Donkey Kong Country

There is no question that "Donkey Kong Country" is one of the best adventure games ever created on any platform. It was easily better than any Mario game the SNES put out and really raised the bar for what side-scrolling games could do. One can have hours of fun immersed in the DK world. The only problem? Hours of gnashed teeth will also be spent re-beating levels because of the stupid saving mechanism.

The best part of the "DK Country" experience is that it is so unique. It was kind of like playing a Mario game...but with new challenges and characters. I liked how Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong both had unique abilities better suited for certain situations, making you (the gamer) figure out when to use each character. The game is also quite challenging, but not to the breaking point. After enough practice, most levels can be beaten before the hair-pulling stage. It terms of gameplay and presentation, this is a 5-star effort all the way.

The HUGE negative? Having to beat multiple levels before being able to save a game. Now, I realize that I have reviewed many NES games and never complained about the saving, but that was because the NES technology just did not allow for "anytime saving". By the time the SNES came around, though, one could have saved the game after every level. However, the game designers decided to make you "earn" save points by beating a number of levels at a time. In the beginning this is fine, as you whip through the levels and pile up the bananas/balloons without hardly a second thought. Once you get to the ice-levels stage, though, the game requires you to beat 4-5 extremely difficult levels before saving is possible. By this time in the game, the player is operating on more like a 4-5 turn basis per lifespan. I realize the "collecting bananas and trying to get specials" argument for racking up multiple lives, but that isn't why I wanted to play the game. I just want to beat each level and move onto the next without all the "monkey business" (pardon the pun). This issue decreases the whole experience for me by an entire star.

Thus, "Donkey Kong Country" is a classic in the canon of video game adventures. A very frustrating save mechanism does put a damper on the experience for all but the experts, but overall it is still a fun game.

"Gamers will put up with mediocre gameplay, as long as the artwork looks good." These were words spoken by Shigeru Miyamoto, in his initial review of the game. Of course, he later had to eat them when the game became a true success. Ultimately, in most cases when game developers design a game to have phenomenal graphics in comparison to other games, those games usually lack fun gameplay. Not DKC.

One morning, the chilled out, relaxed Donkey Kong wakes up to find his Banana Hoard robbed, and his Nephew/Little Buddy, Diddy Kong missing. While the mystery of Diddy kong's disappearance and reappearance is solved really quick, the Banana Hoard isn't. It soon becomes evident that the Kremlings, Led by King K. Rool, have taken the bananas and spread them all over the island. With the help of their friends, Cranky Kong, Funky Kong, and DK's Girlfriend, Candy Kong, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong must travel across the island's many places to recover the banana hoard, and beat up a few kremlings while they're at it.

If you're looking for a true 16-bit Masterpiece, Donkey Kong Country is certainly a great choice. It's a simple platformer with plenty of hidden secrets to keep the most determined gamer coming back again and again until the game's finished.

Note, the Game, and it's sequels are currently available on the E-shop, But due to Nintendo's Shaky Relationship with Rare, the company behind some of your favorite SNES & N64 titles, the games might not be here forever. They were taken off Virtual Console during the Wii's initial run, So you might want to consider buying the games today. and at 8$, it's worth it.

10/10

This is my favorite video game of all time. It has been apart of my childhood since I was 10 (it was released in 1994, do the math) and even though technology might've been increased, I will always have this game in my heart. It is a brilliant achievment in Super Nintendo terms (which is now obsolete) by bringing the famous game chimp to 32-bit 3-d life and it is a lot of fun. It is above on my list of all games, even mario, as a adventure RPG game by having challenges and twists at every turn (not to mention a not too bad story). Remarkable. A++

Donkey kong country is an excellent game to start a great saga.

David Wise's music is amazing like: Aquatic ambiece, Boss battle music, Jungle groove and many, the music makes you go deeper into the level.

The levels are excellent, in each level you have to pass the level but sometimes it is like Temple Tempest that you followed a normal path but the wheels chase you as if you were in Indiana Jones and the hunters of the lost Ark or Mine cart madness and a long list of levels that are amazing.

RARE knew how to make a good start to the saga of the most famous ape in video games.

Donkey Kong Country is a really classic game. Everybody who saw it back in 1994 thought that this was a game for Nintendo`s new 64-bit system(Nintendo 64). But Donkey Kong Country was a game for the 16-bit Super Nintendo(Super Famicom in Japan). The extremely good graphics that blew everybody away were possible to do on a SNES(short for Super Nintendo Entertainment System) because the developers discovered a new technique to make SNES-games(the Advanced-Computer-Modelling technique). The graphics are impressive, even by today`s standard. But DKC didn`t become a classic just because it looked lush, it also had gameplay and atmosphere to die for. The levels are highly detailed, there are many of them and the excellent music makes for one he%& of an adventure. The game can be extremely frustrating, and you`ll throw away the control and swear like he¤%, but the game is really worth the bother, so you`ll soon pick up the controller again for one more go. I prefer this to Donkey Kong 64 on the N64. DKC is SO GOOD!! 10/10