preview
Rap song hopefully not included.
Four DKC Returns levels were on display at Nintendo’s booth, and after playing them, I am excited but slightly apprehensive of the controls.
The first level is a Jungle Hijinx introductory area where DK and Diddy can try out their jumps, rolls, ground-rumbling, etc. The basic run-and-jump controls are simple enough, but rolling by shaking the controller is very mushy and unsatisfying, especially since precise rolling is vital to executing DKC’s signature roll-jump mechanic. I adapted, but it was too easy to not shake hard enough and not rolling at all. Ducking and shaking causes the primates to blow forward, which is useful for finding secrets in the environments. The second level was featured several moving planks in a boardwalk-like setting.
The interaction between DK and Diddy is more interesting than the character interactions in prior DKC games. Diddy’s jet pack acts not unlike a flutter jump, giving players an extra degree of freedom. When Diddy rides Donkey’s back, DK can make use of this hover technique, and DK can roll indefinitely as Diddy runs on top of him. In single-player, Diddy therefore acts as a power-up, increasing his health meter from 2 to 4. In contrast, when the two buddies team up in co-op, any damage taken applies to both Kongs and falling down a pit of course results in death for both players.
The game really feels like a Donkey Kong Country game. There are KONG letters and banana coins to collect, as well as puzzle pieces. The Nintendo rep helped me find a simple bonus stage where you shot up out of a barrel moving back and forth from the bottom of the screen to collect bananas. The third level included another DKC hallmark, mine carts, in all their glory. DK and Diddy jump out of the carts, and players must be very precise to avoid baddies and not jump too early or too late when a cart inevitably falls into a pit. Rolling and ground-pounding takes a back seat in favor of raw platforming skills. I barely beat this level by the skin of my teeth.
The boss, a rhino-like creature gorging himself on DK’s bananas, was very tricky. I had to jump on his back while avoiding his horns. A magic spell was cast on this creature by DK’s new nemesis, which caused the boss to occasionally grow a large spine on his back, as well. All-in-all, this boss felt sloppily implemented, and it was very difficult to land such that you hurt him and not yourself, since the boss turned around and was usually jumping.
Other than the shake-based rolling, DKC Returns was a (barrel) blast to play. Retro clearly understands what made Rare’s classics great.
Donkey Kong Returns
Donkey Kong Country Returns
Donkey Kong Country Returns
