...And rides with her into the sunset - Who'd you expect, Malon? Puh-lease! Epona was there when the Princess dumped him back into childhood, she was there when Navi flew off the grid, and she certainly was there when Link had to face a Twili invasion - "A Kingdom for my horse", as the famous line more or less says!
Penultimate part of the exotic DB Famicom RPG Dragon Ball: Daimaō Fukkatsu , the Fan Translation - It's been a while since the last post, turns out this game is absolutely basted with mixed early DB lore, for which I've had to go back and read manga chapters! We're familiar with gameplay by now, so let's go! This part features a friendly visit to Penguin Village, where Dr. Slump Fans will mos def get a kick out of town and people. Early arc foes like Monster Carrot [sic] like to mingle with Piccolo's Vassals and return to make sure Goku doesn't summon Shen Long - which also happens in this chapter, and it is just as amazing as ever!
♪ He swigs down the Dairy cuz he ain't no Fairy, he's Link the Hero of Time! ♫ toot toot
Got nothing better to do on a sunday afternoon, whippersnappers? Good. Then sit your primate posteriors down and listen to old Cranky rave and rant a bit about a memory from his youth! We all remember the good old days of handhelds with limited battery life and without backlit screens, don't we? I think it was about the same time DKC came out when the Gameboy had a breakthrough, followed by its upgrade version, the GameBoy Color. The former has been ported and remixed on different systems more often than brown spots appear on a banana, and in the latter's case, many above-average GB games were given a GBC version - among them is one Cranky fondly remembers: Donkey Kong Country for the GBC (which came out in the PAL region first).
That's right whippersnappers, it's the good ol' Mellow Yellow!
I've played this game so often during the early 2000's that it would be considered heavily concerning today. Even if I knew DKC in and out like many of you, all Warps and Bonus Barrels included, it didn't matter. Challenging as a Five Monkey Trial, replayable as heck, it was intoxicating! The same glorious black cartridge is still in my posession, outlasting hundreds of AA's. The original on SNES was worlds above in looks and style, true. We all played it back and forth sans DK Barrels or Save Barrels, sure. And later ports of the game sported even more updated graphics and extra features - How could a singular portable version with limited graphics and compact framerate compare? After so many years, Cranky still remembers five reasons why the DKC version on the GBC differs from all other versions to him in no particular order - Where are you going? It ain't over, siddown! Don't worry, this old ape brought pictures too. It's the little things that give us the most joy, you see...
1. Alternate Title Screen/Intro
First thing that comes to mind is the well-tried intro sequence, which may lack me playing the grammophone before being rudely interrupted, but we get three different scrolling title screens here. One is the classic Box Art turned Pixel Art, the second (see image) is an hommage to this 3D artwork, and the third one is a mixed version of this 3D rendition. Randomly greeting you in order every time you start up the game, it flaunts its color power!
Call me old-fashioned, but between cracking Kremlings, I enjoyed the quiet fishing sessions of Funky's Fishing. It's only a bore when you ignore the Ranking Challenge and let me tell you, not even after draining two entire AA's was this old ape capable of making #1 on the list. Best I could do was second place, this Minigame becomes stressful after some time and depends entirely on RNG. It was later re-suited for the GBA version with a gameplay makeover, though this one stuck with me for the simple banality, pun fully intended.
3. Stickers/Banner/ Print Mode
All throughout the game, my dopey Grandson can find Green Banana Bunches dispersed on certain remote locations. It's essential to gain control over him in particular, since his Simian Slap technique can uncover a hidden Bonus Item located therein, Diddy sadly lacks that ability. Each of the collected Stickers formed a piece of several pages in the Photo Album. Tracking all those Stickers down was half the fun, the images and extra artwork were a delight to look at! What's more, they were printable on the elusive GB Printer, giving the GB version an additional challenge!
Who says the DKC map ends after Gangplank Galleon? There's more to explore on the other side of the DK Isles, a gauntlet of islets featuring my own brand of challenge: Crosshair Cranky! In it, the player must face six different challenges involving fast-draw shotting, Seek-out Snipering and Cavity Covering, reminiscent of the classic "Manhole" G&W game. Hope your trigger fingers are quick, whippersnappers, because you can screw up about three times before you go back to the Map Screen like a simian greenhorn. And we haven't even played the main game! Which brings me to...
Ah yes, the most notable feature included in this particular version! 40 Levels aren't enough for you? Try the extra Stage Necky Nutmare, exclusive for the GBC release. This vulture-infested nut-fest appears in the Chimp Caverns between Misty Mine and Loopy Lights, and it packs a punch worthy of a late-game addition - Mini-Neckys with the accuracy of deranged desperadoes and Krushas tougher than K.Rool's golden gut are waiting to cut your speedrun attempt short. Truly, it was an extra mile added to the coveted 101%.
Rank: Primate Paladin - 101% Completion
In conclusion of this mini rant, it's these five things that make me remember on warm summer days how much I used to play this game on my trusty GBC. An old ape can't forget the first time he got the fake ending while on a class trip, and he fondly remembers the many Album pictures he never got to print out. Heck, it's a miracle that cartridge survived all these years with the 101% Save Files intact. Shows that good things are made to last! Later versions and ports may include similar bonus features with polished enhancements, but if you see this game through the same nostalgic eyes, you come to value it as an underrated gem of the DK library!
It's been fun to let out the memories, and maybe others who enjoyed DCK on GBC can relate. Either way, thank you for your time reading this post :)
Call me Ishmael. After clearing out the Swamp Fishing Hole of all finned fauna, it was time to reset reality and visit Termina's scenic coastside. Evil masked Spirits and Moon-induced catastrophes can wait, Link gives in to the Pier Pressure and books several sessions at the Ocean Fishing Hole! Trading his weapons for a lengthy Rod, he casts out his Lures day and night, "seazing" every sort of water-based wildlife. All in all, the Fishing Hole Areas are an excellent extra Feature for the 3DS version that got me hooked from the Dawn of the First Day. You could say I took the Sidequest bait Hook, Line and Zinger!
