Im sorry but this review is a joke. Especially when compared to aggregate user scores as well as metacritic scores. I realize a review is a reflection of one person's experience with a given title. However the entirety of this review makes me question if this reviewer has honestly played a donkey kong game before.
"making it difficult to establish the sort of smooth, free-flowing rhythm that makes the best 2D platformers such a blast. For instance, you might be leaping across a level, picking up a good rhythm between jumps,"
Well no ****. This isn't mario or rayman. Donkey Kong is not supposed to feel 'floaty' like Mario or Luigi. He has a 'weight' to him that makes the platforming more methodical and deliberate. I feel IGN's review is more accurate. And I will say this game is challenging from the get go and I love that. The first boss battle in particular quickly puts you in your paces.
"letting you zip past them quickly, and make you feel like a platforming pro."
Too bad DKC completely destroys any ego you may have by actually putting up a stiff challenge huh?
I think its refreshing to have a game that provides a solid challenge. And actually finishing a level feels all the more rewarding for it.
"even the visuals fail to make an impact. They're nice enough, but like the level design, the environments are mostly bland. While you could argue that the visual style is true to the series, I think even traditionalists wouldn't mind something with a little more pizzazz behind it."
Again I really have to question this statement. The game is gorgeous and the backgrounds are incredibly detailed. The extra camera views showing DK blasting through barrels among trees makes it feel immersive. And DK and crew have never looked better and more detailed. His fur especially is well done. I felt the game has plenty of pizzaz.
Selfish? Really? Who is the selfish one? Nintendo for not wanting another developer to shit all over their beloved franchises? Or you who is perhaps too prideful or perhaps 'too cool' to buy a system to play the games you really want to play but can't because they aren't on the system you bought.
Guess its far easier to just say that Nintendo should go out of business so that you can play those games on your system of choice. Despite the fact there are millions who buy a Nintendo system because they enjoy those games enough to buy the system.
And I would rather see them take their IP's with them than sell them out to other developers and publishers which would bastardize their legacy by releasing annual installments ala' AC, COD, etc.
So that I could see all those jerks who say how it would be great to play Metroid, Mario, Zelda etc on 'their' system denied of what 'they' want.
@omar_q For any one to wish a console manufacturer to go out of business shows they aren't able to see what the long term reprecussions would be. If Nintendo were to go out of consoles it would not only mean that the industry would lack the sort of innovation Nintendo brings to the table. But it would also mean less competition and competition in the gaming industry is good. It encourages other developers and manufacturers to do better or 'out think' their competition. The best example is Nintendo's runaway success with the Wii. The Wii was such a success that it outsold both PS3 and 360 worldwide. Regardless of your opinion of the Wii it spurred Sony and Microsoft to release their own take on motion controls with Move and Kinect.
And it has been said before but Nintendo could take a loss every year for the next 50 years and still have enough money to stay in business. And Microsoft would never be able to have Mario on their system.
If and that is a big if; such a time should come. Sony would be more likely to acquire Nintendo's IP's.
And as far as Nintendo not wanting Japanese Indie games on WiiU yet there is probably a good reason. We have seen some Japanese Indie games come out on 3DS. I expect Nintendo wants to get a larger install base with the WiiU first. Second there is probably a much more substantial quantity of japanese indie developers than there are western indie developers. And that is not always a good thing. Where you have more indie developers you do have a larger selection but I suspect Nintendo is trying to be somewhat protective over what indie IP's make it to WiiU. They aren't simply just allowing everyone and his next door neighbor to throw whatever they have on the system.
@jawslover @dummpymonkey123 @omar_q If by next gen you mean Microsoft's plan to require validation every 24 hours, or their attempt at derailing used games ....oh right they did a 180 because of how pissed off people were. Perhaps they should change the name to Xbox 180.
Again power doesn't define whether a console is next gen or not. It is how the hardware is used. And yes since the WiiU is the next home console from Nintendo it is Next gen. Even if it doesn't have the horsepower of the PS4 or X1, it is how games utilize its unique gamepad that will define a next gen experience.
In regards to the WiiU's internal components you simply can't go by clock speeds or processor. The WiiU's GPU is several generations ahead of the PS3 and 360. It also uses EDRAM which allows for out of order processing and can run more efficiently. Its GPU is essentially bearing the grunt of the graphical processing as opposed to the processor. So the processor's power doesn't mean as much as it did last gen. It all comes down to how well a developer uses the hardware efficiently.
@godslayer61 @genjuroT By that same logic then that would mean that PS3 titles are 'bad selling' stuff. I was just in Gamestop the other day and guess where all the WiiU stuff was? Right up front as soon as you walk in the door. PS3 games were all the way at the back of the store.
The WiiU does have games. It just lacks 1st party Nintendo titles. Pikmin 3 launches here in the states in just a few days and by comparison when Pikmin3 launched in Japan sales of WiiU increased. And after Pikmin 3 releases there is at least one WiiU title from Nintendo coming out every month after up until the holiday season.
@javalino @Tio_gamer He is right actually. The WiiU already has a 3.45 million lead over the PS4 and Xbox One. It remains to be seen how the two new systems will perform but the thing is WiiU is getting some first party exclusives in the form of Pikmin 3, Mario World, Donkey Kong, and possibly Mario Kart for holiday. And Smash Bros beyond that as well as Windwaker HD as well as third party titles like Splinter Cell Blacklist, Assassin's Creed Black Flag, Batman Arkham Origins, Deus Ex, Watchdogs, Bayonetta 2, Sonic Lost Worlds etc.
The problem PS4 and Xbox One will face is that a large majority of the 'exclusives' coming to those platforms are also coming to PS3, 360, PC etc. So these big titles like Watchdogs, Assassin's Creed, Batman, Metal Gear V, Battlefield can all be found on PS3 or 360. Many gamers who already own one of the aforementioned consoles are not going to shell out 300-400 dollars for a new system to play a game when they can play said game on a system they already own.
The WiiU launch wasn't actually that bad as far as launches go. It had a decent variety and selection of some big name games even if some of those were ports but it had far more titles than the Wii had at launch. WiiU had its own share of ports of older games at its launch and is now getting new titles that aren't mere ports. Its getting its true original first party games in the coming months and that is something Sony and Microsoft will both have to do before sales of those respective systems will take off also. You may see a high quantity of pre-orders right now but WiiU pre-orders were all sold out too remember.
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