Donkey Kong Country Returns Top Five Wants
I remember when the first Donkey Kong Country was about to be released back in 1994. I received that nice promotional video in the mail that many people remember and instantly wanted the game more than anything else. Now almost 15 years later I’m just as excited for the next installment in the Donkey Kong Country series.
Having been a Donkey Kong Country fan for so long got me thinking about what I’d want to see in this comeback game for Donkey Kong. So here are my top five wants for Donkey Kong Country Returns.
5. Over 100% Of The Game
In Donkey Kong Country trilogy, on the SNES, it was always possible to get over 100% on the save file screen. Each game brought that amount up a percentage point. So in the original DKC you could get 101%, DKC2 102%, and DKC3 103%.
I don’t want this tradition to end in Donkey Kong Country Returns. It would be great to be able to get 104%, in a nod to adding one more percent like the classic games, but I’ll take anything over 100%. If the game doesn’t have this feature then it will be turning its back on a great Donkey Kong Country tradition.
4. Online Co-Op
Nintendo avoided online Co-Op play in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, but it’s something that I don’t think needs to be avoided. Donkey Kong Country Returns features Co-Op that is greatly enhanced over the original Donkey Kong Country trilogy.
In the original Donkey Kong Country trilogy each player would take control of one member of the Kong family. The problem here was that only one player could play at a time and the player waiting to play could only play if the currently active Kong died or agreed to swap. Donkey Kong Country returns fixes this issue by allowing both players to play simultaneously just like in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. I’d just love to play this game over Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection with my friends.
3. Animal Friends
I’d love to see animal friends return. They were a very fun feature of the past Donkey Kong Country games and many of them have stuck in my mind. Most notably Rambi the Rhino. It’s a shame Enguarde the Swordfish probably won’t make an appearance in Donkey Kong Country Returns since he has made an appearance in all the other DKC games. Maybe he can be a cameo at the very least.
Let’s not forget about the other fun Animal Friends as well. Animals such as Expresso the Ostrich, Winky the Frog, Squawks and Quawks the Parrots, Ellie the Elephant, Rattly the Rattlesnake, Clapper the Seal, Squitter the Spider, Glimmer the Anglerfish, and Parry the Parallel Bird. Would this be a true Donkey Kong Country game without any animal friends? I don’t think so. I’d just like to see a mix of old and new Animal Friends return.
2. Other Playable Kongs
So far we know that Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong will be playable in Donkey Kong Country Returns. This is the same duo that took on the Kremlings original Donkey Kong Country. So what about those other Kongs?
My hope is that players will eventually be able to unlock more Kongs to play as and that they will be able to choose which pair they want to take to each stage. It’s either this way or that each new area requires the player to use a different set of Kongs. I like the first idea more.
I don’t want the other Kongs, Dixie Kong and Kiddy Kong, to be forgotten. They are important characters in the Donkey Kong Country games and deserve to come back. I’m not a big fan of Donkey Kong 64, so while I’d like to see Chunky Kong, Lanky Kong and Tiny Kong in the game I don’t think I’d care to see them playable. Hopefully Donkey Kong Country Returns brings us multiple playable Kongs!
1. Cranky Kong
How can you have a Donkey Kong Country game without the original Donkey Kong, AKA Cranky Kong. Cranky Kong’s antics have always been a great source of comic relief in the Donkey Kong Country series and I can’t wait to see his return. Cranky Kong, for those who don’t know, would often comment on how games (in the mid 1990’s) were too advanced, complex, and high tech.
I wonder what Cranky Kong has to say these days. Will he hate the Wii and DS as much as he hated the Super Nintendo? Or will he join the many other senior citizens who love the Wii? Nintendo and Retro Studios could take it either way with this character and it will be fun to see what he has to say about gaming in this modern age.
Honorable Mentions:
Awesome Music
Kremlings and King K. Rool (So much for that idea)
Funky Kong
Candy Kong
A DS Spin-off Game Called Donkey Kong Land Returns
A Yellow Wii Game Case
