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[paragonpro]

While I tried to enjoy tropical freeze (haven't played returns) it just felt like it was lacking...something...I could never quite out my finger on it. After going back to dkc 2, my favorite one and the only one I owned as a kid (played 1 at my cousins, parents got me two for my 5th birthday) I figured out what it was. I feel like tropical freeze didn't have the amazing, moody atmosphere of the first 3 games, now I do need to play more of tf so I could be wrong, but from what I played, which was up to the monkey tight rope boss, I never got that classic donkey kong country vibe.

 

[RK128]

To be fair, Retro's take on the DKC series is their own image, taking homage from the Rare games but not exactly copying them 1-to-1. Granted, this meant a lot of series trademarks went the wayside (Krimlings, a majority of the animal buddies, the moody atmosphere) but I found that the trade-off of those elements with (in my personal opinion, could be very wrong here, but this is what I feel ) tighter gameplay and stronger level design led to DKCR and DKC:TF being fantastic tittles in their own right .

The Rare tittles did a lot right too (amazing music scores that defined what the SNES was capable of sound-wise, at the time ground-breaking visuals for a 16-Bit console, tons of level verity with the different animal buddies, moody atmosphere), so they were amazing games as well .

 

[Chibot]

Every game in the series is outstanding, you can't lose. The Wii/Wii U games are probably better platformers overall, but all 3 SNES games are great and I love the atmosphere of the first 2.

 

[Dragonflame323]

My personal rating would probably go.. DKC2=DKC3=DKCTF>DKCR>DKC

There is definitely something jarring going back to the first game, but they're still all really great games.

 

[Bracket]

DKC2>DKC:TF>DKC>DKCR>DKC3(>>>>>DK64)

I'll always look back fondly on the original, but DKC2 is just a better game. Tropical Freeze is a ton of fun (especially with no required motion controls which is why Returns is so far down the list). I never cared for DKC3. I don't know if it was the aesthetics or something, but it felt different in a worse way. And if we do count DK64, then that is absolute last. It was decent fun, but WAY too many collectibles and felt like a re-skinned Banjo-Kazooie.

 

[AzureTranquility95]

Guess I gotta keep the peace here.

*If ya'll motherfuckers keep shitting on the retro studios DKC games, they will NOT make the desired third entry, since there's a whole cluster of DKC fans that want them to finish a trilogy.

 

[Dion Blaster]

DKC 2 still the king!

 

[Wreck-It Ralph]

Guess I gotta keep the peace here.

*If ya'll motherfuckers keep shitting on the retro studios DKC games, they will NOT make the desired third entry, since there's a whole cluster of DKC fans that want them to finish a trilogy.

I think Nintendo probably cares more about the sales of Retro's DKC games than how much people on the internet are complaining about them.

But I personally hope their next game is something else (Metroid plz) and their third DKC game waits until Nintendo's next console. It would be cool to have the new DKC trilogy spanning three generations of consoles.

 

[mstevens]

I just finished the first one and I thought it was amazing. This sounds horrible, but I didn't play these much when I was a kid. My family kind of skipped from NES to N64, even though we had an SNES and I played lots of Earthbound and Super Mario RPG.

I'm kind of glad I played this one without being used to DKC 2, because I really appreciated what it was and wasn't comparing it to anything. Really looking forward to DKC 2.

 

[SUPERJEM94]

I'm on the same boat as OP, although I still have to finish TF, I do love it more than Return. Looking forward to buying the original trilogy. How's the co-op in the original?

 

[starwarsfan541]

I just finished the first one and I thought it was amazing. This sounds horrible, but I didn't play these much when I was a kid. My family kind of skipped from NES to N64, even though we had an SNES and I played lots of Earthbound and Super Mario RPG.

I'm kind of glad I played this one without being used to DKC 2, because I really appreciated what it was and wasn't comparing it to anything. Really looking forward to DKC 2.

Your in for a real treat when you play 2

 

[anon_mastermind]

As for the SNES trilogy, DKC2 takes the crown. DKC3 is no slouch, however, and I wouldn't hesitate to put it above DKC1, though the original holds a strong place in my heart, and even though it has its issues compared to the sequels, it is still a joy to play.

When DKCR released, I was ectstatic, and I loved the game. At times I would consider it above DKC2, but with time I felt it was an excellent game but still didn't top DKC2.

Tropical Freeze at first underwhelmed me a bit since it is so similar to DKCR mechanically. But in the end, I like it more due to the music, and the variety of gameplay, plus Dixie and Cranky. I also like the longer stages. I still don't think it touches the greatness of DKC2, but it sure does come close.

So, overall, I'd say DKC2 > DKCTF > DKCR > DKC3=DKC1

 

[MrBadger]

Honestly Retro should have made the game more like this:

Would have been far superior to what we got

But that looks exactly like the game we got only with a kremling

I always found kremlings to be weird antagonists anyway. DK and Diddy both have animal-like proportions and then you have anthro crocodiles and an incredibly creepy anthro monkey who looks like Donkey Kong in a leotard

 

[leroidys]

The SNES games are mediocre are bad now, and they were mediocre at best when they came out. The retro studios games are both really great.

 

[Franchuzas87]

Tropical Freeze = DKC2 > DKC3=DKCR > DKC1

Good enough. I'll go with this.

 

[MillionVolts]

DKC:TF > DKC2 > DKCR > DKC3 > DKC1

All of them are great tho. I never get tired of them. I hope Nintendo has plans to keep the series going and Tropical Freeze isn't the last we'll see of it for a long time again.

 

[yiepekaiyei]

The SNES games are mediocre are bad now, and they were mediocre at best when they came out. The retro studios games are both really great.

lol, what? Snes games received critical acclaim when they were lauched, what are you talking about? These games are some of the best games ever made.

 

[EloquentM]

For me it's DKC: TF > DKC 2 > DKC1 = DKCR > DKC3

DKC 3 has great gameplay it just doesn't click for me.

 

[BlackRainbowFT]

DKC is my favorite by far; second place: DK64... I really disliked DKC2 and 3, for some reason.

EDIT: whoops. didn't read the title properly. DK64 doesn't count, then.

 

[MagnesD3]

To all the haters DK64 is a good game it just suffers from to many collectibles, lots of tedious actions (such as switching characters), reuse of similar mechanics and a lot of the collectibles feeling unrewarding. Otherwise it has awesome music, gameplay and world design.

 

[Gambit 1138]

But that looks exactly like the game we got only with a kremling

I always found kremlings to be weird antagonists anyway. DK and Diddy both have animal-like proportions and then you have anthro crocodiles and an incredibly creepy anthro monkey who looks like Donkey Kong in a leotard

In single player isn't he retro games you can only play as Donkey though. The DKC series always allowed us to play as both main and sidekick and tag team both characters through the game. I hate playing as Donkey Kong and would prefer to play as a lighter character like Dixie or Diddy

The Kremlings are the perfect antagonist to Donkey Kong as they represent mammals vs. reptiles or the classic King Kong vs Godzilla rivalry

 

[Devil]

I loved every single one of the 2D games, new and old. Never understood why the original trilogy is/was often considered as typical graphics over gameplay games. They play brilliantly!

Sadly, DKC2 is the only game I never finished since it is also the only one I never owned. I heard some bad stories about the VC versions, something about PAL issues (European here), what exactly is that about?

 

[BlazeHedgehog]

Don't they have like the highest metacritic average of any developer ever?

Anyone who can call DKCR or DKCTF 'trash' must have ridiculously high standards.

When I play DKCR, I often feel like I am struggling to control the game properly. Something about DK just doesn't feel as responsive as I'd like, and it's a fundamental thing that kind of ruins the entire game for me.

For whatever reason, I don't have this problem in DKCTF, even though I cannot perceive any significant changes to how the game controls.

"Trash" is a strong word for how I'd describe DKCR, but I genuinely hate it. I even picked up DKCR3D from Club Nintendo for my Platinum Reward last year, hoping it would make the game more palatable, and it doesn't.

 

[eXistor]

Not sure what it is, but I've never liked the DKC games much. I've played most of them and I certainly recognize the last 2 games as being very very well designed, but they just don't do it for me the way Mario platformers do.

 

[Gambit 1138]

Here's my ranking:

DKC 2
DKC
DKC TF
DKC 3
DKC Returns

Haven't played 64 or the GBA games but I doubt they would change the list much.

 

[hatchx]

When I play DKCR, I often feel like I am struggling to control the game properly. Something about DK just doesn't feel as responsive as I'd like, and it's a fundamental thing that kind of ruins the entire game for me.

For whatever reason, I don't have this problem in DKCTF, even though I cannot perceive any significant changes to how the game controls.

"Trash" is a strong word for how I'd describe DKCR, but I genuinely hate it. I even picked up DKCR3D from Club Nintendo for my Platinum Reward last year, hoping it would make the game more palatable, and it doesn't.

This makes no sense to me TBH, the controls and physics in DKCTF weren't far off from Returns. Maybe because TF has more forward momentum in the level design, and Returns has a little bit slower, more methodical jumping and timing.

 

[Green Mamba]

I love the Retro DKCs but I do think their enemy designs leave a lot to be desired. TF is obviously much better than Returns though in this regard.

Rare's artists weren't the greatest at enemy design either but I do think the Kremlings are a more fitting villain force than whatever the Tikis were supposed to be and the Snowmads, just for the dichotomy they have with the apes.

But TF is far and away my favorite of the DKCs though I think.

 

[Lathentar]

This makes no sense to me TBH, the controls and physics in DKCTF weren't far off from Returns. Maybe because TF has more forward momentum in the level design, and Returns has a little bit slower, more methodical jumping and timing.

Yeah, that's a bit strange. Probably just a difference in controller.

 

[BlazeHedgehog]

This makes no sense to me TBH, the controls and physics in DKCTF weren't far off from Returns. Maybe because TF has more forward momentum in the level design, and Returns has a little bit slower, more methodical jumping and timing.

The theory I outlined in my Tropical Freeze video review was that DKCR more heavily emphasizes Donkey Kong's control limitations. Everything in the game is just a little bit faster than he is, making him feel more sluggish than he actually is.

In general, DKCR likes to trap the player in "Gotcha!" scenarios, too, where it'll present you with a platform or an enemy that's only there to trick you in to killing yourself.

Tropical Freeze's level design is a lot more even-handed.

Yeah, that's a bit strange. Probably just a difference in controller.

That's part of the reason I got the 3DS version off Club Nintendo. I thought maybe it was TV lag, or Wii remote lag, or something. But, nope. 3DS version still feels slow and weird and annoying.

 

[TheMoon]

In single player isn't he retro games you can only play as Donkey though. The DKC series always allowed us to play as both main and sidekick and tag team both characters through the game. I hate playing as Donkey Kong and would prefer to play as a lighter character like Dixie or Diddy.

Then play as Diddy or Dixie or Cranky Kong. You can do just that. In Hard Mode. Or by doing two player and killing P1 at the first chance if Hard Mode is too much. There you go, two solutions that nullify your complaint.

Haven't played 64 or the GBA games but I doubt they would change the list much.

The GBA games are ports of the console games.

 

[BlazeHedgehog]

The GBA games are ports of the console games.

Bad ones, too. DKC1 in particular is a very sloppy port. In fact, calling it a port might not even be right -- it feels more like somebody re-wrote the entire game from the ground up and "played it by ear," so to speak. Everything about it feels slightly "off."

DKC2 and DKC3's ports are a little better, but you still have to deal with ugly, washed out colors and a bunch of other junk that doesn't need to be there.

Though I do remember liking DKC3's new GBA-exclusive soundtrack quite a bit back in the day.

 

[MrAstronaut]

I've only played Tropical Freeze. The game is an excellent platformer, and I love the way it looks and sounds, but I absolutely hate playing it. Platformers come with so much frustration.

 

[tiggerkiddo]

Yea those GBA ports didn't do it for me, I gave them a chance but the washed out colors and the soundtrack sounding pretty meh didn't help matters. Even though he composed it, I found I preferred the gritty SNES soundtrack for 3 to be much better than the surreal feel of the GBA one.

I miss the Kremmlings.

 

[Chibo]

Returns and Tropical Freeze are really great, mechanically, but Rare's series was much clearer in its post-cold war message.

At the beginning of DKC1, the Kongs were greedy capitalists, interested in political rule only insofar as it allowed them to hoard bananas.

The Kremlin(gs) displaced the regime in order to redistribute wealth. Their means were drastic -- all dissenters were shoved into barrels and crates -- but the rest of the population came to be on their side, and received a reasonable stipend in exchange for military service.

The Kongs were the only animals who wanted more than they needed, and managed to reclaim their wealth by regaining power. They came to value power as much as they valued the wealth it represented.

In DKC2, the Kongs become imperialist, conquering the Kremlings' own territory. K. Rool's shift from a political leader to a military captain shows a shift in focus. This game is the darkest of the bunch, and shows a world with currency, but still in ruin. The ships have all crashed, the lava has erupted, the amusement park has gaps in its roller coaster tracks. Perhaps this shows the reality of a failed empire that had idealistic ambitions. The fun zone is taken over by briars and bees.

DKC3's K. Rool became a scientist, which seems representative of the space race, culminating in the DKC's last level, where the Kongs commandeer a rickety rocket and after that, an elegant bird. Baron K. Roolenstein's robot was made of impressive technology, but was ultimately a novelty made of what was lying around, easily dispatched by stupid, brutish force. America.

Retro's series maintains the Kongs' greed, but I don't know what the Tikis are doing. Do drums want bananas or power or anything at all? There is one scene in Tropical Freeze where a parliament of owls destroys a banana with a sledgehammer, which seems like it could be something more than a Gallagher reference, but I don't know.

 

[Violet_0]

Returns and Tropical Freeze are really great, mechanically, but Rare's series was much clearer in its post-cold war message.

 

[TheMoon]

^ now I've seen everything

 

[Green Mamba]

holy shit

 

[Macapala]

DKC:TF=DKC:R > DKC2 > DKC3 > DKC1. I like DK64, but I don't really consider it to be a part of the Country series.

Tropical Freeze and Returns are easily the best in the series for me. Their superb level design and brilliant controls being the sole reasons.

DKC2 has a great atmosphere and some brilliant music, but the level design can be a bit lacking sometimes. Also, the boss battles are pretty terrible, Kreepy Krow (the ghost crow) and K. Rool being the only decent ones in my opinion.

DKC3, to me, feels out of place. The music, levels and atmosphere are so different from the previous two games. Not saying that's a bad thing, in fact that's why I like the game. I'm glad Rare did something different and didn't try to make an "expansion pack" to DKC2.

DKC1 is dated and suffers from the same problems as DKC2. The bosses are even worse, unfortunately.

 

[Toxi]

Returns and Tropical Freeze are really great, mechanically, but Rare's series was much clearer in its post-cold war message.

Now this is bananas.

 

[SonicMegaDrive]

Returns and Tropical Freeze are really great, mechanically, but Rare's series was much clearer in its post-cold war message.

At the beginning of DKC1, the Kongs were greedy capitalists, interested in political rule only insofar as it allowed them to hoard bananas.

The Kremlin(gs) displaced the regime in order to redistribute wealth. Their means were drastic -- all dissenters were shoved into barrels and crates -- but the rest of the population came to be on their side, and received a reasonable stipend in exchange for military service.

The Kongs were the only animals who wanted more than they needed, and managed to reclaim their wealth by regaining power. They came to value power as much as they valued the wealth it represented.

In DKC2, the Kongs become imperialist, conquering the Kremlings' own territory. K. Rool's shift from a political leader to a military captain shows a shift in focus. This game is the darkest of the bunch, and shows a world with currency, but still in ruin. The ships have all crashed, the lava has erupted, the amusement park has gaps in its roller coaster tracks. Perhaps this shows the reality of a failed empire that had idealistic ambitions. The fun zone is taken over by briars and bees.

DKC3's K. Rool became a scientist, which seems representative of the space race, culminating in the DKC's last level, where the Kongs commandeer a rickety rocket and after that, an elegant bird. Baron K. Roolenstein's robot was made of impressive technology, but was ultimately a novelty made of what was lying around, easily dispatched by stupid, brutish force. America.

Retro's series maintains the Kongs' greed, but I don't know what the Tikis are doing. Do drums want bananas or power or anything at all? There is one scene in Tropical Freeze where a parliament of owls destroys a banana with a sledgehammer, which seems like it could be something more than a Gallagher reference, but I don't know.

I just like bopping on baddies' heads.

 

[RedToad64]

Chibo, that's not exactly what I got out of playing the games...
A+.

 

[Natureboy99]

Most consistently amazing platformer series. Boom.

DKC > Mario!

Agreed, but then again lately just about every platformer game is better than mario. The series is ridiculously stagnant.

 

[Broken Joystick]

Returns and Tropical Freeze are really great, mechanically, but Rare's series was much clearer in its post-cold war message.

Retro's series maintains the Kongs' greed, but I don't know what the Tikis are doing. Do drums want bananas or power or anything at all? There is one scene in Tropical Freeze where a parliament of owls destroys a banana with a sledgehammer, which seems like it could be something more than a Gallagher reference, but I don't know.

 

[Phocks]

HOO HAH!

 

[daydream]

The Tikis obviously represent the power of propaganda through auditory means as part of a fascist coup d'état.

The Snowmads introduce the concept of bio-warfare in the form of cryo-weapons. Their motives remained unclear, however, making Tropical Freeze the weakest political treatise of them all.

 

[TheMoon]

Agreed, but then again lately just about every platformer game is better than mario. The series is ridiculously stagnant.

Nah, they're still amazing (both 2D and 3D). DKC just happens to be MORE amazing

 

[nintendork666]

DKC 2 and Tropical Freeze are the best, but the original takes way too much heat these days. One of my absolute favorites growing up, and still so.

Returns is still probably my least favorite.

 

[MrBadger]

Bad ones, too. DKC1 in particular is a very sloppy port. In fact, calling it a port might not even be right -- it feels more like somebody re-wrote the entire game from the ground up and "played it by ear," so to speak. Everything about it feels slightly "off."

DKC2 and DKC3's ports are a little better, but you still have to deal with ugly, washed out colors and a bunch of other junk that doesn't need to be there.

Though I do remember liking DKC3's new GBA-exclusive soundtrack quite a bit back in the day.

I weirdly prefer 3 on the GBA to the SNES. Not only do I prefer the music, but I always thought 3's visuals were rather dull and clay-like due to being more cartoony than 1 and 2, and I just find that art style unpleasant. I think the brighter palette and slight loss of detail on the GBA make the game a little less depressing to look at. Plus I think that game's mini games and extra world are fun

Can't play 1 and 2 on GBA, though. They completely lose their atmosphere with the brighter colours and loss of detail. Although I do think the sound effects in the GBA version of 2 are more fitting than the SNES version.

 

[TheMoon]

DKC 2 and Tropical Freeze are the best, but the original takes way too much heat these days. One of my absolute favorites growing up, and still so.

Returns is still probably my least favorite.

DKC1 absolutely holds up. I 101%ed it again last November when it came out on VC and it's still fantastic.

 

[Gambit 1138]

Then play as Diddy or Dixie or Cranky Kong. You can do just that. In Hard Mode. Or by doing two player and killing P1 at the first chance if Hard Mode is too much. There you go, two solutions that nullify your complaint.



The GBA games are ports of the console games.

In hard mode you can play as Diddy or Dixie? This is in both DKCR and TF?