Retro did the impossible with DKC returns. They not only managed to revive a 2D platforming franchise, but they also made DK fun to play as. With tropical freeze retro did the impossible again. They managed to fine tune the new DKC formula and gameplay to the point of tropical freeze becoming one of the best 2D platformers of all time.

I love Tropical freeze. Between the original Wii U release and the switch port, it's one of the 2D platformers I've put the most time into. I've 100% this game too many times to count, I know where every puzzle piece is, I've 100% the game on the unlockable hard mode with every kong and I like the game enough to have gotten the max rank on the time trials for each level and even briefly having a world record (or at least number 1 on the online leader board) for an individual level for a very brief time. This is one of my favorite 2D platformers.

The returns style gameplay is back and more fine tuned to make for an even better experience. DK has a nice feeling of weight to him and it feels really good to keep a fast momentum throughout the stages. The SFX also contribute to this feeling. It just feels really good bouncing off enemies or rolling through a line of snowmads.

The stages are all amazing. These are some of the most well designed and creative stages in any 2D platformer. The stages play around with the foreground and background in new and creative ways compared to returns as well. The OST is great as well with a nice mix of amazing new tracks and remixes of classic DKC tracks. The enemies are also a step up from returns. They're more expressive and integrated into the stage layouts in more creative ways than the tikis were in returns. They're still not as memorable as the kremlings in the original series, but they're still a big improvement over the last games'.

I'm very happy that some of the previous kongs have been reintroduced to the series and each of them provides a nice difference in gameplay. Dixie is still great with her helicopter twirl, cranky is great for blasting through levels since his pogo conserves momentum, and diddy is just kind there to help you keep an even height with a short hover. I do wish that diddy had more unique style since he is consistently my least used kong in each playthrough. I only really find him useful for lining up hits on the final boss and I actively skip his barrels in levels if I have another kong with me.

I don't think the game is perfect, and there are a few small things that hold it back from being my favorite DKC game. The bosses can go on a little too long at times (although none of them are anywhere near as long as the endurance tests that were returns' bosses). I still like most of them and a lot of the bosses I didn't initially like have grown on me since they have fun time trial strats, but none of the bosses are as good as the best bosses from DKC 2 or 3 in my opinion. The final boss in particular is also really underwhelming and kind of mediocre. All the other bosses have a better sense of increasing stakes with new attack patterns as they go on, but the final boss just kind does most of the same initial moves with a few new easy to dodge attacks.

Some of the puzzle pieces can be very cryptic for a first time player as well. Generally speaking, I don't think going for 100% is too daunting and you'll get most of the puzzle pieces on your first run through a level as long as you're collecting suspicious looking groups of bananas. There are a few were you have to line up with something in the foreground or background which isn't super intuitive for a first time player or if you haven't 100% returns.

I also wish there was more variety to the bonus rooms. They're all some version of "collect all the bananas within the time limit" which isn't bad and there is a nice variety of different stages, but the original trilogy had multiple different type of mini games for the bonus rooms and this lack of variety is felt a bit towards the end of a 100% route. It's nowhere near burnout inducing, but it's something that could be added to a future game.

I also really wish retro would utilize more of the animal buddies. I love Rambi, but he's still the only buddy to return (besides Squawks but he's not playable). With the return of underwater levels, I wish Enguarde would return and I think retro could design some good Rattly or Winky stages since they play with verticality in a few of tropical freeze's stages (or even adding a Sqidder section to a bee stage would be fun).

The absence of a memorable big bad guy is also felt towards the end. K Rool was just so weird and memorable in the original rare games and his final bosses were highlights of those games. I hope that retro will either bring the Kremlings back or make the big bad of the next DKC game more engaging.

I'm hopeful that these small issues will be fixed in a previous game. The changes to the formula between tropical freeze and returns show that retro really loves the DKC series and is willing to celebrate and integrate what worked well in those games into their new series while still keeping the core returns formula. I'm confidant that they have what it takes to make the perfect DKC game if given the chance.

The small issues I have with the game are enough to keep me from giving it a full 5 stars, but tropical freeze is by far the highest 4.5/5 I can give to a game and a serious contender for one of the best platformers of all time.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is a fucking masterpiece.


This game is a work of art, a masterpiece from beginning to end, as a sequel to Returns it improves and every category, the levels are even more explosive, daring, and far more unique, the game looks fucking incredible, even better than how beautiful returns was, the soundtrack is even more peak shit, all of it was absolutely beautiful, and the controls are basically perfect.

The levels in Returns were already really good, but god damn they’ve been improved here tenfold, every level is brimming with personality and creativity, I can say this, the previous games have all had at least like a few levels that were not really that good, but there is not a single bad level in this game, not even a single mediocre one in it either, they’re all great.
There is never a moment in this game where the fun dies down, not only are level themes and general worlds improved and much more varied, even the mine cart and rocket barrel levels are really fun, the game just never loses your attention.
The controls are vastly improved here from Returns, gone is any bullshit with Wii remote controls, now you can play like a normal person and it’s great, controls are tight and precise while still carrying that same DKC weight that all these games have had.
In the switch version, there’s also Funky Kong, and he controls wonderfully, they did not need to go that hard for what is essentially an easy mode character, like he controls so well that we could easily have a whole game designed around him.

It also helps that in terms of the visuals, this is by far one of the best looking 2D platformers ever made, and in my opinion, one of the best looking games ever made, it has style, it has grace, and a good amount of the enemies have a funny face.
Every level is brought to life with just how damn good the game looks, even when levels have the same theme, they are made distinct thanks to just how good they can look.

The soundtrack man, THE SOUNDTRACK, David wise returned here and it shows, every single level has the funkiest music you can imagine, the water levels especially GOD DAMN, it adds more atmosphere to everything, just like the og trilogy.

My complaints for this game are very minimal honestly, even though I do like the variety with your kong buddies, Dixie is just the objectively best one, her little float and upward movement is much better than Diddy’s hover, Cranky is unique enough to be his own thing and I’ve seen speed runners do crazy shit with him, but I always just stuck with Dixie.
Another complaint is that, while they are better and more dynamic than they were in returns, the bosses are still just decent at best, and both games final bosses are a far cry from K. Rool and his multiple alter egos.

Those gripes though just absolutely can’t take away from how great this game is, it’s incredibly fun all the way through and not only is it easily one of Nintendo’s best games, not only is it my favorite 2D platformer, it’s also one of my personal favorite games of all time.


And so ends the DK series, you know, considering that games like Metroid and Pikmin have made a comeback on the switch, I think it’s time for Donkey Kong to make his comeback, just make K. Rool and the kremlings the main villains again, it was nice to have some new villains but I also think it’s time for them to make their return.

Silly goofy wacky nonsense + 100% gamer fuel

banger soundtrack, banger gameplay, banger level design and a serious fucking challenge! A near perfect 2D platformer to be honest. It's a genre that is often overlooked within the lens of game classification as art outside of super mario which obviously pioneered it. But when games like DK Country Tropical Freeze exist, it makes me question why they're not brought up more often, this shit is a delight?

But also that's probably it, isn't it? It's not a game that takes itself remotely seriously and fully embraces something that 'gamers' need to embrace more - fun!
But for real, this shit deserves some awards or something idk, I mean, what realistically should be changed in this game? So it's not reaching for some extraordinary heights, so what? It's one of those games that stays very much true to what it wants to be and does it with borderline perfection, when a game like this steps out of its comfort zone, it really risks getting gimmicky and other platformers have stumbled doing just that. But that's not to say that this game is overly repetitive, it's always switching things up, every level is wholly unique and I think there's only one which is bad and that's a secret exit level anyway so most players likely won't even find it.

To echo some points of a good friend of mine, the levels and 'worlds' of this game often do a fantastic job of telling a story as you progress. Take 'juicy jungle' for example, a world in which you not only witness, but INTERACT with the entire production process of fruity ice pops - from the harvesting of the fruit, to the production line to the icey fruit storage. At the end of the world, you fight the final boss who is enjoying himself one of these ice pops - but he accidentally drops it due to DK and his pals' interruption and gets pissed! What a wonderful, goofy little story told through the gameplay and this game's gorgeous background and character art! It's that beautiful visual storytelling that this game does a lot, but never quite as well as in juicy jungle.

This game also has a shocking level of challenge, especially towards the end. Having played a number of 2D platformers I had an expectation of things like when i'd need to jump or how many hits it would take to finish off a boss but this game requires precision, determination and perseverance to finish, but in a really good way! Particularly if you're trying to get all of the letters in a level, as the game does a fantastic job of tempting you to take risks and sometimes even a leap of faith in order to reach them. This resulted in many game overs for me especially in the final world which is super brutal. But the feeling of finishing off that final boss made me reflect on what an awesome, lean little experience i'd had with this game.

Oh and fuck me does the soundtrack GO. Top 10 of all time surely? David Wise is a genius.

Pleased as punch to say that this game's more enjoyable here than on Wii U, thanks in part to the 'easy mode' that gives you 3 hearts and lets you keep the things you've collected during the current stage after you die. It actually balances the game in a way that makes it fun to get through, rather than tedious and annoying! I noticed that they fixed a certain thing with the final boss, making it much, MUCH less of a downer to end the game on.

Outside of that? Just another solid 2D sidescroller from Retro Studios. It isn't the Best Platformer of All Time as a lot of people seem to claim it is (not with how dragged out the boss battles tend to be), but still worth playing if you're hankering for something in the genre.

Graphically, it holds up super well, looking just as good now as it did in 2014. I was never particularly into the Dreamworks' Madagascar look Retro went with for the characters, I still adore how rich and deep the locales are. I just want to reach in and explore these massive, crumbling ruins for myself, screw whatever's happening on stage!

Alas, I'm a bit torn on the music, as what's good is really good, but I'm afraid that Dave Wise kinda found a 'style' and stuck to it, leaving a lot of the tunes to bleed together. It's all very pleasant, mind, but I can't see myself going out and meditating to it like the Rareware stuff, you know?

It feels weird to come around to this game after disliking it for so long, but idk, it's better this way. It's nice to be wrong sometimes...

I was in a mood for some platforming goodness before Mario Wonder launch and I picked DK TF again.
GODAAAAAMN, Perfection in almost every way imaginable.
From incredible controls to every stage feeling different from the last.
And don't get me started on soundtrack, it slaps.
I so so wish Retro after MP4 will return to DK franchise yet again :(

Managed to squeeze one more in before the end of the year! I loved this game. It controls perfectly and each level is paced well. There’s a great balance between precision, quick jumps, climbs, swings. Checkpoints are perfectly placed and lives are generous enough to feel fair, but still make items worth collecting. Vehicle sections and faster levels are exhilarating and (mostly) fair in giving you time to react and look ahead. Both levels and bosses have this wonderful feeling of ending right when they should, and are excellent at introducing and expanding upon concepts both within levels and across each island.

The difficulty curve is spot on, with only a few of the last levels feeling a bit too nasty for me to want to try them again. The bosses are excellent. I particularly loved the polar bear, tough but satisfying. The final boss is a bit more tedious than fun, which is a shame but not the end of the world. The music is typically excellent, atmospheric and uplifting. The art direction is bouncy and fun, lots of fun little animations and bright, colourful trees, sands and hills.

Grassland Groove is easily my favourite level, a joyful delight of African rhythms, wonderful jumps and climbs, as trees and giraffes bounce along to the music with you. Amiss Abyss also stands out for its gorgeous dark underwater swimming, lit up intermittently by sea life below. But there are so many to choose from. Overall a great end to the year for me.

NOTA: 7,5

Sendo o último game da franquia Donkey Kong Country por em quanto, Tropical Freeze é um plataforma 2D carismático, criativo, com ótimas boss fights e excelência em level design, assim como os clássicos de SNES, é extremamente divertido com aquela pitada de dificuldade que todo fã da franquia gosta.

Graficamente diria que o salto para o game anterior de Wii/3ds é considerável porém fora a temática eu diria que o game em si não inova tanto em relação ao título passado.

Sem dúvidas esse game além de ter como opção o Funky para tornar a gameplay mais fácil, não se compara com a dificuldade dos clássicos do SNES, em exceção dos Levels mais para o fim do game, que requer mais timing e reflexos com os eventos presentes.

Falando nos levels, em quanto os mundos finais são mais complicados eu achei eles um pouco menos variados em relação às fases iniciais. Os levels bônus são bem parecidos e desde o título passado eu não curti muito a ideia de partes de puzzle pela fase, torna algumas delas muito grandes e outras não, acho que as letras kong e as moedas de ouro faziam mais sentido.

De maneira geral, Tropical Freeze sem dúvidas oferece uma experiência de um belo mix de diversão com frustração, mas no fim, a trilha sonora também ajuda à tornar o game mais especial. Finalmente eis a pergunta: Teria a nintendo esquecido uma franquia tão classica? Esse ano o game completará 10 anos, sendo lançado originalmente para o WiiU em 2014, passou da hora né? Recomendo o game especialmente em promoção.

I've spent most of my summer so far playing the DK Country series, and I've unfortunately met the end. If a game series has made me change my profile picture, then it means that it has had a great impact on me. I've enjoyed each game as much as the other but Tropical Freeze definitely stands out...

It takes the DKC formula and expands upon it in all kinds of ways, such as the accompanying of Diddy-, Dixie-, and Cranky Kong which changes up the gameplay and lets you find secret exits which lead to new undiscovered levels. In most levels, you get the chance to choose which Kong you prefer to suit your kind of playstyle. I found that Dixie is the most utilizable character as she hovers like Diddy and has a jump boost like Cranky. (DD + CK ≈ DX)

The level design is incredibly well done and I got pleasantly surprised by each level I played. My favourite being 'Grassland Groove' (3-1). It's an overload of love put into the level, I love the African theme and setting, and it fits well in the DK Country universe. A diverse set of giant-sized paper puppet animals and the song playing in the background with authentic African singers makes everything just incredibly convincing.

10/10 Baby, bye-bye!!

Uma verdadeira Obra-Prima dos jogos de Plataforma. Se for ler essa review, tenha em mente que será quilométrica, pois definitivamente vou ter o que falar sobre esse jogo.

Este meus amigos, é o Donkey Kong que conseguiu se equiparar aos seus antecessores, e falo isso como fã de longa data, que jogou e rejogou até cansar os jogos clássicos, a ponto de considerá-los meus jogos da vida até hoje. O Donkey Kong Country Returns, antecessor mais recente do Tropical Freeze, foi um enorme retorno da franquia, polindo e traduzindo o estilo de gameplay dos jogos clássicos de forma esplêndida, mas sei lá... mesmo depois de ter zerado ele, eu não o considerava o "DONKEY KONG COUNTRY 4" que sempre sonhei. Ainda estava faltando alguma coisa naquele jogo, pra ser mais preciso, originalidade e identidade, pois meio que ele tenta ser uma "releitura" dos jogos clássicos, apresentando mundos muito inspirados nos games anteriores e tendo sua trilha sonora basicamente feita de remixes de faixas clássicas.
Mas bom, essa review não é sobre o Returns, mas acho impossível não citá-lo, visto que eu fiquei com um enorme gosto de "falta algo" na boca e este jogo foi o responsável por saná-lo.

Essa era a aventura de Donkey Kong moderna dos meus sonhos, uma definitivamente nova e original dessa vez, parece até que o Returns foi uma prévia pra esse game, dando só uma palinha do que seria o verdadeiro Donkey Kong Country 4.
Eu tive contato com esse game pela primeira vez na casa do meu primo em meados de 2015, pouco tempo depois de seu lançamento no wii u, e sério, na época eu até podia ser apenas uma criança, mas já tinha meu doutorado em Donkey Kong Country, e ver minha franquia favorita totalmente remodelada e em uma nova aventura meio que me emocionou por dentro, mas aí vem a parte ruim. Eu experimentei esse jogo nessa ocasião e só fui jogá-lo novamente em 2023 pra 2024, ou seja, 9 anos depois da minha primeira experiência e UMA FUCKING DÉCADA depois do lançamento original do game... é foda ser pobre, mas agora que tenho meu switch, isso foi meio que um sonho realizado. Podem ter se passado 9 anos desde a primeira vez que eu experimentei isso aqui, mas meu hype não diminui nem 1% sequer, e aquela experiência ainda era vivíssima em minha memória, e poder zerar e "platinar" esse jogo foi algo muito recompensador pessoalmente.

Mas chega das minhas histórias pessoais com esse jogo, vamos logo falar do que importa, o porque desse jogo ser uma verdadeira masterpiece dos jogos de plataforma.

A gameplay basicamente continua com o mesmíssimo esqueleto da série Country, sempre muito precisa e gostosa de se controlar. O level design é simplesmente de outro planeta, e posso dizer que nisso ele se equipara muito aos DK's clássicos e até mesmo supera eles em alguns pontos. A Retro Studios fez um trabalho magistral, realmente reviveu o level design característico da série, e como não temos as limitações da época, eles puderam brilhar aqui da forma que eles bem entenderem. Cada fase tem uma mecânica bem criativa para ser utilizada, e eu não desgostei de NENHUMA, pois cada fase é única da sua própria forma. E só um comentário, que jogo difícil do cão, esse level design pode ser bem filho da puta às vezes, então fazer 100% dele pegando tudo é uma tarefa e tanto.

Um elemento geral nas fases que é um exemplo de como a Retro Studios aprimorou a fórmula dos jogos antecessores é a questão de como os níveis interagem com o player. Temos diversas brincadeiras com ângulo, perspectiva, plataformas que vão se formando na sua frente de acordo com o que acontece no nível, e o mais impressionante para mim, os cenários. Esses cenários são os mais bem feitos e detalhados que já vi em qualquer jogo de plataforma, pois além deles serem extremamente lindos e vivos, eles interagem diretamente com o player, simplesmente não tem como dar bobeira, você precisa prestar atenção no que acontece no cenário o tempo todo, deixando a experiência ridícula de divertida e até mesmo frenética a depender da fase.

Outra coisa que fiquei de queixo caído é a coesão de cada um dos níveis de cada mundo, que se encaixam uns nos outros, meio que "dando continuidade" ao que estava acontecendo. Um mundo perfeito pra citar de exemplo é o da fábrica de suco, onde ele se inicia em uma floresta, e você vai percebendo ao passar dos níveis que as árvores vão sendo derrubadas, as frutas coletadas, processadas, até virarem suco, e eventualmente picolés, pois o clima também vai ficando mais frio, e isso é perfeitamente acentuado em cada fase, com cada uma tendo uma temática diferente, onde você acompanha toda a evolução do mundo e o encaixe dos níveis. Essa coesão presente em cada mundo é um detalhe que me deixa sinceramente pasmo, de tanta qualidade e cuidado envolvido, e meio que essa é uma das magias de Donkey Kong pra mim.

Falando em magia de Donkey Kong, como eu posso deixar de citar a parte mais artística da coisa? Dando um destaque nos já ditos cenários, e claro, a trilha sonora. DK não é DK sem uma trilha sonora desgraçada de boa, e para compor as canções deste jogo, chamaram ninguém menos que a lenda viva David Wise, o homem responsável por compor as trilhas dos Donkey Kong Country's Clássicos. Então temos pedrada atrás de pedrada, a trilha manda bem nos temas melancólicos, nos temas animados, nos temas emocionantes, em tudo basicamente. Além disso temos remixes lindíssimos (dessa vez na medida certa) de canções consagradas na franquia, o que me emocionou pra cacete com um tiro fortíssimo e baixo de nostalgia.

Pra fechar a babação de ovo pra cima desse jogo, vou falar de um ponto no qual ele definitivamente superou seus antecessores, que são as bossfights. Aqui cada boss tem seus próprios temas e se encontram bem mais desafiadores e imprevisíveis do que nunca. Cada boss é muito carismático e apresenta uma mecânica maneira para ser derrotado, me diverti pacas jogando e rejogando os bosses desse game. Claro, nem de longe são a melhor coisa do jogo, mas é um ponto que eu acho válido comentar, visto que bossfight em DK nunca foi um ponto de destaque, mas aqui achei cada boss genuinamente bom.

Do jeito que eu falei desse jogo, realmente pareceu que ele não ia ter nenhum ponto negativo, mas infelizmente não é o caso. Esse não é um jogo perfeito em tudo, embora eu decidi dar a nota máxima para ele pois acho que ele mereça mesmo assim.

A começar pelas telas bônus, que ao invés de termos bônus temáticos de acordo com a fase como nos DK's anteriores, aqui temos uma quantidade predefinida de "modelos de bônus" que vão sendo distribuidas em cada nível, então sim, tem muito bônus repetido, e todos envolvem coletar bananas, fiquei triste com essa decisão, que inicialmente apareceu no Returns e foi mantida aqui. Pelo menos a quantidade de coletáveis está muito maior e mais desafiadora de ser encontrada, então isso meio que dá uma balanceada.

Outra coisa que foi mantida aqui que não curto é o fato de te prenderem a jogar com o DK (Se estiver jogando a versão de switch, é possível também jogar de Funky), não sendo possível trocar de macaco, deixando os outros macacos quase como se fossem um powerup mesmo. O único jeito de experimentar os outros macacos singularmente é no modo multiplayer, mas mesmo assim o primeiro player terá que obrigatoriamente jogar de DK. Nesse jogo temos a maior quantidade de macacos da série country toda, achei uma sacanagem não poder jogar com eles singularmente em 1P mode.

A volta das fases da água aqui foi algo extraordinário, visto que no Returns elas não estavam presentes, mas algo que me incomodou foi o tal do medidor de ar, já que Donkey Kong nunca teve ou precisou disso em nenhum momento. Pode até ter deixado os níveis mais desafiadores, mas só achei meio desnecessário, pois eles já funcionavam muito bem sem ele.

Agradeço por ter lido até aqui, pois tenho a plena noção de que passei do ponto escrevendo sobre esse jogo, mas vamos relevar, meio que sou um fanboy dessa série. A mensagem que fica é: Joguem Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze, esse é um dos melhores jogos de plataforma já concebidos.
Eu ainda prefiro os jogos clássicos, mas como eu disse, esse game superou eles sim algumas coisas. Pode ser só a nostalgia falando mais alto também, já que são meus jogos favoritos. Mas enfim, Mais um jogo Donkey Kong sendo um título que pra mim já é um clássico atemporal.