Retro on Online Play for Donkey Kong Country

Retro Studios recently talked about the decision not to include online play in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze.

The latest game, out now on Nintendo Wii U, does feature challenging co-operative play, however the team weren't keen to "shoehorn" in online play, according to Retro Studios CEO Michael Kelbaugh. "if we were really go back and create an online environment, I think we owe it to the fans to do it better than just making online co-op. We really need to put some thought and resources into doing it the right way," he said in an interview.

Kelbaugh isn't ruling out online play going forward, but would "want to approach it the right way."

Also discussing online play, Nintendo producer Kensuke Tanabe felt that the "spirit" of the franchise is the local multiplayer, and that "it's just a heck of a lot more fun to be sitting in the same room" rather than "playing with somebody at a distance."

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze scored highly in our review.

Should Retro have included online play in Tropical Freeze, or should it be a strictly offline affair?