Review by Paolo Arturo Tinti
It was from the late Years' 90 that the only way to see Donkey Kong star in a game was to buy a pair of kongas and flounder tribal beats in front of the screen.
Finally Nintendo decides to recover the ape that gave its name to its first videogame success, relaunching it with a platformer that incorporates the gameplay of the old ones masterpieces for SNES.
Fans will once again be able to get their hands on a game of Donkey Kong worthy of the name, having coveted it during the months following the announcement.
Donkey returns
The adventure is introduced by a colorful movie showing the Kong Island volcano exploding.
This time it's not the archenemy King K.Rool to undermine the peace of the island, but rather an evil totem that has escaped from the volcano, which sends its henchmen to hypnotize all the animals on the island, forcing them to steal bananas to bring them to its presence.
It will be task Donkey e Diddy find out the reason for the robbery and defeat the sinister totem.
The protagonists will travel through eight areas of the island, each with a totem boss to defeat, until they reach the top of the volcano ready for the final battle.
During the climb to the summit our two four-man friends will explore different areas: starting from the flat levels in the jungle, then passing through beaches, ruins, caves, forests, cliffs, and even a factory. In short, even this time Nintendo did not give a limit to creativity and wanted to include old and new settings in this adventure.
During the trip DK will meet a few of his old friends: the only members of the Kong family will be Diddy and the old Cranky.
As expected Change the Rhino will be ready to lend a hand to the two protagonists, but the swordfish Enguarde will be absent and with him all the sessions of aquatic game.
A return to the classics
It can be said that Donkey Kong Country Returns is a purely platform game: the challenge offered by the levels is represented by having to calculate precisely how quickly to make the jumps between one platform and another.
As a characterization typical of Nintendo titles, this game also boasts a well-kept "learning curve": it starts with the usual flat and easy levels, and ends with rivers of lava, flips and very rare checkpoints. The more you go on and on DKC Returns it becomes difficult.
The final levels are extremely challenging, and we will be forced to repeat them over and over again. Who is not used to ai platform may find it very difficult to complete the game with maximum points.
This is probably the reason why the Retro Studios team decided to cater to the inexperienced user by showing themselves off very generous with lives (the classic red balloons) and by bringing in a "Super Guide" mode to help, in case the player fails to finish the level within ten attempts.
The Super Guide is nothing more than a platinum Donkey Kong who will play the level independently, while avoiding taking points.
Playability is great: the gameplay flows smoothly and the keys are comfortable and intuitive. If you decide to take on the adventure in multiplayer (one player uses Diddy and the other Donkey), the experience certainly becomes more fun, even if further difficult.
The level selection map is that of the classic DK Country: an overview of the island will allow you to choose the area in which to select the paintings you want to face. Each area hosts about ten levels, some of which are optional, reachable only if the maximum score in the previous level is achieved. Between one game and another you will be able to visit the old Cranky Kong, who will exchange the coins found during the game with balloons-life and other useful items.
Anyone who is intrepid enough to try to finish the game 100% will have to face the same paintings over and over again and will have to be able to take in each of these hidden puzzle pieces and the 4 letters KONG.
The more experienced player can also try to beat record times by retracing each level of running, without wasting even a tenth of a second.
Each area of the island ends with a boss battle, in which you will have to face bosses as fierce in the fight as they are funny in appearance. To defeat these monsters it will be necessary to carefully study their every move, in order to find a pattern to memorize and then "break" it with a bang.
A worthy heir to Rare
The graphic style is taken from its Super Nintendo predecessors: colorful graphics, breathtaking views, “soft” shapes and cartoonish design.
Some levels offer sessions in which two or more playing fields "overlap" creating platforms resting on different layers, which give the player a pleasant feeling of depth.
Both the common enemies, old and new, as well as the bosses are characterized by a colorful and funny design. The short cinematics between one zone and another grant gods moments of relaxation, entertaining the player with some funny comic scenes, of which the two Kongs become the protagonists.
The soundtrack is spectacular: certainly one of the aspects that most contribute to making the whole game a gem of its kind.
Old and new music they will accompany the player during his adventure.
Each piece plays a melody that binds perfectly with the level you are facing, and a catchy beat tribale it will not struggle to enter our heads and remain there for hours.
Retro Studios he also thought it well to make the music dynamically change according to what you are doing and who you are facing, thus shaping paintings that host atmospheres that are sometimes more frenetic, sometimes quieter.
It can only jump to the eye the meticulous care with which Nintendo has refined this game in detail. From the first to the last level it will not be possible to see a single blank background, a single repeated session or a single monotonous fight.
An urban setting session, accompanied by a sophisticated swing remix of the theme, is a real delight principal at DK , in which everything appears in black and white except for the tie and the hat of the two monkeys protagonists.
Conclusion
Again Retro Studios proves capable of churning out masterpieces based on the Nintendo franchise: it is impossible to think of a game of theirs that is not a master piece, and Donkey Kong Country Returns is no exception.
The owners of the Wii they will be proud to have the opportunity to get their hands on a title of such precious workmanship. A colorful and fun but at the same time difficult and challenging game, enjoyable by both new players and longtime fans.
It will be these last ones who finally, after almost 15 years, they can have fun with it again ape who wrote a piece of video game history.
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