He’s back and about time too…
Donkey Kong returns in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze on Nintendo Switch, this is essentially a port of the Wii U version with a new added Funky mode to make the game easier for those who find the game tricky.
The premise is simple, Kong Island is engulfed in a freeze thanks to some new enemies which Donkey Kong and family will take out. You can now have either Cranky, Funky, and Dixie as companions to aid you to free Kong Island of the new threat. The game plays much like past DKC games, but more like DKC Returns as it has hidden puzzle pieces to find along with the typical K-O-N-G letters that are scattered across each level and the inevitable boss fight at the end of each section of Kong Island.
You can gather coins and spend them on potions to help you out with health, damage taken and so on if you so need it and considering the amount of coins you can gather, it’s a good idea to stock up. The game has a good amount of levels and there’s more to do after you beat the final boss, but I won’t spoil that. Suffice to say, there’s plenty to keep you busy here. But the obvious question is how does the Switch version compare to the Wii U’s?
Well, for starters it runs at a higher resolution overall. The load times are shorter and the framerate is much more consistent throughout. The new Funky mode is also a welcome addition for those who might struggle with the game’s sometimes relentless difficulty. Visually, the game looks great overall and is more than worthy of being on the Switch. Any chance of a DKC Returns port next?
The Verdict
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze may not add that much that wasn’t in the Wii U version, but what it does add is improved performance across the board and the Funky mode makes the game more accessible for younger gamers, which is win-win in my book.