Can someone who doesn't like the title please explain to me what they actually think is wrong with it. Like this studio has made a lot of abstract titles that people really love to hate (Bravely Default, Octopath Traveler, Triangle Strategy), but it seems they can't even win when the give it as direct a title as possible.
Do people think it's too descriptive, or too long? It's a pretty standard title for fantasy I'd say.
The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light
Title + descriptive subtitle is about as classical a naming convention as you can get.
I was going to start a Metal Gear marathon (plus some other Kojima games), but with the new Shantae game releasing in the middle of the month, I've expedited a WayForward marathon... That is of course, in theory, if I didn't spend all my allotted free time per day on gacha games. I cannot resist the kelpie's call of Umamusume, I'm sunk.
This week on NL: "C'mon guys, can we stop comparing these two games now!?" (Two games that just so happen to have the same genre, be made by the same dev team back to back, have similar aesthetics, and take place in the same universe.
Last week on NL: "ALRIGHT BRUV, HERE'S OUR RANKING OF THE ALL THE DONKEY KONG GAMES FROM WORST TO BEST!!" Oh would you look at that, the newest game just so happens to be best one, what a shock!!!
Wish more writers on these blog sites actually read previous articles so the site didn't sound schizophrenic, but thems the breaks for clicks I guess.
@Ulysses Oh yeah, you're not wrong. I think the modern Zelda UIs look god awful too 😆, as much aesthetically as they are clunky to navigate. I do like the fairy bubble in Elliot though, I think if I were to change the UI the fairy would be the only thing mostly unchanged.
Didn't play the demo but a cartridge with the game on it would be nice lol. Also I the overworld UI makes it look like a mobile game but that's not too big of an issue
Some cool stuff though nothing that blew me away. And idk if I'd get any of these for the Switch if given the option due to the key cards. Also performance to consider, Katamari looked particularly crusty, though that could've just been the stream.
Was anticipating this game, finally there's a release date. Bummer that the physical copy is - like usual - exclusive to scum of the earth Limited Run Games, they're not getting another cent out of me. Relic Hunter Shantae alone will probably get me to bite on the deluxe edition
@Obi-WonTheHighGround I'd actually say DK64 being a bloated collect-athon is one of least worst things about the game. It definitely makes the whole campaign a huge slog, where you have to constantly backtrack to certain points in a level to change your Kong in order to vacuum up a bunch of color coded collectables, and it only gets worse the further you go in where levels just keep getting bigger and introduce mazes, steep vertical levels or a day/night cycle to waste even more of your time. It is probably the most egregious example of padding in a video game save for maybe Bravely Default or Devil May Cry 4.
But I think there are much bigger issues that get overlooked because of the padding. Like how DK64 is a terrible platformer. All five Kongs are extremely slow and stiff, and awkward to control. So you have multiple segments in the game that require precision and the controls keep failing you. It sucks.
But by far the worst offense of this game is that it keeps assaulting you with these GOD AWFUL mini games that get repeated over and over again. Sometimes they'll be relegated to bonus game barrels, other times they'll be played in the overworld or a special area, but they're crap 100% of the time and they just suck the life out of me lol. Even if you don't go for completion like I did, I don't think there's a single thing about DK64 that's worth playing for - other than the personality I guess - but then just watch the cutscenes on YouTube, or better yet, play Banjo Kazooie.
I'd like to finish the post game for Bananza and Mario Odyssey. Bananza absolutely delivered overall. It was a weak start but every level just kept getting better until it was just hit after hit. The first worthy game for the Switch 2 lol
Here's how I think all the DK games stack up after playing through them all -
1. Donkey Kong Country 2 (9) - The Country games are like a masterclass in level design, with DKC2 being the strongest showcase with I'd say the most variety of ideas in a single game. Also the only game that I felt was worth collecting everything.
2. Donkey Kong Country 3 (9) - Nearly as great as DKC2 for the same reasons, though a lot easier all the way until the end where it ramps up the difficulty to much frustration.
3. Donkey Kong Bananza (8) - Like I said before, this game just keeps getting better the more you play, and it has the best end sequence of any DK game hands down. It could move under the retro DKCs in the future when that new game sheen begins to fade, but with the skill tree and the lenient progression (I've seen plenty of crazy sequence breaks already), I think Bananza has a lot to offer and deserves to be up here.
4. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (8) - The Retro Studios DKCs just have a lot of charm and some really dope levels. I don't think they reach the heights of what Rare did, which is why they're lower, but I'd still certainly call them two of the greatest platformers ever made, and I hope they get to make a third one day. Tropical Freeze is the better of the two, but not by as wide a margin as I thought it'd be.
5. Donkey Kong Country Returns (8) - I had never played Returns and for some reason I thought it would be underwhelming (something technically good but a bit bland like New Super Mario Bros.), but no, I wound up being very impressed with it. This one establishes much of the gimmicky themes and mechanics that Tropical Freeze would go on to lean into, but for the most part its just pure platforming and I have a lot of respect for it there.
6. Donkey Kong Country (8) - Speaking of pure platforming, that's basically what the first DKC is. A collection of challenging levels without much to distract you through to the end. Probably the most replay friendly because of that.
8. Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (7) - Wild ass game, it is one of the most unhinged Nintendo games ever made. Super fun high score combo meter that makes me want to keep replaying kingdoms to see how long I can go without touching the floor. But the controls are finnicky thanks to the bongo drum controller, and I feel like the game would just be straight up better without it.
9. Donkey Kong 64 (3) - My deep-seated childhood nostalgia for this game completely and totally crumbled under the weight of how dog ***** it is. I don't think I have EVER played a game that respects your time LESS than DK64!! At its best its tedious... at its worst its making you constantly play these ***** little minigames that you could not convince me were ever playtested. The only DK I will NEVER play again lmao
BONUS - Donkey Kong: King of Swing (unranked) - I played this for like an hour got bored and moved on. It's a neat idea, but maybe not something worthy of an entire game.
I guess better to axe it than sell people a version of the game that runs like garbage. At least that's what I assume they canned the Switch version for.
Bananza is surprisingly a slow burn so its hard for me predict what score I'll give it. There wasn't much going on for the first three and a half levels and I was certain the game would fall into the lower end of 6 for my scale. But ever since the refinery level the game has picked up an immense amount of steam and keeps throwing new ideas that compliment the core mechanic of smashing everything to dust. If I were to throw a score down now I'd probably say 7, but if it keeps up the momentum I can definitely see it rocketing into 8 territory (which is where Odyssey and the Retro Country games place).
I played the hell out of this when I was a kid along with Mario Strikers, Toadstool Tour, Power Tennis, & Street V3 (featuring Mario and the Beastie Boys). Golden age of sports games, we'll never see it again
This weekend will be dedicated to Bananza and the rest of Mario Odyssey's post game.
I'm at sublayer 600 in Bananza, and I can't really say how I feel about it yet. Donkey Kong is fun to play as and the destructible environment is cool but so far the game hasn't really introduced any new ideas or mechanics other than a short minecart segment and terrain that makes you slower. Really hope the game ramps up or gets more creative with its levels in the latter half.
Mario Wonder has a lot of language options for the flowers so I imagine it wasn't much effort to add a mute option too. But yeah I'm shocked there's an option at all, Nintendo has a tendency to force you to play their games one way only.
@Ellie-Moo You can set the flowers to mute, and I don't think you lose out on anything because the dialogue boxes should still appear. I can't confirm that myself though because I played with the voices on.
They don't ruin the game but most of their dialogue boils down to tutorials and inane quips that don't really add anything to it. And they speak in full English, which I think is just a bad fit for Mario games, same with Pauline here in Bananza.
I had the same complaint in Mario Wonder with the flowers but I wish there was an option to have Pauline speak gibberish like the rest of the characters (in this game and most other Mario games). Her speaking in full English is uncanny.
I'm 99% certain this movie will be terrible, but Benjamin was excellent in Bly Manor so at least there's that. I haven't seen anything the actress for Zelda is in, though she certainly looks the part.
Yesterday I finished Tropical Freeze (outstanding platformer btw), so that's it for Donkey Kong until Bananza next week. Gonna start up a long awaited replay of Super Mario Odyssey before it releases.
Almost all of my recent free time has been sacrificed to Umamusume: Pretty Derby, a gacha roguelike management sim where you train an anime horse girl (who are based on irl racehorses) to compete in derby races. It's been trending on the internet so I'm sure most people have seen it in passing by now. It has a FIENDISHLY ADDICTIVE gameplay loop, I've put in over 30 hours in the single week since I started. Lots of charm in the writing and there's quite a unique thrill to watch your uma compete in races. So yeah, definitely a heavy recommendation - but it IS a gacha game, that comes with all the same drawbacks every gacha game has. Gambler beware!
@Dom_31 I think Air Ride benefits from how simple it is to play, but yeah the game modes were in severe need of fleshing out. I trust the new game will be more fully-featured given Sakurai's games since Brawl have been chock-full of modes and unlockables.
@Dr_Lugae It's crazy how many great minds there are in Nintendo's history that have uniquely contributed to its success in the industry. There's a gold mine of wisdom from legends like Iwata, Miyamoto, and Sakurai that you could apply to a lot more than just video games.
I think this is a healthy way to look at your work if you're pursuing a craft professionally. Artistry is involved in every facet of production, of course - but ultimately you are making something to be sold to a customer. There are going to be inevitabilities that will alter the course of your project that a hobbyist is typically too stuck in his ways to accept.
You may not like every decision Miyamoto's made over the years, but you can't deny how innovative and successful his career has been. Being customer-oriented is the mindset needed to create great works of art that resonate with people.
I won't pretend like art driven by ego is inherently bad or doesn't sell either - but I will say it leads to a sharp increase of bad or mediocre art, and that's usually because the artist isn't receptive to feedback or again, is too stuck in his ways to self-reflect.
Pretty weak launch and Nintendo hasn't done themselves any favors leading up to and post release. But, all that really matters are the games, so can't really say much until it actually has some.
40-something hours. Some of that was local multiplayer but most of it was spent on getting three stars on every GP and Knockout Tour for 150cc / Mirror mode. Also a few hours of Free Roam but I got bored of that fast after unlocking all the costumes.
I have no desire to ever return to this game, though I'm sure I'll force myself if they ever add a 200cc mode. 4/10 unfortunately, I think World's flaws are baked into its core design, there ain't much they could do to fix it save for adding 32 more tracks that are completely separate from the open world.
No one complained when the game was getting undue heaps of praise. People always say they don't care about review scores but then run the same old script everytime this happens. Almost like you don't care about the review itself and are only concerned with the score 🤔
@Ralek85 It's hard for me to say, because it could be the intermissions poisoning the well. But every track in this game hasn't really made much of impression on me, a lot of them are extremely wide and blend right in with the same straight lines and gentle turns the intermissions have. I don't necessarily need every track to be something crazy like Neo Bowser City, but it's hard not to notice the significant amount of dead air in World's races. A good example I think is the Faraway Oasis track. Where the intermissions will have a bunch of Zebras and Ostriches running on the road in place of traffic (pretty neat), but get to the actual race and the track is completely barren and devoid of anything unique or interesting. Like it seems for whatever reason they thought the intermissions were more important than the tracks themselves, to the point where I feel like the only reason they made it a hassle for you race on them alone is because most of them aren't much fleshed out on their own and require the intermission as a sort of "full package".
As for Knockout Tour, I was more excited for that than anything during the pre-release footage, but the way it is now I think just showcases all of World's biggest issues:
Not a lot of interesting ideas outside of making every rally essentially a super long Toad's Turnpike.
Open World doesn't factor into the rallies, you drive on the singular road you're told to, makes the concept seem pointless.
Comeback mechanics suck. You start every race spamming mushrooms and backdrafting through the pack, but once the pack splits apart you'll spend most of your time meandering in a single file line. Items typically become the only thing that matters from there.
You get it, at this point I'm repeating myself. Essentially I find any single race in 8 Deluxe more chaotic and engaging than anything I have played in World. None of World's flaws on their own would be so bad but all of them together just make it flat out boring to play for me.
I hope they improve the game with updates, or at the very least 200cc is a bandage for it. There's potential for really cool things to be done with this formula, but Nintendo's dedication to DLC is kind of a coin toss, so we could also be in for a free character every now and again and an overpriced track bundle that adds an island with four or five tracks to the game. We'll have to wait and see.
But yeah, I think for the time being 8 Deluxe is going to remain the reigning Mario Kart for myself and many others.
Free Roam isn't the worst thing about World, but possibly does the most damage overall to the game's design. Not only is the open world not really utilized at all in the races, the tracks themselves needed to be made wider, simpler, and less visually distinct in order to allow for cohesion on the map. It's the reason why 80% of this game is straight lines and the other 20% is overall less interesting than tracks made in previous Mario Karts. There WAS a way to nail this concept, but again, the world map is highly restricted during races. There are no off-road detours to take, no alternate routes or layered tracks or much strategy at all really. It's why I find people praising Knockout Tour so baffling- It boils down to 20 minutes of getting the right item to overtake the next racer in the conga line.
Free Roam itself is underdeveloped, as everyone else already agrees. Lacks content, meaningful collectables, and as charming as everything looks- it's all skin deep with nothing to interact with outside of P-Block challenges. I wouldn't mind nearly as much if the open world added to the main modes of the game, but it primarily detracts.
So overall you have this one concept, which was likely only picked to maximize sales (open world = open wallets in corporate eyes) that spoils the quality of the whole game. That'll be $80 please!
Personally I could stand to move World down 2 or 3 spots but surprisingly I don't disagree with much on this list (these lists tend to be pretty wonky). 8 Deluxe and Double Dash are easy picks for the top, and arguably Wii should overtake DS, but I totally understand DS being in the #3 spot.
Pretty sure most people just move through them in order and 3-star them later (or never). Myself included.
I haven't bothered with 50 or 100cc in a long time though. Could you imagine if they made you lol no way, I already think this game is slow enough!!
Zenless Zone Zero got a huge 2.0 update so all my recent game time has been going towards that, but this weekend I'd like to get back to Expedition 33. Also still trucking through 3-starring every GP and Knockout Tour in Mario Kart. The only new game for this week is Donkey Kong Country 3. I've only ever heard people dog on this game but rn I can't really tell why, it's really good. It's easier than the first two DKCs sure, but not so much that it detracts from the excellent level design and unique ideas. Might not beat DKC2, but idk I think it's already better than the first one.
So this one is the spin-off or full offline release of the mobile game that came out last year I believe? It's cool how successful they've been with such a niche franchise, they have to be pushing 30 games by now. I gotta put more under my belt.
Maybe I'll rate it higher with future updates but there is currently nothing praise-worthy about World that doesn't come with some sort of caveat. And of course I don't find the races in ANY mode fun at all. 5/10 though I'm still pondering a 4, idk if it's fair to call this game mediocre when it has as many problems as it does. Regardless of score World is a massive downgrade from MK8 and massively overpriced. Bad start for the new console.
I can't get into this game at all. I'm sticking with it to get 3 stars on every GP and Knockout Tour, which is a decent challenge, but the purpose of that was to see if there was something about the game I had overlooked, something there that would finally click.
There isn't. The game really is just a slow plodding mess, and I'm finding more issues the more I play, especially with Knockout Tour.
I noticed this time around your actual knowledge of a track and skill at driving it is entirely secondary to item RNG. When the pack splits up you kind of just hover in the position you're in until you get the correct item to overtake whoever is in front of you. It really is akin to driving on a highway lol.
I've had plenty of KTs ended on the spot because there was literally nothing I could do to catch up to first place, and plenty others where the only reason I won was due to a lucky random Blue shell thrown by some cpu 15 positions behind us.
Other Mario Karts, namely 8, have similar interactions with random item pulls, but you always had an opportunity to catch up with some good maneuvers. Not the case here.
So what a successful Knockout Tour looks like is you quitting the first leg of the race until you get the right item combination to pass the first checkpoint in first place (that's required for three stars), then you drive in a straight line for 15-20 minutes and pray you don't get hit by a red / blue shell right before each checkpoint, or God forbid the end of the race! At worst it's frustrating, at its best it's boring.
@The_Nintend_Pedant Once the honeymoon phase is over for this game I bet there's going to be a lot more "8 people" crawling out of the woodwork.
You really don't need this trick lol, you'll have 3000 in no time just playing normally. I picked up a lot of those big coin piles when unlocking all of the costumes in free roam.
World has a lot of these mini challenges that start to get repetitive real fast, and the rewards don't really compel me to search them out. Meanwhile the game has so much unlockable content through straight up baffling means, a lot of which requiring trial and error / RNG.
Feels like they could've solved two problems here by segmenting the challenges into tiers, that yield greater rewards based off its challenge level (easy challenges give you a sticker, harder ones unlock costumes, karts, extra characters). But no, seems every idea this game has likes to remain in its own realm of existence and doesn't interact much with any other idea. What in the world were they thinking with this one?
Idk I guess Boo Cinema. It's hard to pick something not based off aesthetic because 15 hours in and I still don't feel like I've meaningfully engaged with any of the tracks thanks to the intermissions. I can tell you what the absolute worst track is, it's Rainbow Road. The epitome of this game's entire ethos in the form of a long, wide meandering track filled with nothing but straight lines and soft turns (despite being the game's FINAL challenge). Feigning any sort of depth with superficial changes to the scenery and references to better Rainbow Roads of yesteryear. This is what Nintendo thinks is deep and rich enough to charge $80 for, this is where they've set the bar now. Lame.
I guess technically he didn't work on the game but that still doesn't feel right. Imagine making something set in Middle Earth and not crediting Tolkien for the original work. That being said, I'm sure there's plenty examples of this and Miyamoto was never a one-man army working on those original games, so how many people would deserve a special thanks at that point?
Currently in Act 2 in Expedition 33 and loving it. Last time I played I did nothing but optional areas and bosses, which this game has a lot of. Pretty much everything kills me in a single hit lol, but thanks to the parry you can theoretically beat any high level enemy as long as you learn the timing. The rewards and exp are absolutely worth it, to the point where I'm now way over leveled for main story encounters.
I've also been playing through the Donkey Kong series in preparation for Bananza (near the end of DKC2 as of writing). Rare really put a lot of effort into making every level have its own unique theme or challenge (which ik Retro will carry on with), so I'm starting to understand why these games are as renowned as they are. I ***** hate the spider with my whole being though
Oh, and I guess I put both of them on pause to check out Mario Kart World. I've already ranted about it in a previous article and not much has really changed since. It's not a terrible game, and I've found plenty of little things to appreciate about it so far. But then I go into another GP or Knockout Tour and the boredom sets in as the tracks just meander on with long stretches of nothing.
Most likely I'll finish 3-starring all the cups and leave it at that. I'm not really interested in hunting down every sticker in free roam.
Disappointing, but me and my friends have been playing MK8 for 11 years. And as far as I care, I can play it for 11 more.
Comments 722
Re: Hands On: Forget The Name, Square Enix's New Action RPG Is A Lovely HD-2D Take On SNES-Era Zelda
Can someone who doesn't like the title please explain to me what they actually think is wrong with it. Like this studio has made a lot of abstract titles that people really love to hate (Bravely Default, Octopath Traveler, Triangle Strategy), but it seems they can't even win when the give it as direct a title as possible.
Do people think it's too descriptive, or too long? It's a pretty standard title for fantasy I'd say.
The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales
The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride
Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light
Title + descriptive subtitle is about as classical a naming convention as you can get.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (2nd August)
I was going to start a Metal Gear marathon (plus some other Kojima games), but with the new Shantae game releasing in the middle of the month, I've expedited a WayForward marathon...
That is of course, in theory, if I didn't spend all my allotted free time per day on gacha games. I cannot resist the kelpie's call of Umamusume, I'm sunk.
Re: Opinion: Can We Stop Comparing Donkey Kong Bananza's Tactile Thrills To Odyssey Now?
This week on NL: "C'mon guys, can we stop comparing these two games now!?" (Two games that just so happen to have the same genre, be made by the same dev team back to back, have similar aesthetics, and take place in the same universe.
Last week on NL: "ALRIGHT BRUV, HERE'S OUR RANKING OF THE ALL THE DONKEY KONG GAMES FROM WORST TO BEST!!" Oh would you look at that, the newest game just so happens to be best one, what a shock!!!
Wish more writers on these blog sites actually read previous articles so the site didn't sound schizophrenic, but thems the breaks for clicks I guess.
Re: Square Enix Wants Feedback About Its New HD-2D Game Coming To Switch 2
@Ulysses Oh yeah, you're not wrong. I think the modern Zelda UIs look god awful too 😆, as much aesthetically as they are clunky to navigate.
I do like the fairy bubble in Elliot though, I think if I were to change the UI the fairy would be the only thing mostly unchanged.
Re: Square Enix Wants Feedback About Its New HD-2D Game Coming To Switch 2
Didn't play the demo but a cartridge with the game on it would be nice lol.
Also I the overworld UI makes it look like a mobile game but that's not too big of an issue
Re: Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase July 2025: Every Announcement, Game Reveal, Trailer
Some cool stuff though nothing that blew me away. And idk if I'd get any of these for the Switch if given the option due to the key cards. Also performance to consider, Katamari looked particularly crusty, though that could've just been the stream.
Re: Shantae's Long Lost GBA Sequel 'Risky Revolution' Gets Switch Release Date
Was anticipating this game, finally there's a release date. Bummer that the physical copy is - like usual - exclusive to scum of the earth Limited Run Games, they're not getting another cent out of me.
Relic Hunter Shantae alone will probably get me to bite on the deluxe edition
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (26th July)
@Obi-WonTheHighGround I'd actually say DK64 being a bloated collect-athon is one of least worst things about the game.
It definitely makes the whole campaign a huge slog, where you have to constantly backtrack to certain points in a level to change your Kong in order to vacuum up a bunch of color coded collectables, and it only gets worse the further you go in where levels just keep getting bigger and introduce mazes, steep vertical levels or a day/night cycle to waste even more of your time. It is probably the most egregious example of padding in a video game save for maybe Bravely Default or Devil May Cry 4.
But I think there are much bigger issues that get overlooked because of the padding. Like how DK64 is a terrible platformer. All five Kongs are extremely slow and stiff, and awkward to control. So you have multiple segments in the game that require precision and the controls keep failing you. It sucks.
But by far the worst offense of this game is that it keeps assaulting you with these GOD AWFUL mini games that get repeated over and over again. Sometimes they'll be relegated to bonus game barrels, other times they'll be played in the overworld or a special area, but they're crap 100% of the time and they just suck the life out of me lol.
Even if you don't go for completion like I did, I don't think there's a single thing about DK64 that's worth playing for - other than the personality I guess - but then just watch the cutscenes on YouTube, or better yet, play Banjo Kazooie.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (26th July)
I'd like to finish the post game for Bananza and Mario Odyssey. Bananza absolutely delivered overall. It was a weak start but every level just kept getting better until it was just hit after hit. The first worthy game for the Switch 2 lol
Here's how I think all the DK games stack up after playing through them all -
1. Donkey Kong Country 2 (9) - The Country games are like a masterclass in level design, with DKC2 being the strongest showcase with I'd say the most variety of ideas in a single game. Also the only game that I felt was worth collecting everything.
2. Donkey Kong Country 3 (9) - Nearly as great as DKC2 for the same reasons, though a lot easier all the way until the end where it ramps up the difficulty to much frustration.
3. Donkey Kong Bananza (8) - Like I said before, this game just keeps getting better the more you play, and it has the best end sequence of any DK game hands down. It could move under the retro DKCs in the future when that new game sheen begins to fade, but with the skill tree and the lenient progression (I've seen plenty of crazy sequence breaks already), I think Bananza has a lot to offer and deserves to be up here.
4. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (8) - The Retro Studios DKCs just have a lot of charm and some really dope levels. I don't think they reach the heights of what Rare did, which is why they're lower, but I'd still certainly call them two of the greatest platformers ever made, and I hope they get to make a third one day. Tropical Freeze is the better of the two, but not by as wide a margin as I thought it'd be.
5. Donkey Kong Country Returns (8) - I had never played Returns and for some reason I thought it would be underwhelming (something technically good but a bit bland like New Super Mario Bros.), but no, I wound up being very impressed with it. This one establishes much of the gimmicky themes and mechanics that Tropical Freeze would go on to lean into, but for the most part its just pure platforming and I have a lot of respect for it there.
6. Donkey Kong Country (8) - Speaking of pure platforming, that's basically what the first DKC is. A collection of challenging levels without much to distract you through to the end. Probably the most replay friendly because of that.
8. Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (7) - Wild ass game, it is one of the most unhinged Nintendo games ever made. Super fun high score combo meter that makes me want to keep replaying kingdoms to see how long I can go without touching the floor. But the controls are finnicky thanks to the bongo drum controller, and I feel like the game would just be straight up better without it.
9. Donkey Kong 64 (3) - My deep-seated childhood nostalgia for this game completely and totally crumbled under the weight of how dog ***** it is. I don't think I have EVER played a game that respects your time LESS than DK64!! At its best its tedious... at its worst its making you constantly play these ***** little minigames that you could not convince me were ever playtested. The only DK I will NEVER play again lmao
BONUS - Donkey Kong: King of Swing (unranked) - I played this for like an hour got bored and moved on. It's a neat idea, but maybe not something worthy of an entire game.
Re: 'The Knightling' Has Gone Gold, But The Switch Version Has Been Axed
I guess better to axe it than sell people a version of the game that runs like garbage. At least that's what I assume they canned the Switch version for.
Re: Pokémon Presents July 2025: Every Announcement, Full Livestream
Mobile gaming destroyed this franchise 😞
Re: Poll: What Review Score Would You Give Donkey Kong Bananza?
Bananza is surprisingly a slow burn so its hard for me predict what score I'll give it. There wasn't much going on for the first three and a half levels and I was certain the game would fall into the lower end of 6 for my scale. But ever since the refinery level the game has picked up an immense amount of steam and keeps throwing new ideas that compliment the core mechanic of smashing everything to dust.
If I were to throw a score down now I'd probably say 7, but if it keeps up the momentum I can definitely see it rocketing into 8 territory (which is where Odyssey and the Retro Country games place).
Re: Poll: Has Donkey Kong Bananza Made You Feel Ill?
@9_10DOH64 I've already heard three full recreations from DKC1 & 2 brother, start looking for those challenge rooms
Re: Opinion: Celebrating 20 Years Of Baseball In The Mushroom Kingdom
I played the hell out of this when I was a kid along with Mario Strikers, Toadstool Tour, Power Tennis, & Street V3 (featuring Mario and the Beastie Boys). Golden age of sports games, we'll never see it again
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (19th July)
This weekend will be dedicated to Bananza and the rest of Mario Odyssey's post game.
I'm at sublayer 600 in Bananza, and I can't really say how I feel about it yet. Donkey Kong is fun to play as and the destructible environment is cool but so far the game hasn't really introduced any new ideas or mechanics other than a short minecart segment and terrain that makes you slower.
Really hope the game ramps up or gets more creative with its levels in the latter half.
Re: Donkey Kong Bananza Credits Confirm The Voice Actors Behind DK And Pauline
@Ellie-Moo No problem.
Mario Wonder has a lot of language options for the flowers so I imagine it wasn't much effort to add a mute option too. But yeah I'm shocked there's an option at all, Nintendo has a tendency to force you to play their games one way only.
Re: Donkey Kong Bananza Credits Confirm The Voice Actors Behind DK And Pauline
@Ellie-Moo You can set the flowers to mute, and I don't think you lose out on anything because the dialogue boxes should still appear.
I can't confirm that myself though because I played with the voices on.
They don't ruin the game but most of their dialogue boils down to tutorials and inane quips that don't really add anything to it. And they speak in full English, which I think is just a bad fit for Mario games, same with Pauline here in Bananza.
Re: Donkey Kong Bananza Credits Confirm The Voice Actors Behind DK And Pauline
I had the same complaint in Mario Wonder with the flowers but I wish there was an option to have Pauline speak gibberish like the rest of the characters (in this game and most other Mario games). Her speaking in full English is uncanny.
Re: Review: Donkey Kong Bananza (Switch 2) - Absolutely Smashing, But Can It Beat Mario Odyssey?
After conquering every Country, 64, Jungle Beat, and Odyssey before this, I'm ready to expand dong one last time!
Re: Nintendo Announces First Cast Members For The Legend Of Zelda Movie
I'm 99% certain this movie will be terrible, but Benjamin was excellent in Bly Manor so at least there's that. I haven't seen anything the actress for Zelda is in, though she certainly looks the part.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (12th July)
Yesterday I finished Tropical Freeze (outstanding platformer btw), so that's it for Donkey Kong until Bananza next week. Gonna start up a long awaited replay of Super Mario Odyssey before it releases.
Almost all of my recent free time has been sacrificed to Umamusume: Pretty Derby, a gacha roguelike management sim where you train an anime horse girl (who are based on irl racehorses) to compete in derby races. It's been trending on the internet so I'm sure most people have seen it in passing by now. It has a FIENDISHLY ADDICTIVE gameplay loop, I've put in over 30 hours in the single week since I started. Lots of charm in the writing and there's quite a unique thrill to watch your uma compete in races.
So yeah, definitely a heavy recommendation - but it IS a gacha game, that comes with all the same drawbacks every gacha game has. Gambler beware!
Re: Sakurai Gives An Update On 'Kirby Air Riders' And Pays Tribute To Iwata
@Dom_31 I think Air Ride benefits from how simple it is to play, but yeah the game modes were in severe need of fleshing out.
I trust the new game will be more fully-featured given Sakurai's games since Brawl have been chock-full of modes and unlockables.
Re: Miyamoto Views Games As 'Products', Not 'Works Of Art', Says Ex-Nintendo Dev
@Dr_Lugae It's crazy how many great minds there are in Nintendo's history that have uniquely contributed to its success in the industry. There's a gold mine of wisdom from legends like Iwata, Miyamoto, and Sakurai that you could apply to a lot more than just video games.
Re: Miyamoto Views Games As 'Products', Not 'Works Of Art', Says Ex-Nintendo Dev
I think this is a healthy way to look at your work if you're pursuing a craft professionally. Artistry is involved in every facet of production, of course - but ultimately you are making something to be sold to a customer. There are going to be inevitabilities that will alter the course of your project that a hobbyist is typically too stuck in his ways to accept.
You may not like every decision Miyamoto's made over the years, but you can't deny how innovative and successful his career has been. Being customer-oriented is the mindset needed to create great works of art that resonate with people.
I won't pretend like art driven by ego is inherently bad or doesn't sell either - but I will say it leads to a sharp increase of bad or mediocre art, and that's usually because the artist isn't receptive to feedback or again, is too stuck in his ways to self-reflect.
Re: PSA: Pokémon YouTube Channel Uploads The First Movie For A "Limited-Time"
Haven't seen any of those original movies in ages. Might as well watch it again through a few work breaks.
Re: Talking Point: One Month On, How Did Nintendo's Switch 2 Launch Go?
Pretty weak launch and Nintendo hasn't done themselves any favors leading up to and post release. But, all that really matters are the games, so can't really say much until it actually has some.
Re: Poll: How Many Hours Have You Spent In Mario Kart World So Far?
40-something hours. Some of that was local multiplayer but most of it was spent on getting three stars on every GP and Knockout Tour for 150cc / Mirror mode. Also a few hours of Free Roam but I got bored of that fast after unlocking all the costumes.
I have no desire to ever return to this game, though I'm sure I'll force myself if they ever add a 200cc mode. 4/10 unfortunately, I think World's flaws are baked into its core design, there ain't much they could do to fix it save for adding 32 more tracks that are completely separate from the open world.
Re: Of Course Mario Kart World Is Being Review Bombed
No one complained when the game was getting undue heaps of praise. People always say they don't care about review scores but then run the same old script everytime this happens. Almost like you don't care about the review itself and are only concerned with the score 🤔
Re: Poll: What's Your Switch (2) Game Of The Year So Far?
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Ask me again in a month and I might have a new Switch 2 game worth mentioning lol
Re: Fans Reckon Nintendo Has "Killed" Mario Kart World With Its Latest Update
You will drive in a line and you WILL like it
Re: Fans Reckon Nintendo Has "Killed" Mario Kart World With Its Latest Update
@SurprisedRobinChu They are scorching goodwill at an unprecedented rate lol, it's insane
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (21st June)
Finished the Country trilogy and now up to Donkey Kong 64...
I looked up the how long to beat and average completion time is 30-35hrs 😖
Re: The DK Rap Is Back In Donkey Kong Bananza, But Nobody Told Its Composer
They really love burning goodwill for no gain over at Nintendo huh
Re: Pauline's Age In Donkey Kong Bananza Has Been Revealed
I guessed 12 at a glance.
Re: Donkey Kong Bananza Direct: Every Announcement - How Would You Rate It?
Looking like a proper follow up to Odyssey. I love how the DK games made by Nintendo themselves are about punching the ***** out of everything lol
Re: Talking Point: How Are You Finding Mario Kart's Open World?
@Ralek85 It's hard for me to say, because it could be the intermissions poisoning the well. But every track in this game hasn't really made much of impression on me, a lot of them are extremely wide and blend right in with the same straight lines and gentle turns the intermissions have.
I don't necessarily need every track to be something crazy like Neo Bowser City, but it's hard not to notice the significant amount of dead air in World's races. A good example I think is the Faraway Oasis track. Where the intermissions will have a bunch of Zebras and Ostriches running on the road in place of traffic (pretty neat), but get to the actual race and the track is completely barren and devoid of anything unique or interesting. Like it seems for whatever reason they thought the intermissions were more important than the tracks themselves, to the point where I feel like the only reason they made it a hassle for you race on them alone is because most of them aren't much fleshed out on their own and require the intermission as a sort of "full package".
As for Knockout Tour, I was more excited for that than anything during the pre-release footage, but the way it is now I think just showcases all of World's biggest issues:
You get it, at this point I'm repeating myself. Essentially I find any single race in 8 Deluxe more chaotic and engaging than anything I have played in World. None of World's flaws on their own would be so bad but all of them together just make it flat out boring to play for me.
I hope they improve the game with updates, or at the very least 200cc is a bandage for it. There's potential for really cool things to be done with this formula, but Nintendo's dedication to DLC is kind of a coin toss, so we could also be in for a free character every now and again and an overpriced track bundle that adds an island with four or five tracks to the game. We'll have to wait and see.
But yeah, I think for the time being 8 Deluxe is going to remain the reigning Mario Kart for myself and many others.
Re: Talking Point: How Are You Finding Mario Kart's Open World?
@BenAV Those tweaks alone would probably improve the game by a lot, yeah.
Re: Talking Point: How Are You Finding Mario Kart's Open World?
Free Roam isn't the worst thing about World, but possibly does the most damage overall to the game's design.
Not only is the open world not really utilized at all in the races, the tracks themselves needed to be made wider, simpler, and less visually distinct in order to allow for cohesion on the map.
It's the reason why 80% of this game is straight lines and the other 20% is overall less interesting than tracks made in previous Mario Karts.
There WAS a way to nail this concept, but again, the world map is highly restricted during races. There are no off-road detours to take, no alternate routes or layered tracks or much strategy at all really. It's why I find people praising Knockout Tour so baffling- It boils down to 20 minutes of getting the right item to overtake the next racer in the conga line.
Free Roam itself is underdeveloped, as everyone else already agrees. Lacks content, meaningful collectables, and as charming as everything looks- it's all skin deep with nothing to interact with outside of P-Block challenges. I wouldn't mind nearly as much if the open world added to the main modes of the game, but it primarily detracts.
So overall you have this one concept, which was likely only picked to maximize sales (open world = open wallets in corporate eyes) that spoils the quality of the whole game. That'll be $80 please!
Re: Best Mario Kart Games Of All Time
Personally I could stand to move World down 2 or 3 spots but surprisingly I don't disagree with much on this list (these lists tend to be pretty wonky). 8 Deluxe and Double Dash are easy picks for the top, and arguably Wii should overtake DS, but I totally understand DS being in the #3 spot.
Re: Poll: Do You Three-Star-Gold Every Mario World Grand Prix Before Moving On To The Next?
Pretty sure most people just move through them in order and 3-star them later (or never). Myself included.
I haven't bothered with 50 or 100cc in a long time though. Could you imagine if they made you lol no way, I already think this game is slow enough!!
Re: Another Atelier Game Is Coming To Switch This September, Here's A "First Look"
@Samalik Gotcha. I figured it looked too good to be the mobile game but you can never tell these days.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (14th June)
Zenless Zone Zero got a huge 2.0 update so all my recent game time has been going towards that, but this weekend I'd like to get back to Expedition 33.
Also still trucking through 3-starring every GP and Knockout Tour in Mario Kart.
The only new game for this week is Donkey Kong Country 3. I've only ever heard people dog on this game but rn I can't really tell why, it's really good. It's easier than the first two DKCs sure, but not so much that it detracts from the excellent level design and unique ideas. Might not beat DKC2, but idk I think it's already better than the first one.
Re: Another Atelier Game Is Coming To Switch This September, Here's A "First Look"
So this one is the spin-off or full offline release of the mobile game that came out last year I believe?
It's cool how successful they've been with such a niche franchise, they have to be pushing 30 games by now. I gotta put more under my belt.
Re: What Review Score Would You Give Mario Kart World?
Maybe I'll rate it higher with future updates but there is currently nothing praise-worthy about World that doesn't come with some sort of caveat. And of course I don't find the races in ANY mode fun at all.
5/10 though I'm still pondering a 4, idk if it's fair to call this game mediocre when it has as many problems as it does. Regardless of score World is a massive downgrade from MK8 and massively overpriced. Bad start for the new console.
Re: Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound Unleashes Two Physical Editions On Switch This September
This is one of those games where every single still shot is like wallpaper worthy. Looking forward to this and NG4.
Re: Round Up: The Reviews Are In For Mario Kart World
I can't get into this game at all. I'm sticking with it to get 3 stars on every GP and Knockout Tour, which is a decent challenge, but the purpose of that was to see if there was something about the game I had overlooked, something there that would finally click.
There isn't. The game really is just a slow plodding mess, and I'm finding more issues the more I play, especially with Knockout Tour.
I noticed this time around your actual knowledge of a track and skill at driving it is entirely secondary to item RNG. When the pack splits up you kind of just hover in the position you're in until you get the correct item to overtake whoever is in front of you. It really is akin to driving on a highway lol.
I've had plenty of KTs ended on the spot because there was literally nothing I could do to catch up to first place, and plenty others where the only reason I won was due to a lucky random Blue shell thrown by some cpu 15 positions behind us.
Other Mario Karts, namely 8, have similar interactions with random item pulls, but you always had an opportunity to catch up with some good maneuvers. Not the case here.
So what a successful Knockout Tour looks like is you quitting the first leg of the race until you get the right item combination to pass the first checkpoint in first place (that's required for three stars), then you drive in a straight line for 15-20 minutes and pray you don't get hit by a red / blue shell right before each checkpoint, or God forbid the end of the race! At worst it's frustrating, at its best it's boring.
@The_Nintend_Pedant Once the honeymoon phase is over for this game I bet there's going to be a lot more "8 people" crawling out of the woodwork.
Re: Mario Kart World Players Have Found A Really Easy Way To Farm Coins
You really don't need this trick lol, you'll have 3000 in no time just playing normally. I picked up a lot of those big coin piles when unlocking all of the costumes in free roam.
World has a lot of these mini challenges that start to get repetitive real fast, and the rewards don't really compel me to search them out. Meanwhile the game has so much unlockable content through straight up baffling means, a lot of which requiring trial and error / RNG.
Feels like they could've solved two problems here by segmenting the challenges into tiers, that yield greater rewards based off its challenge level (easy challenges give you a sticker, harder ones unlock costumes, karts, extra characters).
But no, seems every idea this game has likes to remain in its own realm of existence and doesn't interact much with any other idea. What in the world were they thinking with this one?
Re: Poll: So, What's Your Favourite Course In Mario Kart World?
Idk I guess Boo Cinema. It's hard to pick something not based off aesthetic because 15 hours in and I still don't feel like I've meaningfully engaged with any of the tracks thanks to the intermissions.
I can tell you what the absolute worst track is, it's Rainbow Road. The epitome of this game's entire ethos in the form of a long, wide meandering track filled with nothing but straight lines and soft turns (despite being the game's FINAL challenge). Feigning any sort of depth with superficial changes to the scenery and references to better Rainbow Roads of yesteryear.
This is what Nintendo thinks is deep and rich enough to charge $80 for, this is where they've set the bar now. Lame.
Re: Fans Have Noticed Someone's Name Is Missing From Mario Kart World's Credits
I guess technically he didn't work on the game but that still doesn't feel right. Imagine making something set in Middle Earth and not crediting Tolkien for the original work.
That being said, I'm sure there's plenty examples of this and Miyamoto was never a one-man army working on those original games, so how many people would deserve a special thanks at that point?
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (7th June)
Currently in Act 2 in Expedition 33 and loving it. Last time I played I did nothing but optional areas and bosses, which this game has a lot of. Pretty much everything kills me in a single hit lol, but thanks to the parry you can theoretically beat any high level enemy as long as you learn the timing. The rewards and exp are absolutely worth it, to the point where I'm now way over leveled for main story encounters.
I've also been playing through the Donkey Kong series in preparation for Bananza (near the end of DKC2 as of writing). Rare really put a lot of effort into making every level have its own unique theme or challenge (which ik Retro will carry on with), so I'm starting to understand why these games are as renowned as they are. I ***** hate the spider with my whole being though
Oh, and I guess I put both of them on pause to check out Mario Kart World. I've already ranted about it in a previous article and not much has really changed since. It's not a terrible game, and I've found plenty of little things to appreciate about it so far. But then I go into another GP or Knockout Tour and the boredom sets in as the tracks just meander on with long stretches of nothing.
Most likely I'll finish 3-starring all the cups and leave it at that. I'm not really interested in hunting down every sticker in free roam.
Disappointing, but me and my friends have been playing MK8 for 11 years. And as far as I care, I can play it for 11 more.