Coming back from winter break at the dawn of 1995, our teacher asked us what we all got for Christmas. This informal consumer survey had all the perennial favorites — clothes, time on the slopes, a stereo — but at least half the kids in my fifth-grade class reported their tree had sheltered a copy of “Donkey Kong Country” for the Super Nintendo. The game was fun, addictive and, most importantly, had a new kind of graphical style that added texture and depth to the world of the 2-D sidescroller, so it looked like a diorama instead of a flat plane. The lucky kids who had seen “Donkey Kong Country” with their own eyes could barely contain their self-satisfaction as they announced their membership in the club of those who got the coolest gift around. The scene unfolding as 2011 begins, if teachers still ask their students such probing questions, may not be so different — only with “Returns” added to the script. In the style of “New Super Mario Bros. Wii,” “Donkey Kong Country Returns” aims to simultaneously satisfy nostalgia hounds and bring a new generation into the fold, accomplishing this delicate balance with a robust multiplayer system. Players can easily revive fallen comrades, and newcomers, playing as Diddy Kong, can hop on the back of Donkey Kong, controlled by an old hand, and let DK take over for a while. “Returns” also incorporates the “Super Guide” from “New Super Mario Bros.” that lets the game take control if you can’t get past a certain part.
Print subscriber? Click here to login/register your account
Digital subscriber? Click here to login/register your account.