Donkey Kong Country

"I will punch you if you don't like this game."

Donkey Kong is not recognized for his original game starring him and Mario. He is recognized for the game that takes place in his own country. Donkey Kong Country, that is. Who needs Mario, anyway?

PRESENTATION:
The story in DKC is about monkeys. And bananas. Do I really need to go into detail here?

But looking past that, we see DKC as a step in a new direction in many aspects. A new type of adventure game, a new Donkey Kong, and a groundbreaking new look. Pairing that with a lovable duo of protagonists and some goofy friends, and you've got a game that will last (and has lasted) for generations.
PRESENTATION: 9.5/10

GRAPHICS:
This was one of the first 3-D games I've ever seen, so you can imagine I was pretty awe-struck when I played it way back when. The detail in the animals is excellent, but the level design is really where it's at. There are countless levels in this game, and while certain bits and pieces are often recycled, there's still no denying how much work was put in to all of them.
GRAPHICS: 10/10

SOUNDS:
DKC has one of my favorite videogame soundtracks. Not only does the music's quality put many other SNES games' music to shame, but the actual music itself sounds brilliant. Fitting whatever level you're in, the tunes can range from jazzy to tropical to eerie (but never too serious). Play the damn game and hear it for yourself, because words can't really do it justice.

The sound effects are also great. For example, you'll never get tired of the sounds the monkeys makes when you're near a DK barrel. I usually don't really care much for sound effects, but these are excellent. Bouncy tires, beating chests, jumping mine carts, and more, it all sounds fantastic.
SOUNDS: 10/10

GAMEPLAY:
One of the platform games every fan of the genre must play. DK and DK can jump, swim (yes, there are swimming levels… no, they don't suck), slide, run, walk, cartwheel (Diddy), and roll (Donkey) their way to the end of each level, but there's much more to it than that. The enemy variety is great, especially in the Kremlings. These dudes will jump, run, creep, and more to get to you. They're not too bright, but it's a platform game, so that's just fine. You've also got some tough-as-nails bees, sharks, beavers... the list goes on and on.

There are several ways to dispose of these nuisances. You can jump on most of them as well as roll/cartwheel into them, but some of them you can't (like the bees). Throwing different types of barrels is the most efficient way of getting rid of the baddies, so hopefully there are some around you when there's an enemy nearby. If you can't clear the room, then no worries. Just try to avoid the enemy. Oh, but you can't avoid the bosses, silly. Each one of them has its own attack pattern you must figure out to move onto the next section of the game. They are mostly very challenging, and always very fun. I love the little dance the monkeys do when they win, too. It makes all the trouble worthwhile.

Besides the enemies, there are some obstacles that may get in your way when trying to finish a level. Giant rolling stones, spikes, ropes, pits (duh), and of course those crazy launch-barrels will all affect your success. They're not all bad, though—tires let you bounce higher, some walls can be broken to reveal secrets, light switches scare certain enemies, and there are the automatic launch barrels, which make life a little easier for our Kongs.

And it's great that these two fellas are such good friends, you know? With a simple high-five, they can switch places in who's leading the way. But they've got other friends, too. Sure, there are the monkeys, who help with out-of-level tasks (saving, transportation, game hints), but much more exciting are the other animal friends. You've got a rhino, an ostrich, a marlin, a frog, and a parrot, each of whom alter the way you play and help you in their own ways. If there was one problem with this, it's that the parrot (Squaks) only appears in one level. And you may even miss him on that, which would be major bummersville.

And what would a platform game be without collecting? Mario has coins. The Kongs have bananas. Get 100 and you get a 1-Up. There are also the letters K, O, N, and G in each level. If you get all four of them, you get a 1-Up. All your animal friends also have their own golden statues, where, if you collect three of them, they get their own little mini-game where you collect as many bananas as possible. Red balloons will give you a 1-Up as well. As you may guess, you'll be getting a lot of 1-Ups. But this game is TOUGH. You will NEED as many lives as you can, because you'll be losing quite a bit. It's frustrating, but you will never give up (thank God for checkpoints, by the way).

I've written a lot about DKC's gameplay, but it's definitely one of the easiest games anyone can just pick up and play. Young or old, gamer or non-gamer, male or female, this game is a blast for anyone to play.
GAMEPLAY: 10/10

LASTING APPEAL:
I'm reviewing this game in 2008. DKC came out in, what, 1994? If that doesn't say anything about the game's lasting appeal, I don't know what will. It's a pretty long game in itself, but even after you beat it, you'll no doubt be coming back to replay your favorite levels, both alone and with friends. It's just plain fun, so how could that not last long?
LASTING APPEAL: 10/10

OVERALL:
It's a classic, as you are probably well aware. It's funny and lighthearted, as you are probably well aware. It's fun as hell, as you... okay, you get the picture. If you haven't played DKC yet, where have you BEEN? Guaranteed, someone you know has this game, so go over to his/her place and play the damn thing. It's fantastic.
OVERALL: 10/10

Thanks for reading =)

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 04/29/08

Game Release: Donkey Kong Country (US, 11/25/94)