Despite the importance of Donkey Kong Country, the series was left alone for much of the 2000s aside from a few spin-offs, only truly coming back in the form of Donkey Kong Country Returns. Since then, only one other Donkey Kong platformer, Tropical Freeze, was released on Wii U and subsequently ported to the Switch like a plethora of other titles. A new Donkey Kong game is long overdue, but if it wants to both stand on its own and keep the love of the franchise’s patient fans, it needs to avoid emulating the now recognizable gameplay of Returns and Tropical Freeze.
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Donkey Kong Should Give 3D Platforming Another Chance
Donkey Kong is famous for the Donkey Kong Country series in particular. The series, whether it is the original trilogy on the Super Nintendo, or the 2010s installments like Donkey Kong Country Returns, consists of some of the most lauded titles of the platforming genre. The original trilogy in particular was memorable for how much the games pushed the limits of the Super Nintendo when it came to graphics. They successfully implemented more “realistic” visuals without sacrificing their style and flair.
There is one outlier among the Donkey Kong platformers, which is Donkey Kong 64. Unlike the other games that belong to that category, Donkey Kong 64 lacks the “Country” label and is fully playable in 3D instead of being a side-scroller. While it lacks the innovations attributed to the leaps to 3D of other big Nintendo franchises, like Super Mario 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, it is still part of the solid collection of games made by Rare during the days of the Nintendo 64. As a result, it is as beloved as other popular Nintendo 64 games by nostalgic fans.
Despite this, Donkey Kong 64 was also criticized for some clumsy direction. This is especially prominent with its relatively large cast of playable characters for the time. From the perspective of a Donkey Kong fan, it was particularly overwhelming due to the game introducing three new characters to accompany DK and Diddy. While having multiple characters is appealing, the game’s decision to have character-exclusive collectibles and a character selection option that was not available at all times alienated many players. Some content, such as minigames like the infamous races against a giant beetle, also earned the ire of Donkey Kong 64 players, especially nowadays.
A new Donkey Kong could go back to 3D platforming, especially in an era where old 3D platforming classics like Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon have made a return. It could experiment with different design strategies and study what Donkey Kong 64 did right, and what it did wrong. It should not necessarily aim to be another Mario Odyssey with Donkey Kong characteristics, but it could strive to be something bigger than anything the series has done so far.
Tropical Freeze made Cranky and Funky Kong playable alongside mainstays like DK, Diddy Kong, and Dixie Kong. A more polished repeat of Donkey Kong 64’s character system that will enrich the gameplay and not make the game artificially longer would be a welcome addition and a unique trait in a modern platformer. A tighter focus on traditional platforming instead of mini-games would be welcome. The same would apply to a more streamlined way of acquiring collectables that does not require the player to run around a level to find the spot that allows them to swap characters.
A new, 3D Donkey Kong could show Donkey Kong Island at its most expansive, with a more “cinematic” depiction of the Kongs’ tropical homeland. It could afford giving roles to as many characters, including the trio introduced in Donkey Kong 64, as possible, and have fresher, more immersive interpretations of the familiar environments. The series has not gotten a new game in a while, and with several Nintendo series, including spinoffs like Mario Strikers, making a comeback on the Switch, it might be time for the iconic ape to return.
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