 | Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D Developed by: Retro Published by: Nintendo Available Now Platform: 3DS Reviewed by: Lexicon |
Donkey Kong Country is tough. Tough doesn't even do it justice. DKC is infamous for taking all your childhood hopes and dreams, and grinding them into banana stew. Everyone remembers DKC for it's groundbreaking graphics. Go back and play any of those first three DKC games and try to walk down THAT path nostalgia. They'll pull the carpet out from under you and smash your skull with a barrel. Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D continues the tradition of punishment and shame, but it's reward is worth it. "Hey, Lex! What reward?" The reward of being able to say that you beat Donkey Kong FREAKING Country Returns (3D)! You badass, you.
Gameplay
DKCR3D (thank the gaming gods for acronyms) plays just like the DKC's of old, with a few new twists. First of those new additions is the ability to pound the ground with DK. This helps in cases where the ground could be broken to unveil hidden areas, when a button needs to be pressed, or when DK needs to flip over an enemy. The mechanic works well and it's fun to see DK go apeshit (aw, com'on. I had too...). Another new mechanic that works pretty well is the ability to duck and blow. Yeah. DK now has the ability to crouch and blow into the wind. "Hey, Lex! Why the hell does DK need to blow?" Well, I'll tell you, reader. In the jungle, there are things such as dandelions and flower pedals that can be blown on to uproot the plant, and most of the time, there's a prize attached to the root. You can also extinguish flaming enemies with the blow. Like I said, this works pretty well, but it's not perfect. A mechanic that didn't work very well is DK's roll and, unfortunately, that's the mechanic I used the most (besides running and jumping, of course). The roll often triggers when you don't want it to, sending DK flying off a cliff with no danger around. I accidentally triggered it hundreds of times by trying to use the blowing mechanic, since they use the same button to activate. The circle pad on the 3DS can't be even a hair in the diagonal position when hitting the button, or you'll be sent rolling along. This leads to a theme of this game: Frustrating Deaths.
You best stock up on balloons (the extra lives in the series), because you will definitely need them. I went through hundreds, maybe even over a thousand, lives. Luckily, collecting coins to buy balloons is easy and the coins themselves are plentiful. But man, will you be stocking up on them balloons. I honestly have not played a game that was so unrelenting since I took on the challenge of "Prinny: Can I Really be the Hero?" for PSP, which was another game I really enjoyed, but was fed up with by the end. You see, you've got to be precise with every jump and every button press. You will have cheap deaths and you will scream at your 3DS, only to apologize later when you play an easy-going game like Animal Crossing (review for that coming soon). "I'm sorry, baby. Why do you make me do it?"
You best stock up on balloons (the extra lives in the series), because you will definitely need them. I went through hundreds, maybe even over a thousand, lives. Luckily, collecting coins to buy balloons is easy and the coins themselves are plentiful. But man, will you be stocking up on them balloons. I honestly have not played a game that was so unrelenting since I took on the challenge of "Prinny: Can I Really be the Hero?" for PSP, which was another game I really enjoyed, but was fed up with by the end. You see, you've got to be precise with every jump and every button press. You will have cheap deaths and you will scream at your 3DS, only to apologize later when you play an easy-going game like Animal Crossing (review for that coming soon). "I'm sorry, baby. Why do you make me do it?"
At times, it can feel like DKCR3D doesn't vary it's gameplay enough. Other times, you'll be surprised at the creativity that developer Retro put into the game. The boss battles are nicely done and strike a balance between "Challenging" and "Simple Enough." Diddy Kong rides on your back when you're lucky enough to find his barrel. Diddy is equipped with a jetpack that allows you to hover for a short period of time, which is a great advantage, but it's also something that you'll lean on. Things like Hanging on mossy walls, swinging from vines, riding in mine carts and rhinos, and flying in rocket propelled barrels all add variety, but these things are all called on a bit too much. Still, it'll be tough to find a 2D, platforming experience quite like this.
Look & Feel
DKCR3D is a beautiful game, most of the time. The 3DS is a great little system, but it can only do so much. This game was meant to be played on a larger screen, and this was the only game I've played for 3DS so far that made me think, "I REALLY need a 3DS XL for this game!" Even then, I've been told that the XL doesn't help much with this game. The lines around models aren't always crisp, but all in all, everything holds up. Some of the levels are what you'd expect: Jungle animals, trees, rocks. Other levels are absolutely breathtaking, switching you between the background and the foreground. Speaking of background and foreground, my favorite level in this game shadows the whole foreground, but leaves the background normal. This creates a highly stylistic look that I'd put up against any painting in any museum. The music in this level is also a remix of a classic DKC track.
Final Thoughts
All in all, DKCR3D is a DKC game. If you didn't like the SNES versions, you won't like this. However, if you want a challenge on the go, you'll be hard-pressed to find a better offering than this. It's got that Nintendo charm, but it will also turn your soul inside out. For those of you who are DK fans, but don't want the challenge this game presents, there is a beginners mode. But if you can beat this game on Original Mode, you've certainly got my respect. I held off on this review until I did just that, and here it is 2 months later. And it will take you a while to finish, but even after that, there are collectibles aplenty. While it's not my favorite game for 3DS, and while it also has it's faults, DKCR3D is a good game and definitely not the worst title to have in your collection. But be warned, this game will drive you bananas. Ok, I'm done.
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