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Sprucewillis5's Donkey Kong Country 2 (SNES)
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| [March 4, 2014 11:50:47 PM]
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Limitations
Players can only get hit once per Kong
Players have lives (balloons) that will eventually run out (Game Over)
Access to earlier areas and save points are only available after unlocking in each new area.
Affordances
Can switch between the two Kongs at any point
Check Points can be reached that will remain active until a Game Over is reached.
Cranky Kong can be visited for tips on how to beat levels
Funky Kong gives the player access to earlier areas to replay
For my 2nd session I continued playing through the different areas and picking out my favorite levels from each area.
Tree Top Town!
‘Tree Top Town!’, is the 2nd level of the 3rd world, and is a very good example of the classic Barrel Blasting levels that make Donkey Kong Country so popular. The level is set in a town high in the tree tops of a forest. Players make their way through the level by jumping into barrels that blast you out in various directions. Some barrels blast you out automatically, while others allow the player to choose when to blast. Timing is key in this level as the barrels move and rotate in various patterns and can often blast you into the abyss. I enjoy this level because it is very satisfying to string together a chain of successful blasts very quickly, although it’s much more efficient to take your time and watch the barrels movement closely. The artwork in this level fits well into the areas theme of a forest and the huts and rope bridges that make up the town are all nicely drawn. While I enjoy the music in this level I don’t feel like it fits the theme as well as some of the other levels.
Torchlight Trouble
Torchlight trouble is one of the few levels in the game that alters the levels lightning to add a challenge to navigation. It takes place in cave and the player gains an animal friend, a parrot that holds a lantern, to help navigate through the level. While the lighting effects are necessarily impressive I still thought this was a creative gameplay mechanic and one I wished had been used more. This is a very Donkey Kong friendly level as almost all of the enemies cannot be killed by Diddy. I enjoy this as I normally prefer playing as Donkey Kong. This is an unusually short level for this stage in the game, but this might be due to the levels high difficulty. The artwork in this level isn’t very noticeable as the lights are mostly out, but it goes along with the standard cave theme that several levels have. The music fits the level very well, as it has a very ominous feeling to it and feels like ‘cave’ music. While I enjoy this level a lot, some of these levels late into the game are not as fun to play as the earlier levels as they are meant to be very challenging.
Poison Pond!
This was the last level I decided to play through and is located in the 5th area of the game. The theme of this area is that of a factory, so this level is supposed to represent a polluted pond. Most of the underwater levels are very frustrating and universally hated, but I found this one to be quite fun. The water levels play completely different since you are swimming and have to tap the jump button to swim upward and when not swimming you sink so you are constantly doing something. I normally like to race through levels as fast as possible but patience is very important in this level as jellyfish and piranhas often enter the screen very quickly and if you are moving to quickly you won’t have time to dodge them. I really enjoy the artwork to the underwater levels, as it features coral and different kinds of fish. However, this level has green water to simulate the pollution, which I found to be somewhat lazy. While I understand the limitations of earlier systems, I think a slight change to the artwork would have made a nice tough to the level. The underwater themed music is also very relaxing, which sometimes doesn’t fit the level as they can be very stressful.
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| [March 4, 2014 11:37:03 AM]
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Donkey Kong Country is a game developed by Rare originally released for the Super NES in 1994. It is a 2D side scrolling platformer that is known for its high difficulty and creative level design. Player’s control an anthropomorphic gorilla named “Donkey Kong” and his chimpanzee sidekick “Diddy Kong”. Player’s can control only one Kong at a time, but may switch control at any point during the game. Both Kongs play differently; Donkey Kong being heavier allows him to defeat tougher enemies while Diddy Kong can jump slightly higher. The objective of the game is to retrieve the Kong’s stolen banana hoard, from King K. Rool and his army of kremlings. In order to retrieve your banana hoard, players must traverse through 6 areas each containing several levels. Levels are made up of different platforms and obstacles that primarily require jumping to maneuver. Some levels have different play styles, such as underwater and mine cart levels that help keep the game from getting stale. Ultimately it is the design and challenge of several individual levels that keep me playing this game 20 years after its release. My first play session I played several of my favorite levels and decided to discuss my favorites from the first two worlds: Jungle Hijinks and Mine Cart Carnage. I am playing the game on the Nintendo Wii using a Wii Mote Classic Controller.
Jungle Hijinks
Jungle Hijinks is the first level in the game and serves as somewhat of a tutorial for the game. The level is jungle themed, as this is supposed to serve as Donkey and Diddy’s home. If the player enters the Kong’s empty cave, where the bananas are stored, they are presented with a note that serves as the narrative of the game. Having not played the game in some time I was quickly reminded at how difficult this series is as gophers and rock throwing vultures attacked me. But this is one of the easy levels, so once I familiarized myself with the controls again I was running through it very quickly. One of the great things about this level is all the hidden bonuses, and how easy they are to obtain. Running through this level a few times is a very quick way to obtain extra lives, which are needed in the games more difficult stages. The level also features a fun soundtrack known as ‘DK Island Swing”, that flows very well with the pace of the level. My favorite thing about this level is the introduction of your animal friend Rambi. DK can ride Rambi through the level destroying enemies and obstacles by simply running into them. While he is featured in more levels, he is easiest to appreciate in Jungle Hijinks due to the low difficulty level.
Mine Cart Carnage
This level is widely known as being one of the more difficult ones, and is the first ever mine cart level of the game. I really love this level as I enjoy the mine cart levels and the challenge they present. The level begins with the Kong’s entering a cave and finding an abandoned mine cart. After jumping into the cart, the cart then speeds away giving you no control over how fast you are going. At this point the objective is to simply jump to dodge obstacles and enemies, and to gather collectibles. The timing of your jumps is very important in this level, as enemies roll towards you at high speeds and often times the track is broken at almost the exact distance of your max jump. The music featured in this level is called, “Mine Cart Madness” and has a much faster pace than previous levels. This helps to increase the tension of the level as everything about it is fast paced.
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Sprucewillis5's Donkey Kong Country 2 (SNES)
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Current Status: Playing
GameLog started on: Tuesday 4 March, 2014
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