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Destructoid: 10

I didn't think it was possible, but Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze has topped Returns. It's an incredibly crafted platformer with an HD sheen and an insane attention to detail, and any fan of the genre owes it to themselves to experience it. With the addition of control options to the already proven formula, Retro Studios' rendition of Donkey Kong is pretty much flawless.

Gaming Age: 10

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze marks another high-quality release for Nintendo on the Wii U, and adds one more reason to pick up the hardware if you haven’t already. It’s another fantastic platformer delivered with absolute care from developer Retro Studios, and it’s another shining gem in the small but impressive line-up for Wii U. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze definitely qualifies as a must-have title for Nintendo fans everywhere.

GameXplain (Video): 5/5

GameSided: 9.5

From start to finish, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze takes players on a ride that provides some of the most satisfying gameplay that Nintendo has delivered in terms of a platform title in quite some time. And even after you complete the game the first time around, you’re likely to miss out on added bonuses (like puzzle pieces and secret levels) that will make you go back and replay every level in the game.

NWR NA: 9.5

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze does not represent a particularly surprising title for Nintendo, and it may not be the title that pushes Wii U sales into the stratosphere, but it is another wonderful classic Nintendo game on a system slowly building a nice library of those types of games. If you’re a Wii U owner looking for something to play, you really can’t go wrong here, it’s exactly the kind of game Nintendo does well, and it’s among the best kind of those.

Game Informer: 9.3

Just when the Kong crew sits down for a nice banana feast, a fleet of Viking animals sails up to their island and freezes everything in sight. After getting evicted, Donkey Kong and friends journey through a series of themed islands to rebuke the invaders and return to their homeland in an adventure chock full of inventive and challenging levels. On the surface, worlds divided into categories like jungle, beach, and ice seem like they could drift into well-worn territory, but the variety is amazing. You platform across giant leaves (kept aloft by gusts of wind from Alpine Horns timed to the background

FOK!games (Dutch): 9.5

Vandal Online (Spanish): 9.4

Meristation (Spanish): 9.2

GameTrailers: 9.1

The evolution of Tropical Freeze from its predecessor isn’t quite a giant leap for apekind, but it’s a step in the right direction. It doesn’t just maintain the status quo as a challenging platformer, but mixes in just enough new elements to prevent it from being just another rehash of the previous game. You’d be bananas to pass up the chance to add Tropical Freeze to your Wii U horde.

IGN: 9.0

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is a great platformer full of tense sequences and tough levels. Boss battles are a huge highlight, and it’s packed with hard-to-find secrets and collectibles. Multiplayer could use some improvement, but I found myself laughing whenever my teammate and I wiped out on some of these unforgiving setups. But a rewarding sense of accomplishment stuck with me each time I overcame a new obstacle, and that feeling kept me going all the way to the end.

US Gamer: 9

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze isn't the most ambitious game, but it throws its characters into unique and clever challenges with each new level. Nintendo would be pushing it if they went for another Donkey Kong game in this style, but for now, Tropical Freeze can sit alongside Super Mario 3D World as one of the finest platformers of this generation.

3DJuegos (Spanish): 9

Eurogamer (Germany): 9

4Players (German): 9

Pixelitis: 9

EGM: 9

One of the best platformers I’ve ever played, Tropical Freeze finds a way to build on the successful foundation of Donkey Kong Country Returns in new and wonderful ways.

Nintendo Life: 9

Retro Studios has demonstrated once again that it can take a treasured Nintendo franchise and keep it relevant, with modern thrills and retro nods expertly combined. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze utilises the Wii U’s graphical capabilities beautifully, with levels both stunning in design and looks, and impressive set-pieces that never skip a frame and can test any gamer’s skills. As a single player experience it is near flawless, but the precision of the level design can lead the often fun multiplayer into moments of chaos.
It’s another excellent title on Wii U, and a demonstration of how skilful developers and powerful hardware can be combined for spectacular results. Small touches and masterful contributions, such as the music of David Wise, only add to the experience, and this joins the lengthening list of must-have Wii U games.

GamingUniverse (German): 9

MattsGames (Italian): 9

VgNetwork (Italian): 9


Ingame.de (German): 9

TheSixthAxis: 9

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is another Nintendo great. It’s not just one of their best attempts at a sidescrolling platformer, but one of the most inventive, innovative, difficult yet thoroughly enjoyable games to be found in this genre.

Full of charm and hard as nails, Tropical Freeze is unmissable if you’ve ever found enjoyment in running towards the right hand side of the screen.

Insidegamer(dutch): 9

Eternity (Greek): 9

..similar to Metroid, Retro Studios has made their name almost synonym with Donkey Kong. I still think that they have to move onto something new, but in a way of mixed blessing, if a new Donkey Kong game is to be made, I would like it to be developed only by Retro Studios...

PC Games (German): 8.9

DigitalChumps: 8.8

Polygon: 8.5

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze could've easily been a me-too sequel. Its much-loved predecessor reinvigorated the series and did so much with the 2D framework that Retro could've released a bunch of new stages and called it a day. But Tropical Freeze adds intelligently to the formula, with new characters that imbue subtle nuance to the gameplay, a better-tuned challenge level and an increased emphasis on replay value. These features make Tropical Freeze consistently worth coming back to, and mark it as a high point for the series.

NWR (EU): 8.5

Lazygamer.net: 8.5

Unlike with Donkey Kong Country Returns, Nintendo’s Superguide is wholly absent. That means that you’ll no longer be able to skip some of the more arduous levels, making it quite a bit trickier for newcomers, whiners and sissies. Fans of old-school challenge and who hate all that hand-holding nonsense will be delighted.

IGN (it): 8.4

4Gamers.be: 8.2

Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze is a worthy successor to the Wii-game. It has new and varied worlds and the extra aids are a nice addition. Beginners will struggle more with the game than experienced players, because of the new item system, but together you will surely be victorious in wacking those penguins back home.

Gamesradar: 8

Tropical Freeze is a bit like Cranky Kong himself: it expects and demands so much from you, but always with your best interests at heart. Those not looking for a challenge have virtually no reason to play this game--but frankly, it wasn't made with them in mind anyway. Tropical Freeze caters to players who derive fun from overcoming adversity, which the game offers in near endless supply. If you can fall down a pit 16 times and still eagerly drift down on your 17th balloon, this is the Donkey Kong you're looking for.

CVG: 8

Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze is the Uncharted of side-scrolling platform games. That's not because it can boast at least one ex-Naughty Dog staffer among its artists, but because the two games are equally committed to placing their heroes in the gravest peril with alarming regularity. Both, too, share a similar appetite for destruction and hair's-breadth escapes. You've heard of the spectacle shooter, now it's time to give a big, gorilla-sized hand for the spectacle platformer.

God is a Geek: 8

While Tropical Freeze is technically not doing anything drastically different from Donkey Kong Country Returns, it’s no less rewarding and, above all, fun. The ease of obtaining powerups, as well as the improved abilities of the Kongs make for a friendlier game than its predecessor. Meanwhile, a host of challenging boss fights that end each island excursion are as old fashioned as you can get and while these encounters can take a little too long to pass, they are no less entertaining to take part in. For modern-day jungle explorers, the mountain of secrets hidden in each level will keep dedicated players occupied for some time. Put simply, it’s old school platforming done right, a wonderful alternative to Mario that is definitely worth adding to any Wii U owners’ collection.

Eurogamer Italy: 8

FNintendo (Spanish): 8

Gamekult: 8

Joystiq: 4/5

At this point, there's not much written here that couldn't have been repurposed from a review of 2010's Donkey Kong Country Returns – and that's both the problem and the recommendation. Sure, there's swimming in lovely blue waters, a pleasant soundtrack by series composer David Wise and even prettier backgrounds for Retro's ingenious levels, but meaningful growth is kept to a minimum. Such is the blessing and curse of refrigeration.

The Guardian: 4/5

Edge: 7

There’s a tactility that was missing from Donkey Kong Country Returns, though Tropical Freeze lacks the physicality of Jungle Beat and its bongo controls, which are still a closer match for the protagonist’s abilities. EAD Tokyo captured the ape’s brute strength but also the curious grace of his movements, which carried a certain laid-back elegance when strung together. Here he’s an unstoppable force, a runaway train whose momentum can be tricky to arrest. During Tropical Freeze’s most exacting sequences, you may yearn for Mario’s reliability, but the bludgeoning force of Retro’s presentation is enough to carry a powerful, if traditional, platformer over the finish line.

Eurogamer: 7

And then there's me. I've played Nintendo games all my life, and while I enjoyed DKC Tropical Freeze, I can't help feeling saddened by it at the same time. DKC is becoming another Nintendo series where quality grows and importance shrinks with each faithful new instalment. Not all Nintendo's franchises have fallen into this pattern, but games like Tropical Freeze make me wonder whether they all eventually will, turning up to be damned by praise that appears fainter with every passing chapter.

Gamesbeat: 7

Cranky Kong isn’t funny anymore

(Shots fucking fired)

Nowgamer: 7

Oh Nintendo. What are we going to do with you?

Metro: 7

In Short: A highly competent 2D platformer, but one utterly devoid of any new ideas or any reason to buy a Wii U in order to play it.

Pros: Extremely well-designed levels and some masterfully orchestrated mine cart stages. Good use of a 3D camera to enhance 2D gameplay. Great music.

Cons: Painfully predictable from the very first moment. Visually unremarkable and with some very dull secrets and special abilities. Terrible load times and no use for the GamePad.

Gamespot: 6

There's something about Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze that's just a little off. Maybe it's the way Donkey Kong doesn't quite land with the firm-footedness you'd expect from a Nintendo platforming mascot. Maybe it's because, despite the introduction of the likes of Dixie Kong and Cranky Kong as playable characters with new abilities, Tropical Freeze's levels see little in the way of new challenges or designs to accommodate them. Or maybe, just maybe, it's because--despite some fun moments--this is one of the least exciting platformers I've played in some time.

Wired: No Score

New Donkey Kong Is Worth Buying Just for the Soundtrack

Did Nintendo put enough money in the banana stand?

 

[Acquiescence]

Hopefully the thread won't end like this...

 

[ZeroX03]

Eurogamer: 7/10

The likelihood, then, is that people who played DKC Returns will find Tropical Freeze a little uninspiring. It's a superior game - it looks nicer, it's easier to control on the GamePad than it was on the Wiimote, and there's slightly more to do - but like a lot of Nintendo's recent sequels, that doesn't feel like quite enough. The craftsman has turned in a damn fine table, for sure, but the chances are you already have a table.

Joystiq: 4/5
Gamespot: 6/10

 

[Phazon]

4Gamers.be 82/100 (Dutch)

http://wiiu.4gamers.be/reviews/33622/1/Donkey-Kong-Country-Tropical-Freeze

Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze is a worthy successor to the Wii-game. It has new and varied worlds and the extra aids are a nice addition. Beginners will struggle more with the game than experienced players, because of the new item system, but together you will surely be victorious in wacking those penguins back home.

 

[Scanna]

Ours, VGNetwork.it, 9

 

[Zalman]

IGN: 9
Destructoid: 10
GameTrailers: 9.1

 

[Cybersai]

IGN: 9.0

http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/02/17/donkey-kong-country-tropical-freeze-review

 

[McDougles]

My colleague at GameSided gave his 9.5 review.

From start to finish, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze takes players on a ride that provides some of the most satisfying gameplay that Nintendo has delivered in terms of a platform title in quite some time. And even after you complete the game the first time around, you’re likely to miss out on added bonuses (like puzzle pieces and secret levels) that will make you go back and replay every level in the game.

 

[Notorious_Roy]

FOK!games (Dutch): 9.5
http://games.fok.nl/review/634906/1/1/100/donkey-kong-country-tropical-freeze.html

 

[Burnburn]

Insidegamer(dutch) 9/10

 

[KingSnake]

So practically if you like a great and challenging platformer this is for you. If you suck, try another game.

 

[69wpm]

Looks like it's TW101 all over again. Fine by me, I like challenging games

 

[Psycho_Mantis]

Eurogamer has a great review imo and they are one pub I seem to trust on reviews.

Though its only 1 point ahead of game posts, I feel like its validity is far greater.

I mean here is the GS review bullet points:

THE GOOD
- Exciting and challenging boss battles
- Vehicle sections help to break up the more monotonous moments

THE BAD
- Dull, derivative level design
- Employs some cheap and frustrating platforming tricks
- Harsh checkpoints during boss battles

I'm sorry but this seems like the reviewer just was not good enough to play this game and has gotten clearly frustrated and let it effect the review.

 

[ZeroX03]

Briefly skimming over the negative reviews, the common thread seems to be that it's incredibly similar to the older DK games and doesn't innovate. Doesn't bother me, none of the reviews seem to imply it's a poor platformer, just that it's overly familiar.

 

[kitsuneyo]

Gamespot got my click with their 6/10. I wonder if that's the plan. To be fair the reviewer seemed to have some genuine gripes with the game.

 

[Kurtofan]

So practically if you like a great and challenging platformer this is for you. If you suck, try another game.

Can't fucking wait.

 

[Heavy's Sandvich]

Does anyone have that video of the playing and complaining that he doesnt have time for the game.

 

[Zia]

Before this thread turns into nothing but whining and baseless assumptions about "unskilled" reviewers, I'm very good at games and I found the game hideous and dull. The 7s seem just about spot-on.

 

[Zalman]

Before this thread turns into nothing but whining and baseless assumptions about "unskilled" reviewers, I'm very good at games and I found the game hideous and dull. The 7s seem just about spot-on.

Did you find DKCR to be hideous and dull too?

 

[jimi_dini]

The gamespot reviews complains about no checkpoints during boss battles.

I definitely remember that Rayman Origins didn't have checkpoints during those "hunt the treasure-chest"-levels, which were effectively memorization levels. I doubt that DKC:TF boss battles are harder than those. I also remember that for example the last boss of Origins didn't have any checkpoints as well. Does Rayman Legends have checkpoints for every level (including boss battles + treasure hunts, etc.)? Because the review praises Legends + 3D World. I already own Legends for Wii U, but haven't played it yet because I don't own a Wii U yet

I found the game hideous and dull. The 7s seem just about spot-on.

what was hideous? The graphics? the level design?

 

[Broken Joystick]

NWR: 8.5 https://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/36600/donkey-kong-country-tropical-freeze-wii-u

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze brought a constant smile to my face, even when I died in a horrific way or had to come to terms with a difficult level. The variation goes deeper than Returns ever did and makes Retro's latest creation shine. While at a glance it may seem that this is just another platformer for the system, I feel that this is a game worth playing and exploring from beginning to end. The levels are lengthy yet very replayable, though the long loading times could have been improved. It is a bummer that the animal friends or the Wii U GamePad don't get top billing (the controller's screen is completely blank), but Tropical Freeze felt fresh the entire way through. The many secrets, the many paths and the colorful cast of characters make this game one of the Wii U's best.

CVG: 8 http://www.computerandvideogames.co...freeze-is-a-retro-game-in-every-sense-review/

Tropical Freeze is old-fashioned, then, but it's exquisitely fashioned, too; as long as you're not expecting a genre-shaking masterpiece, you'll find plenty to enjoy. For all its visual dazzle, it is determinedly old-school in its approach, and audiences seeking a challenge to match that of its predecessors in particular will appreciate that isn't necessarily a criticism. Retro by name and by nature, Tropical Freeze may not be another Mario, but it's very ape, and very nice.

 

[Triggerhappytel]

Metro Gamecentral:

Tropical Freeze is a good game, and aficionados of the genre will love it, but it does absolutely nothing to move forward either the Donkey franchise, 2D platformers in general, or the case for buying a Wii U.

In Short: A highly competent 2D platformer, but one utterly devoid of any new ideas or any reason to buy a Wii U in order to play it.

Pros: Extremely well-designed levels and some masterfully orchestrated mine cart stages. Good use of a 3D camera to enhance 2D gameplay. Great music.

Cons: Painfully predictable from the very first moment. Visually unremarkable and with some very dull secrets and special abilities. Terrible load times and no use for the GamePad.

Score: 7/10

 

[Nicktendo86]

Why the fuck were Edge going on about the bongo game?

 

[Feindflug]

Before this thread turns into nothing but whining and baseless assumptions about "unskilled" reviewers, I'm very good at games and I found the game hideous and dull. The 7s seem just about spot-on.

Can you be more specific on why you didn't like the game? also how the 7's are spot on if the game is hideous?

 

[plutoknight]

The gamespot reviews complains about no checkpoints during boss battles.

I definitely remember that Rayman Origins didn't have checkpoints during those "hunt the treasure-chest"-levels, which were effectively memorization levels. I doubt that DKC:TF boss battles are harder than those. I also remember that for example the last boss of Origins didn't have any checkpoints as well. Does Rayman Legends have checkpoints for every level (including boss battles + treasure hunts, etc.)? Because the review praises Legends + 3D World. I already own Legends for Wii U, but haven't played it yet because I don't own a Wii U yet

I can't remember in Origins, but Legends has a checkpoint after each "phase" of a boss battle (to be fair, the boss battles in Legends had platforming in between them as well. I'm on blackout for DKC:TF so I can't speak to those)

 

[zroid]

oh boy that gamespot review is gonna generate some, er, "discussion"

 

[I Wanna Be The Guy]

Metro Gamecentral:

"no use for the gamepad"

I'm sorry but how is that anything but a massive positive?

 

[69wpm]

no use for the GamePad

People really need to stop deducting points for this. If devs use the GamePad or not is up to them. Do they give Bone games a lower score for not using Kinect?

 

[Kurtofan]

Hideous and dull? what

 

[KingSnake]

In Short: A highly competent 2D platformer, but one utterly devoid of any new ideas or any reason to buy a Wii U in order to play it.

I hate this line of thought. You are reviewing the GAME, not the console. Come on. You can come back to the console review and update it and score it lower because it doesn't have enough sellers or whatever, but why does almost every Wii U game be penalized because it doesn't sell the console? Does this happen to Vita too?

 

[The perfect Dark]

Metro 7/10

http://metro.co.uk/2014/02/17/donkey-kong-country-tropical-freeze-review-monkey-business-4307342/

 

[NotLiquid]

8-point-whatever as an average seems like a perfectly fair score for Donk. I don't think anyone is expecting this game to set the world on fire but what it does well it does damn good, and for the people hoping to get a challenging and deep platformer with some rich production values and western sensibilities compared to it's more conservative platformer cousins like the New Mario series, it'll definitely offer what you're looking for and then some.

 

[zroid]

NWR has two reviews (EU and NA):

EU was posted above, this is the NA review:

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/36604/donkey-kong-country-tropical-freeze-review (9.5/10)

 

[Zhund0r]

9/10 - Gaming-Universe.de

 

[kubus]

Metro Gamecentral:

- no use for gamepad
- devoid of any reason to buy a Wii U

Why.jpg

 

[Zarovitch]

Great score so far, good

I can't wait to play it coop.

 

[Triggerhappytel]

Before this thread turns into nothing but whining and baseless assumptions about "unskilled" reviewers, I'm very good at games and I found the game hideous and dull. The 7s seem just about spot-on.

Wait, what's "hideous" about it? And how does that correlate to a very reasonable 7/10?

 

[spekkeh]

I'm sorry but this seems like the reviewer just was not good enough to play this game and has gotten clearly frustrated and let it effect the review.

So only "sooo hardcore" gamers are allowed to review games? That's weirdly exclusive. That dude probably plays more games than you and me, so that would mean reviewers only write for the 0.001%.

Before this thread turns into nothing but whining and baseless assumptions about "unskilled" reviewers, I'm very good at games and I found the game hideous and dull. The 7s seem just about spot-on.

Hideous and dull does not sound like a 7.

 

[Schnozberry]

Why do I get the impression that these negative reviews are not so much about the game, but instead the writers general opinion on the state of Nintendo?

 

[Kurtofan]

- no use for gamepad
- devoid of any reason to buy a Wii U

Why.jpg

So predictable /sigh/

 

[-Setsuna-]

THE BAD:
Dull, derivative level design

I'm quite skeptical about this...

 

[Heavy's Sandvich]

Hideous would suggest a game to score significantly less that 7/10.

 

[Jucksalbe]

"no use for the gamepad"

I'm sorry but how is that anything but a massive positive?

Does this game at least have Off-TV play? If not, that'd be a big negative.

 

[hwy_61]

Why do I get the impression that these negative reviews are not so much about the game, but instead the writers general opinion on the state of Nintendo?

Whatever gets the clicks!

 

[Zalman]

Does this game at least have Off-TV play? If not, that'd be a big negative.

It does.

 

[Mondy]

Ohhhh shi- at that Gamespot review.

Get to the bunker, women and children first.

 

[Zia]

Hideous and dull does not sound like a 7.

It is a competent game, and I think those that thought the first great will enjoy this one as it's the better of the two. But I wasn't necessarily saying that that was a score I'd give the game, but rather what I expected from the reputable outlets.

 

[Chip N Chance]

Does the reviewer call it "Tropical Breeze" in the polygon video review?

 

[Blueblur1]

I hate this line of thought. You are reviewing the GAME, not the console. Come on. You can come back to the console review and update it and score it lower because it doesn't have enough sellers or whatever, but why does almost every Wii U game be penalized because it doesn't sell the console? Does this happen to Vita too?

- no use for gamepad
- devoid of any reason to buy a Wii U

Why.jpg

Sounds fine to me. Nintendo charged me for that GamePad when I paid $350 USD for my Wii U so I'd like developers to use it.

And if the game is dull then obviously it's not a system seller.

Honestly, I think you guys are too sensitive.

 

[popyea]

devoid of any reason to buy a Wii U in order to play it

I'll just get the ps3 version then I guess.