The variety sounds nice in theory, but Dixie’s ability is so obviously better than the others that you’ll just want to stick with her. And Cranky can bounce on his cane for extra height. Dixie also hovers and lifts you up a bit. Each one has a special ability that gives DK a little platforming help. While Donkey Kong Country Returns only had Diddy Kong as an optional second player, Tropical Freeze adds Dixie and Cranky Kong. It was a misguided attempt to make each boss feel epic, and it’s just annoying. Instead, each one feels like a long, drawn-out chore. I wish Tropical Freeze had just copied the Mario model, with each boss, except for the last, taking a mere three hits to kill. It becomes tedious to jump around the predictable, boring first two-thirds of every battle before dying toward the end and having to start over again. They all feature multiple stages with different patterns to memorize, which means that they’re all very, very long. What you won’t likeĮach boss fight acts like it’s the final encounter of any other game. The music also stands out, dancing to tropical beats, jazzy melodies, and soothing, moody tunes that fit the later, icy worlds. The big ape has never looked better, with his fuzzy fur especially standing out, but the levels and backgrounds look extra gorgeous, especially those that feature hazy sunsets, an aurora-filled sky, and blazing landscapes. The jump to HD has been good to Donkey Kong. Swimming stages, levels where you control a rocket-fueled barrel, and other fun gimmicks also add variety. The mine cart stages are a highlight, offering cinematic, fast-paced journeys through caves filled with pitfalls. They’re fun to discover for completionists, but you also don’t miss out on much if you’d rather just run through the levels.ĭeveloper Retro Studios does a good job of keeping things fresh, offering interesting twists and gimmicks every so often amid the pure platforming. You’ll also find plenty of secret areas and hidden items scattered about, most of which are difficult to find. You’ll learn to master fun tricks, like jumping out of a roll for longer distance and bouncing off enemies for a little more oomph. Levels offer plenty of challenge, with lots of extra lives and checkpoints to keep you from becoming totally frustrated after each of your (many, many) deaths. Tropical Freeze might not have the novelty factor of its predecessor, but it’s still a great platforming experience. And now Tropical Freeze, despite offering plenty of platforming thrills and challenges, feels like the start of the same trend. series, which was fun and retro at first but has quickly become one of Nintendo’s laziest and predictable franchises. Besides, it was sort of cool to play another Donkey Kong Country again.īut you can only play that nostalgia card once. And while developer Retro definitely layered Returns with a thick coat of nostalgia, it stood on its own merits as a fun, 2D platformer. 21 for the Wii U, is the follow-up to the Wii’s Donkey Kong Country Returns, which was the first entry in the franchise since the days of the Super Nintendo. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, coming out on Feb.
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