Pacifica: The DKC World Time Abandoned -- Designing For Donkey Kong December
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 ม.ค. 2025
- Pacifica, an entire world exclusive to the GBA remake of Donkey Kong Country 3. The very last levels Rare introduced into the series, their handheld team's confidence growing as they remade the entire classic trilogy. A... bunch of weird water levels? While certainly a lost treasure, Pacifica is an eclectic mix of stages that are teeming with ideas. Are they good ideas? And how did they influence the future of Donkey Kong? That's what we intend to explore!
Donkey Kong December Playlist: • Designing For: Donkey ...
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Director/Writer/Voice Over/Footage: Tommy Eyler/Pyrrhickong ( / pyrrhickong )
Video Editing/Additional Direction/Script Editing: Silvery ( / @silverymp )
Intro Animation By: / @tarvouldsquest
Intro Theme By: / tracks
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What I find interesting is that this game also had an exclusive boss, but that boss wasn't in Pacifica, but in Alpine Ridge. The original Alpine Ridge boss was now in Pacifica. To be fair, it made a lot more sense.
Alpine Ridge? Do you mean Razor Ridge or is it called something else in your region?
@@michaelhockaday7426 It’s been a while. I don't remember.
Alpine Ridge is the name of a level in the first Spyro game :)@WyattMC
It was the egg theif taunt in the middle of the video that caused your Freudian slip. 😅
@@hankjwimblton6647 5:59 Nah nahnah nah nah!
5:28
*SAY THE K-WORD, YOU KOWARD.*
That ending…oof. Nothing more frustrating than a mission accomplished unsuccessfully.
To be fair, it brought DKC back and gave us two new masterpieces.
So, even if they weren't made by Rare, the still succeeded in a way :)
Rare with DKC 4: Suffering from success
I..I'm sorry, there is a David Wise version of the DK3 sound track?! Well I know what I'm listening to for the next hour.
Wow, I never knew about this.
The fact it was made by the original DKC team really shows, it feels like an odd crossover despite being the same series.
I'm really glad the developers added DKC 3 in the GBA version. I always felt that the far left corner of the map screen (where Pacifica is located) felt empty and unused in the SNES version. The levels in Pacifica are pretty solid too. I just find it interesting how every world in the game has 5 levels and a boss while Pacifica has 6 levels and a boss.
This is the DKC3 I know
I didn't realize Pacifica was a new addition
I really wish Pacifica was in the SNES version.
I'm surprised there's no romhack that does exactly that.
Sunken Spruce would be hard to replicate
@@paulgilbert5278 I recently saw a video on the stage Sunken Spruce. Why would that stage in particular be hard to replicate?
Because there’s no template in the SNES version that has a submerged treetop level. All the other levels have something to go off of.
@@paulgilbert5278 I see. I was under the impression that a modder could add a water filter over a forest background, and then program the physics of the Kongs and enemies to be "underwater".
But turns out it's far more complex than that then?
Love these DKC vids, I’ve been binging them effortlessly today.
Combining the GBA and SNES soundtracks into the Definitive Version would be awesome as well
I would really love to hear enhanced, higher quality versions of the GBA soundtrack because it has potential to be just as great as the SNES soundtracks
Agreed
For the most part, I found the remakes soundtrack to be way better than the original. One thing I can criticize the Remake soundtrack for is for a lot of the stage, you'll hear an actual Melody, but then it will change to ambient sounds that play for a minute or so before getting back into a melody. It's kind of weird. Considering how forgettable a lot of the Super Nintendo Donkey Kong Country 3 soundtrack was, I still prefer the GBA version.
@@baalfgames5318 the only two tracks on gba I felt were definitely weaker than the snes and didn’t fit the level were frosty frolics and treetop tumble tracks. Other than those two the gba tracks are either better than the snes or just as good
Nope
Ok but for real, if I interacted with someone who was genuinely offended by the name "Kracka" (Or even cracker as a slur for that matter), I think I'd die from secondhand embarrassment on their behalf.
DKC on GBC having a single new stage was funny. DKC3 on GBA having an entire new world was just awesome!
I still love Necky's Nutmare it's just interesting they wanted to make just one new stage that's only in DKC on GBC.
Necky’s *WHAT!?*
And Winky Walkway is extended on GBC
@@ricardoemanuelsaezlabrana3778 It's weird (and disappointing) how both the extensiob of Winky's Walkway and the new level Necky Nutmare were excluded from the GBA remake. Why would they do that?!
@@joshukaunarak the GBA version is a direct port of the SNES version, and this GBC extras needed extra work.
I would love a romhacking team to create a version of the SNES DKC3 with all of the elements of the GBA version including the new soundtrack and Pacifica! I played DKC3 on GBA ages ago when it originally was released and I remember overall enjoying the new levels in Pacifica. Though, they did stick out as most of them were brutally difficult compared to many of the vanilla stages.
I only played the SNES games so I didn't know about this extra DKC content. Good to see remakes adding something to keep it more playable.
8:12
For those who don’t know what the hell that is, (I’m pretty sure) it’s called the Kroctopus, and it replaced Barbos since he was now the boss of Pacifica.
Like I said, I think it makes more sense since Alpine Ridge isn't a water world, so trying to shoe horn an underwater boss felt a bit jarring.
those new bosses for the GBA remakes look and feel so out of place...
Don't think I knew that Pacifica was meant to be a proof-of-concept for a DKC4 that wound up leading to the existence of Returns. That's pretty interesting, if a bit unfortunate for Rare.
I loved the name reveal segment for the TNT barrel Kremlings, as that’s certainly a word that Susan won’t be too happy to hear anybody say out loud. 😜
@@Jolis_Parsec Susan retired from TH-cam , she is not the CEO anymore.
@ Actually, she passed away from breast cancer a year or so ago. May she rest in peace. 😔
I've always loved the pier and underwater tree levels in Pacifica.
While the new Pacifica levels are unique and different, they do feel like rom hack levels as you say and lack the polish the original levels have. Everything just feels mis-mashed together. I still give them an A for effort though. I'd love to see a rom hack of SNES DKC 3 with the Pacifica levels in them though. That would be interesting.
Yeah, I love giving the stilt village stage type a bit more attention, and Sunken Spruce is really clever, but it really shows with Koin. In SNES DKC3, Koin is a fun spin on the DK Coin concept, and there are some really fun and interesting ones, but many of them are just very straightforward and could easily have just been free-floating DK Coins. The GBA version gave devs an opportunity to reflect on what worked and what didn't with the concept, approach it with a fresh perspective, and...they do absolutely nothing with it. All of the Pacifica Koins are some of the most boring/straightforward of the bunch.
You know for the longest time I actually didn't know that the Donkey Kong country games were actually we released on gba. I played all three of them on the SNES but of course now I can play all three of them on the switch. I was aware that they released the games on Game boy color or at least the first Donkey Kong country was re-released on there.
Looking back at it and don't get me wrong the GBA has a lot of great new games but there were a lot of ports of SNES games. Look at the Super Mario advance series and of course the Legend of Zelda as well with A Link to the past being re-released on GBA and now knowing the Donkey Kong country games were re-released there too.
Anyways that's cool that they added that extra world. I know all the nostalgia is for the first dkc, but I find each game to be an improvement over the previous one and I think dkc3 is the best. I did play some Donkey Kong country returns on the Wii but didn't finish the game. Rented it from Blockbuster before it went out of business and now there's only one store in all of existence in Bend Oregon
DKC 2 also has a lot of nostalgia.
DKC 3 has a more mixed reception than 1 & 2, and some feel that its GBA version is superior.
8:20 Well the actual story there is Rare simply thought about making DKC4, but decided to remake Diddy Kong Racing for DS instead. Still, I'm sure Nintendo would've passed on it if they asked, because that's just how they roll haha.
Aah is that the full bit? Sorry to get that wrong, always get these little details on Rare mixed up with the folklore from back when!
And no, it wasn't Tim Stamper who said that, just some anonymous Ex-Rare dev.
@@DesigningFor7:54 you missed an opportunity for a great pun you could have said proof of kongcept😅
I really like Pacifica, specially Stormy Seas. Truly the closest we got to DKC4.
But we got Returns instead.
I can say right away that the DKC3 GBA soundtrack is underrated
Nothing beats the new Frosty Frolics track.
Even if it’s polka, I like it
It’s so damn good. There’s so many standout tracks.
It’s good but I still prefer the SNES version.
Just what was Rare thinking by having another person to compose the soundtrack back in 1996?
This is slightly why I prefer the gba version more than the snes and also I prefer more tracks on the gba version as well. Graphically dkc3 on gba looked closer to how the snes one looked as well compared to dkc1 and dkc3, coming out around the time where you can develop games without needing to wash out the colors so much to accommodate the dark gba screen really helped dkc3 be the best port of DK country in general for gba
the gba games was my frist dkc game and i have a big heart for it and i think it better than the snes one
Lovely work! Thank you for supporting Donkey Kong December :)
Wow, there's a whole world of DK out there I didn't know about!
I would love it if there was a definitive version that was the best of both verisons of DKC 3, especially Pacifica. Having the abilty to swap from both soundtracks would be pretty cool. I remember watching some videos where it was the GBA version with the Pacifica levels, but it had the SNES soundtrack instead. Pacifica would have fit right at home in the original SNES version if there was more time. The levels were still fun though.
*5:28** AYO IS THAT RACIS-*
I played GBA DKC 3, the opening theme was awesome, I wish that was how the original was made.
I really like your analyses and would love a video on the GBA port of DKC3's soundtrack and how great a lot of it is. I feel like some of Wise's best work is glossed over because people feel the ports aren't worth playing.
Okay the implementation of some the tracks is so frustrating though! Like Wise's take on Enchanted Riverbank is one of my favorite pieces he's ever tackled, but it ONLY plays in the underwater sections of those levels. Y'know, the ones where there are Nibblas and lightning constantly telling you to get out of the water! And the only other one, they just use chase music for since it's Riverside Race! I'm at least happy that Zip-Line Shrine got to remix Jungle Jitter GBA for Tropical Freeze, but you're right, even the game itself buries some of these compositions!
Won't be able to cover it this month, I've got everything already in production through the end, but it's definitely a good topic.
@@DesigningFor Good point; a large bit of the soundtrack is taken over by ambient environmental noise. You have to admit that Wise's take on Stilt Villiage and Mill Fever blow Fischer's away.
@@PapaLuigi9003 Man I love Fischer's Stilt Village still, it's a goofy little track but it makes me smile and it's so joyful! Wise's I think is better musically because yeah damn it goes hard, but I do really like both and appreciate the SNES version for being a departure from usual DK faire! Mill Fever yeah definitely Wise, but I can never hate a bassline as funky as Mill Fever SNES's!
@@DesigningFor If you liked the GBA Jungle Jitter remix in Tropical Freeze, you can also hear the GBA version of Cascade Capers remixed in Tropical Freeze's Deep Keep and Amiss Abyss
@@DesigningFor Yep, there are some great tracks in DKC3 GBA, but there seemed to be less thought in how they fit in. The idea of music dynamically changing based on whether you were in/out of water was a really cool idea for a 2D platformer and very Rare-like, as the Banjo games and DK64 were pioneers of that kind of thing. But you highlighted the issues with its actual execution.
And the game lacks the variants of the Brother Bear theme for when you interact with Blue, and totally spoils the mood by also recycling the Brother Bear theme for certain full completion scenes. Then you have things like Treetop Tumble, which is perfectly serviceable for Springing Spiders and Barrel Shield Bust-Up, but is downright comedically out of place for Ripsaw Rage.
Kinda funny that one of the biggest reasons Microsoft bought Rare was because they thought they’d be getting Donkey Kong in the package.
lol They can't be that stupid.
Loved the video, i hope for another remake in the future similar to what theyre doing with Smrpg.
theres a fan made DKC 4 and another one called DKC Trilogy , both WELL done!
Thanks for reminding me about the GBA ports on SNES games! Even if the added features are novel, I'd still like to try them
GBA Boys, Rise Up!
*Rises from the ashes with GBASP in hand*
HERE!
Favorite handheld of all time!
Have been binge watching your videos and I love Donkey Kong December. This one stood out to me. I never played DKC 3 on the SNES.
I was never supposed to play it on the GBA either. It was a gift my parents allowed me to pick. I wanted DKC 2 but no where to be found, saw 3 and gave it a chance and I loved it. Completed it fully and enjoyed every second of it!
7:29 What is that voice from?
An old voice clip of Dixie used only in Diddy Kong Pilot! I believe it's the same voice actress as The Experiment from Conker's Bad Fur Day!
Well that ending completely jumpstarted my depression back up again. Well done.
THIS VIDEO GOES HARD , YOU WAS NOT TRYING TO SAY BARREL TNT MANS NAME , BUT YOU USE THE SOUND EFFECT THATS HILARIOUS BECAUSE IT EXPLAINED HOW I FELT ONCE I NOTICE IT
"its really easy to get the barrels off cycle so you just get hit sometimes"
*Completely whiffs the the barrel blast and goes sideways into the buzz.*
Pro gamer moment.
I wish they had photographs in DKC3 GBA
DKC3 GBA finally getting love! I adore this port so much!
Ripcurl Reef…I hate that level! The wind makes it hard to get by!
Pacifica is pretty much the only reason I have been considering grabbing DKC3's GBA demake. It's interesting just how much this version changed from the original (soundtrack is the most notable to me as someone who loves the SNES OST) and adding a whole new world is great.
Tragic Nintendo shafted Rare with GBA DKC3. Potential was there, Nintendo probably didn't want to struggle trademarks. Like impressing your ex but it'd only get complicated returning
This is why the GBA version of DKC3 is so much better than the original SNES version.
That ending... i still wonder about the games we missed out due to Nintendo losing rare.
Honeslty the gba versions of dkc are so good its schoking like if you told me without knowledge of them that the gba demakes of the dkc trilogy rival the snes games i whould not believe you for a second
@TelPhi And that the new soundtrack, as good as it is, is super short :(
i loved pacifica. i wish you could play it on NSO, especially the water levels
Kracka's name aged so well! /s
Ripcurl Reef has one hell of a remix of Aquatic Ambience! Love it!
now i feel like santa's reindeer died on christmass eve :C .......
The poetic irony of a world lost to time being primarily underwater.
I feel like the Enguarde section was there to let you skip the Buzzes on the ropes (but that section is so short and easy it hardly matters)
Funny thing is I don’t remember these levels from my childhood i played the gba version when i was younger
Pacifica is such a great World!!!
Thanks for your dedication to Donkey Kong December :)
Great video!
I really enjoyed Stormy Seas and Dingy Drain-Pipe! Surf's Up was pretty fun. And the rest were meh.
Also, that was a clever joke with the Whirlwind and Spikes Pokemon reference for Ripcurl Reef. Because one of the main reasons to even use Whirlwind is for that Spikes damage in the Pokemon competitive scene anyway, lol.
You're a good person for making these videos
DKC4 The Kongs Returns is still being worked on!
Kracka isn’t even the most unfortunate name DKC has to offer. In the credits of DKC2, the Kong family is labeled as the “Kong Klan.”
The Kool Kong Klan
Her name is Dixie and he wished that he was in her. The song is very explicit .
David Wise!? Composed something for Dkc3!? I had no idea!
What do you think could’ve happened if rare’s Donkey Kong Country 4 happened?
Awesomeness would’ve ensued
It's unfortunate they didn't make a 2d donkey kong country on the n64
I like your knowledge on the dk country games it is amazing, in my opion I think that is the most creative with its levels.
Wait...there is a renake of the DKC games on the GBA???
I never knew about them.
I only saw the Donkey Kong Land Games that hurt my eyes with there graphic.
Now I might play them sometime.
I had no idea there was a completely new world in the remake of DKC3! I played it a while ago but I didn't make it to that point, I quit before that.
I love Its Mr Pants, as weird as it sounds!
MY BRAIN HURTS!
Man, maybe I gotta give DKC3 another shot, but through the GBA version this time. The physic changes makes me very curious
The GBA controls are a lot more responsive compared to the SNES more momentum based controls.
Gba port has better controls, arguably a better overall soundtrack and obviously the Pacifica world. They always toned down some of the ridiculously fast paced and auto scrolling levels as well to make them play better. I love dkc3 on the snes since it’s obviously looks better and has some really good music tracks but I believe the gba version is the better of the two
The water skipping is way easier (and I think they even negated the need to have to do it in the third level by lowering the platform). I'd highly suggest this version.
@@stevesteve0521 I don't like most of the physic changes. Having infinite rolls completely annihilates the risk versus reward element and jumping on enemies just doesn't feel good. Plus, there are some levels that just became a nightmare on GBA (Enguarde's hitbox makes Floodlit Fish stupidly hard, and the steel barrels on Criss Kross Cliffs kill you for no reason at all). The SNES version isn't perfect either, but if you're used to DKC1/DKC2's controls, you really should aim for the SNES version, eventually with a GBA soundtrack mod, and just play the GBA version for Pacifica. I really wish we could have a definitive edition.
@@TempoKong very fair take, I still prefer the gba port but I get what you’re saying
From Pacifica, this is DKC Now!
I was born in 2000 and grew up with the GBA DK Country trilogy. i loved all the extra minigames rare put into them. but i dont think i ever beat any of the games lol.
I also hope there is more DK 64 videos this month. It was and still is my favorite 3D platformer, the back tracking honestly never bothered me. I will say, I totally agree that getting 101% can be miserable at times especially with some of the bonus stage minigames. but to play the game normally is so much fun to me.
Lemme get this straight.
*There was gonna be a 4th DKC Game that wasn’t returns?*
Apparently, according to another comment- nah, Rare just had thoughts of maybe making sonething like it, but never actually proposed it to Nintendo. Also, DKC3 GBA released 2005 and DKCR for Wii in 2010. Not sure if it was the GBA games specifically that caused them to start development of Returns, feels like there's too large a gap between them.
i always have beautiful nightmares about DKC3 and i wish i can make my own version of it, especially with the overworld
Love Candy's dance minigame
Wait, there was a donkey konga 3?!?
I wonder if Rare and Nintendo would have produced more great games, considering that Rare was declining (e.g. DK64). It could just be that the studio was done, and the MS deal was just about cashing in on the last of their reputation.
I wonder if he'll do the last special world level in Donkey Kong Country Returns. The heck was THAT all about?
As much as I enjoyed Tropical Freeze, I still would’ve preferred a true DKC 4 with the Kremlings. Even if it was on the DS, it would’ve been wonderful to have the original team make another DKC game.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't a good portion of the cast of the original DKC SNES games migrated to retro studios and worked on Returns and Tropical Freeze?
I know that Retro played a good amount of the DKC titles, but cross referencing the DKC1, 3, and Returns staff, I can't find any major programmers or designers that made the jump to Retro (and considering that's a move from the UK to Texas, that makes sense!). David Wise did return to compose for Tropical Freeze, but I think that's the major contribution, I know the Mayles brothers didn't work on DKCR or TF.
Eh, Microsoft’s buddies with the Big N now, so I’m sure we can get DKC4 soonish.
They've been buddies the whole time, that's why these GBA remakes went through.
It speaks volumes of the SNES how it handled DKC graphics way better than the Advance. I don't know if the framerates shown in this videos are accurate to their respective hardware, but if so, DKC on the SNES was a beast of unparalleled power.
It's not fair donkey bros. The early 2000s was the worst time to be a dk fan, we finally get some top tier remakes only to get a mediocre reboot of the entire franchise instead. Don't get me wrong, I do like DKC returns and tropical freeze, but damn I wonder what could've been with a dkc4
I feel like we're in another Donkey Kong Country dark age.
a big, very long sigh at the end of that video
I bought its mr pants in like grade 5 for $5, trippy game
Please stop hating on me, I'm sick of it.
I’ll always support Kiddy Kong.
Lore of Pacifica: The DKC World Time Abandoned -- Designing For Donkey Kong December Momentum 100
5:59 Nah nahnahnah nah!
I love Pacifica, and I prefer GBA soundtrack. It is a part of DKC4 coming true 💙
Even though I love returns it's a damn shame that rare themselves wasn't permitted to make the console game. I still think that they would've done an even better job with the console version than Retro did, even though Retro did do an amazing job. Maybe now that Retro is doing jack all, Rare could take the reins again? Probably not... But at least we have the original team making platformers like the impossible lair!
I hate how Microsoft bought Rareware.
You should’ve said his name.
Donkey Kong Chrysler Pacifica
I wasn't crazy about the changes made to DKC advance, so I avoided the following 2. Now 17 years later, I find out that we almost got a real Donkey Kong Country 4, but nintendo nixed it because of their pride. Just when I thought I couldn't hate nintendo anymore.
the music is so weird but both osts are good
hey i know there are levels that dixie is necessary to be used, but you still need kiddy kong to complete the game, so don't be mean to kiddy
We need Nintendo to buy back Rare from MS.
I really hope that Nintendo launch this trilogy of games for the GBA (expansion pass) app like they did with the Mario Advance ones.. probably unlikely but i really wish that.. and i know the snes trilogy is superior for both graphics and soundtrack, but since i finished so many times i really would like to play some minigames, complete photo albums and play Pacifica new world (i only played dkc 1 for the gba, 2 and 3 was impossible)
I'm white and hereby grant you the C word pass
🐗
First time I played DKC3 was on GBA, thought it was not bad, when I played DKC3 on the Nintendo Switch online, the whole game felt off, I hated the music and found the controls tricky.
So Pacifica when you say "Romhack" you mean "Near-Kaizo" but for some reason you cant say Kaizo? Also when I think "Wind Physics in Water" I see water currents
Nah, Kaizo is a different mentality, trying to make it really difficult and only able to get through in one specific way (or otherwise busting the game's systems to get through). This is more "throwing whatever into the level in lunar magic because it seems cool" plus actual level design.
@@DesigningFor Thanks for Answering i know these arent as crazy hard as Kaizo but still quite difficult and senseless kinda like Mario 2 JP/Lost Levels witch to me are Nearly Kaizo
These shrimps fresh?
Wow. Didn't know of this game. Love the extra world. Upgraded levels to fun but slightly boring levels of DKC3.