donkey kong country review
Mario is to date the most famous character in video games. But let's not forget that he was once Jumpman, a carpenter climbing scaffolding to rescue his fiancée Pauline, kidnapped by a gorilla. We were then still very far from Mario and other Princess Peach. Donkey Kong already existed. Strongly inspired by Hollywood King Kong, the giant monkey quickly fell into oblivion, Nintendo having understood that we preferred heroes to enemies. Almost thirteen years later, Nintendo entrusts an ambitious project to a development studio which is experiencing some financial difficulties, Rareware: to resuscitate the oldest character created by Shigeru Miyamoto.In 1994, Donkey Kong therefore knew the second video game dedicated to him and tried his hand at the genre of the 2D platform. Obviously, some alterations had to be made from the original model to make the monkey the main hero of the title, and no longer a kidnapping monster. Thus, Donkey has returned to more natural proportions to become a good gorilla retired in the Jungle Kongo, in the middle of the smala Kong. Life is peaceful in his high-pitched hut, well wedged in his hammock, just above the cave which houses his immense stock of bananas. Unfortunately, the cruel King K. Rool and his kremlin henchmen decide to come and break this idyll by grabbing the cherished fruits. Mad with sadness, Donkey decides to go on an adventure in the company of his friend Diddy, a chimpanzee, and to travel the entire island in order to regain possession of his property.
The first thing that strikes you when you are faced with this game is its great beauty. In fact, 1994 was a pivotal year for video games: 16-bit is about to give way to new generation consoles, with announcements from Sony, Nintendo and Sega becoming more and more pressing. Relying heavily on the technical aspect of its new machine which was still called "Ultra 64" at the time, Nintendo also decided to sublimate the Super Nintendo to prove to the whole world that it remains the undisputed market leader. Donkey Kong Country is then developed in collaboration with Silicon Graphics and the result is simply breathtaking. If the game retains a 2D structure that forces the heroes to move vertically and horizontally, everything else has been modeled in three dimensions, before being finally converted into a format manageable by the 16 bits of Super Nintendo. Thus characters, enemies, objects and decor offer a graphic design that approaches the visual rendering of a real 3D with unprecedented realism.
In the company of Donkey and Diddy, the player crosses six zones divided into five or six levels: the Jungle Kongo, the Mines of macaques, the Valley of the vineyards, the Gorilla Glacier, the industrial zone of Kremkroc and Kompagnie and the Caves of chimpanzees . Like a Mario, this distribution makes it possible to play very strongly on the aesthetics of the levels which have the air of a tropical forest in the Jungle Kongo and snow-capped mountains in the Gorilla Glacier. This variety of decors is an additional force for this game which puts all the advantages on its side at the visual level, especially since each background abounds in details. Rareware, for example, has pushed the thoroughness of its work to breathe life into its decor, where you can sometimes observe the setting sun and the elements breaking loose. The enemies, for their part, are squarely entitled to an ending cast in the space of a few minutes as they are so many and varied, and their animations really have nothing to envy to the already amazing beauty of the decorations. To this are added many effects of rain, snow or aquatic deformations which give a very singular graphic cachet to Donkey Kong Country, which seems to push the Super Nintendo in its last entrenchments.
If the mixture of 2D and 3D remains an extraordinary technical feat, let's not believe that Rareware has given everything in the aesthetics of the game which rests on very solid foundations in terms of gameplay. Like the plumber with a mustache, Donkey is able to jump but also to run while maintaining a button, which allows the player to benefit from a formidable control in the management of his jumps. This same button, when pressed for the first time, takes the form of a Donkey roll on the screen: a very useful way to eliminate enemies while gaining speed, but also to cross precipices, since a roll in the void can be followed by a jump. A technique which requires time to adapt but which turns out to be very useful during the adventure, since certain objects can only be obtained by this means. Finally, a more anecdotal movement allows Donkey to hit the ground with both hands in order to get rid of certain opponents or to bring up objects hidden in the ground. The main attraction of the game is not based on the presence of a monkey, but two! Diddy, in fact, is not content to follow Donkey, but offers the player an interesting alternative to lead the adventure. Having practically the same movements, if we except the striking on the ground, Diddy is illustrated by a lightness and a speed which Donkey lacks. On the other hand, the latter is able to defeat the biggest enemies by jumping on them, while Diddy is content to extract a good big laugh by tickling them. For once, the handling of the two monkeys presents real differences which offer a more obvious to the variety of gameplay. To switch from one to the other, just press the select button: the two companions then clap each other's hands and pass each other on.
This diversity is further reinforced by the presence of other allies: four animals that the two heroes can ride in order to benefit from their powers. Engarde, the swordfish, refines movements in the aquatic environment by offering more speed and the only possibility of getting rid of enemies; Rambi, the rhino, smashes enemies and walls thanks to its brutal charge; Winky, the frog, jumps out of control and can eliminate bees that are usually too dangerous for the two monkeys; Espresso, the ostrich, advances at great speed and can hover short distances to reach inaccessible passages. Each of these animals has its own maneuverability, which greatly enriches the game by varying the pleasures further. To these four animals is added Squawks, the parrot, which is found in the following episodes of the series but which is not playable here, since it is content to grab a lamp between its talons to illuminate obscure caves. Sometimes on animal backs, sometimes on foot, the two friends also travel very regularly in barrels. The nod to the arcade machine, where Donkey threw such objects to slow Jumpman's progress, is obvious. In Donkey Kong Country, the barrel is at the center of the gameplay and comes in many forms: star to destroy to activate a chekpoint, struck with the acronym "DK" to free his partner, or simple wooden waiting for d 'to be seized to be launched on an enemy, he is a constant ally. Others, impossible to destroy and elusive, wait in the air for Donkey and Diddy to enter to project them at full speed across the level. A way to avoid pitfalls, or to discover unexpectedly well hidden bonuses. Bonuses?
Yes, because that is the great strength of Donkey Kong Country. We are not talking, here, dozens of objects that can be collected such as balloons, bananas, letters of the word "Kong", barrels and other treats. No, we are referring to these secret zones which await the player, well hidden in their level, and which inflate the percentage of the home page to attest to the fact that the player discovers the mysteries of it. A barrel barrel badly exploited, a barrel badly launched is enough to discover the entry of a secret zone. Their interest, after all, is minimal: they simply allow you to participate in an event and save lives, which seems quite anecdotal in a game where the continues are endless. However, these bonuses form the very basis of the Donkey Kong series system, which will never be denied later: they are the ultimate challenge for the player, the one who will force him to outdo himself to reach the incredible figure not 100 , but 101% once all the secrets are discovered. A constant quest, which requires being on the lookout for the slightest banana strangely placed by the developers, and which could indicate the entrance to a cleverly concealed passage. Perhaps…
The notes
Graphics 19/20
A subtle blend of 2D and 3D, the magic formula of Donkey Kong Country immediately captivates the player who can hardly believe that he has just turned on a Super Nintendo. Even today, the game surprises with the insane graphics it displays, in which an aesthetic touch takes part which gives the game a real atmosphere and a coherent universe. A colossal task, so much remained to be built in view of the game released in arcade in 1981. Rareware lived then the first moments of its immense glory.
Gameplay 18/20
Perfect. For many generations, Nintendo games have demonstrated flawless maneuverability, and Donkey Kong Country has undoubtedly made a name for itself with this well-deserved fame. Technical and precise, the handling of the two monkeys is a delight at all times, without counting the many levels which try by all means to overturn the codes of the 2D platform by inviting the player to discover new ways of playing . The levels of the mining cart, on this subject, remain moments of anthology.
Lifespan 15/20
The game is not very long, with its thirty levels, but the replayability is incredible. We will do it again without difficulty, alone or in pairs, either in cooperation - each in turn - or by fighting each other from level to level, but we will especially spend long hours looking for the bonuses that abound in the title. A system allows you to save your game regularly.
Soundtrack 18/20
The musical work is up to the game: excellent. The themes are very varied and oscillate between rhythms removed well in agreement with the Jungle Kongo and others darker which stick perfectly to the atmosphere of humid cellars, giving the impression of hearing drops of water falling on the ground . The sound effects, on the other hand, are a treat and convey a dose of well-felt humor. The introductory theme, which mixes music and sounds of all kinds, is a timeless game of video gaming.
Scenario 14/20
The player is left to himself and gradually discovers that Donkey must recover his reserve of bananas, without the slightest cutscene telling him. On the other hand, it is worth noting the omnipresent humor of the title which pierces through the different expressions of the characters of the Kong family.
Donkey Kong, finally, allowed two references of the platform game to see the light of day: Mario, declined since in numerous 2D and 3D episodes, as well as Donkey Kong Country, certainly the most beautiful pearl of Super Nintendo in company of the two episodes that follow it. Flawless gameplay combined with an aesthetic dream, such is the daring recipe and yet perfectly realized by Rareware which acquires on this occasion its first letters of nobility. Any other comment would prove useless concerning this game. Only the controller in your hands allows you to appreciate its quintessence.
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