Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Review

Back in 2014, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze released on the Wii U and was well-received. Now Nintendo has re-released the challenging platformer for the more successful Nintendo Switch with a new playable character and improved visuals. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is the same outstanding game released back in 2014.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze takes place after the events of Donkey Kong Country Returns with the Kongs celebrating D.K.'s birthday. The Kongs are disturbed by a mysterious figure who freezes the island and blows the Kong's out of their home. Now they must retake the island from the invaders.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze plays mostly the same as the Wii U version. The biggest change is the addition of Funky Kong. Given the game's intense difficulty, Funky Kong allows for an easier experience by providing extra air time and preventing damage from spikes.

There's no Super Kong to run the stage for you but Funky Kong provides a welcome addition for those having a difficult time making the time-sensitive jumps and making him less forgiving than Diddy's jetpack or Dixie's ponytail helicopter.

The Kong you choose to tag along when playing as Donkey Kong is an important decision. Diddy can hover using his jetpack, Dixie can propel herself in water or perform a double-jump using her ponytail, and Cranky can bounce on spikes to avoid being damaged. Since some stages take advantage of specific skills, knowing the layout and choosing the correct Kong leads to a much smoother run.

Given Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze's difficulty, you're going to need all the help you can get. Levels are varied and the visuals never disappoint. Rarely does Tropical Freeze repeat the same mechanics. Instead, new systems are constantly being introduced that either bring new gameplay options or provide creative changes to existing gameplay features.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is full of inventive and challenging levels. Designed to test the player's skill by providing easier levels in the beginning before ramping up the difficulty in the later stages. Equal parts memorization and fast reaction times are required to not only beat stages and bosses but collect the many collectibles within the game.

If you still find yourself struggling, a shop is available for optional items. You're not punished or rewarded for using them, giving you complete control of whether you wanted to invest in them.

Boss encounters are the highlight of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. Each one is distinct with multiple phases, requiring players to adapt throughout the battle. Each one has specific tells before attacking or performing a certain action and showcasing the excellent animations created for not only the protagonists but the adversaries as well.

Regardless of whether you're playing in docked or handheld mode, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze maintains a steady frame-rate and resolution. The only issue was that the shoulder buttons on the Joy-Cons are small and don't provide the same level of control you'll get with the Pro Controller.

Despite being a challenging and fair game most of the time, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze can feel unfair at times. The rocket barrel stages, which are infamous for the Donkey Kong franchise, are still difficult to control, especially in smaller corridors. The momentum-style movement can lead to a lot of vexing deaths as you attempt to recover from long drops, which can lead to large arcs when pulling up.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is a challenging and beautiful game that adds enough content for those who experienced the Wii U version to try this rerelease. The inclusion of Funky Kong provides newcomers an easier experience, complete with the original game.

It's a masterpiece of mechanics and level design that will test even the most veteran gamers. Those who missed out on Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze on the Wii U and own a Nintendo Switch should play this adventure.