Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

 Switch
User Score
8.6

Generally favorable reviews- based on 767 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 648 out of 767
  2. Mixed: 70 out of 767
  3. Negative: 49 out of 767
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  1. night4
    Jan 1, 2019
    4
    It's too expensive, and the coop is terrible. Characters very easily get ahead of one another, resulting odd "teleporting" of the person behind. Needing to catch a falling moving barrel to bring the other player back is just silly. And barrel/mine cart parts are *horrible* as either player can control them, resulting in confusion and deaths. Riding animals is similar - it's much moreIt's too expensive, and the coop is terrible. Characters very easily get ahead of one another, resulting odd "teleporting" of the person behind. Needing to catch a falling moving barrel to bring the other player back is just silly. And barrel/mine cart parts are *horrible* as either player can control them, resulting in confusion and deaths. Riding animals is similar - it's much more dangerous with 2 people on them.

    The game looks nice, but that's about all it has going for it. All the charm is gone, the level design is poor, the secrets feel too similar and it's just not fun. Oh, and the controls are very "floaty" and terrible. Such a shame.    … Expand
  2. B-Bog
    Mar 12, 2023
    4
    Presentation and level design are great, but man these controls just suck. Way too slow and unresponsive for the challenges the game throws at you; correcting course is almost impossible, which is BS because some of the obstacles in e.g. the barrel sections (which control like a** anyway) change position so fast that accurately responding is almost impossible. Not a fan of this dumb "everyPresentation and level design are great, but man these controls just suck. Way too slow and unresponsive for the challenges the game throws at you; correcting course is almost impossible, which is BS because some of the obstacles in e.g. the barrel sections (which control like a** anyway) change position so fast that accurately responding is almost impossible. Not a fan of this dumb "every action is mapped to two buttons" scheme either, I'm not f**king 4 years old. There are just four actions in this game but one of them has to be mapped to a shoulder button and two of them take up the same button?? Absolute nonsense.

    And this isn't just about difficulty or "gitting gud", either, as I have no problem with difficult platformers in general, but if a game demands pinpoint accuracy and fast reactions from me, then the controls should be up to the challenge as well (Celeste is a great example of this), which they're simply not here IMO. Boss battles also drag on for waaaaaaay too long, even if you do everything right.    … Expand
  3. Mizuiro
    Jul 25, 2020
    4
    The normal difficulty level of this game is stupidly high. Who is the retarde.d level designer who did the levels?
  4. siamesedads
    Jul 2, 2018
    3
    Having been a long time fan of the Donkey Kong series, this game is underwhelming and disappointing. Levels consist of trial by error (aka death) versus a natural progression with hints at what is coming next / what you should do next. This seems like a jab at the "difficultly" but this game isn't difficult. The pacing is simply imbalanced. It requires progress > death > pass the level.Having been a long time fan of the Donkey Kong series, this game is underwhelming and disappointing. Levels consist of trial by error (aka death) versus a natural progression with hints at what is coming next / what you should do next. This seems like a jab at the "difficultly" but this game isn't difficult. The pacing is simply imbalanced. It requires progress > death > pass the level. The aesthetic and encompassing gameplay don't engage me whatsoever. This is the first purchase on my Switch that I wholeheartedly regret.… Expand
  5. DannyPops
    Aug 9, 2020
    3
    This game is incredibly frustrating in the sense that it's just trial by error with incredible difficulty spikes incurred at random intervals in the levels. Rather than a natural progression in difficulty like the original SNES games, this one just laces it in at seemingly arbitrary times, that can only be realized when you are in front of the controls and realize that it's not skillThis game is incredibly frustrating in the sense that it's just trial by error with incredible difficulty spikes incurred at random intervals in the levels. Rather than a natural progression in difficulty like the original SNES games, this one just laces it in at seemingly arbitrary times, that can only be realized when you are in front of the controls and realize that it's not skill based, but trial by error. They give you balloons for "lives" but when they run out, the game just gives you more - or lets you skip levels - because they seem to unofficially recognize the games lack of cohesiveness in the gameplay. The other big gripe I would say, is the art direction is really uninspired compared to the original. The Kremlings are gone, and so is graphically any of the original artistic direction in the level styling. It's like Disney took over the franchise and ripped out the soul of the game. Not worth the 59.99 at all. Nintendo, this was a piss poor job for the greatness of the Donkey Kong franchise. Every time I pick up this game to retry, I end up wanting to throw it against the wall in frustration.… Expand
  6. Raftacon
    May 14, 2018
    1
    Laden with beginner's traps and environmental hazards that are not well-telegraphed in the slightest, this frequently-trial-and-error affair features sloppy, unresponsive, & slippery controls as the icing on the cake. Nothing earned feels rewarding and I feel bad for anyone conned by all the positive press. It doesn't feel right to give this an outright zero when it has a soundtrack thatLaden with beginner's traps and environmental hazards that are not well-telegraphed in the slightest, this frequently-trial-and-error affair features sloppy, unresponsive, & slippery controls as the icing on the cake. Nothing earned feels rewarding and I feel bad for anyone conned by all the positive press. It doesn't feel right to give this an outright zero when it has a soundtrack that hits some of its beats most of the time, so here's a one for good measure. Regardless: avoid at all costs.… Expand
  7. liamdonsly
    Dec 15, 2020
    1
    This game is trash the controls are clunky and stiff, The boss battles are over hyped and are just dodge this until you get a chance to attack(x3) the platforming would be fun but because of the stiff controls it is not. The soundtrack is unmemorable and bad. Finally the price tag is stupid for a port of a game from wii U of this low quality. There are so many better games you could buyThis game is trash the controls are clunky and stiff, The boss battles are over hyped and are just dodge this until you get a chance to attack(x3) the platforming would be fun but because of the stiff controls it is not. The soundtrack is unmemorable and bad. Finally the price tag is stupid for a port of a game from wii U of this low quality. There are so many better games you could buy with this money don`t get this one.… Expand
  8. Lap1as
    Nov 8, 2021
    1
    Нет Русского языка. Больше минусов и плюсов для меня нет. Брал для ребенка, почти сразу забросил.
  9. vgmkyle
    May 27, 2018
    0
    Nobody cared about this game until Max reviewed it on Youtube. And how on EARTH could you call it the best platformer of all time? All of the enemies have lost their character and charm; they all look like balloons! It was never SIXTY dollars before so why should it be now? This does nothing to honor the people that bought it once before, or received it for free. I guess people thatNobody cared about this game until Max reviewed it on Youtube. And how on EARTH could you call it the best platformer of all time? All of the enemies have lost their character and charm; they all look like balloons! It was never SIXTY dollars before so why should it be now? This does nothing to honor the people that bought it once before, or received it for free. I guess people that overpaid on Nintendo's Switch are trying to justify wasting the money by saying they have games... too bad almost all of them have been seen before or look better on anything else. A lackluster game 4 years ago -- remains lackluster today.… Expand
  10. xortim
    Feb 20, 2019
    0
    I'm at a loss of words for how terrible this game is. Perhaps it's the irritating and repetitive sounds, the terrible soundtrack, clumsy controls, floaty physics, or the insulting price tag. Dust off your Super Nintendo and original Donkey Kong Country cartridges of you want a *good* game. If you want to get rid of hard earned money and play an imitation of what was once a good series thenI'm at a loss of words for how terrible this game is. Perhaps it's the irritating and repetitive sounds, the terrible soundtrack, clumsy controls, floaty physics, or the insulting price tag. Dust off your Super Nintendo and original Donkey Kong Country cartridges of you want a *good* game. If you want to get rid of hard earned money and play an imitation of what was once a good series then this is for you.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

27
#27 Best Switch Game of 2018
10
#10 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2018
10
#10 Most Shared Switch Game of 2018

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
86

Generally favorable reviews - based on 76 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 70 out of 76
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 76
  3. Negative: 0 out of 76
  1. Pocket Tactics
    Jan 27, 2025
    70
    Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze continues the tough-as-nails platforming with new power-ups to help navigate the nastiest obstacles, as we’re treated to the best soundtrack in the series. However, the inconsistent difficulty makes for a less refined game and the bosses are dragged out to the point where fighting them becomes a chore.
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  2. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Sep 5, 2018
    95
    If you enjoy the thrill of Kongquest – er, conquest – over a worthy challenge, this game should satisfy. [Issue #34 – July/August 2018, p. 74]
  3. CD-Action
    Aug 2, 2018
    90
    Retro’s creativity is infinite and I simply cannot imagine any platforming fan overlooking this gem. [07/2018, p.77]
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