#Donkey Kong Country (1997)

[90s-2000s-barbie]

Donkey Kong Country (TV Series 1997 - 2000) 🍌

[suppermariobroth]

Top: during the final battle of Donkey Kong Country 3, King K. Rool (under the alias of Baron K. Roolenstein) mentions having a wife, whose pots and pans he used to make the giant robot KAOS. Whether the developers ever intended for his wife to be a real character or whether it was a throwaway joke is unknown.

Bottom: however, a 1997 Donkey Kong Country 3 manga actually makes her into a real character with an original design, who appears in a few panels.

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[hey-jac]

Tumblr, can you do something for me? Can you please leave a flower for my cousin, who died by suicide a year ago?

You can do this one of three ways:

Leave a flower on his Find a Grave page. (This link will take you to an external website. Note that in order to leave a flower this way, you must have an account with Find a Grave.)

Reblog this post with with a flower in your tags.

Reply to this post with a flower.

Here are some flowers you can copy/paste: ✿❀❁🌸🌺🌻🌼🌷🌹

If you are reblogging or replying, please feel free to also use one or more of the additional emojis beneath the Keep reading cut. (They represent some of the good memories from our childhood together.)

Any kind messages are also appreciated. It has been a year ago today (September 9, 2024), and I am struggling.

Activities

🎮 Playing Video Games 🚲 Riding Bikes 🐸 Catching Toads; Raising Frogs 🌌 Visiting the Planetarium 🎡 Visiting the Amusement Park 🎢 Riding Roller-coasters 🛟 Visiting the Water Park 🏊 Taking Swimming Lessons; Going to the Pool 🛼 Visiting the Skating Rink 🚂 Visiting the Train Museum; Living Near the Railroad Tracks 🛝 Visiting the Park 🏸 Playing Badminton (But Making it Up) 🎯 Playing Darts (The Very Pointy Kind) 🚚 Using Everything as a Playground (Including the Moving Trucks)

Video Games

👾 Arcade Games; Atari; Space Invaders 🧩 Banjo-Kazooie (N64) 🍔 Burgertime (NES) ��� Diddy Kong Racing (N64); Donkey Kong Country (SNES) 🐲 Dragon Warrior (NES) 🍖 The Legend of Zelda (NES) 🍞 Quest 64 (N64) 🍄 Super Mario Bros 1 & 2 (NES); Mario 64 (N64)

TV & Movies

💭 Animaniacs (1993-1998) 🦆 Darkwing Duck (1991-1992); DuckTales (1987-1990) 💔 Dragonheart (1996) 🐳 Free Willy (1993) 🧚 Hook (1991) 💋 Indiana Jones (original movies, 1981-1989) 🏺 Jason and the Argonauts (1963) 🦖 Jurassic Park (1993) 🦁 The Lion King (1994); Timon & Pumbaa (1995-1999) 👽 Men in Black (1997) 💥 Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (1993-1996) 🐁 Pinky and the Brain (1995-1998) 🔮 Sinbad (movies by Columbia Pictures, 1958-1977) 🌟 Star Wars (original trilogy, 1977-1983) 🐻 TaleSpin (1990-1991) 🐢 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987-1996) 🧨 Tiny Toon Adventures (1990-1995) 🤠 They Call Me Trinity (1970); Trinity Is Still My Name (1971) 🍫 Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971) 🐬 Zeus and Roxanne (1997)

[datcloudboi]

List of Video Games Turning 10 Years Old in 2024

Alien: Isolation

Assassin's Creed: Rogue (the one where you play as an Assassin turned Templar.)

Assassin's Creed: Unity (the one set during the French Revolution.)

Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky

Azure Striker Gunvolt

The Banner Saga

Bayonetta 2

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth

BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea (the DLC where you go back to Rapture)

A Bird Story (a sort of spin-off of "To the Moon")

BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel! (is this a sequel to 1 or a prequel to 1? I forgor)

Bravely Default (in North America)

Broken Sword 5: The Serpent's Curse

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (the one with K*vin Sp*cey)

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 (to date, the last new Castlevania game to release)

Child of Light

The Crew (going offline at the end of March)

D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die (a wonderfully strange game from the guy that made Deadly Premonition)

Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (in North America)

Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair (in North America)

Dark Souls II

Deception IV: Blood Ties

Demon Gaze

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls

Disney Infinity 2.0

Divinity: Original Sin (from the team that would go on to make Baldur's Gate 3)

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

Dragon Age: Inquisition (the winner of GOTY at the very first TGAs)

Drakengard 3

Earth Defense Force 2025 (EDF! EDF! EDF!)

The Evil Within (from the creative director of Resident Evil)

Fable Anniversary

Fairy Fencer F

Far Cry 4

Freedom Planet

Guilty Gear Xrd Sign

Hyrule Warriors

Inazuma Eleven (in North America. And digital only.)

Infamous: Second Son (as well as its expansion, First Light)

Kirby: Triple Deluxe

The Last of Us Remastered (just one year after the original version came out...)

The Legend of Korra (the game from PlatinumGames that you can't buy anymore)

Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham

Lego The Hobbit

The Lego Movie Videogame

Lethal League (from the team that would go on to make Bomb Rush Cyberfunk)

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (the third and final chapter of the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy)

Lisa: The Painful (yes, really)

LittleBigPlanet 3

Lords of the Fallen (not to be confused with Lords of the Fallen, which came out in 2023)

Mario Golf: World Tour

Mario Kart 8 (the original version)

Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes (the prologue to Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, which came out 18 months later)

Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor

Might & Magic X: Legacy

Murdered: Soul Suspect (it's like Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, but not as good)

Natural Doctrine

Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty! (a from the ground up remake of the first Oddworld game from 1997)

Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2 (yes, it got a sequel. I don't know how or why.)

Persona 4 Arena Ultimax

Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth

Pokemon Omega Ruby & Pokemon Alpha Sapphire

Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy (the last time that Professor Layton himself was the protagonist. At least, until the New World of Steam comes out)

Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

Pushmo World

Risen 3: Titan Lords

Sacred 3

Samurai Warriors 4

Shadowrun: Dragonfall

Shantae and the Pirate's Curse (the 3rd one)

Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments

Shovel Knight (yes, really)

Skylanders: Trap Team (the 4th one)

Sniper Elite III

Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric

Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal

South Park: The Stick of Truth

Steins;Gate (in North America)

Strider (the one from Double Helix)

Sunset Overdrive

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS (or Smash 4 for short)

Tales of Xillia 2

Tales of Hearts R

The Talos Principle

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call

Thief (the reboot)

This War of Mine

Toukiden: The Age of Demons

Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark (this game merged the storyline of the War for/Fall of Cybertron games with the storyline of the Michael Bay movies. I’m not joking)

Transistor

Valiant Hearts: The Great War

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter

The Walking Dead: Season Two

Wasteland 2

Watch Dogs

The Witch and the Hundred Knight

The Wolf Among Us (sequel this year!)

Wolfenstein: The New Order

Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z

Yoshi's New Island

[eirikrjs]

Maybe you could play Christmas Nights into Dreams. From what I can tell, it's like a christmassy demo for the actual game.

My personal Christmas game is the first Ace Attorney, just because of the last case lol.

I'll pass the idea along to Soren, though I don't think Nights is within our purview (which nowadays is "Ringo Starr group masturbation" jokes)

This got me thinking about my games I received for Christmas, or games I associate with Christmas; of the latter category, they are actually few for some reason. I will try and list the former to the best of my ability. I'm 4 decades old, so strap in.

1988 (year I got my NES, though during that summer): Super Mario Bros 2, Zelda II (I think...)

1989: Game Boy + Super Mario Land

1990: Yoshi (This is apparently a faulty memory going by release date data, it's quite possible it was Dr. Mario instead)

1991:Super NES + Final Fight

1992: Super Mario Land 2 , Street Fighter 2, The Ren & Stimpy Show: Space Cadet Adventures

^Game sucked so hard I got my mother to return it, maybe the only time I ever returned a game.

1993: Clayfighter, Tetris 2 (NES)

1994:Donkey Kong Country, Super Return of the Jedi

1995: Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island

1996: Nintendo 64 + Super Mario 64, Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire

1997: Final Fantasy II (used but complete), I forget what happened to my original copy but I wanted the game back, possibly due to FF7 hype at the time and I had no Playstation... yet

1998: Turok 2, Star Wars: Rogue Squadron (one of these I may have bought on my own in Decemberish), and, oh yeah, a Playstation + Parasite Eve

^The demo disc sold me on Xenogears.

1999: Honestly can't remember

2000: Vagrant Story, Legend of Mana, Majora's Mask

2001: Gamecube + Super Monkey Ball

2002: Super Monkey Ball 2

^ A Happy Monkey

2003: Totally forget, though by this time I was also asking for Game OSTs for Christmas

2004:Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne, Shadow Hearts: Covenant

2005+:Specifics become hazy as I increasingly buy games on my own throughout the year

I think this year I might ask for Dragon Quest 3 2DHD, though.

Merry Christmas to all you old gamers out there! And here's a Christmas association that's appropriate:

FFX came out in the US a week before Christmas 2001 and I would listen to this theme playing from the TV as I gazed upon the lit tree in our living room (this memory is not from 2001, though). FFX does remind me of Christmas, however, so this may be the association winner I was looking for.

[overlooked-gems]

A Look At Stuff You Probably Never Heard Of: Rayman: The Animated Series

Well, with the Rayman DLC being released for Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, I feel it's rather appropriate to talk about Rayman's first foray into other media outside of video games. In fact, we'll be taking a look at his first TV show. Today, we'll be taking a look at... Rayman: The Animated Series!

Rayman: The Animated seres was a very short-lived TV series created by Ubisoft in 1999, following the success of Rayman 2, the most recent game at the time. 26 episodes were planned to release sometime in Autumn of 2000, but the series was cancelled after only 4 episodes were produced and the 5th being near compleition. With the episodes already made, they aired in France, Germany and the Netherlands from December 20th, 1999 to January 10th of the following year.

Rigatoni and his lackey, Admiral Razorbeard run a freak show; a circus comprised of weird, bizarre, and unflattering characters made to perform for the amusement of attendants while being abused and mistreated.

Within their group of performers are Lac-Man, a blue rabbit-like creature who's dim but very strong (and is the star of Rigatoni's freak show; Betina, who performs as an acrobat; Cookie, a paranoid, whiny, and dramatic mole with hypochondria (thinking he's sick or ill) but is a really good handyman and cook; Flips, a little fairy who can only speak in squeaks, but the others can understand her; and Rayman himself, the newest member of the troupe, who instantly decides to escape.

After the group escapes, Rigatoni enlists the help of Inspector Grub to track them down and return them to him. As such, the episodes are mostly minor "adventures" while trying to evade Grubs, but they also secretly live in a flat just above his house, where he lives with his wife.

Obviously, when the show was made, CGI was the big new thing, releasing around the same time as the likes of Donkey Kong Country (1997-2000), ReBoot (1994-2001), and Beast Wars: Transformers (1996-1999). So as a result, the CGI hasn't aged all that well. The TV show is also a massive departure from the games, with the only connection being that it has Rayman.

And here comes the Final Recommendation Never Let Go Of It||Get It||Hold Onto It||Try It||Consider It||Stay Away From It

The series is honestly, not that good. Granted, it's not awful or even horrible. If anything, it has its moments, but they're really nothing impressive. As I stated before, the biggest issue the show has is that it has practically nothing to do with Rayman outside of having the titular character, as well as Razorbeard, who was just downgraded to a dim-witted lackey. Although, Betina and Lac-Mac may also serve as stand-ins for Betilla and Globox, respectively, due to their similar color schemes.

Also, one of the things this series is known for is that it has Billy West voicing Rayman. There's even a meme of how Rayman says "car".

At the end of the day, this show isn't all that special. But if you want to watch it, it's there. In fact, here's a video showing the entire series in one video.

And with that, I'll see you all next month!

[blazehedgehog]

Not all that related to the last question outside of the name drop, but what are your thoughts on Donkey Kong 64?

So generally I'd get consoles when they were new and relevant. Not brand new, like I'd never have them at launch, but at some point during that generation, my Mom would find a sale somewhere or save up enough money or whatever.

So, for example, 1992, I got a SNES. 1994, I got a Genesis. 1995, I got a 32X and a Sega CD, because in both scenarios, Toys 'R' Us was having an overstock fire sale and you could pick the hardware up for about $30 each and games for around $2. 1996, I got lucky and had enough money to buy a Sega Saturn for myself. 1997, I got a Playstation for Christmas. So on and so forth.

The one time that did not happen was with the Nintendo 64. The N64 was the rich kids console. A Playstation game was about $30, maybe $40. A Nintendo 64 game could be $60, $70, even $90+.

Not something you get when you're a family that has more or less lived paycheck to paycheck for basically their entire lifetime.

So I think it was after I got my Gamecube in 2004 or 2005, my Mom surprised me with a brand new hot pink Nintendo 64 and a huge number of pre-owned games. At the time I was confused and a little let down, but in retrospect it was actually kind of awesome, because she got me Super Mario 64, Mario Kart 64, Pokemon Stadium (with the Gameboy attachment!), Ocarina of Time, Diddy Kong Racing, Perfect Dark, and lastly, Donkey Kong 64.

She had fond memories of the year I got Donkey Kong Country for Christmas, and swapping the controller back and forth as we played. She wasn't very good at those games, but she thought the game looked beautiful, and hoped DK64 would fill that niche. Unfortunately, outside of the two racing games, she struggled to understand 3D analog character movement and it kind of soured her on all video games, forever.

I was already well acquainted with Super Mario 64. I was the kind of kid that latched on to in-store demo kiosks and would stand there playing for hours as long as nobody else was around, and I'd played quite a lot at a friend's house. I'd seen almost the entire game by this point. So, I dove right into Donkey Kong 64 first.

Well. That's a lie. Gamestop had sold my Mom Donkey Kong 64 without the RAM expansion cart. She knew the game required it, and they claimed to have included it at the time, but it was nowhere to be found. So we had to wait a day for the store to open back up.

But when I finally sat down to play it, the first impression I remember having was it taking over 20 minutes for me to get my first golden banana and thinking, "I hope the rest of the game isn't like that." Because, you know, 30 minutes in Super Mario 64, and you probably have enough stars to be halfway to the first boss fight. Each star (and in this case, golden banana) is tantamount to the game's "level" and opening with a level that took me 20+ minutes to figure out and complete is kind of outrageous.

But the rest of the game is actually worse.

Donkey Kong 64 is maybe the first and greatest example of quantity over quality. As legend goes, the game began development with Tim Stamper handing the team a list of items he thought needed to be collectables in their next game. If you have so many collectables you need to make a list to hold them all, that's your first mistake.

DK64 is a grind. It's a slog. Individual ideas don't seem so bad when viewed in isolation but everything around them is so watered down and stretched so thin that it's exhausting to deal with. It is a game about testing the limits of your tolerance for tedium.

My second strongest memory is opening up the final level and it taking me close to an hour. It's kind of a series of challenge rooms and minigames tailored to each Kong. The thing is, you get a time limit to finish the level. For every blueprint you've found elsewhere in the game, the timer gets extended, which is how I know how long it took me to finish the level.

Except... I didn't finish it. I got all the way to the final door, and with only a few minutes to spare, realized you needed both a Nintendo coin and a Rareware coin in order to open it and reach the final boss. I think I only had the Rareware coin.

Knowing how long it took me to get through this level, combined with the fact I'd have to find that Nintendo coin, and everything else... I gave up. I thought, "naw, I'm good."

And I didn't touch the game for 15 years.

Sometime in the last couple years, for whatever reason, I began poking at DK64 again in an emulator.

Not like, a lot. Just every now and then. But then I got up to Gloomy Galleon, and that level is the first one that really, actually, massively sucks so I haven't gone back to it in like six months.

Anyway. Awful game. Rare had really messed up priorities and the game is a massive disappointment. Sometimes it's a wonder Nintendo gave them the Donkey Kong license.

[cosmicsponge2004]

Back by Popular Demand!!! And me forgetting things

Round 3 will be a face off against each rounds winner if I didn't forget anything else good

I haven't even seen Centaurworld

[gbhbl]

TV Series Review: Donkey Kong Country (1997 - 2000)

Donkey Kong Country is beloved Nintendo franchise that most associate with quality. So, with that in mind, how many people are aware that the franchise had a long-running animated TV show in the latter part of the 90s?

A beloved Nintendo franchise that most associate with quality, from the original series that helped make Rare a household name in the SNES days. To the underrated Nintendo 64 game Donkey Kong 64 and the later Wii, Wii U and Switch entries. Donkey Kong Country may not be as famous as the likes of Zelda or Mario, but it’s done well for itself over the decades. So, with that in mind, how many people…

[animationmodeling]

Sneak Peek into the Evolution of Video Game Development.

Video Games have come a long way from their pixelated beginnings due to technological advancements. Central to this transformation is CGI (Computer-Generated Imagery), which has made it possible to create visually stunning images, animations, and special effects using the latest cutting-edge tools and technologies. With rapid advancements in technology, 3D artists and game developers have pushed the boundaries of visual storytelling and developed captivating visual masterpieces.

In this blog post, we’ll dive into the fascinating history and evolution of CGI in video games.

A Brief Overview of the History of Video Games

The history of video games can be traced back to the days of arcade games and home consoles that relied on Pixel Art. Arcade games like Pong, Boot Hill, and Gotcha featured simple and monochromatic pixel graphics. As technology evolved, games like Namco’s Galaxian, Pac-Man, Space Invaders, and Super Mario Bros. used more attractive visuals with vibrant colours and different shapes. However, they had limited colour palettes, low resolutions, simple and block graphics, and relied on sprites and tiles for creating characters and environments. 

Further came the era of 16-bit consoles like Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis. These consoles offered more colours, larger sprites, and visual effects. Games such as Final Fantasy VI, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Donkey Kong Country showcased this new generation of consoles with detailed sprites, vibrant colours, and immersive worlds.

A major shift in game development came with CGI. This technology enabled detailed and realistic graphics in video games to enhance the overall gaming experience and engage them. Developers began using 3D computer graphics software Maya to create stunning 3D animations, realistic environments, and characters.

The Evolution of CGI in Video Gaming

Computer-generated imagery (CGI) is the use of computer software to create realistic characters, objects, and environments. Visionaries like Ivan Sutherland and Ed Catmull set the stage for this breakthrough in 3D graphics technology. Further, pioneering artists like Manfred Mohr and Vera Molnar integrated algorithms that changed the boundaries of visual storytelling.

Besides video games, CGI made an indelible impact on film production, with Steven Spielberg’s “Jurassic Park” (1993) becoming an iconic movie with its introduction of lively and animated dinosaurs. CGI was utilized in James Cameron’s Titanic (1997), the Matrix (1999), and Avatar (2009) to produce stunning visuals that changed the way stories were visually narrated. Pixar’s Toy Story (1995) won the hearts of audiences due to its astounding use of CGI and became the first fully CGI movie.

The 8-bit 2D Era (1972-1984)

Video games utilized basic 2D sprite-based graphics

Resolution of Arcade games: 320*240 pixels

Resolution of NES games: 256*240 pixels

Sega Master System; 256*192 pixels

Backgrounds designed by repeating tile patterns

Sprites: 8*8 or 16*16 block

Limited colours. Only 2-16 colours for full screen

Bright solid colours

Sharp pixelation

The 16-bit Era (1985-1994)

Detailed sprite-based graphics and visual effects

16-bit consoles

Larger sprites, Higher resolution, Multiple colours

New features like Scaling, Rotation, Parallax effects, Dynamic lighting, Transparency effects, and liquid physics

Super NES: 256×224 to 512×448 pixels

Sega Genesis: 320×224 to 640×448 pixels

Animation-based Gameplay

The 3D Graphics Era (1993-1996)

Introduction of consoles like PlayStation and Nintendo 64 and 3D-capable GPU chips

3D-capable GPU chips for real-time polygon rendering

Development of gameplay mechanics like platforming, puzzle-solving, and exploration

Low polygon counts, low-resolution textures, No lighting or shading effects

Game: Starfox (SNES) utilised simple 3D models and environments at 3–15 FPS.

Virtua Fighter (Arcade) used basic texture-mapped 3D characters

Super Mario 64 (N64) became the first fully 3D Mario game with free camera control

The 6th Generation Era (1997-2005)

Introduction of home consoles like Dreamcast, PS2, and Xbox.

High polygon counts, advanced lighting and shading, and texture filtering through mipmapping.

Resolutions: 640*480 and beyond.

Development of detailed normal maps, early per-pixel lighting, and shadow techniques like heat haze and reflective water.

The Cinematic Pre Rendered Graphics Era (1997-2006)

Utilizing FMW (full motion video), pre rendered CGI backgrounds, Quick Time Events (QTEs), and 3D rendered backgrounds.

Live-action video clips popularized by Night Trap (1992)

Scripted in-game actions for visual spectacle

Games: Resident Evil, Final Fantasy VII, and Soul Calibur

HD Gaming (2005)

Introduction of Xbox 360, PF3, and modern PCs

HD 720p and 1080p gaming

High-definition resolutions, Advanced lighting engines, photorealistic textures, real-time shadow mapping, and HDR lighting

Complex engines like Unreal 3 for dynamic lighting

Higher memory budgets for photorealistic textures

Detailed normal and specular maps for high-complexity

Filters like cinematic tone mapping, depth of field, motion blur, and more

The Current State of CGI in Video Games

Photogrammetry for realistic environments

PBR – Physically based rendering for realistic materials and lighting

Ray tracing for reflections, shadows, and lighting effects

Introduction of 4K gaming with PlayStation 4 Pro, Xbox One X, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X

Advanced rendering techniques like ray tracing, and global illumination.

Character realism with motion capture and facial animation.

Integration of AR in Video Gaming with AR headsets like HoloLens

Games: The Last of Us Part II, Red Dead Redemption 2, Cyberpunk

Convergence of video games in films, animation, and VR

The Future of Video Gaming

With the evolution of CGI, video games will be more realistic, immersive, and engaging than ever.

More realistic lighting, shadows, and reflections with Ray tracing and 8K resolution.

AI tools will be more adopted to generate environments and characters.

Games will approach photorealism, creating completely lifelike experiences.

More immersive Virtual reality gaming with Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PlayStation VR headsets

 Integrating AI, machine learning, and real-time rendering

Cloud gaming and cloud computing.

The Best CGI Animation Studio

In this digital era, it is important to hire a CGI animation studio for your multimedia needs like animated 3D series: TV or Web, shorts, films, commercials, live-action videos, or anything else. CGI is a groundbreaking technology that has the potential to change the game for you with more audience engagement, higher downloads, and licensing.

Prismart is one of the best CGI animation studios in New Delhi and has been catering to clients for over a decade.  The company has a dedicated team of 150+ professionals, all experts in their respective fields, who are driven to hard work and results. The company is known for its fastest turnarounds, affordable budget, transparency, and client satisfaction.

[zachsgamejournal]

Favorite Games By Year

1989 - Super Mario Bros.

1990 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2

1991 - Super Mario Bros. 3

1992 - Mortal Kombat

1993 - Mortal Kombat II

1994 - Donkey Kong Country

1995 - Jurassic Park Rampage Edition

1996 - Super Mario 64

1997 - Goldeneye 64

1998 - Final Fantasy VII

1999 - Resident Evil 2

2000 - Metal Gear Solid

2001 - Grand Ttheft Auto 3

2002 - The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind

2003 - Dynasty Warrios 3

2004 - Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

2005 - World of Warcraft

2006 - Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

2007 - Uncharted 

2008 - Burnout Paradise

2009 - Uncharted 2

2010 - Borderlands

2011 - Battlefield: Bad Company 2

2012 - The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

2013 - The Last of Us

2014 - the Last of Us (PS4)

2015 - Metal Gear Solid V

2016 - Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection

2017 - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

2018 - Sea of Thieves

2019 - Spyro Reignited Trilogy

2020 - Gylt

2021 - Mega-Man Legends

2022 - Chrono Trigger

2023 - The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

2024 - Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

[alln64games]

Killer Instinct Gold

NA release: 25th November 1996

PAL release: 4th July 1997

JP release: N/A

Developer: Rare

Publisher: Nintendo

N64 Magazine Score: 62%

As I mentioned in the Mortal Kombat Trilogy review, fighting games aren’t my kind of thing, so this will be opinions from someone who has no idea about balance or techniques. That said, Killer Instinct Gold feel much more like a home console game than the Mortal Kombat Trilogy, due to a few extra features.

The game has a nice look about it, with detailed sprites (based on really well made 3D models, like Donkey Kong Country) mixed with 3D arenas. It definitely feels like an N64 game and the sprites somehow don’t look too out of place in the maps. I found the gameplay to be fun, even though I’m absolutely useless at it, this feels slightly friendlier to newcomers.

One welcome feature is the practice mode, which lets you browse through all the special moves and select one to pin to the screen. The bottom of the screen shows all your inputs to help remind you which button “FK” is. There are also training modes to go through specific abilities, including a “focused training” mode which adds a timer. It’s something that will likely be good for people who have the capabilities of having skill with these games.

Killer Instinct Gold still have a few oddities. There’s no mode in singleplayer where you can select a specific opponent, and map selection is done via cheat codes. Still, this seems to offer a lot more than Mortal Kombat Trilogy.

The initially complex combo linking system starts to wear thin after several weeks of constant hammering.

- Marcus Hawkins, N64 Magazine #3

Remake or Remaster?

Its inclusion on Rare Replay is good enough – although it would be nice to have that package ported to more systems.

Official ways to get the game.

This is available via Rare Replay on Xbox One/Series.

Re-releases

2015: Rare Replay

[suppermariobroth]

Animated segment from a 1997 French commercial for a Nintendo/Kellogg's Choco Pops cross-promotion, featuring 3D models from the Donkey Kong Country cartoon.

Note how Donkey Kong appears out of nowhere; this is intended to be a continuation of a previous commercial from 1996, where Diddy Kong causes Donkey Kong to disappear from existence (which I covered in a previous post here). Here, Donkey Kong comes back and is immediately angry at Diddy Kong for making him disappear.

Main Blog | Twitter | Patreon | Small Findings | Source

[ask-the-koopa-family]

To Natsuko: What is your opinion about The Donkey Kong Country Series?

((I used to love it but... now its kinda old, the animation is kinda weird lol, but i guess its normal since it came out in 1997 or 2000 ?? I dont remember))

[tgirlswagseraphina]

wasn't expecting donkey kong to be LAST here. to me it's the most pure high quality 2d platforming series to come from nintendo. super mario got a little generic from like 1997-2023, the yoshi series really just isn't my thing, but donkey kong? it doesn't have Too Much to stand out from the crowd in terms of its core gameplay, other than how smooth it is, but fundamentally every game feels like every elemet is performed to perfection. the music, the level design, the settings and aesthetics, the level of difficulty that rarely dips it's toes into "boring non challenging" OR "mega man 1 style bs to make your playthrough longer". to me, donkey kong country 1, 2 and tropical freeze to a degree are like, the PERFECT platform games, with 3 and returns reaching Very close to their heights as well. the only element that's truly missing is narrative, and that isn't a strong suit in the majority of mainstream platformers, and it isn't even that bad! the setups are tropey and exaggerated enough to set a solid tone, and the various characters you find along the way reinforce it!

[boobachu]

Donkey Kong Country

Season one, episode seventeen

Legend of the Crystal Coconut