Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Reviews

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is ranked in the 93rd percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Nintendo News
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
May 1, 2018

As a strict port, Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze has its pros and cons. If you missed out on the Wii U version, fetch your wallet. But if you’ve played the original, re-investing is simply optional and you won’t miss out on anything new. After completing the game on 99 red balloons, I have a real need to play Donkey Konga. Now, where did I put those Bongos?

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GBAtemp
Top Critic
8.5 / 10.0
May 28, 2018

A real blast to play, and a worthy addition to a beloved series. It has some minor flaws but the general experience is very positive. There's a ton to do and explore, and you get to listen to some great tunes while you do it. Definitely a solid addition to the Switch's library

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Impulsegamer
Top Critic
4.8 / 5.0
Mar 1, 2014

Given the lack of quality new titles for the Nintendo Wii U, it's great that Nintendo has come to the rescue with this truly fantastic arcade game that not only plays well (with a few 21st century tweaks) but looks amazing on this next-gen console. It's definitely platforming at its best and if you have a hankering for some truly fun gaming, than Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze is the solution. Just be warned though that there could be some controller rage because getting through a level unscathed can sometimes be quite the feat and forget about that assisted help!

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games(TM)
games™ Team
Top Critic
Unscored
Feb 17, 2014

The inclusion of a touted hard mode and time trials that can automatically upload footage of your attempts online suggest that Nintendo has that traditional hardcore audience in its sights. While that's encouraging for players who fit that category, many others will be deterred. Those willing to put time into this game will be rewarded, but given that difficulty and the lack of Wii U consoles out there, how many people will?

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4.5 / 5.0
Feb 17, 2014

The list of first-party titles for the Wii U is growing, with several big titles on the release list this year. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is a great way to start the year for Nintendo. It has an endearing quality that will capture you, and a challenge level worthy of even the most skilled players. The new characters and online features add just enough extras to keep things fresh. If you're craving an old-school platformer, need a break from all the shooters and MMOs, and just can't get enough of DK's snappy red tie, this is an absolute must buy for you.

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8.5 / 10.0
Mar 6, 2014

It really is more fun with two.

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9 / 10.0
Feb 26, 2014

This game made me feel like a 12 year old endlessly pushing back my bed time to play one more level again.

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8 / 10.0
Feb 19, 2014

Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze is a magnificent return to the series that provides replay value a million times over.

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AusGamers
Jickle
Top Critic
7 / 10.0
Feb 26, 2014

We just wish it felt more like a proper sequel and less like an expansion.

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8.5 / 10.0
May 1, 2018

Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze is a must buy on Switch even more than it was on Wii U, thanks to smoother gameplay, flashier graphics and a fun new mode, that will allow everybody to enjoy this gem of a platformer. Let's hope Nintendo will bring some more Wii U masterpieces on its new console.

Review in Italian | Read full review

4 / 5.0
May 2, 2018

Not much has been added to the Nintendo Switch rerelease of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, but it still deserves a place in your Switch library

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9 / 10.0
May 2, 2018

Donkey Kong is the perfect thaw for Nintendo's freeze on big releases in the coming months.

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4 / 5.0
May 7, 2018

Though it may not provide anywhere near the kind of substantial additions to convince veterans to invest for a second time, there's no mistaking the care and passion Retro Studios and company have put into making DK's most recent outing one of his best.

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8.4 / 10.0
May 7, 2018

There are so many great games I missed on the Wii U, since it's the only Nintendo console I didn't own. Thankfully, Nintendo seems aware that a lot of people missed these titles, and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is a shining example of classic platforming with just the right amount of frustrating challenge. It took me right back to the SNES days and Rare's iconic DKC games, and that's no small feat. Tropical Freeze is an absolute joy to play most of the time, and I'm glad that it's seeing new life on the Switch.

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9 / 10.0
May 7, 2018

A brutally challenging game made more accessible by both, being on a better console, and having the funkiest of Kongs as a playable character. Incredibly good fun and with an asburd amount of secrets to find, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is a truly impressive platformer that is so hard you will be a more grizzled gamer for coming out of the other side of it.

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Gamersky
Top Critic
9.3 / 10.0
May 10, 2018

Dongkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is a solid platform game with creative level design, impressive background music and unique graphics performance. The NS version add a new character Funky Kong who can strongly reduce the difficulty, which makes this game more suitable for newcomers.

Review in Chinese | Read full review

9 / 10.0
May 14, 2018

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is one of the best 2D platformers of all time and the Switch version is argubaly the best version out there.

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10 / 10.0
Jun 7, 2018

Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze is a delight to play. I recommend the game especially for couples. Katelyn and I have had a blast playing through the game for the second time on the Switch (we first played through on the Wii U four years ago). If you're looking for a well-polished, incredibly fun game with some couch co-op to boot, you need to pick up Tropical Freeze on the Switch. I can't think of a thing I would change about the game–it's simply a masterpiece.

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8.8 / 10.0
Feb 16, 2014

You might be tempted to overlook Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, but if you did, you'd be missing out on an excellent platforming title with tons of style and polish. While it's true that it doesn't explore a lot of new territory, iteration within a genre is only bad to the extent which creativity and permutation are not applied. In other words, if it's fun and feels fresh enough, it was worth the effort—and Tropical Freeze is every bit as enjoyable as its Wii predecessor.

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8.5 / 10.0
Feb 17, 2014

Tropical Freeze is hard. Even when it is hard it is adorable. The difficulty escalates at a steady pace, and never spikes dramatically, which is what a game's difficulty should do. Every aspect of the action, from the standard platforming to the periodic undersea investigations to the exploits involving mine cars and rocket ships, fits smoothly into the game's world. And best of all is our itinerant rhino friend, always ready to bear up to two gorillas aloft and bulldoze its way to the end of the level.

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