Update News
Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze Releases February 21st
REDMOND, Wash.--(February
21, in the year of our Lord 2014)-- You hear that?
That’s the sound of bananas being peeled all around the U.S. to
celebrate the glorious launch of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical
Freeze. The newest game in the lauded Donkey Kong Country series
swings to the Wii U system on Feb. 21, bringing with it
beautiful high-definition graphics, cleverly designed
platforming action and competitive online leaderboards. The game
also heralds the exciting return of fan-favorites Dixie Kong and
Funky Kong, as well as Cranky Kong, who is a playable character
for the first time in series history. Together, they join Donkey
Kong and Diddy Kong in the biggest and best Donkey Kong Country
game yet.
“The games in the Donkey Kong Country series have always
entertained audiences of all ages and skill levels with their
breathtaking visuals and fun and challenging game play,” said
Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of
Sales & Marketing. “Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
continues this rich legacy with a memorable adventure that’s
only available on Wii U.”
In Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, the lush island
paradise that Donkey Kong calls home has been frozen by the
invading Snowmads. It’s up to Donkey Kong and friends to make
their way through multiple worlds across different islands to
put an end to the Snowmads’ icy reign. During their adventure,
players will encounter levels that twist, turn and transform in
fresh new ways. A dynamic camera enhances levels with
spectacular views as Donkey Kong blasts out of barrels and rides
in mine carts and on rocket barrels to reach the goal.
Joining Donkey Kong as playable characters during his
Kong-tastic adventure are Diddy Kong, Dixie Kong and Cranky
Kong. Any one of these three characters can team up with Donkey
Kong to shake up the action. They also have their own unique
abilities: Diddy Kong can hover for a limited time using his
Barrel Jet, Dixie Kong can perform a ponytail-spinning move and
Cranky Kong can bounce on spikes and other hazards using his
cane. Using their own controllers, players can use these
partners to team up with a friend in local, cooperative
multiplayer, with one player controlling Donkey Kong and the
other taking control of one of his Kong allies.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is filled with barrels of
secrets and collectibles. Cleverly hidden in each level are the
familiar K-O-N-G letters and puzzle pieces that players can
collect to unlock additional content. Rambi the Rhino also makes
a welcome return and can be ridden to charge enemies and
discover hidden areas. Funky Kong runs the game’s shop and sells
items that help in various ways, from a Green Balloon that
protects players from deadly falls to a Red Balloon for extra
lives that comes in handy when tackling the game’s challenging
levels.
All the levels in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze are full
of variety – no two levels are the same. In some levels, players
will be jumping and swinging through a lush jungle full of
creative platforming challenges. In other levels, players will
navigate Donkey Kong in a speeding mine cart, or see him only as
a silhouette against gorgeous backdrops. In others, the Kong
heroes will swim through underwater levels, battling menacing
aquatic enemies. And in frozen levels on Donkey Kong Island,
Donkey Kong and his buddies will have to contend with the frosty
surfaces of their conquered home. There is always something
surprising to experience in the game, and everything is
displayed in beautiful high-definition graphics (a first for the
series) and accompanied by music composed by David Wise, the
composer from the original Donkey Kong Country game.
As robust and fun as the single and co-op multiplayer modes are,
the game also features online leaderboards that let friends with
broadband Internet access compete in things like level times,
medals earned and whether levels are completed without losing
any health. This expands the scope of the game play and opens up
the experience to people all over the world. When players
acquire Time Attack medals, they can make a video of their play
sessions in individual levels that other players can view in the
in-game leaderboards.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze will be available on Feb.
21 in stores or in the Nintendo eShop on Wii U at a suggested
retail price of $49.99.