With the preceding excitement following Retro Studios’ new project, and discovering that it was yet another Donkey Kong Country title after the Nintendo E3 Direct reveal, fans were left wondering why it was not a new Metroid game, or the new IP that they were anticipating.
Sitting down with Retro Studios President and CEO, Michael Kelbaugh, Nintendo of America COO Reggie Fils-Aime raised a question based on the contingent of Twitter posts raised from social media.
“Why did Retro decide to do another story on Donkey Kong Country?” The answer lies in the video down below:
According to Kelbaugh, Retro Studios felt that there was still “a lot of gas left” in Donkey Kong after completing Donkey Kong Country Returns for the Nintendo Wii. Kelbaugh explains that they wanted to experiment with more features such as underwater levels and the rotating camera, adding that the Wii U hardware compelled them to experiment with these features, plus more. As we can see from this game visually, Donkey Kong and his friends have been given added fur, the camera rotates around the stage with finesse, and the transitions between ground levels to underwater levels look seamless.
It’s understandable that after all the excitement to see Retro’s new project, and some of the disappointment that followed after the reveal; but at the end of the day, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze was Retro Studios’ decision. The fruits of their labor are hitting the Wii U in November.
