Nintendo Confirms Rambi's Return in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

This was the last thing I needed to know to ensure my day one purchase. I wanted the animal friends back so bad! Looks great.

I certainly like Rambi a lot more than the mine cart and jet barrel levels, wanton destruction is always fun. Even dieing is more fun on the back of a rhino. It just is.

Speaking of dieing, is this game getting the easy options from the 3DS version of the first, or should I wait for a patch like Sonic Lost World got? I played the 1st half of the 1st game but basically watched the entire 2nd half. My kids didn't get much past world 1, 2 player just isn't as fun in mine kart and jet barrel playing as it is platforming.

@rjejr
I think they are going to carry over the easy mode. And how can you say the mine carts aren't fun? I think they are some of the best parts. The rocket barrel wasn't so good and I hope we don't see it [or much of it].

It's great to see Rambi back, but I'd really also like to see Engarde and maybe a couple new animal buddies.

Well, with water levels and all, Enguarde would make sense.

I wish the other animal friends from DKC 1 2 & 3 came back too - at least some of them

I loved Rambi in the original but I think I loved them all. I liked the mine cart levels too!

I've said it before and I'll say it again: animal buddies were one of the best things about the original SNES games. They added even more gameplay diversity and charisma to the games. Their continuing absence is a big mistake in my opinion. I'd like to see, at the very least, Squitter, Enguarde, and Squawks back as playable buddies here, preferrably with a brand new one alongside them. Sadly, I'm not holding my breath.

Yeah, was hoping there would be more animals back in Returns, but it never happened. (the parrot doesn't count, lol) Hopefully we'll get more this time around.

Definitely glad they held this one back. The extra polish will be worth it and, honestly, it would have been overlooked over the holidays.

Even as a huge fan, my anticipation wasn't there until just recently. Something clicked in the past few weeks and now all I want to play is DKCR to satiate my cravings. Hopefully the market bears out the same, but I know for me that this Feb. is the right time for me. Can't wait.

YAYYYYY

Here's hoping that more animal buddies return too!

@ricklongo

I thought of you when I read this. Guess you can finally sleep at night, haha.

Rambi and Enguarde would be enough to make me happy. Not sure if those Cranky Kongs out there will warm up to new animals.

More the merrier, as they say!

Let's be Enguarde!

Haha that's nice,

I CAN'T WAIT TO DIE LIKE 500 TIMES IN THIS GAME!. lol

And so the fightback to entice people to the Wii U starts....

Of course I was getting it day one.

It's nice to have Rambi back again, but I do want to see some new animal buddies as well. There probably won't be any...

I would love to see Rambi as an assist trophy for the new smash bros. Or even a item that you can ride.

@Baum897 Yeah even so the inclusion of Rambi is enough for me to assume the other buddies will be back, especially since water levels are back as well so I'm sure we will see Enguarde. Even if I don't I'm not going to be mad haha it already looked like a great game.

This game looks great. I'll probably get it day one digital.

This can be the best platformer side-scrolling game in years!! (Sorry Rayman Legends, New Super Mario Bros U.) I can't freakin' wait to play this, plus, dat David Wise soundtrack!! I've been reading some previews of the game from other websites and all of them are good toughts!

Another good thing in this game. I'm definitely thinking about buying it.

@BigDaddysPizza I would have less bothered about the rocket barrels part if they put all the levels down one of the paths. (And let the key go around it). I just hope the default difficulty is the same as DKCR (It is always the one that gets the most effort put in). DKCR is the only Nintendo game in recent times that has been just right in terms of challenge for me.

Check out some gameplay from GameXplain on YT. This game looks so amazing.

Already own the 3ds version, not sure why I should buy it for wii u. Hopefully they'll fix the controls. Using r to grab things doesn't work very well.

Very excited! Maybe they will surprise us with Engarde! I can't wait for this game!

@Dogpigfish Because you own the 3DS remake of DKR on Wii. This is a whole different game. Not the same one on 3DS. Also, I thought R worked perfect, personally. Never had an issue with it.

@Dogpigfish Because it's not Returns?

Is it sad that it seems every "big" secret Nintendo usually has for their games lately is "where bringing back _____". Doesn't anyone else find this incredibly sad?

@sinalefa Heh, I hadn't realized how ubiquitous my animal buddy whining had become around here.

They should have Squitter, Squawks, Clapper, Winky, and Enguarde as well. I felt each of them added something positive and fresh. I was never a big fan of Ellie or Expresso. Can't remember if I'm missing any others...

I've met Rambi before!

I've met Rambi before!

Aahw .... I played donkey kong on the SNES.. Was magnificent.. Need to get a Wii U as soon as possible...

Absolutely brilliant. I don't know what I was expecting, but Tropical Freeze is shattering my expectations. Retro's level designers are coming into their own. Another DKCR opportunity might have been just what they needed to hone their craft and find a distinctive, powerful voice. It's simply not possible to witness one of these levels and ignore the message. This is gonna be fun.

Just waiting for JaxonH to comment...he liked the Wii series as much as I did And he makes very cool comments...just saying. lol

@hydeks While I do appreciate the news I rather the good secrets stay hidden. Lost World was a great surprise.

Animal Buddies, Plz! Won't make/break my purchase but is highly appreciated.

@rjejr

Yeah, screenshots have revealed both 2 and 3 hearts, so there will definitely be an EASY mode.

I gotta ask, you really don't like the mine cart or barrel rocket stages? Those are by and large fan favorites... is it the difficulty perhaps? If so, I have some good news for you. I watched some video footage from GameXplain, and the mine cart levels no longer kill you in one hit. Now, I have a feeling this was a result of EASY mode (I sure hope so- as much as one hit mine cart kills have been the bane of my existence, I'm strangely drawn to the perfectionist challenge)

I kinda expected to see him again, but what about Enguarde? There are now water levels, so I'm more curious if he'll make a return.

@allav866 Apparently Rambi is the only animal friend in the game. Which is super lame.

However, each character (Diddy, Trixie, Cranky) has an underwater special move. So that's something.

This game is special. Many wanted metroid. But this game is a refreshing release in light of the landscape of the industry especially for bigger console game releases.

Yeah all about rambi! This game is out at the perfect time January is my tomb raider definitive edition month, February is Donkey Kong country tropical freeze, March is metal gear ground zeroes and infamous second son it's been a great last few months.

@JaxonH man we agree on everything!!! Just wondering, how was your experience on DKCR when you had to beat the mole boss on the train in mirror mode?

It was the hardest thing ever for me. I took like maybe an hour or more. By the time I beat it, I was crazily happy and so shaky. I even found this trick to skip a little bit of rail time with mole henchmen on the internet. And even so, it still took me so long.

This is FANTASTIC news! It really makes you wonder what else is in store, eh?

I love Rambi. But The rocket barrel levels were my favorite. Always got real happy when that music started and the barrel started igniting
Most fun levels.

@ACK When you said Tropical Freeze is shattering your expectations, don't you mean shattering the ICE of your expectations? Haha, get it?...hehe....

I sort of wish they would have ditched the rocket barrel levels and brought back other animal friends instead, but this game looks so good it's a minor complaint.

Rocket barrels are awesome levels!

I was hoping for Parry the Parallel Bird, but maybe they're saving him for the third game.

@gefflt Yes!! Especially Squitter with his 4 pairs of high-top nikes It'd be cool to introduce some new animal buddies as well.

Man this is really tempting me into getting a Wii U!

@Funny_Moblin

I've beated DKC Returns twice- once on Wii, once on 3DS. But I must admit, I never followed through on Mirror Mode. I collected everything in the 3DS version- it was painstaking. But after a couple stages in MM, I moved on.

I'm really excited for this game. I'm surprised PRIMA didn't make a guide for it though... I was looking forward to a collector's edition like Super Mario 3D World and the Zelda games...

EDIT*** Guess there is a guide for it, but not a hardcover edition. Oh well, it's still collectible to me, simply because it's DKC...

It's good that he is back, though I want more animal buddies!!

there can not be donkey kong country without rambi

Great.

The animal buddies were my favorite part of Donkey Kong Country when I was a kid. I'm definitely happy to see Rambi back, and I hope to see more!

King K Rool cameo please!!! (WITH MUSIC)

I really don't know if I will buy this or not, I'll wait for the reviews and if they are 9-10 I will buy anything less and I'll give it a miss.

Can't wait to play this might even try to 200% this time instead of just 100%.

I pretty much liked all of their designs and mechanics. In DKC 2 and 3 it always was something special to find and get help from them.
So if the inclusion of any one of 'em makes a level better, just do it.
_{I wouldn't mind new ones either.}

@JaxonH - I've got no rhythm, and I don't like dieing in 1 hit. Actually the jet barrel parts aren't as bad as the mine, you have some control, but the mine cart levels are all about timing. It's not really a video game, it's a trick to make you think it's a video game, but it's just hitting a button at the right time, like a trip to the Drs office testing your reflexes. I pretty much hate all 2D video games that force you to just constantly move from left to right on 1 line and die in 1 hit w/ nothing to do but jump. 2D games can be really good - LBP and Puppeteer bring things to life - but I much prefer open world.

Thanks for the heads up on Easy mode. That makes it go from a rental to a purchase. Too bad it doesn't come out a week earlier, the kids are off from school 17 - 21. I would have made it a family purchase for Valentine's Day, or even Sunday 16th. Since when do games come out on Friday anyway?

Looking forward to it.

eh still not enough for me i would like to see he sword fish and the spider make a return for me that would seal the deal to getting this game

Its a disgrace that they only used one animal buddy last time around, there was easily more room for Expresso and Winky.

I never really liked the animal friends. I always found mine cart stages more entertaining. Not that they were bad but after a few levels it was the same thing over and over. Plus the secrets were usually way too obvious in levels that had them.

Wait a minute, could it be that Rare own the rights to the Kremlins and the other animal buddies (except Rambi)? It seems Nintendo and Retro Studios are doing their part to stay away from the Kremlins and animal buddies as possible in these new Donkey Kong Country games.

DAY ONE DAY ONE DAY ONE

@retro_player_22 true! Rare got the kremlins and Killer Instinct!

What about other animal buddies like Squitter?

Awwwwww man! David Wise you are the greatest! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbCM1XMa-Ew