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Movie Synopsis/Analysis
This is where we analyse the DKC GBA movies more then you ever thought possible. This one in particular is extremly detailed because we have an original game to compare it to (Donkey Kong Country, for those of you who are oblivious to your surroundings). Be sure to pick yourself up a copy of the corresponding Movie for refrence if you can, but we've summarised everything in case you don't have Quicktime or something.
The first clip shows Donkey and Diddy near the beginning of Barrel Cannon Canyon. They shoot out of a blast barrel and bounce off the heads of 4 kremlings. The most obvious difference is that while the first 2 kremlings are blue, like in the original, the last 2 kremlings are purple. In the original the last 2 are green indicationg that they patrol an area by pacing, rather than attack by jumping forward (blue). Perhaps the color scheme wasn't varied enough for the distinction to be visible otherwise. Another notable difference is that Donkey and Diddy entirely overlap, rather then having one closely follow the other. The reasons for this are unclear, as it involves more or less a physical impossibility. The only other difference worth a damn is that the barrel cannon in the treetops (part of the shortcut) is visible in this camera range, whereas in DKC, it was not.
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This brings us to what is, without question, the most out-of-place clip in the entire montage. It appears to be modeled after the Dance Dance Revolution arcade series. In this series, a set of button images moves past a line. You are given points based on how accuratle you synchronize your movements so that you press the buttons at the exact same moment the button's image crosses the line. in this case, the moving arrows are in a row across the top. Also, since Candy is with them, and the decorations are the same as Candy's place, it seems that is another version of Candy's Challenge Shack as found in DKC GBC. This all but rules out the possibility of the Candy resuming the duty of saving your game. Also note that this is probably the Challenge Shack from Vine Valley, since the shack looks out on that area.
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The next clip is of Diddy, with Donkey in tow, jumping on armys near the beginning of Rope Bridge Rumble. The game engine follows the original somewhat faithfully, with Donkey following the exact path the Diddy follows. However, he follows much closer than in the original, making the game seem much more hectic. This could lead to some confusing gameplay in some of the more busy portions of the game. Also of note is the green bird that flies in the foreground of the action. Perhaps the game is now littered with benign foreground animals, but there is another possiblilty. Green, besides being the color of the jungle, is traditionally a color of "bonus" on DK Isle (think the green abananas in DKC3 and DKC GBC). This bird might signifythat some sort of bonus area is nearby (which there is, in a hole to the far left, off the screen), or some other kind of bonus feature. It seems likely that the bird serves some purpose, but that purpose remains ambiguous.
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The next clip shows Diddy with Donkey on Enguarde after the star barrel in Coral Capers. Notice that the ability that allows both to ride an animal buddy at once is proven to be even more physically impossible. Enguarde turns around 180 degrees, and Diddy is still on the side closest to the camera!! Witchcraft!
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Donkey on Winky in Winky's Walkway shortly after the star barrel. Only thing of note is the strange smoke effects. If they look like this, imagine what Misty Mine must look like.
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Perhaps the most encouraging clip from the movie, This one shows Donkey and Diddy up against Queen B, but with a huge difference. She is now surrounded by a bodyguard of regular zingers, reminiscent of King Zing from DKC2. This appears to make her a much harder boss. Presumably, all of the bosses have been beefed up this way. If you recall, one of the few bad things ever said about this game in reviews was that its bosses were too easy. It's good to know that Nintendo listens occasionally. The movie finishes with a short clip of Donkey breaking the star barrel in Ice Age Alley.
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But what kind of analyst would I be if I didn't mention the music? The song that plays throughout the movie is a remixed version original DKC theme. The original theme used a wailing synth line with a baseline implied by the drumtones. This one uses a real base for the baseline and some sort of low flute-type instrument for the melody, giving it somewhat of a more tragic quality. This brings up the question: Is all of the game's music going to be remixed like in Super Mario All Stars? It would be fascinating to hear another composer's perspective on the Donkey Kong Country Soundtrack.
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