Original Release Date: 1999
Donkey Kong Country was a very well put together game, and was one of the most successful titles for the SNES. During the mid to late 90s, however, the dominance of 2D was ending, as the medium transferred primarily to 3D. Many franchises that had started out in 2D made the leap to 3D, and some were more successful than others. How does Donkey Kong’s debut in 3D hold up?
The overall personality and charm of the Donkey Kong Country games remains intact, while adding new additions of its own. You assume control of Donkey Kong, and must rescue your fellow Kongs and make your way through the various levels to collect the different bananas and treasures that the villain has stolen.
While overall a pretty good game, it does feel rather unmemorable after titles such as Super Mario 64. The level design isn’t as straightforward as in other 3D platformers, which makes finding where you need to go next a bit of a chore. While switching between several different playable characters is an interesting idea, its execution is rather lackluster, and makes the game feel unfocused and tedious, as the player has to go over the same areas again to pick up character exclusive items.
Honestly, I can’t think of much to say about Donkey Kong 64. There’s nothing really that wrong with it, as the gameplay is pretty well put together, and the overall design is fine. But there’s nothing that really shines about it either. It’s just…okay. That’s all I can really say about it. It’s not as good as Donkey Kong Country or Super Mario 64, but it’s a decent game in its own right.
How well it holds up 3/4
Personal Enjoyment 3/5
Overall quality 7/10
For further information about the game:
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