel free to contribute for me to add to the list! So without further ado, here are the list of things that could've been improved in the remakes of Rare's Donkey Kong games:
Donkey Kong GB - Dinky Kong and Dixie Kong
* The Game Boy Color version should have been released in American under the title of Donkey Kong Land III DX. The remake should've also had the Bear and world map animation restored (submitted by geno).

Donkey Kong Country (GBC)
* Galleon Gunner should have a Kremling head icon after Wanted is completed and DK's head icon when completed.
* You need to press down to go from Galleon Gunner to Wanted (should be Left, if you ask me).
** To make this further strange, you press Right on the D-Pad to go from Wanted to Galleon Gunner (and DK goes down and right to go there...)
* DK faces right when you start playing Crosshair Cranky, even if DK Island cannot be accessed.
* Why is Kongo Jungle named Crosshair Cranky? Couldn't DK just start out at Kremlings and Kongs on the world map?
* Why do Diddy and Donkey turn into an Animal Buddy? Donkey Kong Land allowed players to ride the Animal Buddy. Donkey Kong Land 2 and 3 don't, though. (submitted by geno)
* Why is Ice Cave Chant played in Snow Barrel Blast and Ice Age Alley? It should be played in Slipslide Ride... Slipslide Ride oddly used Donkey Kong Land's underwater theme... (submitted by geno)
* The Warp Barrel of Mine Cart Carnage had been removed for an unspecified reason. Did Rare forget to add it?
* Crosshair Cranky doesn't involve Cranky at all, just like Funky Fishing doesn't involve Funky.
* Candy's Challenges cannot be played in the Bonus option of the selection screen. It can only be played in the adventure mode. Once the world's challenge is completed, it cannot be played again.

Donkey Kong Country (GBA)
* Why does this port even exist? I mean, I do enjoy it, but Donkey Kong Country for the Game Boy Color was released three years prior to this version's release.
* King K. Rool is slower in this version and jumps too low. He should've been easier to battle. (submitted by geno)
* Donkey Kong's two big toes are too close together in the Game Over screen. The forest background doesn't bother me, though.
* Why are green Kritters replaced by purple Kritters in the game? That's rather odd. I'm okay about it, though. (geno and CountryFan noticed)
* According to geno, the DKC GBA series should've retained the sound effects from their SNES counterparts, except for the Kongs' voices. (in his opinion)
* Funky's Fishing is a dumb idea. (submitted by Phyreburnz)
* Candy's Dance Studio isn't a good mini-game idea. (submitted by geno)

Donkey Kong Country 2 (GBA)
* Rare could've really fixed the ROCKARD/WELLARD glitch, all right. That just glitches Diddy's Dash.
* Why are there Bonus Barrels and bananas in Diddy's Dash, both of which do nothing?
* The FREEDOM cheat can trap you in a world that isn't Gangplank Galleon if you did not pass the Funky's Flights II mission in Gangplank Galleon.
* Why do you have to pay Banana Coins to fight a boss again? Couldn't Rare have just moved these bosses to the Diddy's Dash mode instead? This gives you a further problem with the FREEDOM glitch, because if you defeat the boss, you only get Extra Life Balloons and you don't exit the world.
* Diddy's Dash's background is really bland. It's just a blue background that says DKC and shows giant bananas. DKC GBA had a unique background.
* The icons look like direct screenshot rips from DKC2 SNES, but without the sprites. For example, Topsail Trouble's icon is sunny, even if the level is rainy.
* The other bugs in Diddy's Dash that exist (like passing the No Animal Sign with Rattly in Topsail Trouble).
* The Game Over screen has a purple tint, as opposed to black in the original Super Nintendo version. That's rather odd... I am okay without the screen going red, though.
* It is easy to lose a life after Kerozene is defeated. (submitted by geno)
* The "Run, Rambi, Run" theme goes unused & is only in the Sound Test. (submitted by Valerius Dover)
* Too many collectables (submitted by Valerius Dover)
* Funky's Flights II and Expresso's Racing mini-games are bad. (submitted by Phyreburnz)
* Bag a Bug isn't a good mini-game, and Klubba, out of all NPCs, wants the Kongs to catch him little bugs. (submitted by geno)

Donkey Kong Country 3 (GBA)
* Why did Rare exclude a Time Attack mode? GameSpot lists this as the con of the game, because DKC1 and DKC2 GBA had Time Attack modes.
* No Cast of Characters!!! D: (submitted by Valerius Dover)
* No opening sequence, unlike its two predecessors.
* Kiddy's cry is too high pitched (thanks, CountryFan and geno)
* Bleak's laugh is ruined (submitted by geno).
* The sound effects for this game are stolen from DKC1 GBA and DKC2 GBA.
* The Game Over screen's setting is too bright and is no longer creepy, removing its once-dark atmosphere.
* "Arich Boss" for the final battle theme, as opposed to "Bad Boss Boogie". (submitted by Valerius Dover)
* Script cleanup (submitted by Valerius Dover)
* Ending is too rushed, as the Banana Bird Queen chase is severely shortened. (submitted by Valerius Dover; although DKC3 SNES's is just as rushed)
* The Brothers Bear theme plays in almost every NPC location. (submitted by Valerius Dover)
* The game needs more music, generally speaking. (submitted by Valerius Dover)
* Frosty Frolics now has a VERY unsuitable theme...
* Funky's mini-games aren't fun, except the one involving lanky (submitted by geno)

Diddy Kong Racing DS
* Geno personally believes that Kiddy should've been playable in Diddy Kong Racing DS.
* Those stupid touch screen challenges!!!! D:< Everyone, including IGN, GameSpot, critics, and gamers, despise them.
* The exclusion of poor Banjo and Conker. (Micro$oft...) Although, I like having Dixie & Tiny in-game.
* Tiny's design would forever be ruined, starting with this game... Her name is now self-contradictory.

Blaziken257
geno
Qyzbud

[Geno]

Let's see

==GBA==
DKC GBA should have kept the original Kritter colours. Bright Purple Kritter being the most common? what?
Also, in DKC GBA, most of the hidden Banana Bunches, and one Blue Extra Life Balloon are missing in Jungle Hijinxs. I know that's not much of an issue, but it kinda bothered me when I played it.
In DKC GBA, yet again, they should have made K Rool's attack pattern like the original SNES version. What I mean, is that on GBA he runs painfully slow, and jumps ridiculously low, at leas during the cannonball attack.

DKC2 GBA. Make dying after beating Kerozene impossible. It cost me 25 lives in that battle just because of that!

I believe that all the GBA remakes should have used SFX from the SNES games. (Or at least SFX that was closer to the originals) (The voice clips for the Kongs could stay, I guess)

And DKC3 especially. Kiddy Kong's crying, and Bleak's laughing are completely ruined by the GBA port.

By the way, the reason DKC2 GBA's Diddy's Dash icons have the wrong palettes for some stages, is that they only made one per archetype (although Haunted Hall uses the Roller Coaster one.)

==GBC==
DKC GBC, probably should have used Ice Cave Chant for the Slipslide Ride level, instead of using it for Snow Barrel Blast and Ice Age Alley. (Which would use the DKL snow theme)
It also should have had the Kongs able to ride Animal Buddies, instead of them becoming them (and losing them forever if one were to press SELECT)
Donkey Kong GB: Dinky Kong and Dixie Kong should have been released in other countries (under the name "Donkey Kong Land III DX" or something), and with the animation frames restored to the map screens and Bear.

==Diddy Kong Racing DS==
Why was Banjo replaced with Tiny Kong anyway?
Should have had Kiddy (Unless they really wanted DK64 represented, then Chunky time)
I've never played DKRDS, so I do not know of these newfangled "touch screen games" you are talking about.
Although by the sound of it, I probably wouldn't like it.

That's all the complaints I have for now.

[CountryFan]

DKC GBA - Yeah, why ARE Kritters now purple?

DKC3 GBA - Don't know about Bleak, but the sound Kiddy makes when throwing a tantrum is practically ear-piercing, as opposed to sound he makes on the SNES.

DKCR DS - Replacing Banjo with Tiny isn't the problem, it's the nonsensical change in her appearance that is. As well as the fact that she had that look again in Barrel Blast.

[Gaz]

All righty, then. I'll update the list right now.

[Geno]

Well, I watched a video of the GBA version boss fight for Bleak.


Now, Bleak does a generic "AAAAAAH!" voice clip. WITH THE ORIGINAL LAUGHING ANIMATION!

It's so unfitting it hurts.


By the way, I'd prefer it if you typed my name in uppercase. It was only lowercase so I could be lazy when logging in, but I discovered the "Keep Logged In" or whatever it's called button.

[Tailikku]

Adding to Geno's last post, K. Rool uses Chunky's voice clips instead of his own during the fights in Kastle KAOS and the Knautilus. In actuallity after playing and 101%ing the GBA port, the GBC port should not have been released.

[Valerius Dover]

^I haven't played Donkey Kong 64, but I hear that pretty much almost all the voice clips in the GBA games were in fact recycled from this game. Could anyone else perhaps tell me the origin of other recycled clips?

As far as stuff I would've changed, I'm not very picky, but there are a few things...

DKC GBA
-Keep the transition effects.

DKC2 GBA
-Not have Run, Rambi, Run go unused.
-This game's a little overboard on collectibles....

DKC3 GBA
-Have Arich Boss as the final battle theme, not as that theme that's used for two normal bosses.
-Enemy Parade please...
-Script needs cleanup for consistency.
-Not have such a rushed ending
-Not have Brothers Bear playing in almost every NPC location, actually more additional music in general is needed

[Gaz]

Thanks for your input. I updated the main post (including a little more of my own input).

[Valerius Dover]

I should probably specify I meant the 103% ending with the Banana Queen. The chase is significantly shortened and happens in mere seconds. Someone playing it without being familiar with the SNES version would have no idea what's going on.

Overall all, though, I am very much a GBA lover, and quite enjoy the remakes, especially since they were the first ones I played. These are just a few things that could be improved.

[Gaz]

I'm glad you think so. The GBA re-releases don't get the love they deserve. DKC GBA, however, should have not been released. There was DKC GBC to begin with three years prior. That doesn't mean I dislike it, because it's a good port. It was unnecessary to put most of the effort into a second DKC GBA, rather than its sequels, which did not have as much effort put in to it.

[Phyreburnz]

Just wondering... am I the only one that hated the mini games for the GBA series? Funky's fishing wasn't too bad, but still kind of dumb... but I find that the Funky one in DKC2 is super annoying, as well as Expresso racing.

[Geno]

To be honest, I really liked Funky's Fishing, and the Funky's Flights game in DKC2 GBA was alright to me, although that might have been just because you can shoot Funky in one of the stages.. - w -
And, Swanky's Dash is good practice for when I play Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (But the Swanky's Sideshow of the SNES is better)
(And Cranky's Dojo is cool because you play as Cranky)

But, I don't really like Candy's Dance Studio, that bug catching game with Klubba, or Funky's games in DKC3 GBA (except the one that has Lanky in it). The first and third ones, because they aren't REALLY fun, and the second one, because it seemed rather unfitting to have KLUBBA, of all people, to want you to catch little bugs for him.