Here's a tip for you: When you boot up an GB original game on a GBA or Gameboy Player (And maybe GBC), rotate your D-pad. It changes the colour! Now that only leaves you with 4 options. But if you hold one of the main 2 buttons you have 12 color options. The B button is the key to the White, Grey and Black color scheme. If you already knew this than this is for the comment dwellers.
I've had a Gameboy Advance and SP since they came out. I've been playing a ton of games on them for over a decade including plenty of original Gameboy ones. Not once have I ever heard of something like this and now it just really blows my mind.
DKL3 was pretty fun, although the very final boss is one of the worst designed boss battles I've played. But other than that, I agree that DKL3 is the best in the Land trilogy
The Side Quest Gamer I agree that DKL3 is the best of the trilogy, especially after playing DKL 1 + 2, not so much 2. It's simply a joy to play and , like Exo said, the Japanese GBC version is the definitive version.
I didn't mention the final boss because I didn't do a spoiler section, but yeah. I agree 100%. I actually rage quitted. It's worse than the Death Egg Robot, Andross Brain, and Super Mario 64 Final Bowser combined.
ExoParadigmGamer Hmm... I might have to see this boss. I never did, even after I did my DKL video. I was just done with the game. EDIT: Just saw the boss fight. OH FUCK NO!
I feel that a lot of new game-centered channels are, more or less, rehashes. But on the DKC topic, you brought something worthwhile to the table; if for nohing else than solidly backed up viewpoints on the entire rare-made series. I am new to your channel, but I thank you for that.
I love the kong series personally. And tbh if i had to say. Play the first two games on snes. But if you really want to, the third one id say is good enough to play on gba.
I owned a game boy and Sega mega drive growing up so my first and only DK experience for years was the DK Land trilogy. Still love them. I never knew the flaws as they were. I just thought they were hard :D That cloud level though........
I personally loved the first DKL game, more than the sequels since it had unique level themes and music. The controls may not have been perfect, but it's still a unique experience. I personally had no issues with the camera. Also, I've beaten it on a 3DS without save states, though not fully completed it.
Same. I play it on the Game Boy, and I've 100%'d it multiple times. The only thing that kinda sucks about it is there's no real bonus for doing it other than a "congrats" screen and its intrinsic value lol
That screamer actually helped me. I was getting sleepy watching the review (dont get me wrong,its amazing,i was just tired),and all of a sudden im no longer sleepy. XDDDD
I can't say I had any issues myself with inputs being ignored for the first game. But I can't agree more in saying DON'T PLAY THIS ON A ORIGINAL GAME BOY! IT'S TERRIBLE!
ATTENTION COMMENTERS: If you're curious about the GBC remake of DKC1, then your question is answered at 23:08. Please watch the whole video before commenting on this subject.
Teraunce Foaloke tbh it would be a reebreak easily. it's the worest version of dkc and something was lost in translation as it was dkc running on the land engine.
I also didn't know about that for ages, I completed DKC2 100% and never knew about it lol. There were some parts where there were pickups inside pits and I always thought you get them with the team-throw move or by just taking the hit...
The GBC version of DKL3 was actually the only version of it Japan ever got. The original Game Boy version was never released in Japan, so why they waited 3 years and denied the rest of the world the GBC version is beyond me, but yeah, the GBC one is just the Japanese version
Donkey Kong Land was the first game I ever owned. my mother bought a gameboy Pocket and this game as a present for entering school. I beat this game as a 7 or 8 year old. Nostalgia hit me hard just now. I love my mum and I love Donkey Kong. Good old 90's.
Man, I remember playing DKL 1 on the ORIGINAL gameboy. You did bring up that the backgrounds blend, the worst part of it on the Oringinal (ie not GB Pocket) the refresh rate on the original screen was too slow to keep up as well. That said, you not only have blending, you have blurring so bad that you can't see ANYTHING.
Axlkaitoshin And then you have people like CBR Overtone telling you that "the games are perfect because they're DKC... ON THE GAME BOY! It's so technically impressive that their flaws are moot!" It makes me wonder if some other reviewers actually played the games before reviewing them.
ExoParadigmGamer CBR Overtone Logic: Praise the Donkey Kong Land games (or just 1 and 2), but had little good to say about the GBC version of Donkey Kong Country.
@@ExoParadigmGamer Hey Exo, are you familiar with Super Mario World hacks? Because even the creator of the best one (especially of the 2000s), FPI (aka FBI according to WBG) thinks Whiny Bitch Gamer doing more Rant-views like “Why The Second Reality Project Reloaded is the WURST GAME IN THE WURLD!!!” would be absolutely hilarious. Sure, I can understand why it’s only ran in the mid-2010s, but disregarding how poorly viewed it is, it really is hyperbolically hilarious like Angry German Kid!
I always found it interesting when you say that you know people who don't kongsider the DKC games as good as the likes of Mario and Sonic. I was always under the impression that they were; I can't tell you how many times I've heard people say that DKC2 is one of the best games on the SNES. Coming from someone who's only played the first DKC I think your marathon was a success; I've been growing more curious about these games since, and I've been tempted to buy them on the Wii U. And I will in the near future, I can tell you that much. A job well done!
***** Nice pun. There are certainly plenty of people who like these games, but it seems to me that even many of the fans only really seem to care about them because of nostalgia for how big they were back in the 90's. I wanted to reapproach these games and make a case in terms of their game design rather than just their aesthetics, because the CBR Overtone argument is generally what the admittedly limited group of haters are always objecting to.
ExoParadigmGamer Also dude, just starting to watch your reviews and like them and you don't get angry, but I really dislike when you start attacking other people you disagree with. It doesn't like help your argument.
Nathaniel Foga You mean the people making the videos? Because while there's a lot of drama between Youtbers, most of them are friends and know each other. I just mean for Exo to stop complaining about IGN's/Egoraptor's/CGRU/'s opinion that he doesn't like. At least he doesn't use the word fanboy, although when he uses purist, it's usually in a negative sense.
Him: don’t play it on the 3ds virtual console. Play it on the gameboy color, advance, player and super game boy. Me being 11 and not rich like that: :/ not everyone has money
@@edgary2388 I used to have dk country 1 on my 3ds but the many 3ds stopped reading sd cards and I lost everything on it the only thing I can play on it now are the ds games I have, luckily I got a switch not long after the 3ds messed up
I played it on my gameboy color as a kid. I hated it but i loved it. All the problems you had were the same problems i had back then. Ive never played it since i gave it away as a kid. But i played the hell out of it when i had it.
Your perspective on these games is interesting. I never really thought about the visibility in that way. I do agree DKL1 didn''t control the greatest. All in all, it was nice revisiting the series with you. Cheers!
It's all in the manuals. The mid-90's were just before in-game storytelling became common, but DKC and DKL were a little behind the times in that regard.
I think the DKL games while not as good as their DKC counterparts are good games for what they are and they were portable at the time too. I think the screen size and camera though was kind of a pointless complaint considering the system for what the games were for. Also in even the SNES games it's actually encouraged to take your time. You have only 2 hits after all. As such slow and steady is the key to beating the GB games as well. If you rush you may end up ambushed by enemies like jumping Kritters or mistime a jump. For me DKL1 was good. I never played DKL2 yet though but from what I seen it's a good re-imagining of DKC2 so I might download a ROM to try it. DKL3 was the best one.
Nice video. I played through these a year ago and I pretty much have the same opinions. * Yes, the first game does get ahead with the later levels being pretty different than DKC on the SNES. * DKL2 loses a surprising points for the levels being so damn close to the SNES original. Until they play the game people won't realize how damaging it is. * I thought the controls were more "squirrely" in DKL2 than DKL1... but it's really matter of preference. * Also thought DKLIII was the best... and the time trial mode really does add a lot to the game.
And after Legend of Zelda: A link to the past is _______ >:) Lol good marathon though. Sadly however, Donkey Kong Land 1 was my first Donkey Kong game ever. Needless to say, it did turn me off to the series for a while. lol
I definitely think the donkey kong country games are second only to the old mario games as far as platformers go. Sonic is super overrated imo. It really suffers from the zoomed in not enough room to see problem i think especially combined with the games speed. I don't get how people always point that out in other games and seem to give sonic a pass for it.
how is it unfair? It has almost perfect controls and its not overly difficult. There are very few cheap deaths that you need to memorize levels for either. Once you get good enough you can run through levels you've never played before pretty fast because the controls are so good.
Totally disagree about DKL 1. I know, the camera is bad, but the controls aren't, in my opinion. I beat the entire game on an original GBC in about two months.
6 years later finding this gem. Thank you! This is the kind of review I was looking for. I grew up with the Super Nintendo, then the GB and GBA but I've never noticed the difference between the "Country" and "Land". I just found the DKLand 2 to buy and am hesitating whether to buy it or not but this video is helping me a lot. Thanksssss yoooo
I managed to snag this trilogy complete (with box/manual) on Ebay. And played it on my backlit GBA-SP. They look really good by Gameboy standards. It's like...how did they make the original Gameboy do this?
DKL 2 was a godsend for me. My favorite game on the go?!?! YES PLEASE! Nowadays we are so spoiled with portable games that no one would even give a shit.
+Hijynx87 I kind of see that, but at the same time, DKL2's controls and level design really just aren't as good as DKC2's, technical limitations of the GB withstanding. If I want DKC2 on the go, I'll stick to the GBA version.
Honestly, the graphics is the main reason it succeeded. And having it on a Gameboy is amazing, they fit so much on those tiny carts, and they had incredible music, and graphics for Gameboy standards, shame about how the controls got gimped.
Fun Fact: What Cranky Kong said about DKC 1 only being popular because of fancy graphics was what Shigeru Miamoto (apology for bad spelling) said about the game to Rareware, which then he made Yoshi's Island in response.
The Donkey Kong Land video games *_ABSOLUTELY_*_ _*_*NEED*_* to be remasted in 32-bit graphics (to be on-par with the Donkey Kong Country video games in terms of the graphical quality)!!! Plus, the camera, especially when it comes to "screen crunch", and control issues really, *_really,_*_ _*_*really*_* need to be resolved there for a much more enjoyable video game gameplay experience - especially in the _Donkey Kong Land_ and _Doneky Kong Land 2_ video games, where the camera and control issues can be quite bad there (as 'ExoParadigmGamer' has mentioned in this RUclips video)!
DKL was the first Donkey Kong game I've ever played when I was just 4 so I really liked it. But I remember it took me two years to finish it. When I did it I couldn't have been happier.
This was a great review, thanks for this! I always assumed these games were inferior gbc adaptions, never having played them. But now I am definitely going to pick them up and try them out!
I like your videos. The SNES trilogy is my favorite trilogy in gaming, and, I enjoy all three for different reasons. I have not played the GB games, cause honestly, the small screen size always put me off. It would be great if someone made some sort of mod (impossible, I know) that extends the 'camera' by two tiles, or 32 pixels in each direction.
The way that Bottomless pits are handled is awful. The very bottom of the screen is always treated as a death barrier. God forbid there's an enemy on screen and you fall.
I don't care what people say no matter how terrible the game may be Donkey Kong Land 1 was and still is one of my favorite games on the gameboy. But yeah I gotta agree with your review on the basis that I would not recommend the game anyone who did not play it when it first came out and I do acknowledge the fact that the game is pretty bad but gosh darn is it alot of fun at least to me
My father gave me this game (Dk Land as a gift back in year 2000 when i was 5. I had no way to get past from the weird cloud level, as the controls got really weird and the first checkpoint is literally 15 minutes of play from the start. Re-visited the cartridge 5 years later, already in a GBA, and could beat it. If that's not enough, internal battery was faulty and sometimes the savefiles randomly died. I also had the original Super Mario Bros remake (Deluxe), but the reduced visibility in that game (Compared to NES original) was no match for dk land tunnel vission camera.
Your videos are very good, man. I found you by accident and I'm glad I did. I love your look at remakes and you had a lot of the same thoughts I did after playing Land 1 for the first time. I can't wait to see what you come out with next!
controls, controls, controls....I wish reviews stopped talking about controls if they can't elaborate on them. there have been so many times where I would play a game a critic said had terrible controls and not have any issue with them, the reverse is also true.
I know it has been a little while since you have posted this and many other RoR's, but since you have made these videos, they have become nostalgic to me as I have very fond memories involving them. Whenever I come back to them, I always think of the good times I had involvong them and the DK games and the different memories. And because of this, I want to say thank you very much for providing this wonderful content and the memories along with it :').
I've noticed :D But that specific Donkey Kong voice clip was hilarious due to the fact I've heard it more than 100+ times in- game and I would always joke about it xD
I feel like if they gradually got better then the 3 games aren't bad, back then they were only working with their ideas of what the gameboys limitations were and that's not a bad thing, considering when the nes came out mario 1 was the best it could be until they experimented with the hardware/software to bring the most out of the console, that's why mario bros 3 looks alot better than mario 1, same thing with super mario land on the Gameboy, people still like it to this day but if we have to be honest the quality is kinda poo and where the first one fails due to that mindset the 2nd enhanced the style because they knew what they were working with by that time and could do better stuff with it.
My own rankings; (inc. the DKC GBC port) 1. DKL 1 - HORRIFIC. Poor controls, glitches up the wazoo, tearing, disproportionately large sprites. Clear fail. (15/100) 2. DKL 2 - Good, if incredibly derivative. Much better controls. (67/100) 3. DKL 3 - Supreme. Balanced difficulty, great controls, good graphics, high replay value. (78/100) 4. DKC GBC - EXTREMELY shitty. Controls are really, REALLY broken. (23/100) (Note how the rankings differ exponentially with how tight the controls of each game are)
I started playing DK Land on my 351V handheld (no save states, don't worry), and yup, I have to admit it's painful. I can only imagine how bad it was on an old school DMG gameboy with that blurry dark screen.
+thomas garrett (Pokemastertomm) I'd recommend the GBA version. It's got a more lenient save system and a status screen for bonus rooms and KONG Letters.
You usually put the sound "Suprise MF!" every time screen crunch screws you over in game reviews. Why didn't you put the "Surpise MF!" in this game review? It really needed it.
ExoParadigmGamer EPG, in your video you said that you dared anyone new to the DKL series to play that game. Well my friend, I accept your challenge. After completing my very first playthrough of DKC1 on the GBA, I am thinking of buying DKL1 on Amazon. Let's see how frustrating this game is going to be for a noob like me.
ExoParadigmGamer After playing this game, I can pretty much say that I prefer DKC then DKL. I don't know about you but DKC had tighter controls than DKL. Don't get me wrong, DKL has it's charms here and there, but I just simply like DKC better. My final verdict is a Grand Theft Auto Vice City out of 10. When I first played Vice City, I expected a new atmosphere, seeing that this game had 1980s vibe going to it. However, the gameplay of the game remains the same, and the game fail to set a new feeling. With DKL, I expected a new atmosphere of the game, but it fail to do so, and it had the same gameplay. I will say one more thing. I'm not sure if I have quick reflexes or not, but I did not experience the difficulty you went through while playing DKL. Anyway, DKL, a solid title, but I think could have done better. Anyway, keep up the awesome reviews, and remember that I'll continue to be a fan!
I can play donkey Kong land on the my computer because I search up donkey Kong land flash and plus it was frustrating with the keyboard cause of the buttons
Thanks for mentioning my review of DKL. The input issue is probably one thing I never mentioned, because I thought that was on me. I'm surprised that is not the case. Also. that cloud level, can go fuck itself! I think that is as far as I made it before I gave up. I will say this about DKL2 and DKC2 as well. I am not a fan of the Bramble levels. I know they are fan favorites because of the song Stickerbrush Symphony, but that is all I see from it. DKL2's version of Bramble Blast is more annoying than the DKC2 version, due to the camera. It could also be that DKC2 is the one I played least, in the series. And fuck the DKL2 water levels... and lack of 1-up balloons. But most of all, FUCK THE CAMERA! There are levels where falling is pretty much an instant death because the Kongs fall faster than the camera can keep up with. I lost a few lives from that, usually on my last life. I saw that game over screen so many times. DKL3 is an absolute joy to play, though the camera makes me a bit more cautious when I play it. Only because of my, somewhat, poor eyesight, the snow levels were the biggest annoyance. Luckily, the Japanese-only GBC version fixes this issue. So play that one! Just not on the Virtual Console because it's in black and white. I'm disappointed that the Super GB and GB Player color palettes were not a feature with the 3DS VC for GB games. Great review Exo!
I appreciate your reviews. Nevertheless I have to say that I was able to beat Donkey Kong Land 1 many times and while I have to admit it has some problems due to hardware and button limitations of the system I never found the game really hard or frustrating or unfair. I agree on problems like the confusing visuals on the original GB as well as respawning over bottomless pits but I rarely witnessed any input lag or general problems regarding the gameplay. Hence I think your criticism with the first entry is a bit too hard, it was way ahead of its time in terms of visuals and music and the gameplay was at least decent in my opinion.
I used to own Donkey Kong Land 1 when I was little and I have to say that while I remember the game being very fun I also remember the graphics looking really ugly making it hard to play it
I agree. I have the game myself and play it on an original Game Boy. They fixed it for the second and third but the damage has been done XD it's easier to play it on a Game Boy Color because the sprites have an automatic color palette that distinguishes them from the background.
That's probably why then... I owned a Gameboy pocket which didn't have color but instead had a little click wheel which allowed you to change the lighting on it...
TheIcefreeze I also have a Gameboy Pocket. Gave it to my little bro. Now I play my big original 80's Gameboy and he plays the little Gameboy :) I even bought us both USB adapter cords powered by portable batteries. Ain't no Gameboy batteries needed in this house XD
TheIcefreeze I was thinking of getting a Gameboy Light till I saw the prices. Apparently they only exist in Japan, so to have one mailed overseas is a LOT. But I wanted to start a collection of the old systems as long as they didn't cost too much XD
You know, when I was a kid, I grew up with DKC1 on SNES and this, but I didn't know that there were two other games in the Land series until about a year or two ago. Guess I should check out the other two now...
I remember having the original GB version of DKL3 back when it first came out, and I remember loving it, but not being able to get past the third or fourth world for some reason. There was something about one of the levels that was just way too hard for me to get past. When I got the fan-translation for the GBC version and played it on VBA, I fell in love with it. Managed to 103% it, though I've got to admit, whenever I replay it, I just make it to the final boss and win lol. Edit - After 103%ing and 105% Donkey Kong Country 3, I can now confidently say I prefer GBC Donkey Kong Land 3 overall. I LOVE this game.
Another great review. I didn't even know about these games til now so might check them out cuz I love donkey kong country. Think you will ever review any Castlevania games?
![Donkey Kong Land::SPEED RUN (0:34:25) *Live at #SGDQ 2013* [GB]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/uRzwErzgJw0/mqdefault.jpg)
Here's a tip for you: When you boot up an GB original game on a GBA or Gameboy Player (And maybe GBC), rotate your D-pad. It changes the colour! Now that only leaves you with 4 options. But if you hold one of the main 2 buttons you have 12 color options. The B button is the key to the White, Grey and Black color scheme.
If you already knew this than this is for the comment dwellers.
+Neo kirbyvskirby I remember how I used that to always play the GB Batman with a B&Y scheme. Brings back memories.
Wait, really? That's awesome! I've got to try that out now
I just tried that and...
I WISH I KNEW THIS YEARS AGO! THANK YOU
I've had a Gameboy Advance and SP since they came out. I've been playing a ton of games on them for over a decade including plenty of original Gameboy ones. Not once have I ever heard of something like this and now it just really blows my mind.
I liked doing that, but I forgot that you needed the dpad
DKL3 was pretty fun, although the very final boss is one of the worst designed boss battles I've played. But other than that, I agree that DKL3 is the best in the Land trilogy
The Side Quest Gamer I agree that DKL3 is the best of the trilogy, especially after playing DKL 1 + 2, not so much 2. It's simply a joy to play and , like Exo said, the Japanese GBC version is the definitive version.
I didn't mention the final boss because I didn't do a spoiler section, but yeah. I agree 100%. I actually rage quitted. It's worse than the Death Egg Robot, Andross Brain, and Super Mario 64 Final Bowser combined.
ExoParadigmGamer Hmm... I might have to see this boss. I never did, even after I did my DKL video. I was just done with the game.
EDIT: Just saw the boss fight. OH FUCK NO!
GaminTank yeah, it's Bubsy levels bad
GaminTank The Side Quest Gamer To be clear, we're talking about K. Rool's Last Stand in DKL3.
I feel that a lot of new game-centered channels are, more or less, rehashes. But on the DKC topic, you brought something worthwhile to the table; if for nohing else than solidly backed up viewpoints on the entire rare-made series.
I am new to your channel, but I thank you for that.
Ever thought of going back to give DKC on GBC a look?
Is DKL3 worth playing on 3ds?
I dont see why not
No it’s not
It’s dose the og game boy thing there for making it hard to see enemies
DK Land was one of the first games I ever played along with Tetris and Super Mario World.
Cool review.
Great reviews man! keep them coming please!
These are some pretty cool bananas. AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
I love the kong series personally. And tbh if i had to say. Play the first two games on snes. But if you really want to, the third one id say is good enough to play on gba.
I want to see a DK Land Vs DK Country GBC comparison so bad
Edit: What about a Nintendo DS Lite?
You have to get yourself a gameboy color for this game.Things like Mario Land and Zelda are fine on the original but this needs a color
Qué emulador usas para que tenga color?
I like how you start with praise where praising is deserved and THEN you point any flaws you noticed.
+Jerred Zoll It's not about perfection, it's about being respectful and level-headed. I'm not sure what exactly you're going on about.
*****
Nevermind. This is getting out of hand. Bye.
Flaws are the most important part, a single flaw can bring a 10/10 game down to a 0/10 game
I really like your profile picture, if I am correct and that is Tom Baker's Doctor.
I owned a game boy and Sega mega drive growing up so my first and only DK experience for years was the DK Land trilogy. Still love them. I never knew the flaws as they were. I just thought they were hard :D
That cloud level though........
Heyyy. I know you!
Love ur vids!
Hey I Wasn’t Expecting You Here
I personally loved the first DKL game, more than the sequels since it had unique level themes and music. The controls may not have been perfect, but it's still a unique experience. I personally had no issues with the camera. Also, I've beaten it on a 3DS without save states, though not fully completed it.
+Natok the Dragon [PresStarToPlay] Continue to enjoy the game, by all means. I just chose to be honest as always.
I sure will! And it's great to be honest.
I agree!
@@FireRising86 yup
Same. I play it on the Game Boy, and I've 100%'d it multiple times. The only thing that kinda sucks about it is there's no real bonus for doing it other than a "congrats" screen and its intrinsic value lol
That screamer actually helped me.
I was getting sleepy watching the review (dont get me wrong,its amazing,i was just tired),and all of a sudden im no longer sleepy. XDDDD
I thought my tablet broke. Then all of a sudden WAAAAAAH (BLACK KONG!!!!) it scared my grandma too XD
I can't say I had any issues myself with inputs being ignored for the first game. But I can't agree more in saying DON'T PLAY THIS ON A ORIGINAL GAME BOY! IT'S TERRIBLE!
ATTENTION COMMENTERS:
If you're curious about the GBC remake of DKC1, then your question is answered at 23:08. Please watch the whole video before commenting on this subject.
ExoParadigmGamer Kinda sad about this fact as that's the only one I've ever truly seriously played and own in physical form.
Teraunce Foaloke tbh it would be a reebreak easily. it's the worest version of dkc and something was lost in translation as it was dkc running on the land engine.
megamike15 maybe, but it also has some unique content and modes.
ExoParadigmGamer 18:50 How can you patch a cart for the english text (for the GBC reissue of DKL1)
Teraunce Foaloke Wrong. So did I
Huh. I absolutely don't remember roll jumping at all in the SNES games. ... how did I beat them without this apparently awesome ability?
I also didn't know about that for ages, I completed DKC2 100% and never knew about it lol. There were some parts where there were pickups inside pits and I always thought you get them with the team-throw move or by just taking the hit...
I knew about it, but was very reckless with it when I was a kid.
@@JODA93 same when I kept losing. 🤣😓
@@NCXitlali I found out by just jumping out of panic.
@@cypher838 😂 those were the days!
The GBC version of DKL3 was actually the only version of it Japan ever got. The original Game Boy version was never released in Japan, so why they waited 3 years and denied the rest of the world the GBC version is beyond me, but yeah, the GBC one is just the Japanese version
Really interesting review. From my understanding the GBC remake of DKC1 is essentially DKL1, I think
Hey love you vids
Just saying
Um, no, completely different levels.
I can see why people say that, but it's definitely different enough.
Play them. It's a really dumbed down version, but it's Donkey Kong Country. It also has several improvements. FOR THE GBC, it was really well-done.
I have DKL3 on my 3DS. I was gonna buy DKL1 first, but by the reviews i've seen, I think I'll pass.
So did you end up buying the first game? As I own all 3 and have 100% each of them on my 3ds with none of these issues.
What the hell is up with that earrape at the end?!
yeah i didn't like the stingers for the DK ROR's
Donkey Kong Land was the first game I ever owned. my mother bought a gameboy Pocket and this game as a present for entering school. I beat this game as a 7 or 8 year old. Nostalgia hit me hard just now. I love my mum and I love Donkey Kong. Good old 90's.
Red Wharf, WOOOOOW. I would not have expected that, I thought the show was too obscure to be referenced like that!
Do you mean the _Donkey Kong Country _*_animated T.V. show_* or the _Red Wharf_ T.V. show???
British developers, I suppose. I think the show was still being made at the time.
What, Red Dwarf isn't obscure...I'n the 90s it was a huge show
@@StevenVillman why would he be talking about the Donkey Kong TV show when the only thing he mentioned was Red Wharf?
Man, I remember playing DKL 1 on the ORIGINAL gameboy. You did bring up that the backgrounds blend, the worst part of it on the Oringinal (ie not GB Pocket) the refresh rate on the original screen was too slow to keep up as well. That said, you not only have blending, you have blurring so bad that you can't see ANYTHING.
Axlkaitoshin And then you have people like CBR Overtone telling you that "the games are perfect because they're DKC... ON THE GAME BOY! It's so technically impressive that their flaws are moot!" It makes me wonder if some other reviewers actually played the games before reviewing them.
ExoParadigmGamer CBR Overtone Logic: Praise the Donkey Kong Land games (or just 1 and 2), but had little good to say about the GBC version of Donkey Kong Country.
Axlkaitoshin I should add, that going back now without that issue, I don't really mind DKL 1 that much. BUT THOSE CLOUD STAGES!! URRRRRG!
@@ExoParadigmGamer Hey Exo, are you familiar with Super Mario World hacks? Because even the creator of the best one (especially of the 2000s), FPI (aka FBI according to WBG) thinks Whiny Bitch Gamer doing more Rant-views like “Why The Second Reality Project Reloaded is the WURST GAME IN THE WURLD!!!” would be absolutely hilarious. Sure, I can understand why it’s only ran in the mid-2010s, but disregarding how poorly viewed it is, it really is hyperbolically hilarious like Angry German Kid!
I always found it interesting when you say that you know people who don't kongsider the DKC games as good as the likes of Mario and Sonic. I was always under the impression that they were; I can't tell you how many times I've heard people say that DKC2 is one of the best games on the SNES.
Coming from someone who's only played the first DKC I think your marathon was a success; I've been growing more curious about these games since, and I've been tempted to buy them on the Wii U. And I will in the near future, I can tell you that much. A job well done!
***** Nice pun. There are certainly plenty of people who like these games, but it seems to me that even many of the fans only really seem to care about them because of nostalgia for how big they were back in the 90's. I wanted to reapproach these games and make a case in terms of their game design rather than just their aesthetics, because the CBR Overtone argument is generally what the admittedly limited group of haters are always objecting to.
ExoParadigmGamer ive tried emulators of these games and the one playes was dkl 3 because it was the most fun
ExoParadigmGamer Also dude, just starting to watch your reviews and like them and you don't get angry, but I really dislike when you start attacking other people you disagree with. It doesn't like help your argument.
ew275x but isnt that what youtube comenters mostly do
Nathaniel Foga You mean the people making the videos? Because while there's a lot of drama between Youtbers, most of them are friends and know each other.
I just mean for Exo to stop complaining about IGN's/Egoraptor's/CGRU/'s opinion that he doesn't like. At least he doesn't use the word fanboy, although when he uses purist, it's usually in a negative sense.
in my opinion donkey kong land games are okay and i prefer the Donkey Kong Country Gba remakes over the Donkey Kong Land Games
Woah, you thought THESE games were frustrating? Then jak 2 is gonna give you one heck a bumpy ride!
Iris Rodriguez Is it bad that I am looking forward to Jak 2, just to hear his frustration? But yes, DKL1 is the most frustrating of the trilogy.
GaminTank Judging by the results video, yes, it is bad that you're looking forward to Jak 2, just to hear his frustration. =P
***** Ok. Thanks for confirming that. =P
Him: don’t play it on the 3ds virtual console. Play it on the gameboy color, advance, player and super game boy.
Me being 11 and not rich like that: :/ not everyone has money
Maybe you can emulate it. If you think that's piracy just buy it from the 3DS and then play it on an amulator
@@oscarzxn4067 I’ve tried to get citra every way I could but my laptop isn’t strong enough. That’s why I’m asking for an iMac for Christmas
@@edgary2388 I mean, just download the Gameboy Emulator then
@@oscarzxn4067 oh. That makes sense. I mean I already have Dk land one actually on my 3ds but I’m just gonna use a emulator for the other 2
@@edgary2388 I used to have dk country 1 on my 3ds but the many 3ds stopped reading sd cards and I lost everything on it the only thing I can play on it now are the ds games I have, luckily I got a switch not long after the 3ds messed up
Like I said before, don't worry about length u have to get all ur thoughts in.
got to say epg your views are note worthy. you give the good along with that bad and demonstrate what made them bad or good. keep up the good work
So dk land 1 is like a dkc 1.5
I played it on my gameboy color as a kid. I hated it but i loved it. All the problems you had were the same problems i had back then. Ive never played it since i gave it away as a kid. But i played the hell out of it when i had it.
Your perspective on these games is interesting. I never really thought about the visibility in that way. I do agree DKL1 didn''t control the greatest. All in all, it was nice revisiting the series with you. Cheers!
Where does it say the games story? Is it in game or elsewhere?
It's all in the manuals. The mid-90's were just before in-game storytelling became common, but DKC and DKL were a little behind the times in that regard.
It's in the manual, and at the ends of the DKC games.
I think the DKL games while not as good as their DKC counterparts are good games for what they are and they were portable at the time too. I think the screen size and camera though was kind of a pointless complaint considering the system for what the games were for. Also in even the SNES games it's actually encouraged to take your time. You have only 2 hits after all. As such slow and steady is the key to beating the GB games as well. If you rush you may end up ambushed by enemies like jumping Kritters or mistime a jump. For me DKL1 was good. I never played DKL2 yet though but from what I seen it's a good re-imagining of DKC2 so I might download a ROM to try it. DKL3 was the best one.
dont go at 24:38
Let me put headphones on my sister that's sleeping. 3 2 1...
Nice video. I played through these a year ago and I pretty much have the same opinions.
* Yes, the first game does get ahead with the later levels being pretty different than DKC on the SNES.
* DKL2 loses a surprising points for the levels being so damn close to the SNES original. Until they play the game people won't realize how damaging it is.
* I thought the controls were more "squirrely" in DKL2 than DKL1... but it's really matter of preference.
* Also thought DKLIII was the best... and the time trial mode really does add a lot to the game.
And after Legend of Zelda: A link to the past is _______ >:)
Lol good marathon though. Sadly however, Donkey Kong Land 1 was my first Donkey Kong game ever. Needless to say, it did turn me off to the series for a while. lol
I definitely think the donkey kong country games are second only to the old mario games as far as platformers go. Sonic is super overrated imo. It really suffers from the zoomed in not enough room to see problem i think especially combined with the games speed. I don't get how people always point that out in other games and seem to give sonic a pass for it.
nate DKC Is Also Overrated DKC Is Also Unfair
how is it unfair? It has almost perfect controls and its not overly difficult. There are very few cheap deaths that you need to memorize levels for either. Once you get good enough you can run through levels you've never played before pretty fast because the controls are so good.
nate The Controls Are The Worst
Christopher King When I Played It On Wii, The Controls Were Bad
I never had that many problems with Land 1 and am always able to complete it 100 percent in around 2 hours. All 3 games are great imo especially 2 & 3
I passed it in 1hour with 30 minutes.
Hate to be that guy, but I am your 9000th subscriber.
+Gar an Thanks, mang.
ExoParadigmGamer His profile is called "Pegg."
Chuy Renteria that was his name years ago. Chances are he changed it previously.
Totally disagree about DKL 1.
I know, the camera is bad, but the controls aren't, in my opinion. I beat the entire game on an original GBC in about two months.
6 years later finding this gem. Thank you! This is the kind of review I was looking for. I grew up with the Super Nintendo, then the GB and GBA but I've never noticed the difference between the "Country" and "Land". I just found the DKLand 2 to buy and am hesitating whether to buy it or not but this video is helping me a lot. Thanksssss yoooo
I managed to snag this trilogy complete (with box/manual) on Ebay. And played it on my backlit GBA-SP. They look really good by Gameboy standards. It's like...how did they make the original Gameboy do this?
fucking love your channel
EXO: I know how to fix these games!
*ports the DKL games onto GBA*
??
@@ChiefMedicPururu GBA has bigger screen resolution which means more visibility. Screen crunch was a big problem in these games
@@animatorbroman3710 Yeah, but nobody will be fixing that anytime soon. I take the games as they are.
exo's been donkey kong'd out for 8 years
DKL 2 was a godsend for me. My favorite game on the go?!?! YES PLEASE! Nowadays we are so spoiled with portable games that no one would even give a shit.
+Hijynx87 I kind of see that, but at the same time, DKL2's controls and level design really just aren't as good as DKC2's, technical limitations of the GB withstanding. If I want DKC2 on the go, I'll stick to the GBA version.
Honestly, the graphics is the main reason it succeeded. And having it on a Gameboy is amazing, they fit so much on those tiny carts, and they had incredible music, and graphics for Gameboy standards, shame about how the controls got gimped.
Wow, the best version of it is so good! How do they do that with a Gameboy and a tiny cartridge!?
Fun Fact: What Cranky Kong said about DKC 1 only being popular because of fancy graphics was what Shigeru Miamoto (apology for bad spelling) said about the game to Rareware, which then he made Yoshi's Island in response.
I heard that was a rumor, actually, and that he loved the Donkey Kong Country series, even calling it his "baby" at one point.
That was a myth that Miyamoto himself denied. He said he loved DKC.
The Donkey Kong Land video games *_ABSOLUTELY_*_ _*_*NEED*_* to be remasted in 32-bit graphics (to be on-par with the Donkey Kong Country video games in terms of the graphical quality)!!! Plus, the camera, especially when it comes to "screen crunch", and control issues really, *_really,_*_ _*_*really*_* need to be resolved there for a much more enjoyable video game gameplay experience - especially in the _Donkey Kong Land_ and _Doneky Kong Land 2_ video games, where the camera and control issues can be quite bad there (as 'ExoParadigmGamer' has mentioned in this RUclips video)!
DKL was the first Donkey Kong game I've ever played when I was just 4 so I really liked it. But I remember it took me two years to finish it. When I did it I couldn't have been happier.
This was a great review, thanks for this! I always assumed these games were inferior gbc adaptions, never having played them. But now I am definitely going to pick them up and try them out!
I like your videos. The SNES trilogy is my favorite trilogy in gaming, and, I enjoy all three for different reasons. I have not played the GB games, cause honestly, the small screen size always put me off. It would be great if someone made some sort of mod (impossible, I know) that extends the 'camera' by two tiles, or 32 pixels in each direction.
The way that Bottomless pits are handled is awful.
The very bottom of the screen is always treated as a death barrier. God forbid there's an enemy on screen and you fall.
I remember when they invented Donkey Kong Land, sweet, sweet Donkey Kong Land, I HATED IT
2:56 why battletoads?.
Honest editing mistake.
Did you mean to put TMNT instead?
I don't care what people say no matter how terrible the game may be Donkey Kong Land 1 was and still is one of my favorite games on the gameboy.
But yeah I gotta agree with your review on the basis that I would not recommend the game anyone who did not play it when it first came out and I do acknowledge the fact that the game is pretty bad but gosh darn is it alot of fun at least to me
20:54 OW DAT BURN.
Imagine if someone made a DKC ROM hack to replace the levels with those of DKL 1 and 3.
I am interested in checking out the GBA games. However, not the Land games..
7:13 Soo, Your a DKL noob?
no the 1st game sucks a lot because of the 2 problems he mentioned
*anything oops
what about the gameboy color version of donkey kong country you said your were going to look at it
***** no he said he would dedicate a short video to to the game watch the first donkeykong ror
Retro Wizard Did you watch this entire video? I brought it up.
ExoParadigmGamer jeez i'm sorry i must have not been paying attention during that part sorry i did watch the hole video though
That's okay.
Mikey! Why is there a picture of Battletoads at 2:56?
***** I dunno. Editing goof? I have those every once and a while. I'm surprised I didn't notice.
***** Sure enough, it's even in my Vegas file. Huh. I don't know what happened.
ExoParadigmGamer
Terrible game reviewer is terrible. RUINED FOREVER!!
My father gave me this game (Dk Land as a gift back in year 2000 when i was 5. I had no way to get past from the weird cloud level, as the controls got really weird and the first checkpoint is literally 15 minutes of play from the start. Re-visited the cartridge 5 years later, already in a GBA, and could beat it. If that's not enough, internal battery was faulty and sometimes the savefiles randomly died.
I also had the original Super Mario Bros remake (Deluxe), but the reduced visibility in that game (Compared to NES original) was no match for dk land tunnel vission camera.
Don't you mean the camera works in KONGtrast to the first two games?
Your videos are very good, man. I found you by accident and I'm glad I did. I love your look at remakes and you had a lot of the same thoughts I did after playing Land 1 for the first time. I can't wait to see what you come out with next!
controls, controls, controls....I wish reviews stopped talking about controls if they can't elaborate on them. there have been so many times where I would play a game a critic said had terrible controls and not have any issue with them, the reverse is also true.
I know it has been a little while since you have posted this and many other RoR's, but since you have made these videos, they have become nostalgic to me as I have very fond memories involving them. Whenever I come back to them, I always think of the good times I had involvong them and the DK games and the different memories. And because of this, I want to say thank you very much for providing this wonderful content and the memories along with it :').
Omg that ending made my day.
Cosmo SilverWing I always put a little Easter Egg at the end.
I've noticed :D But that specific Donkey Kong voice clip was hilarious due to the fact I've heard it more than 100+ times in- game and I would always joke about it xD
ExoParadigmGamer EPG and endcard jump-scares. I hate/love you for that.
I feel like if they gradually got better then the 3 games aren't bad, back then they were only working with their ideas of what the gameboys limitations were and that's not a bad thing, considering when the nes came out mario 1 was the best it could be until they experimented with the hardware/software to bring the most out of the console, that's why mario bros 3 looks alot better than mario 1, same thing with super mario land on the Gameboy, people still like it to this day but if we have to be honest the quality is kinda poo and where the first one fails due to that mindset the 2nd enhanced the style because they knew what they were working with by that time and could do better stuff with it.
could you do a short ROR for donkey kong country gbc please
Also, thank you for making these. I loved these games as a kid and haven't thought about them in years; it's been fun watching you analyze them.
My own rankings; (inc. the DKC GBC port)
1. DKL 1 - HORRIFIC. Poor controls, glitches up the wazoo, tearing, disproportionately large sprites. Clear fail. (15/100)
2. DKL 2 - Good, if incredibly derivative. Much better controls. (67/100)
3. DKL 3 - Supreme. Balanced difficulty, great controls, good graphics, high replay value. (78/100)
4. DKC GBC - EXTREMELY shitty. Controls are really, REALLY broken. (23/100)
(Note how the rankings differ exponentially with how tight the controls of each game are)
I started playing DK Land on my 351V handheld (no save states, don't worry), and yup, I have to admit it's painful.
I can only imagine how bad it was on an old school DMG gameboy with that blurry dark screen.
I'm hoping that one day, Retro will remake the DKL games on the 3ds or Switch.
If I've never played Donkey Kong Country, should I play the original version or the Gba remake?
+thomas garrett (Pokemastertomm) I'd recommend the GBA version. It's got a more lenient save system and a status screen for bonus rooms and KONG Letters.
You usually put the sound "Suprise MF!" every time screen crunch screws you over in game reviews. Why didn't you put the "Surpise MF!" in this game review? It really needed it.
Why random battletoads picture?
ExoParadigmGamer EPG, in your video you said that you dared anyone new to the DKL series to play that game. Well my friend, I accept your challenge. After completing my very first playthrough of DKC1 on the GBA, I am thinking of buying DKL1 on Amazon. Let's see how frustrating this game is going to be for a noob like me.
What's the verdict?
ExoParadigmGamer After playing this game, I can pretty much say that I prefer DKC then DKL. I don't know about you but DKC had tighter controls than DKL. Don't get me wrong, DKL has it's charms here and there, but I just simply like DKC better. My final verdict is a Grand Theft Auto Vice City out of 10. When I first played Vice City, I expected a new atmosphere, seeing that this game had 1980s vibe going to it. However, the gameplay of the game remains the same, and the game fail to set a new feeling. With DKL, I expected a new atmosphere of the game, but it fail to do so, and it had the same gameplay. I will say one more thing. I'm not sure if I have quick reflexes or not, but I did not experience the difficulty you went through while playing DKL. Anyway, DKL, a solid title, but I think could have done better.
Anyway, keep up the awesome reviews, and remember that I'll continue to be a fan!
I have played donkey Kong land 1,2,3 and i enjoying the gaming very much for its time it was great and for the game boy
Konkey dong land country
I can play donkey Kong land on the my computer because I search up donkey Kong land flash and plus it was frustrating with the keyboard cause of the buttons
Thanks for mentioning my review of DKL. The input issue is probably one thing I never mentioned, because I thought that was on me. I'm surprised that is not the case. Also. that cloud level, can go fuck itself! I think that is as far as I made it before I gave up.
I will say this about DKL2 and DKC2 as well. I am not a fan of the Bramble levels. I know they are fan favorites because of the song Stickerbrush Symphony, but that is all I see from it. DKL2's version of Bramble Blast is more annoying than the DKC2 version, due to the camera. It could also be that DKC2 is the one I played least, in the series. And fuck the DKL2 water levels... and lack of 1-up balloons. But most of all, FUCK THE CAMERA! There are levels where falling is pretty much an instant death because the Kongs fall faster than the camera can keep up with. I lost a few lives from that, usually on my last life. I saw that game over screen so many times.
DKL3 is an absolute joy to play, though the camera makes me a bit more cautious when I play it. Only because of my, somewhat, poor eyesight, the snow levels were the biggest annoyance. Luckily, the Japanese-only GBC version fixes this issue. So play that one! Just not on the Virtual Console because it's in black and white. I'm disappointed that the Super GB and GB Player color palettes were not a feature with the 3DS VC for GB games.
Great review Exo!
GaminTank Nintendo seems intent on pretending the Super Game Boy was never a thing, and it confuses and irritates me.
***** It's a shame because it would really help these games.
Couldn't help but notice. Are the glitched sprites normal? Some of the sprites were glitching in the video as if your carts were dirty
I appreciate your reviews. Nevertheless I have to say that I was able to beat Donkey Kong Land 1 many times and while I have to admit it has some problems due to hardware and button limitations of the system I never found the game really hard or frustrating or unfair. I agree on problems like the confusing visuals on the original GB as well as respawning over bottomless pits but I rarely witnessed any input lag or general problems regarding the gameplay. Hence I think your criticism with the first entry is a bit too hard, it was way ahead of its time in terms of visuals and music and the gameplay was at least decent in my opinion.
I used to own Donkey Kong Land 1 when I was little and I have to say that while I remember the game being very fun I also remember the graphics looking really ugly making it hard to play it
I agree. I have the game myself and play it on an original Game Boy. They fixed it for the second and third but the damage has been done XD it's easier to play it on a Game Boy Color because the sprites have an automatic color palette that distinguishes them from the background.
That's probably why then... I owned a Gameboy pocket which didn't have color but instead had a little click wheel which allowed you to change the lighting on it...
TheIcefreeze
I also have a Gameboy Pocket. Gave it to my little bro. Now I play my big original 80's Gameboy and he plays the little Gameboy :) I even bought us both USB adapter cords powered by portable batteries. Ain't no Gameboy batteries needed in this house XD
TheIcefreeze
I was thinking of getting a Gameboy Light till I saw the prices. Apparently they only exist in Japan, so to have one mailed overseas is a LOT. But I wanted to start a collection of the old systems as long as they didn't cost too much XD
DOnkey Kong Land was so much fun. No wonder why I get so frustrated lmao
aaand subbed! love the video!
DKL 3 seems interesting
You know, when I was a kid, I grew up with DKC1 on SNES and this, but I didn't know that there were two other games in the Land series until about a year or two ago. Guess I should check out the other two now...
Man, these videos are really good.
DKC was a way better over Super Mario in 16 bits era. Ive enjoyed it a lot more than Mario, definitively my favorite game of SNES was DKC 2.
I remember having the original GB version of DKL3 back when it first came out, and I remember loving it, but not being able to get past the third or fourth world for some reason. There was something about one of the levels that was just way too hard for me to get past. When I got the fan-translation for the GBC version and played it on VBA, I fell in love with it. Managed to 103% it, though I've got to admit, whenever I replay it, I just make it to the final boss and win lol.
Edit - After 103%ing and 105% Donkey Kong Country 3, I can now confidently say I prefer GBC Donkey Kong Land 3 overall. I LOVE this game.
Great vídeo!
Another great review. I didn't even know about these games til now so might check them out cuz I love donkey kong country. Think you will ever review any Castlevania games?
Probably. I don't know whenabouts.