Donkey Kong Country

I've always liked to think that Donkey Kong Country for the SNES has indirectly affected the popularity of video games based on the chain of facts that with it's success came the success of platformers, from that came the success of Nintendo in it's earlier days, and from that came the success of the video game genre has a whole. I may be biased in this sense but it is a viable theory and explanation that is left strictly to the opinion of the player. I, obviously, found Donkey Kong Country to be a spectacular game, paving the road for many video games that would succeed it and bringing fresh ideas to the table that would be used as a foundation for many games to come.

The main idea I have in mind when I say this is the engulfing nature of the environment the game creates. Never before have I felt so entrenched in the world of a platformer and maybe even any video game. It is clear that every aspect of the video game was clearly thought out by the developers and given careful attention. The visuals in this game are extremely impressive for their time. This game acts as a pioneer to the world of fully detailed backgrounds. No matter what level the player is in, whether it be jungles, mines, ruins, snowy mountains, or factories, every area has it's own unique background which adds both variety and visual appeal to the game. The foreground designs are equally, if not more, impressive as the backgrounds as well. Every character, both bad and good, has an excellent and unique design; none overshadowing or copying another. Everything about the visuals is beautifully done and is near impossible to complain about. Another aspect that lends itself well to the environment is the music. When you're in the jungle levels you will hear songs with a beat composed mostly of bongos and a rockin' bass line which adds to the feeling that the player is in a jungle. The fact that you don't even realize that there's music playing sometimes is a clear indication that it blends perfectly with everything else going on and reflects the genius of those responsible for the soundtrack. That's not to say that the music is the only aspect that adds to the overall experience however. The sound effects play just as big a roll as any song does. You'll notice quickly that most bad guys have a distinct sound to them that will not only let you know what is coming, but also increases the depth the environment has. If a bee is near, for example, then you will begin hearing a buzzing sound that gets louder and louder as you approach it. You will also hear everything from klaptraps chomping their teeth, to kritters jumping around, to neckys flapping there wings, and even the sound of your buddy trapped in a barrel when they are near. After a while you may not even notice that you're using these environmental clues to get through the game because once again, they mesh perfectly with every other aspect of the game and are so fundamental to a real life experience that we take it for granted sometimes.

Aside from the engulfing environment, Donkey Kong Country is still a great game that plays like a dream. The game takes a simple Mario based concept where the main way to defeat an enemy is to jump on their head and expands on it perfectly: not so much that it becomes too complicated and takes away from other aspects of the gaming experience but just enough to become provide a fresh and exciting time that many will enjoy. All of the controls are fluid and never take away from the gaming experience which is a trap most early generation games fall in too often; and the simplistic controls make the game very easy to pick up and play, but at the same time takes a seasoned veteran to accomplish everything the game has to offer. On that note, Donkey Kong Country definitely sports a hardcore/fanboy game style in the sense that most can beat the game if they try hard enough but the re-playability factor comes from the desire to max out the game by finding all the secret areas, collecting all the tokens, or maybe having a perfect run through the game. Even if this isn't you though, the game still has its reasons for coming back to it. The overall concept leads to such a fun game that you'll find yourself wanting to play it again and again even if you do get through all of the levels and find most of the insane amount of secret areas. There's something about rolling through bad guys on a metal barrel, stabbing people with a swordfish named Enguarde, or just blowing up bad guys with a TNT barrel that makes you want to do it more than once or twice.

All in all there's not much to complain about in this game. It's still popular and well known today for a reason. Both the impressive detail given to the overall look, feel, and sound of the game and the overall fun but simple concept are enough to make it a legend in the video game industry, but the fact that one game contains both of these elements and takes them to a level that has never been seen prior to it makes Donkey Kong Country a work of art that should been remembered through out time. Nothing has and will probably ever achieve what this game did and open the road to as many games as it did which is as good of a reason as any for me to give it a 10 out of 10.