I’ve got it. While I think some reviewers are going a little overboard by calling it “one of the best platformers ever” it really is good. The graphics are beautiful and the platforming is very clever. It also becomes quite difficult in the later stages. While the original DKC games could be challenging, they were rarely as tough as this new one. I think of Donkey Kong Country Returns not as a new game in the series, but as the beginning of a new series inspired by the previous series. While thre are many homages to the first Donkey King Country, the gameplay is different enough that I believe it could be counted as being apart of its own franchise.
I’ve been playing it off and on for the last few days and I have to say it’s definately worthy of the series. I’ve played through the original 3 and as far as platformers go this is right up there with them. Levels are challenging, soundtrack is a pure homage to the originals, and I get a very nostaligic (in a good way) feel while playing it.
I played the originals, but I never really got into them. I remember not liking the movement of the characters. But then again, I don’t think I played them for very long. My uncle used to rent games for me for SNES.