I love 3! I just can't in good conscience say it's my favorite. We need ranked choice voting for only for our elections but our Donkey Kong Country polls.
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The original Donkey Kong Country has aged incredibly well.
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I love 3! I just can't in good conscience say it's my favorite. We need ranked choice voting for only for our elections but our Donkey Kong Country polls.
DKC1 was the only one of the SNES trilogy I actually had - I rented DKC2 and DKC3 numerous times (and this latter one I also borrowed from my cousins on a couple of occasions). Even though DKC2 is my favorite of the trilogy, I will always have a very soft spot in my heart for the first one - loved how realistic it looked when I was a kid. It was like it took place in a slightly exaggerated version of our own world, and that made my mind go wild. Like "this place looks like [this actual place I passed by once} holy shit, it's amazing!" wild.
And, of course, that soundtrack. Equal parts atmospheric and memorable, Beanland/Novakovic/Wise managed to squeeze a lot out of the SNES soundchip and it showed. It's fucking amazing.
And, of course, that soundtrack. Equal parts atmospheric and memorable, Beanland/Novakovic/Wise managed to squeeze a lot out of the SNES soundchip and it showed. It's fucking amazing.
DKC2 is the better game, but DKC1 has a better theme and OST overall, and is just a bit more nostalgic for me.
I'm really not a fan of DKCR/TF. The waggle absolutely killed the first, and the movement just doesn't feel right in the second. Roll jumping is too fast and encourages memorization over skillful play.
Man, I remember that jump in difficulty though on the snow world as a kid. Getting through those first 3 stages to get to a save point was tough.
I'm really not a fan of DKCR/TF. The waggle absolutely killed the first, and the movement just doesn't feel right in the second. Roll jumping is too fast and encourages memorization over skillful play.
Man, I remember that jump in difficulty though on the snow world as a kid. Getting through those first 3 stages to get to a save point was tough.
It's a fine ass game but 2 was one of those sequels that just blows it out the water.
For me it's DKC2>DKCTF>DKC3>DKCR>DKC
All phenomenal games, 2 beats TF only because of nostalgia points.
For me it's DKC2>DKCTF>DKC3>DKCR>DKC
All phenomenal games, 2 beats TF only because of nostalgia points.
I just fired up Donkey Kong Country on the Switch and this game is still just so awesome. The atmosphere and music are perfect. One of the most charming games ever.
I think Tropical Freeze is probably my favourite Donkey Kong Country game but playing the original again reminds me of how awesome the entire series is.
I'll never understand how Nintendo treats Donkey Kong. It reviews well and is a consistent high seller. Donkey Kong was their first massive hit in arcades and sold great on NES. Then Donkey Kong Country is their biggest SNES game. Even the subpar Donkey Kong 64 sold well. Returns was also huge on the Wii.
If any game series deserves a huge budget Mario Odyssey type 3D game, it's Donkey Kong.
I think Tropical Freeze is probably my favourite Donkey Kong Country game but playing the original again reminds me of how awesome the entire series is.
I'll never understand how Nintendo treats Donkey Kong. It reviews well and is a consistent high seller. Donkey Kong was their first massive hit in arcades and sold great on NES. Then Donkey Kong Country is their biggest SNES game. Even the subpar Donkey Kong 64 sold well. Returns was also huge on the Wii.
If any game series deserves a huge budget Mario Odyssey type 3D game, it's Donkey Kong.
I do this in every DK thread, but while I enjoy the new Donkey Kong Returns series, the spooky mysterious vibe is definitely missing. I think one of the things that makes the Donkey Kong Country games (1-3) so great, is just how strange and mysterious they are. There were literally times while playing that game that I was genuinely kind of frightened by the combination of baddies, barrel challenges, and musical score. The new DK games are just too cheerful.
So count me in as being yet another person who strongly believes that we need the Kremlings and overall spooky vibes to return. I'm really enjoying playing the game for like the 10th time on the Switch.
So count me in as being yet another person who strongly believes that we need the Kremlings and overall spooky vibes to return. I'm really enjoying playing the game for like the 10th time on the Switch.
I totally agree. It's definitely slightly different than DK2 in ton, level design, and overall vibe. But don't sleep on the score primarily created by Eviline Fischer (in tandem with David Wise), has just as beautiful of a score as the first two games. Hopefully they all make their way onto the switch.
Nostalgia is a hard factor to weigh appropriately in these older titles, but thinking back to when it came out I was very impressed by the visuals. However, in a few years that feeling instead turned into a "dated look" reaction that colors my overall perception of the game since it was done better later (arguably). That's no knock on the gameplay but my gut reaction to the game is that it has not aged "incredibly well" to me. I frankly find that some of the other SNES pixel art games feel like truly ageless masterpieces that are appealing even to those today without rose-tinged nostalgia glasses, whereas it's hard to view DKC quite the same way, all IMHO. Music is great though.
I have to say, the colour choices from DKC1 were always awful to me, at least on the first levels. The trees looked like plastic toys and Donkey Kong was orange and pink for some reason, but the rest, while not that varied, was ok. The village at the top of the trees was awesome, though, and DKC2 looked amazing all around.
Gameplay-wise, I think it's nice as always, but having played DKL2 and DKC2 more, it always mesees me up that rolling on certain enemies hurt you, specially as Donkey Kong.
Gameplay-wise, I think it's nice as always, but having played DKL2 and DKC2 more, it always mesees me up that rolling on certain enemies hurt you, specially as Donkey Kong.
I still wonder if this game would have been better received and remembered if instead of Kiddy it featured Donkey Kong and they had to rescue Diddy only. In my mind I think it could have even validated Dixie a bit more, since that would have made her more connected to Donkey.
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playing it for the first time just this week i can confirm:
- the graphics have aged quite poorly, the world map and stuff look kinda ew, some stuff in the levels blends together. every 2D SNES game has aged much much better
- music is fantastic
- losing all your lives popping you back to a save point usually several levels prior is unfortunate. i use a saved state at the start of each level, so i guess that problem's solved
- the flow to the levels once you get a hang of the controls is quite remarkable, it's designed super well and you can really blow through levels fast as hell
- the 'platforming' is at its best when its doing its own thing. stuff like the barrels and timing them, the animals and stuff you can ride like the frog are all great
even with 0 nostalgia it's pretty good i'd say
- the graphics have aged quite poorly, the world map and stuff look kinda ew, some stuff in the levels blends together. every 2D SNES game has aged much much better
- music is fantastic
- losing all your lives popping you back to a save point usually several levels prior is unfortunate. i use a saved state at the start of each level, so i guess that problem's solved
- the flow to the levels once you get a hang of the controls is quite remarkable, it's designed super well and you can really blow through levels fast as hell
- the 'platforming' is at its best when its doing its own thing. stuff like the barrels and timing them, the animals and stuff you can ride like the frog are all great
even with 0 nostalgia it's pretty good i'd say
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I know you like the game but I feel like these arguments are often used to disqualify DKC3 and I always thought they were mostly unfair, so I'm going to present counterpoints.
-Kiddy Kong's design might not be the best, but he's actually fun to play with, and the weight difference mechanic is miles ahead of DKC1. Also Dixie is the best character in the franchise, so it isn't like the playable characters are bad or anything.
-Eveline Fischer's soundtrack is amazing in it's own right so I really don't get this complaint. The funny thing is, Wise did his take on the soundtrack later, and Fischer's is arguably better. Also, DKC Returns' soundtrack is mostly subpar remixes and the original songs are quite bad and still no one complains about it, so...
-I get this somewhat, the game is much less cartoonish than DKC2 but I wouldn't say it "clashes". The enemy design actually remind me of DKC1 more. I think DKC1 has the most "realistic" designs, DKC2 has the most cartoonish, and 3 is a mix. But I do agree the designs are much less inspired than 2's (although much better than 1's).
-What people call "gimmicky levels" I call "gameplay variety". It's one of the rare games where the devs went all out and tried every idea they had, nothing is rehashed. It's very similar to Mario 3D World, but people love that game and no one calls it "gimmicky".
-I agree here, 2' setting is better and more exciting, but still, 3 is kind bold for going for something so... Unsual. I imagine they were like "ok we had a tropical island, a pirate island so now we should do... Hmm, Canada". It's so out of the box for a 96 game, and it works, because the game has beautiful scenery all through.
-Another point I agree. I don't think there was much room for improvement after DKC2 without risking ruining the formula though, and the overworld map was a quite great addition.
All in all, DKC3 might not be better than 2 if only because it came after it. It's probably one of the most underrated games of all time, I wish more people would play it with an open mind.
DKC1 is still great, and I think it has to do with the fast gameplay: Rolling through enemies to go faster and the Rambi/Animals sections, going fast and powering through enemies.
For all my sisters and brothers who voted for DKC3, bless you for knowing the truth. Great music, level design (Although it is simple at the start), smooth gameplay with the Kongs, the art. Too sad most people look over it.
For all my sisters and brothers who voted for DKC3, bless you for knowing the truth. Great music, level design (Although it is simple at the start), smooth gameplay with the Kongs, the art. Too sad most people look over it.
Been playing it for the first time and enjoying it, though i think I still largely prefer DKCR3DS and DK:TF.
Sure you didn't just play the GBA version because he isn't in my SNES version.
It's criminally underrated, yeah. It's got a ton of content in it for an SNES game. The bosses were all great, too.
I vehemently disagree. With the "3D game" bit. I need a huge budget Donkey Kong Country game in my veins.
I think Donkey Kong Country thrives on its 2D platforming. The feeling of rolling and jumping off a platform just before you reach the edge is nothing short of bliss.
I'd rather Retro (any studio really, but preferably Retro) go ham and make a super polished, lengthy, 2D platforming game with plenty of collectibles and secrets.
It's hard to put my finger on exactly what turns me off about DKC1's physics - I think it might be the fact that Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong feel pretty much the same to play, even though Donkey is so much larger and bulkier. Do they have the same physics or are they slightly different?
It's just always felt kind of off-putting and clunky to me, hopping around levels as this bulky character whose agility doesn't really feel like it fits naturally with what I'm seeing on the screen? IDK, maybe I'm just weird. Controlling the game just never felt good to me.
DKC2 fixes this for the most part, since Diddy and Dixie have pretty much the same body type, and the diversity in their movesets comes more from Dixie's ponytail stuff. IIRC the newer DKC games also give the characters more unique gameplay.
It's just always felt kind of off-putting and clunky to me, hopping around levels as this bulky character whose agility doesn't really feel like it fits naturally with what I'm seeing on the screen? IDK, maybe I'm just weird. Controlling the game just never felt good to me.
DKC2 fixes this for the most part, since Diddy and Dixie have pretty much the same body type, and the diversity in their movesets comes more from Dixie's ponytail stuff. IIRC the newer DKC games also give the characters more unique gameplay.
diddy is notably lighter and faster. i actively dislike playing as DK for this reason
That would explain it! Yeah, "slower and bulkier" is a weird way to build a platforming character.
I would never suggest they stop making 2D Donkey Kong games. I would like both to be made.
I've seen so many vinesauce corruptions of DKC that now I'm playing it again and I half-expect the music or graphics to get all stanky, followed by vinny's bewildered laughter in the background.
I replay this once in a while but it really hasn't aged well. The bonus games are lame and overall useless, DK isn't a very fun character to use (feels ways top sluggish for a platformer so I mainly just stick with Diddy), levels and their variety and creativity I felt weren't too good, animal buddies are ok but nothing that special, music wasn't too memorable other than the intro music, etc.
It's pretty incredible how much better DKC2 is compared to the first
It's pretty incredible how much better DKC2 is compared to the first
What? Diddy is so much different from DK to the point i actively just use him for as long as i can find a barrel to get Diddy. They're nothing alike. To a detriment, since playing DK really is not optimal at all since his "advantages" over the nimble, faster and easier to control Diddy are never explored enough to be meaningful
doesnt it hurt to be this wrong?
Ok I lied. Last boss music is pretty great.
Ostrich buddy is bad though.
Playing it again now on Switch, I love it. The atmosphere is much better than the new ones, and while tropical freeze lies around unfinished, I got to King K. Roll with much more fun. I also do not think the graphics aged badly, it still looks good.
I just didn't remember that it was so short.
I just didn't remember that it was so short.
Indeed! It's a great game and probably one of the most underrated Nintendo titles.
Oh, I meant the original, but I could never play the gba because of the colour choices being so saturated. They still look dull in the original screens and look awful when ripped. Even the Land games look better to me in that sense.
That said, they did get Donkey's fur a bit better on the original sprites.
I love DKC. Absolutely blew my mind as a child, in a way that wouldn't happen again until I played Super Mario 64 (something about their ambient tracks too). DKC2 is still my high mark for what constitutes a great sequel though, and I hope they add it to the service soon so I can once do yet another play through.
The wait for Nintendo to the add the other two to Switch will be painful. I enjoyed replaying DKC this week but I wanted more there and then.
I completely underestimated the length of DKC. Probably spent a couple hours getting to the end which was surprising to me. Rewind really takes the sting out of the cheap deaths (like some of those "surprise" enemies who walk out of the exit door).
Honestly I don't really understand the "didn't age well" takes in this thread. Obviously they were trying to do something a little different with modeling and graphics than the SNES games that use 2D sprites, in a way that will always kind of seem "dated" and tied to the technology it was developed with. I also think that this technology was developed for display on the old tube TVs, and frankly are just meant to be displayed using the old technology. At the end of the day, I'd rather play the DKC games than just about any other platformer on the SNES, Mario included (which isn't to say that I don't think the Mario games are also fantastic, they are). But there's just something about the overall mood of the DKC that just elevates it for me, and honestly I think the level design especially in DKC2 and DKC3 is some of the best platformers I've ever played.
The SNES games that I most enjoy and seem most timeless to me are the ones that were made before they tried to adhere to some sort of rough Nintendo style bible. For instance, I will always argue that the SNES Star Fox game is superior to it's N64 counterpart for that very reason. The SNES was an interesting time for Nintendo where studios seemed to have a lot of freedom, probably given the fact that SNES was essentially the superior console on the market at that time. It didn't feel like Nintendo had an overall unified vision for their brands, and so studios like Rare were just kind of doing their own thing trying to push the technology. I understand why the Donkey Kong IP has gone the direction it has, but I still think that there is a market a new-game that goes back to the roots of the vibe and mood of the old game. 2D platformers will always kind of be tied to era and technology that existed when they were the most popular type of game on the market, but I still think there is room to do a kind of homage to the old vibe, and potentially hand it over to a studio that wants to try to push what is possible graphically possible for 2D platformers.
The SNES games that I most enjoy and seem most timeless to me are the ones that were made before they tried to adhere to some sort of rough Nintendo style bible. For instance, I will always argue that the SNES Star Fox game is superior to it's N64 counterpart for that very reason. The SNES was an interesting time for Nintendo where studios seemed to have a lot of freedom, probably given the fact that SNES was essentially the superior console on the market at that time. It didn't feel like Nintendo had an overall unified vision for their brands, and so studios like Rare were just kind of doing their own thing trying to push the technology. I understand why the Donkey Kong IP has gone the direction it has, but I still think that there is a market a new-game that goes back to the roots of the vibe and mood of the old game. 2D platformers will always kind of be tied to era and technology that existed when they were the most popular type of game on the market, but I still think there is room to do a kind of homage to the old vibe, and potentially hand it over to a studio that wants to try to push what is possible graphically possible for 2D platformers.