Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Nintendo Switch)

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Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
The North American cover art for Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze on Nintendo Switch
For alternate box art, see the game's gallery.
Developer Retro Studios
Monster Games[1]
Nintendo SPD Group No. 3
Publisher Nintendo
Platform(s) Nintendo Switch
Release date Japan May 3, 2018[2]
South Korea May 3, 2018
HK May 3, 2018
ROC May 3, 2018
USA May 4, 2018[3]
Mexico May 4, 2018[4]
Europe May 4, 2018[5]
Australia May 4, 2018[6]
Language(s) Deutsch
English (United Kingdom)
English (United States)
Español (España)
Español (Latinoamérica)
Français (Canada)
Français (France)
Italiano
日本語
Genre Platformer
Rating(s)
ESRB:E - Everyone
PEGI:3 - Three years and older
CERO:A - All ages
ACB:G - General
USK:0 - All ages
DEJUS:L - General audience
RARS:0+ - All ages
GRAC:All - All ages
GSRR:P - Six years and older
FPB:PG - Parental guidance
GCAM:3 - Three years and older
Mode(s) Single-player, Multiplayer
Media
Nintendo Switch:
Game Card
Digital download
Input
Nintendo Switch:

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is a platformer game for the Nintendo Switch. The game is a port of the 2014 Wii U game of the same name, making this game the only reissue in the Donkey Kong Country series to not be released on a strictly handheld console, unlike the reissues of previous titles in the series. It includes the new Funky Mode, a beginner-friendly mode which features Funky Kong as a playable character. The game was released in Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan on May 3, 2018 and in North America, Europe, and Australia a day later on May 4, 2018.

Differences from the Wii U version[edit]

Funky Kong as he appears in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze for the Nintendo Switch
Funky as a playable character
  • The port introduces a beginner-friendly mode, the Funky Mode, which centers on Funky Kong. Here, the player can select the main playable character to be either Funky Kong or Donkey Kong. The Original Mode, which is set apart from the Funky Mode, represents the default mode of gameplay, with Donkey Kong as the main playable character.[3]
    The following are the exclusive features of the Funky Mode:
    • Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Dixie Kong, Cranky Kong, and vehicles can each withstand an extra hit, increasing their heart amount to three.
    • As a new playable character, Funky Kong has five hearts, and can perform continuous roll attacks and underwater corkscrew attacks.[3] His surfboard grants him a number of additional abilities as well, such as a Double Jump, a slower descent, an immunity to most kinds of Spike Traps and the ability to jump on most enemies that the other Kongs cannot safely jump on.[3] He can also breathe indefinitely while underwater.[3]
    • A parrot named Tawks appears in the Funky's Fly 'n' Buy shop. When playing as Funky Kong, Tawks replaces him as the shopkeeper. He impersonates Funky and gives him an employee discount.[7]
    • While playing as Funky Kong, Kong Barrels only display the FK initial. This prevents Diddy Kong, Dixie Kong, and Cranky Kong from joining Funky Kong outside of two-player mode, but Funky Kong can still heal himself by breaking them.
      • Likewise, Diddy Kong, Dixie Kong, and Cranky Kong cannot hop on Funky Kong. On the map screen in two-player mode, Funky Kong holds onto one of the three Kongs on his surfboard, including in the map screen idle animations.
    • The player is allowed to select and use items purchased from the shop while in a level. In the Original Mode, this is only possible on the map screen.
    • KONG Letters do not have to be collected again should the player lose a life before reaching the next checkpoint or the end of the level. In addition, they appear permanently translucent when the player re-visits the level where they were collected previously, similarly to the Puzzle Pieces.[8]
    • A figurine of Tawks can be obtained from the Capsule Toy Machine. It is listed under the "Kong Family" section.
  • All bosses have fixed attack patterns, instead of being RNG-based.
  • The arrangement of "Stickerbush Symphony" that plays halfway through the game's credits is replaced with an original melody, featuring voice clips of Funky Kong. During that part of the credits, in-game pictures of Funky Kong are preponderantly shown.
  • Donkey Kong's nose in his in-game model is now more emphasized and defined, matching his appearances in recent Super Mario games.[9]
  • Donkey Kong gets a new idle animation in which he pulls out and plays a Nintendo Switch, replacing his original idle animation where he played a Nintendo 3DS. Also, if Diddy or Dixie are with Donkey Kong when he pulls out his Switch, they play along with him, whereas Cranky expresses contempt for the console when offered a chance to play.[10]
  • The Crash Guard has changed from blue to green for unknown reasons, and the star on the Banana Juice has changed from red to green.
  • Funky Kong's toy in the Figurines Gallery shows him holding the red surfboard he uses in Funky Mode instead of the blue stylized one from the Wii U version. However, the icon that appears when the figurine is obtained from the Capsule Toy Machine still displays the original blue surfboard.
  • The physical version comes with a reversible cover featuring Funky Kong.[11]

Controls[edit]

Note: moves marked with the color blue are only utilised while the characters are underwater.

The game can be played while the Switch is in handheld mode, with the Joy-Cons separate from the console, either the left or right Joy-Con on their own and held horizontally, or the Pro Controller.

The Joy-Cons, whether together or separate, have an additional, equippable control input where motion controls can be used for the Kong Roll, Corkscrew, and Ground Pound abilities, similar to the Wii Remote controls in Donkey Kong Country Returns.

Solo and co-op modes
Action(s) Joy-Con Handheld mode/Joy-Cons
(primary controls)
Joy-Con Handheld mode/Joy-Cons
(secondary controls)
Joy-Con (L) Left Joy-Con
(held horizontally, primary controls)
Joy-Con (L) Left Joy-Con
(held horizontally, secondary controls)
Joy-Con (R) Right Joy-Con
(held horizontally, primary controls)
Joy-Con (R) Right Joy-Con
(held horizontally, primary controls)
Nintendo Switch Pro Controller Pro Controller
(primary controls)
Nintendo Switch Pro Controller Pro Controller
(secondary controls)
Walk Left Stick Directional Buttons Left Stick Right Stick Left Stick +Control Pad
Run
Crouch
Swim
Jump A Button / B Button Right Button / Down Button X Button / A Button A Button / B Button
Barrel Jet hover (playing as/having Diddy)
Helicopter Spin (playing as/having Dixie)
Cane Bounce (playing as/having Cranky)
Swim Boost
Jet Blast (playing as/having Diddy)
Ponytail Propeller (playing as/having Dixie)
Cane attack (playing as/having Cranky)
Ground Pound (while standing) X Button / Y Button ZL Button / ZR Button SL Button / SR Button Up Button / Left Button SL Button / SR Button Y Button / B Button X Button / Y Button ZL Button / ZR Button
Roll Attack (while moving)
Kong Roll (while moving and having a partner)
Shoot popgun
Corkscrew
Grab ZL Button / ZR Button X Button / Y Button SL Button / SR Button Up Button / Left Button SL Button / SR Button Y Button / B Button ZL Button / ZR Button X Button / Y Button
Hold
Pluck
Kong POW L Button / R Button Directional Buttons A ButtonB ButtonX ButtonY Button L Button / R Button
Enter pause menu Plus Button / Minus Button Minus Button Plus Button Plus Button / Minus Button
Enter HOME Menu Home Button N/A Home Button Home Button
Co-op mode only
Pick up partner (for player 1) ZL Button / ZR Button X Button / Y Button SL Button / SR Button Up Button / Left Button SL Button / SR Button Y Button / B Button ZL Button / ZR Button X Button / Y Button
Mount/dismount Donkey Kong (for player 2)

Promotion[edit]

The Play Nintendo website features a skill quiz, a personality quiz, and a match-up activity related to the Nintendo Switch release of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze.

Reception[edit]

Sales[edit]

The Nintendo Switch version of the game debuted at the #2 spot in the UK. It was noted that the Nintendo Switch version debuted 53.7% higher than the original release and that its sales already accounted for 17% of all physical copies of the game in the country.[12] In Japan, it was the top-selling game for its week of release, doing more than double the launch of the Wii U version with 96.754 copies sold.[13] In the United States, it debuted at #5 for April 2018 and was the 2nd best-selling game for the Nintendo Switch according to NPD data.[14] By December 31, 2021, it had sold 4.12 million units worldwide.[15]

Gallery[edit]

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze § Nintendo Switch version.

Staff[edit]

Main article: List of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Nintendo Switch) staff

Names in other languages[edit]

Language Name Meaning
Japanese ドンキーコングトロピカルフリーズ
Donkī Kongu Toropikaru Furīzu
Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze

References[edit]

  1. ^ GameInformer: Nintendo Answers Our Burning Questions
  2. ^ Nintendo 公式チャンネル (January 11, 2018). Nintendo Direct mini 2018.1.11. YouTube. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d e Nintendo (January 11, 2018). Nintendo Direct Mini 1.11.2018. YouTube. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  4. ^ https://www.nintendo.com/es_LA/games/detail/donkey-kong-country-tropical-freeze-switch/
  5. ^ Nintendo UK (January 11, 2018). Nintendo Direct Mini - 11.01.2018. YouTube. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  6. ^ Nintendo. (January 11, 2018). Nintendo continues momentum into 2018: Dark Souls, Donkey Kong, Kirby, Mario Tennis coming to Nintendo Switch. Nintendo AU. Retrieved January 11, 2018.
  7. ^ GameXplain (April 5, 2018). Who Replaces Funky Kong When Shopping in DKC: Tropical Freeze for Switch? + World 1-2 Gameplay (PAX). YouTube. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  8. ^ GameXplain. (April 12, 2018). Some Funky Hoverboard Action in DKC: Tropical Freeze DIRECT FEED Gameplay (Alpine Incline - Switch). YouTube. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
  9. ^ GameXplain (April 6, 2018). DK Got a Nose Job for DKC: Tropical Freeze on Nintendo Switch (Character Model Change). YouTube. Retrieved April 7, 2018.
  10. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62I3GgOCdWc
  11. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cs1AIKVGQQ
  12. ^ Brian (May 08, 2018). Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze’s debut sales on Switch in the UK were 53.7% higher than Wii U. Nintendo Everything. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
  13. ^ https://sites.google.com/site/gamedatalibrary/games-by-year/2018-weekly
  14. ^ rawmeatcowboy (May 22, 2018). APRIL 2018 NPD - NINTENDO LABO, DONKEY KONG COUNTRY: TROPICAL FREEZE, MARIO KART 8 DELUXE, SUPER MARIO ODYSSEY MAKE TOP 10. Go Nintendo. Retrived May 23, 2018.
  15. ^ [1]

External links[edit]