Donkey Kong Country Returns

by Nintendo

• Dual control schemes including the Wi Remote/Nunchuk, as well as a sideways oriented Wii Remote
• The game offers the traditional side-scrolling experience everyone loved, but also levels created in fully rendered 3D environments
• New silhouetted level s add additional challenges as players work to time movements and attacks
• For the first time ever, the franchise features the ability for two people to play together at the same time - one as Donkey Kong, one as Diddy Kong
• Hidden items, puzzle pieces and other surprises are found all through the jungle; spell out K-O-N-G by the end of each level to earn an extra bonus

Product Details

• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B003ZHMMEM
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches ; 1 pounds
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: November 21, 2010
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (425 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #217 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #3 in Video Games > Wii > Games > Adventure

Product Description

Amazon.com

Inspired by earlier games in the Donkey Kong Country series, Donkey Kong Country Returns is a new take on a beloved Nintendo franchise. The first Donkey Kong Country game developed for play for Wii, this new iteration blends familiar actions, levels and characters with a whole new graphical treatment and feel, as well as new control schemes and play options. Features include: a co-op play option allowing you to team up as Donkey Kong and Diddy, radically different visuals ranging from nearly 3D treatment to others that appear in silhouette, two different controller schemes and more.

A New Country for Old Friends

Under the influence of a group of evil Tikis, the animals of Donkey Kong Island have raided Donkey Kong's banana hoard and stolen his stash of bananas - and being an ape of large appetites he understandably wants them back. Good thing that you are along for the ride. With Donkey Kong Country Returns, Retro Studios brings Donkey Kong back to a banana and platforming hungry public in a new side-scrolling adventure with familiar characters and new levels that reignite the passion players had for the Super NES original and all things Donkey Kong.

Join Donkey Kong and sidekick Diddy in a whole new side-scrolling adventure.
View larger.

Gameplay

Like earlier Donkey Kong Country games, Donkey Kong Country Returns is a side-scrolling platformer, but although the game contains classic references, as well as levels and activities reminiscent of earlier games in the series, it is far from a remake. In fact, Donkey Kong Country Returns stands very much on its own not only in its nearly 3D status, but also in its new visual treatment and control scheme. The game features the familiar team of Donkey Kong and his little buddy Diddy Kong. The goal is make your way across Donkey Kong Island collecting bananas and search for hidden items as you swing on vines, ride mine carts and more as you avoid the variety of enemies and situations set against you. New silhouette graphical treatment of both game heroes and enemies in certain levels also introduces new challenges, as players must perform all actions from within an entirely new perspective. The game also features the players choice of either the Wii Remote/Nunchuk controller configuration, or a sideways oriented Wii Remote. In addition to simple navigation and jumping movements, the Wii Remote also allows for a variety of other actions, including: ground pounds, rolls and even air blowing with simple, yet timed shaking of the remote.

In addition, the game also contains fun and user-friendly co-op functionality. In co-op mode players take on the role of either Donkey Kong or Diddy. Both characters have abilities of their own, but work together. Beyond this the game takes possibilities for cooperation even further, especially with players of different skill levels, as Diddy can if need be simply rest on Donkey Kong's shoulder and let him do all the work at times. In the event of death, either character can also be revived by the other by hitting a Donkey Kong barrel within the game. The game also continues the series' use of additional animal friends such as Rambi the Rhino, who can serve as a battering ram and can be ridden in certain areas of the game.

Key Game Features

• Retro Studios faithfully restores everything that made the original series great, from barrel cannons to mine carts, and then builds on those elements with stunning graphics and new layers of depth to the world and game play. The game offers the traditional side-scrolling experience everyone loved, but with levels created in fully rendered 3D environments.
• Diddy Kong joins the quest. With his trusty backpack, he can produce a jet pack or Peanut Pop Guns to give Donkey Kong more abilities.
• For the first time ever, the franchise features the ability for two people to play together at the same time - one as Donkey Kong, one as Diddy Kong. Players can navigate the levels separately or as one unit. Diddy Kong can ride on Donkey Kong's back and hop off whenever he pleases, allowing novice players to ride on Donkey Kong's back through more challenging areas of the game.*
• Hidden items, puzzle pieces and other surprises are found all through the jungle. Spell out K-O-N-G by the end of each level to earn an extra bonus.
• Motion controls give players a real feeling of control. Players move Donkey Kong using the Control Stick on the Nunchuk controller and can shake the Wii Remote controller to make Donkey Kong slap the ground.
• Vibrant colors, beautiful graphics and fun characters draw players in. Even people who have never played a Donkey Kong game before can pick up a controller and start collecting loads of bananas.
• Every level offers new fun and new challenges. Sometimes Donkey Kong is running through the jungle, sometimes his action takes place on a tropical beach and other times he must become a master of timing as he jumps chasms in a mine cart.

Additional Screenshots

Familiar actions & environments. View larger.

New silhouetted levels. View larger.

Special abilities via Wii remote. View larger.

Co-op play and new enemies. View larger.

* Additional accessories required and are sold separately.

Product Description

After 14 years, Donkey Kong Country has returned with an all-new banana-hoarding adventure only on Wii!! Donkey Kong makes his triumphant return by going back to his running and jumping roots in an all-new barrel-blasting, rail-riding and ground-pounding adventure! The Donkey Kong Country series comes to life on Wii in lushly rendered environments that will have you running left to right, hunting high and low and blasting front to back to scour eight worlds in search of hidden coins, puzzle pieces, and Donkey Kong's stolen banana hoard. Diddy Kong joins the adventure with his own moves, special combo abilities and a series-first two-player cooperative mode. When playing alone, Donkey Kong carries Diddy Kong on his back, giving a jet powered boost to his jumps. In co-op play a second-player can also join on any level, controlling Diddy Kong independently or riding on DK's back to power through stages together, allowing players of all ages and skill levels to experience the fun of Donkey Kong Country Returns. The Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers put the brute force of a great ape in the palms of your hands. Shake the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controller s to slap the ground, stunning enemies, demolishing objects and activating explosive switches. A quick shake while running sends Donkey Kong power rolling through lines of enemies. Add in skillful jumps, grabbing and throwing objects and clinging to vines on walls and ceilings, and you'll be racing through stages like a true king of the jungle.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

270 of 284 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars It's On Like Donkey Kong November 21, 2010

By B. McLain

Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

I don't normally write a review before I've beaten a game but after several hours of play I've got to say Donkey Kong Country Returns is grand. I've been playing it since the midnight release. Where do I start? It's like slipping on an old glove. I didn't even have to read the manual. The graphics are gorgeous, the controls are great and for once the motion controls didn't feel like a gimmicky addition. Rare just got owned!

Many hours of my misspent youth involved playing Donkey Kong Country on the SNES, whether alone or with a friend, I remember playing that silly Mine Cart Madness level until I had it memorized. All I can say is the people at Retro Studios must've loved DKC like many of us because they just knocked it out of the park with this one. They took everything I loved about the first DKC; barrel craziness, lots of enemies, easy and accurate controls, and beautiful scenery; and magnified these things by a factor of 100. This is just the kind of sequel I've been waiting for, for years. Retro Studios didn't reinvent the wheel, they duplicated and polished the wheels and then stuck it on a Ferrari. Let's break it down shall we?

Story
Who cares it's DK! No seriously though, gone are the kremlins, now we're up against this mask thing a-la Crash Bandicoot. This mask thing steals your bananas, and now DK has to get them back... Donkey Kong Style. The classic DK humor is here, and the cut scenes have that DKC feel to them. Which are very well done by the way.

Controls
The controls are great for a platformer. I seriously had no problem slipping right in. They are tight and responsive. The motion controls are easy to learn, and actually make sense. For instance to do DK's trademark ground pound is just a matter of shaking the Wii Remote and Nunchuck up and down, in - you guessed it - a slapping type motion. Plus they give you multiple options for controls. (No GameCube controller though.)

Graphics
Beautiful. Seriously. Bright and vibrant background with colorful and original enemies. DK and Diddy have never looked better. The detail in the respective character animations is awesome. The Wii is definitely getting put through some paces with this game. Everything is crisp and sharp. Nothing to complain about at all.

Music/Sound
Yeah, those rocking jungle beats are back. Remixed in all of their glorious detail. I let it set on the start menu for a few minutes and just rocked out. XD The sounds also are very good. DK's deep roar and chest beating sound great, and Diddy's little squeaks and enemy deaths are clear and are recreated well.

Levels
You start out in the jungle just like the original DKC, except on steroids. You also have an over world view of the island also like DKC. But these aren't just clones. Yes the barrels are here, and the cool secrets that were scattered around all over DKC make their appearance too. Which was really cool. (That's another thing Retro Studios nailed on the head. All of the secrets.)
You have the traditional K-O-N-G letter finding, as well as puzzle pieces which unlock what seems to be some really cool stuff, coins (like DKC 2 and 3) which you can use to purchase alternative paths among other stuff, bunches of bananas. The list goes on. But it's all there for you to find on purpose or by accident. (Don't tell me that my friends and I are the only ones who used to swap secret locations around as though they were status symbols?) Oh and tons more Mine Cart levels. There's one on the first world even. Thank you Retro!
The checkpoints make their way back here too. That's right, just like in the old days. You die before the checkpoint you go back and restart the level. I smiled a little inside.

One weird thing though. I was the only one at Wally World who showed up at Midnight to get this. Surely I can't be the only one who was excited enough to drive 20+ miles to get it. It just shocked me because I really expected a long line. It was so worth it though. I'm not embarrassed to say I own a Wii now XD.
Any way, enough nostalgic gushing. If you're a DKC fan (forget that horrible N64 thing) this really is a must own. No joke. Maybe now I can finally retire my SNES cart... Nah. XD

64 of 72 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Is it a good return? November 29, 2010

By DGrady

Fun: 4.0 out of 5 stars   

I always make sure I play a game all the way through before a leave a review about it since many games grow on me over time, and some games are very exciting for a week until you realize the replay value is non existent. Many of the reviews for this game and others are given on release day or the next day! Leaving a hasty assessment of the game. It was a difficult journey but I have finally completed the game and can give it a fair and honest review. To get 2 things out of the way before I start the review I want to say that this review is coming from a game developer and very looooong time fan of the Donkey Kong Country series. Needless to say I was extremely excited when I heard the announcement of this title at E3 and it became my most anticipated game of the year. I was also very pleased to hear that the game would be developed by retro studios who are held in very high regard with their Metroid prime series. But has the Return been a good one?

For the most part.....Yes.

The best part of the game for me was retro studios decision to keep the same difficulty found in the original games. THE GAME IS TOUGH! Collecting every puzzle piece and KONG letters for the game is a daunting, but very enjoyable task! Is that not hard enough for you? Try and get a gold medal on every level in Time Attack! Time attack is a spped run mode that will make the most hardcore of players squeeze the controller with frustration. This will keep you coming back for more for a very long time.
It is difficult for me to determine if this game will be too hard and difficult for the younger or casual gamer, But I think its safe to say much fun can still be had here from the younger or casual gamer just trying to play through the levels.

The Graphics and art style for this game is top notch (which is to be expected from retro studios) I would say a step above New Super Mario Bros which this game takes heavy influence from. That being said I dont get the nostalgia of the original donkey kong country games when I play this game. But yet again I wasnt expecting that to happen with this game. Dont get me wrong, the graphics and aesthetic are great but when the original donkey kong country games came out the visuals were revolutionary! Still to this day nothing matches the looks of that game, and I can give this game a free pass on that topic.

The game also gets increasingly fun as you progress through the game, the level design and level interaction are great! It is also good to see a return of mine carts and even Rambi!

Now on to some of the cons of the game.

Co-op is horrible. I never expected it to be any good especially since I heard it would be very similar to New Super Mario Bros. But Kirbys Epic Yarn gave me hope since the co-op in that game works great and is fun and not aggravating. Sadly to say the co-op in this game is nothing but frustrating and pointless. Me and my wife much rather play one player and take turns everytime we die or get to a checkpoint. This is the most critical aspect of the game for me especially since the 2 player mode in the original games worked Perfectly! The ability to switch characters on demand with select allowed you to work with each others abilities. I dont mind nintendo wanting to add these new co-op modes to there games, but they should really add a CLASSIC 2 player mode as well and the player can choose for themselves. Like mentioned earlier, the only game that got this right was Kirbys Epic Yarn.

The decision to give the game motion controls without the choice of opting out of them was also a very poor decision. This has been one of the most heated debates with the game. I dont believe this totally breaks the game like some reviewers think but I also dont think it makes it better. It is MUCH easier to perform a roll with push of the button then a control waggle. Its simply not as responsive. The option to have full classic controller support would have been an easy and welcome inclusion to the game (hint hint for game sequel) And for those who fully support the waggle roll for this game, have you tried completing the time attack levels using the roll? to obtain a gold you must roll almost the entire level leaving you with very sore and awkward gameplay.

My final cons are with the bonus levels and characters. The bonus barrel levels are extremely repetitive. They cycle through the same 4 or five throughout the entire game.
Its also unfortunate that rambi is the only animal friend in the game which you can ride. One of the best things about the originals are the variety of animal friends that can help you on your way. This game only has one. And he doesnt appear very often.
Both of these flaws are obvious time restraints from the developer, if this game wasnt trying to meet a christmas release I believe most of these problems would have been taken care of, and we would have been left with a near perfect game.

Now after all that being said the game is still a FANTASTIC gaming experience. Even though the flaws are many, the pros are great as well. I am very glad for this game purchase and I will be playing it for years to come. I really hope Nintendo is planning on releasing a sequel to this game!

65 of 78 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Donkey Kong is back! November 21, 2010

By Solid

Fun: 5.0 out of 5 stars   

This is a quick review without my nostalgia goggles:

Pros:

+ Amazing gameplay: The controls are really smooth and although you are only limited to the "wii remote" and "with nunchuck" controls, the game plays flawlessly, specially with the nunchuck.
+ Incredible level design: Most levels are very clever, they are a step ahead of you and I always liked that, specially coming from a DK game. I really love the fact that this element was left intact.
+ Challenging: Veteran gamers of DK games will not be disappointed. The game packs a somewhat high difficulty almost similar to the originals. However, you now have to get hit twice before you die (or 4 times if you have Diddy). And even with this new "life system" the game will manage to make you lose. Casual gamers should not get scared though, the game offers a vast amount of extra lives and an item that increases the amount of hits DK can receive. One warning though, stay away from the extra levels located almost at the end of some worlds. These levels are really challenging.
+ Long levels: On average, I think every level last around 5 to 8 minutes or probably even more. It's easy lose track of time while playing this game. Prepare to lose a whole week and probably even more with this game.
+ Great sound: Old tunes are back and will put a huge smile in your face once you heard how well remixed they are. It also contains some new tunes that are alright, but not as catchy as the classic DK tunes. These new tunes also try to capture the essence and style of older DK sounds and they succeeded in doing so.
+ High replay value: Collecting simple things has been a major factor in DK games and this game is no exception to the rule (except for the 64 version which took collecting stuff to a whole new level). Anyways, any true gamer will play this game many times just to get that 101% completition. One thing I like is that they now emphasize the importance of collecting the K O N G letters. Aside from a life, you get something else which I won't spoil. In older DK games they would just give you a life and since that was their only purpose, in many levels there were left unnoticed.

Cons

- DK's new ability: I wonder who thought that blowing things was a great idea... Yes, that's right, DK can now blow plants and enemies that are on fire. It's kinda lame since DK it's all about stomping and smashing. Who has time to blow stuff when you can blow up stuff?
- Forced motion control: The game feels really good with the wii remote and nunchuck but I really wanted to play this game with the classic controller.
- Diddy as a sidekick: Once you get him, he jumps on your back and helps you hover if you hold the jump button. However, he will always stay there, you cannot control him like you used to in the first DK. He is also very small now.
- Lame Boss fights. These new bosses take the word "useless" to a whole new level.

The negative aspects of the game are easily overshadowed by the amazingness of the game. Veterans of DK as well as newcomers to the series will find a place in this game. I can easily find myself revisiting this game many times in the future, just like I revisit the DKC series on the SNES.

Now, let me put my nostalgia goggles for a second. These aspects do not interfere with the rating of the game. These are solely my opinion and how the game compares to older installments.

Pros

+ The gameplay was well translated from 2D to 3D. I was worried the game would flop because 3D often do not feel as well as their 2D counterparts.
+ Old Donkey Kong elements are back, like Rambi, coin collecting, the K O N G letters on every level, and balloon lives.
+ The remixed music of older tunes was my favorite aspect of all. Although the levels feel fresh and new, the music gives them a familiar feeling.

Cons

- NO KREMLINGS. WHYYYYYYY!? I loved these guys to death and I think it was a huge mistake in taking them away. Sure, the tikis are cool and all, but beating a kremling felt better than bashing a tiki drum... Also, the kremlings had a variety of enemies while the tikis feel pretty much like the same enemy.
- No King K. Rool! ALL MY RAGE! Imagine playing a Mario Bros game where Bowser is not your main enemy! BLASPHEMY!
- The lack of animal friends is disgusting.
- The levels do not have the same charm of the originals. I don't know why but the textures and places do not form the same ambiance that the classic games had. Not a really big factor considering how the design had to be changed.
- The DK coin in every level was replaced by puzzle pieces (much like Banjo's jigies). I really liked the DK coin. At the end of the level, the pieces are put together to form a coin... of a fruit. Of all things it had to be a fruit? Really? Yes, I am complaining that this coin was not the DK coin.