Those who complain that the Wii has no challenging games have never played this.
But that changes with Donkey Kong Country Returns. Retro Studios (more known for their work on the famous Metroid Prime Trilogy) took control of the big gorilla and made a top-notch platformer that (in my opinion) surpasses Mario's earlier 2D work in New Super Mario Bros. Wii.
Nintendo games are well-known for their simple stories, and DKCR is no exception. Unlike previous Donkey Kong games, both the Kremlings and most of the Kongs are absent. Instead, a mysterious group of evil Tikis have stolen DK's banana hoard, and Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong want it back. Cranky Kong offers some assistance by running a shop, and that's pretty much it. The story is about as simple as possible, and that is perfectly fine by me. The less story, the quicker one can get from level to level.
If you have so much as glanced at any review for DKCR, then you have most likely seen comments about its brutal difficulty. Yes, I'm fairly certain that at least 99% of people who have played this game would agree with me when I say that it is hard. The question is this: is it hard in a positive way (keeps you on your toes) or a negative way (just plain cheap)? Despite the fact that there were plenty of levels where I lost a dozen or two lives, I rarely got frustrated. If fact, I was wondering what all the fuss was about after playing the first two or three worlds. It isn't until about the fourth world where the real challenge kicks in. You'll need persistence, memorization, patience, quick reflexes, and practice just to clear the levels, let alone do all the extra stuff (more on that later). Needless to say, don't even think about picking this game up if you want anything less than hard. On the other hand, if you are a hardcore gamer but are concerned that the game might overdo a good thing, put your worries aside. DKCR is very generous with lives: extra life balloons are present in particularly difficult areas, bonus rooms are all around, and you can always buy more lives from Cranky Kong. I never had even one game over during my playthrough. Additionally, there are two or three check points in every level so you don't have to repeat the whole level whenever you die, the game automatically saves after every level in order to avoid repeating multiple levels (unlike the New Super Mario Bros. games), and there is a Super Guide feature that allows the game to "play itself" if you die eight times on the same level (much like the Super Guide in New Super Mario Bros. Wii). So, the intense platforming action will keep you wide awake to say the least, but the game's offered help will mean hat you will not be tempted to throw your controller at the wall. Thus, an excellent balance is achieved.
As you might expect from its title, DKCR does little in the way of innovation, and that is coming from someone who never even played the original trilogy. Get to the end of the level by going right. Jump on enemies. Grab the collectibles. Dodge spikes, bottomless pits, and lava. You've seen this all before many times, but you have seen this kind of quality in execution few, if any, times. As such, all the unoriginality really means is that if you have never been a fan of platformers, DKCR won't do anything to change your mind. If you are a fan of platformers, just shake off the feeling of deja-vu in the first few levels and you'll be fine.
Despite this "derivative" status, there is a ton of variety in DKCR. Nearly every level shows something new to the game. Different elements include avoiding crashing waves in the background, running from a huge octopus, traveling on a whale, rocket barreling away from giant bats, riding Rambi the rhinoceros, riding a mine cart through bomb-wielding moles, constantly dodging fireballs, passing colored circles which create/destroy platforms, and barrel launching for practically the whole level, to name a few. Since every level feels unique, the adventure actually gets more fresh the further you get into it, rather than repeating itself at some point.
Unfortunately, the boss fights are a relative low point of the game. Don't get me wrong; they are fun. Figuring out their weaknesses while patiently waiting for an opening is entertaining. Like the rest of the game, they are tough but rarely too tough. It is just that their lack of creativity prevents them from matching the rest of the game.
The audio/visual aspect of Donkey Kong Country Returns is simply fantastic. The 3D engine makes for some awesome effects, especially by Wii standards. There is a high attention to detail (e.g. ants scurrying in one level) and some of the simple designs are actually quite stunning (e.g. silhouette levels). Animations are fluid with no slowdown. The sound aspect does what you would want it to do. Many classic songs return to evoke nostalgia, but they have also been remixed to prevent it from being a cheap cash-in.
One of the game's few flaws is the controls. You have two options: hold the Wii remote sideways and use the control pad to move, or use the Wii remote and nunchuck together while using the control stick to move. I only used the former because it gives that "old-school" feeling. Most of the actions work just fine: running, jumping, grabbing, and throwing. On the downside, some actions can only be performed by shaking the remote. Ground-pounding and blowing both work fine, but the same cannot be said for rolling. In order to roll, you must gain momentum, then shake the remote. Needless to say, there are some times where you'll unintentionally (not) jump. Make no mistake: the controls are not terrible, broken, or anything extreme like that, but they can be a little awkward.
DKCR also comes with a fun, if flawed, co-op. A second player can control Diddy Kong. Players play simultaneously through the levels. It is fun since there is a lack of chaos (e.g. New Super Mario Bros. Wii), but I say "flawed" because both players share the same life pile. I would have preferred to have my own life pile, but this is a minor complaint seeing as how, again, the game is generous with its lives.
As if eight worlds filled with time-consuming challenges weren't enough for lasting appeal, there is plenty to do after the main quest is done. First and foremost, there are the four K-O-N-G letters to collect in every level. Collecting all the letters in a world unlocks another level for that world. These levels are among the toughest in the game, and were practically the only ones I was very tempted to use the Super Guide. Once all of those levels are completed, a final level is unlocked. Once that level is completed... well, that would be a spoiler if I said. It is a lengthy reward, I'll tell you that much. There are also puzzle pieces to find in each level which are even tougher to find than the letters. Finally, every level has a time trial mode once you have beat it. If you thought the levels alone were tough, just wait until you have to fly through them as fast as you possibly can. I've poured about thirty hours in this game so far and have only completed the K-O-N-G task.
CLOSING COMMENTS: There are only two groups of people I cannot recommend this game to: 1.) those who dislike platformers 2.) those who don't want a hard game. For anyone else, I wholeheartedly recommend Donkey Kong Country Returns. The challenge, amazing gameplay, variety, impressive visuals, catchy music, and lasting appeal all combine to prove Retro Studios can handle games other than sci-fi first person shooters. The few flaws (sometimes clunky controls, lack of significant innovation, and standard boss fights) can be easily over-looked in favor of its more noticeable strengths.