Donkey Kong Country Returns

DONKEY KONG COUNTRY RETURNS

Donkey Kong Country Returns is the first game in a revitalization of the Donkey Kong brand by Retro Studios. I would say that overhaul is a bit of an understatement for this series, as almost every element of the series has been more or less thrown out the window for this game except for Donkey, Diddy, and Cranky. Even King K. Rool and the Kremlings have entirely vanished from the map, not a small part in the "lack of relevance" many fans feared would contribute to K. Rool's exclusion from Super Smash Bros. Those fears proved incorrect, as you may know, and this series simply stands as a creative new take on the franchise.

This game features Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong adventuring once again to save their island, this time from an evil tribe of Tikis who possess the various animals living there. Both can perform much of the basics of Donkey Kong, run, jump, roll, barrel cannons, climb, swing, swim, fly around in a rocket barrrel, and all that jazz. A ground pound has been added to their moveset, a move which had been entirely absent from the series except for Smash Bros. Donkey Kong can now perform a giant punch (another absent except for Smash), and Diddy can use his rocketbarrel pack to fly around. During a quick-time event at the end of each boss fight, Donkey and Diddy can unleash a multi-punch strike on the Tiki controlling the boss, which I'm fairly certain was the inspiration for Donkey's current final smash.

Cranky is the only returning support Kong, running a shop for you to buy things, while a Tutorial Pig gives you instructions on how to play the game here and there. Rambi returns as your only Animal Buddy, charging as he always does.

Tiki Tong acts as the leader of the Tikis, a large floating head with two hands. As the leader of the tikis as a whole, he could also function as a catch-all model for all tikis, but we'll cross that road when we come to it. As a boss, he is shown to be able to spew lava from his mouth and control the other tikis, and use his hands to swipe left and right, slam them down, and clap them together. A squad of generals named Kalimba, the Maraca Gang, Gong-Oh, Banjo Bottom, Wacky Pipes, Xylobone, and Cordian (all shaped like instruments), all show the ability to hypnotize various creature.

Other tikis include the basic Tiki Goon, who move back and forth; Tiki Doom, a big version; the flying Tiki Buzz, and its giant form Tiki Tork; a flaming version of both, called the Tiki Torch and Flaming Tiki Buzz respectively; a blue version of the Tiki Torch, called a Tiki Bomber; Tiki Boing, a bouncing Tiki; Tiki Tank, a tough version of the Tiki; Tiki Zings, Big Zings, and Fireballs, who spin razor blades; Tiki Pops, who explode; and Tiki Seekers who emerge from wormholes and spit blades at you.

We have a number of new enemies, with basically no returning enemies to speak of. These include: Frogoon and Hopgoon, frogs who bounce; Chomp, basically a Piranha Plant; Snaggles, a shark that leaps from the water; Squeeklies and Buzzbites, types of bats; Awk, basically the goomba; Rawk, an Awk that will charge; Mimics, who pretend to be bushes; Snaps and Pinchlies, types of crabs; Squidlies and Electrasquids, basically bullet bills but squids; Jellybobs, electric jellyfish that leap from the water; Stilts, chickens wearing stilts; Humzees, hummingbirds that dart toward you; Toothberries and Acks, little biting tribble-like things, some trapped in cages and others stacked up; Mole Miners and Guards, who use pickaxes in the mines, using balloons to keep themselves, throwing bombs, and riding minecarts (hmm . . . close, but I think not quite); various types of chomps that spit spores and eat vines; Cobras that cling to grassy areas; Skittlers, spiders that dangle from webs and walk on the ground; Wiggler Vines that fly; Skellirex and Skullirex, dinosaur skeleton things, with Firehead Jed and Bonehead Jed being variants that ride in minecarts and sometimes spit fireballs; Pogobots, Pyrobots, Buckbots, and Bombots, all robots who perform various functions like bouncing around, blowing fire, and laying exploding eggs; Char-Chars, which are basically Lava Bubbles; and Kowalee, who is basically a Lakitu, hovering over you and dropping bombs on your head.

The handful of bosses you face in the game include: Mugly, a . . . thing who charges around at you; the Scurvy Crew, a gang of crabs who burrow around and pop up from underneath and stack on top of each other; Stu, a giant chicken inside of a soup cauldron? who will fly around and throw bombs and missiles at you; Mole Miner Max, a mole who drives a train, burrows, and throws his pickax (still trying to edge in, but still not quite I think); Mangoruby, a . . . nother thing who crawls around and shoots electricity at you; Thugly, a bigger version of Mugly who can belly flop and breathe fire; and Colonel Pluck and Stompybot 3000, a chicken driving a mech suit that can stomp, hover in the air, and drop eggs and bombs from itself. Also of note are a few minibosses like Squiddicus, a giant octopus that terrorizes a level with its tentacles; Big Squeekly, a giant bat that chases you and uses sonic bursts; and Munchers, a swarm of spider-things that basically eat an entire level behind you.

Much as with previous games, each world has its own theme but the stages within can vary greatly, though not to the same extent as previous games (most stages at least follow the theme slightly). World 1 is a jungle of course, World 2 is a beach, World 3 is ruins, World 4 is a cave, World 5 is a forest, World 6 is a cliff, World 7 is a factory, and World 8 is a volcano. This game introduced the idea of a foreground and background to each stage, a concept which was featured in the Smash for Wii U stage Jungle Hijinxs (named after the first level of the game). At the end of the game, Donkey and Diddy take the golden banana taken back from Tiki Tong to a golden temple, where upon eating from the banana, apparently go on a drug-fueled hallucination trip through a level made up entirely of different kinds of food, so that's neat.

Bananas and barrels all return, though this time they are also tasked with collecting puzzle pieces and panels that spell out the word Kong.

All right, let's see what we've got so far:

Characters:
Donkey Kong: run, jump, roll, swing, launch from barrels, bounce on tires, swim, ride minecarts, throw barrels, kick, punch, invincibility, pull levers, coconut gun, bongos, orange grenades, slam, ground pound, giant punch, rocket barrel, multiple punches
Diddy Kong: run, jump, roll, swing, launch from barrels, bounce on tires, swim, ride minecarts, throw barrels, throw Dixie, dynamite, spin with tail, bounce on tail, rocketbarrel pack, charge headfirst, peanut popgun, guitar, orange grenade, slam, rocket barrel, multiple punches
Dixie Kong: run, jump, roll, swing, launch from barrels, bounce on tires, swim, ride minecarts, throw barrels, throw Diddy, dynamite, flick with hair, fly with ponytail, hang from hook, rocket barrel, boat, plane, throw rocks
Kiddy Kong: run, jump, roll, swing, launch from barrels, bounce on tires, swim, ride minecarts, throw barrels, hang from hook, rocket barrel, boat, plane, throw rocks
Tiny Kong: run, jump, roll, swim, throw barrels, climb, swing, flick with ponytails, teleport, fly, shrink, feather arrows, saxophone, slam, orange grenades
Lanky Kong: run, jump, roll, swim, throw barrels, climb, swing, stretch arms, multi-slap, jump rope, inflate, walk on hands, grape shooter, trombone, slam, orange grenades
Chunky Kong: run, jump, roll, swim, throw barrels, climb, swing, pick up giant rocks, punch, turn invisible, grow giant, roundhouse punch, slam, orange grenades
Cranky Kong: walking stick, dynamite, hints, museum, throw rocks, potions, shop
Candy Kong: save, musical instruments, flirt
Funky Kong: airplane, boat, weapons, boot-bazooka
Wrinkly Kong: college, hints, save, workout, ghost
Swanky Kong: quiz show, extra balloons, target mini-game
King K. Rool: throw crown, charge, jump high, cannonballs, blunderbuss, suck, various items, propeller jetpack, fireballs, electricity, KAOS, Klaptrap, shockwave slap, giant punch, bounce off ropes, Blast-o-Matic
Kremlings/Kritter: walk forward (Klomp/Kobble), jump (Kaboing/Re-Koil), ride minecart (Krash/Klank), Krusha/Kruncha/Krumple (maybe his own, run, jump, bazooka, punch, roll, orange grenades, etc.), Klump/Kannon/Kuff n' Klout? (maybe his own, blunderbuss, jump, orange grenades), hide in barrel (Klobber/Knocka/Kracka/Kuchuka/ Klasp/Kaboom), climb ropes (Klinger), Kutlass, Krook, Kloak, Kackle, Klubba, Koin, Kopter, Bazuka, Kasplat, Kosha, Robokremlings, Ghosts, Shrooms, Bones
Tiki Tong/Various Tikis: spew lava, slap left and right, down, together, hypnotize, back and forth, fly, boing, light on fire, razor blades, tank, explode, wormhole, spit blades
Animal Buddies:
Rambi: charge forward, jump
Enguarde: swim, stab
Expresso: jump, run fast, glide
Winky: leap
Squawks: fly, flashlight, carry Kongs, peanuts
Rattly: bounce
Squitter: crawl, spit webs, walk on webs
Clapper: cool things
Glimmer: flashlight
Quawks: fly, carry Kongs
Ellie: charge, jump, pick up barrels, squirt water
Parry: mimic
<Tentative> Moles: balloons, pickaxes, burrow, train, bombs, minecarts? (sounds a whole lot of derivative. Maybe a color swap for Monty?)

Bosses:
Very Gnawty
Master Necky
Queen B
Really Gnawty
Dumb Drum
Master Necky Sr.
Krow
Kleever
Kudgel
King Zing
Kreepy Krow
Belcha
Arich
Squirt
Bleak
Barbos
KAOS
Army Dillo
Dogadon
Mad Jack
Puftoss
King Kut Out
Mugly
Scurvy Crew
Stu
Mole Miner Max
Mangoruby
Thugly
Stompybot 3000
Squiddicus
Big Squeekly

Stages:
Jungle Level
Forest/Trees Level
Mine/Cave Level
Underwater Level
Snow Level
Factory Level
Gangplank Galleon
Volcano Level
Theme Park Level
Ghostly Level
Bramble/Hive Level
K. Rool's Keep
Flying Krock
Cliff/Waterfall Level
KAOS Core
Jungle Japes
Angry Aztec
Frantic Factory
Gloomy Galleon
Fungi Forest
Crystal Caves
Creepy Castle
Hideout Helm
DK Isle
Jungle Hijinx
Beach Level
Golden Temple
Food-Themed Level

Items:
Barrels
Barrel Cannons
Bananas
Banana Coins
Tires
Banana Birds
Cogs
Presents
Boat
Plane
Oranges
Banana Fairy
Golden Banana
Puzzle Pieces
Letter Panels

Thanks for reading! Next time, we'll cover the game's sequel Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze!