Donkey Kong Country

"Welcome to the jungle..."

What is the most important thing you own? Is there something that you place on a pedestal, some object that has meaning to you? Maybe it's an autographed piece of memorabilia, or perhaps it's the vehicle you drive around. It might be that cherished baby blanket that you don't tell anyone about. It could be a picture of your family, together for one beautiful portrait. We all have things to which we place value, regardless of its size, shape, or color. It's that strange sense of sentimental love that keeps these items from rotting away in some storage box. But what if your most beloved item was suddenly taken away from you? How would you react? Would you really be able to let it go, after all that it has meant to you? How far would you go to take back what's yours, and to punish those who wronged you?

Donkey Kong knows all about taking this kind of loss. Nintendo's hairy hero has been living the good life for years, soaking up the jungle sun with his immediate family. The accumulated wealth of the past generations has given him access to a massive stash of tasty bananas. Unfortunately, this lifestyle of the rich and famous came to a screeching halt when the Kremlings showed up at our hero's doorstep one stormy night. These evil lizard people took the bungalow under siege, taking out Donkey Kong's best friend Diddy. However, the attack on a defenseless primate wasn't the worst part of this ordeal. While Diddy was getting his furry arse punted into the leafy foliage, the Kremlings stormed the banana hoard, plundering all of the Potassium goodness and leaving the Kong family with nothing. Oblivious to all that had transpired, Donkey Kong slept through the night, only to find his valuables in shambles and Diddy broken and battered. Our hero can't just sit back and let those scaly thugs get away with robbery and assault. Leaving his once peaceful dwelling behind, he's off to get his fortune back and protect his home.

Donkey Kong will have to travel all over the countryside, taking his fight from the jungles to snowy mountains and back again, facing off against Kremling goons at every turn. He'll have to jump on enemies' heads, roll into them, pound the very ground they walk on, anything he can do to get rid of this vile menace. He'll be able to pick up barrels and toss them around when he feels like brawling. However, he won't be alone in his crusade. Diddy has a few fancy moves of his own, using his impressive agility to outwit his adversaries. This dynamic duo will tag team their way through the levels, jumping among the trees, swinging on vines, and spelunking the dank caverns that make up so much of this slice of tropical heaven. Though the majority of the game will have you platforming everywhere and smacking baddies left and right, you'll spend a fair amount of time regaining the countless bananas that were stolen. You'll have to spend some time exploring each of the levels, finding little nooks and crannies filled to the brim with the yellow fruit. Sometimes they'll be in some obscure treetop, other times they'll be hidden in rock crevices or other unexpected places. While collecting bananas might not have a drastic effect on the overall game, it provides a decent distraction when bashing Kremlings gets a little too stale.

However, reclaiming a banana horde and taking on a small army is no easy task for a couple of monkeys. Despite their powerful and simplistic attacks, these primates won't stand much of a chance without some other kind of help. However, they aren't the only animals taking a stand. As you progress through game, you'll come across a few other heroes who are ready and willing to help out with their own unique attacks. You'll be able to gain control of a rhino, an ostrich, a swordfish, a frog, and a toucan and use them to see you through the level unharmed. Each has their own specialized skills, be it brute strength, speed, or jumping. Aisde from putting life and limb on the line for you, these wild beasts can help uncover even more secret areas in levels that you thought you've mastered. Though these mighty beasts don't steal the spotlight from the Kongs, they do offer more ways to explore areas and add a little bit more flavor to the occasionally easygoing levels.

But as you're ambling through the country and kicking Kremling ass, take some time to look around and appreciate the beauty of Donkey Kong's homeland. This massive area comes in a wide variety of themes, each with their own incredible design and presentation. You'll start off in the Kongo Jungle, rich with flora and fauna of so many eye-catching colors. But as you progress further in the game, you'll travel through thick woodland forests, snowy mountains and enormous reefs. You can take in the majesty of the mountains or the quaint and homely treetop villages. Also, all of the characters are portrayed in fully three dimensional glory, breathing new life and realism uncommon in other SNES games. You can practically see the monkeys' shaggy hair or the smooth and scaly skin of the countless Kremlings you'll stomp on. When you factor in the upbeat Caribbean-themed soundtrack and excellent sound effects, you have the makings for one of the finest presentations on the console.

Even though Donkey Kong Country has been ported to the GBA, I still take pleasure in turning on my SNES and going back into the Kong heartland. With the advent of Donkey Konga, one has to wonder if the gaming community will ever see another Donkey Kong platforming series. This game has all the right stuff, utterly wasting its contemporaries with its quality and style. It blends the basics of platforming with a wonderfully exotic theme, giving gamers something to look forward to besides jumping everywhere. Its excellent character and level designs are impressive, creating a decent balance between gameplay and presentation. If you're looking for an excellent game to round out your SNES collection, look no further than Donkey Kong Country.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 02/02/05