a fruit-filled caper
spurs a monkey's adventure -
this game's bananas!
Additional Comments:
I vaguely recall my first encounter with this game as a store demo in what I think might have been a Sears. Upon first glance, I was completely stunned - the gameplay, the graphics, the animations - was this really a Super Nintendo game or have we all just been duped. Is this what 16-bit graphics were capable of? Then why has everything looked so, I don't know...flat up until this point. Not only that, the game itself was incredible. It felt like Rare had just introduced the world to a whole new level of gaming. At least that's how I felt back then.
Alas, that was my childhood - being sucked in by seemingly impressive graphics and clever gimmicks; not realizing that what I had before me was nothing more than a mediocre platformer. Blasphemy!!! Yea, I'm aware of the general accolades surrounding this game, but seriously, I'm sort of at a loss as to why. I've always held the game in high respects myself, and still do, but I think the game receives far more credit than it deserves. For one, I've never understood the appeal of the DKC graphical style. Way back when, yea, I'll admit I was impressed, but now when I look at them, they just look like horribly pixelated photographs, suffering from a serious case of compression artifacts. Hell, 8-bit NES graphics look better than this. True, there's still some great artwork in there - mostly within the levels, but the Overworlds should be nothing short of embarrassment, and they just seem to get worse as the game progresses.
As far as the levels themselves, outside an interesting gimmick or two, the levels begin to feel highly recycled. Now, I've attempted this game numerous times over the years; never really making it any further than the third or fourth world because, well, I'd continually become bored with the game. Nothing ever felt new, making it seem as though I had entered some sort of video game mobius. I also remember after a conversation with Sven about the DKC series a few years back, he sent me a TAS so that I could see what some of the later levels looked like without having to trudge my way back through the game again myself. After watching up through world four, I stopped the video. And I thought the levels were boring to play, the TAS made them seem unbearable. Not only that, it reassured my level recycling argument - especially with the aquatic levels.
Of course, some naysayers might claim that watching a TAS is boring to begin with. Well, maybe for you, but I actually enjoy watching TAS's. It's really interesting to see the "perfect" run through of a game. Donkey Kong Country, however, was equivalent to watching BassMasters. But really, I shouldn't let something like that skew my perception of the game. Ok, so this time around I tried to play the game with a non-biased mindset, either for or against, and just tried to enjoy the material presented. And honestly, apart from the aforementioned aquatic levels, I have to say, it's...not bad. But what's sad is that that's likely the best praise I can dish out for the game as a whole.
So is there anything good to say for this game that has supposedly stamped its authority all over the world of Super Nintendo? Well, yea, there is. First off, the music is simply incredible, as to be expected. I've already stated in my post for Banjo-Kazooie that Rare has this uncanny ability to compose masterful soundtracks, and once again they did just that. Hell, the first song in the game, Title Theme, is enough to hook you - a fantastic remix of the original Donkey Kong theme which planted the seed of the old-vs-new mentality that runs rampant throughout the game using Cranky's "words of wisdom." Beyond that, you've got greats like: Aquatic Ambiance, DK Island Swing, Life in the Mines or even The Credits Concerto (this song is pure fucking win by the way).
Secondly, despite the general feeling of déjà vu throughout the level progression, there are some really cool gimmicks thrown in there to spice things up, especially in the final world. Additionally, the ability to switch back and forth between DK and Diddy is pretty cool, but unfortunately their individual move-sets barely differ offering no real incentive to even bother switching between the two, therefore using the tag team effort as nothing more than extra hit protection. Yea, DK can perform a hand slap, but I can't recall using it even once throughout the entire game - ok, I used it once while testing out the controls at the very beginning of the game. And finally, DK's animal buddies add an extra joy, opening the doors to a little extra exploration within each level when applicable.
But alas, on the topic of exploration, I have to criticize the 101% completion status through achieved bonus rooms. For the longest time, and I suppose this is through my own stupidity, I always thought the KONG letters accounted for a majority of the game's completion percentage. The first time I ever beat the game I remember I achieved a measly 53% or thereabouts. And I remember I tried like hell to achieve as many KONG letters as I could in each level, except for the ones that were in the middle of pits, which at the time I had no idea you could perform a roll jump. Anyways, I eventually realized my folly and that it was in fact the bonus rooms that made up the greater percentage of the game completion status. Sonuvabitch!! Now I have no problem with cleverly hiding bonus room entrances, but this game really went to town with placing bonus barrels off-screens. Seriously, how the heck am I supposed to know there's a barrel down in that pit!? Oh, there's a nearly invisible 16-pixel wide strip of color down there indicating the top of a barrel. Fuck you!!! For the most part, chucking barrels at a cliff or blindly following a strangely arrayed set of bananas is one thing, in fact that's the type of stuff I expect, but expecting the player to randomly chance suicide in hopes that a barrel might be hiding out below is flat out stupid!! In my opinion, nearly half of the bonus entrances are built around bad level design. If I was playing the game with the sole intent of victory, I'd have no problem since most of the issues I have with the game can be easily overlooked - after all at its core, it still is a great game (though I say it begrudgingly). But some of the crap you have to chance just to find some of those rooms - it's not even exploration at that point; just blindly stumbling around in the dark. And why, to get that little star on your game menu and have Cranky congratulate your conquest? Pfft....it's not even worth it in my opinion.
Rating: 3.5 Squidges out of 5
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