RUMOR: Retro Studios working on new donkey kong for Wii

Mcjmetroid

That's right, the people who brought you the Metroid Prime games are rumoured to be bringing an update to Donkey Kong.

Having already successfully recreated one beloved Nintendo franchise in 3D with the Metroid Prime series, could Retro Studios now be working on doing the same for Donkey Kong? Evidently yes, as IGN reports (via Kotaku) that Retro is rumored to be working on a new Donkey Kong game for the Wii.
To be sure, this is yet another completely unconfirmed pre-E3 rumor, although IGN calls it "certainly credible," with the information coming from "those in the know." There are no details on what this supposed Donkey Kong game will play like, so we'll have to wait for Nintendo's E3 press conference to find out -- if true -- what Retro might have in store for the franchise.

Retro's last release was the Metroid Prime Trilogy compellation for the Wii last year, making their last original release Metroid Prime 3: Corruption way back in 2007, so they're likely due for a new announcement. Similarly, the last stand-alone Donkey Kong game was the mediocre Donkey Kong Barrel Blast for the Wii in 2007, so Nintendo's ape could certainly do with a reboot as well.

We'll see if Retro does indeed have anything planned to announce when Nintendo's E3 press conference kicks off tomorrow morning.

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3179824

Retr0gamer

Well it better be better than Rare's attempts. The donkey Kong country games are pretty average now that the graphics look ugly and DK64 was terrible. Still I've a lot of faith in retro studios are the the Prime trilogy.

anna.fun

Looking forward to it, even though the Donkey Kong on SNES is still unreachable. Hope this one comes for balance board.

Mr E

I loved the DKC games.... easy enough to finish, but hard to finish 100%.

Bulktohulk

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Well it better be better than Rare's attempts. The donkey Kong country games are pretty average now that the graphics look ugly and DK64 was terrible. Still I've a lot of faith in retro studios are the the Prime trilogy.

Donkey Kong Country and DK64 were amazing.

I'll hear no bad talk of pre-microsoft Rare. What they done to you?

Diddler82

Mr E wrote: »

I loved the DKC games.... easy enough to finish, but hard to finish 100%.

Was it my imagination or bad memory but wasnt the 3rd one 103% or something like that!!

Retr0gamer

Bulktohulk wrote: »

Donkey Kong Country and DK64 were amazing.

Donkey Kong Country has aged badly, the graphics look awful now and the gameplay not great now the sheen of the graphics are gone. DK64 is a mess, way too many things to collect. It's rubbish.

As for MS Rare, the Viva Pinata games are excellent.

Bulktohulk

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Donkey Kong Country has aged badly, the graphics look awful now and the gameplay not great now the sheen of the graphics are gone. DK64 is a mess, way too many things to collect. It's rubbish.

As for MS Rare, the Viva Pinata games are excellent.

Yeh but they're hardly Killer Instinct, Goldeneye, Perfect Dark, Conker's Bad Fur day. Even if Viva Pinata/Kameo etc.. were pretty good games, it seems Rare have become EVEN MORE watered down since then, concentrating on things like Kinect Sports and 360 Avatars.

Mcjmetroid

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Well it better be better than Rare's attempts. The donkey Kong country games are pretty average now that the graphics look ugly and DK64 was terrible. Still I've a lot of faith in retro studios are the the Prime trilogy.

I think the rare donkey kong country games old up pretty well these days.

If you up them to Hd if sure they would look utterly astounding. The platforming was a little uninspired but extrely solid titles and I'd take them over super mario world 2: yoshi's island which I NEVER liked lol.

Retr0gamer

Mcjmetroid wrote: »

The platforming was a little uninspired

That's my problem right there and also it looks ugly and plastic, the CGI look hasn't aged at all.

Mcjmetroid wrote: »

I'd take them over super mario world 2: yoshi's island which I NEVER liked lol

Wrong on so many levels.

I'd take Viva Pinata over Goldeneye (aged badly) Killer Instinct (was never good to begin with) and Conkers (take away the unfunny crudity and it's nothing special). Blast Corps and Jet Force Gemini is a different story.

Bulktohulk

Retr0gamer wrote: »

That's my problem right there and also it looks ugly and plastic, the CGI look hasn't aged at all.



Wrong on so many levels.

I'd take Viva Pinata over Goldeneye (aged badly) Killer Instinct (was never good to begin with) and Conkers (take away the unfunny crudity and it's nothing special). Blast Corps and Jet Force Gemini is a different story.

Don't call people wrong just because you disagree with them mate, it's kind of rude.

Retr0gamer

It's my opinion, just like his. Nothing rude about it unless you want to take it to heart.

Mcjmetroid

Retr0gamer wrote: »

That's my problem right there and also it looks ugly and plastic, the CGI look hasn't aged at all.



Wrong on so many levels.
.

An opinion is not wrong on any level...besides you're in the minority for your dislike of DKC.

I'm not really sure what there is to dislike about it. it was hardly an original game but it had amazing graphics and yes I still think they are goood, a great soundtrack and tough and challenging gameplay. How does graphics like this date?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kI-tQb0igKw&feature=related

it still looks fantastic

Retr0gamer

I just think the CGI look just looks terrible. The animation isn't smooth and there's clear artifacting and blockiness from the digitisaton process. Everything has a plastic look about it and it's all very falt, it's very clear that it's just a few jpegs of CG stapled together. Compare that to the 2D hand drawn look of yoshi's island, metal slug, even mario world, it's much nicer looking. That youtube video also shows that the level design is nothing special, it's just unimaginative and not that great. It's far from the mario beater some people make it out to be.It'snot bad but it'snothing special in anyway.

MJRS

Didn't Rare do Jet Force Gemini and Banjo Kazooie? How I miss Rare

BlitzKrieg

An opinion is not wrong on any level...besides you're in the minority for your dislike of DKC.

I better join that minority. I admit at the time I was a sega fanboy so naturally I was in fanboy rage against nintendo. But since going through therapy getting a shot of diversity and learning to love the plumber, the ponce in the green dress and the asexual pink goo...I still dont like Donkey Kong Country. Its got a number of clever ideas, the two character life system, the diverse rideble mounts and a number of nice visual humour moments. The problem is this is all tightly packed in to a very straightforward platformer with dull bossess that were for the most part just larger versions of normal baddies which then repeated themselves. The soundtrack is nice enough but not with outstandingly memorable music, but catchy while you play. So when you take away the buzz (and there was alot of it) over its visuals (which have aged badly in the same way the mortal kombat graphics aged badly) you are left with an average platformer with a good sense of humour.

Which when you consider this was during the 16 bit era where we were swamped in platformers, its really only the graphics that made it stick above the rest.

Retr0gamer

BlitzKrieg wrote: »

Which when you consider this was during the 16 bit era where we were swamped in platformers, its really only the graphics that made it stick above the rest.

Amen brother!

Bulktohulk

BlitzKrieg wrote: »

Which when you consider this was during the 16 bit era where we were swamped in platformers, its really only the graphics that made it stick above the rest.

Maybe from a technical point of view, but that's not all that matters. The charm of the game went a long way in making it a game I enjoyed far more than most other platformers out there. I'd say the only platformer I enjoyed more than DK country was Metal Slug.

BlitzKrieg

The charm of the game went a long way in making it a game I enjoyed far more than most other platformers out there.

i love how people only seem to read the last two lines of a post

the post you are quoting wrote:

Its got a number of clever ideas, the two character life system, the diverse rideble mounts and a number of nice visual humour moments. The problem is this is all tightly packed in to a very straightforward platformer

tman

BlitzKrieg wrote: »

The soundtrack is nice enough but not with outstandingly memorable music, but catchy while you play.

I'll agree with you for the most part, but this is just plain wrong!
Life in the mines and aquatiq ambience are just two of the tracks that I still listen to to this day, the soundtrack was absolutely incredible!

BlitzKrieg

difference of opinion there. I find it catchy, but I dont go out of my way to listen to DKC music on youtube or anything.

Bulktohulk

BlitzKrieg wrote: »

i love how people only seem to read the last two lines of a post

I read your whole post but the last line was the only part I disagreed with, hence why I only quoted that bit. Retrogamer only quoted that line too, it doesn't mean that's the only bit he read. :P

Mcjmetroid

BlitzKrieg wrote: »

i love how people only seem to read the last two lines of a post

Just because he quoted that doesn't mean he only read that. jeeeeeez;)

Shocks me really the dislike the series is getting, I can name a few platformers on 16-bit platforms I think are better than the DKC series but not a whole lot.

They were just fun, maybe the graphics don't hold up well ( the word plastic gets thrown around A LOT when people describe the graphics) but it's great platforming action. I especially love how fast-paced it all is. The first game goes a bit mad with barrels but
DCK2 was the best game of the series. That's the one to top.

I grew up with the Megadrive so only really played these games properly a few years ago but I loved them.

BlitzKrieg wrote: »

... The problem is this is all tightly packed in to a very straightforward platformer with dull bossess that were for the most part just larger versions of normal baddies which then repeated themselves. The soundtrack is nice enough but not with outstandingly memorable music, but catchy while you play. So when you take away the buzz (and there was alot of it) over its visuals (which have aged badly in the same way the mortal kombat graphics aged badly) you are left with an average platformer with a good sense of humour.

Super mario world had dull bosses as well to be fair. The bosses in mario games were never really all THAT in the 2d games in general, but nobody ever picks up on that. You can kill a mario boss in seconds if you have firepower.

Super mario bros 2 was the most inventive for bosses funnily enough.

Retr0gamer

Yeah but the mario games had the platforming bits down to a tee. Every level was expertly designed and memorable and seemed to add something new. DKC didn't have this. Sure every so often there would be a good level with a good twist on the game play but the vast majority of levels really were throw away and forgetful. I'm not saying the game is crap it's just nothing special at all compared to the best 16-bit platformers. DKC 2 was te best in the series but again there's plenty of platform games I'd take over it. Also the DKC music rocked!

Mcjmetroid

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Yeah but the mario games had the platforming bits down to a tee. Every level was expertly designed and memorable and seemed to add something new. DKC didn't have this. Sure every so often there would be a good level with a good twist on the game play but the vast majority of levels really were throw away and forgetful. I'm not saying the game is crap it's just nothing special at all compared to the best 16-bit platformers. DKC 2 was te best in the series but again there's plenty of platform games I'd take over it. Also the DKC music rocked!

Well everyone remembers the mine cart levels in DKC 2, other levels have you balancing on hot-air balloons, A lot of other interesting ideas. It varied the gameplay quite a bit actually, Giving you control of different animals and such which all controlled well, not to mention that the 2 characters( diddy and dixie) controlled completely different from each other. It had a lot to offer. I think the graphics in the 2nd and 3rd game STILL look great but that's me.

My point is everything Mario world does, DKC does as well, what DK lacks is original ideas I suppose( but has more than most) but of all the titles to do the "mario" approach to platforming this is one of the best and does certain things better than mario. There's very little reason for disliking the game except your own personal reasons.

I understand though I have that with Yoshi's island. I don't like how it feels strangely.

krudler

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Yeah but the mario games had the platforming bits down to a tee. Every level was expertly designed and memorable and seemed to add something new. DKC didn't have this. Sure every so often there would be a good level with a good twist on the game play but the vast majority of levels really were throw away and forgetful. I'm not saying the game is crap it's just nothing special at all compared to the best 16-bit platformers. DKC 2 was te best in the series but again there's plenty of platform games I'd take over it. Also the DKC music rocked!

The music was indeed the balls. as for the game, I love DKC, always have, I throw it on occasionally on an emulator or on VC to have a bash, I adore the snow levels, yeah some of the levels are bog standard but there are moments of genius, the minecarts, the blizzard where you can barely see whats happening, the traffic light sequence, all brilliant.