Yeah, Returns kinda rubbed me the wrong way as a continuation of a storied legacy, but that shouldn't indicate that I didn't enjoy it... and more importantly, that I didn't see massive potential inherent in Retro Studios' new take on DK. I always eagerly anticipated news of the inevitable sequel (hoping against hope that they'd bring back the Kremlings in my youthful optimism) and the preview material for Tropical Freeze made me more excited than its predecessor ever managed to. That being said, with the bad taste of having previously invested my money unwisely still lingering in my youth years later, it was never going to be a day one buy. Still... come time, chance knocked on my door.
Almost instantly, it gave me so many good vibes that Returns had been sorely lacking. Dynamic level and aesthetic design, a kickin' soundtrack, and NO GODDAMN WAGGLING, the entire thing just had an energy that Returns lacked. Instead of thinking of all the things the original trilogy did better, I constantly found myself seeing things I wish had been in those games all those years ago. And that's just pretty darn good there, fella.
Tropical Freeze's main gimmick is bringing back familiar faces, including my beloved Dixie! (*Swoon*) But it's not just for nostalgic appeal; they all profoundly affect the gameplay experience as DK's tagalong partners. Half the fun is finding out which partner works best for what level. You can play through all the levels just fine with just Diddy (like in earlier times) or by yourself, but the partners' various abilities will make certain difficult parts a breeze. It's all about finding your own personal style.
Still, certain poor decisions still abound. Being a completionist still feels hollow (I'm not the kind of guy who collects stuff for its own sake), and the animal buddies are still a rare sight. Also, while not as bad as the first game, some gimmick levels are recycled without much alteration. The difficulty level, too, can be a bit much sometimes, and sadly more often than not suffers from Fake Difficulty.
Overall, it's still not worthy of its DKC title. Such an honor is not given, it is earned. And despite being a good game in its own right, Retro's got a ways to go.
...Still, there's always DKCR3: Electric Avenue, right?
A step in the right direction.
Yeah, Returns kinda rubbed me the wrong way as a continuation of a storied legacy, but that shouldn't indicate that I didn't enjoy it... and more importantly, that I didn't see massive potential inherent in Retro Studios' new take on DK. I always eagerly anticipated news of the inevitable sequel (hoping against hope that they'd bring back the Kremlings in my youthful optimism) and the preview material for Tropical Freeze made me more excited than its predecessor ever managed to. That being said, with the bad taste of having previously invested my money unwisely still lingering in my youth years later, it was never going to be a day one buy. Still... come time, chance knocked on my door.
Almost instantly, it gave me so many good vibes that Returns had been sorely lacking. Dynamic level and aesthetic design, a kickin' soundtrack, and NO GODDAMN WAGGLING, the entire thing just had an energy that Returns lacked. Instead of thinking of all the things the original trilogy did better, I constantly found myself seeing things I wish had been in those games all those years ago. And that's just pretty darn good there, fella.
Tropical Freeze's main gimmick is bringing back familiar faces, including my beloved Dixie! (*Swoon*) But it's not just for nostalgic appeal; they all profoundly affect the gameplay experience as DK's tagalong partners. Half the fun is finding out which partner works best for what level. You can play through all the levels just fine with just Diddy (like in earlier times) or by yourself, but the partners' various abilities will make certain difficult parts a breeze. It's all about finding your own personal style.
Still, certain poor decisions still abound. Being a completionist still feels hollow (I'm not the kind of guy who collects stuff for its own sake), and the animal buddies are still a rare sight. Also, while not as bad as the first game, some gimmick levels are recycled without much alteration. The difficulty level, too, can be a bit much sometimes, and sadly more often than not suffers from Fake Difficulty.
Overall, it's still not worthy of its DKC title. Such an honor is not given, it is earned. And despite being a good game in its own right, Retro's got a ways to go.
...Still, there's always DKCR3: Electric Avenue, right?