Dixie Kong's Barrel Of Support Spirits. Farewell Everyone, Thank You ALL For Making This Thread An Excellent Place For DK Fans!

[LiveStudioAudience]

Just finished off DKC1 on SNES online, and have 100% the trilogy as a result. Couple of general observations as its been a while since I've done a full playthrough.

The first game is the one that does very natural landscapes best, possibly even better than 2. A lot of that is rooted in 1 being so tied to a sense of reality vs. the Mario games at the time, but in stuff like Forest Frenzy there's a vibrant legitimacy to the backgrounds and aesthetics. Ironically its what makes Fear Factory stand out all the more because its a big batch of industrial settings after being an nature based game until then. Fairly effective in selling the pollution motif of that overall world, and making it all the more unique.

Second, it definitely feels like the Sonic 2 of the SNES games in the sense that its all about that kinetic momentum via speed with the exploration not being quite as prominent or interesting. DKC2 is the more balanced Sonic 3 & Knuckles entry that doesn't stress any one element and Dixie's Double Trouble rounds it out as the Sonic CD esque of sequel with exploration emphasis alongside gimmicks. It definitely does reinforce earlier observations that DKC1 is essentially Rare's take on the speedy platformer.

Third its notable how much Chimp Caverns still feel like a bit of let down in comparison to the distinct nature of the other worlds. The design is fine, but as a result of its motifs already being introduced it can't help but feel like more of the same. Its hard to say what it should have been especially given the deadline they were on, but after such a solid high note of Kremroc Industries Inc, it just seems a bit blah as a result.

Finally having gone through all the bonus levels, I have to apologize to DKC2 for saying its bonus rooms are esoteric because they have nothing on the wacky experiments you have to do in 1. Jumping in bottomless pits, always holding barrels near walls to see if they break, and a lot of repeated feelings of "How exactly was I supposed to know that?" Its all forgivable given it was the first game and essentially everything related to bonus rooms (variety, location, progress rewards) was essentially Rare getting its feet wet with the concept.

The big question I had going in was whether or not it was better than 3. And having finished I have to give the slight edge to the latter. While I do think the original is more enjoyable to look at and does lend itself to replays if you're not going for bonus rooms, the lack of depth in comparison to DKC3 just can't be ignored. Donkey Kong Country is still great, but it still needed the fleshing out that DKC2 and beyond gave it to make it something really special.

 

[Mushroomguy12]

DKC3 pillow

My new pillow from the @theyetee has arrived! At least I'll always know which side of this pillow is the cool one... pic.twitter.com/NR4Jb0XLYH

— DK Vine (@dkvine) January 23, 2021

 

[RetrogamerMax]

I wonder how many years it will take for Cranky and Funky to get into Smash after Dixie. Hopefully it doesn't take 2 decades like it did with Diddy and K. Rool.

 

[Mushroomguy12]

Kong Family

"Don't be afraid, young ones. It's only me, Wrinkly Kong.
My body may have passed away since DKC3,
but I'm here in spirit to help you defeat those naughty crocodiles.
When you see Kaptain K. Rool, can you ask him if he has done his homework?
Take care, dearies."#dk64 #dkc2 #dkc3 pic.twitter.com/kpBVzwNmS7

— 🐸 Fran / FJ || Pixels and Illustration (@pipasdefranilla) February 14, 2019

 

[Doc Monocle]

I wonder how many years it will take for Cranky and Funky to get into Smash after Dixie. Hopefully it doesn't take 2 decades like it did with Diddy and K. Rool.

Careful! Once you enter the world of statistics, there is no turning back... EVER!!! (fades into the shadows)

Hehe! I do not think it will take that long if Sakurai is not deliberately keeping fans on edge.

 

[RetrogamerMax]

Careful! Once you enter the world of statistics, there is no turning back... EVER!!! (fades into the shadows)

Hehe! I do not think it will take that long if Sakurai is not deliberately keeping fans on edge.

Let's hope. Dixie should have been in a long time ago and hopefully she makes it into Ultimate or Smash 6. Funky would have been a easy DK Echo to make so he would be simple to do. Cranky I think would come after these two since he's probably the most unique of the 3 if not Dixie.

 

[Mushroomguy12]

Monkey Business

https://www.reddit.com/r/donkeykong/comments/kzluv3

 

[RetrogamerMax]

Monkey Business

https://www.reddit.com/r/donkeykong/comments/kzluv3

YO! Where is that Lanky Kong plush from? I've never seen it before. This is a cool DKC collection.

 

[Mushroomguy12]

YO! Where is that Lanky Kong plush from? I've never seen it before. This is a cool DKC collection.

According to the uploader he was a custom.

 

[Mariomaniac45213]

Looking at that picture above just makes me even more sad. Nintendo let Rare go so soon. If Rare was still around the DK series would've remained as big as it was in the 90's. Think of all the DK merch we would've gotten besides 100 different plushies of DK and Diddy.

Im talking plushies/action figures of Lanky (official), Chunky, Tiny, Dixie, Kiddy, Cranky, Funky, Wrinkly, Rambi, Swanky, Taj the Genie, Candy, Squawks, Expresso, Winky, Quawks, Kritter, K.Rool, Zingers, Ellie, Klaptrap, Gnawties, Krusha, Klump, etc. As well as whatever new Kongs, enemies, and animal buddies Rare would've came up with. Damn near every Mario character and enemy has had multiple toys based off of them over the years. I wish we could've gotten the same for DK.

 

[Ridley_Prime]

Rare and 2000's Nintendo would not have stuck/merged well together. At that time, Nintendo was becoming very difficult to work with. The hammer likely would've come down on Rare hard with other games just as it did with Star Fox Adventures. I don't agree with Nintendo's reasoning for letting Rare go as previously expressed, but it was a good a time as any to do so I guess before it got worse. Rare leaving in some way (going bankrupt in the event that no one bought them, etc) would've still hurt regardless of when it happened though, particularly with the cancelled game concepts and such that we would've still saw.

But it's been more than long enough to have made my peace with it, especially with the next DK we're almost assuredly getting at this point.

 

[KirbyWorshipper2465]

Shigeru "variety is boring, let's go rescue princesses all the time with a gimmick, wahoo!" Miyamoto wouldn't exactly have mixed well with Rare.

For what it's worth, all we can do is wait and see how the Next Level Games merger will affect things in a few years. Both them and Yoshiaki Koizumi seem open to more interesting ideas (even if the latter had growing pains in regards to DKC).

 

[LiveStudioAudience]

I think to some degree Rare was a victim of Nintendo going into an experimental time that the former company just didn't quite fit in. While it thrived in the era of taking traditional genres and adding just enough elements to really differentiate them (see Mario -> DKC, Mario Kart -> Diddy Kong Racing, Mario 64 -> Banjo Kazooie). that shift by Nintendo in the Gamecube era meant they were doing such things themselves or weren't interested in that kind of gameplay evolution. A lot of the first party output greatly contrasts with that of the N64 generation (with some being vindicated and others not) and as such it seems that the big N just didn't/wouldn't value the kind of work the British company was doing as much.

Its ironic that circa the Wii era when Nintendo did go back to the more traditional well for their major game designs, a studio like Rare could have been remarkably useful in beefing out their library. Them getting a crack at a traditional Star Fox or a Wii version of Perfect Dark could have greatly changed the fortunes of both franchises.

 

[Dinoman96]

Now here's an interesting discussion: What if it were Activision that bought out Rare instead of Microsoft? That almost happened.

In the long run, I actually think it would of been better for some of their legacy IPs. Instead of the XBLA ports, Kazooie/Tooie probably would of gotten full blown remasters like Crash and Spyro did, and of course they'd be multiplatform instead of being exclusive to the Xbox ecosystem. If Activision was willing to play ball with Nintendo, we could of also gotten Banjo in Smash as far back as Smash 4 or maybe even Brawl, and Rare's N64 games on Virtual Console.

But well, the big obvious drawback is that Rare would of been almost assuredly creatively dead. We probably wouldn't of gotten stuff like Viva Pinata or Sea of Thieves and they'd most likely just be folded into the COD factory, similar to what just happened with Vicarious Visions recently.

 

[LiveStudioAudience]

Ubisoft would have been another interesting choice as owning Rare. While quality control might have been questionable, there's some interesting franchises Rare could have potentially worked with if given the chance.

 

[Justin Little]

If they treated Banjo like they treat Rayman, Ubisoft would've prioritize Jinjos over Banjo Kazooie.

 

[Ridley_Prime]

Now here's an interesting discussion: What if it were Activision that bought out Rare instead of Microsoft? That almost happened.

In the long run, I actually think it would of been better for some of their legacy IPs. Instead of the XBLA ports, Kazooie/Tooie probably would of gotten full blown remasters like Crash and Spyro did, and of course they'd be multiplatform instead of being exclusive to the Xbox ecosystem. If Activision was willing to play ball with Nintendo, we could of also gotten Banjo in Smash as far back as Smash 4 or maybe even Brawl, and Rare's N64 games on Virtual Console.

But well, the big obvious drawback is that Rare would of been almost assuredly creatively dead. We probably wouldn't of gotten stuff like Viva Pinata or Sea of Thieves and they'd most likely just be folded into the COD factory, similar to what just happened with Vicarious Visions recently.

Activision owns the James Bond gaming license, so Goldeneye would've had a better future/legacy at least had it gone that way. Perfect Dark was alright, but I always preferred Goldeneye at the end of the day, which PD would not have existed without.

 

[RetrogamerMax]

According to the uploader he was a custom.

That's one damn good custom than because it looks like an official DKC plush from the 90s.

 

[BirthNote]

If they treated Banjo like they treat Rayman, Ubisoft would've prioritize Jinjos over Banjo Kazooie.

Well to be fair, Ubisoft treated Rayman far better than Microsoft treated Banjo. Even during the Rabbids era, Rayman had traditional platformer games where he fought the Rabbids in the same vein as his very first game. Plus, in this scenario Ubisoft would've revived Banjo with their "Banjo Origins" and "Banjo Legends" which would result in Banjo getting some of the best platformers of all time.

Rayman did a lot more for Ubisoft than Banjo did for Nintendo, Microsoft or Rare combined tbh. One massive reason why is because even when they shunned him, they kept making games or re-releasing Rayman 2. By the time Nuts N Bolts came out, Rare had no faith in Banjo and couldn't even pretend they were happy to make another game about him. From the year 2000 to 2008, aka the same time span, Rayman had pumped out a steady stream of games, roughly 10 off the top of my head, and Origins was only 3 years away. Further, even after Legends Ubisoft kept cashing in on the mobile market with their endless runners.

Dixie for Smash!

 

[Phoenix Douchebag]

Rare and 2000's Nintendo would not have stuck/merged well together.

Really? Nintendo in the Two Thousands seemed FAR more experimental and open to crazy ideas than they do Now (specifically since the mid-new tens). Just look at Mario Spin Offs, we went from RPG Tennis to DoubleKart to extreme Edgy FOOTBALL to Sports with FF characters to Two RPG series at the same time, and then for the 8th generation we got...............One or two spin-offs every 3 years that had barely experimentation and stick to Toads and Generic Enemies. Then there was Zelda going really cartoony, to giving Metroid top billing again.

Nintendo nowadays is far more conservative. Maybe im just salty about the current state of Mario Spin Offs, and how many Nintendo franchises of the 6th-7th generation (Golden Sun, Starfy, etc) died out in the process.

Though i guess Nintendo being TOO experimental was the issue there. People complain about Banjo in a Car but a DK Rhythm Game with Bongos?

I think to some degree Rare was a victim of Nintendo going into an experimental time that the former company just didn't quite fit in. While it thrived in the era of taking traditional genres and adding just enough elements to really differentiate them (see Mario -> DKC, Mario Kart -> Diddy Kong Racing, Mario 64 -> Banjo Kazooie). that shift by Nintendo in the Gamecube era meant they were doing such things themselves or weren't interested in that kind of gameplay evolution. A lot of the first party output greatly contrasts with that of the N64 generation (with some being vindicated and others not) and as such it seems that the big N just didn't/wouldn't value the kind of work the British company was doing as much.

Its ironic that circa the Wii era when Nintendo did go back to the more traditional well for their major game designs, a studio like Rare could have been remarkably useful in beefing out their library. Them getting a crack at a traditional Star Fox or a Wii version of Perfect Dark could have greatly changed the fortunes of both franchises.

It surprises me Nintendo never considered just giving DK to a western developer during the Gamecube era. Maybe they did consider, but didn't saw anyone worthy of being given the chance of developing a game based on DK, and only changed their mind when they saw the likes of Metroid Prime and Punch Out Wii. If those games failed, maybe DKCR may have not happened at all.

 

[Justin Little]

Well to be fair, Ubisoft treated Rayman far better than Microsoft treated Banjo. Even during the Rabbids era, Rayman had traditional platformer games where he fought the Rabbids in the same vein as his very first game. Plus, in this scenario Ubisoft would've revived Banjo with their "Banjo Origins" and "Banjo Legends" which would result in Banjo getting some of the best platformers of all time.

Rayman did a lot more for Ubisoft than Banjo did for Nintendo, Microsoft or Rare combined tbh. One massive reason why is because even when they shunned him, they kept making games or re-releasing Rayman 2. By the time Nuts N Bolts came out, Rare had no faith in Banjo and couldn't even pretend they were happy to make another game about him. From the year 2000 to 2008, aka the same time span, Rayman had pumped out a steady stream of games, roughly 10 off the top of my head, and Origins was only 3 years away. Further, even after Legends Ubisoft kept cashing in on the mobile market with their endless runners.

Dixie for Smash!

As a Banjo fan, I have a little smidge of hope that some developer could pick up the mantle like what happened with Killer Instinct and Battletoads.

As a Rayman fan, I'm more insulted and pissed that his legacy is largely ignored in favor for a fad that only got popular because of memes. Rant down below

Spoiler

Looking at it retrospectively, yeah, Rayman was in a better position despite of the Rabbids. Hell, Rabbids didn't even bother me back then. It wasn't until Mario + Rabbids where my heart was basically torn to pieces. I remember when the game was leaked and everybody was crapping on it. It seems I was in different position than everyone else. To me, it didn't matter whether the game was great or not. In fact, I knew it was going to be great because Nintendo was behind it.

All I can I think of was "Ubisoft just set a precedent to all of it's audience that Rabbids are more mascot material and more important to them than Rayman." Rayman, the character that practically built Ubisoft, was not even good enough to them to be on the same side as Mario. You now see people rallying for Rabbids over Rayman for Smash as they see the two franchises like the Rabbids is to Persona as Rayman is to SMT which is a BS comparison. In terms of their own games, the Rabbids most successful games are the ones where they leech off of Rayman and Mario. I don't think any of their solo outings even comes close to the best selling Rayman game and they sure don't come close to them critically.

I honestly wouldn't want Ubisoft to own RARE. Rayman is already in a tough position as is. While we could've gotten some good Banjo games, I wouldn't want them at the expense of Rayman.

Dixie for Smash though.

 

[LiveStudioAudience]

It surprises me Nintendo never considered just giving DK to a western developer during the Gamecube era. Maybe they did consider, but didn't saw anyone worthy of being given the chance of developing a game based on DK, and only changed their mind when they saw the likes of Metroid Prime and Punch Out Wii. If those games failed, maybe DKCR may have not happened at all.

Its hard to get a read on Nintendo's intentions on that period. It could be they couldn't find a developer they trusted to do mainline games (hence spin-offs) or it was an earnest attempt at rebranding the property it something that just didn't quite get the numbers they were hoping for, hence the turn to Retro for Returns and beyond. The GBA Advance ports at least suggest they saw some value in the Country games if only as throwback titles at least.

Part of me wonders if the success of those games and specifically New Super Mario Bros is what convinced Nintendo 2D platforming still had real value in the market and that doing another Country game went from potential risk to safe bet. Reinvention becomes a much lesser necessity when the market for the traditional becomes apparent.

 

[Mushroomguy12]

Fanmade shirt.

I was expecting this to be shipped at the end of March. But it was shipped recently. 🤣 Anyways, I got this nice fan made Diddy & Dixie shirt from Yetee. 🙂 Yay! Some DKC2 love! 🍌😁#Nintendo #DonkeyKong pic.twitter.com/B44HGZAjar

— Slavko ShyGuy (@MarioSimpson64) January 24, 2021

 

[Mariomaniac45213]

Really? Nintendo in the Two Thousands seemed FAR more experimental and open to crazy ideas than they do Now (specifically since the mid-new tens). Just look at Mario Spin Offs, we went from RPG Tennis to DoubleKart to extreme Edgy FOOTBALL to Sports with FF characters to Two RPG series at the same time, and then for the 8th generation we got...............One or two spin-offs every 3 years that had barely experimentation and stick to Toads and Generic Enemies. Then there was Zelda going really cartoony, to giving Metroid top billing again.

Nintendo nowadays is far more conservative. Maybe im just salty about the current state of Mario Spin Offs, and how many Nintendo franchises of the 6th-7th generation (Golden Sun, Starfy, etc) died out in the process.

Though i guess Nintendo being TOO experimental was the issue there. People complain about Banjo in a Car but a DK Rhythm Game with Bongos?



It surprises me Nintendo never considered just giving DK to a western developer during the Gamecube era. Maybe they did consider, but didn't saw anyone worthy of being given the chance of developing a game based on DK, and only changed their mind when they saw the likes of Metroid Prime and Punch Out Wii. If those games failed, maybe DKCR may have not happened at all.

Yeah gotta be honest Nintendo nowadays especially Switch era seems less experimental than before at least when it comes to their classic IP. Yeah you have stuff like LABO, ARMS, 1-2 Switch, Mario Kart Live Home Circuit, and Ring Fit Adventure but most of that stuff came off as casual gimmicky/tech demo stuff reminiscent of the Wii days (and even then I think Wii has done a better job on software output than Switch has). Yes BOTW changed Zelda forever and is an amazing game. Odyssey also changed Mario a big deal (despite not being a huge fan of the game and believing the game is the most overrated Nintendo game ever). But thats still just two franchises.

Which gets to my point about Switch era Nintendo. Switch era Nintendo is very conservative and more "bottom line" driven than before. I feel less creativity coming out of the company than ever before. We get the same revolving door of franchises and their various spin-offs every year being Mario, Zelda, Pokemon, Kirby, Fire Emblem, and Xenoblade. With Splatoon and Animal Crossing thrown in their for good measure. I dont even count DK and Pikmin because at the end of the day those are just Wii U ports. Which gets to my next gripe about Switch era Nintendo...

Too many ports/remakes...I mean my goodness. I get it the Wii U didnt sell well and games like Mario Kart 8 ONLY sold like 8 million copies on Wii U what a failure! Clearly nobody bought a Wii U, I get it! But at the same time the full priced ports and remakes with minimum added content (luckily 3D World actually looks like they are adding hefty amount of new content) is annoying because Nintendo treats them as big brand new releases getting a month of their own. I get it ports/remakes take much less time and effort to produce and Nintendo gets more money on their investment. While yes ports dont take away from new games perse they still take away time and manpower that could be used elsewhere.

Also you minus all the ports and remakes the Switch would have just as slow and drought filled of a release schedule (from a 1st party perspective) as the Wii U did. I thought combining the handheld and console divisions into one and not having a secondary platform to develop for anymore meant more games and faster development but that clearly hasnt been the case at least not IMO. I also get covid had effected Nintendo pretty hard during 2020 and probably this year as well so I cut them a bit more slack for that. But the Switch still just has too much recycled content for me and I gotta be honest haven't touched my Switch since Origami King really in June of last year. I tried playing Age of Calamity but its a Warriors game I had my fill with Hyrule Warriors and Fire Emblem Warriors their is only so many times you can play the same games but with a fresh coat of paint.

But besides the heavy amount of ports/remakes my bigger issue with Switch era Nintendo is the lack of franchise variety. We are all waiting on a new Donkey Kong obviously (its been 7 years since Tropical Freeze ffs!) but what about other franchises like Kid Icarus, Punch-Out!!, Star Fox, F-Zero, Rhythm Heaven, Wario Land, WarioWare, Advance/Batallion Wars, Nintendogs, Pilotwings, Wave Race, Sin & Punishment, Golden Sun, 2D Metroid, Pikmin 4, Excite, Chibi-Robo, Dillion, etc. We are 4 years into the Switch's lifecycle and we only have like 9 classic franchises on Switch (including Kart, Party, Tennis, as "Mario" and not counting ports).

1st party Switch games are selling out the ass and everytime a Nintendo made Switch game comes out it breaks series records like:

- Origami King became the fastest selling Paper Mario game ever.

- Super Mario Party is the fastest selling and best selling game in the franchise

- Splatoon 2 was a massive sales success topping the original, becoming in the Switch's top 10 best selling titles.

- Age of Calamity is the fastest selling Warriors game of all time.

- Breath of the Wild is the best selling Zelda game of all time as well as the best selling in Japan.

- Fire Emblem: Three Houses is the fastest and best selling game in the franchise..

- Animal Crossing: New Horizons is the fastest and best selling game in the franchise

- Pokemon Sword/Shield are the fastest selling Pokemon games.

- Luigi's Mansion 3 best and fastest selling game in the series..

^ I could go on and on. My point is with all of these massive success stories and all of their big guns out of the way. You would think by now (in year 4) Nintendo would start branching out to their other less successful classic IP and trying to breathe new life into them and raising them up to become major players again. You know striking while the irons hot but so far in 2021 Nintendo seems to be content with just pumping out Mario, Zelda, and Pokemon again..I get it they are the money makers and they all have become yearly franchises at this point but man Wii/DS/3DS/Wii U era i.e. Iwata era seemed much more open to experimenting and using classic IP.

Anyway Dixie for Smash and a new DK game for 2021 (hopefully).

 

[ZeroJanitor]

I kinda miss the very early days of the Switch where we saw games like Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey and thought that Nintendo was really going to shake up the way they do things and bring new blood into all their current and future franchises.

But then of course the Switch was a massive success and it feels like they've been resting on their laurels. There's been good games since then of course, great games even. But aside from maybe Smash, nothing that really shook up their franchise on that level.

 

[Ridley_Prime]

Well the only main things left from Wii U to port at this point are what, Xenoblade Chronicles X and Star Fox Zero? Since said ports getting new content seems to be the norm, I would take a Zero port over nothing for Star Fox, like with added multiplayer or something. Metroid could definitely use some game porting to tide people over leading up to Prime 4 (there are plenty people that want to experience the Prime trilogy either for the first time for younger fans or again during the wait). 2D I'm not as worried about since Samus Returns happened and the team that did it has been rumored to do another one for awhile.

Pikmin 3 was lucky to get the remaster it got for Switch, for such a niche series. It apparently became the best sold in Japan; overall sales I don't know yet, but pretty good sign, and I was skeptical of how well it'd do at first since it had Mario and Zelda stuff to compete with around its release time.

The covid era has been great for Nintendo with the increase in people buying games from not being able to go outside like before, but not so much for the fans that had been waiting on their output. Sure the development of games they were working on had been slowed down, but their playerbase massively increased by doing almost nothing. Again though, I'll take ports from lesser selling series over nothing, which could really use the sales with how much people buy them now as is, though not sure how well Nintendo will take advantage of it with their tendency to release things in slow trinkets... The previous gens have made me used to that with them; even when they were more experimental and less conservative there were still a lot of slow/down times. It's just more blatant now/after Odyssey & BotW since there's only one system for them to work on and not two.

Still, with that said, there's no reason for us to still not have even the little things like the customization features from previous hardware; folders to sort games, themes/colors, menu music, or hell the streaming apps (though not sure if the Switch still not having them is a lack of action from Netflix/Hulu/etc or Nintendo, or both)... They might save these things for later to artificially extend the system's lifetime, but with it being almost 4 years later, I would've expected a bit more than what little we still got there. The Switch menu layout we have still looks like it was made by an Indie. How long did it take for the 3DS to get most of those user features again? The player icon selection would also still say is pretty lacking. Never understood why we never got any player icons from Smash; it'd be simple to just use the character renders' heads for icons or something, but I guess they tend to only release more user icons from games related to Nintendo EPD specifically, as opposed to any 3rd parties.

Nevermind games, they're too conservative now even with the little things. Smash Ultimate being the dream it is (because of Sakurai, not Nintendo), and the promising things for like Metroid and DK are mostly the only reason I'm still here. Any other IP of interest I'll be happy to try again if it ever gets another chance, but y'know.

Dixie for Smash!

 

[LiveStudioAudience]

I've honestly accepted that the Switch will likely not live up to library potential I thought it had three years ago. There's been a few select AAA games which are really fun, and lot of meh releases don't really excite. Its really been indie titles that have beefed up the system's use and given it the kind of depth that actually made getting it worthwhile. In regards to the rest of its lifespan, the big question with Nintendo isn't so much this generation, its what they'll do with financial windfall in regards to investment for the next one.

The Wii brought some big money to the company and there were all sorts of interesting revivals and ventures they could have done after its run. Instead the Wii U (and even the 3DS at points) became a haven for a lot of spin-offs and experiments that no one wanted. Even with the millstone of the Wii U controller there are loads of different IP's that could have gotten some of their momentum back if the development was there. Not doing that put the company in a terrible position when the blue ocean audience from the Wii era they were counting on to return didn't come back, and the console was stuck with titles that casuals weren't around to buy and had no appeal to the hardcore fanbase.

They're doing great business right now which is good. However the next console will not have ports from an old system that few people bought nor the initial novelty of playing console games on the go to rely on. Barring another wacky control gimmick (which Nintendo has been a bit less keen on as of late), the next system is going to be sold on its library, and it would be unwise to repeat the hubris of the 3DS and Wii U launches where Nintendo assumed bog standard releases would compel people too look past their prices only to quickly find out that wasn't the case.

 

[Ridley_Prime]

Nintendo hugely rested on its laurels during the Wii too, but still got a decent enough library by the end. After Brawl I wasn’t expecting much, but still got DKCR and some things worth playing. The Wii U should have been sold on its library, but said library was nothing to write home about. There was DKCTF and some good things here and there, but so much untapped potential with how quickly they moved on from the system since it didn’t do well. Even as an underperforming system I didn’t feel compensated like I did with the Gamecube which had plenty more games for me in comparison.

I think the Switch will have some kind of worthwhile library by the end, especially with long it seems it’ll be supported (and them saying it’ll be supported longer than the average system cycle, etc), but there’ll always be some IP expectations that Nintendo will never live up to with fans, no matter how many games a system has. The 3DS had a slow start too, but still surprised how many games it had by the end. It was supported an insanely long time, but still. I can give the Switch the benefit of the doubt still for some good non-port releases down the line, but just keep expectations in check. I’m honestly more wary of whatever the Switch’s real successor may be, after the Wii U. Anyone can get too relaxed after a major successful system/gen, thinking they don’t have to do much for the next one. This led to Nintendo thinking they didn’t even have to elaborately market the Wii U, which led to mass confusion and people thinking it was an add-on for the Wii, and you know the rest. You can try to say they learn from their mistakes, but I don't fully trust them like that. At the end of the day their actions speak louder than words.

I know many Nintendo fans take it for granted or say it’s not something we need, but still appreciating the amount of 3rd party support too in the meantime which has been a breath of fresh air. With the previous couple Nintendo consoles, there was almost nothing to get alternatively while waiting for the occasional 1st party game release. Maybe there aren’t that many 3rd party IPs that interest a lot of core Nintendo fans or some of them are just insular, but 3rd parties sell systems. It’s a fact.

 

[Phoenix Douchebag]

THIS.

DKC Tropical Freeze was my favorite Wii U game. It was a great game and an example that the DKC franchise's standard is far beyond multiple franchises.

Im honestly considering buying the Switch Port because while i already have it on Wii U, my Wii U is no longer plugged (not enough room in my well...........room) and having the chance of playing it whenever and wherever i wanted would be great, but that price point, jesus that price point.

UPDATE: I just got a new TV Stand, and now i can have the Wii AND the Switch AND the Wii U all at once, with the Super Nintendo Classic and Sega Genesis Mini for good measure.

So i no longer need to purchase an overpriced port in order to enjoy Tropical Freeze again. Wahoo!

 

[RetrogamerMax]

I'm so, so, SO tired of nothing but the ports on the Switch when it comes to Nintendo franchises.

 

[Mariomaniac45213]

I'm so, so, SO tired of nothing but the ports on the Switch when it comes to Nintendo franchises.

Man its CRAZY to think we could get to the end of the Switch's lifecycle and the system doesnt even have its own original Mario Kart title (not counting Live: Home Circuit). The first Nintendo console to never get one because Nintendo was being too lazy and greedy to make a new one. I mean I guess we got ARMS out of it...lol

 

[Mushroomguy12]

Trophy gif.

Dixie Kong’s trophy from ‘Super Smash Bros Melee’ on the Nintendo Gamecube. pic.twitter.com/yZZlDk1d3W

— Nintendo Metro (@NintendoMetro) January 25, 2021

 

[RetrogamerMax]

Man its CRAZY to think we could get to the end of the Switch's lifecycle and the system doesnt even have its own original Mario Kart title (not counting Live: Home Circuit). The first Nintendo console to never get one because Nintendo was being too lazy and greedy to make a new one. I mean I guess we got ARMS out of it...lol

And Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and Splatoon 2.

Trophy gif.

Dixie Kong’s trophy from ‘Super Smash Bros Melee’ on the Nintendo Gamecube. pic.twitter.com/yZZlDk1d3W

— Nintendo Metro (@NintendoMetro) January 25, 2021

I always find it weird as hell that Dixie and K. Rool got trophies in Melee but Diddy didn't. There was rumored cut Rare Melee trophies that supposedly didn't make it in, but Dixie and K. Rool already had trophies in the game so there was no excuse for Diddy not getting one. The conspiracy theory I have on the reason Diddy didn't have a trophy in Melee was because I think he was planned and being worked on, but cut due to time constraints and possibly them not being able to contact Rare in time as well about Diddy's potential inclusion since they were so far overseas. In conclusion: The Diddy Kong trophy got cut as well since it was intended to go along with a playable Diddy. Plus there was a event in Adventure Mode with the two tiny Donkey Kongs that kind of seemed out of place. Perhaps Diddy was suppose to have been one of those tiny DKs or both.

 

[Mushroomguy12]

Seashore War for Daily DK music.

There was a problem fetching the tweet

 

[BirthNote]

Seashore War for Daily DK music.

There was a problem fetching the tweet

I know I said this a long time back, but that track really gets to me. It's one of the tunes I play when I'm genuinely sad and need time to heal, so I don't play it unless I'm really bummed out.

We all cope in our own ways so don't judge me lol.

 

[JOJONumber691]

Honestly, more Tropical Freeze Music would be amazing!

 

[Mushroomguy12]

The Tropical Freeze OST is such a treasure trove, it's a shame we only have two non remixed tracks in Ultimate.

 

[JOJONumber691]

The Tropical Freeze OST is such a treasure trove, it's a shame we only have two non remixed tracks in Ultimate.

Nah I think we only got one last I checked. Sad.

 

[Mushroomguy12]

Nah I think we only got one last I checked. Sad.

We got two, Swinger Flinger and Mangrove Cove.

 

[JOJONumber691]

We got two, Swinger Flinger and Mangrove Cove.

Oh. Neat. Still, if we get a DLC Story Expansion, or Dixie makes it into a Fighters Pass (somehow), then we better be getting some more Tropical Freeze Music ASAP!