Donkey Kong Country Returns

The story is told through cute scenes, which tell the comical (and pointless) story of the robbery of the Donkey and Diddy banana preserve, and how their animal friends are hypnotized (basically a declaration of war in the domains of the monkey). The objective in each level is to run, jump, burst barrels and climb until you reach the goal, making you along the way with as many bananas as possible. Considering the (exquisitely high) difficulty, it is not a small feat, precisely.

Luckily, the adaptation of controls to 3DS is perfect. The shake gesture is removed from the WII controller and the Nunchuk, and replaced by controls more similar to the original layout on SNES. And it feels great, in addition to the great detail of being able to choose between controlling with the crosshead or with the joystick. As for his faithful companion Diddy, just like in the Super Nintendo, his role is relegated to going on Donkey's back and using a glorious jet pack in the single player mode, providing a boost with his backpack - cannon that allows our monkey to access new areas. The game also includes a local cooperative mode, where one player can play as Diddy and the other as Donkey , similar to the New Super Mario Bros series , and it is a lot of fun. However, whoever is looking for a full gaming experience and avoid losing many lives will probably opt for the single player mode.

One of the most prominent features of Donkey Kong Country Returns is that the more you play, the more creative the worlds and levels become. We go through beautiful sunsets that melt Donkey in a silhouette, forests full of dangers, a huge factory and even a volcano. Squeezing our platforming skills into each new world is a pleasure, and thanks to the simplicity of the controls and how easy it is to get hold of them, the real difficulty comes from creative level design.

And it's no joke, the game can be brutally difficult, especially if you are trying to get all the collectibles. The challenge is satisfying, and it takes us back to the golden days when developers weren't concerned with making us want to throw the controller at the wall. Of course, do not break your 3DS . Surely you will regret it later.

For those who don't remember the "old school" days of burning difficult levels too fondly (or even not born), the "New Mode" has been added. This enables aids like extra life and special items (like a balloon that saves us if we fall) that give newbies a chance to get in on the action. As if this were not enough, if we die many times, it will auto-trigger an automatic game function that makes Donkey Kong Country Returns play itself, literally, to help you overcome the area you had stuck in, and so you can follow. This is a very suitable addition for the enjoyment of the youngest or simply the least advanced players.

Although the experience is generally identical to that of the previous Donkey Kong Country Returns in WII, as expected, we perceive a drop in frames per second, going from 60 in the desktop console version to 30 in 3DS , what which translates into somewhat less fluidity, resulting in a slightly less satisfactory result. And while the looks are good and the levels are as memorable as ever, the graphics and colors don't have the sharpness of their WII counterpart, which is a shame. It is largely hard to tell, but it is certainly a plus for the original version. The three-dimensional effect is very successful and is squeezed especially in distance effects (sometimes the monkey is catapulted to a more distant area of the stage for a few minutes to get items), objects that fall near the screen and specific moments in the levels in which we are mounted on wagons, since the road coils and causes approaches and distances from our point of view that are certainly spectacular. Special mention to a moment when the waves advance towards the screen, in which the sensation is squeezed to the maximum. However, in games like New Super Mario Bros 2 or Zelda Ocarina Of Time , the stereoscopic effect gave a smoother, more polished impression.

To level the scales, the 3DS version boasts a complete extra world, with eight gorgeous new levels. In order not to give much information and cause spoilers, it is enough to say that they are as explosive as any of the previous ones in the adventure, and they are not there “filler”. Levels against the clock, local co-op, and a small number of secrets and collectibles lead to a retro-inspired adventure, a brilliant tribute to the adventures of the original Donkey Kong Country . The game has a comical look that sweetens every matchup and zone. The animations of monkeys (who, for example, scream when falling down a ramp) and enemies (bosses who get dizzy and stick out their tongues when falling, and rivals in flames who, when we turn them off, look to the sides scared and surprised, among others ) they sweeten our work by making us laugh out loud from time to time.

By Audrey Drake / Jose Antonio Rodríguez