1. febb26

   9

   Don't listen to johnnynumber, like you can see he's the only one who gave a 0 to the game because he just probably sucks hard on it. Donkey Kong Country Returns is a huge achievement and a 2D masterpiece from Retro Studios. Nintendo must be proud of seeing this little company doing wonders like Rare did once upon a time. Brilliant gameplay and level design, fluid animation, very good remixes and some jewels in the new soundtrack, big replay value and tons of collectibles! What to ask more from a DKC game! And it's hard as hell! But unlike johnnynumber, I have skills and didn't use the Super Guide on every level ;)… Expand

   • Helpful? 15 of 15 users said Yes.
2. Bonedaddy

   8

   Another very good Wii game I've bought recently. I agree with some that sngle player is better than 2 player, but 2 player is still a lot of fun and gets a laugh out of me and my buddies. What I like most besides the cherry gaming itself is that the game has a very retro feel while retaining the good qualities that make today's games what they are. This is a really good mix of modern style gaming and old, fun, throwback gaming. If you have kids you can give them a taste of what you played yesterday.… Expand

   • Helpful? 2 of 2 users said Yes.
3. julianozuca

   6

   Gorgeous as it it, DKC Returns is missing something in the exploration/action pace department to live up to the series.
   
   The Good: Mesmerizing.
   
   The Bad: Levels push the player forward, while leaving the exploration mood behind; poor music remixes; dragging, annoying boss battles.
   
   Donkey Kong Country--the series--is firmly based upon two main pillars: state-of-the-art presentation and levels exploration. And while DKC Returns--the latest installment after a 14-year and two generations gap--succeeds in looking beautiful and shiny it falls short when it comes to gameplay in comparison to its predecessors.
   Even though at first those apparently diverse pillars may not seem to relate, in this game one can sometimes get in the way of the other.
   
   That happens because in order to create a breathing, living world the designers decided to put together a bunch of ever-changing levels; not that crumbling platforms, falling monoliths and random molten lava raining are bad things per se, but there are many occasions when the moving pace gets so frantic that one can only hope to survive by quickly REACTING to the environment. And in such a weird QTE/platform action hybrid of some sort there's not many room left for a keen eye looking after puzzle pieces or "KONG" letters... Here's where "exploration" goes down for the sake of presentation.
   
   Still, that's not all. Kong's controls are perfect for sure, but he's heavier and slower than anything else around him (including hyppopotamuses -.-); ultimately that leads the player to keep running and jumping aimlessly in order to PREDICT what comes next--waiting is not always an option since DK won't be able to make it in time. More than that, the levels frequently allure you into moving at a given pace then suddenly take that away from you, making it all more a matter of memorization/trial and error than an actual platform action (Volcano levels are a good example of that).
   
   Not that the game hasn't its bright sides; but I see things mostly like a mixed bag overall.
   
   Presentation is breathtaking regarding graphics, but there's no original music score and the remixes don't quite live up to the original tracks; the balance of unlockables distribution is perfect along the worlds--including secret levels and so--but the extras are not that compelling (exception made to the amazing dioramas); boss fights feel epic at first but they drag out way to long just to be remembered as annoyances.
   
   Nintendo's effort in reviving a long forgotten franchise by shaping it into a modern hardcore 2D-platformer is praiseworthy, of course. But some decisions here may have taken the series a little off the track.… Expand

   • Helpful? 1 of 1 users said Yes.
4. plotlesviolence

   4

   What a thoroughly average game. It's just like the SNES Donkey Kong Country games with higher res graphics, except no longer novel or original. It's even average within its genre (of 2D platforming) within its console (Wii).
   
   It doesn't have the co-operative 4-player play of New Super Mario Bros Wii or Rayman: Origins, and it doesn't have the hand-drawn gorgeous cartoon look of Rayman: Origins, both of which are far better games.
   
   It's also all the worse (thus below average) for forcing you to shake the wiimote as an input command, which is unacceptable in a twitch platformer. At least Rayman: Origins let you use a Gamecube controller.
   
   It's sorta fun, but there are much better games (Rayman, NSMB) for the Wii you should be spending your time on if you love 2D platforming.… Expand

   • Helpful? 0 of 0 users said Yes.

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