| Introduction
Donkey Kong Country is undeniably one of the best
known and best loved titles in video game history. After
all, in its original SNES release, it managed to shift
6 million copies in only six weeks and then went on
to be rated as Time Magazine's second most innovative
product, not just in the video games category mind you
but overall product of the year? Sadly, however, the
game's developer, Rare, are now part of Microsoft Game
Studios, and DKC for the GBA will be one of the last
products to feature the famous Rare logo.
GamePlay
DKC is primarily a platform game, but one with almost
every feature you could imagine crammed into a single
cart - collectibles, bonus items, puzzles… everything!
It's all held together with a strong story line, with
each section preceded by some short animations explaining
just what you're looking for and tips on how to stay
alive.
You'll start out simply enough by collecting bananas
and bouncing on the odd enemy but you'll quickly realize
that hidden secrets allow for multiple paths even in
the shortest of levels. This, in addition to some level
warps, makes the whole experience appear non-linear
unlike many recent platform games. It's a bit more forgiving
than most platform games too as the ability to utilize
a rhino to charge into everything makes you invincible
for a time.
What makes DKC unique though is the way in which
the developers keep altering the pace. Mini-games pop
up when you least expect them, meaning that any one
session will never be just a straight 'run and jump'
game. The two-player team option allows you and a friend
to enjoy the game on a single GBA. It is not much different
to the main game though as you play through exactly
the same adventure, only when one player loses a life,
the other takes over and so on.
'DK Attacks' are similar to the main game and challenge
you to finish a course in the shortest time with a medal
being awarded for success. There are a number of these
available and they provide a much needed 'quick fix'
if you only have a few minutes. Even once you've completed
the lengthy main game and 'DK Attacks', there's still
plenty of fun to be had in the 'Extras' section.
'Funky's Fishing' initially seems to be a simple
fishing game but becomes much more challenging when
you realize that the fish get faster and more devious
as the counter times down. There's also the slight problem
of your supply boat (where you must deposit the fish
in order to actually gain points), which is constantly
on the move.
'Candy's Dance Studio' is a 'Parappa the Rappa' type
affair where you must replicate various dance moves
by pressing the corresponding buttons displayed on screen.
There are a fair few tunes to choose from ranging from
a slow, easy to follow ballad to much more frantic and
challenging music. Both of these can be enjoyed as a
two-player option.
Controls
Rare games were always recognised for their 'pick
up and play' quality and unsurprisingly DKC is as easy,
smooth and intuitive on the GBA as it was on the SNES.
This is true not only for the main game but also for
the various mini-games, so there's little need to get
the manual out of the box. The collision detection is
spot-on and it needs to be as the terrain in the later
levels is tricky to say the least and the slightest
misjudgment can result in a loss of life. Interface
wise, it's very easy to find your way around and information
as to what a button press will do is provided every
step of the way.
Graphics
Everything you see on the screen is produced courtesy
of Rare's ACM (Advanced Computer Modelling) technology,
which basically allows visuals from significantly more
powerful computers to appear on the GBA thanks to some
clever compression. This produces some vibrant visuals
and well above average animation while also allowing
for an attention to detail that has all too often been
ignored in many titles we've encountered recently.
The backgrounds for example, are alive with moving
visuals and even the title screen features floating
clouds and trees that blow about in the breeze. There
are also some large sprites featuring super smooth animation
and some of the characters in Candy's Dance Studio are
around half the height of the screen. While the visuals
overall don't have the 'wow' factor they possessed when
the game was originally released, they're still very
impressive even on the GBA's tiny screen.
Sound & Music
The music really is something special here. If you
have a GameBoy Advance, headphones are essential to
lose yourself in the game. SP owners will find that
the clarity of sound on display is really quite remarkable
even from the tiny central speaker. There's also a fairly
good selection to choose from and though the main game
music is 'fixed', the Dance Studio section features
some six different tracks to choose from, each of which
becomes more frantic in pace and complexity. In addition,
there are great voice samples for all the main characters
and the commentator who appears to over see the two
mini games.
Final Comments
Donkey Kong Country is every bit as enjoyable as
it ever was, so if you haven't sampled the delights
of this classic platform title, then now's your chance.
Even after all these years it still manages to look,
sound and play better than most of its more modern rivals
and what Rare demonstrate here is that a good idea is
always just that. There are hours of gameplay and once
you've completed the main game you'll probably spend
an equal amount of time with the two mini games trying
to beat your last high score. Had this been a completely
original title that had never been released before,
it would undoubtedly have scored full marks. As it stands,
it's still a wonderful game and a must purchase for
any GameBoy Advance owner. Get it now!
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