Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D (Nintendo 3DS) Second Opinion Review

It seems those silly Kongs have gone and gotten their bananas stolen again. There are no crocodiles to stomp this time around; instead, the Kong's island has been invaded by the mysterious Tikis, who have hypnotised all of the lesser animals and started to steal all of the island's resources - namely, the all-important bananas. To stop this thievery and save the island, Donkey Kong will have to team up with his little nephew Diddy Kong. He will also have some help from the always-hilarious Cranky Kong, as well as some classic animal buddies. The essential cast is present and the premise is set: bash baddies, get back bananas. Only a short ways into the first world it is clear that, while it has been more than a few years, Donkey Kong Country has indeed returned. The game does not look at all out of place among modern titles, but will nevertheless almost certainly have long-time fans feeling right at home.

Donkey Kong controls very similarly to the original Donkey Kong Country titles. DK can jump, roll to attack or go into a jump, or perform new abilities like the hand slap or, strangely enough, blowing on things. The latter may seem a touch random, but it is cleverly applied in several instances throughout the game, though it does perhaps beg the question as to how forcefully exhaling entered DK's repertoire. However, unlike the classic titles, which featured gameplay with the two separate Kongs, Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D features exclusive control of Donkey Kong himself, with Diddy Kong essentially functioning as a power-up, providing hovering jumps and two extra hits the player can take before dying. The hovering ability proves very useful, making certain levels of the game far more manageable, while often still remaining quite challenging.

Though the game starts out as very reasonably accessible, the difficulty quickly increases to be fairly tough, especially past the halfway point. Masters will undoubtedly be capable of breezing through even the toughest of courses, but, nevertheless, a seasoned gamer may well find a very respectable challenge in the last few worlds. Often, difficulty can arise in levels that feature a checkpoint a fair distance from a Kong barrel. This forces the player to complete the level on their first try, come into the level with power-ups equipped, or play an often very difficult section without the aid of Diddy Kong. If too many deaths are accumulated, a super guide can be summoned at the checkpoint to provide aid, so even if a level is too much it is still possible to progress through the game. In this way, the game is accessible to all audiences, while still providing the full challenge for those who seek it.

Fans of the series will also find the return of the classic mine cart levels, where timed jumps along a fast-paced track must be input to survive, along with a new rocket barrel style level wherein elevation is controlled by tapping or holding the A button through a rapidly scrolling stage. These levels can quickly become very challenging and, at times, frustrating, though frustrating in a sort of addicting way. For those who do not enjoy such a challenge, power-ups can be purchased from Cranky Kong (though, true to form, he will criticise DK's dependence on them) that allow for some degree of error, making these levels a little less stressful.

Several other power-ups are available from Cranky, as well, including extra lives, temporary invincibility, and the animal buddy Squawks, who points out secrets as the level progresses. Each level features several collectibles, including the classic KONG letters, as well as several puzzle pieces hidden throughout the levels.

The puzzle pieces can be very difficult to find if not explicitly sought; it may be somewhat rare to finish a level with all of them without some extra effort. They may be found scattered in the main level or earned in bonus levels hidden in each level, which play similarly to some bonus levels in the original Donkey Kong Country games, essentially amounting to collecting all the bananas on the screen before time runs out. The variety of bonus levels is a little lacking, with a handful being repeated across every level in the game.

Perhaps some disappointment may arise for long-time fans of the series from the lack of a few familiar faces. The animal buddy Rambi returns for several levels, essentially destroying everything in his path and controlling very similarly to his original incarnation, with the option to jump, attack, and charge through enemies of all sorts and otherwise indestructible objects. However, all other playable animal buddies have been excluded, with the exception of Squawks being reduced to a power-up. The exclusion of Enguarde makes some sense with regards to the absence of water levels, but that explanation in and of itself begs the question as to why no water levels were included. The baddies are also less familiar than the Kremlings. The entire crocodile cast is absent in favour of the Tiki Tak Tribe, and while they capture a decent enemy variety in providing the easy one-jump-to-kill-grunt, the big fat enemy, the fire-breathing enemy, and more, they seem not to have quite as much personality as their predecessors.

Nevertheless, Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D provides a new entry that remains quite faithful to a long-missed series. For those who desperately waited for Donkey Kong's next platforming adventure, the call has finally been answered, and with a solid delivery. The title provides challenging platforming and enough secrets to occupy quite a bit of time. While the 3DS version does not offer exceptionally drastic differences from the Wii version to warrant the purchase of both, it provides a portable option of a solid title for those who would seek it.