Donkey Kong Country

"A stellar beginning for a brilliant Jump and Run series"

Now writing an introduction for this game is definitely tough. Its reputation is legendary today, its impact on the gaming market was huge back in the days, its technical achievements were stunning for their time (and in a way, they still are)..."Donkey Kong Country" simply is one of the most influential games of all time, and one of the very best as well, and it´s not really surprising that it´s yet another Nintendo based Jump and Run that has gained this fabulous reputation - it´s another proof for the "Nintendo difference". Alright, "Donkey Kong Country" has not exactly been developed by Nintendo itself, but rather by England based Rare, a company that was kind of obscure before DKC hit the market, having worked on some sleeper hits, but also on truly horrible NES schlock. But with "Donkey Kong Country" on the Super Nintendo, Rare finally reached the realm of the best developers out there and initiated their more than impressive track record as far as video games are concerned (despite the recent decline in quality of their products). Amazingly enough, they also managed to revolutionize the video game industry and to shock the upcoming 32-Bit competitors with the visual splendor. And fortunately, this masterpiece is just as good as it always used to be.

Like in so many other Jump and Runs, there also is a cookie-cutter storyline present in this game, and as usual, it doesn´t really matter in the end and merely serves as the vague reason for the hero to go on his adventure. This time around, it´s about the evil King K. Rool having stolen the entire banana supply of the Kong family, and it´s up to Donkey Kong and his little pal Diddy Kong to get them back. That´s pretty much it, but as mentioned above, it doesn´t really matter in a 2D Jump and Run. However, at least there are some extremely funny moments to be found in that regard, like Cranky Kong´s constant complaints about modern video games relying too much on graphics and the old video game days being better, or of course that really creative surprise near the end of the game. But of course, the main attraction of this game still is the pure gameplay, and even after more than 10 years, it´s great to see that "Donkey Kong Country" has not gotten old and outdated after so much time. The core gameplay is highly reminiscent of the 2D Super Mario games, which means that your main goal is to get through each level from the beginning at the left to the exit at the right, which can take some time in some cases. Unlike in the Super Mario games, however, you don´t have a time limit this time around, which means that you can explore each level for as long as you want, or search for more bananas, which are the Donkey Kong equivalent to the coins in Super Mario, and if you are able to collect 100 of them, you´ll be getting an extra life. Apart from the bananas, there are a lot more things for you to find, like the golden letters K, O, N and G, and if you find all 4 of them in a level, you´ll be sent to a bonus round, giving you the possibility to earn lots of bananas and extra lives. There also are golden animals hidden throughout the levels of the game, and collecting three golden animals of the same kind will transport you into a bonus round where you can collect golden stars while playing as the animal whose signs you have collected. Speaking of animals, every once in a while, you will be accompanied by your loyal animal friends Rambi the Rhino, Enguarde the Swordfish, Expresso the Ostrich, Winky the Frog and Squawks the Parrot, helping you through the underwater levels or disposing of your enemies. And last but not least, there are literally tons of well hidden bonus rooms in each level, and it´s more than likely that you will play through the game again just in order to find each and every single one of them so you can complete the game with 100%. And that will certainly take quite a while, and definitely much longer than in most other 16-Bit Jump and Runs. After all, Kong Island consists of several areas you can visit in form of a map, and each area offers tons of levels for you to explore and enjoy. Needless to say, the controls are nearly perfect as well. Every move works perfectly, no matter whether it´s jumping, rolling, changing your player character or anything else - you will always feel like you really are in control of everything, to an extent only Nintendo and a few other developers have reached. It´s simply incredible to see how much this game has to offer and how many secrets there are hidden inside the levels, so unlike certain other 16-Bit Jump and Runs, this game will keep you hooked for several days or even weeks.

Essentially, there is not really an awful lot to say about the graphics, since every gamer should be aware of this game´s impact in that regard by now. Simply put, the graphics are practically unmatched for the time the game has been released in, and it´s not an exaggeration to say that it definitely ranks among the 5 best looking 16-Bit games ever. Characters and enemy models are incredibly vivid, while the backgrounds feature an awesome level of detail and depth, anchored by great animations as well as wonderfully fitting colors that create an atmosphere that has seldom been seen before in any video game. What really impressed me as well is the total lack of any graphical bugs or slowdowns: the entire game runs smoothly, which is a huge achievement in view of what is being shown onscreen. And even today, the graphics still look excellent, having stood the test of time with ease.

For some, the visuals might be overshadowing every single other aspect of the game, but the music definitely deserves a lot of praise from my side as well. The soundtrack simply is, in a word, perfect. It´s not your usual, upbeat and happy sounding Jump and Run tunes you´re used to from Super Mario and its many clones. Instead, your ears are being treated to some rather unusual, but extremely atmospheric pieces of music. The first example can already be found in the very first level, where you are being provided with the aural joy of listening to some technically very well made jungle beats that wonderfully fit the atmosphere of the game. There are also some more mysterious themes, like those in the cave and ice levels, and despite the fact that they´re not the usual pieces you might hear in a 2D Jump and Run, they´re simply perfect, and instead of annoying you, they indeed manage to motivate you even more. And as I already mentioned, the audio quality is astounding for a Super Nintendo game, with each tune sounding crystal clear. The sound effects are great, too, and I especially love Donkey´s and Diddy´s funny monkey yells that help to give the characters even more charm. So, in the end, you could say that the music and sound in "Donkey Kong Country" only add to the perfection Rare has achieved with this game on a technical level, even matching the awesome graphics.

So, what else can I say, other than this game is a must-have for every serious video gamer? Seriously, anyone who has even a remote interest in Jump and Runs should play "Donkey Kong Country" at least once, and not just because of its visual merits, but also because of the simple fact that it still outclasses most of its modern day competitors with ease in terms of creativity and playability. Indeed an appropriate comeback for Nintendo´s beloved monkey!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 01/30/07