Donkey Kong Country Returns

Review concerns – 3DS Selects version

Who does not know him, the brown hairy monkey with the tie that was featured in Mario’s very first adventure and was angry and thus bombarded Marui with wooden barrels. All that Mario, then called Jumpman, wanted was to save Pauline from the grasping hands of the primate, who nowadays no longer stands out in terms of fame for the Italian mustache plumber and his brother Luigi.

Donkey Kong started out as a villain in the Nintendo universe but nowadays he is not that anymore and of all the trips he has made in recent years, from kart racer and bongo player to golf and tennis player he is finally back in a platform adventure on the 3DS / 2DS this time.

This game is now five years old, but Nintendo will release it again – June 2018 – under the Selects label so let’s analyze this monkey and see if he still has the right to exist five years later after the original release on the Nintendo 3DS.

Link

Tiki Tak

The angry Tiki Tak tribe – who does not know them – have once again come to D.K`s island, and have hypnotized all the inhabitants and stole the golden-yellow bananas from our liana swaying friend. It’s up to him and his jetpacks-equipped friend Diddy to save all the animals, to let the peace return and most importantly to find the bananas again!

The level layout is again as we can now dream, through a large map you go from area to area in order to clear all eight worlds that are full of bananas, coins, KONG letters and other secrets and collectables and turn the story into a bring it to a good end.

Are you a completionist, a no stone unturned type of player, then you have a whole lot to this game as the levels must be fully searched because in every corner and hole something can be hidden.

Once you have finished playing the game, there will be another world available with 8 new levels, a nice extra that is not in the original Wii version, here it came out originally and is then gated to the 3DS, present but specially developed for the newer 3DS version.

3D Effect

Graphically, the game has not deteriorated compared to its predecessor on the Wii. Everything looks just as fantastic and colorful and the 3D effect of the 3DS also makes the game more than good. Because the 2D levels change perspectives on a regular basis, the 3D effect really comes into its own and the sense of depth you get here is really an improvement compared to the Wii version.

Only downside is that some objects in the background sometimes lack that little bit of detail / sharpness because the resolution of the 3DS is just not high enough to display the smallest details.

Nintendo has also added a new mode that makes the sometimes quite tough game somewhat easier and in shorter play sessions, for example in the train, this aspect is very good here.

The story and the worlds here are exactly the same as the original fashion but you have an extra life and you can buy more special items in Cranky`s store – such as collecting extra hits or the tons you can bring so you can call Diddy any time – with the bananas coins that can be found in the game.

It is a small addition that makes the game a little easier for those often shorter play sessions compared to the console versions.

Link

Gameplay

The game is fine again and does just what you can expect, whether you’re just rolling through the levels, jumping and swinging, or with Diddy and his jetpacks at your side through the woods floats it all works wonderfully smooth. Nintendo has been a master of gameplay for decades and fortunately this is no different.

The entire game can also be played with two players, with the second player controlling Diddy and each having to be in possession of a copy of the game. Also in terms of sound it is old and familiar again and all the usual tunes and effects pass here again, you played the original trilogy on the Super Nintendo then it is a feast of recognition.

Conclusion

Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D has not lost any of its strength since the original release on the 3DS in 2013 and is for everyone who loves old-fashioned platforms an absolute must, everything you can expect is present and Nintendo has a few new things added that are actually an improvement compared to the Wii version of eight years ago.

The 3D effect also has an absolute added value here. That said, if you have already completely cleared the Wii, this game may not offer enough new content to justify a purchase again.