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Why have the Donkey Kong Country games been removed from the Virtual Console?

T

TheShampion

Member
I actually bought the Super Famicom DKC a little while ago and I felt silly because I could have just bought it on the VC. Not feeling so silly now.
 
T

The Mana Legend

Banned
If they are doing the Wii U Virtual Console thing, I'd be fine with it as long as they let the people who bought them before get a free Wii U version update of them.
 
N

Neiteio

Member
The three games in the DKC trilogy are among the games I love most. I already have all three on the Virtual Console, bought them each the day they came out, but it still irks me endlessly they've removed them from the shop. It can't be due to legal issues -- Nintendo owns the DKC franchise and thus Rare's work on it lock, stock and barrel, and I doubt the KI references in DKC2 would be disrupting anything now (or Sonic's shoes, for that matter).

Best case scenario: A DKC trilogy/DK64/DK:JB/DKCR collection in HD on WiiU, or the DKC trilogy in 3D on 3DS. Really, the DKC trilogy, more than any other series in Nintendo's collection, needs to be remastered in HD -- its spritework looks atrocious on modern TVs, and is one of the reasons I still keep an SDTV around (in addition to an HDTV, I mean).

Re-release them in HD, Nintendo, along with DKCR and DK:JB. And hell, why not -- I'd by lying if I said I didn't love DK64 despite its shameless (and aimless) collect-a-thon insanity.

Whatever happens, these games (the DKC trilogy in particular) need to remain archived and available to the masses. Precious gaming heritage for me and many others, no doubt.
 
L

lunchwithyuzo

Banned
Kirbyguy said:
Someone said music, but that sounded like a load of crap.

My theory on this is because VC games needs to be relicensed in order for it to be available on Wii U. And since the Wii Shop Channel is segregated from the Wii U eShop, unlike with the DSi Shop, they would have to remove it until it's relicensed for use on Wii U. I mean it was removed today for the US, and the Wii U comes out tomorrow, and the 30th for Europe, so it's being taken down on the 25th instead of today.
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Nintendo owns the games and IP outright, it was part of the settlement split with Rare. I don't see what licensing is even needed potentially?
 
BasilZero

BasilZero

Member
Donkey Kong Country Trilogy HD Collection for $39.99 coming out for Wii-U.

With Playable Cranky Kong DLC on all 3 games.
 
N

Neiteio

Member
Oh man, an HD re-release of all three games would seriously be amazing. Actually, throw in Returns as well. That game is too damn good to be doomed to standard-def...
 
I

IntelliHeath

As in "Heathcliff"
oh damn..

I was holding back on VC and planned to buy those VC when I get my hand on Wii U. I just lost my chance with it if it's gone for good.
 
N

Neiteio

Member
bangai-o said:
the graphics were held the games up back then, but now the games are very meh.
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What the -- no. Just no. DKC2, in particular, is superb rhythm-based horizontal and vertical platforming. Chain-comboing three enemies in a cartwheel then veering off a ledge and jumping midair to string-jump three flying enemies never gets old.
 
T

The Mana Legend

Banned
Neiteio said:
Oh man, an HD re-release of all three games would seriously be amazing. Actually, throw in Returns as well. That game is too damn good to be doomed to standard-def...
Click to expand...

DKCR is my favorite DKC. I love 2, but I found DKCR to be much more fluent in its platforming and the difficulty is more balanced for me.

I would love an HD version of DKCR (and 1 and 2, and might as well JB since I never played it). Fucking so good.
 
T

tiggerkiddo

Member
If they released a trilogy of them or a HD collection for the Wii U, I would buy it just because I'm a fan. But this is a pipe dream for now. Just curious if we'll see the 64 game show up eventually.
 
T

The Mana Legend

Banned
tiggerkiddo said:
If they released a trilogy of them or a HD collection for the Wii U, I would buy it just because I'm a fan. But this is a pipe dream for now. Just curious if we'll see the 64 game show up eventually.
Click to expand...

The 64 game would take some reprogramming considering that there are some Microsoft/RARE IP references such as Jetpac in there.

I'm pretty sure that's why it was never released for Virtual Console.
 
K

KirbYuuYuu

Member
lunchwithyuzo said:
Nintendo owns the games and IP outright, it was part of the settlement split with Rare. I don't see what licensing is even needed potentially?
Click to expand...

It's just a hunch, but at the same time if that was the case, we shouldn't really be going through this.

I would like to ask what people mean by HD versions of DKC1-3? Like the original games but in HD, or redone a la DKCR? Because the first option sounds really messy.
 
T

The Mana Legend

Banned
Kirbyguy said:
It's just a hunch, but at the same time if that was the case, we shouldn't really be going through this.

I would like to ask what people mean by HD versions of DKC1-3? Like the original games but in HD, or redone a la DKCR? Because the first option sounds really messy.
Click to expand...

I would obviously prefer the entire trilogy remade using the DKCR engine, but most people are probably meaning just some filters and increase in internal resolution. Which would be hideous.

If they're doing HD remakes, remake the entirety of the graphics. The SNES DKC engine has aged horribly .
 
N

Neiteio

Member
Kirbyguy said:
It's just a hunch, but at the same time if that was the case, we shouldn't really be going through this.

I would like to ask what people mean by HD versions of DKC1-3? Like the original games but in HD, or redone a la DKCR? Because the first option sounds really messy.
Click to expand...
Just the original games in HD. As it stands, the DKC trilogy looks blurry/pixelated as heck on an HDTV. They could really benefit from their assets being remastered at higher resoltuion. No small feat, I'm sure, but I'd say they're games worth preserving.
 
K

KirbYuuYuu

Member
Neiteio said:
Just the original games in HD. As it stands, the DKC trilogy looks blurry/pixelated as heck on an HDTV. They could really benefit from their assets being remastered at higher resoltuion. No small feat, I'm sure, but I'd say they're games worth preserving.
Click to expand...

Probably too much effort for what its worth. I don't really think its assets was really made in mind for HD and whatnot. They would be better off reusing assets from DKCR. At least it'll look good.
 
E

Eusis

Member
Neiteio said:
Just the original games in HD. As it stands, the DKC trilogy looks blurry/pixelated as heck on an HDTV. They could really benefit from their assets being remastered at higher resoltuion. No small feat, I'm sure, but I'd say they're games worth preserving.
Click to expand...
Honestly, you just need optional bilinear filtering or something. It's not IDEAL, but trying to replicate the natural blurriness of playing on a mid-90s TV over S-Video at best will be a huge improvement and is a good thing to have in the VC emulators anyway for those that want that look or for games that need it like DKC.
 
N

Neiteio

Member
Eusis said:
Honestly, you just need optional bilinear filtering or something. It's not IDEAL, but trying to replicate the natural blurriness of playing on a mid-90s TV over S-Video at best will be a huge improvement and is a good thing to have in the VC emulators anyway for those that want that look or for games that need it like DKC.
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I'll take it. Anything that would make it so that the characters no longer look like pixelated blobs on an HDTV.

Empowe said:
Weren't all the art assets compressed to fit on the carts? Surely Rare don't have all the hi-res stuff still lying around? Or Nintendo, for that matter.
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This would be ideal. That's a lot of assets to keep lying around, though.
 
M

MrChocolate

Member
Criminal Upper said:
Uh, DCK2 is better in every way. There's not a single thing the 1st one does better.
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Nocturnowl said:
The only context this makes sense to me in is if you're saying "why did you only buy the second best entry in Nocturnowl's favourite games of all time list?"

Something tells me that's not the angle you're driving at.
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DKC is better than DKC2 in almost every aspect of the game (except for secrets). But I respect your (wrong) opinions.
 
P

PowerSmell

Member
Eusis said:
You'd think some of the big Mario games would be the first to get pulled...

Still, this is what I hate about DD: not only do games have the potential to be delisted and unbuyable, there's no honor system or hard rule to tell us in advance that hey, you may miss your chance to ever get this game if you don't act! That alone would help mitigate the problem, instead shit like this happens even with one of Nintendo's bigger series. :/
Click to expand...

Digital Disney Vault? Wow that's something I didn't expect.
 
D

Dishwalla

Banned
Bullshit. DKC 3 is vastly underrated. DKC 1 is highly overrated.

Losers best actually play and complete DKC 3 before writing it off.
 
B

BocoDragon

or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
What's with all the "remake" "collection" talk?

It's surely just coming to a Wii U Virtual Console if anything.
 
A

Anth0ny

Member
this is some bullshit. I haven't played 3, but 1 and 2 are fantastic.

Is an "HD collection" possible? Does Nintendo still have those assets saved on some couputer somewhere?
 
C

CrunchyFrog

Member
Neiteio said:
Oh man, an HD re-release of all three games would seriously be amazing. Actually, throw in Returns as well. That game is too damn good to be doomed to standard-def...
Click to expand...

I don't suppose Rare has all of the original renders lying around somewhere? If they could up-res all that spritework, ooooooooooh man would pay a high price.
 
D

dimb

Bjergsen is the greatest midlane in the world
While I like Donkey Kong Country, it is fairly mild and not particularly interesting when you stack it up against its successors. This is especially noticeable in respect to the design of the levels. DKC2 and DKC3 take more risks from both an aesthetic and a design perspective. DKC3 slips a few times, but there is still a lot about it that is very worthwhile. I find it difficult to go back to the original.
 
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