Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

 Wii U
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Image
Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 77 Critics What's this?

User Score
8.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 841 Ratings

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  • Summary: Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze has players help Donkey Kong and his friends get back their home from Vikings. Swing, swim, leap, and barrel-blast your way through tons of eye-popping levels to save DK Island from a permanent freeze.
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Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze - Cranky Kong Trailer

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 65 out of 77
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 77
  3. Negative: 0 out of 77
  1. Switch Brasil
    Mar 13, 2014
    100
    Everything in Tropical Freeze was made with extreme care and attention. From the landscapes and enemies to the music and level design. Each island has its own ecosystem so filled with details and different things to do that, as soon as one level is over, the question of what will Retro do next always looms around, and the developer always surprises.
  2. Game Informer
    Feb 13, 2014
    93
    Just like the previous game, I yelled alternating cries of agony and relief working through particularly challenging areas. Almost everything is fair and doable with enough focus and patience; the bonus stages are a little ridiculous, but that's to be expected. [March 2014, p.89]
  3. GameOver.gr
    Feb 19, 2014
    90
    Another "job well done" by the masters at Retro Studios.
  4. Critical Hit
    Feb 17, 2014
    85
    Tropical Freeze is a marvel. Though it doesn’t deviate from expectations in the slightest, it’s an exceptional, and exceptionally tough platformer that just about every masochistic Wii U owner should play.
  5. Eurogamer Spain
    Feb 27, 2014
    80
    Tropical Freeze is exactly what we expected from the sequel of one of the best platform games of the last generation. There might not be many surprises, but this is still an extremely polished (and great) game.
  6. Gamereactor Sweden
    Feb 17, 2014
    80
    You know what you are going to get when you buy a Donkey Kong Country game. Fortunately, that's a good thing and this is no exception.
  7. GameSpot
    Feb 17, 2014
    60
    If the regular levels were as inventive as the boss battles, then Tropical Freeze would be a surefire hit, or at least a game that demands more of your attention. No matter how much I was looking forward to seeing DK in HD, it's difficult to maintain that enthusiasm when the end product plays it so safe: even the visuals fail to make an impact. They're nice enough, but like the level design, the environments are mostly bland.

See all 77 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 139 out of 152
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 152
  3. Negative: 3 out of 152
  1. TIGER-COOL
    Feb 21, 2014
    10
    Haven't finished the game, but from what I've played some of these low reviews are baffling. The level design and attention to detail are topHaven't finished the game, but from what I've played some of these low reviews are baffling. The level design and attention to detail are top class. The gameplay is fluid and intuitive. Lots of great, subtle ideas presented on a moment by moment basis, so I'm not sure what all the "lack of ambitious gameplay" is all about. Maybe these reviewers rushed through things a bit?

    Absolutely beautiful game, by the way. Maybe the best looking game on the Wii U (Close between this and Mario 3D World). David Wise on the soundtrack puts it over the top. Get it.    … Expand
  2. rodericrinehart
    Feb 7, 2015
    10
    Classic challenging platforming from the masters at Nintendo. Great same couch co-op game! More difficult than Rayman or Super Mario Bros, soClassic challenging platforming from the masters at Nintendo. Great same couch co-op game! More difficult than Rayman or Super Mario Bros, so be prepared!… Expand
  4. KNES19
    Feb 23, 2015
    10
    This is the best game for the Wii U by far! It has pretty much everything you want in a platformer: solid level design, beautiful and detailedThis is the best game for the Wii U by far! It has pretty much everything you want in a platformer: solid level design, beautiful and detailed graphics, and an amazing soundtrack. It fixes pretty much everything that was wrong with Returns, and gives us new things like extra sidekick characters and new swimming mechanics. The design of each world is also worth noting. Most of them take themes that I have never seen in a 2D platformer before, from a world that looks like it was taken straight out of various European countries to a jungle that's also a fruit processing plant. David Wise has made music that perfectly fits the theme of every level, and very rarely (with Aquatic Ambience being an exception,) do these songs repeat. This is not just a clone of the Mario games. Tropical Freeze has a level of depth that Mario hasn't captured yet. People who didn't like it probably couldn't handle the difficulty. The difficulty escalates very quickly, but it just makes the game that much more fun for me. All in all, this is an amazing game that is reason enough for anyone to get a Wii U.… Expand
  5. rubberman
    Feb 24, 2014
    10
    This game is one if the best platform's to date and arguably the best looking. It's charming ,challenging and also boasts a stunningThis game is one if the best platform's to date and arguably the best looking. It's charming ,challenging and also boasts a stunning soundtrack. If you own a Wii u and don't hate all that's good and fun you should own this game !… Expand
  6. PhantomMac
    Sep 3, 2015
    9
    This game is heaps of fun. Going on the train ride is brilliant and exciting as you try to complete the level. You can focus too much onThis game is heaps of fun. Going on the train ride is brilliant and exciting as you try to complete the level. You can focus too much on trying to collect all the bananas and puzzle pieces or just try to finish the level. It is a highly polished game, however, the final boss battle is extremely tough. Perhaps too hard.… Expand
  7. T-Razor
    Sep 16, 2014
    9
    If you felt New Super Mario Bros. U was too easy, this game is a must own. Everything from the level design, bosses and soundtrack areIf you felt New Super Mario Bros. U was too easy, this game is a must own. Everything from the level design, bosses and soundtrack are expertly crafted. Especially the soundtrack! David Wise (who also composed the music for the DKC games on SNES) has crafted an amazing soundtrack for the game. He still hasn't lost his touch.… Expand
  8. TheAdjuster
    Jun 5, 2016
    0
    I was a huge fan of DKCR and I really wanted to like this game, but I just couldn't. The load times, as others have said, is bad, but theyI was a huge fan of DKCR and I really wanted to like this game, but I just couldn't. The load times, as others have said, is bad, but they would be tolerable if the rest of the game ran smoothly--it doesn't. Controls feel heavy and unresponsive. Action-intensive areas are laggy. The visuals themselves are stunning, but unfortunately I think the Wii U is just not up to the task of rendering them smoothly.

    I tried to get into this game 3 times but couldn't get over how muddy it feels. Perhaps if they port it to the NX, I'll give it another shot. But my other concern is the poor level design. Levels were much too long with too much emphasis on exploration that leads nowhere (e.g. water areas where you just collect bananas). But maybe with the bump in gameplay speed/lack of lag will make it feel better. Just can't recommend this game and regret purchasing at full retail.    … Expand

See all 152 User Reviews

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Awards & Rankings

11
#11 Best Wii U Game of 2014
6
#6 Most Discussed Wii U Game of 2014
2
#2 Most Shared Wii U Game of 2014