Donkey Kong vs. Kirby

Now that I've spent a good bit of time with both Donkey Kong Country Returns and Kirby's Epic Yarn (I've played the former for just over seven hours and the latter for more than 15), I've decided to sit down and compare various aspects of these two games--which I consider to be two of the very best platformers of this generation (if not ever).

Story--Who plays platformers for their stories? Not me. That's good, because both of these games feature stories that could, at best, be described as "thin." ("Trivial" is another apt word that comes to mind.) If I had to choose one over the other, though, I'd go with the one that backs Kirby's Epic Yarn--since it involves a baddie named Yin-Yarn who sucks the titular Kirby into his magic sock.

Graphics--There's no question about it: Both of these games feature graphics that are among the best on the Wii. Stylistically, though, they're on opposite ends of the spectrum--with Donkey Kong Country Returns' graphics focusing on characters and worlds that have been sculpted out of polygons to give the game a beautiful, three-dimensional sheen and the graphics of Kirby's Epic Yarn focusing on hand-drawn characters and worlds that look as though they've been crafted out of fabric. Although I slightly prefer the latter to the former--especially since the graphics in Kirby are more varied--it's hard to find fault with either.

Music--This one's another toss up, and for a number of reasons. First, both games feature a slew of tracks pulled from previous releases--which makes the overall soundtrack a bit less exciting (in my mind) than it would be if it were made up of original music. Second, the majority of these remixed tunes are fairly subtle and often fade into the background. Still, a few of them manage to stand out--such as "Cranky's Theme" from Donkey Kong Country Returns and "Cozy Cabin" and "Snowy Fields" from Kirby's Epic Yarn. In the end, I once again prefer Kirby to Donkey Kong in this area, but only by a smidge.

Gameplay--It's rare for Nintendo to release a game, especially a platformer, that doesn't control like a dream, and neither Donkey Kong Country Returns nor Kirby's Epic Yarn are exceptions to that rule. That said, both games have a few, small issues that could be problematic for some players. The roll move in Donkey Kong has tripped up more than a few gamers (especially those, like me, who play the game with just the Wii remote), for instance, while the train transformation in Kirby can be a bit trying. Other than those niggles, though, both games control as smooth as butter. As such, I'll call this area a wash.

Miscellaneous--If you're looking for a stiff challenge, Donkey Kong Country Returns is the game for you. Honestly, I don't think I've ever died as many times as I've died thus far in the latest entry in the Donkey Kong series--and I'm still making my way through its sixth world. That could be seen as a negative to some, I'm sure, but to me it's a positive--especially considering how easy most platformers are these days. Speaking of easy platformers: You've probably heard that Kirby's Epic Yarn is, for the most part, a total pushover. It is--but that doesn't mean it's not fun. On the contrary, I'd say it's one of the funnest platformers I've played in a while. So, Donkey Kong is tops in terms of presenting a challenge and Kirby is king when it comes to fun.

Overall--After reading all of the above, it likely won't be much of a surprise to hear me say that, overall, I slightly prefer Kirby's Epic Yarn to Donkey Kong Country Returns. I've been completely blown away by both games thus far, though, and I honestly don't think you can go wrong with either title if you're any kind of platformer fan.

Now that I've had my say, what do those of you who have played both games think? Do you prefer one over the other? If so, why?

Early impressions: Donkey Kong Country Returns

So, I just played through (most of) Donkey Kong Country Returns' first world. My initial impressions: It's GORGEOUS! Oh, and it controls like a dream.

The latter is important because I can tell, even at this early stage, that the game is going to be tough. I've already died quite a few times and I've also had more than a few sweaty-palm moments.



Is it going to elbow Kirby's Epic Yarn out of the way and become my favorite Wii game of 2010? It's too early to say, although I'm pretty sure it's going to give it a run for its money.

Well, there goes the holiday weekend ...

The husband and I opened half of our Christmas gifts last night--and two of mine were games! Here's one of them:

Don't worry, I didn't have my parents buy me the Japanese version of Donkey Kong Country Returns; I just used the Japanese cover art here because I like its green accents.

Unfortunately, I already own the second game I received as a gift: Art Academy. I think I'm going to exchange it for Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light--or maybe Mario vs. Donkey Kong Mini-Land Mayhem!

Was Santa good to all of you? I sure hope so! Let me know if you got any game-related gifts, OK?

I just canceled my Super Mario All-Stars: Limited Edition pre-order because of this

When the folks at Amazon.com added Super Mario All-Stars: Limited Edition to their site a few days ago, I immediately pre-ordered it--despite the fact that I'm not a fan of Nintendo's 16-bit remakes of its NES Super Mario Bros. titles.

I canceled that pre-order this morning, in part because of this trailer (for Donkey Kong Country Returns, which will be released in North America on Nov. 21):



The highlight of this particular trailer, in my opinion, is the misty/smoky level shown at the 56-second mark. Oh, and the fire/lava level shown at the 1:05 mark.

See also: 'I've gotta say, this looks great'

I've gotta say, this looks great

When Nintendo of America announced the release of Donkey Kong Country Returns a few months ago, I think I reacted with a shrug and an "eh." (Or maybe it was a "meh.")

Anyway, I wasn't all that interested or impressed, despite the fact that I very much enjoyed the three Donkey Kong Country titles that were released for the SNES way back when.

That said, my cynical attitude toward the game faded somewhat after watching the following trailer:



Actually, it may be more accurate to say my attitude went from "eh" to "hmmm" after watching the trailer above. (I'm an exceptionally emotional person, aren't I?)

It wasn't until I watched the following preview, courtesy of IGN, that the game had my full attention.



Pre-order: Donkey Kong Country Returns

Calling all Donkey Kong Country fans

Although I was a big fan of the 16-bit Donkey Kong Country titles, the soon-to-be-released Wii sequel--called, imaginatively enough, Donkey Kong Country Returns--has yet to intrigue me. (Aside from the following screenshot, I mean.)



That said, I imagine many Wii owners--North American and otherwise--are salivating over this Retro Studios-developed platformer, which will hit store shelves in the States on Nov. 21. (It has yet to receive a release date in other territories.)

Those gamers should get quite a kick out of this recently released teaser trailer, which shines the spotlight on one of the series' returning "animal buddies," Rambi.

Pre-order: Donkey Kong Country Returns

Donkey Kong, Kid Icarus and Kirby? Oh my!

So, Nintendo unveiled a slew of games (and a system, too--the 3DS) during its E3 conference this morning, and you know what? The game that excited me the most was Kirby's Epic Yarn.

Sure, the name is a bit of an eye-roller (and you just know some oh-so-cool gamers are going to rename it Kirby's Epic Yawn), but who cares when the game looks like this:



(Click on this link to see the game in action.)

Unfortunately, the folks at Nintendo have yet to announce a release date--beyond "fall"--or a price for the title. Here's hoping it's released sooner rather than later and that it hits the streets with a $39.99 or even a $29.99 price tag.

Other titles that intrigued me: Donkey Kond Country Returns (coming to the Wii this holiday season--here's a trailer) and the new 3DS entries in the Animal Crossing, Kid Icarus, Mario Kart, Paper Mario, Pilotwings and Star Fox series.

Strangely, I was a bit disappointed by the actual 3DS system--I want two screens of the same size, dammit!--but I'm sure I'll get over that shortly.