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 A Brief History of the Kongs Donkey Kong has always been a bit of an odd duck in Nintendo's stable. Despite debuting with Mario, he's always played second fiddle to the plumber in just about every way. He had a somewhat successful run of NES/Arcade games, but certainly nothing like what Mario would do after the runaway success of Super Mario Bros and its sequels. In fact, it wasn't really until 1994's Donkey Kong Country that the big ape really got a fair shake, and what a shake it was. The original DKC was no masterpiece, but thanks to a huge marketing push and being packed in with the console, it would go on to be the second best selling SNES title (behind only Mario himself, of course), and Rare would go on to develop two excellent sequels. After that, things got ugly. A few Game Boy ports and pseudo-remakes were all the big guy had to his name until DK64, which to this day remains THE example of how not to design a collect-a-thon. And once Rare was sold to Microsoft, things got dire. The GBA ports of the originals were passable but nothing to write home about, and on the console front, Jungle Beat and Donkey Konga weren't exactly lighting up the sales charts. After the disastrous Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast, the franchise was thankfully dropped for a few years. Enter Retro Studios - hot off the heels of the Metroid Prime Trilogy, Retro asked to take a stab at a new DK game, overhauling just about everything in the franchise. Gone are the Kremlings, all the animal buddies except Rambi, and all of the Kongs except DK, Diddy, and Cranky. The game is harder, faster, and focused more on level setpieces. And it was incredibly successful - within six months it had sold 5 million copies, and the 3DS port added another 1.5 million a couple years later. With the Wii U on the horizon, people were hoping for a Metroid Prime 4, but Retro had other ideas... The Game For everything Retro got right with DKCR, it's hard to argue that it wasn't an extremely safe game. While the levels themselves are different, the world themes are very similar, and over half (if not more) of the soundtrack was remixes of DKC1 tunes. However, now that Retro had proven they could handle the IP, Nintendo gave them a much longer leash and that brings us to this game. Tropical Freeze is in many ways the Banjo-Tooie to Returns' Banjo-Kazooie, and I mean that in a mostly good way. The fundamentals are the same, but there are bigger setpieces, longer levels, more partners, a soundtrack composed by David Wise himself, and a few features that probably should have been in the original Returns, most notably water levels. There are less worlds overall (6 compared to Returns' 8), but otherwise I think it compares favorably to DKCR in just about every way, and it even gives DKC2 a run for its money as my favorite game in the franchise. Videos Lost Mangroves - Part 1, Part 2 Autumn Heights - Part 1, Part 2 Bright Savannah - Part 1, Part 2 Sea Breeze Cove - Part 1, Part 2 Juicy Jungle - Part 1, Part 2 Donkey Kong Island - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 Secret Seclusion - Part 1 Artix fucked around with this message at 15:18 on Apr 26, 2016 |
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Dec 1, 2015 03:59
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  Released in 1994, Donkey Kong Country was Nintendo's silver bullet against the Genesis. It's gorgeous, certainly, but it was Rare's first crack at the big ape and...well, it shows. The physics are kind of slippery, the hitboxes are questionable on a good day, it can be hard to tell what's background decoration and what's an actual platform, and the level design clearly has a few kinks that still need to be worked out. However, unlike some of their later output, there is a good game buried in there somewhere. Every so often you get a level that has a really good gimmick and isn't just "Generic cave level #207", they're just few and far between. If it sounds like I don't like this game very much, well, I don't. I think it misses the mark far more than it hits, and ultimately is a pretty mediocre experience. However, I also think that in order to appreciate just how much DKC2 improved on it, you really do have to sit through it at least once. It's not a long game - a casual player can probably barrel through the whole thing in about 3 hours, and I'd highly suggest you play it yourself if you're interested in where the LP is going. But for everyone else, let's get this trainwreck rolling. Kongo Jungle Monkey Mines Vine Valley Gorilla Glacier Kremkroc Industries Chimp Caverns Gangplank Galleon -----  The year is 1995; DKC has come and gone, the N64 is just on the horizon, and Rare was hard at work crafting a sequel. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest is the game that DKC wanted to be. The platforming is tighter and more varied, the animal buddies have been diversified, bonuses now have actual rewards and come in a bunch of different minigame flavors...I could go on and on, but suffice to say that it is a clear improvement over the original in just about every imaginable way. Frankly, even with the few problems it does have (hitboxes still being hosed, having to pay to save your game), I would still consider it the best game in the series, and among my favorite games ever made. It's almost impossible to describe just how well the game flows with words alone - you really need to see it in action, or better yet, play it yourself. In fact, more than any other game in this thread, I suggest you play this one yourself first. I promise, you won't be disappointed. This time around, Donkey Kong has been "kidnapped" by K. Rool (presumably to face justice for his crimes), so it's up to Gangplank Galleon Crocodile Cauldron Krem Quay - Lost World 1 Krazy Kremland - Lost World 2 Gloomy Gulch K. Rool's Keep The Flying Krock - Lost World 3 -----  1996 - The N64 is here at last, and Super Mario 64 has taken the world by storm. The 3D revolution is in full swing, which makes it the perfect time to...release a 2D sidescroller on a legacy system? Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble is a bit of an odd duck in the series, for a number of reasons. Even ignoring the somewhat questionable release timing, DKC3 still has to contend with a lot of legitimate design problems. After all, how do you follow up one of the best platformers ever made? Well, Rare's answer (as it tended to be later in their life) was more. More worlds (a full 8 instead of the 7.5-ish of DKC2), a full overworld, more collectables, more bonus types, and most importantly, more gimmicks. And that's the big sticking point a lot of people have with this game - unlike how DKC2 had very general platforming gimmicks (barrel cannons, wind, etc), DKC3 goes all in on level-specific gimmicks. This means that a level's quality is often directly tied to the quality of its gimmick and...well...suffice to say there are some really bad gimmicks in this game. And you know what? gently caress that noise. DKC3 has always been my personal favorite of the original trilogy. Maybe it's because I could actually beat it as a kid, unlike DKC2. Maybe it's a healthy dose of nostalgia, combined with the level gimmicks making them more memorable. It's not wrong to say that DKC2 is better in just about every objective measure, but I know which game I liked better as a kid, and I hope this playthrough means as much to you as it does to me. Lake Orangatanga Kremwood Forest Cotton-Top Cove Mekanos K3 Razor Ridge Pacifica Kaos Kore - Kaos Kastle Krematoa - Knautilus SNES/GBA Soundtrack Comparison -----  [Blurb and LP courtesy of ChaosArgate] Pop quiz: which developer had proven themselves to Nintendo that they were a very capable studio worthy of entrusting their beloved properties to and got the go ahead to make a Donkey Kong game? Here's a hint, their name starts with an "R." If you answered "Rare," then you're right, but that's not the answer I was looking for. Retro Studios took on the challenge of making a Donkey Kong game after their wildly successful Metroid revival and this game, Donkey Kong Country Returns is widely considered the start of a successful DKC revival as well. Featuring a return to 2D platforming across 8 very imaginatively named worlds, DKCR set itself apart from its predecessors by putting more focus on great set pieces in the levels that just was not possible on SNES. That said, it's also incredibly similar to DKC1, to the point where I'd consider it a modern re-imagining of DKC1. It's a perfectly competent and fun platformer, it's just not very ambitious. To really appreciate what makes Tropical Freeze even better, Artix, myself, and assorted guest commentators will take a look at this game on the side, to show off the bar that Retro set themselves. Jungle - Part 1, Part 2 Beach - Part 1, Part 2 Ruins - Part 1, Part 2 Mines - Part 1 Forest - Part 1, Part 2 Cliff - Part 1, Part 2 Factory - Part 1, Part 2 Volcano - Part 1, Part 2 Golden Temple - Part 1 -----  [Blurb and LP courtesy of FPzero] Thread, I would like to present yet another exhibit in this war trial. The following videos will provide the evidence needed to prove that the defendent, Donkey Kong, is the true war criminal of the Kong Islands. Donkey Kong Jungle Beat came out for the Gamecube in 2005 and used a very special controller as its primary method of controlling the game. Namely, it used the DK Bongos controller that Nintendo had made for their Donkey Konga rhythm game series.  You'd think using a rhythm game controller with just two buttons and a clap sensor to control a platformer with a decently high skill ceiling would go poorly and yet, I can't imagine playing the game without it. Once you get the hang of using the controller, you'll find yourself able to pull off all sorts of stylish tricks and combos to get the highest banana scores and do...whatever it is DK is looking to accomplish. The game never really makes it clear what the plot is and neither does the game's manual. Best we can figure, DK has set his eyes on becoming King of the Jungle and he'll beat up anything and everything in his path to accomplish that. Maybe even establish his banana hoard at the same time. Join myself, Artix, and some rotating guests for a fun ride as we watch DK establish his dominion over the kingdoms on land, in the sea, the air, and maybe even in space too. World 1 - Part 1 World 2 - Part 1, Part 2 World 3 - Part 1, Part 2 World 4 - Part 1, Part 2 ----- This is it. The final war crime. I'm being followed. They're after me. This is all the footage I have left.  [Blurb and LP courtesy of Tyty] Donkey Kong 64 is a nightmare. Released in 1999, developed by Rare for Nintendo, it was DK's first big foray into the 3D world. It's well known for being plagued with framerate issues, poor level design, and many many glitches... Well, that, and the DK Rap. It was no surprise when no-one else in the group wanted to actually record or play this game besides me, with a trumped up sense of nostalgia... And honestly, it still isn't that bad. It's more the tipping point of an entire genre of games that no longer really exists. The grand collectathons of the N64. There's bananas, coins, fairies, banana medals, golden bananas, crowns, blueprints... Just way too many things to collect in levels that are really too big. It's a mediocre game at best, and a bit frustrating at its worst. But it remains as probably the worst main-line DK game, and probably the worst of Rare's N64 titles. Join myself, FPzero, and poorlywritten as we drag you through the remnants of an LP that should have never been. I present to the court: DK and his friends cheating at boxing. Artix fucked around with this message at 15:14 on Apr 26, 2016 |
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Dec 1, 2015 04:00
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 Lost Mangroves - Part 1 Just me for first two videos, once we get all the tutorials out of the way I'm going to bring in guests.
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Dec 1, 2015 04:01
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It's been fixed! I knew I'd forget something. 
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Dec 1, 2015 04:08
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Lacedaemonius posted:Amazing start OP, though I'll admit I was a little sad when I found out this isn't the DK that George Wood was ranting about. Of course not. That's this game: Released in 1994, Donkey Kong Country was Nintendo's silver bullet against the Genesis. It's gorgeous, certainly, but it was Rare's first crack at the big ape and...well, it shows. The physics are kind of slippery, the hitboxes are questionable on a good day, it can be hard to tell what's background decoration and what's an actual platform, and the level design clearly has a few kinks that still need to be worked out. However, unlike some of their later output, there is a good game buried in there somewhere. Every so often you get a level that has a really good gimmick and isn't just "Generic cave level #207", they're just few and far between. If it sounds like I don't like this game very much, well, I don't. I think it misses the mark far more than it hits, and ultimately is a pretty mediocre experience. However, I also think that in order to appreciate just how much DKC2 improved on it, you really do have to sit through it at least once. It's not a long game - a casual player can probably barrel through the whole thing in about 3 hours, and I'd highly suggest you play it yourself if you're interested in where the LP is going. But for everyone else, let's get this trainwreck rolling. Kongo Jungle
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Dec 2, 2015 16:03
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It's a little bit of a lot of things, honestly. It's an eye-catching joke, it's a reference to a hilarious page we found on the DK Wiki, and it's partly a reaction to when a friend streamed Donkey Kong Jungle Beat. Trust me when I say that it'll all make sense eventually.
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Dec 2, 2015 21:56
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Y-Hat posted:Oh, and my view on Donkey Kong as a war criminal: he never strikes the first blow. All he wants to do is laze around and eat bananas all day. Is that too much to ask? If you gently caress around with the jungle, the jungle will gently caress around with you ten times worse. He isn't committing war crimes, he's carrying out the laws of nature. DKC2 literally starts with you hijacking K Rool's ship and crashing it into his island. Just saying.
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Dec 4, 2015 02:22
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Monkey Mines
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Dec 4, 2015 16:55
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Yo, I don't mind if we talk about stuff ahead of time (and hell, I agree with a lot of it, especially the stuff about Quawks), but if you're gonna start citing specific levels and talking about their gimmicks, keep it under tags.
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Dec 5, 2015 05:08
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Looper posted:Spider buddy is the best buddy, forever and always This man knows what's up.  Lost Mangroves - Part 2 So today we're tackling the World 1 boss. Aren't you guys excited? He's not nearly as awful as he could be, but I have a suspicion that's purely because he's only the first boss. World 3's boss is probably the only one in the entire game I would consider "good" so strap in, it only gets better from here!
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Dec 7, 2015 15:37
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Vine Valley
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Dec 9, 2015 21:13
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I'm pretty sure it started with a discussion on the ground pound and how that was the inspiration for his Down+B in Smash, which prompted someone to ask about his Up+B. To which I think the response was "gently caress man, I dunno. Smash just likes spinning poo poo."
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Dec 9, 2015 23:51
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He's heavy. DK can kill enemies like Klump and the armadillos by just jumping on them, where Diddy has to either roll into them or jump on them twice. In general though, yeah, there's really not much reason to play as DK if you can avoid it.
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Dec 10, 2015 04:30
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Gorilla Glacier This is the article we were talking about, by the way. Gaze upon its majesty. Artix fucked around with this message at 15:06 on Dec 11, 2015 |
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Dec 11, 2015 14:32
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Autumn Hills - Part 1 Today we're starting World 2 with ChaosArgate as DK brings his rampage through a quiet, idyllic mountain village.
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Dec 14, 2015 15:05
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Derek Barona posted:That's actually the K level down there. Some of them are in odd locations on the island map. One death at the very very end.  Y-Hat posted:I have a question of my own: why didn't you get the alternate exit in the second level? There's still a level dot that hasn't been lit. That's the K level, you can tell because it has that weird platform underneath. Artix fucked around with this message at 15:24 on Dec 15, 2015 |
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Dec 15, 2015 14:19
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Kremkroc Industries
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Dec 16, 2015 15:45
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Y-Hat posted:While I grant you Blackout Basement is some bullshit, you're pretty bad at this game, Artix. There's no reason to die that many times on the track level. Ah well, next game should go much smoother. While I will certainly own up to the fact that I am bad at this game, I feel like it does bear mentioning that I am playing it A) live, B) (mostly) blind, and C) without any savestates or editing. Seriously, that first one especially. If you've never tried it, I highly suggest getting some buddies and attempting to play a relatively high-skill game while also doing commentary over it, you'll be amazed at how much more poorly you tend to play!
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Dec 17, 2015 14:52
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Chimp Caverns
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Dec 18, 2015 16:02
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Autumn Heights - Part 2 Today we finish up World 2 and tackle one of the most infamous levels in the entire game. And I own the poo poo out of it.
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Dec 21, 2015 15:22
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Gangplank Galleon And that's it for DKC1! Returns will be starting later this week, and DKC2 will pick up on Wednesday.
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Dec 23, 2015 21:03
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I would probably be calling you a scrub if you did, I 130-odd%'d DKCR using nothing but the Wiimote and Nunchuck.
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Dec 26, 2015 02:43
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Bright Savannah - Part 1 Today I'm joined by PoorlyWrittenNovel as DK brings his favorite brand of carnage to the plains of Africa.
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Dec 28, 2015 16:55
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I can't find the specific tweet anymore, but Gregg Mayles has a bunch of DKC2 archives on his twitter. This one, for example, is a list of potential DKC2 names. I'm going to keep looking to see if I can find the list of Dixie names, but yeah, one of the finalists was apparently Dickylicky. 
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Dec 28, 2015 18:27
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There's a small part of me that wants to believe the conversation basically went: "Everyone loves Stickerbush Symphony, we gotta have it somewhere". So he just shoved it in as the intro to a stage that you're probably not even going to be on long enough to recognize that it's SS. I just can't imagine why they wouldn't have used it in some other way if he actually wanted to use SS; I mean for god's sake, there's a level literally called Bramble Scramble in the next video and that combination literally writes itself.
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Dec 29, 2015 03:59
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The year is 1995; DKC has come and gone, the N64 is just on the horizon, and Rare was hard at work crafting a sequel. DKC2: Diddy's Kong Quest is the game that DKC wanted to be. The platforming is tighter and more varied, the animal buddies have been diversified, bonuses now have actual rewards and come in a bunch of different minigame flavors...I could go on and on, but suffice to say that it is a clear improvement over the original in just about every imaginable way. Frankly, even with the few problems it does have (hitboxes still being hosed, having to pay to save your game), I would still consider it the best game in the series, and among my favorite games ever made. It's almost impossible to describe just how well the game flows with words alone - you really need to see it in action, or better yet, play it yourself. In fact, more than any other game in this thread, I suggest you play this one yourself first. I promise, you won't be disappointed. This time around, Donkey Kong has been "kidnapped" by K. Rool (presumably to face justice for his crimes), so it's up to , Gangplank Galleon
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Dec 30, 2015 15:42
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Earnestly posted:So who is playing dk 64 for this thread? God willing, no one. Unless one of you apologists want to get your hands dirty.
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Jan 2, 2016 23:34
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PaletteSwappedNinja posted:Skip DK64, go straight to Jungle Beat. That's the plan. 
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Jan 4, 2016 05:42
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Bright Savannah - Part 2 Not a great finish for world 3, but the boss is actually pretty good (if still a bit too long), so maybe there's hope for Retro yet.
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Jan 4, 2016 15:57
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Crocodile Cauldron Today we meet a few new animal buddies, including the best one in the entire game. That's right: Clapper. Artix fucked around with this message at 04:34 on Apr 27, 2016 |
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Jan 6, 2016 15:45
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Major_JF posted:In 3-1 you were making fun of the extra lives and banana coins. Back about 3 years ago Maple Leaf did a co-op LP of returns with 3 other people 2 of which had never played a platformer before. And so when they got to world 5 or 6 there was a fair amount of off screen balloon buying. So...by playing a very hard platformer with people who have no experience in the genre, in a game that can but really shouldn't be played co-op, you can make the life purchases useful. That's...not exactly a ringing endorsement. (yes, obviously they give you the option just in case you aren't a great player, but frankly there doesn't seem like a good reason they couldn't have just removed lives altogether sooooo)
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Jan 8, 2016 19:17
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Sea Breeze Cove, Part 1 Today I'm joined by Blind Sally as DK makes his way to an aquatic paradise. Not even the seas are safe from his tyranny anymore. E: We are also, believe it or not, halfway done with the entire LP already. 
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Jan 11, 2016 21:15
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Krem Quay Bonus: Lost World 1
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Jan 13, 2016 19:03
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Not anymore! Enguarde has one game on him in the classics, but Rambi is in both Retro games.
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Jan 14, 2016 03:24
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Y-Hat posted:Are you gonna get all the stuff you missed in a different video? You sure missed a lot. Again, off-camera. I actually have absolutely everything (at least in Kremkoins, I didn't really worry about DK Coins) up through World 4 atm. Also with regards to Enguarde being redundant, I agree! I also think that you could have brought him back for like, one level and made it so that riding him gave you infinite oxygen and no one would have cared because gently caress yeah, Enguarde! 
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Jan 14, 2016 03:28
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Hedrigall posted:What is it about a static number next to your file that makes you go "I NEED TO MAKE THAT SAY 100, NO MATTER THE COST" whereas ACTUAL unlockable content (even just artwork) does nothing for you? Is this a general question or are you specifically asking about the LP? Because 100% does entail extra content. If I wasn't doing 100%, we wouldn't be doing all the K levels, see the Lost World in DKC2, or anything along those lines.
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Jan 18, 2016 01:00
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Sea Breeze Cove, Part 2
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Jan 18, 2016 15:11
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Blastinus posted:Also, when you just ran past that DK barrel and activated the Cranky barrel you had in reserve instead, I died a little inside. Good job. It happens automatically, I literally didn't have a chance to get the Cranky barrel on the ground.
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Jan 18, 2016 20:48
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Krazy Kremland Bonus - Lost World 2 Artix fucked around with this message at 17:41 on Jan 20, 2016 |
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Jan 20, 2016 15:42
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Yeah there were some weird audio issues with this one, I figured out that I was a bit ahead when I was doing the lost world part so I fixed it then. Too much trouble to go back and resync everyone around a tiny adjustment for the main video. On a related note however, I figured out what happened to the Lost World audio so that'll be back up soon.
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Jan 20, 2016 16:29
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