Don't be Cranky; this is one of the best games on Wii U.
http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/36604/donkey-kong-country-tropical-freeze-review
In my review of 2010’s Donkey Kong Country Returns, I stated that Retro Studios had shown real skill in developing 2D platformers. In Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, they’ve shown absolute mastery. In a world where Nintendo has been maligned for over-delivering in this particular genre, Tropical Freeze stands out as the best original 2D sidescroller in years.
The world of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is wonderfully alive with jungle critters and plantlife: it bustles with activity. The combination of Retro’s attention to art design combined with the power of an HD system is incredibly rewarding. Of the six worlds in the game, most don’t feel terribly different from stages in previous Donkey Kong Country games. Two worlds in particular, Juicy Jungle and Bright Savannah, feel like notable departures, and are both very memorable.
DK moves with a heavy forward momentum, jumping from vine to platform to grassy wall. The character is meant to be a large, heavy mammal, and even moreso than in Donkey Kong Country Returns, he feels like one. The addition of Dixie and Cranky Kong give DK even more movement options, making moving from left to right a joy.
The game is shorter than DKCR, with only six worlds to explore (not counting unlockable worlds). Even still, the stages are lengthy with some stages taking upwards of 20 minutes to play through the first time. The game isn’t quite as overwhelmingly difficult as its predecessor, in part because the required motion control is no more, but you’ll still spend quite a few lives trying to get that elusive K-O-N-G letter or puzzle piece. The collectables here are the same as the last game, but the hiding spots are clever enough to require a few playthroughs of a single stage to get all of the trinkets.
The Wii U GamePad is supported for Off-TV play, but that’s about it. DKC:TF supports multiple control options, including Wii Remote & Nunchuk, Wii Remote alone, Wii U Pro Controller, and the GamePad. Interestingly enough, when you choose to play with the GamePad on the television, the screen on the GamePad is completely shut off. This isn’t inherently a bad thing, as it conserves battery life and keeps all of the processing power confined to one display. Still, it would have been nice if Retro had found an interesting way to use both screens. They didn’t, and as such the decision to shut off the GamePad screen during TV play doesn’t pose any problems.
Another cool feature new to this entry in the series is time attack online leaderboards. It's possible to compete both with your friends and other folks all across the globe. Even better, replays can be uploaded and shared with the entire internet, so folks everywhere can see how amazing you are at the game. The replays are uploaded by default, and the leaderboards are fast and easy to access, making this a surprisingly competent Nintendo entry into the world of online play. There isn’t any online co-op in the game, but local couch co-op is available in much the same way it was available in Donkey Kong Country Returns.
Donkey Kong Country has always been a series loved for its music, and original composer David Wise, formerly of Rare Ltd, returns to compose music for the game that he’s known for. The songs are largely very similar to what’s come in the past, but there are definitely a few standouts among the soundtrack. The way the music changes as DK heads into the underwater areas is particularly notable; the music fades from upbeat and jaunty to serene and beautiful in the span of a few seconds.
One other change from Donkey Kong Country Returns that’s worth mentioning is the complete abandoning of the Super Guide mechanic, which was still fairly new in 2010. It’s somewhat nice not to be taunted if you’re struggling on a stage, but this may be a problem for younger players (or parents of younger players) who don’t have the patience required to play the tougher parts of the game.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze does not represent a particularly surprising title for Nintendo, and it may not be the title that pushes Wii U sales into the stratosphere, but it is another wonderful classic Nintendo game on a system slowly building a nice library. If you’re a Wii U owner looking for something to play, you really can’t go wrong here. It’s exactly the kind of game Nintendo does well, and it’s among their best.
The game isn’t quite as overwhelmingly difficult as it’s predecessorThank you, baby Jebus.
Interestingly enough, when you choose to play with the GamePad on the television, the screen on the GamePad is completely shut off.I have a feeling this choice going to be a major point of contention, but I'm perfectly okay with it. The biggest problem with these different options is when developers decide they have to use them because the options are there rather than when they have good ideas for it. Retro Studios didn't have use for the GamePad outside of off-screen play for this game so they didn't force it. Good. That's exactly how it should be.
I will feel like a fool holding a giant controller with a completely blank LCD in the middle of it.
And the best part of all this is? Now Retro can work on something worthwhile!
<crystal ball>Iwata announces production of Wii Workout Party, assigns Retro</crystal ball>
Other reviews have disagreed with me regarding the difficulty, so your mileage may vary.
This is probably the most controversial good game with no actually objectionable content to be released since Wind Waker.Feels like everything Nintendo do lately is super controversial, though I suppose there has been plenty of controversy over them for the past 8 years or so.
It might be good but it's not what we wantThis is exactly the kind of thinking that makes me not want to live on this planet anymore. Something is good and yet you fucking chuckleheads are still complaining. Sure. How the hell do you people even function?
I'll buy it in the bargain bin with my Wii U, perhaps later this year
This is probably the most controversial good game with no actually objectionable content to be released since Wind Waker.
The second Metroid Prime came out everyone was excited about what else Retro could do, particularly if they created their own IP. Maybe they could make a new Nintendo franchise with the prestige of Mario, Zelda or Metroid. So they made some more Metroid Prime games, which was expected and then we all waited to see what was next.
DKC? Uh, okay I guess. It seemed like an odd choice and even the Wii one seemed a little unnecessary when Nintendo was already busting out 2D platformers like NSMB, Kirby and Warioland. Okay fine they did DKC and helped with Mario Kart so NOW let's finally see what they can do when they're not working with someone else's IP. Nintendo is hyping this up! Okay here we go! It's... DKC again? Oh **** this!
The backlash is similar to Wind Waker in that there's the game we want that we know COULD exist and Nintendo is the gate keeper, keeping the game we want locked up and giving us something else instead. It might be good but it's not what we want and now Tropical Freeze is all about what we're NOT getting. It's not just some DKC game, it's the substitute for our hypothetical Retro Studios game that we figure could be amazing. It's the same reason Wind Waker had backlash as it was our substitute for the realistic Zelda we felt we were promised at Spaceworld.
DKC was always an odd choice for Retro anyway because it's not quite the same audience as Metroid Prime. Metroid is a Nintendo franchise that can appeal to people that aren't interested in cutesy mascot characters. So they effectively took Retro away from those people by moving them to cutesy mascot characters. Again there is the similarity to Wind Waker. Zelda was one of the few Nintendo franchises on the N64 that was not branded as kiddy. If you were sensitive about the perceived childishness of Mario you could still play Zelda. So then Nintendo pissed that away by making Zelda a cartoon. It's the same thing: taking something that is a little different than the typical Nintendo fare and making it more like it.
What, one can't acknowledge that something is well made but that they're not interested in it? I like pizza but if I ate it for lunch I'm not in the mood to have it for dinner. I'm not in the mood for DKC or 2D platformers from Nintendo. Is this a good game? Yeah, probably. I would probably like it in a situation where I am in the mood for it. But it's the wrong game at the wrong time on a console that is flopping with a lineup of well made platformers.It might be good but it's not what we wantThis is exactly the kind of thinking that makes me not want to live on this planet anymore. Something is good and yet you fucking chuckleheads are still complaining. Sure. How the hell do you people even function?