Wow, I haven't sworn this much in a long time. I'd also never torn my hair out in frustration until now. Dang, those last few levels are hard.

That being said, this is still a great game. I don't love 2D platformers, but Tropical Freeze is definitely among the best in the genre, right up there with Super Mario World and Yoshi's Island. I initially intended to pump this game out in a day just so I could get a DK Country experience (I'd never played one before), but it ended up taking three days because it was a lot harder than I expected. During the first world, I wasn't overly impressed. I started liking it by the second world. Then by the fourth world I'd decided that I was actually really enjoying myself.

It's really impressive what they were able to pack into this game, to the point where you almost forget you're side-scrolling. The developers thought of so many creatives ways to use the space and graphics so that the game was dynamic and ever-changing. I really liked the mine-cart levels; didn't like the swimming levels as much.

A few complaints:

1. I never once felt the need to use Diddy Kong or Cranky Kong. They just seemed useless to me.

2. The collectibles seemed like a bit of a waste of time as well; I felt no motivation for finding all the KONG letters or the puzzle pieces, as I wasn't really rewarded when I did. I'm sure there's some sort of completionist bonus at the end, but there was no indication of benefit along the way.

3. Speaking of no indication, the game doesn't always tell you what you're able to do. I still don't know what pressing L or R did when that meter in the top left was full, other than making the dudes high-five each other. I also never noticed the air meter for the longest time.

4. There weren't a TON of different enemies; this was made up for by the vast array of obstacles, but from start to finish you're running into mostly the same enemies.

5. Finally, I probably just suck, but I thought the secret exits were a little TOO hidden. I mean, I never actually went back to look for them, as I was kind of rushing through the game, but I kind of expect to find at least one of them on a play-through of a game. I literally didn't find a single one. But again, I probably just suck.

Overall, a wonderful game with beautiful graphics and excellent level design. I may finally go back and play the original Donkey Kong Country, which is sitting untouched on my Super Nintendo Classic.

Much like the series before it, this game is a well above average 2D platformer that will surely set the standards for similar games to come. Brilliant, mechanically-rich level design, tons of collectibles and secrets, and one of the best soundtracks of the past 20 years to back it up for safe measure.

However, despite this rating being an easy 5/5, my personal experience with it was actually pretty varied. I finished the game normally and I liked it quite a bit but still preferred the original SNES trilogy for it’s endless charms. It was only after I came back to achieve 100% completion that I both fell in love with it and started to have major gripes with it all at once.

For starters: this game does not give a damn about your time. Some of these secret exits and KONG letters require you to get to the end of a level with a specific partner, and not all of the levels have barrels where you can even get a partner. This means there will be times where you’ll make it three quarters of the way through a huge level only to be hit, lose your partner, and then realize all those checkpoints and collectibles you got along the way don’t matter, since you have to “exit level” and equip your partner again for another shot (which if you don’t have the coins to pay for, could be way more tedious.)

Another easy issue to point out, for me at least, is the reuse of bonus rooms and the puzzle pieces you’re rewarded in general. This one genuinely confuses me because the bonus barrels in DKC2 & DKC3 were all unique challenges with simple but varied stipulations. Some would have you using a cannonball to eliminate enemies that you couldn’t stomp on, while others made use of the many different playable animal characters. Those original bonus barrels, on top of being more varied and interesting, also rewarded the player with an entire secret bonus world. This game’s puzzle pieces take all the reward out of finding the bonus rooms in my opinion, as they don’t even matter unless you find every other puzzle piece in the level as well. I totally get that it unlocks concept art and is entirely optional but then that makes finding the bonus rooms kinda pointless unless you’re aiming to nab absolutely everything the game offers. I might want to grab every puzzle piece in theory, but redoing levels over and over again looking for puzzle pieces, as well as farming for money to have squawks help you are both not very fun. Then to solidify the original bonus barrels as immensely superior, if you mess up in these new bonus rooms you cannot re-enter them. I was absolutely shocked to find this out, as I just fully completed DKC2 & DKC3 and in most cases you can re-enter bonus barrels and infinitely retry the challenge, making 100% completion pretty player-friendly. In this game, not only can you not fail the bonus rooms, but they may only be 1/9th of the puzzle pieces you’re expected to find to be rewarded with concept art. In DKC2 & DKC3 there are 1-3 bonus barrels per level, 2 a vast majority of the time; a perfect amount, in my opinion. Having it be 1/9th of the reward in certain levels drains the sense of interest in collecting these puzzle pieces even further.

You may be confused by my 5/5 rating after all that but be aware that I’m just the type that enjoys listing criticisms. If I listed my praises more thoroughly I’d be writing all day.

In short: this is an excellent game with an impressive foundation and an even more impressive amount of stuff built off of it. The amount of detail and things to find are almost to it’s detriment, however, if you agree with my stance on the puzzle pieces. Regardless of that though I do recommend playing for 100% completion (secret exits and KONG letters,) at least for the first 3 worlds to see if it’s your type of challenge. The relic levels you unlock by doing this will challenge you quite a bit and will probably be extremely satisfying to master, they were for me at least. This game, despite being strikingly different from the original trilogy, really adds a lot to the series as a whole and certainly adds it to the conversation of “best 2D platforming series of all time.”

Tropical Freeze builds upon its predecessor to create an incredibly solid, smooth, challenging, and accessible platformer.

Donkey Kong and his whole family (Dixie, Diddy, Cranky, and even Funky Kong) must venture across six (plus a secret) islands in order to save their home from being frozen by the villainous Snowmads.

Platforming controls are pretty straightforward. DK can jump, grab and throw objects, or roll. Rolling allows greater distance attained during jumps. DK can also swim underwater for a limited amount of time. While with Diddy and Dixie, the player can hover and with Cranky the player can downward strike and pass spiked pits unharmed. Funky can also be used as a playable mode with double jumping, hovering, resistance to spikes and unlimited water breathing.

Control is very smooth - DK is a bit slippery on surfaces and timing jumps can be very tricky but there's plenty of bananas for lives, extra lives, coins to buy powerups/lives/goodies, and other such things that make the challenge a little less frustrating for people looking to have a good time or if they're new to platformers.

Worlds are rich and varied in design - wild savannahs, frozen wilderness, autumn leaves, and other such places are rife with exciting segments and plenty of various challenges. Even vehicular segments (ESPECIALLY vehicular segments) are a blast to play and can be repeated frequently to practice for better rewards. The player can collect KONG letters in plain sight or look for secret puzzle pieces, the latter which truly make an enjoyably complex experience out of each level.

Tropical Freeze is gorgeous in its animation and has rich details both in the foreground and in the background. Music is cheery and ambient as well as making calls back to the older Donkey Kong Country games. The underwater theme is a particularly amazing remix. The game looks beautiful, plays great, and has a great range of challenge and accessibility that anyone can enjoy.

Donkey Kong is back in a 2D platformer for the Wii U (re-releasing on the switch 2018). Take on 6 islands of intense Donkey Kong action to reclaim your domain from the evil arctic menace.

Tropical Freeze is the latest installment in the Donkey Kong Country line up. Donkey Kong picks up more traditional controls as opposed to the Wii scheme in DK Country Returns. You can play on the big screen or on the gamepad. The game supports co-op play, but I was not able to experience this as my co-op partner would find the game too intimidating. Donkey Kong controls great on the Wii U. I prefer using the gamepad to the controls that were recommended on the Wii. Playing on the gamepad is a nice addition - but I am sure that people will enjoy playing on the good with the switch even more.

Platforming is challenging. Almost every level throws something new at you. The game is tough, but it never feels unfair. Luckily, the levels frequently include more than one checkpoint and extra lives are abundant as opposed to Super Mario Wii U were you only have 1 checkpoint per level. Each level also includes the letters K-O-N-G as well as puzzle pieces. Collecting these are an extra challenge.

Bosses can be especially tough. Many of the bosses took me several tries to take down. You will definitely need to learn their attack pattern to come out on top. Bosses will take several attacks to defeat and will often change attack patterns as your progress in the battle. Luckily, before each boss fight, you can pick up a partner to help you out. In addition, you can visit Funky Kong to buy power-ups when you get stuck. These range from damage immunity to extra lives.

In addition to traditional platforming and boss fights, there are also vehicle levels. These levels have you control mine carts, rocket barrels, and rhinos. These levels serve as a break from the traditional platforming challenge. Mixing things up can be a great thing in a platformer. In Super Mario World we had the toad challenges which lead to toad getting his own games and in Rayman Legends we had music-themed levels that were unforgettable. For Tropical Freeze this isn't the case. The vehicle levels are a big disappointment compared to the rest of the experience. Usually, you only end up pressing one button to change altitude and it gives off the vibe of a cheap mobile game. Overall, I would have rather they not include these segments in the game. The only other gripe I have is that each island does not do enough to differentiate itself from the others. Other than the ice island levels feel like they could be interchanged with any other island. Most people won't care too much - but there is a little room for improvement here.

Overall, Tropical Freeze is a challenging platformer that is fun and rewarding. It isn't going to hold your hand - some sequences are really tough even for veteran players. Yet, Tropical Freeze manages to challenge you without frustrating you. Music, level design, animation, and progression are all top notch. I probably won't look back at it as fondly as some but it is definitely worth a play through.