QCF: Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

 question that’s been springing up a lot more than it ever has in the past, is why does Nintendo insist on being a proprietary entity within the industry? Why not go third party and bring that trademark “Nintendo magic” to the PS4 or Xbox One; the answer is simple—their games benefit more from them being their own boss than suffering from it.

For example, when the internal R&D departments aren’t developing themselves, they rely on second-party studios that are allowed explicit creative control over some of the company’s most prized properties; enter Retro studios and their sequel to the revived Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze.

Nintendo’s strategy may come off pandering, even to the most dedicated fanboy, but like Super Mario 3D World, impressions aren’t everything and, this cold jungle romp is another delightful gem to celebrate the ownership of a Wii U.

The underlying theme of Tropical Freeze embodies the traditional spirit of Donkey Kong Country’s platforming like that of a classic Chevrolet, only rebuilt with a turbo-charged V-6 engine. These enhancements to the fundamental dynamics of the new generation Country formula augment the gorilla to a completely new faster pace of movement and jumping.

For starters, new hardware means a new control interface, and while Tropical Freeze uses the Wiimote for multiplayer scenarios, the expanded options of the Gamepad and the Pro controller even, allows Tropical Freeze to deliver the intuitive handling necessary to get the most out of the challenge found in this entry. Taking a very similar approach to that of its predecessor’s portable cousin, Tropical Freeze utilizes the more fleshed out trigger options afforded by the gamepad and pro controller. Having alternatives to the Wiimote and its sluggish layout means that the frenetic action can keep moving instead of settling for the potential clumsiness that comes from tolerating the Wiimote’s exchange of awkward gestures in compensation for its limited button palate, and with new configurations comes new dynamics to compliment them. Replacing the sloppy motion mechanics of the primates blowing foliage within the stage, Donkey now pulls on levers or plugs that inconspicuously littered around the stages that achieve the same kind effects, only in a much more fluid fashion.

Swimming on the island has received a whole new makeover as well, and like the humble changes made with the control options, it’s the subtle differences in the mechanics that fuel the new cadence in Donkey Kong’s movement. Possessing the same accelerative mechanics of the regal money’s cannonball roll, DK can now torpedo roll through underwater baddies, and the maneuver doubles as a means to travel speedily through the stage, and along with the expanded underwater real estate, come bigger, longer stages to tackle.

Spanning long stretches of vertical climbs and marches through gap-laden fields, the levels found in Tropical Freeze are double the size of the ones within DKCR, and despite the larger gauntlets risking the possibility of overstaying their welcome, thanks in large to one other factor aside from the quickened rate; new Kongs.

The familiar face the femme chimp Dixie and playable debut of the veteran elder Cranky play a significant role towards reaching the level’s goal, and the only way to successfully progress through Tropical Freeze is to understand where they’ll provide the best advantage. The larger size of the island’s stages will direct you towards numerous encounters with a Kong barrel; different obstacles are designed around the various abilities received when you have one of the other monkeys on your back, and it’s moments like these in Tropical Freeze that are the most rewarding.  

Diddy returns with the familiar jet-pak that can be used hover for the extra hang-time when leaping for distance while Dixie uses her iconic propeller pony-tail for hang-time that’s best suited extra height, and Cranky, well…he pulls a Scrooge McDuck, pogoing with the best of both elements and can bounce on any terrain. Each of these skills become more and more vital in assisting the odds of conquering the level, and while there will be times that stages will supply a pre-determined partner for areas constructed around their respective talents, there will also be encounters that involve a cycle of the kongs to choose from—going with your favorite just isn’t that simple. Tropical Freeze enforces the intricacies of mechanics by subtly outlining suggestive opportunities of who will aid you best, and the stages will gradually get more difficult, whether it’s the particular skill it demands from preferred monkey for the job or even telegraphing which kong is best for the job for that matter.

Tropical Freeze is indeed an immaculate showcase of game design at its finest for a aged genre like 2D side-scrolling, but it’s biggest flaw is that it’s a piss-poor example of what the Wii U can really do by practically ignoring it’s most touted asset; the Gamepad. The moment the game is booted from the title screen, players will have the option of either going with their TV for the display or the Gamepad, and well, that’s as far as it’s use goes other than it still being a more efficient controller than the Wiimote, which is more than a waste, it’s a downright flaw. One of the biggest factors that separate the Wii U from its competition is the imaginative potential that the Gamepad’s features possess to enhance the experience, and when first-party games start to overlook them, then the impression of Nintendo devaluing their own promises of creative game design may start to materialize into something more than just subjective conjecture.

Aside from the weak effort of facilitating the Wii U Gamepad, Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze is more than just a sequel with all of the right improvements; it’s one of the finest platformers available in the modern era of video games, and is a must have title for the Wii U.