Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

 Wii U
Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 77 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 65 out of 77
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 77
  3. Negative: 0 out of 77
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  1. Hyper Magazine
    Apr 9, 2014
    70
    I hate Tropical Freeze, but I hate it for the right reasons. It's an invigorating hate: I really badly want to beat this game. And when I do, it will be oh so worth it. [May 2014, p.68]
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  2. AusGamers
    Feb 26, 2014
    70
    A sequel that plays things a bit safe when we really wanted it to dig deep and offer up something truly new. It’s still the old Donkey Kong Country that we’ve known and loved for so long though, and for many players that’s going to be enough. We just wish it felt more like a proper sequel and less like an expansion.
  3. Telegraph
    Feb 20, 2014
    70
    What is here is a thumping, bubbly, precisely-engineered and consistently entertaining platformer, but one that lacks for ambition.
  5. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
    Feb 18, 2014
    60
    This amped-up difficulty and the relative lack of new ideas make it tough to really enjoy Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, despite its beautifully inviting environs. While newcomers who haven’t played this sort of game a hundred times before may find it entertaining, veteran platformer fans are likely to find it trods a little too frequently on well-worn ground.
  6. Shacknews
    Feb 17, 2014
    60
    While it is undoubtedly better in most respects than Donkey Kong Country Returns, that game spent its goodwill as a nostalgic throwback. Tropical Freeze is left suffering many of the same weaknesses, but without the sheen of a comeback story to set it apart.
  7. games(TM)
    Feb 17, 2014
    70
    If Tropical Freeze is your first Donkey Kong Country game, you’ll probably hate it from the start, especially if your idea of a 2D platformer is based on New Super Mario Bros. U or Rayman Legends. Enemies and obstacles are not lined up neatly along your path of destruction; they’re meant to inconvenience you and continually break your momentum.
  8. NowGamer
    Feb 17, 2014
    70
    It’s impossible to say Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is a bad game; this has all the hallmarks of quality you’d want from a Nintendo game. But it doesn’t have anything new or exceptional to praise either, and that’s more telling of the problems of Nintendo these days than anything else.
  9. Metro GameCentral
    Feb 17, 2014
    70
    Tropical Freeze is a good game, and aficionados of the genre will love it, but it does absolutely nothing to move forward either the Donkey franchise, 2D platformers in general, or the case for buying a Wii U.
  10. GamesBeat
    Feb 17, 2014
    70
    Tropical Freeze does little to justify the Wii U’s existence, but it’s still mostly a fun, challenging platformer. Fans of the series will certainly enjoy this difficult, beautiful romp through Donkey Kong’s islands, but the game will frustrate less-enthusiastic players.
  11. Edge Magazine
    Feb 17, 2014
    70
    During Tropical Freeze’s most exacting sequences, you may yearn for Mario’s reliability, but the bludgeoning force of Retro’s presentation is enough to carry a powerful, if traditional, platformer over the finish line.
  12. Eurogamer
    Feb 17, 2014
    70
    The likelihood, then, is that people who played DKC Returns will find Tropical Freeze a little uninspiring. It's a superior game - it looks nicer, it's easier to control on the GamePad than it was on the Wiimote, and there's slightly more to do - but like a lot of Nintendo's recent sequels, that doesn't feel like quite enough.
  13. GameSpot
    Feb 17, 2014
    60
    If the regular levels were as inventive as the boss battles, then Tropical Freeze would be a surefire hit, or at least a game that demands more of your attention. No matter how much I was looking forward to seeing DK in HD, it's difficult to maintain that enthusiasm when the end product plays it so safe: even the visuals fail to make an impact. They're nice enough, but like the level design, the environments are mostly bland.

Awards & Rankings

11
#11 Best Wii U Game of 2014
6
#6 Most Discussed Wii U Game of 2014
2
#2 Most Shared Wii U Game of 2014

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 915 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 836 out of 915
  2. Mixed: 28 out of 915
  3. Negative: 51 out of 915
  1. TIGER-COOL
    Feb 21, 2014
    10
    Haven't finished the game, but from what I've played some of these low reviews are baffling. The level design and attention to detail are topHaven't finished the game, but from what I've played some of these low reviews are baffling. The level design and attention to detail are top class. The gameplay is fluid and intuitive. Lots of great, subtle ideas presented on a moment by moment basis, so I'm not sure what all the "lack of ambitious gameplay" is all about. Maybe these reviewers rushed through things a bit?

    Absolutely beautiful game, by the way. Maybe the best looking game on the Wii U (Close between this and Mario 3D World). David Wise on the soundtrack puts it over the top. Get it.    … Full Review »
  2. jholden3249
    Jun 29, 2014
    10
    This is what video games were meant to be. Entertainment found through challenge of skill-based gameplay, with flawless mechanics, top-tierThis is what video games were meant to be. Entertainment found through challenge of skill-based gameplay, with flawless mechanics, top-tier soundtrack, gorgeous visuals, expertly crafted level design, creative and unique bosses, and incredible replay value through time trials video uploads.

    I've loved Donkey Kong Country since I was a small child. And this game blows the breaks off its predecessors. Rare made a classic trilogy back in the 16-bit era, but the games fall incredibly short when compared to Retro's recent triumph. In fact, most games fall short of Tropical Freeze. I can't recommend this game enough. If you suck at video games, and like to be led through from start to finish with novice difficulty that makes you feel like a winner, this game is not for you. But if you are a real GAMER, and find entertainment through overcoming a challenge via practice, skill, and perfectly timed maneuvers, look no further. DKC Tropical Freeze is, at least in my opinion, the greatest 2D platformer I've ever played.    … Full Review »
  3. Scv3
    Feb 21, 2014
    10
    The level design of this game is just perfect. I truly recommend this game if you like platform games and challenge. The boss battles are wellThe level design of this game is just perfect. I truly recommend this game if you like platform games and challenge. The boss battles are well thought.… Full Review »
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