Son Goku that is what I call bad game design though, having to use a move like that, that typically is useless, in random places just to find a secret, who is going to go around slapping the ground or slapping the trees just to find bananas, it's about as bad as yoshi story expecting people to sniff out melons
For what it's worth, every level having a unique signature is something that appears throughout the series. Nearly every level in the first DKC game introduces something new, be it an obstacle, enemy, or setting. 1st level introduces the basics+Rambi; 2nd level, armadillos and rope; 3rd is caves, snakes, bouncy tired, 4th is the first underwater level; 5th introduces more barrels; 6th is your first boss fight; 7th introduces catwalks, vultures, and Winky; and the 8th introduces runaway minecarts. it goes on from there. the 9th level is the only level I can really think of that doesn't really introduce anything new.
+Vercalos al'Corlin Yeah I love that the series does that. When games do that today, I always smile because it just makes a game so much more enjoyable
I'm assuming your profile picture is cloud from FF7. Almost everyone knows he is named Cloud Strife. Also my name is actually short for fContent. I make my own videos. Also, even if I don't know what this "magik" thing is, it wouldn't really be obvious to quite a bit of other people.
TheMartinbomber You're missing the point of what I said, that goes to show how much of an imbecile you are. Let me spell it out for you: YOU DON'T USE WORDS RIGHT. Do you get it now?
TheMartinbomber I can't even... how can you be so stupid? I'm honestly curious, you act like I'm pathetic and all I do is argue on the internet, and literally all you can do is say: LEL PLEB SCRUB NOOB GET REKT LOLOL
I love DKC... but tbh some of the secrets are pretty bad design. Granted, a fair share of them have some sort of clue. Some of them just involve jumping or deliberately dying to find a secret barrel. A few secrets involve shooting a barrel off screen into certain death only for there to be a secret there. It's not really great design. It's not IMPOSSIBLE to find but usually results to a lot of deaths and guess work when you're really stumped on a level. I guess it was quite primitive design, the sequels did a much better job.
What I really hate is when they do what I call the “NSMBait”. The NSMBait is when you lure the player to an area with a common collectible (coins, bananas, etc.) and then reward them with that collectible. So you follow a line of bananas to a secret area, and find more bananas. Not fun.
I can confirm this happens by experience. I don't even know how many times I have jumped into the void in DKCTR just in case there was something hidden and awkwardly died as a result. That might be just me, though.
The Donkey Kong franchise is arguably the reigning king of collectathons. It's quite rewarding to reach 100% on a save file... until you realize that a 'perfect run' is 101%.
The thing I liked about the Donkey Kong Country series was how it did skill progression. The levels taught you how to be better at the game by adding new elements each time. Sure, that had been done before, but the way DKC did it really got me. It was just the right level that I could just keep on playing. When you mastered a technique, you just felt so good. The Bonus Barrels and stuff were nice, but they did their best work by giving me something to go back and find after I'd mastered the techniques I needed.
i only fully played the original DKK. it was pretty good. didn't know for years about many of the secrets since i didn't really look for them. nice video,was informative and nostalgic!
I've not played a single DK game, but from all the good things I've heard I'll probably end up having a DK binge and playing them all. Great video Snoman! Keep up the good work.
I never knew about the exclamation point at the end of the level letting you know you've gotten all the secrets and I've played these games hundreds of times throughout my life! That's awesome!
Dude, this video was tops. Good Game Design is easily one of the better analytical game series. Awesome work as always. DK 64 for me was really fun to go through.
You know, my best friend is the type of guy who would would miss that first secret in DKC 1 with Rambi. He would jump just high enough to make it over. He really plays games at the most basic level they can be played. And when I (having eyes that are trained to look for secrets) would point out something to him, he'd be like "Oh, I didn't see that"; even to the most blatant stuff. It can be incredibly frustrating at times, with me exploding and saying "HOW?! HOW did you not realize that was the case?" But it's still entertaining because in a way, we're playing the game together and strengthening our bonds as friends over it. Donkey Kong Country was a game that did that.
How would he even be able to see that he needs to jump high to get on the higher platform before dropping onto the platform with the bonus cave? Rambi moves so fast and the field of view is so zoomed in that I could barely see that a need to jump particularly high before I end up on the lower platform.
Donkey Kong Country was the first video game I ever played. I used to go over to my friend's house as a kid and play it on their SNES. No wonder I was hooked from the start! Shortly after, my parents got me my own SNES with Donkey Kong Country 2. Excellent video with tons of Nostalgia!
snomaN Gaming definitely! I'm ashamed to admit I've barely touched DKC3. Can't believe I missed that gem. Now I really want to get it on the virtual console... soon!
The reason DKC2 was King Supreme is because of all it's elements. Every memorable moment and the way they even lead you by "Trusting the banana". The bananas in DK2 paved the way for you and rewarded you for playing the game with precision. Boss game, boss music, boss boss, etc...
The DKC series for the SNES was always a favorite of mine growing up. The exploration bonuses and the overall mechanics of controlling the character were the parts that stuck out to me; it honestly didn't feel quite the same in DKCR (I just, for whatever reason, can't get myself to enjoy the newer ones that much). Keep up the good work. ^^
Trayson Lancaster Thanks! Yeah I love the series a ton. I agree that DKCR felt different and did some things wrong, but if you haven't played Tropical Freeze yet, you need to. It is incredibly good, it was one of my favorite games last year. Worth every penny.
the DKC-Returns series being made by Retro shouldbt be too surprising...when they took a series like Metroid, and cranked out the Prime trilogy, THATS when i knew that Retro could breathe new life into an IP that they merely 'took over'...if they can keep the Metroid 'traditions' alive while transitioning to a First-Person perspective, then of course theyd keep DK's iconic secrecy...props to Retro Studios, which im pretty sure are based in Texas (so bonus homestate props from me lol)
Snoman, have you ever played Viva Piñata or its sequel? It's another rareware game, and the way it encourages you to experiment allows for some really great secrets.
I know this video's old but this is so refreshing! So many people seem to chalk up the DKC franchise as successful cuz it was visually impressive for the time. Even as a kid though I could tell that there was something special here beyond the admittedly impressive production and art direction. I feel like the franchise was heavily inspired by Super Mario World, where many stages doubled as not just a straightforward platforming challenge but also a puzzle box of sorts (what with the keys and secret exits). DKC cranked this up to 11 by having multiple secrets in every level. Some were easy to figure out sure, but that felt like practice, training your brain into a bonus level finding Sherlock Holmes, prepared for the point when finding the bonus areas got really mind bending. Also I can't help but imagine that many people didn't see the beauty in these games because they didn't get to know the mechanics properly. Nothing more satisfying than running along and without missing a beat cartwheeling off a cliff to ostensibly certain death, grabbing an item and jumping to safety at the last minute. Or rolling your way through a line of enemies. Such an underappreciated platforming mechanic!!!
I loved what Rare did in DKC3. Your ultimate goal is to free the Queen Banana Bird. To do so, you need to find all fifteen Banana Birds, which requires the Gyrocopter. To get access to the Gyrocopter, you need 41 DK coins. You can't get the last DK coin unless you beat Baron K. Roolenstein aboard the Knautilus. You won't even see the Knautilus unless you've collected all 85 bonus coins. Finally, one of those bonus coins is in the hands of Baron K. Roolenstein, whom you'll find in Kastle Kaos at the end of the "main" game. So you have to climb a mountain of ever-increasing levels of completion: Beat the final boss, collect all the bonus coins, beat the real final boss, collect all the DK coins, find all the Banana Birds, and finally leave K. Rool with egg on his...everything.
So excited to go back to DKC now that I know about the exclamation mark! I gave up on 100% (or 101% or whatever) because I thought it was impossible to keep track of which levels you found all the secrets in. Well, there goes the sole flaw I could find in these games 11/10!
Personally, Donkey Kong Country 2 is the best of the three original on SNES. DKC1 was more "remember Donkey Kong?" and was some kind of homage to the original game while being a traditional platforming game. DKC2 added new gameplay mechanics, new way to play and explore, each level was awesome and funny and each bosses were badass! DKC3 copied DKC2 but changed the awesome and funny levels to dark and serious tone and made the levels feel repetitives and monotone same as the bosses(except the snowman)...
+Stre Led I agree! Except that I feel like DKC3 made everything more happy and childish rather than serious and dark. But I do think that DKC2 had the right balance of old and new
snomaN Gaming Meh, DKC3 felt like those superheroes movies from early 2000, you know, like DareDevil. It's not because there's baby in there that it won't be dark and serious. In DKC2, you had multiple paths and way to do levels and bosses, while DKC was straighter.
I really loved the triology and also Tropical Freeze (havent played Return) and from all the donkey kong levels i have played, the squawk part of the DKC 2 lost level Animal Antics was for me the most challenging part in any DKC game.
I think a game that also really demonstrates this element of good game design is the Talos principle, not only does it have very well hidden secrets and collectibles (although some are badly hidden), it also has whole new levels that are given to you just for trying to explore and collect, which plays into it's puzzle genre style perfectly.
I know you showed a bit of Mega Man in the intro. But I'd have to say that the Mega Man X series is the best example of a hidden reward system. Almost all hidden rewards in Mega Man X games either make you more powerful or significantly change the way you play. Sameish argument for Zelda, but less so because you're required to have those items.
Scott Reinke Yeah! Mega Man X is a game I want to cover on this series down the road, but it will be hard not to repeat a lot of what Egoraptor already has said about it :) I did an episode on Zelda though! The "Growing Stronger" principle!
Some of the levels in Donkey Kong Country Returns play out like clever short animated films like you'd see from Pixar or something, there are no words for how excellent that game is it's like a gamma ray burst of creativity from start to finish
+¡Gñ! Ooo yeah! I actually remember collecting all the coins and feeling so accomplished when it popped up and said "You've completed everything in this game". So good
While I agree with you guys on the reward incentive of going out of your way to find bonus stages equate to great game design, I sadly felt that Retro's DKC games took a massive step backwards in this department. The first problem with the bonus stages is that they get repetitive, often using the same platform or barrel layouts over and over again with the same goal being: collect all the bananas. And the reward you get for getting all the bonus stages were underwhelming compared to what DKC2 & 3 offered, the concept art is nice to look at but its not something worth going out of your way to find all the art pieces, especially when you can just look up the art online. Eventually I just stopped looking for the bonus stages in Returns and Tropical Freeze cause they felt so samey.
+David Teabault I agree completely, the bonus stages in the Retro games are some of the weakest links, I really hope they step it up in the next title. BUT they changed it so that if you collect the Kong letters, that's when you get the bonus stages, so there still is the bonus content, it's just not connected to the bonus stages.
I cant wait for you to get more noticed this is grade A quality content and it was a pleasure to watch, I hope I can make content as good as this one day.
This video was really good- it's nice to see an analysis channel that gets into collectibles and why they matter. While games like Shovel Knight. Shantae, and of course Zelda had them, a lot of games today just give useless collectibles for the sake of collectibles and really miss the point. It shows a lot of needing to get back to basics. Thomas Was Alone, for example, threw them in the Xbox and Steam versions just to give an extra achievement.
+James “DigitalAtlas” Cobb Yeah, I love that its so much more in this game, and other games back then. I wish we could go back to that style of collectibles more often.
i loved DK 2 and 3 the most. At least with 2 and 3 the minigames didnt repeat like the newer Wii/Wii U titles. every mini game in DK2 reflected the level or if you entered the mini game with the animal buddy. I loved the creative ways you had to kill the DK coin kremlin with the metal barrel... I loved DK2 and 3 the most
Agree - the bonus games were a huge let down in the Returns series. They meant something in 2&3, but then in Returns it just goes back to grabbing bananas. Also those games regressed in the lack of Animal Buddies and the fact that your other Kongs only acted as powerups, rather than independent characters to control.
Not counting the edutainment titles of the Sega Pico, the SNES was my first console, with SMW and DKC1 included. Of the two, DK has earned the lion's share of that credit and love (to the point where it was the first LP I produced), with the second game being my favorite classic game of all time. Still have love for the others though, having made DKC3 my 10th LP and currently am working on DKCR for my 17th.
+snomaN Gaming i really would focus on your good game design series, some part of your audience may be a DDK fan but do you think it deserves one entire month entitled to it? every year? idk, its your channel i wont judge, but i seriouly think you should'nt distract your effort from this series. If you're reading i so inmensely reccomend taking a look at Pirahna bytes's Gothic 2, its an AWESOME game with "GREAT GAME DESIGN" written all over it, just make sure you're not playing the expansion
I'm a huge fan of the series but the last two games on wii and wiiU are just... fine, I guess ? I don't feel the same pleasure with those two than with any of the first trilogy.
Kyle the Reflectionist You are the first person I've ever seen who said he/she can't get into DKC2 and DKCTF, but still likes the other games. I actually love this comment. It's so refreshing to see such a different opinion.
DKC2 must be the game I've came back to the most often. And every single time, I always go for the 100% completion. It's just so much fun to look for all the secrets (ain't so secret anymore though) DKC3 is also very fun, but it goes second place because of music and Diddy > fat baby Kong.
Really happy to see and hear DKC3 get some recognition for its excellence in this video. It's my favorite in the series, and doesn't seem to get the respect it deserves.
Dixie Kong was a total cartoon/videogame crush of mine - that ponytail __ So yes, she is sexy, agreed. Candy Kong was too skanky for my liking, y'know?
This video makes me want to go back and play all the Donkey Kong Country games. Well except for 3. It's not bad, it just lacks the vibe of the other games in the series.
I just finished DKC Tropical Freeze and... wow... the graphics and style are amazing. That "Lion King" level is so... so... so mesmerizing... the music.. wow The one with wind instruments is really clever and the juicy jungle... ohh the juicy jungle... eye candy! It has it's own problems but Tropical Freeze is one of the best DKC games, a little bit better than the Wii Version (Way easier too)
"MMM, DIXIE KONG IS SEXY" (Very quietly) "Are you kidding me?" That's a little hidden reward right there. I actually have to agree with what some of the others are saying about some of the secrets not using good design. There's a bunch of people here saying "I didn't know there were bananas hidden in the trees" or "I didn't know about the '!'". I know these are supposed to be "hidden secrets", but you have to use some kind of clever hint so people can reasonably find them. The Rambi secret is great like you said. You almost guaranteed have to hit the wall and find it. But secrets that you'd never think of doing the necessary action are probably hidden worse than they should be.
Great video. Just for some technical feedback, be careful when using multiple clips of audio that were (I'm assuming) recorded on different microphones. The noise difference is pretty noticeable when just two people are alternating talking, but this can easily be fixed by messing with the audio levels a bit. Keep up the awesome work!
TrampolineTales Thanks! Yeah I definitely worried about that, and will try to really make it sound seamless in future videos with collabs. Specifically, when you say "audio levels" are you talking just volume, or what specifically can you tweak to make it sound better?
snomaN Gaming try masking the sound. Leave a bit of room tone at the end of one cut and let it overlap with the room tone at the beginning of the next cut. It should help hide the noise difference.
I remember playing a SMBX episode the other day, and there was a ledge I couldn't reach so I used a Goomba to get the extra height. And guess what you get for reaching that area? YOU GET *NOTHING!* YOU *LOSE!!!*
Weeell. Finding all the bonus room in DKC 1 had no reward attached to it, except a few lines of extra dialog from Cranky. Dixie's Double Trouble introduced Koin as a fun way to find all the DK Coins. But it wasn't really that hard to find him in the levels and almost every time you had to do the same thing to beat him. Nice idea though. In DKC 2 this Coin was always something special. You always wondered "where could it possibly be". They were so creative in hiding it. There is something mysterious about finding only one ridiculous large spinning coin. And The Bonus rooms in Returns and TF weren't that creative at all. So enough complaining :D Love those games. But in my eyes only Diddy's Kong Quest got it 100% right.
Even though I loved DKC3's overworld and side quests, I think DKC2 was the more beautiful game with better music and gameplay. Also, bonus barrels and DK coins were much more difficult (therefore, more fun) to collect in DKC2, whereas in DKC3, the DK buddy was always in your path, so you wouldn't miss him.
The Hidden Reward Principle also explains why Half-life 2 has BAD game design-- they give you areas off the beaten path to explore, but there's never anything interesting to find. All you ever find is headcrabs and useless ammo refills. It's such a failure compared to how DKC2 makes exploring feel rewarding.
"DIXIE KONG IS SEXY"
...............
"Now that I got your attention..."
+TJOEL20 That was actually true though.
"Are you KIDDING me?!"
not really anymore dixie isnt's a kid just immortal
So what is Tiny?
I....I don't even know anymore.....she's one fo the many characters that last I checked they don't even use anymore
As a kid, getting that extended secret ending in DKC2 made me feel like a total bawss. All without the help of a strategy guide.
i didn't even knew that until today. It looks so awesome, now i wanna play it again and get this secret ending
My man
"The plam trees that can be ground pounded to pop out bananas".... wait.... what?!
+Son Goku Yeah! You didn't know that! There's a ton of secrets in them trees :)
+Son Goku I know right! lol!
that's the sound a palm tree makes when ground pounded...PLAM!
Son Goku that is what I call bad game design though, having to use a move like that, that typically is useless, in random places just to find a secret, who is going to go around slapping the ground or slapping the trees just to find bananas, it's about as bad as yoshi story expecting people to sniff out melons
Swaft is sin But those bananas are very insignificant for completing the game.
I had no idea about the exclamation mark
ikr??
I was always like "How am I supposed to know where I missed something??"
It's funny because I remember seeing it above clam city and its just funny to imagine someone shouting clam city!
Awe5ome gamer64 lets all go to *-CLAM CITY!-*
Seth Kauffman Let's swim at the Poison Pond!
@@Awe5omegamer64 no
For what it's worth, every level having a unique signature is something that appears throughout the series. Nearly every level in the first DKC game introduces something new, be it an obstacle, enemy, or setting. 1st level introduces the basics+Rambi; 2nd level, armadillos and rope; 3rd is caves, snakes, bouncy tired, 4th is the first underwater level; 5th introduces more barrels; 6th is your first boss fight; 7th introduces catwalks, vultures, and Winky; and the 8th introduces runaway minecarts. it goes on from there. the 9th level is the only level I can really think of that doesn't really introduce anything new.
+Vercalos al'Corlin Yeah I love that the series does that. When games do that today, I always smile because it just makes a game so much more enjoyable
7:56 Kongcepts*
Ayyy
OMG SNOMAN REPLIED
...
how old are you
Your username and spelling as well as the "joke" all contributed to me asking you for your age.
I'm assuming your profile picture is cloud from FF7. Almost everyone knows he is named Cloud Strife. Also my name is actually short for fContent. I make my own videos. Also, even if I don't know what this "magik" thing is, it wouldn't really be obvious to quite a bit of other people.
DKC2 was the best one in the original SNES series. Best music, best level design, best characters.
Biased, much?
TheMartinbomber Not really, Tropical Freeze is better in all mentioned departments.
TheMartinbomber Do you even know what noob means? If you did, you wouldn't use it here because that makes no sense.
TheMartinbomber You're missing the point of what I said, that goes to show how much of an imbecile you are. Let me spell it out for you:
YOU DON'T USE WORDS RIGHT.
Do you get it now?
TheMartinbomber I can't even... how can you be so stupid? I'm honestly curious, you act like I'm pathetic and all I do is argue on the internet, and literally all you can do is say:
LEL PLEB SCRUB NOOB GET REKT LOLOL
You guys covered all the bases of what makes DKC such an amazing series. Well done!
***** Thanks! That was the idea, just an overview on why it all is so good!
"Who... how are you all getting in here?"
"I just broke in."
_"I'm_ using astral projection!"
😂😂😂😂😂
I love DKC... but tbh some of the secrets are pretty bad design.
Granted, a fair share of them have some sort of clue. Some of them just involve jumping or deliberately dying to find a secret barrel.
A few secrets involve shooting a barrel off screen into certain death only for there to be a secret there. It's not really great design.
It's not IMPOSSIBLE to find but usually results to a lot of deaths and guess work when you're really stumped on a level.
I guess it was quite primitive design, the sequels did a much better job.
DKC2 was undoubtedly a lot better. Hidden zone place was incredible game design.
Oh it is YOU!
Even in the sequels, that's how I found a lot of barrels- oh shit I died, no wait there's a barrel I'm saved!
What I really hate is when they do what I call the “NSMBait”. The NSMBait is when you lure the player to an area with a common collectible (coins, bananas, etc.) and then reward them with that collectible. So you follow a line of bananas to a secret area, and find more bananas. Not fun.
I can confirm this happens by experience. I don't even know how many times I have jumped into the void in DKCTR just in case there was something hidden and awkwardly died as a result.
That might be just me, though.
That was an awesome video! And you're right, the DKC games implemented exploration incredibly well.
+Jared Garrison Yeah! It's probably my favorite part of the games :)
FINALLY, someone is discussing how DKC3 expanded on the franchise
+TravisPilgrim Yeah I'm actually a big fan of it, despite its bad rap. Loved it a ton as a kid
I think i never got the helicopter nor the special level, thanks satan emulators exists.
Yeah, DKC3 is unacceptably underrated
Just quick correction: Super Mario 64 predates DKC3.
Nickoten Ah very good point! I should've known that, did a whole video on SM64 too! lol
The Donkey Kong franchise is arguably the reigning king of collectathons. It's quite rewarding to reach 100% on a save file... until you realize that a 'perfect run' is 101%.
VGologie Yeah they had that innovation before it was really popular. So good.
Man, that was a great video. And that is probably why I love the DKC series so much!
Alex Contreras Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed!
Great start off to -Dixie- Donkey Kong Month! My favourite series in video games right here.
Jolly Goat May can be Dixie Kong month!
ANOTHER reason why the DKC series is my favorite gaming series! Great video, guys!
yesiamthebaker Absolutely! Glad you liked it :D
The thing I liked about the Donkey Kong Country series was how it did skill progression. The levels taught you how to be better at the game by adding new elements each time. Sure, that had been done before, but the way DKC did it really got me. It was just the right level that I could just keep on playing. When you mastered a technique, you just felt so good.
The Bonus Barrels and stuff were nice, but they did their best work by giving me something to go back and find after I'd mastered the techniques I needed.
+ZipplyZane Yeah absolutely! There's a lot of "higher skill tech" that can make the game even more enjoyable like the roll jump
+ZipplyZane Fully agree, the learning curve of DKC2 is pristine.
i only fully played the original DKK. it was pretty good. didn't know for years about many of the secrets since i didn't really look for them.
nice video,was informative and nostalgic!
This is some top quality content, I'm glad I'm subscribed. Keep up the good work, I love to see another huge DK fan.
I've not played a single DK game, but from all the good things I've heard I'll probably end up having a DK binge and playing them all. Great video Snoman! Keep up the good work.
PrinceFlannel Oh man! You won't be disappointed! Glad you enjoyed man, thanks!
I never knew about the exclamation point at the end of the level letting you know you've gotten all the secrets and I've played these games hundreds of times throughout my life! That's awesome!
Some secrets have you jump off the edge without any clues, that’s weird to me.
I really have to beat DKC2 102% sometime. I just want to feel that sense of accomplishment.
+Natok the Dragon [PresStarToPlay] It is totally amazing, just for the Lost World :)
I see!
Also, thank you for replying to my comments!
This is the best Video you have ever made Snoman. And your freinds!! Thx for making it xD
+Lasse Flick Glad you liked it :D
Dude, this video was tops. Good Game Design is easily one of the better analytical game series. Awesome work as always. DK 64 for me was really fun to go through.
BladedSK Thanks man! Yeah I want to revisit DK64 really bad, since it's coming to Wii U eShop soon!
You know, my best friend is the type of guy who would would miss that first secret in DKC 1 with Rambi. He would jump just high enough to make it over. He really plays games at the most basic level they can be played. And when I (having eyes that are trained to look for secrets) would point out something to him, he'd be like "Oh, I didn't see that"; even to the most blatant stuff. It can be incredibly frustrating at times, with me exploding and saying "HOW?! HOW did you not realize that was the case?" But it's still entertaining because in a way, we're playing the game together and strengthening our bonds as friends over it. Donkey Kong Country was a game that did that.
+greder23 Hahah yeah thats awesome! There's nothing like playing a game with a buddy :)
How would he even be able to see that he needs to jump high to get on the higher platform before dropping onto the platform with the bonus cave? Rambi moves so fast and the field of view is so zoomed in that I could barely see that a need to jump particularly high before I end up on the lower platform.
i love the donkey kong country series.
Donkey Kong Country was the first video game I ever played. I used to go over to my friend's house as a kid and play it on their SNES. No wonder I was hooked from the start! Shortly after, my parents got me my own SNES with Donkey Kong Country 2. Excellent video with tons of Nostalgia!
Bruno Z Right?!? It's such a great series, and awesome to look back on fondly :)
snomaN Gaming definitely! I'm ashamed to admit I've barely touched DKC3. Can't believe I missed that gem. Now I really want to get it on the virtual console... soon!
The reason DKC2 was King Supreme is because of all it's elements. Every memorable moment and the way they even lead you by "Trusting the banana". The bananas in DK2 paved the way for you and rewarded you for playing the game with precision. Boss game, boss music, boss boss, etc...
The DKC series for the SNES was always a favorite of mine growing up. The exploration bonuses and the overall mechanics of controlling the character were the parts that stuck out to me; it honestly didn't feel quite the same in DKCR (I just, for whatever reason, can't get myself to enjoy the newer ones that much).
Keep up the good work. ^^
Trayson Lancaster Thanks! Yeah I love the series a ton. I agree that DKCR felt different and did some things wrong, but if you haven't played Tropical Freeze yet, you need to. It is incredibly good, it was one of my favorite games last year. Worth every penny.
DKC2 is my all time favorite!
Same!
I played and beat every DKC game on the SNES and I NEVER knew about the exclamation point thing.
+skudzer1985 Yeah apparently lots of people didnt haha! It's neat little way to tell you
the DKC-Returns series being made by Retro shouldbt be too surprising...when they took a series like Metroid, and cranked out the Prime trilogy, THATS when i knew that Retro could breathe new life into an IP that they merely 'took over'...if they can keep the Metroid 'traditions' alive while transitioning to a First-Person perspective, then of course theyd keep DK's iconic secrecy...props to Retro Studios, which im pretty sure are based in Texas (so bonus homestate props from me lol)
"Giant Kraken" brings two different levels to mind, but I get the point.
Awesome episode, thanks guys!
Snoman, have you ever played Viva Piñata or its sequel? It's another rareware game, and the way it encourages you to experiment allows for some really great secrets.
I know this video's old but this is so refreshing! So many people seem to chalk up the DKC franchise as successful cuz it was visually impressive for the time. Even as a kid though I could tell that there was something special here beyond the admittedly impressive production and art direction.
I feel like the franchise was heavily inspired by Super Mario World, where many stages doubled as not just a straightforward platforming challenge but also a puzzle box of sorts (what with the keys and secret exits). DKC cranked this up to 11 by having multiple secrets in every level. Some were easy to figure out sure, but that felt like practice, training your brain into a bonus level finding Sherlock Holmes, prepared for the point when finding the bonus areas got really mind bending.
Also I can't help but imagine that many people didn't see the beauty in these games because they didn't get to know the mechanics properly. Nothing more satisfying than running along and without missing a beat cartwheeling off a cliff to ostensibly certain death, grabbing an item and jumping to safety at the last minute. Or rolling your way through a line of enemies. Such an underappreciated platforming mechanic!!!
I loved what Rare did in DKC3. Your ultimate goal is to free the Queen Banana Bird. To do so, you need to find all fifteen Banana Birds, which requires the Gyrocopter. To get access to the Gyrocopter, you need 41 DK coins. You can't get the last DK coin unless you beat Baron K. Roolenstein aboard the Knautilus. You won't even see the Knautilus unless you've collected all 85 bonus coins. Finally, one of those bonus coins is in the hands of Baron K. Roolenstein, whom you'll find in Kastle Kaos at the end of the "main" game. So you have to climb a mountain of ever-increasing levels of completion: Beat the final boss, collect all the bonus coins, beat the real final boss, collect all the DK coins, find all the Banana Birds, and finally leave K. Rool with egg on his...everything.
So excited to go back to DKC now that I know about the exclamation mark! I gave up on 100% (or 101% or whatever) because I thought it was impossible to keep track of which levels you found all the secrets in. Well, there goes the sole flaw I could find in these games
11/10!
An absolutely amazing game that stood the test of time.
I just can't stop watching this video it's so amazing well done snomaN
thegodson 1197 Hey thanks man! Glad you like it :D
Personally, Donkey Kong Country 2 is the best of the three original on SNES.
DKC1 was more "remember Donkey Kong?" and was some kind of homage to the original game while being a traditional platforming game.
DKC2 added new gameplay mechanics, new way to play and explore, each level was awesome and funny and each bosses were badass!
DKC3 copied DKC2 but changed the awesome and funny levels to dark and serious tone and made the levels feel repetitives and monotone same as the bosses(except the snowman)...
+Stre Led I agree! Except that I feel like DKC3 made everything more happy and childish rather than serious and dark. But I do think that DKC2 had the right balance of old and new
snomaN Gaming
Meh, DKC3 felt like those superheroes movies from early 2000, you know, like DareDevil.
It's not because there's baby in there that it won't be dark and serious.
In DKC2, you had multiple paths and way to do levels and bosses, while DKC was straighter.
I really loved the triology and also Tropical Freeze (havent played Return) and from all the donkey kong levels i have played, the squawk part of the DKC 2 lost level Animal Antics was for me the most challenging part in any DKC game.
+Ad de Wilde YEAH that is a KILLER for sure!
Awesome! subscribed, can't wait to see more good game design!
Nico Gonzalez Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
I think a game that also really demonstrates this element of good game design is the Talos principle, not only does it have very well hidden secrets and collectibles (although some are badly hidden), it also has whole new levels that are given to you just for trying to explore and collect, which plays into it's puzzle genre style perfectly.
I know you showed a bit of Mega Man in the intro. But I'd have to say that the Mega Man X series is the best example of a hidden reward system. Almost all hidden rewards in Mega Man X games either make you more powerful or significantly change the way you play. Sameish argument for Zelda, but less so because you're required to have those items.
Scott Reinke Yeah! Mega Man X is a game I want to cover on this series down the road, but it will be hard not to repeat a lot of what Egoraptor already has said about it :) I did an episode on Zelda though! The "Growing Stronger" principle!
hell yeah for vzed collab! seriously underrated youtuber. love that guy.
The only thing that could've made this better would have been Perry, great collab, great information and great start to DK month.
NINJATTILA Don't worry, Perry may be showing up for another vid in Donkey Kong Month :D
Very nice snowmaN. Makes me want to play all the DKC games all over again.
MoonSpiritExp Me too man, me too (even though I just did for footage, lol!)
6:50 I WAS FROZEN TODAY!
Some of the levels in Donkey Kong Country Returns play out like clever short animated films like you'd see from Pixar or something, there are no words for how excellent that game is it's like a gamma ray burst of creativity from start to finish
New Super Mario Bros Wii: when you collect all star coins in a world you gain access to a bonus stage in a bonus world
+¡Gñ! Ooo yeah! I actually remember collecting all the coins and feeling so accomplished when it popped up and said "You've completed everything in this game". So good
@@snomangaming honestly that pop up scared the shit of me when I saw it for the first time for some reason.
While I agree with you guys on the reward incentive of going out of your way to find bonus stages equate to great game design, I sadly felt that Retro's DKC games took a massive step backwards in this department. The first problem with the bonus stages is that they get repetitive, often using the same platform or barrel layouts over and over again with the same goal being: collect all the bananas.
And the reward you get for getting all the bonus stages were underwhelming compared to what DKC2 & 3 offered, the concept art is nice to look at but its not something worth going out of your way to find all the art pieces, especially when you can just look up the art online.
Eventually I just stopped looking for the bonus stages in Returns and Tropical Freeze cause they felt so samey.
+David Teabault I agree completely, the bonus stages in the Retro games are some of the weakest links, I really hope they step it up in the next title. BUT they changed it so that if you collect the Kong letters, that's when you get the bonus stages, so there still is the bonus content, it's just not connected to the bonus stages.
They fucked the puzzle pieces but improved a lot the KONG letters.
I cant wait for you to get more noticed this is grade A quality content and it was a pleasure to watch, I hope I can make content as good as this one day.
+Kopikon Oppai Wow thank you, that means a lot :) I hope so!
I really love the DKC series, great video!
Thanks, me too!
This video was really good- it's nice to see an analysis channel that gets into collectibles and why they matter. While games like Shovel Knight. Shantae, and of course Zelda had them, a lot of games today just give useless collectibles for the sake of collectibles and really miss the point. It shows a lot of needing to get back to basics.
Thomas Was Alone, for example, threw them in the Xbox and Steam versions just to give an extra achievement.
+James “DigitalAtlas” Cobb Yeah, I love that its so much more in this game, and other games back then. I wish we could go back to that style of collectibles more often.
I'm sorry but randomly throwing yourself down holes in vain hope of finding a bonus barrel is TERRIBLE game design.
That's why the second game is better. There's WAY less instances of that happening, if at all.
Wow, you have a pretty neat channel. and here i thought you were just the channel that had the GDQ start time for each run
+Maxime Deslauriers Hahaha that's what I do in my off time :P
DKC games are my all time favorite games. I remember playing them all day long in my gba when I was a kid
i loved DK 2 and 3 the most. At least with 2 and 3 the minigames didnt repeat like the newer Wii/Wii U titles. every mini game in DK2 reflected the level or if you entered the mini game with the animal buddy. I loved the creative ways you had to kill the DK coin kremlin with the metal barrel... I loved DK2 and 3 the most
I couldn't agree more! The minigames were amazing in 2&3
Agree - the bonus games were a huge let down in the Returns series. They meant something in 2&3, but then in Returns it just goes back to grabbing bananas.
Also those games regressed in the lack of Animal Buddies and the fact that your other Kongs only acted as powerups, rather than independent characters to control.
One of my all time favs
Not counting the edutainment titles of the Sega Pico, the SNES was my first console, with SMW and DKC1 included. Of the two, DK has earned the lion's share of that credit and love (to the point where it was the first LP I produced), with the second game being my favorite classic game of all time. Still have love for the others though, having made DKC3 my 10th LP and currently am working on DKCR for my 17th.
+ShadwSonic Yeah! DKC holds a very special place in my heart for sure! Lots of memories there
Loving the start to DK month! Can't wait to see more ;)
***** There's more to come :D
+snomaN Gaming i really would focus on your good game design series, some part of your audience may be a DDK fan but do you think it deserves one entire month entitled to it? every year? idk, its your channel i wont judge, but i seriouly think you should'nt distract your effort from this series.
If you're reading i so inmensely reccomend taking a look at Pirahna bytes's Gothic 2, its an AWESOME game with "GREAT GAME DESIGN" written all over it, just make sure you're not playing the expansion
I'm a huge fan of the series but the last two games on wii and wiiU are just... fine, I guess ? I don't feel the same pleasure with those two than with any of the first trilogy.
Sure, it definitely doesn't have the charm of the originals (and a bit more cartoony art style), but MAN I love the level design in it! So creative
I liked DKC, DKC3 and DKC Returns. There was something about 2 and tropical freeze that I just can't get into.
Kyle the Reflectionist
You are the first person I've ever seen who said he/she can't get into DKC2 and DKCTF, but still likes the other games.
I actually love this comment. It's so refreshing to see such a different opinion.
New to this series but all caught up. I look forward to the next episode!
+Sam Weatherford Awesome! Good news, there's one coming out TOMORROW!
This video was hilarious :D well done; subscribed!
DKC2 must be the game I've came back to the most often. And every single time, I always go for the 100% completion. It's just so much fun to look for all the secrets (ain't so secret anymore though)
DKC3 is also very fun, but it goes second place because of music and Diddy > fat baby Kong.
Really happy to see and hear DKC3 get some recognition for its excellence in this video. It's my favorite in the series, and doesn't seem to get the respect it deserves.
+Lyle Kang Yeah I meant it all, it really did bring the series to new waters
DKC2 and DKCTF are some of the best games ever made
Very interesting episode!
I'll try to remember it when I start my next project.
***** Awesome! Thanks for watching!
I would like to see you do a review of Dune 2000, and Command & Conquer.
Dixie Kong was a total cartoon/videogame crush of mine - that ponytail __
So yes, she is sexy, agreed. Candy Kong was too skanky for my liking, y'know?
If I were a female Kong, I'd go after Funky Kong, know what I'm sayin?
+snomaN Gaming Agreed
i i was a female kong id go for lanky
F R U N G U S K O N G
Happy to see the new dk games where mentioned here.
That exclamation point fact blew my mind.
YEAH I guess a lot of people didn't know that haha!
Love your channel more and more with each video I see. :)
+Lord Alfajor Glad you think so :) I have a ton of fun making them
This video makes me want to go back and play all the Donkey Kong Country games. Well except for 3. It's not bad, it just lacks the vibe of the other games in the series.
+Lunar Dancer Yeah 2 is definitely the perfect middle ground imo.
I'm being nit-picky but M64 came out before DKC3. So at 5:58 it never really set the pace for that game
Fantastic games & every word you said was on point, 1 new sub for you.
From software does a really good job with exploration as well. Playing bloodborne really makes that clear.
fragr33f Yeah! I think I want to do a video on Dark souls for this series too. There's so much good design to talk about there.
Agreed!
Retro studios? Where do I know THEM from..? OH YEAH REVIVING ANOTHER FAN FAVORITE NINTENDO SERIES WITH THE GAME METROID PRIME!
I just finished DKC Tropical Freeze and...
wow... the graphics and style are amazing.
That "Lion King" level is so... so... so mesmerizing... the music.. wow
The one with wind instruments is really clever and the juicy jungle... ohh the juicy jungle... eye candy!
It has it's own problems but Tropical Freeze is one of the best DKC games, a little bit better than the Wii Version (Way easier too)
Best way to interrupt a heated argument. But it's not comparable to I WAS FROZEN TODAY!
"MMM, DIXIE KONG IS SEXY"
(Very quietly) "Are you kidding me?"
That's a little hidden reward right there.
I actually have to agree with what some of the others are saying about some of the secrets not using good design. There's a bunch of people here saying "I didn't know there were bananas hidden in the trees" or "I didn't know about the '!'". I know these are supposed to be "hidden secrets", but you have to use some kind of clever hint so people can reasonably find them. The Rambi secret is great like you said. You almost guaranteed have to hit the wall and find it. But secrets that you'd never think of doing the necessary action are probably hidden worse than they should be.
I had either forgot or never know how to unlock the the bonus level in DKC 3 can't to replay Dixie Kong's double trouble
Great video. Just for some technical feedback, be careful when using multiple clips of audio that were (I'm assuming) recorded on different microphones. The noise difference is pretty noticeable when just two people are alternating talking, but this can easily be fixed by messing with the audio levels a bit. Keep up the awesome work!
TrampolineTales Thanks! Yeah I definitely worried about that, and will try to really make it sound seamless in future videos with collabs. Specifically, when you say "audio levels" are you talking just volume, or what specifically can you tweak to make it sound better?
snomaN Gaming try masking the sound. Leave a bit of room tone at the end of one cut and let it overlap with the room tone at the beginning of the next cut. It should help hide the noise difference.
Ah that's a great idea. I'll try that next time! Thanks
I remember playing a SMBX episode the other day, and there was a ledge I couldn't reach so I used a Goomba to get the extra height. And guess what you get for reaching that area?
YOU GET *NOTHING!* YOU *LOSE!!!*
Donkey Kong Country 1, 2, 3 are the best Jump n´ runs ever made! Rare+Nintendo PERFECT!!!!!
What?!? I didn't know about the bananas in the trees!
And then there’s the Donkey Kong LAND games, which…
"DIXIE KONG IS SEXY"
Me: *laughs*
Also Me: *checks search history*
She really is though
@@Elfilinfan I mean if that's your fetish, im not gonna judge.
@@inst_guy I think that's the reason I was kicked out of the bastion
Love this franchise. Third game is my favourite!
no first is the worst, but all are great, first has the least great level design
Reminds me of the phrase
first is the worst
second is the best
and third is the nerd
Dr. Dhoom It was a joke.
Dr. Dhoom I liked dkc 2 it was challenging and fun. I enjoyed the soundtrack and its one of my favorites.
DKC 1 Was god tier in soundtrack was amazing and immersive the game play was fun too.
The dk series will forever be among the best.
DK2 best game ever in every aspect
Weeell. Finding all the bonus room in DKC 1 had no reward attached to it, except a few lines of extra dialog from Cranky. Dixie's Double Trouble introduced Koin as a fun way to find all the DK Coins. But it wasn't really that hard to find him in the levels and almost every time you had to do the same thing to beat him. Nice idea though. In DKC 2 this Coin was always something special. You always wondered "where could it possibly be". They were so creative in hiding it. There is something mysterious about finding only one ridiculous large spinning coin. And The Bonus rooms in Returns and TF weren't that creative at all.
So enough complaining :D
Love those games.
But in my eyes only Diddy's Kong Quest got it 100% right.
I feel like I'm the only one who scours DKC1 for ground pound spots .-.
Awesome video!!
immediate subscribed
BillyLand Thanks! Glad you enjoyed!
What is a kong but a miserable pile of secrets?
+NuclearUnicorn7 The same could be said of all primates.
Even though I loved DKC3's overworld and side quests, I think DKC2 was the more beautiful game with better music and gameplay. Also, bonus barrels and DK coins were much more difficult (therefore, more fun) to collect in DKC2, whereas in DKC3, the DK buddy was always in your path, so you wouldn't miss him.
The Hidden Reward Principle also explains why Half-life 2 has BAD game design-- they give you areas off the beaten path to explore, but there's never anything interesting to find. All you ever find is headcrabs and useless ammo refills. It's such a failure compared to how DKC2 makes exploring feel rewarding.
what's that game 0:21 ?