DKC:TF showed a lot of spunk. I played a mine cart stage, where the big DK was plunged into a mine cart and taken on a wild ride across a sprawling jungle landscape. Through your typical side-scrolling vantage point, I found myself dodging swinging boxes, making incredible jumps over obstacles (more boxes, broken tracks and bad guys) and trying to find the right path to make sure DK didn’t die.
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The beautiful booth person had played this many times on Tuesday, so an added bonus while I was dodging and moving rapidly through my first level was watching the poor girl dodge for me. I mention this not to make fun of her (she laughed when I asked her if she was okay), but because she invested so much anxiety and stress into this particular level that she now found herself physically dodging with my gameplay. The game is that engrossing and addictive, and her actions speak volumes about the level design. I am currently kicking myself for not getting her on video doing it.
Anyway, I did get to play a level prior to the mine cart stage, which featured Diddy climbing on my back and giving me the option to have a rocket powered boost in my jumps. I thought that was particularly fascinating and I’m sure it will be useful (possibly exploring secret places — like Mario’s cape in Super Mario World allowed him to do) when you get the rest of the game going. The gaming experience with DKC was pretty flawless, lots of fun and went by really, really quick. I miss those types of games where you can zip through a level and keep wanting more. It’s like what you feel like with a Super Mario 3 or Super Mario World. Short little stints on a level that might not last long, but they’re really fulfilling for the moment — and they motivate you to keep going.
So, what I came away feeling with Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is that the creative level design lends credence to the continual motif that every DKC has provided to its gamers. The graphics are very much on par with the DKC series, though a little bit sharper (understatement) with vast backgrounds that are superbly active and engaging. For example, the mine cart stage has broken down planes, shifting jungle scenery and is pretty much a high-sensation person’s dream. Lots of stuff is going on around DK and it keeps with the wackiness that the series is used to having. Expect big levels that keep you moving and fun little bonuses (like Diddy) that allow you to explore the environments for unknown goodies.
This is going to be a big game for Nintendo when it releases and DKC fans are going to be thrilled.