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Thursday 21 February, 2008
ENTRY 2
GAMEPLAY
The second Session proved to be much more challenging that the first. The next two areas are far more difficult than the first two were. In the third area the game used a lot of disappearing or sinking platforms coupled with the unfortunate positioning of nearby enemies, also some levels used blast barrels extensively, so developing good aim was important. The fourth area introduced a new dynamic; some of the levels were on tracks. This restricted the player’s controls to jumping, making timing extremely important.
One unique feature of this game is the animal companions that the player can pick up along the way. Somewhere in the level the player might find a crate with a swordfish or a snake or a rhino in it, the player can then climb onto that animal and ride it through a certain portion of the level. Each of the different animals has a distinct set of abilities that it confers on the player. For instance, the snake can jump very high, the rhino attacks automatically and the spider can create temporary platforms. The game is designed such that it is not necessary to have one of these animals to complete the level, but it does make it a lot easier or it allows the player to enter secret bonus areas.
DESIGN
This game allows for several different types of levels that are interspersed throughout gameplay so that the player does not get tired of doing the same thing over and over again. There are typical ground-based platforming levels which are fun enough. There are also underwater levels that allow the player greater freedom of movement by taking away gravity but in these levels the ability to attack is taken away so that the player most use this newfound maneuverability to dodge enemies. There are also some levels that take place on tracks where the player is constantly moving forward, these levels restrict the player’s control to jumping, so fast reflexes are necessary to avoid gaps in the track or enemies. There are levels that use blast barrels extensively; blast barrels are basically cannons that propel the player in a certain direction at a rapid pace. Some barrels can be controlled by the player while others cannot, so a player must watch the movements of nearby enemies and other blast barrels to successfully complete the level.
One of the things that is really well done about this game is its reward system. There are so many different things throughout a level that the player can collect for a reward. Bananas give the player extra lives when one-hundred of them are accumulated, likewise the letters K O N G give the player an extra life when all four of those are collected. The player can also collect coins which he can then use to purchase information, hire a plane to another area or play a quiz minigame to get more lives. There are also a number of hidden bonus blast barrels throughout the various levels that propel the player into a minigame where he will be rewarded with a kremcoin if he is successful. When a player gains enough kremcoins he can buy his way into a secret bonus level that is separate from all of the other areas. With so many different things to collect and so many subgoals, a player often has to play through a single level several times to get everything.
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