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Thursday 21 February, 2008
Gameplay:
After more time playing, I have discovered that some enemies cannot be killed using just any method. Some can only be defeated by a thrown barrel, and some cannot be killed and must simply be avoided. I remember numerous times where I had been knocked off of a platform by a crocodile in a barrel running up behind me and bumping me.
Also, there are little rest stop type areas in each world that exist for various purposes. Some of the ones I’ve visited so far are a museum, a school for learning moves, and a game show where various mini-games can be played. They are all fun and interesting in different ways.
Design:
The various challenges presented by the level design create a satisfyingly difficult time getting through to the end of a level. Certain instances I can recall include jumping over a bee while hanging onto a rope, and, like mentioned above, dodging an incoming enemy when attempting a carefully timed jump. I find myself continuing after a death just to execute a jump that looks easy at a glance, but is more difficult than it seems. Boss battles in particular aren’t too hard, at least so far. It is actually more of a challenge getting through the world to reach the boss than actually defeating the boss himself. But overall the game provides enough of a challenge to keep the game interesting.
One innovative aspect of the game I feel is the tag element of the game play. Breaking a barrel with Dixie inside instantly gives the player access to all of her moves, and her and Diddy can be switched to on the fly just by pressing Select. Often I find myself using Dixie, as her spin move reduces her falling speed, making her much more useful when needing to land on narrow ledges (there are quite a few). Another thing about the tag aspect that is very useful and appreciated is that when either of them take damage, the player automatically switches to the character that did not take damage. It is somewhat of a life-saving mechanic that is reminiscent of rings from Sonic the Hedgehog. It is very valuable as there is no health meter present.
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest is definitely a game focused on fun that is worth playing.
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