Buddy Mcpuddy
Member
One and done.
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The Dismissal of Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze
- Thread starter AquaWateria
- Start date
One and done.
Mister Wolf
Member
Tropical Freeze wouldn't sell more than an HD port of Prime Trilogy let alone a new Prime. Just keep it real because you know that's the truth.
Azure Phoenix
Member
Wrong game at the wrong time. The Wii U was floundering and already had enough platformers, it was in dire need of some variety to the library, Retro had been radio silent for a while and Metroid was not only about to reach its 20th anniversary but it was past due a new entry, Tropical Freeze from the outside seemed to be adding nothing noteworthy (apart from Cranky) and on top of that the first DKCR game was ported to 3DS less than a year prior to DKCR.
It literally had absolutely everything going against it, even though I recognise the music was top notch I had no desire whatsoever to play it and still haven't to this day. "Another fucking Donkey Kong" was not an unreasonable stance to have depending on how many of the negatives mattered to you.
It literally had absolutely everything going against it, even though I recognise the music was top notch I had no desire whatsoever to play it and still haven't to this day. "Another fucking Donkey Kong" was not an unreasonable stance to have depending on how many of the negatives mattered to you.
I was always under the impression that difficulty aside, this game is highly revered and beloved as one of the best things in the franchise.
Then again I've never been a huge DK fan so I'm less aware of what that particular community as a whole thinks of it, but certainly when it's brought up around here it seems to be fairly unanimous praise.
Then again I've never been a huge DK fan so I'm less aware of what that particular community as a whole thinks of it, but certainly when it's brought up around here it seems to be fairly unanimous praise.
AquaWateria
Member
To be honest the press made me mad on how ignorant they were against this game and how it affected their reviews.
InaSnowBoundLand
Member
It's an excellent game, very fun and creative worlds. Engaging and bombastic platforming. It makes the Mario games and even more creative platformers like Yoshi's Wooly World look dead by comparison. So many things exploding and moving around. The world is a living thing. Lots of fun.
But actually, my hope is that Retro will work on a 3D DK game next instead of a 2D sequel to DKC. I think DKC in 3D has important untapped potential that DK64 did not meet at all.
And bring back King K. Rool please
I would be really happy if that's what their next game was but I'd be interested in whatever they're working on all the same.
But actually, my hope is that Retro will work on a 3D DK game next instead of a 2D sequel to DKC. I think DKC in 3D has important untapped potential that DK64 did not meet at all.
And bring back King K. Rool please
I would be really happy if that's what their next game was but I'd be interested in whatever they're working on all the same.
toddhunter
Member
Mechanically the series has always been "fine". But there is no charm with the characters and they have never been that much fun to play.
As such a new safe entry is easily dismissed no matter how much acclaim it gets from fans. By now you'll know if you like this style of platformer and I'd suggest few people really would.
As such a new safe entry is easily dismissed no matter how much acclaim it gets from fans. By now you'll know if you like this style of platformer and I'd suggest few people really would.
The Spoony Hou
Member
Fucking Donkey Kong.
Oh, sorry. This isn't a Sammy thread. My bad
.
Oh, sorry. This isn't a Sammy thread. My bad
.Umm.. you do know that DKCR(on the Wii) outsold the entire Prime series? I love the folks saying Retro is known for 3d shooters when the sales don't prove that at all.
DeadDuck144
Member
My nostalgia for the Rare DKC games is what I think made DKC: Returns so underwhelming to me.
Following that, I was definitely disappointed at the Tropical Freeze reveal, and didn't even plan to purchase the game until I learned David Wise was involved.
I went in expecting some solid gameplay (like Returns) and nice music, but was blown away by the tight controls, intuitive level design, and remarkable atmosphere. After my second playthrough, I consider it the ultimate 2D platformer, and one of my five favorite games of all time.
I hurt a little inside whenever somebody says Nintendo's wasting Retro's talent on the series and should hand the DKC games over to a smaller studio. I bet nearly half of my total posts on NeoGAF have been fruitless attempts to defend Retro's masterpiece to Metroid fans.
TheDinoman
Member
Would Retro making something that wasn't a 2D platformer really change anything, though?
The Wii U was fucked no matter what games it got.
Mister Wolf
Member
Haha the hype for E3 intensifies. If I see that ape during any point of the direct I'm gonna fucking scream.
Hmm.
I just think lots of games are overrated or overlooked each year, with very little logic in play. At the time, I didn't feel that DKTF was dismissed, just that no one was hot for it. We (the collective we) just did not care. I don't remember a backlash, but "dismissal" in the soft sense, is accurate. It was as if we didn't know it came out.
What was released 3 months on either side of that game?
What was the top-level attitude towards the Wii U at the time?
That would help understand the context I think, but I doubt it's special.
I just think lots of games are overrated or overlooked each year, with very little logic in play. At the time, I didn't feel that DKTF was dismissed, just that no one was hot for it. We (the collective we) just did not care. I don't remember a backlash, but "dismissal" in the soft sense, is accurate. It was as if we didn't know it came out.
What was released 3 months on either side of that game?
What was the top-level attitude towards the Wii U at the time?
That would help understand the context I think, but I doubt it's special.
Mister Wolf
Member
That's cool the people got their snes nostalgia game with the first. Sequel had a massive drop in sales because no one wanted it unlike the Mario 2d Wii U games.
Uhh...what? Why?
TheUnsunghero26
Member
TheDinoman
Member
There's also a pretty massive drop in sales between NSMBWii and NSMBU. The former sold 30 million while the latter sold around 5 million.
Stallion Dan
Member
Personally did not enjoy Returns visually, or with the awful motion controls. If for a lot of people that was the first DKC game (which is likely given the last was on SNES) it was a bad introduction imo.
Need bring back Kremlings and K Rool.
Need bring back Kremlings and K Rool.
this game suffers the same problem as Metroid Prime 2.
a sequel that's as good or better than its predecessor but that people seem to not want at all and often don't appreciate.
also, it shares many other coincidences. both are harder than their predecessors and both were a sharp drop in sales compared to their predecessors. also, both sold around the same.
a sequel that's as good or better than its predecessor but that people seem to not want at all and often don't appreciate.
also, it shares many other coincidences. both are harder than their predecessors and both were a sharp drop in sales compared to their predecessors. also, both sold around the same.
daTRUballin
Member
Schopenhauerian
Member
Yeah, my impression is the same as The Horror the horror's, that the original Metroid Prime (where there actually was some arm-twisting involved) is the exception rather than the rule, when it comes to Nintendos relationships with off-site studios and partners.
And in the case of Metroid Prime, Miyamoto was after all quite straightforward about having twisted Retros arm (see below), so the fact that he and Kelbaugh have gone on record stating the opposite in this case -- that Retro themselves wanted to continue working on DKC -- is at the very least worthy of note:
IsntChrisL
Member
It's a great game. I think DK Returns was welcomed so warmly because Metroid wasn't such a dead property at that point. Other M was announced the previous year.
A lot of people just want Retro to make another Prime game. I think that's kind of selfish. Many of the staff were ready to do something new after MP3. I think they've more than earned the right to do an original IP. I think a Retro-developed Metroid Prime 4 would be awesome but I really hope they're working on something brand new.
A lot of people just want Retro to make another Prime game. I think that's kind of selfish. Many of the staff were ready to do something new after MP3. I think they've more than earned the right to do an original IP. I think a Retro-developed Metroid Prime 4 would be awesome but I really hope they're working on something brand new.
yep, tropical freeze was a fantastically designed and fun game. but not an exciting one by any means. reviewers complaining it being "archaic" and "too hard" is a different and much bigger problem that could be its own thread.
Adam Prime
hates soccer, is Mexican
It's too bad. I beat it at 200%, took me about 90 hours. Third favorite game of all time.
It sold almost 2 million on Wii U.
Prime 3 sold almost 2 million on Wii.
Wanna try that again?
Aldric
Member
There's a particular subset of Nintendo fanboys who're deeply offended by Metroid fans not liking the way Nintendo managed the franchise, don't pay any attention to them.
They released it without waggle on 3DS and everyone knew it wouldn't be in TF. So that's not true.
OrbitalBeard
Member
It simply released on the wrong platform.
If a new DKC comes to Switch, it'll be very successful.
If a new DKC comes to Switch, it'll be very successful.
I thought I was taking crazy pills during that initial reveal thread. The game looked fucking great from the minute it was revealed and hated on for not being something else.
This game is amazing and was my favorite Wii U game before Breath of the Wild. It is probably my favorite 2D platformer of all time and the game just nails everything. I do hope it gets re-released on Switch hopefully to a better reception this time.
This game is amazing and was my favorite Wii U game before Breath of the Wild. It is probably my favorite 2D platformer of all time and the game just nails everything. I do hope it gets re-released on Switch hopefully to a better reception this time.
It was my second most played game on Wii U, right after Mario Kart 8. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is my most played game on the Switch so bring on Tropical Freeze! My son and I had tons of fun on co-op. Much more than we did with the original trilogy. Nintendo should basically re-release every Wii U game for Switch just because not a lot of people got to play them.
freethoughtbubble
Member
Tropical Freeze is a stupid name.
No, really. I loved the game to death but it lacked a compelling hook. They should have just gone with Donkey Kong Country Returns 2: Monkey Pun.
No, really. I loved the game to death but it lacked a compelling hook. They should have just gone with Donkey Kong Country Returns 2: Monkey Pun.
Danny Dudekisser
I paid good money for this Dynex!
I'm glad the game was too hard for it's intended audience. It was satisfying as hell for platformer fans like myself, and gave more casual audiences something to achieve. It succeeds because it pushes the mechanics, and by extension, the player, to their limits.
Because the genre is very old and for a lot of people the first one they experienced, 2D platformers (or really 2D games in general) are often dismissed as being "inferior" for no reason other than that they're similar to old games and old games are inherently inferior to some people. So it's not just that Tropical Freeze wasn't a new Metroid Prime but that it was a 2D game. I guarantee that a 3D Retro game that wasn't Metroid would not have gotten the same response.
pretty done
Member
Seemed like the right platform to me. Between the garbage waggle in DKCR Wii and the garbage framerate in DKCR 3DS, Tropical Freeze came away looking fucking godlike in comparison.
SilverArrow20XX
Walks in the Light of the Crystal
Tropical Freeze is one of the best platformers ever made, and is better than all entries of the Metroid series, so I'm not really at all upset that they made it instead of a new Metroid. Hope it gets packaged with DKCR and released on Switch.
It was pretty ridiculous man. I was new here and the amount of vitriol wasn't proportional. I am a massive fan of the prime series and I was slightly saddened that we weren't getting MP4, but people here took it too far. Cranky kong became a meme about how shitty and out of touch Nintendo was, and it turned out to be an incredible game. I played it through all the way 100% with my Brother, one of the most enjoyable and challenging games we ever played. He went on to get crazy and do the 200% run with all the time trials and extra levels. It provided him with as much gameplay time as any of the MP games. But people here shat all over it because it wasn't their preferred mascot/style. It's a shame since the game has a lot to offer to it's respective universe, same as prime did for metroid.
Son.Ralph.Funk
Member
There's no DKCR2. Why would there be a 3?
bless that first post though
I bought it at release and haven't played past the first handful of levels. I think my tastes or feelings towards this style of game have just changed. It just never grabbed me or pulled me in and I have such a huge backlog that I can't really keep at something hoping at some point I'll start enjoying it more.
It definitely played well and looked great. Retro certainly is a talented studio.
It definitely played well and looked great. Retro certainly is a talented studio.
OrbitalBeard
Member
The wrong platform in terms of market viability.
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