Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Reviews
Tropical Freeze is an old school platform game, so refined in every aspect (difficulty, variety and visuals) that even released four years ago, it is still one of the best in its genre. Switch version includes a new (easy) Funky mode and slightly better visuals, but it is still the same Wii U game
Review in Spanish | Read full review
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.
This sort of game could have convinced some of the faithful to get on board towards the beginning of the console's lifespan, but it will have a tougher time today. This game will win few new converts, and for all its brightness, does not feel particularly fresh.
Tropical Freeze isn't perfect by any means, but having run through it a second time, I feel like it's aged well in the last four years. The challenge can be soul-crushing, but it's satisfying to finally make it across that one jump or beat that one boss. There are enough tools available to make the journey a little bit easier this time around, but not so much to completely diminish the challenge outright.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is a usually fun, too-often frustrating, and always beautiful game. Being the first HD entry sets it apart somewhat, but if Nintendo intends to keep iterating on this series, it needs to fix some legacy issues and study which stages work to make the entire experience more pleasantly consistent.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze may be a simple port, but if you didn't own a Wii U this title is a must-buy.
An excellent platformer that is still as fun as it was 4 years ago. It's a shame that this Switch version includes just a few new features to justify a new purchase.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Tropical Freeze is better than it has ever been on Switch. It still packs lot of fun and good old platforming challenges, but it fails to surprise the player with new ideas or interesting twists.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is a fantastic platformer for new players on the Switch but doesn't offer much for returning fans.
However, each level of atmosphere conveyed by the visuals would be nothing if it weren't for an equally atmospheric soundtrack, and Tropical Freeze certainly delivers on that front. David Wise, the ex-Rare composer who worked on the original Donkey Kong Country trilogy, has returned for Tropical Freeze, after missing out Returns, and his influence is an incredibly welcome one. While fans of the original trilogy will recognise the odd leitmotif here and there, these new compositions are fantastic. The Lion-King inspired savannah themes, and the chilled underwater tracks are certainly the highlights of the game.
Another high-quality first-party title for the Wii U.
Tropical Freeze includes virtually everything the series has done right. It's fun to play, has a ton of levels, and wows the eyes and ears with great aesthetics.
Tropical Freeze does little to justify the Wii U's existence, but it's still mostly a fun, challenging platformer. Fans will certainly enjoy this difficult, beautiful romp through Donkey Kong's islands, but it will frustrate less-enthusiastic players.
The Wii U's latest exclusive is a well crafted trial of reflexes that rewards tenacity and endurance with the satisfaction of having achieved something far from easy.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is a solid, if at times frustrating platformer, but the inclusion of a couple new characters aren't enough to stave off the feeling that we've seen all this before.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze could have been a straight port of the Wii original, but Retro Studios took the winning formula and expertly built upon it. The sheer challenge, puzzle pieces, K-O-N-G letters, and hidden exits all combine to create an addictive and highly replayable side-scroller that is absolutely worth attention. Wii U owners take note, that this isn't a game you'll want to miss.
Nintendo's bounding ape returns again in a thumping, enjoyable but unambitious platform game.
[I]t's a great game – exactly what we expect from Nintendo. But in a way, that's also its problem: anyone with a Wii U would be a fool not to buy it, but so few people have committed to the Wii U, and in order to rectify that, Nintendo needs to woo the unconverted with all-new gaming experiences. And the gaming experience that Tropical Freeze provides may be rich, enjoyable, challenging and frequently hilarious, but it isn't anything conspicuously new.
Thanks to a new character and the release on the popular system, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze has finally become available to a wide audience. This is definitely the best version of the platformer, which will please users with good difficulty, but without annoying deaths, improved graphics, fast loaf times, interesting levels with lots of secrets and hardcore mode. Moreover, now you can play Tropical Freeze in portable mode, and that's a really cool addition.
Review in Russian | Read full review
While the new features are a nice bonus, the core game is still here and still fantastic.