--Funky Kong, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Donkey Kong may not get as much attention as a character as Mario does, but his games have their own kind of excellence that builds off of the style of Mario's games. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze gives him a game that handles so many aspects so well that its brevity (it only has six worlds) is overshadowed by its clever level design, simple but creative environments, and sheer challenge. Yes, you will probably die quite a bit, as all sorts of environmental shifts and enemy movements can unexpectedly kill you. Equippable items can help reduce the difficulty, but that is one of the most persistent parts of the game no matter which of the regions you are in.
Production Values
The individual levels and the world maps, with their overhead camera positions and occasional creatures, are equally adept at showcasing how much effort went into making the graphics smooth, consistent, and clear. One of the best kind of section that highlights the evolving visual side of the series is the occasional minecart or rocket ride that shifts away from a side-scrolling camera. Perhaps the rails curve so as to turn the level towards or away from the camera's previous position, bringing the game beyond the standard "2.5D," a feat that becomes more and more prominent in later levels. This new vantage point adds variety to what could otherwise be very similar vehicle sections, but the standards parts played on foot never shift the camera. Still, the differences in the regions provide plenty of aesthetic variety here on their own.
Gameplay
The style of gameplay, from the general camera position to the need to jump on the heads of small enemies, is very similar to Super Mario Bros., but there are plenty of distinguishing artistic features or game mechanics. Donkey Kong can slam into the ground while standing on it to overturn minor enemies or open up flowers, something Mario does not do by default. He also gets to ride in minecarts or on rockets in some sections that require precise timing for jumps and item collection. Replacing the coins of Mario's games are bananas, which still provide an extra life for each 100 acquired. Special challenges, which are optional, have you gather bananas while a timer counts down in order to receive a puzzle piece. Fail these timed banana collection challenges, and the level must be restarted (or you must die) in order to try again.
Genuinely prolonged boss fights that sometimes require far more than the cliche three hits to finish are one of the significant differences between this and standard Super Mario Bros. games, however. While some games focusing on Mario have very similar boss fights, Tropical Freeze pits you against a giant owl, a seal, a puffer fish, and more, all of which become increasingly harder to hit, or at least survive until the next hit, after each successful attack. These bosses are among the many highlights of a game full of highlights. It just might take many attempts for certain bosses to be defeated, particularly the ones fought in relatively small, confined environments with little room to navigate without hitting enemies.
Story
Some spoilers are below, but there is little to spoil besides the diverse environments played through.
A foreign invader from a cold region interrupts the life of the Kong family, prompting Donkey Kong to travel through various landscapes to face a Viking-like leader. Exotic creatures at and in his way, including a trio of monkeys and an enormous octopus. Each broad region he moves through has its own boss at the end, and some of them seem to be in league with the newcomers who want to bring arctic temperatures to Kong's forest home.
Intellectual Content
The story and characterization are, of course, not deep whatsoever because they are supposed to be simple to the point that almost anyone can let the gameplay itself pull them in along with the art style, but a plethora of optional collectibles such as letters that spell "KONG" and puzzle pieces can test observation skills in a mild way or reaction and planning speed in much stronger ways. There are still secrets, albeit sometimes obvious ones, and genuine challenge to be found in Tropical Freeze--which still gives it a slightly intellectual side in some areas. Even so, some works of entertainment actually possess deep quality even apart from philosophical themes, and here is such a game.
Conclusion
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is a grand mixture of simplicity and complexity thanks to the coexistence of its very linear level design and challenging platforming and boss fights. It is one of the best platformers one could play, and yet is so utterly simple in its mechanics and story that there little to describe about those aspects! Something like Luigi's Mansion 3 has a more thorough kind of exploration, and something like Super Mario Galaxy (which is on the Switch for those who have the discontinued Super Mario All Stars collection that included it) provides an even greater challenge, yet Tropical Freeze is a great reminder that Mario is not the only central Nintendo character with great (mostly) side-scrolling games with the classic Super Maro Bros. mechanics.
Content:
1. Violence: The extremely mild, bloodless actions of Donkey Kong jumping on the heads of animal enemies or rolling into them are the extent of the violence.
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