Donkey Kong Country Returns

After a long hiatus, Donkey Kong Country Returns offers fans a colorful, tropical platforming vacation through the nostalgic DK Island, full of tight jumps, exotic levels, and wonderful music. As both a love letter to longtime franchise fans and a vibrant introduction for fresh newcomers to the series, this title combines flashy modern graphics with classic gameplay design.

Playing as Donkey Kong and his agile sidekick Diddy Kong, players must navigate dozens of tricky platforming levels spread across eight themed worlds. With the safety of Donkey Kong Island threatened by a new foe, it's up to DK and his lifelong pal to save the day with a flurry of bananas and style.

Main Game Features

• Challenging and nostalgic side-scrolling action
• Over 65 levels to complete
• Solo and cooperative gameplay modes

Story

During a picturesque day on the tropical Donkey Kong Island, the peaceful vibe is disturbed by a violent volcanic eruption, unleashing a dastardly tribe of totem poles known as the Tiki Tak Tribe.

Headed by eight tribal leaders, the Tiki Tak Tribe use the enchanting power of music to hypnotize the island's otherwise friendly creatures to do their bidding. With an army of faithful animal companions, the tribe steals Donkey and Diddy Kong's precious horde of bananas, sending them into an expected rage. Luckily, with the Kong family resilient to the Tiki Tak Tribe's chants, Donkey and Diddy team up to chase down all eight leaders and retrieve their beloved bananas. Like the other Donkey Kong Country titles, Donkey Kong Country Returns uses its narrative as a foundation for addictive platforming gameplay rather than thought-provoking concepts. That said, the story is still fun, exciting, and great for kids and families.

Gameplay

Donkey Kong Country Returns marks the restoration of what made the original franchise so popular, providing challenging and replayable platforming levels in evocative and exotic locales. You can experience the game in either solo or two-player cooperative play, with either player controlling their favorite Kong character. The controls are simple and easy to learn, with players able to jump, roll, and ground pound to their heart's content. In addition to reaching the end of each stage, players are tasked with collecting a handful of collectible goodies, including golden KONG letters and puzzle pieces.

Discovering these collectibles open up bonus content, including concept art, extra levels, and even the ultra-challenging Mirror Mode. Fans of the classic Donkey Kong Country games will love the variety of levels, which feature classic mine-cart stages, mountain animals, and plenty of new gameplay mechanics as well. There are eight worlds to complete, ranging from the idyllic forest to the treacherous cliffs. Each world ends with a climactic boss fight against one of the Tiki Tak Tribe leaders, adding a satisfying burst of action. Even seasoned Donkey Kong players should be wary though, as Donkey Kong Country Returns is notably difficult. Luckily, you can purchase helpful items from Cranky Kong's Item Shop, including bonus health, extra lives, and pitfall saves.

Conclusion

Whether you've been a fan of Donkey Kong Country since the Super Nintendo days or you're new to the monkey mascot's escapades, Donkey Kong Country Returns is a delight. Each level feels handcrafted for optimal platforming enjoyment, although some stage layouts can feel pretty cruel at times.

Pros:

• Awesome graphics and art design
• Challenging but rewarding platforming
• Lots of collectibles and bonus modes

Cons:

• Some confusing level layouts
• Occasionally frustrating deaths
• Cooperative play feels hectic