Donkey Kong Country Returns

Donkey Kong Country Returns is a side-scrolling 2.5D platform game developed by Retro Studios for the Wii. It was released on November 21, 2010 in North America, December 2, 2010 in Australia, December 3, 2010 in Europe, and December 9, 2010 in Japan. It features Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong, who travel across the island to retrieve the Banana Hoard. This game is also the sequel to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System game, Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!. It is the fourth game in the Donkey Kong Country series.

Story
On one peaceful day, the volcano of Donkey Kong Island erupts and reawakens the Tiki Tak Tribe from their slumber. For mysterious purposes, the Tikis hypnotize the local wildlife ranging from elephants, giraffes, zebras, and squirrels by using their music to bring them every banana in sight. Under their control, Donkey Kong is robbed of his Banana Hoard. Luckily, the Kongs seem immune to the Tikis' mind powers. Donkey Kong stares at the Tiki and kicks him out of his house. Donkey Kong breaks his front door open and immediately sets off for adventure.

Donkey Kong reunites himself with Diddy Kong and the two monkeys head off to the volcano to recover their precious bananas. After traveling through various parts of Donkey Kong Island, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong soon encounter the leader of the Tiki Tak Tribe, Tiki Tong. After going through a tough fight, the Kongs prevail, and they retrieve their banana hoard along the way.

Afterwards, a Golden Temple appears on the island. If the Kongs get all the Rare Orbs from the 8 temples, they'll have access to this temple and its secrets.

Gameplay
Donkey Kong Country Returns is a platformer game. The two playable characters are Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong. The animal buddies are Squawks the parrot and Rambi the rhino. Squawks helps find puzzle pieces and Rambi can destroy most enemies and hazards simply by charging into them.

Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong can be fired further forward or further back in levels from Barrel Cannons. It is harder to see what is going on when the apes are fired further back.

If the Kongs get hit by an enemy or hit spikes, they will lose some health. If they lose all their health, get hit by waves in the level Tidal Terror or fall into a pit, they will lose a life. If they lose all their lives, it is Game Over.

Time Attack
The Time Attack mode is accessible when any level has been completed at least once. In this mode, the player can earn one of four medals by finishing it in the fastest time possible. The level is always started with only Donkey Kong, even if players have Diddy Kong with them. When the Tutorial Pig finishes the countdown and waves the green flag, the timer and level will officially start. If the Kongs reach the end of the level and hit the Slot Machine Barrel with a checkered flag on it, then the Tutorial Pig will wave it to stop the timer. Then, the player's total time is recorded and a bronze, silver, gold, or shiny gold medal is awarded, depending on how fast the player did in the level. Shiny gold medals require an even faster time than normal gold medals, and their required time is not shown in the game.

Players don't lose lives in Time Attack mode. However, the timer does not reset if players are taken out by enemies, obstacles, or an abyss.

Time Attack mode does not affect the game clear percentage, so this game mode is completely optional.

Mirror Mode
The treasure that's found in the Golden Temple is a mirror, which unlocks Mirror Mode. In Mirror Mode, players can't use inventory items, nor can players use Diddy Kong; as a result, there's no multiplayer feature. To add to the difficulty, Donkey Kong only gets one heart. Clearing all the levels in Mirror Mode will unlock some bonus images in the Image Gallery.

Controls
This game utilizes two different control schemes, which are the by itself, and the  with the Nunchuk Attachment, which serves as the primary control scheme.

Solo & Co-op

 * and : Start Game (At title screen)
 * Jump, Ascend (while using the Barrel Jet)
 * or : Grab barrels, vines, cling patches, Dismount Rambi
 * or : Pause
 * Walk, Run, Crouch
 * Shake: Ground Pound, Blow (while crouching), Roll (while walking/running), Charge (while walking/running on Rambi)

Co-op Only

 * or (Donkey Kong): Carry Diddy Kong
 * or (Diddy Kong): Ride Donkey Kong; Dismount Donkey Kong

Solo & Co-op

 * Grab barrels, vines, and cling patches
 * Jump; Ascend (while using the Barrel Jet), Start Game (At title screen)
 * Pause
 * Pause
 * Walk, Run (while holding )
 * Crouch, Dismount Rambi (while holding )
 * Shake: Ground Pound, Blow (while crouching), Roll (while walking/running), Charge (while walking/running on Rambi)

Co-op Only

 * (Donkey Kong): Carry Diddy Kong (while holding )
 * (Diddy Kong): Ride Donkey Kong (while holding ), Dismount Donkey Kong (while holding )

Main Characters

 * Donkey Kong
 * Diddy Kong
 * Cranky Kong
 * Tutorial Pigs
 * Super Kong

Animal Buddies

 * Rambi the Rhinoceros
 * Squawks the Parrot

Enemies

 * Tiki Tak Tribe

Tiki Enemies

 * Tiki Goons
 * Tiki Dooms
 * Tiki Buzzes
 * Tiki Torks
 * Flaming Tiki Buzzes
 * Tiki Boings
 * Tiki Torches
 * Tiki Bombers
 * Tiki Tanks
 * Tiki Zings
 * Big Zings
 * Tiki Pops
 * Tiki Seekers
 * Tiki Pilots

Jungle Enemies

 * Awks
 * Rawks
 * Chomps
 * Mega Chomps
 * Frogoons
 * Hopgoons
 * Mimics
 * Screaming Pillars
 * Giant Pillars

Beach Enemies

 * Snaps
 * Pinchleys
 * Squidlies
 * Electrasquids
 * Snaggles
 * Super Snaggles
 * Jellybobs
 * Squiddicus

Ruins Enemies

 * Stilts
 * Humzees
 * Toothberries
 * Cageberries
 * Acks

Cave Enemies

 * Squeeklies
 * Mole Miners
 * Mole Guards

Forest Enemies

 * Chomps
 * Mega Chomps
 * Shroom Chomps
 * Spore Chomps
 * Vine Chomps
 * Buzzbites
 * Cling Cobras
 * Skittlers
 * Munchers
 * Bopapodami

Cliff Enemies

 * Skellyrexes
 * Skullyrexes
 * Bonehead Jeds
 * Firehead Neds

Factory Enemies

 * Buzzsaws
 * Pogobots
 * Pyrobots
 * Buckbots
 * Buckbombs
 * Electroids

Volcano Enemies

 * Char-chars
 * Ultra Char-chars

Golden Temple Enemies

 * Kowalees

Bosses

 * Mugly
 * Scurvy Crew
 * Stu
 * Mole Miner Max and his Mole Train
 * Mangoruby
 * Thugly
 * Colonel Pluck and his Stompybot 3000
 * Tiki Tong

Other

 * Wigglevines

Items and Objects

 * Bananas
 * Banana Bunches
 * Banana Coins
 * Barrels
 * Minecarts
 * K-O-N-G Letters
 * Barrel Cannons
 * DK Barrels
 * Slot Machine Barrels
 * Hearts
 * Puzzle Pieces
 * Auto-Fire Barrels
 * Red Balloons
 * Bonus Rooms
 * Treasure Chests
 * Animal Crates
 * Rocket Barrels
 * Map Keys
 * Rare Orbs
 * Banana Juices

Areas and Levels

 * Jungle
 * Jungle Hijinxs
 * King of Cling
 * Tree Top Bop
 * Sunset Shore
 * Canopy Cannons
 * Crazy Cart
 * Platform Panic
 * Mugly's Mound


 * Beach
 * Poppin' Planks
 * Sloppy Sands
 * Peaceful Pier
 * Cannon Cluster
 * Stormy Shore
 * Blowhole Bound
 * Tidal Terror
 * Tumblin' Temple
 * Pinchin' Pirates


 * Ruins
 * Wonky Waterway
 * Button Bash
 * Mast Blast
 * Damp Dungeon
 * Itty Bitty Biters
 * Temple Topple
 * Shifty Smashers
 * Ruined Roost


 * Cave
 * Rickety Rails
 * Grip 'n' Trip
 * Bombs Away
 * Mole Patrol
 * Crowded Cavern
 * Jagged Jewels
 * The Mole Train


 * Forest
 * Vine Valley
 * Clingy Swingy
 * Flutter Flyaway
 * Tippin' Totems
 * Longshot Launch
 * Springy Spores
 * Wigglevine Wonders
 * Muncher Marathon
 * Blast & Bounce
 * Mangoruby Run


 * Cliff
 * Sticky Situation
 * Prehistoric Path
 * Weighty Way
 * Boulder Roller
 * Precarious Plateau
 * Crumble Canyon
 * Tippy Shippy
 * Clifftop Climb
 * Perilous Passage
 * Thugly's Highrise


 * Factory
 * Foggy Fumes
 * Slammin' Steel
 * Handy Hazards
 * Gear Getaway
 * Cog Jog
 * Switcheroo
 * Music Madness
 * Lift-off Launch
 * Treacherous Track
 * Feather Fiend


 * Volcano
 * Furious Fire
 * Hot Rocket
 * Roasting Rails
 * Smokey Peak
 * Bobbing Basalt
 * Moving Melters
 * Red Red Rising
 * Five Monkey Trial
 * Tiki Tong Terror


 * Golden Temple
 * Golden Temple

Marketing and Release
To promote the game, Nintendo partnered Chiquita to cross-promote the game for a limited time by having Donkey Kong promotion stickers on their bananas. In addition, an online contest was set up asking people to upload three photos of themselves doing the "Donkey Kong dance" for a chance to win one of thirty-one prizes. Nintendo also partnered with Johnny Rockets to rebrand their Chocolate Banana Shake as the "Donkey Kong Chocolate Banana Shake" for a limited time. In addition, the promotion ties in with a sweepstakes for a chance to win a copy of the game.

In the United Kingdom, select Game and Gamestation stores were chosen to promote the game at launch by trading a handful of bananas in exchange for the copy of the game. The first twenty customers that arrive at the store are guarantee to get the game.

Nintendo of Australia promoted the game before launch by having game demo in two locations: The Nintendo Connection at Myer department store, Sydney City in November 27, and The Nintendo Experience at EB Games, Swanston Street, Melbourne in November 28. The first two-hundred people who sampled the game received a special Donkey Kong Poster. They celebrated the launch of the game by holding an event in Circular Quay, located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia in the afternoon. It featured a tower of bananas with a sign next to it saying "Kong's Banana Hoard", along with a variety of banana-based foods. The staff kept the public entertained with trivia questions; answering them correctly will be rewarded with a free Donkey Kong shirt. At night time, the main event began with the showing of the video game from the projector; giving people a chance to play the game.

Development
Donkey Kong Country Returns development started after several core developers of the Metroid Prime series left Retro Studios, which made several executives skeptical of whether the developer could keep making high-quality games. At the same time, Shigeru Miyamoto wanted to make a new Donkey Kong Country game and suggested Retro Studio as its developer. Since many Retro Studios employees were fans of the series, the suggestion was welcomed enthusiastically by them.

Development started out slow, with the developers creating only two of the eight bosses during 2009. The pace fastened around 2010, as the team increased in size and after E3, as Retro Studio and Nintendo eventually agreed on how the levels should be designed.

Kensuke Tanabe, who had worked on the localization of the original Donkey Kong Country, supervised Retro Studios during development, giving his opinion on the level design and requesting enemies to be changed. He also asked for the creation of a multiplayer mode to distinguish the game from Donkey Kong Jungle Beat. Shigeru Miyamoto also gave input, such as requesting that the music should not be changed.

Official Soundtrack
An original soundtrack that is based on the game is released only in Japan for Club Nintendo members. It has twenty-five songs from the game.

References to Other Games

 * Game & Watch series: Mr. Game & Watch can be seen in one part in the background of Foggy Fumes.
 * Donkey Kong: The original 25m level can be seen in one part in the background of Foggy Fumes. Also, in the level Wonky Waterway, a statue of Donkey Kong as his appearance in this game holding a Wii Remote can be seen. Moreover, in some secret temple levels, some pillars and platforms have paintings that resemble the stages of the arcade game.
 * Donkey Kong Jr.: The music of the sky area of the Golden Temple is a remix of the title and stage themes.
 * DK: King of Swing: The main theme of Donkey Kong Country Returns is a remixed version of this game's main theme.
 * Donkey Kong Jungle Beat: Some sound effects are borrowed from this game. Not to mention, DK's finishing beating of the world's Tiki after a boss fight is reminiscent to the Kong King battles from this game.
 * New Super Mario Bros. Wii: The level pads look identical to those from this game. They even use the same colors. Also, the Super Guide exists in this game too.
 * Mario Kart 7: The Track DK Jungle is based on this game.

Trivia

 * Currently, this is the only game in the Donkey Kong Country series that isn't developed by Rare. It is also currently the only Donkey Kong Country game to not be released with a Donkey Kong Land sequel.
 * This is also the only Donkey Kong Country game so far to have no Kremlings appearing at all; this includes King K. Rool.
 * It is also the only Donkey Kong Country game so far to not feature any underwater levels, and glacier-themed levels.
 * At the game's release, those who pre-ordered Donkey Kong Country Returns at GameStop in the United States or Canada received a special banana-shaped Wii Remote pouch with the game's logo printed on it.
 * If Donkey Kong does nothing for a long time while standing, he will look around, and sit to play what appears to be a Nintendo DS Lite. While he is playing, button sounds and a sound effect from the first Donkey Kong arcade game can be heard. Moments later, he throws the DS behind him, which fades away quickly.
 * Shortly before the game's release in North America, Nintendo tried to trademark the pop culture phrase "It's on like Donkey Kong!"
 * Unlike the first two Donkey Kong Country games, Diddy cannot be controlled in single player. His purpose is allowing Donkey Kong to hover for a while, as well as providing two extra hit points.