"Donkey Kong Country Returns" Review: A Nostalgic Trek on the Wii

The "Donkey Kong Country Returns" video game for the Nintendo Wii is a nostalgic trek into the world of vintage gaming, resurrecting the familiar world from titles originally released on the NES and SNES. Players once again take the role of Donkey Kong and his little buddy, Diddy Kong, to battle the unusual and often perplexing creatures who threaten their peaceful feast on bananas.

To be honest, I've never really known what the plot of any "Donkey Kong Country" video game has been; you really just throw barrels, collect the K-O-N-G letters, occasionally ride the awesome Rhino and try to keep from launching yourself out of a barrel and into a spiked wall. In that regard, "Donkey Kong Country Returns" fits right in with the original video games in the franchise-and the lack of solid plot doesn't harm the game-play at all.

Nintendo thrilled old school players with their previous vintage video game remake, "New Super Mario Bros. Wii," last year. The traditional 2D scrolling style of play got an upgrade into multiple players with a "co-op" mode-if you can call it that, my friends spend more time throwing each other into bottomless pits. The mode is available for up to four players simultaneously, as opposed to the original two player alternating turns. "Donkey Kong Country Returns" is still limited to two player co-op, and it has the same graphic and sounds upgraded that "Super Mario Bros." enjoyed, plus 3D barrel launching segments.You can read more about "New Super Mario Bros. Wii" here.

"Donkey Kong Country Returns" Pros:

This vintage video game is surprisingly challenging, considering it is a continuation of a series from the 80s. I was impressed with the degree of difficulty I had in obtaining all the little bonus items, and even completing some of the levels in the earlier worlds. The two player co-op allows gamers to once again play together, though the single player utilization of switching between Diddy and Donkey Kong is a bit clunkier than traditionally.

Fortunately, having Diddy along for the ride makes maneuvering Donkey Kong much easier.

"Donkey Kong Country Returns" Cons:

Considering Nintendo upgraded "Super Mario Bros." to four player co-op, it's a shame that "Donkey Kong Country Returns" was left in the vintage two player zone. I was pleased that the video game designers managed to keep the original charm of the "Donkey Kong" series, but at times this latest chapter was almost too much a recycling of the original; it managed to lurk somewhere in that awkward place between mimicking the original, and providing fresh new content.

"Donkey Kong Country Returns" Final Score: 4/5

Nintendo has appeased many gamers and loyal fans with their revisiting of the vintage titles, and "Donkey Kong Country Returns" is no exception. The franchise received enough upgrades and modifications to appeal to players completely new to the series, while maintaining enough of the traditional themes and feel to keep old school gamers happy. Whether you are a long-time fan of the franchise, or if you're just looking for a fun video game with its fair share of challenges, I recommend "Donkey Kong Country Returns."

"Donkey Kong Country Returns" is available exclusively on the Nintendo Wii system, as of November 21^st, 2010. It is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB, and players can choose to use either the Wiimote exclusively (turned sideways) or wield a Wiimote and Nunchuck combo for controls.