Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is back but this time on the Nintendo Switch and with
an optional Funky twist.
So here’s the deal Tropical Freeze is still very much the same game it was back in 2014
on the Wii U.
Which is to say, it’s freaking amazing.
Look, I’m not going to beat around the banana bunch here--this was, and continues to be,
one of the best platformers ever made.
I replayed the entire game in “Original” mode for the purpose of this review and had
just as much fun my second time through as I did my first.
I won’t go into all of it here--you can watch my original review of the Wii U version
for the full breakdown--but here’s a quick recap.
Tropical Freeze is simply a marvel of 2D platformer game design--as if the entire history of the
sidescrolling genre has been leading up to this one moment.
And that’s largely due to two things: Absolutely amazing level design and fantastic controls.
I’ve never played a side scrolling game this creative while also playing this well.
I said it before and I’ll say it again: Retro somehow made swimming as a giant ape
feel elegant
What really makes Tropical Freeze stand out is how intricate each and every level feels,
consisting of myriad moving parks.
Each level feels like a miniature trip to Disneyland, with incredible detail befitting
the world’s theme, while featuring a truly wonderful kinetic energy, making, bringing
the world alive in a way that even 2D Mario can only dream of.
Dancing trees swing platforms around.
An octopus closes off paths while in pursuit.
Even a saw blade carves a path of flying wood in front of your very eyes.
The amount of creativity is staggering--especially when you consider that, for as truly crazy
things can get, it still somehow feels incredibly grounded.
You won’t find any magical floating platforms here.
Everything has a reason for being where it is and and acting the way it does--the shelves
in the fruit factory spin around only as a result of fruit rolling into them.
Platforms drip slowly down honey waterfalls.
And It’s this incredible devotion to thematic consistency that elevates Tropical Freeze
above its contemporaries--or is that Kongtempries?
Even the floating platforms here are only floating because you’re trapped inside a
giant tornado--which is a visual splendor in its own right.
And speaking of visual splendor, the bright colorful visuals are still a joy to behold--with
the silhouette levels still being particularly striking.
Especially now that Tropical Freeze looks ever so slightly better on the Nintendo Switch
thanks to the upgrade to native 1080p when docked from the originals 720p--it looks sharp
and made me appreciate the finer details even more.
And of course, it’s impossible to talk about Tropical Freeze without mentioning the absolutely
brilliant soundtrack by original DKC composer, David Wise.
This is one of the finest collections of tracks I’ve ever heard in a Nintendo game--with
several actually getting me worked up a bit emotionally--all over a giant ape who just
wants to get home.
The track for Seashore War is stilll haunting--and conveys the true weight of the adventure that
DK and crew have undertaken.
But for as much praise as I have for the game, I’m possibly even more annoyed now my second
time through by the bonus rooms, which are uninspired and incredibly repetitive.
Although they layout does change--purportedly--they all feel the same.
And they bring the otherwise sublime action to a grinding halt.
Breaking up the level’s flow and interrupting the generally fantastic music with...this.
Gaah.
It’s for these reasons that I still recommend you skip them your first time through--especially
because they thankfully only unlock small bonuses like concept art.
Oh, and the entire adventure is still tough as nails--remember, this is the game that
Nintendo even dedicated an entire trailer to just how difficult it can be.
And even though this was my 2nd time through, there were parts where that I still lost a
dozen or more lives--and yet, I never found it unfair or frustrating.
But then again, not everyone has 30 years of platforming experience, and it’s perhaps
for that very reason that Tropical Freeze on Nintendo Switch introduces Funky Mode--which
offers a much more accessible way of playing--in fact, it’s now the default option!
As you might expect, Funky Mode puts you in control of Funky Kong who’s basically a
God by Donkey Kong standards.
He gets 5 hearts instead of the usual 4, can double-jump, hover in the air, stand on spikes,
and breath underwater!
Seriously, why hasn’t this guy been the main hero the entire time?
On top of this, Funky mode also allows you to use items mid-level--such as ones that
rescue you from bottomless pits--as well as saving any KONG letters you find, as you find
them, meaning you don’t have to collect them all in one go.
It’s almost a little absurd just how strong and agile Funky Kong is, allowing you to skip
entire platforms or even sections of a level that Donkey Kong would have had to traversed.
But it’s for that exact reason that Funky Kong definitely lives up to the “fun”
part of his name--allowing you to play through these levels relatively worry-free and in
entirely new ways never envisioned by the original developers--which is pretty cool--and
I can imagine being particularly fun for speed runs.
But at the same time, you’re playing through the game in a way not envisioned by the original
creators.
As I’ve already touched on, with the level design in Tropical Freeze is second to none,
tearing through them with near complete disregard of the original intent almost feels a little
insulting.
So I still firmly believe Tropical Freeze is best experienced as originally intended--with
Donkey Kong in order to truly appreciate the full effect of each level--at least for your
first playthrough.
Which is why it’s fantastic that that you can still play as DK--along with his partners
in Funky Mode--allowing you to ditch Funky’s god-like powers, while still retaining the
other benefits , like an extra heart and mid-level item usage--essentially turning it into a
glorified easy mode.
This maintains the integrity of the original level design, while making it far more accessible
to different skill-ranges.
Outside of Funky Mode though, not much else has changed.
Sure, the graphics are a little sharper, and loading times have been significantly reduced--oh
and DK dies have a cute new idle animation where he plays Nintendo Switch--buuut that’s
about it.
Which raises the question: is it worth picking up if you already own Tropical Freeze on Wii
U.
To which I would answer that, unless you found the original just too dang difficult, I’d
have a hard time recommending the game at full price for returning players, as the content
is otherwise identical to the Wii U version.
So unless you really just really want to re-experience it with slightly sharper graphics with Funky
Kong, rest easy knowing that you’re not missing anything significant by not buying
it again.
However, if you haven’t yet experienced Tropical Freeze for the first time--then it
is absolutely worth the price of admission.
Tropical Freeze is a game I absolutely love, and this is the definitive version--even if
it’s just by a few of Funky’s hairs.
Tropical Freeze isn’t just one of the finest platforming experience on the Nintendo Switch--but
ever.
And with that, thanks for watching.
And make sure to stay tuned to GameXplain for more on DKC: Tropical Freeze and everything
Nintendo Switch.