Trust me, this monkey does not fuck around...
Even with King K. Rool apparently gone for good, in DKCR, the impetus for Donkey and Diddy's quest once again center's around the fact all of their bananas have been stolen and they want them back. The bad guys in this case are levitating "tiki creatures" that play music to hypnotize all the animals on the island in order to help them steal the Kong's bananas so that they can...well...that's never fully explained, I guess they just love the shit out of bananas. Either way, the plot of a Donkey Kong game isn't really what's important, these games have always been all about tight, fluid, near perfect platforming and Retro delivers that in spades.
Don't ask...
Because every level of DKCR has clearly been created with such attention to detail and such perfect pacing, it becomes very difficult to put the controller down. You keep wanting to see what crazy shit the game will throw at you next, be it the most intense mine cart level you have ever seen, or a beautiful sunset stage where Diddy and Donkey are backlit and appear only as silhouettes. That is, perhaps, Retro's greatest achievement here; they manage to make a throwback game that at once feels strikingly familiar and yet refreshingly new and imaginative.
Died several times on this stage due to distraction from everything lookin' so frakkin' cool...
I feel like game developers are finally realizing that big, complicated and flashy does not automatically equal a great game. DKCR is sublimely simple (2 hearts, set amount of lives and limited set of moves) and yet is intensely engaging and fun, if not, as I mentioned earlier, intensely difficult. You will die. A lot (especially in the later levels). But, you will have a great time, regardless. That, for me, is the true test of the fun factor of any video game; if I am having a hell of a time getting through a game, dying over and over again, but still enjoying it immensely, I know I have found something special. DKCR is just that: something truly special. If you have a Wii and you are up for a bit of a challenge, this is an absolute must-have for your collection. The only complaint I could lodge against it is some slight annoyance at the obligatory "wiimote shake" mechanic for a couple of the moves that could have instead been mapped on the controller (or instead allowed the use of the classic controller), but this is suck a minor quirk that I cannot but hugely recommend this title.
Graphics: 10/10
Gameplay: 9/10
Replayability: 9/10
The whole Shebang: 9/10
M's Playability Rating (yes, she joined me in some killer co-op for this one): 5/5
I am the first to admit I am not a great video game player. I usually button mash, die a lot or can never figure out where the camera should be looking... But this 2D side-scroller is just up my alley. With its beautiful level designs, fantastically simplistic 80s soundtrack and increasing difficulty, I didn't mind that by the end of the game I had probably gone through 1,000 balloons [actual number may be larger ;)]. The familiar plot gave my inner child a nice warm fuzzy feeling and the fact that my little brother gave this to me for Christmas just proves the generation that grew up with Donkey Kong will love this newest addition. In a world where many 80s games are being given the 3D treatment, it's nice to see that not all characters feel the need for an extra dimension [especially the shadow levels... those would not look as cool in 3D].
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