DKRap? No, it's pretty good, actually!

Donkey Kong Country Returns
Nintendo Wii

It always surprises me how difficult these games which feature such incredibly cute, cartoon characters are but here I am once again at the end of another difficult game basking in the satisfaction of completing it. Donkey Kong Country Returns is an all new 2D platform game making nit a true sequel to the Super Nintendo titles in every fashion.

The game begins with Donkey Kong’s banana hoard going missing and it’s up to you and another player if you desire to get the bananas back from the Tiki Taki Tribe. Enabling co-operative play with a friend allows them to play as Diddy Kong who is able to run free about the level if they chose to do so but if you find things are getting a bit too hairy, get Donkey Kong to put Diddy on his back for one of the best piggy back rides of your life.

This brand new adventure is set on an Donkey Kong Island which spans both old and new terrain for the tried and tested 2D platform genre, the themes ranging from Jungle to Factory offers so much fun and diverse game play you wouldn’t have seen in any 2D platform game before. Each level within the themed zones has some optional criteria which can be met if you have the skills. As seen in previous games, collecting the letters ‘K O N G’ in a single run through of the level will reward you with new image and music item to collect but hunting down the well hidden jigsaw pieces will earn you something very special indeed.

Using the Wii Remote turns sideways; the game is accessible to all players and doesn’t require any additional attachments for the two players to enjoy. Controlling in this method is fine for the majority of my experience but when it comes to the latter part of the game and the motion controlled actions I seldom found myself being worse off because of the slightly confusing methods required to perform certain actions. Don’t let the difficulty of this game put you off, though, the game supports Super Guide which will take control of Donkey Kong for you and happily finish off any level you’re finding too tough to complete.

Donkey Kong Country Returns is a fantastic game which, if you enjoyed New Super Mario Bros Wii, shouldn’t be missed. It s presentation is what you would expect from Nintendo and the overall package doesn’t disappoint.

Merry Christmas!

9/10