The Donkey Kong Country series is one of those weird game series’ for us, truth be told. We like it and get why people like it, but it’s not one of our most-played franchises in the office. We’re not sure why that is really. It has everything a Nintendo game should: instantly recognisable characters, dangerously addictive platforming and monkeys, but there has always been this nagging feeling that it isn’t quite where it should be. Can Returns get us to love this supposedly cherished franchise?
The answer is a surprising yes. The weird looking enemies that didn’t fit into the world in the SNES version are now gone, as well as the annoying animation of that era. We respect that the system was limited on what it could produce, but it wasn’t really an excuse when Nintendo was pumping out other classics that didn’t have such a jarring art style.
The thing about Returns is that it brings the franchise right up to date whilst keeping the central core experience there. The enemies and levels don’t just look and animate well here, they come together to create a harsh but nonetheless perfectly balanced affair. If you get killed it may feel like it’s not your fault, but you have to respect that this is a game about timing. You have to maintain a rhythm individual to that of the music and the pacing of the level. Furthermore, you have to pay attention to every little thing.
We found out that last point all too often. There’s a lot of trial and error here unless you possess the mind of Stephen Hawking and the reflexes of Andy Murray. It’s not really a bad thing, but it’s a bit old fashioned and makes the game consistently difficult. There’s one particularly ruthless level early on involving a wave coming into the screen from the background. If you were standing in that wave, you would be obliterated so you have to hide behind shelters. The game then throws in windows to these shelters, all the time battering you with sharks, crabs and weird floaty fish in a very bullet-bill esque fashion.
Its hair-raising stuff and you will try to snap your Wii in two (thus creating two GameCubes and a bit of leftover duct tape), but you will enjoy it. This is a typical Donkey Kong Country game in that sense then. The challenge is what makes the game enjoyable. However, we are a bit surprised. Nintendo is marketing this game to family and children, yet we believe they’re not going to like what they find when they trade in their bananas for this. The cutesy graphics and mildly humorous cutscenes will please them, but if they get anywhere near the gameplay they will break down like the cancerous vermin that they are. Make no mistake; this is a hardcore game that actual gamers will love.
Disappointingly though, waggle makes its all too familiar return. You have to move the controller about to do specific actions like rolling, blowing out fire and punching the ground. Moreover, you can’t use the nunchuck and have to put up with this tired charade. Some of the moves are difficult to pull off in desperate situations when things get a bit wobbly, too. Donkey Kong himself is a bit floatier than in the past DKCs, but his jumping arc and movement is near enough the same. Everything’s simple enough to get the hang of, but it would’ve been nice for more control options for core gamers. Instead, it looks like Nintendo has tried to make the game appear to be accessible whilst covering its dark, beating heart.
Talking of which, the presentation is absolutely lovely. It’s refreshing to see Nintendo trying this hard to make a game look lovely, but they really have managed to get 2D looking and playing well on the Wii here. The UI does the job and all ticks over rather nicely. The soundtrack is thing that’s going to get fanboys hot under the collar though. It’s one of the best gaming soundtracks of the year (behind Red Dead, New Vegas and Reach). This may sound like hyperbole, but it really is delicious. There’s the perfect blend of the old DKC tunes and some stuff from the new school that come together to help create this overwhelming sense of a grandiose, epic title.
Verdict: Donkey Kong Country Returns is a faithful reincarnation of the famous series. It’s got us into the swing of things by mixing the best of the new school of gaming with the classic DKC era and creates something absolutely lovely. If you are an actual gamer that has a Wii and lots of patience (to get past the trial and error level-learning), you will enjoy this. There’s not enough new stuff to make this a classic, but it is a ferocious animal that deserves your attention.
