Nintendo held an event earlier this week that gave us lucky game enthusiast professionals the opportunity to plow through as much of Donkey Kong Country Returns as our hands (and our patience) would allow. Of course, I was there front and center, on the first day ready to get my gorilla on.
This hands-on experience showed us the game in full context, complete with the full introduction cutscene that explains the scenario in this Retro Studios-developed revisit to the Rare original platformer. In Donkey Kong Country Returns, DK's banana horde has been stolen. But this time it's by a troupe of tiki critters who've hypnotized all the critters in the jungle to do their bidding. But when one of those tiki dudes tries his hypnotic song on Donkey Kong, it doesn't exactly take…and the first thing you do is send that guy flying with a mean right hook out of your hut.
Now it's up to Donkey Kong and his pal Diddy Kong (complete with Nintendo logo-emblazoned red ball cap) to head through the jungle and take back all the bananas that have been lost along the way, as well as help his hypnotized buddies get back their senses.
Donkey Kong Country Returns isn't as overwhelmingly creative as Retro Studios Metroid Prime Trilogy design as this game roots itself in a very traditional side-scrolling platform experience. But the team definitely embraces the aspects of the original Donkey Kong Country design: tons of collectibles and controller throwing difficulty. There are some seriously cool levels here that are seriously tough to complete, and when you add the hidden puzzle pieces and the K, O, N, G letters to collect it's going to be a while before you complete this one a hundred percent.
There were a few stand out levels that I never saw in my previous hands on. There's a new style of challenge where Donkey Kong rides a rocket-boosted barrel, and players control it simply by pressing the A button the Wii remote: Hold A to rocket up the screen, let go to fall back down as DK zips through this side-scrolling environment. There's also this wicked cool level where you have to outrun crashing waves rolling in from the distance with only the help of rock structures to shield you from their incredible power.
Donkey Kong Country Returns isn't as overwhelmingly creative as Retro Studios Metroid Prime Trilogy design as this game roots itself in a very traditional side-scrolling platform experience. But the team definitely embraces the aspects of the original Donkey Kong Country design: tons of collectibles and controller throwing difficulty. There are some seriously cool levels here that are seriously tough to complete, and when you add the hidden puzzle pieces and the K, O, N, G letters to collect it's going to be a while before you complete this one a hundred percent.
There were a few stand out levels that I never saw in my previous hands on. There's a new style of challenge where Donkey Kong rides a rocket-boosted barrel, and players control it simply by pressing the A button the Wii remote: Hold A to rocket up the screen, let go to fall back down as DK zips through this side-scrolling environment. There's also this wicked cool level where you have to outrun crashing waves rolling in from the distance with only the help of rock structures to shield you from their incredible power.
This hands-on also showed us Cranky's appearance in the game. Players can visit his hut and spend earned coins on items like 1-up ballons, temporary invincibility, a key that unlocks a hidden level path in the current world, and the assistance of Squawks the parrot who will find you a hidden puzzle piece in a level.
The puzzle pieces that you collect will unlock dioramas in the "Extras" menu, though in my runthrough of Donkey Kong Country Returns I was unable to grab 100% of the puzzle pieces in any one level so I didn't get a chance to see any of the dioramas myself. But I did manage to unlock the soundtrack to Worlds 1 and 2, fully playable outside of the game, and yes, Retro Studios did put in a remixed version of the incredible Aquatic Ambiance from the original Donkey Kong Country, heard in a water level when you're riding on the back of giant whales.
Though this game is inspired fully by the Donkey Kong Country platformer, Retro did lift a little inspiration from Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat on the GameCube: when you defeat bosses, the Tiki creature controlling him shows his face…and here is where you can really hammer down on him with as many punches as you can get in. You're rewarded for the number of hits. This mechanic is also used at the end of every level: get the DK symbol when you connect with the end-of-level barrel and you'll earn coins for every extra punch you get in when you swing the Wii remote and nunchuk.
If you don't want the motion, you can unplug the nunchuk and play with just the Wii remote held in classic NES-style orientation.
Donkey Kong Country Returns lands on shelves on November 21st.
The puzzle pieces that you collect will unlock dioramas in the "Extras" menu, though in my runthrough of Donkey Kong Country Returns I was unable to grab 100% of the puzzle pieces in any one level so I didn't get a chance to see any of the dioramas myself. But I did manage to unlock the soundtrack to Worlds 1 and 2, fully playable outside of the game, and yes, Retro Studios did put in a remixed version of the incredible Aquatic Ambiance from the original Donkey Kong Country, heard in a water level when you're riding on the back of giant whales.
Though this game is inspired fully by the Donkey Kong Country platformer, Retro did lift a little inspiration from Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat on the GameCube: when you defeat bosses, the Tiki creature controlling him shows his face…and here is where you can really hammer down on him with as many punches as you can get in. You're rewarded for the number of hits. This mechanic is also used at the end of every level: get the DK symbol when you connect with the end-of-level barrel and you'll earn coins for every extra punch you get in when you swing the Wii remote and nunchuk.
If you don't want the motion, you can unplug the nunchuk and play with just the Wii remote held in classic NES-style orientation.
Donkey Kong Country Returns lands on shelves on November 21st.
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