Topic: Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze To Heat Up Switch In May

[Shaymin]

And it's expanded, too.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/46167/donkey-kong-country-tropical-freeze-to-heat-up-switch-in-may

After Bayonetta, the Switch will be getting funky like a monkey.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze will release on the Switch on May 4, and will include Funky Kong as a new playable character. Funky will have a loaded arsenal with an infinite roll, a double jump, and the ability to hover. Funky can also corkscrew underwater and use his surfboard to dodge spikes.

[Lemonade]

I really want to like this game, but I found it too difficult, especially the boss battles. It kind of sounds like Funky is an easy mode. That could be interesting to try out.

[Adrock]

[broodwars]

Meh. I 100%ed Banana Slamma on Wii U, and I doubt I'll ever want to play the game again after that. This really needed a remaster of Returns w/ traditional controls as well, like Bayo 1 & 2.

[Adrock]

I got to like the second world then gave up so I was hoping for a port so it’s on a platform that’s actually plugged in. I really wanted to play through the game but I got distracted and mostly forgot about it.

Returns could use an HD remaster though I may still be reeling by how infuriated I felt playing the 3DS port.

[Ian Sane]

I've bought both DKC Returns games.  I thought maybe I didn't like the first one because of the motion controls so I bought the second.  Nope, I hate it too.  My friend described these games as such: every jump is the maximum height or length that your character can leap.  The amount of times you're trying to just jump up simple vertical platforms and you just miss because you weren't perfect is ridiculous, even in like the first world.  I loved the DKC trilogy on the SNES.  They were a good compliment to the Mario games.  But Retro's games are for hardcore platformer nuts only.  And since I didn't like Metroid Prime 3's motion controls I haven't enjoyed a Retro Studios game since 2004!

[Soren]

It kind of sounds like Funky is an easy mode. That could be interesting to try out.

It's an easy mode that could be exploited for speedruns which bodes well for the game's GDQ status.

[Luigi Dude]

I've bought both DKC Returns games.  I thought maybe I didn't like the first one because of the motion controls so I bought the second.  Nope, I hate it too.  My friend described these games as such: every jump is the maximum height or length that your character can leap.  The amount of times you're trying to just jump up simple vertical platforms and you just miss because you weren't perfect is ridiculous, even in like the first world.

The games are very momentum based.  The levels are heavily designed with speedruns in mind so if you're moving at a good speed you'll make ever jump.  Plus Diddy gives you the hover with his jetpack to help out with jumps as well so as long as you're not constantly losing Diddy most jumps shouldn't be a problem.  This is why Hard mode in the first game is pretty brutal since you lose the ability to use Diddy, while Hard mode in Tropical Freeze is actually pretty fun since you can play as Diddy, Dixie and Cranky all by themselves in it for each level and their abilities made the levels a lot more double and fun then DK alone is.

Of course this Switch port has Funky mode which you would probably enjoy since Funky controls look to solve the problems you had with controlling DK.

[Mop it up]

I already have this on Wii U so I see no reason to buy this port. But I know a lot of people didn't buy this game so I can see why Nintendo would want it to have a second chance. I'm not sure of the exact sales numbers and I'm sure Luigi Dude will jump in to correct me if this is wrong, but I think even for Wii U, the game didn't sell very well, and certainly less than Returns on Wii.

[ejamer]

Awesome music. Beautiful graphics. Shame it wasn't fun to play.

Beat the game out of spite. In retrospect, wish I had quite playing and spent that time with something I enjoyed instead.


Pretty sure it didn't sell up to expectations. There was significant promotion for the game, but didn't seem to be a lot of traction. Eventually it was given away for free as one of the late Club Nintendo rewards, back before that reward program changed. That's how I got a digital copy.

[Luigi Dude]

I already have this on Wii U so I see no reason to buy this port. But I know a lot of people didn't buy this game so I can see why Nintendo would want it to have a second chance. I'm not sure of the exact sales numbers and I'm sure Luigi Dude will jump in to correct me if this is wrong, but I think even for Wii U, the game didn't sell very well, and certainly less than Returns on Wii.

It eventually crossed the 1 million mark on the Wii U so it didn't do terrible but Returns on the Wii sold over 6 million copies, so there was a huge drop between the 2 games.  So it's easy to see why Nintendo would want the game to have a second chance on a system with a bigger and more active userbase, especially since the game had insane production value for a 2D platformer.

I wouldn't be surprised if the reviews for the Switch port are more positive then the Wii U version was since the biggest complaints the game had from reviewers was that it was too hard which Funky mode will solve and that it robbed them of a Metroid game, which shouldn't even be a complaint anymore since we got a new 2D Metroid last year and a Prime 4 is coming as well.

[Adrock]

Plus Diddy gives you the hover with his jetpack to help out with jumps as well so as long as you're not constantly losing Diddy most jumps shouldn't be a problem.

Returns was im-fucking-possible for me without Diddy. It got to the point where I knew I wouldn’t finish certain stages if I lost Diddy. Still, the game is fair. Difficult as all hell but fair. I believe it can be finished without using Diddy at all (not sure about the KONG letters and puzzle pieces). 90% of the game is evenly balanced; the other 10% made me question my very existence. I imagine the same is true for Tropical Freeze.

[Mop it up]

Ah, so it did reach a million, not too bad. Though, was that after it became a Nintendo Selects title? It would have made less profit that way.

[Evan_B]

Surprised to see such distaste for what is arguably one of the best 2D platformers of all time. The Returns duology has a style of platforming that takes some getting used to, but I appreciate its challenge so much more than any game running near Super Mario controls.

That being said, I almost feel obligated to pick this game up again. I actually got it on Wii U as a Club Nintendo Platinum reward, which almost felt criminal considering how much joy it brought me.

[Shaymin]

It eventually crossed the 1 million mark on the Wii U so it didn't do terrible but Returns on the Wii sold over 6 million copies, so there was a huge drop between the 2 games.

Consistent with the drop in console sales between Wii and Wii U, honestly.

[Order.RSS]

This really needed a remaster of Returns w/ traditional controls as well, like Bayo 1 & 2.

I would've thought they would go that way as well, but maybe they really, really don't want to compete against the final few sales of the 3DS port?

Tropical Freeze is cool, I hope people play it this time. Does kinda make me feel Retro are working on something else though; if they were doing a third DKC title it would make more sense to releases them all three in a deluxe pack, to me.

[MASB]

I wish they had released a collection of DKCR and DKC: TF as well. Nintendo is being smart with the WiiU ports/upgrades. Those combined with smaller second-party releases like Mario Tennis Aces keep the games flowing while Nintendo's main teams prepare for Fall 2018. Maybe Nintendo truly can avoid a software drought.

[Luigi Dude]

Ah, so it did reach a million, not too bad. Though, was that after it became a Nintendo Selects title? It would have made less profit that way.

All I know is the last time numbers were released was end of 2014 where it was at 1.1 million.  Which I think is before it became a Select so it could be higher since then.  I imagine to Nintendo though they just have higher expectation for the main Donkey Kong series like this.  The original DKC sold over 9 million on the SNES with the Game Boy Color version doing 2 million and the GBA port close to 2 million.  Returns did 6.5 million on the Wii and another 1.7 million on the 3DS.  Then there's DKC 2 and DK 64 which did 5 million and even DKC 3 which came at the end of the SNES life 3.5 million.  I imagine Nintendo want to get at least another million out of this Switch port since this is a series that is normally able to get a few million with each new installment and even the handheld ports add another million or two.

I believe it can be finished without using Diddy at all (not sure about the KONG letters and puzzle pieces). 90% of the game is evenly balanced; the other 10% made me question my very existence. I imagine the same is true for Tropical Freeze.

Oh it's beatable without Diddy since Hard mode completely removes him but it's insane.  The later stages require perfect memorization and timing.  The final world in particular is total bullshit on Hard and the reason I don't recommend anyone play Returns on Hard unless they're a god at this game and found Normal too easy or just hate themselves and want to suffer like I did.

Tropical Freeze is also doable without Diddy and the other Kongs, but the game at least gives you the option to play as any of the Kong's on Hard now.  This is why I actually enjoyed Hard more then Normal on Tropical Freeze since you can choose to permanently play as Diddy, Dixie or Cranky in levels now and they all play better then Donkey and have abilities to make jumps better.  Of course they all die in one hit since it's Hard and the stages don't have checkpoints but it's a much more fair challenge then Hard in Returns was because DK by himself just sucks.

[NWR_insanolord]

This is one of the best games on Wii U that not enough people got to play, and I've been itching to replay it lately myself so I'll probably end up double-dipping to do it this way.

[Khushrenada]

I just finished getting a gold medal on the 9-9 (Golden Banana Temple stage) in DKCR 3D a couple days ago. I wanted a shiny gold medal but looking it up on YouTube, I was doing a different kind of pattern so I'd have to relearn the level to get the timing down enough and it's just not worth the effort. When you can get the fluid momentum going, it is impressive how a level can flow in the DKCR games but the time it can take to learn and perfect a level just doesn't feel worth it. Stick to playing normal and tracking down all the goodies in a level. Do the Mirror Mode if you want the extra challenge of limited health and no friends but Time Trials are for a select hardcore that I'm just not as into. If it wasn't as difficult as it is, I might be willing to put more time into it but it takes too long and unlike F-Zero GX which often rewards you with something for all the difficult stuff it asks of you, DKCR just giving you a shiny medal isn't worth the investment.

I'll admit that I'd really been wanting to get into TF as I neared the end of BotW on my Wii U but replaying DKCR on the 3DS has put any further DK game desire in hold for now. While this seems like it may be the definitive version with Funky Kong, I see no need to purchase it again for Switch especially since I'm not sure what I'll think of it when I do play the Wii U version. That said, it makes sense to repackage this for Switch for those that skipped Wii U as sales will probably be a lot higher provided players weren't soured by the difficulty of DKCR on Wii. Funky Kong seems like a way to counter that potential problem for gamers with long memories.

[Adrock]

Oh it's beatable without Diddy since Hard mode completely removes him but it's insane.

I completely forgot about Hard mode. I'll stick with Normal mode. Diddy makes the game playable, and even then, there were like three or four jumps and some BS rocket barrel moments that requires the slimmest margin of error to get a KONG letter or puzzle piece that made me want throw my controller/3DS into another dimension. I shouldn't have clicked on this thread. Now, I'm remembering all that exists.

Do the Mirror Mode if you want the extra challenge of limited health and no friends but Time Trials are for a select hardcore that I'm just not as into.

I like to think of this as the mode being so punishing that it negatively affects a person's interpersonal relationships with others in real life.

[nickmitch]

I think I got a code for this game from Nintendo back when rewards programs mattered.  I never redeemed it and now it's gone forever .  I also think I might've paid for it at one point?  Hopefully I'll actually play the Switch version.

[Caterkiller]

This was the best game on Wii U aside from Smash Bros and I suppose Breath of the Wild. I can not wait to get this game on the Switch and try to get through it with my daughter.

New Super Mario games are fun and I enjoy them for a play through but Returns and Tropical freeze go so far with the difficulty and spectacle they put Mario to shame. The weight and momentum the Kongs have just feel so good! And boy if you have a friend who is reasonably good at the game(and has some personality) memories will be made that will last a lifetime.

[Khushrenada]

And boy if you have a friend who is reasonably good at the game(and has some personality) memories will be made that will last a lifetime.

I feel like this needs to be elaborated on further. More details, I say!