Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Don't Be Cranky, Be Funky)

Is bopopolis level 2 - K ? If so that was a right pain in the neck & even harder than level 3-k, also I totally agree with Balla on 3-1.

Yep, 2-K.  Good to hear about 3-K - I'll be happy if Bopopolis is the hardest level in the game, to be honest. I've never hated owls so much. It was good practice for Skowl, though.

I bet 4K is good.

Right, found something I really don't like about this game.  Ironically it's the big new thing: the swimming.  After Rayman Legends, there is no excuse for 2D platformers to have shoddy underwater controls, and while Donkey's are satisfactory when he's just paddling around in relative innocuous waters, levels like Amiss Abyss and Irate Eight have shown that it's not satisfactory for precision jellyfish dodging, and definitely not for a chase sequence.  Bear in mind that this comes from someone who thinks the barrel rockets are just fine.  

It's a small issue, though, which I suspect will become less of one after world 4 is up.  I just hope 4-K isn't flooded...

Yep agreed, I really didn't enjoy the water world.

I say that, and then the (underwater) boss fight at the end of world 4 was just fine. Reminded me of Henry Hatsworth's Captain battle, only less frustrating. So they can get the underwater balance right when they want to, but then why didn't they in those two levels?  

I've just beat Lv. 4-4 in the water world, and don't have any qualms with the swimming controls whatsoever. Those in Rayman Legends were arguably better, but then Rayman Legends did most things better than pretty much every other game ever.

On that topic, how does everybody feel Tropical Freeze sits against other platformers on Wii U? At first I couldn't understand how Retro spent three years on this, but as I get more into it I am starting to appreciate the improvements that have evidently been made since DKC Returns. I'm not too far into it but it appears more well-rounded than Sonic Lost World and just plain more exciting than NSMBU/Luigi U. That said, while I wouldn't argue that it isn't better than the likes of the aforementioned games, DuckTales Remastered, Cloudberry Kingdom and Toki Tori 2 on eShop, Rayman Legends and Super Mario 3D World are just too far ahead of the curve for DKCTP to compete. Am I right?

I didn't want to be the first to reply to Cappa's question, as I'm monopolising this thread as it is; but I need to come back to the thread to say that I BEAT PLATFORM PROBLEMS (5-K), which is possibly even harder than Bopopolis despite its less good name, so I guess it's on me. (At least World 5 had the decency to provide the easiest boss in the game afterwards. I think I took one hit on my first and only run? Good music though.)

Not that I really can, mind you. I haven't played any of those eShop platformers (my eShop purchases remain Unepic and Trine 2 - not a healthy selection), or SLW; and I'm not representative of the majority in my views on SM3DW either. It definitely knocks NSMBU into a cocked hat, and I'm not sure that it doesn't give RLegends a good run for its money either, despite the lack of music levels and good swimming controls. It has more likeable characters (personal opinion), better art design (again, personal opinion), better soundtrack (etc. etc.), and you don't need to play either Origins levels or time trials to unlock the final world.

I will remind you: massive Nintendo fanboy here. But as things stand, my order of platformers on the Wii U goes: NSMBU < SM3DW < RL < DKCTF. I'll need to finish the latter to be sure, as it still could cock things up in World 6, and ideally give it some time to be forgotten if it proves to be forgettable.

I'm loving the game so far, although I've only reached the boss of world 2. Let's just say the second phase of the battle has caused many a swear word. Not as much as the mine cart levels from DCKR, but still...
It's a smashing game though, and it looks great, even in SD. I would agree with Balladeer that it's much better than NSMBU, although for me SM3DW has the edge.

Having finished DKCTF (what a disappointing final boss! Wooden Andross was much better), I'm no longer sure in which order I'd put those last three. They're all good, bordering on great, in my eyes!

Just finished this & I had loads of fun with it, though for me it didn't top Rayman legends but it does come close at times especially with the kong temple levels.

You know, I think it would for me? Nicer aesthetics, better soundtrack, and more game in general > faster pace, better swimming, and music levels... just.

Erm...are you saying it is or isn't better than legends?

He's saying it's better than Legends.

RUM, AWAY

Top marks, that owl.

Ahh what confused me was you saying it has better swimming when you had said differently before, I really didn't enjoy world 4 mainly because of the iffy controls especially when you don't have a spare kong & also not bringing back this chap was criminal.

Beat the story mode the other day but still got plenty to collect although reckon I'll struggle with a bit of it, just can't figure out how to get on certain levels, overall great stuff as expected though, doesn't do anything new but it does a cracking job none the less, very pretty, great boss battles and some inch perfect platforming, I'm unsure as to which is better out of this and Rayman, both phenomenal platformers.

I'd agree with pretty much all of that summary. The Wii U is very well off for 2D (and 2D-ish) platformers!

The_Jaster wrote:

Ahh what confused me was you saying it has better swimming when you had said differently before, I really didn't enjoy world 4 mainly because of the iffy controls especially when you don't have a spare kong & also not bringing back this chap was criminal.

I did say Legends has better swimming before, didn't I? But yes, disappointingly little animal fun, bar (the rather dull) Rambi. That would have been a good way to do something new. Also: new visual filters, not just the shadow one. Anyway, they need to keep something back for DKCR3!

Chris Schilling wrote a couple of paragraphs as part of his games of 2014 mentions, and nails it. Particularly paragraph two. I've been considering a purchase now as I'm one of those people who gave it a sniffy reaction. https://shipwithoutarudder.wordpress.com/2014/12/04/games-of-2014-donkey-kong-country-tropical-freeze/

He's so correct. I can completely understand the initial sniffyness (I was initially sniffy too), but that doesn't stop it from being a very solid game.

He doesn't mention the music though.

Some day I will revisit TF - there are still plenty of KONG letters out there, as well as extra levels to unlock - but Legends is still the better game. To be fair, in my mind, it's like the stereotypical differences between cats and dogs: Legends comes bounding up to you, cute, cuddly and easy to love; TF hangs back a little and its love has to be earned with effort.

Another Wii U game back from the dead! I believe the appropriate word is 'KOGNUT'?

If you haven't played this, you owe yourself to do so for the soundtrack alone.  Otherwise it's a decent, hard, platformer.  The soundtrack elevates it to greatness.  2D platform games were not meant to have music this good.

EDIT: Found on Twitter:

Not sure if I'll bother picking this up again. I enjoyed it, but I don't think enough to double dip.

I, on the other hand, probably should double dip. I have unfinished business with the Wii U version - I like to make sure I get the KONG letters in every level, at least - so you never know.