Topic: Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Switch)

Btw, for anyone who likes DKC games Kaze and the Wild Masks is basically a must-buy. It’s a DKC clone in the very best sense of the word. Very high quality. Especially the level design is superb! The only downside is the length of the game (31 levels). But otherwise it’s a fantastic 2D platformer. And it’s on the Switch.

I slightly disagree, Kaze and the Wild Masks is the last game I've finished.

The gameplay itself and the level design are great, but the whole art style is a mess:

• The level sequence feels incoherent, in DKC games the levels are at least themed after the worlds they're in.
• The graphics are neither fish nor flesh, too polished to look retro, too pixelated to feel modern.
• The music sounds generic (apart from a couple of nice bass lines here and there).

The game is nice, but don't go in expecting one of the quality of DKC.

@ophone
I respect your opinion and I even agree with you to some extend. The level design is not as well themed as DKC, but I for one happen to like this modern pixel art style and I also grew to like the soundtrack (although it's of course no comparison with the music of David Wise).

In additon you have to consider that this game is from a small Indie team and not a AAA game developer like Rare or Retro, which were backed by Nintendo. So expecting the "same quality" is really not appropriate.

Yeah, you're right.

DKC Tropical Freeze has spoiled all other 2D platformers for me. I can still play Rayman Legends, and I can still play New Super Mario Bros U (I always contended that game is amazing in its own right- its only if someone plays multiple games in the series back to back that it becomes a problem due to homogeneity across releases). I don't like either of them as much as DKC, but they're still good enough to play.

But like, I tried the newest Yooka Laylee, and it was a quality game. But compared to DKC, it just wasn't enough to keep me interested. Every other platformer just isn't able to measure up, and usually results in me wanting to play DKC instead.

@dionysos283
Button controls for sure. That said, I never really minded the motion controls of Returns on Wii. I found them to be surprisingly accurate. Not as much as buttons, and there was the occasional mishap, but I kind of enjoyed them. They're not my preference but, I never detested them like some.

Having said that, Gyro aiming is the single greatest advancement in control input technology of the last 3 decades. And the newly added magnetometer in the PS5 controller finally addresses its only weak point- gyro drift. It's not a problem for games that only use gyro to fine tune aim with the right analog, but for games that purely rely on it as a "pointer" like Zelda Skyward Sword, it's definitely an issue.

I played through Tropical Freeze on Wii U with Wiimote + Nunchuk, and 100%ed it with waggle controls. I was surprised how easily I took to that scheme for a precision platformer.

@Ralizah
Wait... DKC Tropical Freeze on Wii U allowed for DKC Returns style motion controls?!!!

I don't remember that. Now I kinda wanna fire up the Wii U version and play through like that.

Honestly that just makes me glad I didn't love Tropical Freeze as much as everyone else did, because I like other 2d platformers. :V

I probably have the exact same opinion of the DKC revival as I do the 3DS mainline Ace Attorney games. I'm not sure its that the former one was necessarily better, but it sure was the exact return to form I wanted while the latter one had the exact right issues to make me specifically like it less while not having the same pros of being a return to form since the previous game exists.

Though the overwhelming praise from everyone else that loves 2D platformers make me think I need to play it again someday.

@JaxonH
The Switch version also has motion controls (waggling the Joycons).

I was sure waggle controls were there. Had to double check.

I think that the original DKC trilogy has tighter controls and more interesting level design. To my mind, Tropical Freeze is better than Returns but still not as great as Rare's games.

@1UP_MARIO
I’ll be darn. So it does. That’s awesome.

But what’s even more awesome is the Switch version having it. I’m definitely going to be checking that out. Just… not for the time trial runs

Bongos support would have been fun

Just stopping by to mention again that Yooka Laylee: Impossible Lair is a FANTASTIC game if you enjoy DKC Returns/Tropical Freeze platforming and controls, right down to the roll-off-ledges-into-your-jump.

Impossible Lair is fantastic. I played it before Tropical Freeze and I was actually slightly disappointed with Tropical Freeze at first because of it but then…

After completing TF and playing for all Kong letters I admire TF more now. What a game. I’m currently playing through hard mode and stuck as hell on the 3rd boss. Those damn monkeys!! Triple Trouble!!

@Oswinner
I could manage stages with one heart. But the bosses? That's rough. Although I did beat the seal and the owl without getting hit (after a fair few deaths though). The monkeys only killed me once, but I lost a lot of hearts in that one.

@1UP_MARIO
I wonder if bongos could be connected via GC adapter... test for science?

@JaxonH lol. I tried that with no luck.

I have just gone back to play tropical freeze (I was given it for Christmas last year) and I think it's an amazing game! Everything about it is fantastic, i'm smiling at the level design, it's beautiful too. I'm dying a lot but still enjoying it. I haven't tried funky kong mode, but in normal mode I think it's quite challenging.

I think it's so good, I'm wondering why Nintendolife ONLY gave it a 9/10 in it's review!

@MarioBrickLayer
Same goes for Hollow Knight. Both games deserve a 10 in my book.

@MarioBrickLayer
I question that to. Why does lego Star Wars have the same score as one of the best 2d platformers ever made.