Deadpool_X
Banned
Alright, so, as a self proclaimed DKC megafan, I'm embarrassed to say that I hadn't picked this game up until last Friday. It released too close to South Park and Titanfall; and I was just coming off of playing DKCR 3D, so I was a bit burned out on the series back in February. Well, thanks to that triple credit deal at Target a few weeks ago, I was able to get a sizable amount of credit and figured, "What the hell? It's about time I jump back in." I had heard the hype from the media and you guys, but was still skeptical from my burn out. Let me just say that I now know that my skepticism was unwarranted. This game is AMAZING!
Where to begin, where to begin? I have to say that I was a little disappointed by Retro's last entry, if nothing else, for the fact that it seemed like there was very little variety in environments. Upon booting up Tropical Freeze, I was immediately greeted by the same old jungle environment that had felt so stale time and time before, and my heart sank. Even though I was initially concerned, I quickly remembered seeing videos showing sweeping savannahs, and made the decision that I must trudge on. Let me tell you how happy I am that I did this. I am only on world 3 at the moment, but let me tell you how refreshing this game has been since I left the jungle in world 1. Every stage feels completely different while still sharing the aesthetic and theme of the world around it. I loved the Oktoberfest/Germainic feel of world 2, and the Serengeti feel of world 3 has awakened feelings of when I first saw The Lion King as a child. Props to Retro for yet again showing us that they are the masters of environmental design!
The level design in this game is probably the best in any DKC game, and possibly the best level design I've seen from any company(Nintendo included) in years, surpassing even the sublime level design found in last year's Rayman Legends. The quality of level design is even more impressive when you consider the length of most levels. These are the longest 2D platforming levels I believe I have ever played, and yet, at no point do they ever seem to get old or boring. Retro has added enough variety to every level to make it seem like you are always doing something new.
Bringing David Wise back to do the soundtrack was the smartest decision that they could've made with this title. Wise's compositions in DKC and DKC2 are still some of the highlights of the Snes era, and the OST for DKC2 is still, to this day, one of my favorite soundtracks of all time. That being said, Wise does not disappoint in Tropical Freeze. The remakes are masterfully done, and the original tracks are among the best in series history. The way he has craftily hidden subtle nods to previous tracks within the new ones gives me chills. I will wait until I finish the game to rank whether I believe this OST is better than DKC2's, but for now, I believe it has to be at least equal to.
Long story short, while I never thought it possible, I am beginning to wonder if this game will overtake DKC2 as my favorite game in the series. It fires on all cylinders; and after playing it, I have to admit that I'm no longer upset that Retro didn't make their first Wii U title a Metroid game. This is platforming perfection, and deserves all the good that has been said about it. It is rare that I find a game that makes me excited about gaming again and brings me back to my youth, and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze has done just that.
Thanks for suffering through my first thread with me. I wanted to make it as special as possible!
Where to begin, where to begin? I have to say that I was a little disappointed by Retro's last entry, if nothing else, for the fact that it seemed like there was very little variety in environments. Upon booting up Tropical Freeze, I was immediately greeted by the same old jungle environment that had felt so stale time and time before, and my heart sank. Even though I was initially concerned, I quickly remembered seeing videos showing sweeping savannahs, and made the decision that I must trudge on. Let me tell you how happy I am that I did this. I am only on world 3 at the moment, but let me tell you how refreshing this game has been since I left the jungle in world 1. Every stage feels completely different while still sharing the aesthetic and theme of the world around it. I loved the Oktoberfest/Germainic feel of world 2, and the Serengeti feel of world 3 has awakened feelings of when I first saw The Lion King as a child. Props to Retro for yet again showing us that they are the masters of environmental design!
The level design in this game is probably the best in any DKC game, and possibly the best level design I've seen from any company(Nintendo included) in years, surpassing even the sublime level design found in last year's Rayman Legends. The quality of level design is even more impressive when you consider the length of most levels. These are the longest 2D platforming levels I believe I have ever played, and yet, at no point do they ever seem to get old or boring. Retro has added enough variety to every level to make it seem like you are always doing something new.
Bringing David Wise back to do the soundtrack was the smartest decision that they could've made with this title. Wise's compositions in DKC and DKC2 are still some of the highlights of the Snes era, and the OST for DKC2 is still, to this day, one of my favorite soundtracks of all time. That being said, Wise does not disappoint in Tropical Freeze. The remakes are masterfully done, and the original tracks are among the best in series history. The way he has craftily hidden subtle nods to previous tracks within the new ones gives me chills. I will wait until I finish the game to rank whether I believe this OST is better than DKC2's, but for now, I believe it has to be at least equal to.
Long story short, while I never thought it possible, I am beginning to wonder if this game will overtake DKC2 as my favorite game in the series. It fires on all cylinders; and after playing it, I have to admit that I'm no longer upset that Retro didn't make their first Wii U title a Metroid game. This is platforming perfection, and deserves all the good that has been said about it. It is rare that I find a game that makes me excited about gaming again and brings me back to my youth, and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze has done just that.
Thanks for suffering through my first thread with me. I wanted to make it as special as possible!
