Donkey Kong Country

Donkey Kong Country is one of the most memorable games from my childhood. I have vivid memories of passing a GBA back and forth with my brothers as we worked on our quest to defeat the evil King K. Rool. Back then, I was hugely impressed by the crisp platforming and the variety in level design mechanics. Revisiting the game today, those opinions still stand strong. There's a reason why this franchise grew how it did, and the entry title demonstrates that wonderfully.

DKC is full of clever design choices that make it feel unique and ensure that it's a joy to play all the way though. The backbone of the gameplay comes in the form of the titular character and his bud Diddy. Throughout the game, you'll play as both Kongs, switching between their different abilities as you progress. If given the choice, I probably would have played as Donkey Kong the whole time, as he has the power to defeat larger enemies that just laugh at Diddy, plus, a bit v he has the destructive ground pound. However, your "life bar" in this game is actually tied to the two Kongs. Where Mario shrinks and Sonic loses rings, getting hurt by an enemy in this game causes the player Kong to run away, leaving you with whichever character was following behind in standby. I always felt like this mechanic fit the game perfectly, and it was further implemented with the animal buddies, making it feel even more natural. Even though that's just one aspect of the game, similar displays of smart design are present thoughout the whole adventure.

Intelligent and intentional structure is present in this title from beginning to end, bringing the whole game together to be an amazing experience. Donkey Kong Country established such a strong foundation that it was hardly altered throughout the other seven(?) entries in the series. This is easily one of the best platforming games that I have ever played, and I will absolutely be playing it again in the future, with a hearty recommendation that you do the same.

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