Donkey Kong Country (series): Difference between revisions

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The '''''Donkey Kong Country''''' series is a video game series of the [[Donkey Kong (franchise)|''Donkey Kong'' franchise]]. Although it usually stars [[Donkey Kong]] and his pal, [[Diddy Kong]], Donkey Kong also ends up kidnapped in some games. The series is a platformer-type; levels are shown in a sidescrolling perspective and the heroes must jump and avoid obstacles in order to clear levels. The series was started and produced by [[Rare Ltd.|Rare]], until they were bought by Microsoft. Remakes are included in the [[Game Boy Color]], [[Game Boy Advance]] and [[Nintendo 3DS]] handhelds. The series was later revived by [[Retro Studios]] and their game, ''[[Donkey Kong Country Returns]]''. The ''Donkey Kong Country'' series also has well-received reviews and has greatly impacted future titles.  
The '''''Donkey Kong Country''''' series is a video game series of the [[Donkey Kong (franchise)|''Donkey Kong'' franchise]]. Although it usually stars [[Donkey Kong]] and his sidekick, [[Diddy Kong]], Donkey Kong also ends up kidnapped in several games. The series is a platformering series. The series was started and produced by [[Rare Ltd.|Rare]], until they were bought by Microsoft. Remakes are included in the [[Game Boy Color]], [[Game Boy Advance]] and [[Nintendo 3DS]] handhelds. The series was later revived by [[Retro Studios]] and their game, ''[[Donkey Kong Country Returns]]''. The ''Donkey Kong Country'' series also has well-received reviews and has greatly impacted future titles.  


The ''Donkey Kong Country'' series is also the inspiration for a very similar sub-series created for the [[Game Boy]] systems, known as the [[Donkey Kong Land (series)|''Donkey Kong Land'' series]].
The ''Donkey Kong Country'' series is also the inspiration for a very similar sub-series created for the [[Game Boy]] systems, known as the [[Donkey Kong Land (series)|''Donkey Kong Land'' series]].
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==Gameplay==
==Gameplay==
The ''Donkey Kong Country'' games are sidescrolling platformers. The player plays the role of two [[Kong]]s, who must reach the end of each levels while avoiding enemies and obstacles. The Kongs can collect items such as [[Banana]]s or [[Banana Coin]]s to increase their life counts or purchase goods. Various type of [[Barrel]]s are present throughout the levels, which can be used to defeat enemies or reveal hidden passages. [[Animal Friends]] are often found throughout the levels, which can be ridden or provide passive assistance to the player. Unlike the ''[[Super Mario (series)|Super Mario]]'' series, platforms and obstacles tend to be "naturally" integrated into the levels, although this rule is not always adhered to.
The ''Donkey Kong Country'' games are sidescrolling platformers. The player plays the role of two [[Kong]]s, who must reach the end of each level while avoiding enemies and obstacles. The player can collect [[Banana]]s and [[Red Balloon|Extra Life Balloon]]s to gain [[Extra life|extra lives]]. Various type of [[Barrel]]s are present throughout the levels, which can be used to defeat enemies, reveal hidden passages, or traverse through levels. [[Animal Friends]] often appear throughout the levels, which can assist the player, be ridden, and transformed into by the player.  


''Donkey Kong Country'' games are divided into worlds, all containing a variable number of levels, friendly [[Kongs]] who provide services such as saving, tips and minigames, and a boss battle that marks the end of the world. Worlds tend to be linear, although ''Donkey Kong Country 3'''s map allow for a limited degree of exploration.
''Donkey Kong Country'' games are divided into worlds, all containing a variable number of levels, friendly [[Kongs]] who provide services such as saving, tips and minigames, and a boss battle that marks the end of the world. Worlds tend to be linear, although ''Donkey Kong Country 3'''s map allow for a limited degree of exploration.


A key feature of the series is the interplay between the playable Kongs. [[Donkey Kong]] and [[Diddy Kong]] in the original game have different abilities, with Diddy being more agile but unable to defeat some enemies, and Donkey Kong being stronger and holding barrels differently, thus encouraging the player to switch between available Kongs depending on the situation. This dynamic would be retained and expanded in the sequels with the addition of the [[Team-up]] move.
In the original trilogy of games the player can switch between two Kongs, and use a [[Team-up]] move in the latter two games. In all three games both Kongs act differently are are sometimes required to reach certain areas. If the player takes damage, the Kong that they are playing as runs off the screen and the player is required to use the other Kong until they get them back, usually with a [[DK Barrel]]. With one Kong the player cannot use a Team-up move. If the player takes damage with one Kong, they lose a life. In the games developed by [[Retro Studios]], rather than being fully-featured playable characters, the Kongs besides Donkey Kong act as powerups expanding Donkey Kong's health and moveset, although they are fully playable in multiplayer and ''Tropical Freeze'''s Hard Mode. When the player loses the health gained by the additional Kong, the player loses the Kong. While the original trilogy only allowed the player characters to take one hit in a deliberate effort to reduce clutter<ref>[http://www.nowgamer.com/features/895227/the_making_of_donkey_kong_country.html The Making Of Donkey Kong Country - NowGamer] (accessed February 20 2012)</ref> on the screen, Donkey Kong can now take multiple hits, with a visible indicator showing his remaining health.


The ''Donkey Kong Country'' series features an emphasis on item collection and exploration. The original ''Donkey Kong Country'' encourage players to find all of the games hidden [[Bonus Area]]s, with [[Completion|100% completion]] slightly changing the dialogue in the ending sequence. ''Donkey Kong Country 2'' expanded on this concept with the addition of hidden [[DK Coins]] and the presence of an entire post-completion world with a final boss battle, which can only be accessed by finding and successfully completing the game's bonus areas. ''Donkey Kong Country 3'' features a similar hidden world and again expands the mechanic by featuring another item collection sidequest which extends beyond the game's bonus world.
The ''Donkey Kong Country'' series features an emphasis on item collection and exploration. Four [[K-O-N-G Letters]] appear in each stage giving the player an extra live if they collect all four. The original ''Donkey Kong Country'' encourages players to find all of the game's hidden [[Bonus Area]]s, with [[Completion|100% completion]] slightly changing the dialogue in the ending sequence.  Bonus Areas are found usually by breaking a wall or going inside a hidden [[Barrel Cannon]]. Each Bonus Area contains a room with a minigame or platforming room. ''Donkey Kong Country 2'' added [[Kremkoin]]s which are rewards for beating each Bonus Room's objective, and [[DK Coin]]s which are hidden in each level and are rewards for the Bonus Rooms in the [[Lost World]], which is a new post-completion world with a final boss battle, which can only be accessed by finding and successfully completing the game's bonus areas. ''Donkey Kong Country 3'' features a similar hidden world and again expands the mechanic by featuring another item collection sidequest which extends beyond the game's bonus world. The games developed by Retro Studios include [[Puzzle Piece (Donkey Kong Country series)|Puzzle Piece]]s, which replace Kremcoins as the reward for beating Bonus Rooms, and also are collectables in the main parts of stages. They give access to pictures. In these games, K-O-N-G Letters give access to secret levels once all K-O-N-G Letters in a world are completed.
 
===Retro Studios installments===
The ''Donkey Kong Country'' games developed by [[Retro Studios]] largely stay true to the original [[Rare Ltd.|Rare]] trilogy, although a key difference is the implementation of the different playable characters. Rather than being fully-featured playable characters, the Kongs beside Donkey Kong act as powerups expanding Donkey Kong's health and moveset, although they are fully playable in multiplayer and ''Tropical Freeze'''s Hard Mode.
 
Another difference is that while the original trilogy only allowed the player characters to take one hit in a deliberate effort to "reduce clutter"<ref>[http://www.nowgamer.com/features/895227/the_making_of_donkey_kong_country.html The Making Of Donkey Kong Country - NowGamer] (accessed February 20 2012)</ref> on the screen, Donkey Kong can now take multiple hits, with a visible indicator showing his remaining health.


==Graphics==
==Graphics==
The first ''Donkey Kong Country'' is famed for its usage of pre-rendered 3D sprites, which were rendered on then-cutting edge [[wikipedia:Silicon Graphics|Silicon Graphics]] workstation. Although not the first game to use such graphics (the Sharp X68000 version of ''[[wikipedia:Ys I: Ancient Ys Vanished|Ys]]'' and ''[[wikipedia:Viewpoint (video game)|Viewpoint]]'' feature similar pre-rendered sprites, and predate ''Donkey Kong Country'' by some years), ''Donkey Kong Country'' was the first mainstream game to be extensively marketed around its pre-rendered graphics, with commercials for the game playing up that the SNES was able to output a game of its visual fidelity without needing expensive add-ons<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM5rYucoQRU Donkey Kong Country commercial]. Retrived November 05, 2015.</ref>, in a potshot to the competing [[wikipedia:Sega Genesis|Sega Genesis]].
The first ''Donkey Kong Country'' is famed for its usage of pre-rendered 3D sprites, which were rendered on then-cutting edge [[wikipedia:Silicon Graphics|Silicon Graphics]] workstation. Although not the first game to use these graphics (the Sharp X68000 version of ''[[wikipedia:Ys I: Ancient Ys Vanished|Ys]]'' and ''[[wikipedia:Viewpoint (video game)|Viewpoint]]'' feature similar pre-rendered sprites, and predate ''Donkey Kong Country'' by several years), ''Donkey Kong Country'' was the first mainstream game to be extensively marketed around its pre-rendered graphics, with commercials for the game playing up that the SNES was able to output a game of its visual fidelity without needing expensive add-ons<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM5rYucoQRU Donkey Kong Country commercial]. Retrived November 05, 2015.</ref>, mocking the [[wikipedia:Sega Genesis|Sega Genesis]].


Retro Studios installments use rendered-on-the-fly 3D models. In an interview, it was noted that ''Donkey Kong Country Return'''s levels featured three time as much polygons as a room in the studio's previous game, ''[[metroidwiki:Metroid Prime 3: Corruption|Metroid Prime 3: Corruption]]''<ref>Harris, Craig (June 17, 2010). [http://ca.ign.com/articles/2010/06/17/e3-2010-kensuke-tanabe-and-the-metroid-palm-tree?page=2 E3 2010: Kensuke Tanabe and the Metroid Palm Tree]. ''IGN''. Retrieved November 05, 2015</ref>.
The Retro Studios installments use rendered-on-the-fly 3D models. In an interview, it was noted that ''Donkey Kong Country Return'''s levels featured three time as much polygons as a room in the studio's previous game, ''[[metroidwiki:Metroid Prime 3: Corruption|Metroid Prime 3: Corruption]]''<ref>Harris, Craig (June 17, 2010). [http://ca.ign.com/articles/2010/06/17/e3-2010-kensuke-tanabe-and-the-metroid-palm-tree?page=2 E3 2010: Kensuke Tanabe and the Metroid Palm Tree]. ''IGN''. Retrieved November 05, 2015</ref>.


==Major characters==
==Major characters==
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