The Xtortionist
Member
Tentative list; will update later with more words
1. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze ; For context, I’m a huge fan of platformers. My first video game was a platformer (Sonic 2 for Game Gear) and I’ve consistently engaged with the genre up to now. However, let’s wind the clock back a few years. In 2010, Retro Studios’ Donkey Kong Country Returns released following a large gap between sequels in the DKC franchise. A satisfying revival of the series, Returns quickly became one of my favorite platformers for its absolutely stellar level design and roll jump mechanic. Sadly, Returns’ presentation was greatly lacking in the musical department – a far cry from the DKC games of old. Enter Tropical Freeze – a game determined to right the wrongs of Returns while keeping everything that made the prequel amazing: the roll jump, incredible level design, and the escalating design of each level.
Tropical Freeze’s triumphs can be boiled down to a few factors. It feels somewhat redundant to speak at length about them, given that Returns already perfected them, but here goes. For starters, the roll jump mechanic is simply the greatest 2D platforming mechanic to exist. This mechanic is a transformative one – a skilled player versed in the mechanic will traverse levels in an almost entirely different manner than a novice player who is not even aware of the maneuver (it should be noted that the game does not punish players for neglecting the roll jump).
Skilled players will look to chain together roll jumps, repeatedly launching DK and friends across the screen like cannonballs in a frantic sprint to the finish. The roll jump itself feels like unleashing raw power, the move giving a feeling of immense weight while somehow allowing the player a degree of control. Mastering this mechanic is bliss, and represents a paradigm shift on a player’s perception of level design.
Levels in Tropical Freeze can be looked at as an episode in a television series or a short story – each with a clear beginning, middle, and end, and often escalating to the finish. Consider the level Alpine Incline. In this stage, DK starts off amidst an overcast mountain range. Near the level’s midpoint, DK rides a hot air balloon above the clouds nearly to the mountains’ peaks. The final section of this level involves traversing balloon platforms suspended on midair. As a result, this single five minute-or-less stage feels like a satisfying, significant journey.
Fan favorite level Grassland Groove follows a similar formula, though places emphasis on escalating mechanics rather than escalating locations, while also incorporating its soundtrack into the progression. The level begins with a basic platforming sequence while the music includes female vocals. The second “act” of the stage involves challenges revolving around the cling mechanic, backed by male vocals. The final section of this level incorporates both hop n’ bop platforming and clinging while male and female vocals play in parallel. It’s almost poetic, and nearly every level in the game follows a similar logical, escalating progression.
Aesthetically, Tropical Freeze delivers in multiple fronts. Compared to nearly every other platformer I’ve played, Tropical Freeze and its prequel Returns stomp the competition by flooding nearly every stage with unique visual assets. Among these numerous assets is an immense attention to detail. In a game with over 60 levels, this degree of craftsmanship from Retro Studios is staggering to me. Additionally, character fur is a neat graphical trick, and the game always moves along at a smooth 60FPS.
It’s difficult to say much about the soundtrack that hasn’t already been said. David Wise’s OST is all-encompassing, including hype-inducing guitar-driven tracks, slower-paced emotional tracks, and immersive atmospheric tracks. I’ve counted over 50 tracks devoted to levels and bosses, and I’d go so far as to say nearly every damn one of them is great. As a result, Tropical Freeze’s OST is probably my favorite of any game.
Considering Tropical Freeze as a whole, I think it’s clearly one of the best-designed games of 2014. Masterful level design, a dramatic skill curve enabled by the roll jump mechanic, a deluge of unique and detailed art assets, and a downright masterful OST earn it its place on my list. For anyone who has ever enjoyed a platformer, Tropical Freeze is absolutely a system seller for the Wii U and a must play title.
2. Bayonetta 2 ; Phenomenal mechanics, nonstop frenetic action, and top notch pacing. Replayable, stylish, rewarding, also likely my favorite in its genre.
3. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U ; Insane content, polished mechanics, and the online works fucking great for me...all at 1080p/60FPS.
4. The Evil Within ; My "fuck you" pick of the year. Yeah, it's got fucking problems, but the good outweighs the bad. Simply the most satisfying gunplay in a third person shooter, gripping atmosphere, superb pacing, and frequent variety all add up to give the game its spot. A shame some of the inconsistencies with mechanics and poor performance on console drag it down.
5. Dark Souls 2 ; This game entertained me for well over 50 hours. With a huge world to explore, deep mechanics, and challenging design, I think Dark Souls 2 stands as a considerable achievement, comparisons to previous Souls games be damned.
6. Mario Kart 8 ; Single player still leaves much to be desired, but multiplayer has never been better. Online play is butter smooth and the track design is ace. The visuals made my jaw drop on more than one occasion. Also, fuck frantic.
7. Shovel Knight ; This game is what happens when a dev takes a proven concept and executes it near-perfectly. Core mechanics polished to a mirror sheen, clever level design, and a excellent soundtrack make for a charming retro-style package...though it never surprised me much. Really hope the PS4 port has a platinum.
8. Wolfenstein: The New Order ; Satisfying gunplay, surprising length, an above-average narrative, and fun characters place this game on my list. I did find some of the late-game fights starting to drag a bit, and the water chapter was a total bore. Some slight jank here and there.
9. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker ; Such a clever little game. Amazingly pleasing aesthetics. Every action I perform in this game tickles my brain in the right way.
10. Destiny ; Fantastic gunplay. Fantastic aesthetics. Fantastic soundtrack. Awful game...wait, what? How does that happen? Well, I feel like it should be on here somewhere.
Games I'm interested in but haven't played: Dragon Age: Inquisition, Far Cry 4
1. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze ; For context, I’m a huge fan of platformers. My first video game was a platformer (Sonic 2 for Game Gear) and I’ve consistently engaged with the genre up to now. However, let’s wind the clock back a few years. In 2010, Retro Studios’ Donkey Kong Country Returns released following a large gap between sequels in the DKC franchise. A satisfying revival of the series, Returns quickly became one of my favorite platformers for its absolutely stellar level design and roll jump mechanic. Sadly, Returns’ presentation was greatly lacking in the musical department – a far cry from the DKC games of old. Enter Tropical Freeze – a game determined to right the wrongs of Returns while keeping everything that made the prequel amazing: the roll jump, incredible level design, and the escalating design of each level.
Tropical Freeze’s triumphs can be boiled down to a few factors. It feels somewhat redundant to speak at length about them, given that Returns already perfected them, but here goes. For starters, the roll jump mechanic is simply the greatest 2D platforming mechanic to exist. This mechanic is a transformative one – a skilled player versed in the mechanic will traverse levels in an almost entirely different manner than a novice player who is not even aware of the maneuver (it should be noted that the game does not punish players for neglecting the roll jump).
Normally, players are expected to activate the target switch to move DK closer to the platform on the right. However, a simple roll jump can bypass this entire sequence. This style of design is pervasive throughout the entire game.
Skilled players will look to chain together roll jumps, repeatedly launching DK and friends across the screen like cannonballs in a frantic sprint to the finish. The roll jump itself feels like unleashing raw power, the move giving a feeling of immense weight while somehow allowing the player a degree of control. Mastering this mechanic is bliss, and represents a paradigm shift on a player’s perception of level design.
Levels in Tropical Freeze can be looked at as an episode in a television series or a short story – each with a clear beginning, middle, and end, and often escalating to the finish. Consider the level Alpine Incline. In this stage, DK starts off amidst an overcast mountain range. Near the level’s midpoint, DK rides a hot air balloon above the clouds nearly to the mountains’ peaks. The final section of this level involves traversing balloon platforms suspended on midair. As a result, this single five minute-or-less stage feels like a satisfying, significant journey.
Fan favorite level Grassland Groove follows a similar formula, though places emphasis on escalating mechanics rather than escalating locations, while also incorporating its soundtrack into the progression. The level begins with a basic platforming sequence while the music includes female vocals. The second “act” of the stage involves challenges revolving around the cling mechanic, backed by male vocals. The final section of this level incorporates both hop n’ bop platforming and clinging while male and female vocals play in parallel. It’s almost poetic, and nearly every level in the game follows a similar logical, escalating progression.
Aesthetically, Tropical Freeze delivers in multiple fronts. Compared to nearly every other platformer I’ve played, Tropical Freeze and its prequel Returns stomp the competition by flooding nearly every stage with unique visual assets. Among these numerous assets is an immense attention to detail. In a game with over 60 levels, this degree of craftsmanship from Retro Studios is staggering to me. Additionally, character fur is a neat graphical trick, and the game always moves along at a smooth 60FPS.
It’s difficult to say much about the soundtrack that hasn’t already been said. David Wise’s OST is all-encompassing, including hype-inducing guitar-driven tracks, slower-paced emotional tracks, and immersive atmospheric tracks. I’ve counted over 50 tracks devoted to levels and bosses, and I’d go so far as to say nearly every damn one of them is great. As a result, Tropical Freeze’s OST is probably my favorite of any game.
Considering Tropical Freeze as a whole, I think it’s clearly one of the best-designed games of 2014. Masterful level design, a dramatic skill curve enabled by the roll jump mechanic, a deluge of unique and detailed art assets, and a downright masterful OST earn it its place on my list. For anyone who has ever enjoyed a platformer, Tropical Freeze is absolutely a system seller for the Wii U and a must play title.
2. Bayonetta 2 ; Phenomenal mechanics, nonstop frenetic action, and top notch pacing. Replayable, stylish, rewarding, also likely my favorite in its genre.
3. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U ; Insane content, polished mechanics, and the online works fucking great for me...all at 1080p/60FPS.
4. The Evil Within ; My "fuck you" pick of the year. Yeah, it's got fucking problems, but the good outweighs the bad. Simply the most satisfying gunplay in a third person shooter, gripping atmosphere, superb pacing, and frequent variety all add up to give the game its spot. A shame some of the inconsistencies with mechanics and poor performance on console drag it down.
5. Dark Souls 2 ; This game entertained me for well over 50 hours. With a huge world to explore, deep mechanics, and challenging design, I think Dark Souls 2 stands as a considerable achievement, comparisons to previous Souls games be damned.
6. Mario Kart 8 ; Single player still leaves much to be desired, but multiplayer has never been better. Online play is butter smooth and the track design is ace. The visuals made my jaw drop on more than one occasion. Also, fuck frantic.
7. Shovel Knight ; This game is what happens when a dev takes a proven concept and executes it near-perfectly. Core mechanics polished to a mirror sheen, clever level design, and a excellent soundtrack make for a charming retro-style package...though it never surprised me much. Really hope the PS4 port has a platinum.
8. Wolfenstein: The New Order ; Satisfying gunplay, surprising length, an above-average narrative, and fun characters place this game on my list. I did find some of the late-game fights starting to drag a bit, and the water chapter was a total bore. Some slight jank here and there.
9. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker ; Such a clever little game. Amazingly pleasing aesthetics. Every action I perform in this game tickles my brain in the right way.
10. Destiny ; Fantastic gunplay. Fantastic aesthetics. Fantastic soundtrack. Awful game...wait, what? How does that happen? Well, I feel like it should be on here somewhere.
Games I'm interested in but haven't played: Dragon Age: Inquisition, Far Cry 4