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Social King K. Rool's Kremling Kutthroats: This...Is Our Finest Hour!

TaichiYaegashi

Smash Ace
Joined
Apr 11, 2013
Messages
962
Location
KY
I come back to a timeline where not only Ridley is in but K. Rool as well.
This timeline is nice, I think I'll stay.
 

SmashKeks

Smash Ace
Joined
Mar 10, 2018
Messages
844
Location
Normistotzka, Kekistan
So, in celebration of King K. Rool being playable this December, I've decided to play through all the DKC games, beating 1, and 100% 2 and 3, then giving DK64 a spin for the first time. In doing this, I've come to a startling realization, something that may be mighty unpopular around here:

For the fact that I grew up with DKC1, I'm not sure I like the game, nor am I sure it still holds up as a good game.

I'm torn because it was undeniably an artistic marvel for its' time with its' 3D graphics, and even today some areas are beautiful. I love the forest areas, tree top villages, and ice caves for instance. Also, I have to respect the game by acknowledging that without DKC1, 2, 3, and 64 wouldn't exist. Still, the game is rough compared to how streamlined the mechanics introduced would become in DKC2, and a lot of it feels janky in execution. I could go more in depth if you want, I know I'm being vague but I kind of don't want to write an essay atm. I was just curious as to whether anyone else felt the same way: That DKC1 just doesn't hold up compared to it's later trilogy brothers, possibly doesn't hold up period. I'll still beat it to beat K. Rool, but I'm 3 areas in and feeling more frustrated than I often get with the whole of DKC2.
 

Empty Number

Smash Journeyman
Joined
Jul 29, 2014
Messages
314
Location
Minnesota
So, in celebration of King K. Rool being playable this December, I've decided to play through all the DKC games, beating 1, and 100% 2 and 3, then giving DK64 a spin for the first time. In doing this, I've come to a startling realization, something that may be mighty unpopular around here:

For the fact that I grew up with DKC1, I'm not sure I like the game, nor am I sure it still holds up as a good game.

I'm torn because it was undeniably an artistic marvel for its' time with its' 3D graphics, and even today some areas are beautiful. I love the forest areas, tree top villages, and ice caves for instance. Also, I have to respect the game by acknowledging that without DKC1, 2, 3, and 64 wouldn't exist. Still, the game is rough compared to how streamlined the mechanics introduced would become in DKC2, and a lot of it feels janky in execution. I could go more in depth if you want, I know I'm being vague but I kind of don't want to write an essay atm. I was just curious as to whether anyone else felt the same way: That DKC1 just doesn't hold up compared to it's later trilogy brothers, possibly doesn't hold up period. I'll still beat it to beat K. Rool, but I'm 3 areas in and feeling more frustrated than I often get with the whole of DKC2.
I agree. I’ve never understood the hate against DKC3. One could argue DKC1 had a more contemplative and thus more appealing overall atmosphere and character design than DKC3, but I’d say that’s the only point in its favor.

Donkey Kong Country 3 is better than the first of the trilogy in every other way.

Donkey Kong Country 2 was more extraordinary than both. An elegant game with so much planning and design that players don’t even realize how well designed it is.
 

SimonferSmash

Smash Apprentice
Joined
Nov 8, 2015
Messages
195
So, in celebration of King K. Rool being playable this December, I've decided to play through all the DKC games, beating 1, and 100% 2 and 3, then giving DK64 a spin for the first time. In doing this, I've come to a startling realization, something that may be mighty unpopular around here:

For the fact that I grew up with DKC1, I'm not sure I like the game, nor am I sure it still holds up as a good game.

I'm torn because it was undeniably an artistic marvel for its' time with its' 3D graphics, and even today some areas are beautiful. I love the forest areas, tree top villages, and ice caves for instance. Also, I have to respect the game by acknowledging that without DKC1, 2, 3, and 64 wouldn't exist. Still, the game is rough compared to how streamlined the mechanics introduced would become in DKC2, and a lot of it feels janky in execution. I could go more in depth if you want, I know I'm being vague but I kind of don't want to write an essay atm. I was just curious as to whether anyone else felt the same way: That DKC1 just doesn't hold up compared to it's later trilogy brothers, possibly doesn't hold up period. I'll still beat it to beat K. Rool, but I'm 3 areas in and feeling more frustrated than I often get with the whole of DKC2.
I am so totally with you in regards to DKC 1 man.

Sure it's still a fine enough romp, but it feels incredibly dated mechanic design wise.

Also baffles me as to why most hold it in higher regard compared to it's vastly superior followup.

I even find myself enjoying DKC3 moreso in a lot of areas as well, despite it's inferiorities.
 

C-G

Smash Journeyman
Joined
Aug 10, 2018
Messages
393
The hate for DKC3 stems from many places, including but not limited to:

-Kiddie Kong
-Lots of unnecessary elements such as the vehicles and the bears
-Overuse of gimmicks. Lots and lots of gimmicks
-Gameplay being much slower than DKC2 and less fluid
-All the kremlings having inferior and soulless designs compared to DKC2

DKC1 gets a pass a lot of the time because a) it has a similar but different feel to it while DKC3 feels like inferior DKC2 and b) 'Being the first'
 
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Empty Number

Smash Journeyman
Joined
Jul 29, 2014
Messages
314
Location
Minnesota
The hate for DKC3 stems from many places, including but not limited to:

-Kiddie Kong
-Lots of unnecessary elements such as the vehicles and the bears
-Overuse of gimmicks. Lots and lots of gimmicks
-Gameplay being much slower than DKC2 and less fluid
-All the kremlings having inferior and soulless designs compared to DKC2

DKC1 gets a pass a lot of the time because a) it has a similar but different feel to it while DKC3 feels like inferior DKC2 and b) 'Being the first'
- Kiddie Kong I'll give you. His design is subpar. Why would someone want to play as a literal baby?
- The vehicles are interesting and add to immersion. When I was a kid I would load up the game just to play around in the map. I'd switch between different vehicles and I would imagine what it would be like to explore the Northern Kremisphere. If DKC2 had this it would be lauded as a feature far ahead of its time.
- The "gimmicks" are a staple of DKC's game design. No two levels are alike - with a few of the most original designs the series has ever seen. This design idea is something shared by both DKC2 and DKCTF. I don't know why it's seen as a negative in DKC3. I'll grant that some levels are less fun than others, but this is also true in DKC2 and DKCTF.
- It does feel a bit more plodding than DKC2, but I can't tell if this is due to Diddy's absence or the physics of the game. Some level designs force you to slow down - but again this was true in DKC2 as well.
- Many are poorer, yes. Some are pretty cool. I think that Koin's design is really elegant and fitting. Bazuka is cool. Klasp made for some fun rope moments - ala Knocka in DKC2 - when after DKC2 rope climbing was getting stale. I enjoy the design of Baron K. Roolenstein more than Kaptain K. Rool even though his battles are not as good as in those of DKC2. To add on to all of these, there are some non-Kremlin character designs that I really enjoy. Parry is awesome. Swoopy is awesome. The Banana Birds can do no wrong. While I'm more partial to Zingers interpreting the bees as "Buzz"saws was genius. The bosses are disturbing and endearing.
 
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C-G

Smash Journeyman
Joined
Aug 10, 2018
Messages
393
- The "gimmicks" are a staple of DKC's game design. No two levels are alike - with a few of the most original designs the series has ever seen. This design idea is something shared by both DKC2 and DKCTF. I don't know why it's seen as a negative in DKC3. I'll grant that some levels are less fun than others, but this is also true in DKC2 and DKCTF.
They went overboard with the gimmicks though, and few if any of them improved the gameplay.
-Feeding the fish to not kill you
-The burning rope
-Ghost Barrels
-Reversed controls + Underwater
-Lower Gravity
-The elephant being scared of rats
-Barrel Shields
-Bouncing on Barrels to climb
-The Rocket
-Lightning

Several of these elements forced the player to slow down and wait, while others were built on entirely new game mechanics you hadn't learned up until that point. Neither of these lends themselves to the fast, smooth gameplay of DKC2. DKC2's gimmicks stages did work off existing mechanics and only in a handful of circumstances did they slow down gameplay (Parrot Chute Panic, The Moving Barrel Lost Levels, the hot air balloons).

I guess what I'm saying is that there are the gimmick stages that work off your skills and gimmick stages that work asynergistically to them, and a lot more of the latter are found in DKC3 than DKC2 or 1
 
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Mysteltainn

Smash Ace
Joined
May 4, 2008
Messages
888
Location
Canada
People are certainly celebrating victory for the king in their own quirky ways. Not sure if this has been posted, but definitely worth a look!

 

Jurae818

Smash Journeyman
Joined
Oct 27, 2014
Messages
294
Already halfway through the waiting period. The supposed leaks are getting out of control. I'm really glad King K. Rool was confirmed this early on, everything else is now a bonus.
 

MetroLSD

Smash Apprentice
Joined
Mar 6, 2018
Messages
126
Location
4 Miles Out
I liked DKC3's enemies because of how unnerving their designs were, the theme of 3's enemies seemed to have been around mutants, freaks, and robots(in which K.Rool's Frankenstein persona actually make sense as it would fit the theme of mutants and machines), This along with the game's overall theme of industrialization and Eveline Fischer's soundtrack in the snes version gave the game a dark feel compared to DKC1 and 2
 

SmashKeks

Smash Ace
Joined
Mar 10, 2018
Messages
844
Location
Normistotzka, Kekistan
People are certainly celebrating victory for the king in their own quirky ways. Not sure if this has been posted, but definitely worth a look!

Good remix, and awesome talent those guys have. Crazy to see what eight brothers can do. It's crazy how similar they look to each other, they could almost be octets if I didn't know better.
 

Dionaea_floridensis

Smash Journeyman
Joined
Aug 28, 2018
Messages
484
Really happy the king finally got in. Who do y'all reckon is the next most requested after K Rool? Geno? Shantae? Isaac?
 

C-G

Smash Journeyman
Joined
Aug 10, 2018
Messages
393
Most requested? Or most likely?

Because I'm pretty sure Goku takes 'Most requested' followed by Waluigi
 
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Mariomaniac45213

The Nintendo Villain main!
Joined
Sep 5, 2014
Messages
1,254
Location
Cincinnati, Ohio
Switch FC
SW 5604 9250 9133
So, in celebration of King K. Rool being playable this December, I've decided to play through all the DKC games, beating 1, and 100% 2 and 3, then giving DK64 a spin for the first time. In doing this, I've come to a startling realization, something that may be mighty unpopular around here:

For the fact that I grew up with DKC1, I'm not sure I like the game, nor am I sure it still holds up as a good game.

I'm torn because it was undeniably an artistic marvel for its' time with its' 3D graphics, and even today some areas are beautiful. I love the forest areas, tree top villages, and ice caves for instance. Also, I have to respect the game by acknowledging that without DKC1, 2, 3, and 64 wouldn't exist. Still, the game is rough compared to how streamlined the mechanics introduced would become in DKC2, and a lot of it feels janky in execution. I could go more in depth if you want, I know I'm being vague but I kind of don't want to write an essay atm. I was just curious as to whether anyone else felt the same way: That DKC1 just doesn't hold up compared to it's later trilogy brothers, possibly doesn't hold up period. I'll still beat it to beat K. Rool, but I'm 3 areas in and feeling more frustrated than I often get with the whole of DKC2.
I don't think DKC1 is "bad" but yeah it hasn't help up that well. Most of the level design is pretty bland and the game is really easy nowadays. The bosses in DKC1 besides K.Rool (and even then...) are VERY mediocre and easy and hell most of the bosses are just bigger versions of enemies. DKC3 is also bland IMO and I still put DKC1 over it simply due to nostalgia. But IMO Tropical Freeze and DKC2 are the pinnacle of the franchise. I like Returns fine enough but it plays it too safe for me. It's a good game but to me DKCR is the "NSMB" of the Donkey Kong Country franchise. It's a fine 2D platformer but feels very "by the books"
 

Dixie Kong

Smash Ace
Joined
Jul 9, 2018
Messages
762
I think DKC1 still works great today as an introduction to the harder sequels. It’s still my favorite Country, and has my favorite atmosphere. (I love 3’s atmosphere also)
 

BridgesWithTurtles

Smash Champion
Joined
Apr 18, 2013
Messages
2,175
Location
The long road to nowhere
3DS FC
3523-2059-7939
I like the Retro games more than the Rare ones and of the original trilogy, I think DKC3 is my favorite. Yeah, I'm definitely in the extreme minority.

Was so dang happy to see the Baron K. Roolenstein callback in K. Rool's recovery move, though. I was totally expecting them to completely ignore DKC3 like they always do.
 

Empty Number

Smash Journeyman
Joined
Jul 29, 2014
Messages
314
Location
Minnesota
I guess what I'm saying is that there are the gimmick stages that work off your skills and gimmick stages that work asynergistically to them, and a lot more of the latter are found in DKC3 than DKC2 or 1
I hear you. I can see why someone wouldn't enjoy those particular levels.
  • Feeding the fish was actually pretty fun. I liked that a lot more than the levels in DKC2 where the fish immediately kills you if you hit the water.
  • The ghost barrels do slow you down, but no more than Bramble Blast. I don't mind either of those levels.
  • Reversed controls was not enjoyable. I agree here.
  • Lower gravity was a fun mixup. I liked exploring the old mechanics with the physics change.
  • Ellie being afraid of rats was an interesting idea, and I'm disappointed that it came so early. It feels like they had to make it easier than it could have been, when if it had placed, say, in the cliff world we would have seen a more creative puzzle platforming level. The current difficulty of the level just makes you think "The rats are never that much of a problem. Why does this mechanic exist?"
  • Barrel shields were boring and not enjoyable. I agree here.
  • Bouncing on steel barrels was actually a cool idea. I'm not super impressed with the level design here though. We could've had challenges involving bouncing between different barrel barrages while switching the barrels in midair. Instead we got a single line of barrels that only served to take you straight up where you periodically had to switch to TNT barrels to clear a bee, the switch back. Disappointing implementation. I Agree here.
  • Rocket Barrel Rush was interesting. It reminded me a lot of the last level in DKC1. Really elegant design too. Aesthetically I really enjoy the idea of slowly falling down to the bottom of a cliff, only to fuel completely up and blast all the way back up. Controls could have been better here though.
  • Lightning level was tough but fine. If you mastered Kiddie's water skip ability this level really rewarded you.
There are a few levels in DKC2 that I feel approach some of these in frustration. There's not as many (which is partly why I like DKC2 more) but the levels that restrict movement and annoy are still there.
  • Red Hot Ride
  • Glimmer's Galleon (I despise this level)
  • Slime Climb
  • Bramble Blast
  • Gusty Glade (I don't like this level.)
  • Web Woods (This one is below average. I think DKC3 did Squitter levels a lot better)
  • Windy Well (I despise this level.)
  • Castle Crush (This level is OK to me. I listed it because it purposely limits your speed through the level.)
  • Toxic Tower (I despise this level.)
  • Black Ice Battle (not an interesting gimmick.)
Unlike others, I actually don't find the Squawk's segment of Animal Antics that bad at all. It was the least stressful instance of the wind mechanic to me.

Anyway. I don't expect to change anyone's mind here. I'm just enjoying our discussion - so thanks. :)
 
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Dixie Kong

Smash Ace
Joined
Jul 9, 2018
Messages
762
The barrel shields in DKC3 I thought were really fun and unique. I also loved Red Hot Ride in DKC2. Man, do I need to replay DKC2.
 

Strong DK

Smash Apprentice
Joined
Mar 13, 2018
Messages
90
Location
Finland
Tropical freeze is my all-time favourite DKC game followed by DKCR. Of the original games DKC1 is the best followed closely by DKC2. DKC3 is a good game but just can't compare with other DKCs. It just feels bland and soulless compared to others.
And yes, i hate Kiddy Kong. Should have been DK instead.
 

C-G

Smash Journeyman
Joined
Aug 10, 2018
Messages
393
  • Red Hot Ride
  • Glimmer's Galleon (I despise this level)
  • Slime Climb
  • Bramble Blast
  • Gusty Glade (I don't like this level.)
  • Web Woods (This one is below average. I think DKC3 did Squitter levels a lot better)
  • Windy Well (I despise this level.)
  • Castle Crush (This level is OK to me. I listed it because it purposely limits your speed through the level.)
  • Toxic Tower (I despise this level.)
  • Black Ice Battle (not an interesting gimmick.)
The big difference for me is that of these listed, Windy Well Red Hot Ride are the only ones that completely halt or change up how you play the game. The levels still work off how Kongs, Barrels, and Animal buddies function. Castle Crush is a pain but auto scrollers are a pain regardless of the game, and all the levels you can still go the speed you want to go. Even Parrot Chute Panic, one of the gimmickiest levels, you can just ignore the parrots if you were good enough.

Also, something I did want to mention is that even when DKC2 was being a big gimmick stage, rarely was the entire stage the gimmick. Usually, the stage would mix up the gimmick, provide breaks, or provide a good chunk of normal gameplay at the start. Bramble Blast still had parts of Kongs jumping on Klaptraps, Red Hot Ride still had Rambi breaking down doors, Web Woods still started with a Kong specific area. DKC3 had a habit of just being the gimmick the entire level, like with the burning rope, the reversed controls, and the lower gravity
 
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StormC

Smash Hero
Joined
Oct 29, 2014
Messages
8,298
Got in touch with the guy who originally created the banners.

He made one more...

 

InASnowBoundLand

Smash Lord
Joined
May 2, 2014
Messages
1,453

You may have seen these individual reactions before but a new compilation for reactions is out. I think this one has a lot of big fans of the character compared to other ones.
 
Joined
Apr 4, 2015
Messages
514
Location
Rareware Winners Lounge
Love DKC3, it has its flaws, but imo it's a more superior adventure overall than DKC. I like how spontaneous and diverse it is. Always look forward to playing it in my replays, my personal favourite of of the 3 and am thrilled it got some rep in Ultimate via the Jetpack.

Am playing through it now and I always seem to struggle with the first toboggan level, my reflexes aren't as sharp as they once were.
 

Handy Man

Smash Ace
Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Messages
917
Location
SoCal
It feels so weird to have my most wanted already announced. If King K. Rool was in the game but they did not reveal him a month ago, we would still be speculating about him like crazy and this sub forum would not even exist. I am so grateful we got the character we wanted, but now I have no idea who would be shown next. At this point, I just want others to be happy.

With that said, Smash Ultimate just looks like such a fantastic game, and I'm always excited to see what's next for it. Going into tomorrow's Direct will be interesting, as even though I have no anxiety about who will be shown, we still have no idea what Sakurai has up his sleeve. That, in itself, is exciting.
 

C-G

Smash Journeyman
Joined
Aug 10, 2018
Messages
393
It's also worth noting that, even should we not get anything specifically K Rool, he may show up in the trailer for the new feature/character using one of his missing moves.
 

Putuk

Smash Lord
Joined
Sep 29, 2014
Messages
1,286
Location
None of your beeswax!
3DS FC
2723-9688-6533
Switch FC
SW-8387-2163-6416
Man it must be so cool for you guys not to worry each time a direct rolls around.
I've only recently become a fan of this kremling king (you guys are very good at convincing), so I can't really relate. But I'm so happy for you guys!
 
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