DK's 35th Anniversary

[Rangaman]

On the 9th of July, it will have been 35 years since Donkey Kong was released.

I'm not surprised that this has gone largely unnoticed, given that everything from Zelda to Sonic to Halo to Minecraft has it's anniversary this year, but I personally am celebrating this franchise.

I would definitely like to see more DKCR games and (maybe) a spiritual successor to Donkey Kong 64 (just don't drown us in collectables this time).

Is anyone else celebrating DK's 35th anniversary? And what games would you like to see in the future?

 

[Neverhoodian]

Give it time, you'll probably see articles about it as we get closer to the date. After all, Donkey Kong was the starting point for two iconic characters, one of which would go on to be the most recognizable video game mascot on the planet.

Not gonna lie, I'm fairly ambivalent towards most DK games. That said, I ADORED the Donkey Kong Country series on SNES as a kid, and I still think they're some of the best platformers ever made. I'd go into more detail, but Lee over at Arcadia summed it up nicely:

I've actually never gotten around to playing Donkey Kong Country Returns or its sequel. Do they match up to the SNES titles, or do they at least make an admirable attempt?

I would definitely like to see more DKCR games and (maybe) a spiritual successor to Donkey Kong 64 (just don't drown us in collectables this time).

Yeah, DK64 definitely went overboard with the collectibles to the point that it was too daunting for me to finish. Not only that, but the game felt more like a total conversion for a Banjo-Kazooie game, what with its uncannily similar music and other assets (including <a href=http://banjokazooie.wikia.com/wiki/Fungus_Forest>an entire level).

 

[Rangaman]

Personally, I like Donkey Kong (the Game Boy version), Donkey Kong Country (even though I thought the platforming was a bit wonky), Donkey Kong Country 2, Donkey Kong 64 and Donkey Kong Country Returns. The original arcade games are...ok. I never actually got around to playing Donkey Kong Country 3 or Tropical Freeze, though I hear both are good.

I've actually never gotten around to playing Donkey Kong Country Returns or its sequel. Do they match up to the SNES titles, or do they at least make an admirable attempt?

Sort of. The clunky hitboxes and collision detection are gone, and the camera has been zoomed out a bit. On the other hand, much like New Super Mario Bros. the DKCR games aren't as charming as the originals. There's still more character than, well, New Super Mario Bros., but it does feel a bit bland compared to the originals. Tropical Freeze is supposed to b much better though.

 

[Maximum Bert]

I think Donkey Kong has largely lost a lot presence. As a character he is still very recognisable but as for his games well I feel he has been put on the side.

Played the original DK recently actually. Gotta say though I never liked it when I first played it round about 85 and that has not changed but its certainly not bad.

I got Donkey King Country on the SNES which at the time had amazing graphics and still to this day there has not been a game I have despised more than that game even seeing it mentioned brings back a swell of anger and hate fuelled memories. I just did not like the platforming and level design at all in that game and its pretty much scarred me from trying a DK game again.

I hear Tropical Freeze is excellent but I am not going to even try im sure its great if you liked the DK Country titles though.

As a character however I like him he may just be a primate in a tie but hes got style. Just dont expect me to ever touch any of his platforming games ever again. As for the future hmmm I really have no idea I think he will be relegated to guest appearances most of the time.

 

[ultrabiome]

I always liked the original DKC games, but the first was pretty hard with some really hard to find secrets, and it was frankly amazing when it came out graphically speaking.

DKCR and DKCR:TP, from a platforming perspective, are better games, but still just as hard platformers, more fluid and frankly better than NSMB. I only started to hate them after beating the final boss and then collecting all of the stuff

Spoiler

in each world opening a super hard level, which once beaten in DKCR:TP, opens up a whole world of super hard levels which I couldn't get past the first or second

so I can say they are pretty fun affairs, with colorful diverse levels, and each companion kong (in DKCR:TP it was only Diddy) control different. The enemies and DK and crew are very lively, the music is great (and nostalgic), and I recommend them highly if you like platformers. Easy enough to beat the first time, but lots of challege in the secrets and time trials and secret levels for more challenge.

 

[Brandon Lowdermilk]

yeah i like how in donkey kong country, you go in his donkey kong house and there is 1 balloon in there, and you keep going back in that house and there is another balloon there, and if you keep getting these balloons, you get infinite lives, so that was cool

 

[Chester Rabbit]

*sigh* Yeah DK has pretty much become Nintendo's whipping boy underdog platformer franchise since the SNES trilogy ended and even then Nintendo had a begrudged relationship with the character due to Rare, a western company revitalizing the character. Then Rare left and they pretty much went a good while totally shafting the character with kinda really shit experimental games and robbing him of a proper platforming sequel.
And then the new games happened and...they didn't do much when it came to marketing the game. But that is just standard modern Nintendo. They don't know how to properly advertise/market jack shit.

No surprise DK has gone uncelebrated really

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I played the original DK sparsely, my heart goes out to the Country games on the SNES - the second in particular.