Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

Tue 1st May 2018

Nintendo Life said:

There's no doubt about it, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is one of the most refined and enjoyable platformers money can buy. The levels are all beautiful - not only because of their delightful new 1080p resolution, but also their structure; the characters move with fluidity and brilliant responsiveness, and the inclusion of Funky Kong brings balance for those who have less experience with brutally tough platformers. It’s so well-made that it’s almost too well-made; there's an absence of a certain 'rough-and-ready' charm found in the original DKC trilogy. This is, however, a complaint so minor it's practically insignificant. Donkey Kong’s first appearance on Switch is streamlined, rewarding, and immensely good fun; any fan of 2D platformers simply has to get this game.

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9/10

Wed 30th Jul 2025

JJtheTexan said:

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze was already great when it first arrived on Wii U. This Nintendo Switch port doesn't change much, though Funky Mode is certainly welcome, but it's still a must-own for the system. It looks a little better on TV thanks to its higher resolution, it's now fully-portable, and it's still a fantastic entry in Nintendo's "hardcore" 2D platforming series.

Replaying the entire game in Funky Mode was a surprisingly fresh way to play, not merely an "easy mode for beginners" but a faster, slicker way to blaze through a game I already knew so well.

I can't recommend Tropical Freeze enough, and I'm excited to see what the next fully-original Donkey Kong Country game has to offer. If Donkey Kong: Bananza was your first time playing a DK title, make this your second!

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9/10

Tue 4th Feb 2025

sirlordrob said:

Basically nails the genre. The music and colour is joyous. The difficulty and hidden collectibles are just right. Every platform and pitfall is contextual in the world. Every level brings its own twist, and the placement of vehicle levels keeps things fresh. Level themes are varied yet cohesive.

Common complaint I hear is DK feels slow/cumbersome. He's fast AF, you just need to use the roll for momentum and chain the roll into jumps.

Funky is a great addition not just as an easy mode but for breaking the level design. He's just super fun to control and speed through levels with. I recommend going back through after with funky and the parrot to find all the puzzle pieces, it makes you really appreciate just how well made the game is.

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10/10