Graphics

If there is one thing that Paon got down to a T with this game, it is the art style. While the game's predecessor featured an almost "Saturday Morning Cartoon" style of characters, Jungle Climber was much closer to Rare's graphics of old, with much more realistic looking sprites and some backgrounds that almost look like a mesh of Donkey Kong Country and New Super Mario Bros. The 3D dialogue figures were pretty decent for the DS, and the animation was fine as well, even going the extra mile to include little details such as Donkey Kong's tie flopping about. Overall, the graphics of the game are great for a DS title, and do a great job of representing the Donkey Kong series.

8

Sound

Unfortunately, Paon isn't perfect, and this is especially evident in their music. Many of the songs in this game are originals, and they are ultimately forgettable. While there is not necessarily anything horrible about them, they just are much too bland; I find it difficult to hum any song from the game that either didn't include a remix or didn't stand as the main theme. However, there are saving graces. The classic tunes featured are quite nice to hear again, whether it's a bit of Jungle HiJinx in the Cave theme, of a remix of Funky's Flights. One small nitpick I have with these songs is the fact that the fullest version of Jungle HiJinx available only plays during multiplayer matches. While it is nice to hear an exclusive song for these races as opposed to recycled tracks, I'd rather it played in a more easily-accessible area, such as one of the earlier levels. One more thing I'd like to touch on is sound effects. While not as important as music, I feel Paon did a better job with the voices of the characters than the voices of the levels. Most of the characters can produce several different sounds, and each voice fits the character well. Especially Funky's.

6

Play Control

Controls are a huge deal-breaker in a game such as this. Luckily, Paon nailed it. While the controls take some getting used to, finally getting the hang of grabbing pegs and leaping halfway across the screen feels great. The Charge attack is welcome, and nothing feels too limited or too slippery. Meanwhile, the button layout is as close to perfect as it gets; using the shoulder buttons to grab feels incredibly natural, and there is even a bit of touch screen compatibility thrown in for good measure. Paon should pat themselves on the back; this game could have been ruined with overly-complicated controls, and Paon found the perfect balance.

10

Originality

DK Jungle Climber is a platformer. However, unlike most walk-in-the-park Nintendo platformers of today, this game will beat your face in if you are not careful. Not many games focus solely on the "L" and "R" buttons, causing this game to stand out from other run and jump platformers, and mechanics like peg swinging and Diddy hurling play a big part in crafting this unique experience. And like I said, this is a tough game. Sure the first island or two are pretty easy, but by the time you reach the fourth boss, you'll have wished you hadn't skipped Cranky's Teachin's. Which is quite nice.

9

Final Word

DK Jungle Climber is a different game, and is also not Mario, which I am sure scares quite a few people away. However, sitting down and actually trying to beat it becomes a fantastic experience. From a nostalgia view, it's great to see these characters in 3D again, and to finally be back to collecting tons of random coins and barrels to get a 100% score. While the multiplayer may be weaker than in King of Swing, everything else is greatly improved on, and makes for an overall fantastic experience. It really is such a refreshing experience to have a difficult game again, and the fact that it's Donkey Kong just makes it that much sweeter.

9

Final Score: 8/10