DarthMetalliCube said:
Quite an extensive read, and well said! I agree with much of this, though I don't put quite as much emphasis on the non-gameplay aspects of these games - outside perhaps the music, which I LOVE.
In short - DKC3 I've always felt was good, but never great. Especially when contrasted to DKC1 and 2, which are still two of my favorite games of all time. Both in their own way - 1 was the breakthrough and has a more simplistic and stylistic charm to it. 2 expanded on the solid formula with Dixie Kong, more elaborate, diverse level design, collectibles, super-tough "Lost Level" esque bonus stages, etc. It was the perfect balance of accessibility and depth.
But by the third entry I felt Rare started to veer too far off in a gimmicky direction in certain aspects, and the gameplay had more needlessly tough, frustrating moments. And like you said, I found the Kiddie mechanics sluggish, bland, and aggravating at times. Even in 2, I preferred Dixie with the hair-twirling float move. But at least Diddy had the more quick and nimble (when he needs to be heheh) mechanics going for him. But Kiddie vs Dixie? No comparison. The music - which was a big part of the first two - was also more average for my money. The overworld map layout was a bit more dynamic, which was neat in some ways, but also a bit cumbersome. I prefer to avoid fluff and just get to the action whenever possible.
I'd even go as far as saying I prefered DKC Returns and (especially) Tropical Freeze to 3, since at least Retro's games had the simultaneous multiplayer going for them.
Still, given that this is one of the best platforming series ever in my book, even its WORST game is still quite good. I'll still probably ultimately play it on my Switch mainly for the novelty of handheld mode. And for the fact that Nintendo STILL hasn't released Mario RPG for the service yet.. Admitedly I never did play the game all that much and in fact never beat it, so many I'd appreciate it more if and when I log some more time into it and perhaps finally finish the game.
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Thank you! And you offer an interesting perspective too. Back at the time of the game's original release, reviewers broadly seemed to agree that Dixie Kong's Double Trouble was the toughest entry in the trilogy, but nowadays by contrast it's often regarded as easier than Diddy's Kong Quest. At the time I agreed with the critical consensus, but after many years of playing through both games, now DKC 3 seems a bit easier to me overall due to it's comparatively simplified level designs. The parts that are tougher are the boss fights and stages from very late in the game, not the majority of the content, at least to me. Still, they were both quite challenging for 2D platforming titles back then.
As to the stuff about gimmicks...well I mean nearly all video games basically were gimmicks back then. I mean what do you think floating collectibles are but an arbitrary means to get the player to play the game a certain way? One must accept realities like this to enjoy many of the classics because the fact is that the less gimmicky games were often worse. At the time, the two main things people loved about the classic DKCs were their graphics and the two-player co-op mode that was vastly superior to both the two-player modes in the Super Mario Bros. games and those in the Sonic games. Those things aren't revolutionary anymore though, to state the obvious. The more enduring appeal of the classic DKC games is the fact that each level has its own hook; it's own distinct way of being played. This piqued one's curiosity as to what the developers would throw at you next. Many other platforming titles back then featured much more similar designs for each level contained in a given world, resulting in a much greater sense of redundancy that tended to bore the player before long, with various levels seeming to run together in the mind, feeling indistinct and forgettable. For these very sorts of reasons, I enjoyed the addition of the DKC level ethos to the overworld map itself in Dixie Kong's Double Trouble with the addition of hidden collectibles (Banana Birds that you earned by completing memorization games) thereto. Okay, the trading game with the Brothers Bear wasn't much value-added for me though, I will agree. I'd rather just have had more expansive roles for characters like Cranky Kong and Swanky return, but I did love exploring the game's overworld and the feel of driving vehicles around it.
(I'm also with you on hoping for the addition of Super Mario RPG to the Switch Online service in the near future! And also Final Fantasy VI, Chrono Trigger, and Illusion of Gaia. Lots of outstanding Super Nintendo RPGs remain to be tapped! RPGs and tournament fighting games were the new hit genres of the 16-bit era and we seem to have so few of them to date through the Switch Online service. Let this change! While you're waiting though, and after you've finished up DKC 3, you might give Prehistorik Man a try. It's not exactly a legendary platformer, but it's charming and funny and boasts an excellent soundtrack. That's the one I'd most recommend out of the recent additions.)
Last edited by Jaicee - on 20 February 2021
