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Wednesday's ONM has new DKCTF info (Animal buddies, 3 secret levels per world)

Fiktion

Banned
EDIT: No longer a rumor, confirmed by GAF member Semajer.

Okay, I've had a quick skim of the magazine and these jumped out at me. Spoilers, maybe:

The article describes some of the first parts of the game.
It says that most levels take around 10 minutes to complete on your first attempt.
Stage 3-3 Frantic Field is set against a hurricane, with small tornadoes, and lightning as obstacles. Eventually you reach the eye of the storm.
The stage after is set in a forest, with sections on fire due to the previous levels lightning. You need to use watery fruit to put out vine fires in order to progress.
It says there are tag barrels ala Donkey Kong 64, to switch between Kongs. It may just mean the DK barrels though.
There are multiple routes to take in levels.
There are three secret levels per world.

Time Attack returns, but you can select which character's DK barrels will appear.
Hot damn, players can upload times and full replays to show friends, and to help other players improve their own times.

There seems to be more emphasis on the background, which is constantly moving, which makes the world feel alive, and sometimes provides hints to what you're going to encounter next.

There is an interview with Michael Kelbaugh, and Kensuke Tanabe.
When asked if there was anything the felt was missing from the game Tanabe said that he wishes they could have done more with the animal buddies.
He also mentions that there is something from A Link to the Past that he want to do, couldn't, and used it in Link's Awakening instead. Which was the ending of LA when the egg opens.
Kelnaugh mentions three of his favourite levels; 6-6 Cliffside Slide, "like jumping right into the middle of an action movie", it's a silhouette level. 4-4 Irate Eight, and underwater level which sounds like the giant octopus from DKCR is back. 3-3 Frantic Fields, which is challenging, but with a bit of comedy.
Tanabe mentions that World 4 is made of only underwater levels.

He also mentions that he likes 4-4, and 3-6 Cannon Canyon, because of the dynamic 3D camera movement.
Kelbaugh said that the animation quality is improved over DKCR, and with David Wise, Kenji Yamamoto, and Scott Petersen, they have an amazing soundtrack, and special effects effort.
Tanabe was surprise that so few people in DKCR didn't want to use the Super Guide once it appeared. He said that the difficulty of TF hasn't been lowered, but that they have added some features that will give casual players an easier time. (Probably the items in Funky's shop, which I think are carried over from DKCR3D.)
They both say that the difficulty hasn't been lowered, but the new items, and Kong POW allow you to change the difficulty of the levels somewhat.

Miyamoto told Retro, when first working on DKCR: "This is my baby. Don't mess it up."
Kelbaugh and Tanabe both worked on DKC, with Tanabe on the Japanese localisation, but never met.
Ten years later Tanabe met Kelbaugh, when he became president of Retro. He saw that Kelbaugh had a DKC jacket, and they learned that they both worked on DKC.
A few years after that they both started on DKCR, so Michael gave DKCR the codename F8 - fate.
Retro was working on Mario Kart 7, and TF at the same time.
Tanabe, and his team at SPD is Retro's primary contact at Nintendo, but the games are a collaborative effort throughout Nintendo.
If they found themselves on Kong Island Kelbaugh would team up with Diddy, and Tanabe with Donkey Kong, so that he could be carried around.

The original post on Nintendo Life:

The latest edition of the U.K Official Nintendo magazine (104) has some really interesting new information about DKCTF. For example each world has 3 secret levels instead of the original games one per world . Also the President and CEO of Retro says "As for Tropical Freeze, there are a few more things I feel we could have done with the animal buddies" which to me suggests that at least something has been done with them in Tropical Freeze.

So we are now looking at a game with around 60 levels in total (6 or 7 main with 3 secret ones) so similar if not larger than returns!

I would seriously reccomend that any DKCTF fan who lives in the U.K. gets the latest issue when it arrives in shops on 15th January as it reveals a fair few new bits about the game that I have not seen anywhere else and is an interesting read!
 

Semajer

Member
I got my issue a few days ago. I'll have a read through it, and try to confirm when I get back from work in an hour or so, if noone beats me to it.
 

Tripon

Member
Nintendo dropping nintendo power still makes me sad. ONM isn't the same thing, but its nice that something like it exists.
 
The big news, other than the return of Animal Buddies, is that 3 secret levels per world would make this game as big or bigger than Returns, which is something that people have expressed concern about.

Returns had 72 levels. 60 Would still be well short, but we still really have no idea and won't know until reviews come in.
 
I really hope Retro didn't do something dumb and drop animal buddies entirely. They were already sorely lacking in DKC Returns. Just a few hidden Rambi encounters and a cameo by Squawks are you kidding me?
 
I really hope Retro didn't do something dumb and drop animal buddies entirely. They were already sorely lacking in DKC Returns. Just a few hidden Rambi encounters and a cameo by Squawks are you kidding me?
I want motherfuckin Squitter to come back. Googley eyed spider with tennis shoes design was 90's as fuck, but was also really fun to dick around with in DKC2/3.
 

Semajer

Member
Okay, I've had a quick skim of the magazine and these jumped out at me. Spoilers, maybe:

The article describes some of the first parts of the game.
It says that most levels take around 10 minutes to complete on your first attempt.
Stage 3-3 Frantic Field is set against a hurricane, with small tornadoes, and lightning as obstacles. Eventually you reach the eye of the storm.
The stage after is set in a forest, with sections on fire due to the previous levels lightning. You need to use watery fruit to put out vine fires in order to progress.
It says there are tag barrels ala Donkey Kong 64, to switch between Kongs. It may just mean the DK barrels though.
There are multiple routes to take in levels.
There are three secret levels per world.
Time Attack returns, but you can select which character's DK barrels will appear.
Hot damn, players can upload times and full replays to show friends, and to help other players improve their own times.
There seems to be more emphasis on the background, which is constantly moving, which makes the world feel alive, and sometimes provides hints to what you're going to encounter next.

There is an interview with Michael Kelbaugh, and Kensuke Tanabe.
When asked if there was anything the felt was missing from the game Tanabe said that he wishes they could have done more with the animal buddies.
He also mentions that there is something from A Link to the Past that he want to do, couldn't, and used it in Link's Awakening instead. Which was the ending of LA when the egg opens.
Kelnaugh mentions three of his favourite levels; 6-6 Cliffside Slide, "like jumping right into the middle of an action movie", it's a silhouette level. 4-4 Irate Eight, and underwater level which sounds like the giant octopus from DKCR is back. 3-3 Frantic Fields, which is challenging, but with a bit of comedy.
Tanabe mentions that World 4 is made of only underwater levels.
He also mentions that he likes 4-4, and 3-6 Cannon Canyon, because of the dynamic 3D camera movement.
Kelbaugh said that the animation quality is improved over DKCR, and with David Wise, Kenji Yamamoto, and Scott Petersen, they have an amazing soundtrack, and special effects effort.
Tanabe was surprise that so few people in DKCR didn't want to use the Super Guide once it appeared. He said that the difficulty of TF hasn't been lowered, but that they have added some features that will give casual players an easier time. (Probably the items in Funky's shop, which I think are carried over from DKCR3D.)
They both say that the difficulty hasn't been lowered, but the new items, and Kong POW allow you to change the difficulty of the levels somewhat.
Miyamoto told Retro, when first working on DKCR: "This is my baby. Don't mess it up."
Kelbaugh and Tanabe both worked on DKC, with Tanabe on the Japanese localisation, but never met.
Ten years later Tanabe met Kelbaugh, when he became president of Retro. He saw that Kelbaugh had a DKC jacket, and they learned that they both worked on DKC.
A few years after that they both started on DKCR, so Michael gave DKCR the codename F8 - fate.
Retro was working on Mario Kart 7, and TF at the same time.
Tanabe, and his team at SPD is Retro's primary contact at Nintendo, but the games are a collaborative effort throughout Nintendo.
If they found themselves on Kong Island Kelbaugh would team up with Diddy, and Tanabe with Donkey Kong, so that he could be carried around.

Post scans. =p
lol

No. =p
lol
 
When asked if there was anything the felt was missing from the game Tanabe said that he wishes they could have done more with the animal buddies.
This really does read like to me that they're either not back at all or it's just Rambi again this time around.
 

mrmickfran

Member
10 minute levels in a 2D platformer? That seems odd.

Also, I thought David Wise was the sole composer? It now confirms that Kenji Yamamoto is back as well as introducing a composer that I have never heard of >_>
 

Sendou

Member
Holy shit this game sounds good but who's Scott Petersen?

Also, I thought David Wise was the sole composer? It now confirms that Kenji Yamamoto is back as well as introducing a composer I have never heard of >_>

Yamamoto returning was announced earlier but this third composer is news.
 

Fiktion

Banned
10 minute levels in a 2D platformer? That seems odd.

Also, I thought David Wise was the sole composer? It now confirms that Kenji Yamamoto is back as well as introducing a composer I have never heard of >_>

I read that as Scott Petersen being the special effects guy.

We don't know if Yamamoto is composing or producing or what. His role in the last game was just oversight.
 
10 minute levels in a 2D platformer? That seems odd.

Also, I thought David Wise was the sole composer? It now confirms that Kenji Yamamoto is back as well as introducing a composer that I have never heard of >_>
Googling his name doesn't bring up the most flattering descriptions.
 

Fiktion

Banned
An in-house composer at Retro Studios, probably communicating with Wise and Yamamoto if they're not in studio.

You made this up.

I was right, he's a sound designer.

Scott Petersen is a sound designer at Retro Studios. Petersen was previously employed at Blizzard Entertainment and Blizzard North before joining Retro. [1] In Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, one of the dead marines on the G.F.S. Valhalla is named after him.

LinkedIn


Scott Petersen
Audio Supervisor at Retro Studios
Austin, Texas Area
Entertainment
 
. 4-4 Irate Eight, and underwater level which sounds like the giant octopus from DKCR is back.

Miyamoto told Retro, when first working on DKCR: "This is my baby. Don't mess it up."

I see so the Octopus has migrated from DK Island to Sea Breeze Cove :p.

Concerning Miyamoto, I find it funny that he said that when his lone contribution, the blow mechanic, was the dumbest part of the game.
 

mrmickfran

Member
I find it funny that Miyamoto was concerned about DKCR when he was one of the few people who had confidence in Retro's ability to make Metroid Prime.
 

Ushojax

Should probably not trust the 7-11 security cameras quite so much
Concerning Miyamoto, I find it funny that he said that when his lone contribution, the blow mechanic, was the dumbest part of the game.

I'm fairly certain Miyamoto was talking about the character of Donkey Kong as 'his baby' and not DKCR specifically.
 

AniHawk

Member
each level is about ten minutes long
world 4 is all water levels
somewhere around 9 levels per world

so... 90 minutes straight of water levels.
a3nE3TC.jpg
 

Yoshi

Headmaster of Console Warrior Jugendstrafanstalt
Time Attack returns, but you can select which character's DK barrels will appear.
Oh my, many many hours ahead to get those gold medals again (shiny gold was too much for me last time and will probably be again, this time).
 

RE lover

Member
Only underwater levels in world 4?! Not sure I like that, they better have awesome music and of course enguarde to make them bearable
 

Azure J

Member
each level is about ten minutes long
world 4 is all water levels
somewhere around 9 levels per world

so... 90 minutes straight of water levels.
a3nE3TC.jpg

On the flip side, they have to be pretty confident that these levels are ace in order to go balls out and say "only underwater stages" like that.

[/hopeless optimist]
 
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