After almost a decade of working on the Metroid Prime trilogy, Retro Studios decided that it’s time to move onto something else. After being contacted by Nintendo and asked if they wanted to work on a new Donkey Kong Country title, Retro Studios seized the opportunity and has being working on Donkey Kong’s latest two-dimensional platformer for over two years.

The Donkey Kong Country series has been long regarded by many gamers as one of the best platforming series of all-time, which meant Retro Studios had a lot of work ahead of them if they wanted to satisfy veteran gamers. Thankfully Retro Studios realize this and wants to make sure that Donkey Kong Country Returns remains as faithful to its predecessors as possible.

Just like in his original adventure , Donkey Kong is accompanied by his favorite pal, Diddy Kong. With his new backpack, Diddy Kong can now use his jet pack or peanut gun to help Donkey Kong out in his adventure. Perhaps even better than that though is that a second player can control Diddy Kong and play cooperatively with Donkey Kong to complete the game together.

For those questioning as to whether or not some classic Donkey Kong Country elements are making a return this time around, they should be happy to learn that the game contains just as many secrets as the franchise did back on the SNES. Hidden puzzle pieces and letters that spell out K-O-N-G are scattered throughout each level, and once collected, unlock extra bonuses.

In terms of controls, Donkey Kong Country is controlled primarily using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, though it has been confirmed that the game can be played with the Wii Remote on its side as in New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

Donkey Kong Country Returns looks to be one of the best new two-dimensional platformers headed our way in the next year on any platform. Not only does the game manage to recreate the memories that many gamers had with the original titles on the SNES, but Retro Studios has also managed to add in enough new elements to keep the formula fresh. Donkey Kong Country Returns is due to be released this holiday season, but until then you can read over Neal’s impressions here or check out our preview of the title here. -Matthew Blundon

Pokémon has been around for quite some time, but never has there been a unique action adventure game like PokéPark Wii: Pikachu’s Adventure appeared on home console. While it is quite clear that the game is targeted towards the younger Pokémon fans, Pikachu’s latest adventure has enough appeal to interest almost every member of the family.

Playing as Pikachu, players are thrown into a brand-new world filled with attractions, and it’s up to everyone’s favorite red-cheeked rodent to solve the problems of the Pokémon that reside in the park. By engaging in minigame-like tasks, players can solve the conflicts of the Pokémon and turn the land into a fun-filled area.

PokéPark was released in Japan last year, and you can read our impressions of the game here for a more in-depth look of the gameplay. While you are at it, why not check out our preview of the game here. Pikachu’s latest adventure arrives in North America. -Matthew Blundon