Games on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) were often very blatant about their use of the system's biggest graphical toy, Mode 7. As I've stated before, Mode 7 allowed the SNES to stretch, twist, and tilt sprites without having to redraw them, which could be used to generate pseudo-3D graphics. Early SNES titles like F-Zero and Pilotwings showcased the kind of visuals the system was capable of, and most later titles had to shoehorn Mode 7 in some way. So how is it that Donkey Kong Country (1994), often considered one of the best-looking games on the SNES, uses its special effects so invisibly?
Actually, Mode 7 is used very subtly in the game. More impressive and revolutionary was its use of pre-rendered computer graphics. Character sprites were drawn and animated using early 90's CG, and then put into the game. This allows every character to have crisp, detailed sprites and fluid animation. It allows the game to look just as impressive today as it did back then. When Mode 7 is used, it is for background details. Inside of a mine shaft, lanterns hanging from the ceiling will rock back and forth. In underwater stages, a vast expanse of sand will move as you move in the distance.
A game is nothing if it doesn't have great gameplay, even if it does have amazing graphics, and Donkey Kong Country nails that as well. It is a 2D platformer, one of the best on the SNES. The story goes that King K. Rool has stolen Donkey Kong's precious horde of bananas, and now with the help of his buddy Diddy Kong, he'll get them back. You control the two apes through levels of jumping, climbing, and fighting baddies. The two have different strengths and weaknesses which makes each one better for unique situations. Donkey is stronger and tougher than Diddy, but Diddy is faster and jumps higher. They also have animal friends who will give them rides from time to time, like a rhinoceros, ostrich, and giant frog. The pair can also pick up and throw barrels at enemies. Some can only be killed with a barrel. If Donkey or Diddy get hit once, they are knocked out, but can be brought back if a special DK barrel is found.
One of the best features of the game, however, is its marvelous atmosphere and sense of humor. The game is full of self-referencial humor, such as the inclusion of another Kong named Cranky, the old wise ape who will impart some knowledge to you, and scold you for being spoiled by new-age graphics ("I'll bet you thought this was 64-bit! Back in my day you only got four pixels, and you'd be lucky to get more than one shade of grey!"). The music also adds to the atmosphere. Every track is memorable and fantastically composed, but they never make an overstatement. The soundtrack is right up there with the likes of Super Metroid and Final Fantasy VI.
The game was actually not developed by Nintendo, but a company called Rare Software. They had produced a few games on the original NES, but were now tasked with making a high profile SNES game. Obviously, they did an outstanding job, and Donkey Kong Country's success led to a golden age for Rare. There were two sequels to Donkey Kong Country, plus their own Killer Instinct on the SNES. On the Nintendo 64, they had Goldeneye 007, Banjo Kazooie, Donkey Kong 64, Perfect Dark, and Conker's Bad Fur Day. They were bought by Microsoft in the early 2000's, where they suddenly started to produce sub-par (even awful) titles on Xbox consoles. Nintendo bought them back recently, so maybe we will see a return to the glory days of Rare, all started by their early masterpiece, Donkey Kong Country.
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