Man, oh man… this game. I can’t begin to tell you how thrilled I was when I first heard that Nintendo was porting this game to the Switch. Donkey Kong Country for the SNES is one of my all time favorite games ever. Naturally, I hold the entire series in high esteem. And of course, I played the original version of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (DKCTF) four years ago back on the WiiU. So, you might be wondering why a port of a game I already own and have beaten multiple times would get me so worked up. One reason: Funky Kong!
Ever since the original DKC, Funky Kong has always been my favorite character in the Kong family. But aside from a few random cameos in Mario Kart, I’ve never had the chance to actually play as him. DKCTF for the Switch changed all of that, though, making the radical Kong a playable character. Not only did this fulfill a childhood dream, but it made an already excellent game so much better, and much more accessible.
See, DKCTF is not an easy game by any stretch of the imagination. It is difficult, it is challenging, it’s never overly hard or punishing to the point of it being garbage (like Dark Souls [yeah, I said it] or any number of “indie darlings” out there), but it is certainly not an easy game. If one were to think of Nintendo’s three main platforming giants, one would see how the difficulty scales. From Kirby (easy), to Mario (normal), and then to Donkey Kong (hard), and DKCTF is no exception. Funky Kong levels out the playing field a bit, though, with the new “Funky Mode.”
In Funky Mode, the player is given multiple boons. First, you can play as the titular Kong himself, but more on that in a minute. All other characters have an extra heart (meaning each Kong has three instead of two, and if a player has two Kongs at once, then their health is effectively six hearts strong). There are also more hearts to be found throughout the level, making it a little easier to stay alive. One of the biggest improvements, however, is the inventory system.
In the old DKCTF, you could only select one (maybe two, I can’t recall) item(s) to take with you into a level, and you had to select the item before beginning the level. In Funky Mode, you can select up to five items to use in a level, and you don’t need to select them ahead of time, you can use them at any point during the level. This was such a huge improvement, and made the game so much more accessible. I will openly admit that on more than one occasion, during a level, I would miss a platform, fall, hit the menu button just before it was too late, equip a green balloon (which rescues the Kong from pitfall deaths) and save Funky’s hairy backside just in the nick of time. Some might see this as a cheap cop out or something, but I’ve got no issue in using the tools available to me to make the game enjoyable. Difficulty in a game proves nothing, the only thing I care about in a game is that it’s fun. And making a game more accessible definitely makes it more fun for me.
Now, onto the Kongs. So, in DKCTF, each Kong has a unique ability (except for Donkey Kong, he’s just the standard character). Diddy can ride a jet pack for a brief time, Dixie can glide with her helicopter ponytail, Cranky can go full Scrooge McDuck with his cane. But Funky is another beast entirely.
Unlike the other Kongs, Funky has multiple special abilities. He starts out with a whopping five hearts, landing on most spikes will not damage hime due to him using his surfboard for protection, he can double jump, and he can glide/slow his fall by holding the jump button in mid air. This particular ability had me a bit annoyed, actually, because Funky cannot get as much lateral movement in his glide as Dixie or Diddy. After a second of gliding, his movement is ground almost to a halt. While I simply saw this as making sure the character wasn’t too broken, a good friend of mine pointed out that it was most likely designed this way to help players make precision jumps and landings. This is an excellent point, as there are a lot of difficult jumps to make, even if you’re playng as the most broken of Kongs. In addition to all of this, Funky can also roll (or corkscrew, if you’re underwater) an infinite period of time, so long as the player keeps pressing the button. This roll maneuver can also be used to “skip” across a watery surface, using Funky’s surfboard. And finally, Funky can breathe underwater (thanks to a snorkel). This was much appreciated. In the old DKC games, breathing underwater was never an issue, nor should it be. In DKCTF, you need to constantly find air bubble to refill your air supply. I don’t care if it makes “logical sense,” worrying about air in underwater levels is not fun. This isn’t Sonic. Don’t take cues from them. For anything. Ever.
The only caveat when playing Funky (in 1 player mode, anyways), is that he can’t bring another Kong with him. When playing Funky, you play alone.
Considering all of this, Funky might seem OP. Some might think that he’s too powerful, too broken. But I assure you, that is not the case. Funky simply makes the game more accessible. The game is still tough as nails. The levels are all the same from the WiiU version, which means that the level design is still amazing, and progressively difficult.
One of the things that I’ve always admired about the DKC series is its level design. In my opinion, it has always set the bar for excellent platforming. Whether it’s being made by Rare or Retro Studios, DKC games have always had fantastic levels. The pacing is perfect. The boss levels are fun and imaginative. And the secrets (whether it’s bonus rooms, collectibles, or secret exits leading to secret levels) are plentiful and hidden in such a way to train a gamer’s instincts to understand what to look for and when. DKCTF makes heavy use of Shigeru Miyamoto’s motto of “rewarding the player that goes left.” In some cases, that’s taken literally.
Even when a level has secrets that are too well hidden, the game still has ways of making it more accessible. When looking for the game’s puzzle pieces (which unlock concept art images) hidden in each level, a player can make use of Squawks the parrot. While Squawks has been around since DKC and has filled many roles in his years, in DKCTF, he acts as a “guide” of sorts to help you find hidden puzzle pieces. Sitting on a perch in the bottom left corner of the screen, Squawks will start squawking anytime you get close to a puzzle piece. I found this an amazing hint system. Unlike LEGO games, where a giant flashing arrow shows you exactly where to go, Squawks simply gives you a hint when you’re close. Leaving it up to the player to figure it out for themselves.
Of course, no game is perfect. And DKCTF certainly is no exception. There are a handful of levels in the game that I could have done without. And not even the OP Funky Kong could do much to help these levels. The rocket barrel stages are some of the worst offenders. These stages can be brutal to the uninitiated. The rocket barrel tosses platforming out the window, in favor of attempting to control an unwieldy rocket, dodging enemies and environmental hazards alike, with only three hearts (of course, using items does help in this case). I’ve just never found the rocket barrel stages particularly fun. Just frustrating. Even more so when the camera decides to change angles for no reason, going behind the back of the player, instead of remaining on the side, like a good side-scroller should. This made an already frustrating mechanic so much worse.
Another type of stage that I didn’t care for were the Rambi stages. Rambi, yet another beloved animal buddy that has been around since the beginning, has been delegated to “special stage” duty. Much like Yoshi, in modern Mario games, Rambi has become a rare and gimmicky mechanic. As opposed to a fun addition. In Rambi stages, the player is often forced to run at breakneck speeds to escape some horrible thing chasing after them. The problem with this (aside from the fact that forced runners are dull as dirt), is that Rambi does not run constantly, the player needs to physically press a button to make him run, the player also needs to press a button to jump, often both at the same time, which I found particularly difficult to do. And there were other times when the player would be forced to stop running and wait for the next platform to appear, then run again. These levels were messy, and not at all fun. Rambi (and the other animal buddies) used to just add a little extra fun to select DKC levels. Now he’s a tool for forced running. Which isn’t fun at all.
And finally, there’s the mine cart levels. For the record, I’ve always loved the mine cart levels. They hold a special place in my heart, and I even once got published in Nintendo Power writing a letter about how iconic they are. But most people hate them, and I can understand why. The mine cart levels are not easy. They require precise, pinpoint timing, and this is certainly true in DKCTF. What’s more, though, in DKCTF, they once more, screw with the camera. Going behind the Kongs’ back, suddenly the mine cart levels take on a whole new, terrible dimension, forcing players to jump from one track or another both from side to side, and across gaps. While I found this fun, I’ve also seen many a failure due to the difficult design. And no amount of items made it any easier.
I will say of these levels, and all others (even the most difficult secret levels) none were ever unfairly difficult. I knew that with enough practice, my skill would grow and I would conquer the challenges in the game. This is the mark of a truly great game. To provide a challenge, but in such a way that the player is sure to overcome it with enough practice. And even if one can’t, the developers clearly never wanted any player to feel too defeated. After dying so many times in any given level, a message would appear, informing the player that the next level has been unlocked, should they wish to bypass the level that was giving them too much difficulty. I never used this, but it is a nice feature to have, should a player need it. DKCTF for Switch clearly emphasized accessibility over all else, and that is something that should be applauded.
Of course, on the flip side, if one completes all levels in the game (including the secret levels), then Hard Mode is unlocked. This ditches any extra Kongs, checkpoints, and items. And leaves the player with only one heart. So, for the sadists in the world, simply because a difficult game is accessible, that doesn’t mean you can’t get your kicks too.
I normally bemoan ports. I don’t like buying games I already own. But DKCTF for the Switch is one I’ll never regret. Funky mode improved the game beyond measure. Which is great, because now, I’ll feel more inclined to return to this beautiful, fun, excellently designed, difficult game. I’ll say this for certain, any future DKC games pretty much have to have Funk Kong as a playable character from here on out. That’s nonnegotiable.
