cool, crisp, and creative
Developer: Retro Studios Publisher: Nintendo Release: May 4, 2018 Reviewed: Nintendo Switch Review copy purchased.
Other than Rayman Legends, this is probably the best 2D platformer with that old-school ‘charm’ to release on Switch, and may even be a contender for one of the best 2D platformers ever made [insert bowing sequence to Retro Studios]. I’ve stumbled upon critiques which argue not enough changes have been made since Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze‘s Wii U debut—let’s not forget this is, essentially, a port of a now five year old game—to justify what’s apparently an exorbitant price tag, but, in the event you’re a newcomer to the Donkey Kong series or missed out on the last gen outing, I can give this a ripe recommendation.
Tropical Freeze‘s art work is simply beyond critique. DK and his pals look grand. Their fur is fluffy, their skin has a smooth sheen, and the sight of each miniature model dashing on the screen is a joy to behold. The background visuals are consistently sumptuous and are supported by stylish (and often very humorous) animations that telegraph the desire of a dev studio that truly cares; if Tropical Freeze was a sandwich, it wouldn’t be a haphazardly-cut duo of wonderbread slices stuffed with random fillings, oh dear no. It would be an artisan, sourdough rustic loaf with fresh lettuce, caramelised onions and organic beetroot with a tiny flag on top, and, indeed—those kinds of sanagas are usually overpriced. Ahem. The graphics are so legitimately and ostentatiously gorgeous, you won’t even realise you’re being spoiled by them until you play another game and feel that awkward, aesthetic slap to the face. Now that’s what I call quality. The soundtrack is another department that sets the bar high, and we’re talking David Stratosphere Wise high. After recently lending his talents to Yooka-Laylee, the man who was responsible for the musical big bang in Donkey Kong games returns in typically outstanding form, blessing each level with auditory motifs and instrumental variety that is never overbearing nor buried beneath the gameplay: every bop, roll and swing in the cercopithecine moveset is in perfect harmony with the given thematic flavour, be it savannahs, forests or breezy, autumnal mountains. Such heavenly rhythm is normally confined to DDR-like games, but Wise, a true scientist, is able to harness and stabilise the element in its purest form and share the alchemy with fans. God bless.
Apart from stellar audiovisuals, the Donkey Kong series’ claim to fame has always been its difficulty. Tropical Freeze continues the legacy with fun, no-nonsense levels that demand a well-oiled reflex response and careful tactics. The checkpointing, like Baby Bear’s porridge, is done just right. Unlike DK’s decidedly collectathon leanings on the ’64, item gathering has been stripped down to basics: K-O-N-G letters and a handful of orange puzzle pieces, and thankfully, this is a much less taxing endeavour than Super Mario Odyssey‘s power moon retrieval missions. I suppose I needed the rest? Please don’t tell Mario. Donkey Kong’s heavyset nature (I always preferred Yoshi and Toad in Mario Kart 64, haters gonna hate) also means there’s a tangible sense of weight whenever you move him left or right, and this affects speed, momentum, and leaping distance at every turn; it takes a little adjusting to, but once you’ve properly aligned yourself with the game’s button mapping, and learn the basic pressure inputs, the real party begins. Even in optional ‘K’ levels, which are notoriously harder than the standard fare (it took me over 50 tries to beat Bopopolis but I damn well enjoyed the heck out of it), Tropical Freeze implicitly encourages memorisation and a firm, intimate grasp on the core mechanics which when mastered are wonderfully satisfying. It pleases me to no end that Retro Studios have ensured players are provided with a robust set of tools that not only allow precision platforming but feel good to control.
This is true even for Donkey Kong’s mates Dixie, Diddy and Cranky, who come with unique abilities that help buffer you against accidental pitfalls and thorny ground. As it happens, there are some prickly discussions concerning difficulty in video games at the present moment, and they’ve namely transpired due to the uncompromising nature of samurai action-adventure Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. One side argues FromSoftware should implement an ‘easy’ mode [x] to share the experience with more players, while the other argues an ‘easy’ mode would extinguish the importance of learning through failure [x]. With that in mind, I’d like to say Funky Kong’s ‘easy’ mode in Tropical Freeze (extra hearts, unlimited breathing underwater) is a thoughtful addition for casual players. I fundamentally agree with the notion of keeping a game like Sekiro, Donkey Kong—or any game for that matter—difficult as originally intended. That’s part of the charm. Part of the thrill. Should we create gentler replicas of steep roller-coasters because some people fear heights? This kind of debate is usually framed around accessibility, but there are other nuances we can’t ignore, like the pride of accomplishment and visceral relief of triumph that are most potent when a game makes you earn it. Really slog it out in the mud. In his “Spyro: The Hardest Bits” video, YouTuber 2kliksphilip drops a wisdom bomb on this precise topic:
"(Insomniac) learned their lesson and made the second and third (Spyro) games far easier, fairer, and more intuitive. But is this necessarily better? In our adult life, when we look back nostalgically at our childhood games, which will we remember? Enjoying ourselves on the fun but fair levels of Spyro 3? Or falling to our dooms over and over again, tears streaming down our faces at the painful sight of our hard-earned lives dropping away with every failed attempt on the dastardly Tree Tops level from the original Spyro?"
Player Experience Designer Nicole Lazarro analysed what makes video games ‘fun’ in a handy infographic I’ve referenced a couple of times before on this blog, and it once again seems pertinent to the conversation at hand. Tropical Freeze blends what she describes as ‘hard fun’ (conquering adversity) with ample bits of ‘easy fun’ (curiosity), but, the overall package is challenging, especially if you’re aiming to complete the game 100 percent on regular mode. So while playing as Funky Kong might not give the same degree of satisfaction, it’s a far better compromise than Donkey Kong Country Returns‘ Super Guide which basically auto-plays the level for you—no interactivity whatsoever. Now that’s a crime even worse than including ‘easy’ modes. At the end of the day, it should be a developer’s individual discretion whether or not to make a product more accessible to their audience. If Retro and Nintendo want to reach out to a demographic that doesn’t necessarily have the time nor interest to commit to mechanical mastery, or, wants to gently ease in newcomers, that’s fine by me.
In dissecting what makes Tropical Freeze so enjoyable, it’s equally important to mention the structural design in each level, which is thoroughly conducive to strong replay value irrespective of how many deaths one may have. This, to me, is actually quite rare. I attribute it to the flawless creativity that reveals itself in the form of vines, pits, ledges, mine-cart segments, climbable walls, falling boxes, zip-lines and barrel blasting in seemingly myriad permutations, so players are constantly checking in mentally to engage. Deliberately positioned banana rings incentivise more collection, ‘plugs’ in the ground foster an inner curiosity that compels players to ‘unlock’ the mysteries they conceal, and special coins provide a reward for successfully performing riskier manoeuvres. It’s a constant shot of dopamine. A couple of potential caveats—apart from the unholy RNG of underwater enemies—is the repetitive banana collection minigame and slightly drawn-0ut boss fights. Yes, the former is an established series fixture and I certainly don’t want it axed, but the attempt at variety feels superficial and falls into that adequate, mind-numbing territory the older incarnations actively avoided. The boss stages deserve major credit for mixing up attack styles in multiple rounds, even if they’re a bit tedious; they’ll quench your bloodlust much more than Odyssey‘s comparatively bland battles, but aren’t as gratifying as Reignited‘s, which more often than not hit the sweet spot in both duration and difficulty.
In the countless hours I’ve spent being consumed by Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze thus far—early mornings, mid-afternoon, late night under-cover sessions dedicated to poring through four amazingly constructed worlds—I can only conclude one thing: it’s virtually flawless. I’m dying to see worlds five and six, but if what I’ve already witnessed is any indication, this is the standard all 2D platformers should be held to.
WHY YOU SHOULD PLAY IT:
- You love challenging platformers
- You are a fan of the Donkey Kong series
- You appreciate creative level design that’s wrapped in short-bursts
THE PROS:
- Immaculate art
- Immaculate OST
- Genius level design
- Excellent sense of challenge that caters to both veterans and casuals
- Extremely fun to replay
THE CONS:
- Banana collection minigames err on repetitious side
- Boss fights can become tedious due to length
Advice: Purchase if you’re a fan of the Donkey Kong series and haven’t played it before. Not enough content changes from Wii U to justify repurchasing for Switch, though the appeal of accessing nostalgia in handheld mode may be enough reason for some to make a grab for Tropical Freeze‘s apetacular antics.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is out now for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Wii U.
