Are we gonna talk remakes of the original DKC games? Have we gone this far that this is necessary? I do think now you say that, that it’s a huge possibility. Or have games more inspired around remaking the story in some way?
I could see remakes being more styled around Returns and Tropical Freeze, but with camera angles more like the original games, more zoomed in. 2.5D background effects and level design could also be included. But most of the original levels remade in a way. And have more content, and maybe add additional abilities for the Kongs!
You speak of DKC3’s remake but I’d want the first game first. And it has huge potential. First I want the original buddy system returning but with more added debt, and possible pair up mechanics similar to DKC Returns and Tropical Freeze. DKC1 lacked this, so it would benefit the most from a more deeper system. And since it was so fast paced, design the abilities of DK and Diddy around them.
: New Abilties include a more powerful Ground Slap attack, and its powered up by using? Bananas. That’s right. More about that later. Charged it can freeze stronger enemies for longer. The more bananas you use the stronger it gets and can take out smaller enemies in a row. And smaller enemies can be picked up and thrown as projectiles. This gives DK a slow but steady pace and more momentum. He keeps his roll attack and it retains its original speed. Using ‘roll’ while not moving let’s DK punch. When charged you use up bananas and can do a attack much like DK’s Giant Punch from Smash. Jumping on the head is also still an option and he now gets to take out stronger enemies easier than Diddy like he did in DKC1.
: Diddy remains the speedy character but this trait of him gets a little more debt this time. Diddy can power up his cartwheel to a charged cartwheel attack utilizing bananas as power up and can take out hordes of smaller enemies in a row much faster than DK. Regular roll is also a little faster. Charged cartwheel can still take out Klumps, but regular cartwheels now take two times. When not pressing the roll option while not moving, Diddy shoots the Peanut Popgun. With Bananas he can power up the Popgun to a Golden Banana Gun that can take out stronger enemies, but it’s very very costly in Bananas. Peanuts can stun enemies, and when Diddy comes close to stunned weaker enemies he kicks them to take them out. Since it’s a retelling of DKC1, Diddy doesn’t get the Jetpack this time.
Bananas would be used for powering up attacks, and healing damage you take from enemies. Levels could be filled with more enemies and more collectibles and ways to find bananas. Bonus games should be included, and the giant bananas you get for clearing a boss should also increase your banana count by a lot.
Losing a life wouldn’t happen as fast, but you must keep looking for bananas to power yourself through the stages fast and beating enemies. Using powered up attacks decreases your fuel to heal as well after all, but the level design will be so that using a Kongs abilities will either solve things faster or easier overall. It won’t be needed to make jumps for example, but take out 4 to 5 Krusha or Klump in a row?
Since the original DKC bosses where often dismissed as too generic, let’s now make them all mini bosses. Real Gwanty, Queen Zinger, Giant Necky, and Dumb Drum annoys you a lot during a level or so and the boss of the Kremling factories goes to someone else. Speaking of mini bosses, there should be more. And enemies get more aggressive AI to make the game more challenging. Kremlings especially will be acting really hostile, while other enemies will only hurt you if you come in their path, those being more the regular animals as Gnawty, Zinger, aquatic enemies except Chomp. Kremlings will team up more to take you down and maybe the game should have options to control both Kong’s separately at times in Single Player and play similar to the Retro games in Two Player mode.
New bosses I could think of are General Klump and General Krusha who are beefed up versions of their respective Kremling original but seriously beefed up. Not as big and menacing as King K.Rool, but dangerous still. And they get more styled as army generals, being real military in their ways and utmost loyal to K.Rool. Who in the meanwhile wouldn’t give a damn about their deaths either.
K.Rool will be made more menacing and leave more influence on the story. We will encounter him first in the Kremling factories and he leaves us to battle General Klump as he watches. As he lies dying before his King, K.Rool just laughs at the Kongs and leaves the place, giving a overall better sense of intimidation around him and style him even more as a complete mad man.
Maybe let us fight K.Rool a time before the end fight, and him being saved last moment by his last loyal general, General Krusha. And we beat him before he gets away. Maybe doing his very first death fake out there. And as General Krusha gets defeated by the Kongs and we get a sense of false victory, K.Rool stands up and casually escapes with his speed. Not giving a total about nothing but his survival. We must learn through the story how massive the Kremling Army is and how much fear AND motivation by fear he inspires in his Kremling soldiers. Stopping him is the only sure way to ensure victory. This motivates the player more to attack as many Kremlings as you want, and especially King K.Rool. The life of the other Kongs is at stake after all. Same with Animal Buddies, who you befriend for survival reasons and gets their own cutscene and cinematics.
Game doesn’t need to be too serious and still obviously cartoony but a clear theme of survival is always present and plays with the music. David Wise must of course again do the music, but ideally use some deeper tones to set the mood perfectly. You must feel powerful yet constant on the lookout for food (bananas) to survive and fight off your natural enemy. This also would explain why the Banana Hoard is so important, and why the Tikis wanted to use the bananas power for fuel.
Gone abroad with this, but that’s how I sort of envision a remake of the original DKC in a modern setting that’s still mostly a plat former, but does its own thing to really stand apart from anything else and digs deeper into a more animalistic theme based on basic survival, yet remains cartoony enough to be Donkey Kong Country. A new Donkey Kong experience like we’ve been promised for a while. It uses the original cast in a brand new way, deepens their character or puts it in a different light when needed, and being true to the very root of what made the game what it was. There should still be mine carts, Barrel Canons, bonus rooms, and all other elements that made DKC what it is, but styled around as more action paced with combat against enemies, a bit of exploration, and using the bananas for a new goal.
