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Hey guys, so I recently had the chance to go hands-on with a near-final version of Donkey
Kong Country: Tropical Freeze for an epic 4-hour play demo. And in that time, I was
able to play through the vast majority of the game's first 4-worlds, and learned quite
a bit of new details about the game.
Now as you may already know, one of the biggest changes in Tropical Freeze is the introduction
of multiple partner characters. In addition to Diddy, you can now have DK team up with
Dixie and Cranky Kong too, and each one has has slightly different abilities that really
does change how the game feels.
Diddy, of course, still allows you to hover briefly thanks to his Jetpack, while Dixie
allows you to actually gain some altitude mid-jump. And then there's Cranky, which allows
you to use his cane as a pogo-stick to cross over hazardous terrain, like spikes and thorny
plants.
But as I learned in my play-time, their differences even extend underwater. While Diddy uses his
jetpack for a quick burst of speed, Dixie actually uses her ponytail as a propeller
that allows you to move faster, while being easily controllable. But Cranky's is perhaps
the most unique, as he'll actually swing his cane as a weapon taking out any nearby enemies--which
can be extremely helpful.
In addition to the new Kongs, we finally confirmed that Rambi's back too--and he works just as
he did before, allowing you to charge right through enemies and other obstacles, lending
his levels a generally faster pace. Though it does seem he'll appear about as infrequently
as he did before, as we only encountered him a handful of times.
Now unfortunately, Nintendo did confirm to us that Rambi is, once again, the only rideable
Animal Buddy to appear in the game--so sorry Enguarde fans.
But the lack of animal buddies is barely noticeable considering just how insanely diverse the
level already design is. Each level feels incredibly distinct, whether it's navigating
the spinning platforms of Windmill Hills, jumping among dancing trees in World 3's Grassland
Grove, or riding a rocket barrel through shark-infested waters while dodging fishing nets in Twilight
Terror. And I could similarly describe nearly every level without having to recycle a single
noun--which is all the more impressive considering the length of these levels, which took me
on average about 4-minutes each--and that's assuming a near-perfect run while avoiding
most of the collectibles.
And as with DKCR, the levels are extremely dynamic, and are changing all the time. Take
World 4's Irate Eight, for example, where a giant Octopus chases you from the background,
attempting to cut you off with various tentacle attacks. And it's not long before you'll he'll
attempt to take you out with a poisonous ink attack, forcing you to keep on the move.
Then there's Sawmill Thrill, which begins as a fairly typical minecart level, before
leading you through a sawmill where you'll encounter live-blades thatl carve the path
out of wood in front of your very eyes. And just when you think you're in the clear, you'll
find yourself riding a boat through an equally hazardous outside section. And this is all
before one final sawmill sequence where you'll find yourself chased by a giant sawblade.
Oh, and how could I forget Frantic Fields, which takes place in a stormy Savannah, where
you'll have to contend with mini twisters that'll launch every which way. Though it's
not long before you'll actually find yourself inside gigantic tornado where the platforms
are actually floating landmasses ripped right from the ground.
In short, this game is intense--and it's tough too. I found myself dying more than I'd like
to admit.
But thankfully, help is available in the form of Funky Kong's Fly 'n' Buy item shop. where
you can cash in the banana coins you've found for additional lives or help-items that can
be equipped before a level, such as spare partner barrels, invincibility juice, an extra
heart to take an extra hit, and a Crash Guard which protects your Mine Cart or Rocket Barrel
from instant death.
Oh, and while you're here, you can also try your luck at the Capsule Toy Machine, which
awards little toy figures of characters you've encountered from the game, which you can view
from the pause menu. Now they;re random, so you're not always guaranteed something new,
but thankfully it is spoiler-free as it'll only awarding toys of characters that you've
already encountered.
Besides the new characters, Tropical Freeze also introduces another new gameplay feature
in the form of alternate exits that lead to secret levels, ala the New Super Mario Bros.
series. Although Nintendo wouldn't reveal the exact amount, you should expect to find
one or two per world.
And if finding secret exits and collectibles isn't enough to keep you busy, the game also
features leaderboards on a per-level basis, allowing you to view the top times on a Global
and Friend basis, as well as the times of those closest to your leaderboard position.
Oh, and you can even upload a video of your your best-attempt for each level to be viewed
by others, though we weren't able to see this in action ourselves.
In addition, the game also features a hard mode, although Nintendo wouldn't provide specifics,
noting only that it'll be different than the one featured in its predecessor.
All in all, I had a blast playing DKC Tropical Freeze. The new partner-characters are fun
to use, and the level design, so far, seems to be even more creative than Donkey Kong's
last outing. Oh, and how can I not mention the fantastic soundtrack, which actually gave
me chills at one point.
In short, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze seems to be doing everything right and I can't
wait to play more. And thankfully, I won't have long to wait, as the game launches in
the US on February 21st. Thanks for watching and keep an eye on GameXplain.com for more
on DKC: Tropical Freeze and other things gaming too.