Wednesday, March 18, 2015

[REVIEW] Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble

 Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble
Played on: Wii U (Virtual Console)
Originally available on: SNES
Genre: 2D platformer
Developer: Rare
Publisher: Nintendo   

The third Donkey Kong Country game for the SNES is truly the end of an era. This is because it's not only the final entry in this beloved series up until Donkey Kong Country Returns on the Wii, but also the last major first-party release for the SNES, in an era when Nintendo's (and Rare's) attention was finally shifting to the N64. It follows in the footsteps of its predecessors when it comes to pleasant and challenging platforming, but also introduces neat new ideas to the formula.

Friday, March 6, 2015

[REVIEW] Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest


Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
Played on: Wii U (Virtual Console)
Originally available on: SNES
Genre: 2D platformer
Developer: Rare
Publisher: Nintendo   

So, what do you do when you release a game that turns out to be one of the defining killer apps for an entire console generation? For good old Rare of the nineties, you immediately start working on a sequel to improve every single aspect of the original. This is pretty much Donkey Kong Country 2 in a nutshell: a bolder, prettier and significantly better-designed follow-up that is breathtaking in its restlessness to set the standard of unforgettable 2D platforming.

Monday, March 2, 2015

[REVIEW] Donkey Kong Country

Donkey Kong Country
Played on: Wii U (Virtual Console)
Originally available on: SNES
Genre: 2D platformer
Developer: Rare
Publisher: Nintendo 

As impossible as it may have seemed a year ago, the original SNES Donkey Kong Country trilogy was finally released on the Wii U Virtual Console. This should be great news for fans of platforming, as the series is certainly one of the most memorable the genre has ever produced. It all started with this title, which was a very big deal when it was released back in the latter half of the SNES's lifetime, helping that console to establish its ultimate leadership over the Mega Drive (a.k.a. Sega Genesis) in the console wars of the time.