This video is part of TGC's coverage of Donkey Kong Country games and spinoffs! Don't miss the rest of them: th-cam.com/play/PLYoabN6QznuIx7X1DnZyPICinmO9podH9.html
loved watching your review of the DKC series. I am moving onto your reviews of the newer DKC games now. one request. I would love to hear your thoughts on two famous Donkey Kong country hacks. Donkey kong kremlins revenge and Donkey kong country 2 the lost levels. Many say they are as good as the games they are based on. I'd be curious to see if you agree
The Geek Critique i REALLY like your vids. i love dk returns. What dk game should i play next? Btw it would be awesome if you could do a geek critique on Donkey Kong 94 for Game Boy
@@zebunker Lol you're not wrong, but I think it can be safely assumed that the fact of your own perception having to exist in order to enjoy a thing is pretty much always implied when someone makes a statement like this.
"Most other game heroes were out to save pricesses, conquer empires, save the world! But DK? Nope.. He was a man of the 90's. He just wanted his stuff back." LOL I love that :D
My favorite atmospheric moment in DKC1 was level 4-1 where the snowstorm starts setting in as you progress throughout the level. First the beautiful mountain in the background disappears. Then the trees. By the time you hit the checkpoint the blizzard is in full swing and ONE wrong move sends you plummeting to your doom. At the time, it really felt like you were diving into a blizzard with no certainty of survival. It transitioned really well into the (unfortunately) one-of-a-kind crystal cave level, and then back out into another mountain level but this time with the blizzard quickly subsiding. Taken as a whole the trio of these levels is amazing, but it's that first level that gets all the memories.
Here I am, once again, starting to watch all the Geek Critique videos about the Donkey Kong franchise. There's something about these videos that I just love, I love them so much that no joke I lost count of how many times I've watched them.
We're liking this not for the very sweet shoutout at the end, but because of the expertly-crafted K. Rool Kredits joke. That got a good chortle out of us. Seriously though, this is probably the best summary I've ever seen of why DKC is so magical. We've spent 15 years defending the damn game during the hostile GameCube years and the Tropical Freeze backlash, and you basically wrapped up the argument in 16 minutes. Fantastic. There's nothing we can argue about here. Also, you did it by throwing in an Enguarde "hologram" joke and a Brash Bear cameo. Bravo. The prospect of you doing a video for DKC2 IS definitely exciting, since all of those criticisms were more or less resolved with DKC2 and it's more Geek Critique goodness. Then again, I'm sure you could find a way to make a video about Donkey Kong Country Barrel Maze exciting. Let's see that first!
DK Vine Glad you enjoyed it so much! And y'know, if I do for DK what I did for Sonic, I'll end up talking about Barrel Maze before this series is over. xD Also: The hologram joke was conceptualized months ago. The kredits gag was something I thought up while recording game footage. But the Brash Bear cameo was literally the last thing I added, in a state of semi-delirious exhaustion, as I was doing my final watch-through before rendering.
bobrocks95 Mostly people who wanted Retro to make a fourth Metroid game instead. Reviewers were getting death threats for giving the game a perfect score.
DK Vine Wow, absolutely insane. They must not really enjoy games that much if all they want is for Retro to pump out Metroid sequels; as good as the trilogy was it's a waste of their talent to keep them on Metroid when it was probably their decision to do something else anyway.
bobrocks95 Well, the Metroid series hit a REAL critical low point with Other M. I think the Metroid fans were hoping for Retro to swoop in and bring the series back to prominence. When that didn't happen, yeah, some of them took it out on Donkey Kong.
@@somethingsomething9008 you’re not wrong, I still like the gameplay of the newer games, but something about the visual charm is off (except in the levels where you’re just a silhouette, those look perfect).
Not just the graphics, the music and overall atmosphere were 10/10. I will never forget seeing this for the first time. I am 33 now. Still like to go back to it sometimes.
I've been playing this game for 20+ years, and not once did I realize that the set piece found in the intro (3:13) is from the original Donkey Kong construction site. Wow.
I never had a snes growing up, but I started playing the trilogy recently and I fell in love with it. Even today, I can appreciate how the graphics look compared to everything else at the time. And the gameplay is so fluid it it encourages speed-runs on later playthroughs. But why nintendo removed the trilogy off the virtual console in the US I won't understand...
Finalblue1234 The DKC trilogy has been out on the Wii U Virtual Console, and the Donkey Kong Land trilogy on the 3DS VC, for a couple of months now... in Europe. No clue why they haven't come out in NA yet. On a somewhat-related note, NA's first three Wii games on Wii U were Mario Galaxy 2, Punch-Out, and Metroid Prime Trilogy. In Europe, they got DKC Retruns instead of Punch-Out.
Geek Critique Reggie's probably been trying to appease the Metroid fanboys ever since E3 2013 by depriving Donkey Kong fans of their games. He probably has "should have been Metroid" ringing in his head when he tries to sleep at night.
I'm so glad that you pointed out the sound design of this game. One of my favorite subtle aspects that creates the particular atmosphere of each of these games were the sounds.
Oh goodness, that's a tough one. I mean, they're all great in their own right; as in each create their own unique feeling that I love. Hmm... Donkey Kong Rescued and Mining Melancholy are close... but funny enough, I'm the same as you. Forest Interlude is my (current) favorite, while Krook's March used to be. And yeah, those are my favorite in the trilogy, not just DKC2.
My top 10 DKC songs: 10. Water World (DKC3) 9. Rockface Rumble (DKC3) 8. DK Island Swing (DKC1) 7. Stickerbush Symphony (DKC2) 6. In a Snow-Bound Land (DKC2) 5. Fear Factory (DKC1) 4. Life in the Mines (DKC1) 3. Hot-Head Bop (DKC2) 2. Forest Interlude (DKC2) 1. Mining Melancholy (DKC2)
"It would have been as well remembered as Myst" As I understand it, though, Myst is a cult classic held up as one of the best point-and-click adventure games. Also, I feel the need to point out that you mention the game starting up DK Island Swing while you have Funky's Flights playing in the background.
Key word: cult classic. I know it did sell well, but I feel that nowadays more people would recognize DKC than Myst. It is weird though that Funky's Fugue was playing during that statement.
Caleb Jaaniste Maybe it's the people I hang out with, then, because I only ever hear about DKC when I go searching for it, and hear Myst mentioned frequently in comparison. And I grew up with DKC, and only ever played Myst for the first time this year.
Kraigon42 I've only heard of Myst through a Guinness World Records book and through conversation maybe once. I don't hear people mention DKC much either, but I know a bunch of people who know or played it, as well as it being something that pops up more often on the internet. But it does depend on people's circumstances, yes. I look up DKC more, so that would be a reason why it seems to be mentioned more for me.
6:31 Funny you said that, you see in the SNES there was another game, called Plok, with such a great music that the man himself, Shigeru Miyamoto, he didn't believe that the music from Plok was coming from a regular SNES and that the composer must have installed a modified audio chip. Of course that wasn't the case, the music was just freaking awesome for a SNES game, and the composer, Tim Follin, was that good.
In a way, I can kinda see where he is coming from. Even for the time it wasn't a very complex game, and the level design was pretty simple. But what made it so good was that all the ingredients just fit so well together. The music, the rhythmic, straightforward feel of the game, the atmosphere, etc. It's like a really well made simple vanilla cupcake. It just tastes so good!
@@bubbythebear6891 I feel like DKC is an example of how most games were pretty crappy back in the day and so even though DKC didn't do much to move platforming into a new dimension, it was well polished controls and solid art that people were really aching for. DKC just feels good to play IMO. All I wanted back in the 90's was a game that wasn't janky.
From the Mariowiki. "The claim originates from the 2001 book "The Ultimate History of Video Games", which has author Steven Kent claiming that Shigeru Miyamoto made the comment to Rare co-founder and Donkey Kong Country director Tim Stampers during an interview; the book goes on to detail that Miyamoto was frustrated after the original graphical style of Yoshi's Island was rejected for "not having enough punch" and that he was pressured by marketing to feature graphics more similar to Donkey Kong Country."
@@VampyreBassist Not sure how Yoshi's Island would have looked in a DKC style. Maybe like Yoshi's Story? I'm glad Miyamoto didn't listen. I couldn't imagine Yoshi's Island looking like that!
This is definitely one of the best retrospective videos about this game I have watched. You did a really great job on summarizing why this game is such a classic and why it still holds up well to this day.
I clicked on this video by total curiosity, as I've seen it appear a bit in my suggested videos feed. About 10 seconds into the video, I was already immersed, and every sentence I listened to I was already waiting for the next. Outstanding narration ! The pacing is excellent, there isn't anything superfluous, and there is a constant flow of informations at just the right pace. Add in your way of talking, that puts emphasis where needed so that listening is an ease, and helps making the jokes land, makes for what i'd call quality content x) This video might be 4 years old, but I've watched newer ones and they're just as good. Instant sub !
TGC, I think I figured out one reason why your show is so good. You don't just review the video game, you review the "who, what, when, where, why, how" of the video game. My old mentor in writing would love your show if she was still around. She didn't play video games, but your videos are just so damn thorough and engaging, she would rave to me about you if she watched them. And she would explain how I needed to incorporate some of your technique into my work as well. If somebody asks me for writing tips, I'm gonna think of you, Geek Critique.
YEEEEEEEEES! Bout' damn time you did this review! I've never really gotten the backlash against the DKC series over the years. I guess being overrated might apply to the first game, but even then it wasn't that bad. It was a somewhat flawed and short, still but solid platformer that set the path for both a fantastic masterpiece and an underrated gem on the SNES.
DKC underrated? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA This is one of the most critically acclaimed games of all time, how is it underrated? I love the DKC games but they are not underrated. In fact I always thought it was a tiny overrated.
lacoot Patch said that DKC set the stage for both a fantastic masterpiece and an underrated gem. I'm sure the underrated gem was in reference to Donkey Kong Country 3, which got largely ignored in its day since all the focus was on the next generation, and even now is often considered a lesser game than the first two. DKC itself is certainly not underrated, but it has faced a surprising amount of derision in the years since its release.
One of my favorite games of all-time, it never dawned on me that so much of this game never actually happened in the jungle until you aptly pointed it out. Regardless of locale, the game is phenomenal.
I remember the TV commercial for this game. Nintendo finally clapped back at Sega's years of antagonistic advertising. The message was simple "We have a game that looks THIS good, without the need for $300 worth of useless dust collecting add-ons!"
@ 2:04 when you said the bit where "this isn't.... This is..Donkey Kong Country!" I let out an "YEAH, DONKEY KONG!" and here I am just watching this by myself.
It's funny when you said: "Instead of powerups or hitpoints Nintendo created distinct characters". Because that is just what I feel has happened with the DKC-returns games: The characters were downgraded to being nothing more than extra hitpoints and powerups. This is one of the many problems I had with the DKC-returns games.
I mean it’s kinda the appeal. The characters only being able to take a single hit made sense in context, because why wouldn’t they? They just ran headfirst into a giant crocodile, bird, or beaver monster thing. The characters have distinct personalities and different characters, and give distinct gameplay bonuses as well. It’s not like they’re just there for no reason, it’s just a different system than your typical platformer might have.
The thing about Miyamoto is even funnier when you retweeted that blurb about Miyamoto being shocked when during DK64's development he pulled out a realistic looking gun.
4:20 If it's mundane motivation you want, in BFD (another Rare game), the entire reason the panther king was after Conker was because Conker was the right size to prop up a table leg so the king wouldn't spill his milk.
Well, knowing the combined success of Nintendo and Rare, maybe that could have been a hint at Project Dream, later renamed into Banjo-Kazooie. You never know.
Ah, the nostalgia. I definitely remember it but forgot what some of the levels looked like. The graphics actually hold up pretty well nowadays in comparison to other titles released at the time. But yeah, I have not forgotten how hard those later mine cart levels were. Was really cool hearing the music again too.
I mean, don't exactly agree with your comment on Myst, but putting that aside this is a fantastic video. Keep up the good work - I'll need something new to watch when I finish catching up.
Sweet! It's always nice when you have a big backlog of evergreen content like this to go through, and you can build up a ton of it over the years. I do the same thing with DBD!
Man I cant believe it took me this long to find these videos. Donkey Kong Country was my all time favorite game. No other game can come close to the greatness of DKC. I have just sub and i cant wait to see what other videos you make.
TheS2Guy Yeah, that's why I tried to compare it to other games of the time: In today's context, it's not that impressive, but in 1994, it was on a whole other level. Even today though, I'm still impressed by the smooth animation quality, which is really helped by that 60fps, haha.
Geek Critique While this point has been argued amongst DK Vine staff, I think most of us would posit that even during the N64/PS1 era, the Donkey Kong Country trilogy's graphics were, from a purely eye-pleasing standpoint, still above most games on the market. It wasn't until we entered the PS2/Xbox/GameCube years that graphics finally caught up to what Rare was doing with ACM on the bloody Super Nintendo.
DK Vine That's a great point. I remember sometime in like early 1997, I was playing TONS of Super Mario 64. But then I'd hop back over to the DKC series, and be like, "...wait a minute. This looks so much better! Rare is amazing!"
Geek Critique DK Vine I never owned an SNES, but this certainly does look much more polished than any (3D) game on my PS1/N64. Although, I'd that most 2D games on the N64 and PS1 were able to outshine this.
As I hope to always state, 'Your videos are amazing!' In a way I could compare them to a good book or I guess audio book, you never want it to end! Although they seem to be few and far between that makes me appreciate them more, sucking up more of the detailed script, enjoying the thoughtful look at the games. DKC was a game I never really played, having been born a few years after its release but I thoroughly enjoyed DKC2 when I got the port for my GBA SP. During this video I realized a few things; that the HUD wasn't riddled with common things and that the levels had their own flair that no other game could compare to. This game definitely stands the tests of time and probably inspired may game developpers who are relevant nowadays. Until the next one! Cheers! :)
PokeSoxx Yeah, it has been quite the hiatus, but don't worry, they shouldn't be QUITE so few and far between from here on! I'd like to discuss the GBA ports at some point too, but we'll see where things go from here.
My parents and aunts came together to get me the DKC/Mario All Stars SNES bundle. I was playing these games before I could even read. It took me years to find the guts to git gud and finally beat K Rool. It was my first triumph in a game. The Gangplank Galleon theme still invokes a heroic spirit in me to this day. This game along with its sequels inspired me to be a true gamer. More than even Mario, Metroid, Mega Man, Sonic had yet done. I hold the DKC trilogy in the fondest place in my heart as far as games go. Next to Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask.
I watched it more times then I care to admit, if I remember correctly, it was Fulgore doing an ultimate combo on the the Raptor? They really got me excited about DKC and KI!
one of the first games i'd deliberately turn the game on just to listen to the music. Funky Kong's Ride especially. DKC's music...all 3 of them really...is insanely fantastic
Found this through DK Vine and I love it! Very well done and a great look at one of my favorite series ever. As others said - I'd love to see a similar video on DKC 2. You could do it justice! Subscribed. Can't wait to watch more of your work.
15:02 I take great umbrage with this line. Myst is a quality game that is far more than just the pretty picture collection it's often stereotyped as. It's a quality puzzle game with unparalleled atmosphere, and helped lay the ground work for an incredible universe of games. There's a reason the game gets ported 50 billion times per year. It holds up surprisingly well. Hell I'm not even nostalgic for it. I only first played it about two years ago.
This game was released the same day as I was born, and ever since I learned how to use a controller I've played this game. I still do, and I still love it.
I know this video is old, but I gotta say I love everything about 13:40 to 13:56. The insults, the credits joke, everything. I was just waiting to hear you didn't actually mean any of it lol
Heheh, thank you! And hey, no worries about it being old. I try to aim most of my videos to be kind of ageless. Even three years on, I don't think there's anything in this video that doesn't still apply.
Enjoyed the video, I never played this game growing up, asides from the Gameboy version, but have really enjoyed it since adding it to my Super Nintendo games collection. this game is an integral part of the library of power-titles the Super Nintendo had, it was titles like this that gave the system such a well-rounded library of games. Also nice to see someone using 720p60 for retro game videos, looks great!
Qjimbo Yep! My Brawl video actually also had a few little snippets of 60fps, since TH-cam introduced the feature while I was working on it. But this is the first video where I encoded all my footage for it, and I agree, it's fantastic. Really makes me wish I'd been encoding at 60 all along.
DKC may have been the most widely-known, the most ground-breaking, and the most formative of the three SNES DKC games, but I am still of the opinion that it pales in comparison to its sequels (including the Retro games). In 2 and 3, the visuals were upgraded and refined, the character move-sets expanded, the levels designed more interestingly and uniquely, the secrets made more worthwhile, the animal buddies more common, the maps more developed, the entire games being longer...
K-leb - The Original Donkey Kong Country for the Super Nintendo will always hold a special place in my heart. That, Final Fantasy III (FFVI), Super Mario World, Super Metroid, Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers, Mega Man 7, Mega Man X, Contra III: The Alien Wars, Secret of Mana, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles In Time, The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past, and Super Mario Kart are all great experiences I have had with my SNES system.
12:25 Not sure if it's been mentioned but that 'Leap of Faith' in the second level is there because the enemy placement makes it likely you will die and see the barrel on your way off the screen.
DKC is one of the best games ever made. The graphics still hold up to this day just like Sonic does. When I played this game at my friend's house in 94, I was BLOWN away by the gameplay and graphics. The music in these games are just magical.
It's honestly quite sad what Nintendo did with Rare, I feel like that quote Miyamoto said was probably true and made out of jealousy. It's honestly he only reason I see why Nintendo would sell the developer Rare instead of keeping them on board after the insane generation they had with the N64, they really were some of the most talented developers during their time.
So what do you mean by DKC being mature in its tone? It seems at first that you mean it's darker, but then you seem to mean emotionally complex, so what is it?
I remember a book that I bougth a while ago called "La historia de los videojuegos" and while watching this I rememberd from where i Heard that quote before. So for answers i went back to that book and this is what I found. Supposedly that quote from shigeru Miyamoto was made while he was developing Yoshi's island for the SNES, the higher ups wanted the Game to look like Donkey Kong Country, having all of those 3D effects, and shigeru didn't want to do that, so what ended up happening is that he made the graphics have a more convincing hand drawn effect and supposedly because of this problem while developing Yoshi's island he basically sayd that in a interview. I don't know i don't believe that's how everything went :b
I still have the Donkey Kong Country promotion video with Daniel Kayser on VHS, hilarious. _Im fuck old._ I was so stoked for DKC, and when it was released, it revealed it self as one of THE best games ever created. A game worthy of a Diamond Award, because gold and platinum was yesterday. RARE games alone were System seller back in the days. Nintendo let them go, and M$hit destroyed them absolute and utterly.
I appreciate your views and opinions. Well done. I don't fully agree with everything but I'm enjoying these and look forward to watching all of this series. Donkey Kong and Crash Bandicoot were my childhood games prior to being a teen for the most part. There were others but they were the main ones
Man, I first played and finished this game on the Switch Online SNES service a year or two back... and boy am I glad I powered through it! If I had decided it was too hard to play and dropped it, I would have never discovered the joy and charm it brings. The graphics are still gorgeous despite being somewhat dated - the once advanced pseudo-3D graphics work just as well as a stylistic choice. And BOY is it a fun challenge to play!
W.A.C. Considering I played through the whole game in the past two days, didn't bother to record it, and I still want to play through it again, i'd say that sounds like a good idea. :D
Cobaltios No worries, it was years before I picked up on it, too... and I had Donkey Kong '94 on the Game Boy, so it REALLY should have been more obvious.
This video is part of TGC's coverage of Donkey Kong Country games and spinoffs! Don't miss the rest of them: th-cam.com/play/PLYoabN6QznuIx7X1DnZyPICinmO9podH9.html
loved watching your review of the DKC series. I am moving onto your reviews of the newer DKC games now.
one request. I would love to hear your thoughts on two famous Donkey Kong country hacks. Donkey kong kremlins revenge and Donkey kong country 2 the lost levels. Many say they are as good as the games they are based on. I'd be curious to see if you agree
The Geek Critique i REALLY like your vids. i love dk returns. What dk game should i play next? Btw it would be awesome if you could do a geek critique on Donkey Kong 94 for Game Boy
I feel like DKC held up, the second especially
David Wise can't get enough credit! His soundtrack is a big part of what makes this game so memorable!
Wrong, it's your brain and thought processes and choice that makes it memorable. Something on its own has no influence on being memorable.
@@zebunker your brain is broken...
i think there some of the best soundtracks in gaming
@@zebunker Lol you're not wrong, but I think it can be safely assumed that the fact of your own perception having to exist in order to enjoy a thing is pretty much always implied when someone makes a statement like this.
"Most other game heroes were out to save pricesses, conquer empires, save the world! But DK? Nope.. He was a man of the 90's. He just wanted his stuff back." LOL I love that :D
To be fair, Kirby just wanted to be able to dream again.
And I was three when it came out.
"Winky is a frog and is absolutely perfect in every way."
Liked, favorited!
My favorite atmospheric moment in DKC1 was level 4-1 where the snowstorm starts setting in as you progress throughout the level. First the beautiful mountain in the background disappears. Then the trees. By the time you hit the checkpoint the blizzard is in full swing and ONE wrong move sends you plummeting to your doom. At the time, it really felt like you were diving into a blizzard with no certainty of survival. It transitioned really well into the (unfortunately) one-of-a-kind crystal cave level, and then back out into another mountain level but this time with the blizzard quickly subsiding. Taken as a whole the trio of these levels is amazing, but it's that first level that gets all the memories.
I like to imagine the blizzard raging on during slip side ride and disappearing once ice age alley was playable.
Here I am, once again, starting to watch all the Geek Critique videos about the Donkey Kong franchise. There's something about these videos that I just love, I love them so much that no joke I lost count of how many times I've watched them.
We're liking this not for the very sweet shoutout at the end, but because of the expertly-crafted K. Rool Kredits joke. That got a good chortle out of us.
Seriously though, this is probably the best summary I've ever seen of why DKC is so magical. We've spent 15 years defending the damn game during the hostile GameCube years and the Tropical Freeze backlash, and you basically wrapped up the argument in 16 minutes. Fantastic. There's nothing we can argue about here. Also, you did it by throwing in an Enguarde "hologram" joke and a Brash Bear cameo. Bravo.
The prospect of you doing a video for DKC2 IS definitely exciting, since all of those criticisms were more or less resolved with DKC2 and it's more Geek Critique goodness. Then again, I'm sure you could find a way to make a video about Donkey Kong Country Barrel Maze exciting. Let's see that first!
DK Vine Glad you enjoyed it so much! And y'know, if I do for DK what I did for Sonic, I'll end up talking about Barrel Maze before this series is over. xD Also: The hologram joke was conceptualized months ago. The kredits gag was something I thought up while recording game footage. But the Brash Bear cameo was literally the last thing I added, in a state of semi-delirious exhaustion, as I was doing my final watch-through before rendering.
DK Vine I'm curious as to what this "Tropical Freeze" backlash was. Were there people who seriously didn't like Tropical Freeze?
bobrocks95 Mostly people who wanted Retro to make a fourth Metroid game instead. Reviewers were getting death threats for giving the game a perfect score.
DK Vine Wow, absolutely insane. They must not really enjoy games that much if all they want is for Retro to pump out Metroid sequels; as good as the trilogy was it's a waste of their talent to keep them on Metroid when it was probably their decision to do something else anyway.
bobrocks95 Well, the Metroid series hit a REAL critical low point with Other M. I think the Metroid fans were hoping for Retro to swoop in and bring the series back to prominence. When that didn't happen, yeah, some of them took it out on Donkey Kong.
As a modern gamer, I can easily say that DKC's graphics still look fucking amaze-balls to this day.
Amazed how they can achieve it on the snes or amazed in general
@@somethingsomething9008 mostly how it has that nice 2-D yet 3-D look that’s just so charming.
I thinks that's one of the reason the newer Donkey Kong games lack the charm
@@somethingsomething9008 you’re not wrong, I still like the gameplay of the newer games, but something about the visual charm is off (except in the levels where you’re just a silhouette, those look perfect).
Not just the graphics, the music and overall atmosphere were 10/10. I will never forget seeing this for the first time. I am 33 now. Still like to go back to it sometimes.
I've been playing this game for 20+ years, and not once did I realize that the set piece found in the intro (3:13) is from the original Donkey Kong construction site. Wow.
Same here!! I only noticed because I read your comment! Playing this since 1995! Incredible how I missed it!
And cranky is the original donkey kong, Donkey Kong junior is who you are using in Donkey Kong country. Cranky (old kong), passed on the mantle.
@@aarongreenfield9038 yeah he points that out in the video
I only noticed it in this video too. I thought it was a stage or something. Makes a LOT more sense that they're construction girders.
I never had a snes growing up, but I started playing the trilogy recently and I fell in love with it. Even today, I can appreciate how the graphics look compared to everything else at the time. And the gameplay is so fluid it it encourages speed-runs on later playthroughs.
But why nintendo removed the trilogy off the virtual console in the US I won't understand...
Finalblue1234 The DKC trilogy has been out on the Wii U Virtual Console, and the Donkey Kong Land trilogy on the 3DS VC, for a couple of months now... in Europe. No clue why they haven't come out in NA yet. On a somewhat-related note, NA's first three Wii games on Wii U were Mario Galaxy 2, Punch-Out, and Metroid Prime Trilogy. In Europe, they got DKC Retruns instead of Punch-Out.
Geek Critique Reggie's probably been trying to appease the Metroid fanboys ever since E3 2013 by depriving Donkey Kong fans of their games. He probably has "should have been Metroid" ringing in his head when he tries to sleep at night.
"Where's Mother 3" and "It should have been Metroid" will be on Reggie's tombstone.
*Hears the DKC Credits music at **15:23*
"Keep it in old boy.....keep it in....."
*Tear rolls down*
I'm so glad that you pointed out the sound design of this game. One of my favorite subtle aspects that creates the particular atmosphere of each of these games were the sounds.
If I may ask, what's your favorite song in the DKC series?
Mine has to be Forest Interlude, followed *very* closely by Krook's March.
Oh goodness, that's a tough one.
I mean, they're all great in their own right; as in each create their own unique feeling that I love.
Hmm...
Donkey Kong Rescued and Mining Melancholy are close...
but funny enough, I'm the same as you. Forest Interlude is my (current) favorite, while Krook's March used to be.
And yeah, those are my favorite in the trilogy, not just DKC2.
My top 10 DKC songs:
10. Water World (DKC3)
9. Rockface Rumble (DKC3)
8. DK Island Swing (DKC1)
7. Stickerbush Symphony (DKC2)
6. In a Snow-Bound Land (DKC2)
5. Fear Factory (DKC1)
4. Life in the Mines (DKC1)
3. Hot-Head Bop (DKC2)
2. Forest Interlude (DKC2)
1. Mining Melancholy (DKC2)
was that DK fucking candy in his tree house in the end? lol
"It would have been as well remembered as Myst"
As I understand it, though, Myst is a cult classic held up as one of the best point-and-click adventure games.
Also, I feel the need to point out that you mention the game starting up DK Island Swing while you have Funky's Flights playing in the background.
Key word: cult classic.
I know it did sell well, but I feel that nowadays more people would recognize DKC than Myst.
It is weird though that Funky's Fugue was playing during that statement.
Caleb Jaaniste Maybe it's the people I hang out with, then, because I only ever hear about DKC when I go searching for it, and hear Myst mentioned frequently in comparison. And I grew up with DKC, and only ever played Myst for the first time this year.
Kraigon42 I've only heard of Myst through a Guinness World Records book and through conversation maybe once. I don't hear people mention DKC much either, but I know a bunch of people who know or played it, as well as it being something that pops up more often on the internet.
But it does depend on people's circumstances, yes. I look up DKC more, so that would be a reason why it seems to be mentioned more for me.
I think today most people would struggle to name the sequels to Myst, no matter how well they sold.
If you're trying to draw comparisons, that's a little unfair. It's easy to name a sequel when you only have to remember a 2 or a 3.
This is my favorite Donkey Kong Country game. I disagree about the graphics though I think they aged well.
@@smokescast They have been now, if you get the switch version.
@@aarongreenfield9038 what switch version?
@@lecram59 Tropical freeze.
@@aarongreenfield9038 that’s a sequel not a re master remake or port.
6:31 Funny you said that, you see in the SNES there was another game, called Plok, with such a great music that the man himself, Shigeru Miyamoto, he didn't believe that the music from Plok was coming from a regular SNES and that the composer must have installed a modified audio chip.
Of course that wasn't the case, the music was just freaking awesome for a SNES game, and the composer, Tim Follin, was that good.
Miyamoto definitely said that line about Donkey Kong, it was in an interview with Stephen L Kent and was also reiterated in his book.
In a way, I can kinda see where he is coming from. Even for the time it wasn't a very complex game, and the level design was pretty simple. But what made it so good was that all the ingredients just fit so well together. The music, the rhythmic, straightforward feel of the game, the atmosphere, etc. It's like a really well made simple vanilla cupcake. It just tastes so good!
@@bubbythebear6891 I feel like DKC is an example of how most games were pretty crappy back in the day and so even though DKC didn't do much to move platforming into a new dimension, it was well polished controls and solid art that people were really aching for. DKC just feels good to play IMO. All I wanted back in the 90's was a game that wasn't janky.
From the Mariowiki.
"The claim originates from the 2001 book "The Ultimate History of Video Games", which has author Steven Kent claiming that Shigeru Miyamoto made the comment to Rare co-founder and Donkey Kong Country director Tim Stampers during an interview; the book goes on to detail that Miyamoto was frustrated after the original graphical style of Yoshi's Island was rejected for "not having enough punch" and that he was pressured by marketing to feature graphics more similar to Donkey Kong Country."
@@VampyreBassist Not sure how Yoshi's Island would have looked in a DKC style. Maybe like Yoshi's Story? I'm glad Miyamoto didn't listen. I couldn't imagine Yoshi's Island looking like that!
@@bubbythebear6891 It would look like shit
This was really well put together. Keep up the awesome work, TGC!
This is definitely one of the best retrospective videos about this game I have watched.
You did a really great job on summarizing why this game is such a classic and why it still holds up well to this day.
I kinda found it hilarious that Cranky Kong just roasts the game throughout it, even at the end and in the manual XD
I clicked on this video by total curiosity, as I've seen it appear a bit in my suggested videos feed.
About 10 seconds into the video, I was already immersed, and every sentence I listened to I was already waiting for the next. Outstanding narration ! The pacing is excellent, there isn't anything superfluous, and there is a constant flow of informations at just the right pace. Add in your way of talking, that puts emphasis where needed so that listening is an ease, and helps making the jokes land, makes for what i'd call quality content x)
This video might be 4 years old, but I've watched newer ones and they're just as good. Instant sub !
well said same here
What was that footage of Donkey Kong in his house at the end?!
I'm wondering the same, I've been looking for it too!
its footage of donkey getting it on with candy
It’s from an E3 I’m pretty sure
“The game sounds beautiful “ gang plank gallon intensifies
TGC, I think I figured out one reason why your show is so good. You don't just review the video game, you review the "who, what, when, where, why, how" of the video game. My old mentor in writing would love your show if she was still around. She didn't play video games, but your videos are just so damn thorough and engaging, she would rave to me about you if she watched them. And she would explain how I needed to incorporate some of your technique into my work as well. If somebody asks me for writing tips, I'm gonna think of you, Geek Critique.
The WSG sent me here, Happy Birthday Josh!
BTW: Nintendo just casually dropped Donkey Kong Country on their Nintendo Switch Online update today (7/72020).
man, you make me feel like it's the 90's all over again, thanks so much for this great review!
YEEEEEEEEES! Bout' damn time you did this review!
I've never really gotten the backlash against the DKC series over the years. I guess being overrated might apply to the first game, but even then it wasn't that bad. It was a somewhat flawed and short, still but solid platformer that set the path for both a fantastic masterpiece and an underrated gem on the SNES.
Patch93 Haha, I know, DKC was one of those games where there was no way I wouldn't be doing a video for it.
DKC underrated? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
This is one of the most critically acclaimed games of all time, how is it underrated? I love the DKC games but they are not underrated. In fact I always thought it was a tiny overrated.
lacoot Patch said that DKC set the stage for both a fantastic masterpiece and an underrated gem. I'm sure the underrated gem was in reference to Donkey Kong Country 3, which got largely ignored in its day since all the focus was on the next generation, and even now is often considered a lesser game than the first two.
DKC itself is certainly not underrated, but it has faced a surprising amount of derision in the years since its release.
prolly cuz the graphics haven't aged well compared to handmade sprites
One of my favorite games of all-time, it never dawned on me that so much of this game never actually happened in the jungle until you aptly pointed it out. Regardless of locale, the game is phenomenal.
This and Super Mario RPG really impressed me back when they came out, and I still think they look pretty good now.
Nice little dose of nostalgia on my lunch break 😅
A guy who might like donkey kong more than I do. Never thought I would see the day!
Didnt realize until watching this that those are girders cranky is standing on a la the original arcade game. That's amazing
In honor of DKC1 being added to Nintendo Switch Online, I'm rewatching this video. Looking forward to finally beating this title.
I remember the TV commercial for this game. Nintendo finally clapped back at Sega's years of antagonistic advertising. The message was simple "We have a game that looks THIS good, without the need for $300 worth of useless dust collecting add-ons!"
That one was really smart of nintendo
My 5th time starting this critique series again, this are PURE GOLD.
I keep coming back to your videos on DKC, Metroid and Smash. I just can't stay away.
Was Donkey Kong getting it on with Candy at 15:42?
nothing more satisfying than having Winkey and stepping on those giant wasps
@ 2:04 when you said the bit where "this isn't.... This is..Donkey Kong Country!" I let out an "YEAH, DONKEY KONG!" and here I am just watching this by myself.
25 years later, I'm still learning new things about Donkey Kong Country
It's funny when you said: "Instead of powerups or hitpoints Nintendo created distinct characters". Because that is just what I feel has happened with the DKC-returns games: The characters were downgraded to being nothing more than extra hitpoints and powerups. This is one of the many problems I had with the DKC-returns games.
I mean it’s kinda the appeal. The characters only being able to take a single hit made sense in context, because why wouldn’t they? They just ran headfirst into a giant crocodile, bird, or beaver monster thing. The characters have distinct personalities and different characters, and give distinct gameplay bonuses as well. It’s not like they’re just there for no reason, it’s just a different system than your typical platformer might have.
There are many game reviewers who are easily forgotten. You sir are NOT one of them. Excellent work.
I completed this game on the Gameboy Advance. While a bit different, I can relate to a lot of the stuff GeekCritique says.
LOL the walking away as the kiss is being blown @ you @ the save point!!! I remember doing that!
The thing about Miyamoto is even funnier when you retweeted that blurb about Miyamoto being shocked when during DK64's development he pulled out a realistic looking gun.
Huge props to crediting all three musicians.
The Geek Critique
Your review is just awesome, you really understood what the game went for. Your narration really gears me up to play the game again.
4:20 If it's mundane motivation you want, in BFD (another Rare game), the entire reason the panther king was after Conker was because Conker was the right size to prop up a table leg so the king wouldn't spill his milk.
15:35......................Was Donkey Kong getting JIGGY with Candy Kong?
Haruka Takahashi Banana Slamma
from the show
Well, knowing the combined success of Nintendo and Rare, maybe that could have been a hint at Project Dream, later renamed into Banjo-Kazooie. You never know.
Ah, the nostalgia. I definitely remember it but forgot what some of the levels looked like. The graphics actually hold up pretty well nowadays in comparison to other titles released at the time. But yeah, I have not forgotten how hard those later mine cart levels were. Was really cool hearing the music again too.
I mean, don't exactly agree with your comment on Myst, but putting that aside this is a fantastic video. Keep up the good work - I'll need something new to watch when I finish catching up.
I have never gotten tried of rewatching your DKC1 and 2 Videos, you truly speak to why I love the Donkey Kong Country series.
Your DKC vids have always been my faves, so, yeah, I'm watching through them again!
Sweet! It's always nice when you have a big backlog of evergreen content like this to go through, and you can build up a ton of it over the years. I do the same thing with DBD!
I just finished up my second DKC playthrough of the year, and I never realized there were so many cavern levels until watching this video.
Man I cant believe it took me this long to find these videos. Donkey Kong Country was my all time favorite game. No other game can come close to the greatness of DKC. I have just sub and i cant wait to see what other videos you make.
I loved the animal token bonus levels! I really missed them in the second and third entry!
I had never really cared for the graphic style of DKC, but after watching this video I am amazed by how beautiful this game looks.
TheS2Guy Yeah, that's why I tried to compare it to other games of the time: In today's context, it's not that impressive, but in 1994, it was on a whole other level. Even today though, I'm still impressed by the smooth animation quality, which is really helped by that 60fps, haha.
Geek Critique While this point has been argued amongst DK Vine staff, I think most of us would posit that even during the N64/PS1 era, the Donkey Kong Country trilogy's graphics were, from a purely eye-pleasing standpoint, still above most games on the market. It wasn't until we entered the PS2/Xbox/GameCube years that graphics finally caught up to what Rare was doing with ACM on the bloody Super Nintendo.
DK Vine That's a great point. I remember sometime in like early 1997, I was playing TONS of Super Mario 64. But then I'd hop back over to the DKC series, and be like, "...wait a minute. This looks so much better! Rare is amazing!"
Geek Critique DK Vine I never owned an SNES, but this certainly does look much more polished than any (3D) game on my PS1/N64. Although, I'd that most 2D games on the N64 and PS1 were able to outshine this.
As I hope to always state, 'Your videos are amazing!' In a way I could compare them to a good book or I guess audio book, you never want it to end! Although they seem to be few and far between that makes me appreciate them more, sucking up more of the detailed script, enjoying the thoughtful look at the games. DKC was a game I never really played, having been born a few years after its release but I thoroughly enjoyed DKC2 when I got the port for my GBA SP. During this video I realized a few things; that the HUD wasn't riddled with common things and that the levels had their own flair that no other game could compare to. This game definitely stands the tests of time and probably inspired may game developpers who are relevant nowadays. Until the next one! Cheers! :)
PokeSoxx Yeah, it has been quite the hiatus, but don't worry, they shouldn't be QUITE so few and far between from here on! I'd like to discuss the GBA ports at some point too, but we'll see where things go from here.
My parents and aunts came together to get me the DKC/Mario All Stars SNES bundle. I was playing these games before I could even read. It took me years to find the guts to git gud and finally beat K Rool. It was my first triumph in a game. The Gangplank Galleon theme still invokes a heroic spirit in me to this day. This game along with its sequels inspired me to be a true gamer. More than even Mario, Metroid, Mega Man, Sonic had yet done. I hold the DKC trilogy in the fondest place in my heart as far as games go. Next to Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask.
Anyone get the VHS ad in the mail for DKC?
With the SUPER-SECRET teaser for Killer Instinct after the end credits!
I watched it more times then I care to admit, if I remember correctly, it was Fulgore doing an ultimate combo on the the Raptor? They really got me excited about DKC and KI!
I had the one for banjo kazooie.
Those opening 2 minutes were so incredibly well done.
one of the first games i'd deliberately turn the game on just to listen to the music. Funky Kong's Ride especially. DKC's music...all 3 of them really...is insanely fantastic
Found this through DK Vine and I love it! Very well done and a great look at one of my favorite series ever.
As others said - I'd love to see a similar video on DKC 2. You could do it justice!
Subscribed. Can't wait to watch more of your work.
Ben Stegner DKC2 is on its way!
ah, the first TGC I saw waaaaay back in college. still a classic!
So if that's true, then in a way, Kranky represents Miyamoto, and Donkey and Diddy represent Rare
15:02 I take great umbrage with this line. Myst is a quality game that is far more than just the pretty picture collection it's often stereotyped as. It's a quality puzzle game with unparalleled atmosphere, and helped lay the ground work for an incredible universe of games. There's a reason the game gets ported 50 billion times per year. It holds up surprisingly well.
Hell I'm not even nostalgic for it. I only first played it about two years ago.
This game was released the same day as I was born, and ever since I learned how to use a controller I've played this game. I still do, and I still love it.
By far one of my favorite series on YT
That music from the underwater levels always takes me back
Aquatic Ambience
"A good game shouldn't need any explanation" I couldn't put it better
this was so fascinating because I've always sprinted though Mario levels as fast as possible and take my time through DK levels very deliberately
I know this video is old, but I gotta say I love everything about 13:40 to 13:56. The insults, the credits joke, everything. I was just waiting to hear you didn't actually mean any of it lol
Heheh, thank you! And hey, no worries about it being old. I try to aim most of my videos to be kind of ageless. Even three years on, I don't think there's anything in this video that doesn't still apply.
Wow, this brings back a whole lot of good memories.
Nice job matching up the graphics with the remix DKC/Arcade Donkey Kong medley.
Enjoyed the video, I never played this game growing up, asides from the Gameboy version, but have really enjoyed it since adding it to my Super Nintendo games collection. this game is an integral part of the library of power-titles the Super Nintendo had, it was titles like this that gave the system such a well-rounded library of games. Also nice to see someone using 720p60 for retro game videos, looks great!
Qjimbo Yep! My Brawl video actually also had a few little snippets of 60fps, since TH-cam introduced the feature while I was working on it. But this is the first video where I encoded all my footage for it, and I agree, it's fantastic. Really makes me wish I'd been encoding at 60 all along.
15:30 If DK's Cabin is rockin, don't go knockin, his coconut gun can fire in spurts.
DKC may have been the most widely-known, the most ground-breaking, and the most formative of the three SNES DKC games, but I am still of the opinion that it pales in comparison to its sequels (including the Retro games). In 2 and 3, the visuals were upgraded and refined, the character move-sets expanded, the levels designed more interestingly and uniquely, the secrets made more worthwhile, the animal buddies more common, the maps more developed, the entire games being longer...
K-leb - The Original Donkey Kong Country for the Super Nintendo will always hold a special place in my heart. That, Final Fantasy III (FFVI), Super Mario World, Super Metroid, Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers, Mega Man 7, Mega Man X, Contra III: The Alien Wars, Secret of Mana, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles In Time, The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past, and Super Mario Kart are all great experiences I have had with my SNES system.
Well said.
14:29 It looks really good though. I didn’t grow up with the DKC games, but there’s something about the graphics that I really like.
Going in the empty banana cave scared me as a kid… a combination of the music and not understanding why DK was upset
Fantastic channel. Whenever someone brings up Donkey Kong, I have to listen.
12:25 Not sure if it's been mentioned but that 'Leap of Faith' in the second level is there because the enemy placement makes it likely you will die and see the barrel on your way off the screen.
DKC is one of the best games ever made. The graphics still hold up to this day just like Sonic does. When I played this game at my friend's house in 94, I was BLOWN away by the gameplay and graphics. The music in these games are just magical.
The level design music and art style of the game were fantastic and it made great innovations for a bombastic series. But those animal tokens man…
this was fantastic story telling and editing!
the graphics looked great back then and look great even to this day.
So true about being a fast and rhythmic game! I've played so many times I love just blasting through the levels. Feels great.
It's honestly quite sad what Nintendo did with Rare, I feel like that quote Miyamoto said was probably true and made out of jealousy. It's honestly he only reason I see why Nintendo would sell the developer Rare instead of keeping them on board after the insane generation they had with the N64, they really were some of the most talented developers during their time.
I am SOOO GLAD that you talked about the cave/mineshaft levels. But a/an correction-
There are 20!? Underground levels!👺👿bullshiz...
This guy really understands development/design. Wonder if he has any experience in the industry
Thank you for making me realize how much I miss this game.
So what do you mean by DKC being mature in its tone?
It seems at first that you mean it's darker, but then you seem to mean emotionally complex, so what is it?
I remember a book that I bougth a while ago called "La historia de los videojuegos" and while watching this I rememberd from where i Heard that quote before. So for answers i went back to that book and this is what I found. Supposedly that quote from shigeru Miyamoto was made while he was developing Yoshi's island for the SNES, the higher ups wanted the Game to look like Donkey Kong Country, having all of those 3D effects, and shigeru didn't want to do that, so what ended up happening is that he made the graphics have a more convincing hand drawn effect and supposedly because of this problem while developing Yoshi's island he basically sayd that in a interview.
I don't know i don't believe that's how everything went :b
Thank you for this amazing video series!
I still have the Donkey Kong Country promotion video with Daniel Kayser on VHS, hilarious. _Im fuck old._
I was so stoked for DKC, and when it was released, it revealed it self as one of THE best games ever created. A game worthy of a Diamond Award, because gold and platinum was yesterday.
RARE games alone were System seller back in the days. Nintendo let them go, and M$hit destroyed them absolute and utterly.
I appreciate your views and opinions. Well done. I don't fully agree with everything but I'm enjoying these and look forward to watching all of this series. Donkey Kong and Crash Bandicoot were my childhood games prior to being a teen for the most part. There were others but they were the main ones
Man, I first played and finished this game on the Switch Online SNES service a year or two back... and boy am I glad I powered through it! If I had decided it was too hard to play and dropped it, I would have never discovered the joy and charm it brings. The graphics are still gorgeous despite being somewhat dated - the once advanced pseudo-3D graphics work just as well as a stylistic choice. And BOY is it a fun challenge to play!
Really enjoy your critiques!!! Keep them coming.
Fantastic video that sums up much of what made the original game so great along with its problems. Will you make a video for DKC2?
W.A.C. Considering I played through the whole game in the past two days, didn't bother to record it, and I still want to play through it again, i'd say that sounds like a good idea. :D
Wait, that opening sequence for DKC... those red girders... I had no idea that was actually in reference to the original Donkey Kong game. Holy crap.
Cobaltios No worries, it was years before I picked up on it, too... and I had Donkey Kong '94 on the Game Boy, so it REALLY should have been more obvious.