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Snow Barrel Blast: The Horror of the Difficulty Spike -- Designing For Donkey Kong December
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- Опубликовано: 11 дек 2022
- Snow Barrel Blast is pretty universally agreed upon to be one of Donkey Kong Country's most treacherous stages, at least on a first-time playthrough. But what made the experience of trekking through Gorilla Glacier such a universally harrowing experience for its players, and why does it stick out so much when harder levels on Donkey Kong Island fade to obscurity? We explore the ins and outs of one of DKC's most infamous levels, and see what can be carried on into future adventures!
Donkey Kong December Playlist: • Designing For: Donkey ...
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Patreon: / designingfor
Twitter: / designing4games
Discord: / discord
Director/Writer/Voice Over/Footage: Tommy Eyler/Pyrrhickong ( / pyrrhickong )
Video Editing/Additional Direction: Tarvould's Quest ( / tarvouldsquest )
Intro Animation By: / @tarvouldsquest
Intro Theme By: / tracks
The moment when you are blasted into the middle of the snowstorm and the music picks up, is one of the best atmospheric moment on the SNES
As a kid this was definitely the intimidating hurdle that symbolizes we're no longer just playing around. Nowadays it's a ton easier of course, but as an impressionable kid, the difficulty, the musical atmosphere complemented by the visual atmosphere progressing with the blizzard, yeah it was quite something!
Ya, DKC was awesome about doing that kind of stuff. Even from the first level shifting to sunset, and the 2nd level being the same visuals as the first but in a thunderstorm.
Super Turrican 2 start of the 1. level (desert) is good to
And then the second stage In the worlds music is upbeat and happy as if the game is saying don’t worry the storm has passed. Now enjoy this fun ice cave and sliding up and down the ropes.
100% agreed.
The snow in this level always makes me feel...festive. Donkey Kong December truly is the most wonderful time of the year.
Same I played this stage yesterday as it was snowing!
wait until you hear about this one code for DKC3 😂
The funny part about the barrel course at the end, you’re safe to fire at the first opportunity every time. So long as you keep it up the windows are always there and doing so even gets you a blue balloon at the end.
Amazing game design.
Yes and it feels so good
Huh didn't know that
Was about to say...
What really??? Wow. Donkey Kong likes to punish you for hesitating
Fun fact: Kirby's Return to Dreamland references the barrel cannon gauntlet, complete with the hidden route that rewards you with a ton of bananas
Snow Barrel Blast truly feels the first ever difficulty spike that most 90s kids faced with a SNES, myself included. The first three worlds were fun and easy to grasp, Minecart Carnage notwithstanding. However, when you first step into Gorilla Glacier, the game rips off your pool floaties and throws you into the deep end. You're gone through three worlds to hone your skills and it's time to show them what you've learned. Even if you get past Snow Barrel Blast, you have to endure a gauntlet of levels before you can reach the sanctity of Candy's save point, so you still can't relax until then.
Still love the level and the atmosphere it provides thanks in part to David Wise's phenomenal score.
I remember accidentally discovering the barrel shortcut at the end as a kid and being absolutely thrilled. For the longest time I thought that was the intended route since the other barrels just seemed impossible to me at the time
Same.
Talk about the storm levels of Donkey Kong Country Returns. Those things captivated me bad. The colors, the gimmicks(that octopus and those massive waves), and the wonderful challenges. It’s a glorious vibe. I want to recreate it so bad.
You mean Tropical Freeze? Returns had no snow levels
DKCR has RAINstorm levels, not snowstorms, so the comment is correct.
And I agree, those levels with the waves and Octopus were REALLY memorable... In fact, maybe World 2 was a really good world overall, it had the first rocket level too.
@@rendumguy7596 Oh yeah my bad, I love those levels from returns!
I still remember playing this back in '94 and being blown away by the atmosphere and music in this level.
It was unlike anything else. Completely unique and far ahead of its time
That's what I remember. I didn't remember that this level was particularly hard. I remember playing it around Christmas with snow falling outside. The level was just beautiful. I do kind of remember that the save point was a long way away.
There's one aspect the video forgot to mention... When someone is exceptionally skilled at Barrel Blasting, and doesn't go for the easy out, there's a Blue Balloon at the end of the string. You have to be really quick for it though.
indeed there is!
This level is an absoulutely hell. The fact this is the first level at the Gorilla Glacer zone, and the Candy's Save Point is already in the middle of the World, just adds a agony feeling. Great video
God I love this level. Whenever I tell people I'm always down for a session of Donkey Kong Country, gorilla glacier is the reason. SBB in particular is a ton of fun and then you get the wonderful dessert that is slipslide ride.
Jesus, I've never met a bigger masochist my entire life lmao good for you, honestly I think I play DKC for factory stages but I always burnout before getting there, o well, 2 is best anyway (it's just an opinion)
@@Scrubermensch I'm not going to lie, I think I have played DKC1, 2, and 3 so much since they came out that it's just muscle memory at this point. I used to be a bigger fan of the factory stages but it's really just the soundtrack and the bonus stage shenanigans that I enjoyed - the actual factory stages are good just a bit......basic in the long run? Gorilla GLacier is still visually impressive, even when blown up on a modern TV where I feel other environments suffer a bit. Last time I played through DKC1, SBB took like 4 or 5 attempts but that was it, and then I got to stunt all over slipslide ride and show a friend of mine who'd grown up with only Sega Genesis the magic of DKC.
I think 2 has the best pure platforming levels, but I have always appreciated how 3 could stretch and distort level design and flow (even though it doesn't always work), and if I'm being honest I think 3 has just as many "amazing" stages as 2, it just has more duds than 1 or 2. Bit of a shame, but all 3 are great and the cartridges made for the most memorable christmas presents I ever got as a kid.
yeah snow barrel blast is my favorite level in the game :D
I wasn't expecting the Zenos reference. That was really good.
These Donkey Kong videos have been a real treat so far! I'm looking forward to the rest of them!
man this stage was so fucking hard, but it was also one of the most beautiful. the way the snowfall slowly turns into a snowstorm, the way the music builds over time, the precarious placement of the platforms and enemies ... it really felt like you were exploring deep into a dangerous snowy wasteland.
This is the hardest level in all games but at the same time really easy once you know the shortcut. It's like if the developers wanted to make you suffer on purpose while laughing at you because you didn't know you could skip all that.
As a FF14 player, I died at the sudden 'A TEST OF YOUR REFLEXES!!!'
I love Donkey Kong Country.
I love Donkey Kong Country.
I love Donkey Kong Country.
I love democracy.
I love Donke Kong Country aswell
Don’t we all
Something I really like about the first DKC that’s kinda missing in its sequel is that feeling of a grand adventure across a countryside. This level captures it very well, its gameplay is as simple as its environment. The endurance it would take to push through these gorgeous mountains is reflected in the barely forgiving difficulty.
Each time I want to play this game again I end up falling into the shortcut barrel by accident xD
Also I always wondered if that shortcut was added after the dev realized the level was maybe a bit too hard to complete normally for most people. It's not the only "hard level" with this skip/shortcut mechanic (Stop & Go Station)
Mine Cart Carnage also has a (lesser known) skip at the beginning
@@schnorks0 Indeed ! I was thinking about this one aswell, and it's the first big difficulty spike in the game x:
@@schnorks0 the mcc one is also weirdly easy to get by accident
Fr, I always accidentally fall into it but I can never actually remember where it is.
I replayed this game recently and i ended up beating this level second try. Not because I'm good, no, far from it, but because I miss on the first canon of the section and ended up taking the canon that skip the whole section by accident (I didn't even knew it was there)
The day I accidentally found the short cut through this level my heart dropped to the floor and immediately rose to great heights. I love to hate this level.
Not only have you earned a subscription with heavy dedication on my favorite video game franchise. You earned it with a Homestar Runner reference. GOATed channel.
Personally this was the hardest level for me as a kid in all dkc's. I remember i gave up at this level, next day i found out the shortcut, idk if i would ever pass this level at that time without the shortcut, thx Rare.
This was definitely one of the hardest levels in the game for me as a kid, although I've always thought Poison Pond was the hardest. Those damn Bitesize that appear in droves are so annoying to get through, especially with the limited camera.
Nonetheless, even with how many times I've played the Donkey Kong Country games, I can't beat Snow Barrel Blast without at least dying once.
Great analysis! I loathed this level as a kid and suffered many Game Overs due to this level in the SNES version. The fact that Candy's Save Point is still a few levels after this one is just cruel. Why they made the first stage in Gorilla Glacier the hardest still baffles me. The way the level gets darker and the snow picks up as you progress really adds to the atmosphere perfectly!
"And they realize after all this time, they're only half way there. And now, the real level begins." Evil laugh. Spoken so so true! Awesome video talking about this amazing game and how much pain it was to get through some of these levels.
I spent the whole video thinking "this looks hard, how come I don't remember any of it?" Then you showed the shortcut and it clicked
I was so scared to suffer through the last part of this level until I remembered that I can shoot down at the third barrel.
It’s almost as if the smart jock tells you the answers to all of the Final Exam Questions.
This level is masterful in all fronts. The music, the snow storm approaching, and of course the hellish landscape. I love this level, great analysis.
I remember this being THE level that stopped me from progressing in this game at all as a kid. And I couldn’t beat it for years!
And when you finally get past the final barrel, you're so shaky from anxiety that those tiny slippery floating islands are beyond evil
02:03 I appreciate the Homestar Runner reference.
i was NOT expecting Zenos, thank you d4
This is probably my favorite level in the trilogy 🙃
This might actually be my favorite stage :D This and "Ice Age Alley". I just LOVE that snowy mountainous atmosphere, with those snow-covered evergreens, so much. The music is just amazing, so atmospheric and ominous. And I love the challenge these stages provide.
Fun Fact: I don't believe this has outright been confirmed, but common consensus is that the mountain in the background is Mount Shuksan in Washington State.
If it wasn't for accidently discovering that shortcut. I doubt I ever would have beaten the level back in the day.
I think this is the level that made me rage quit as a kid. I could NOT get past it. Until I was much older and got to play it at my girlfriends place. Cannot tell you how good it felt to beat the level that made me quit as a kid!!
When little brother says he can't beat the level and needs big bros help. This is the level he's talking about.
The first Donkey Kong Country is a core memory to every extent of the word
All of this was compounded by being an impatient, emotional and nervy kid. Still remember the angst, rage and indecision so much this stage caused me, that I genuinely had to shut the console off and walk away before I might throw my controller. It also made the minecart levels feel like a cakewalk in comparison. Ironically enough, those high emotions are what you really remember the most about a tough game, even 30 years later.
As BRUTAL and difficult and anil-biting as this stage was, I actually heavily disliked the last normal stage - the one with the fuel platforms and all the big blue tough guys (including the gray variant) more. This one was pinpoint difficult and cruel, but the other just felt like it was unfair.
I loved when the music picks up at the same time the blizzard starts (depending if you're going the same speed the way I play) and I found that barrel shortcut completely by mistake as a kid lol.
The fact that when I played this game this is the last level I completed before replaying this game
so many DK64 sounds in your videos! i adore your videos! you really make me smile! thanks again D4!
my favourite level of DKC 1
Love the music
The amtosphere and everything
Gonna watch the remainder of the video, rest assured, but I had to pause just to say I was delighted to recognize a Homestar Runner reference in a Designing For video. Heck yeah.
EDIT: Darkstalkers, too? Double heck yeah. Would love to see a video from you regarding that series.
They deliberately make you "accidentally" skip the last section by sending you to the shortcut barrel if you pressed a little too early on the first of the 18 barrels (i.e. aim top right instead of right). Genius design.
I love how to skip invalidates this entire level like some strange joke
I like that you used the DKCR remake of Northern Hemisphere for this
XD I was WAITING for 7:58, First time playing this level and I literally thought i messed up and then I skipped the whole level because of that shortcut. Thank god!
This stage is what caused me to take so long to fully complete the game. My 3 year old mind just couldn't figure it out. Also I didn't understand how save points worked, so I ended up not saving in the barrels because I didn't think it did anything. So anytime I would game over on this stage it would send me back so far. I was a dumb kid🤣🤣
You sure u were only 3?
@@kickme2149 100% sure, I started playing my mother's hand me down SNES at 3, my first being Super Mario World, and then I moved on to her other games and one of them was DKC.
@@pokekiller787x you have a good mom
All these years.....i just though i sucked at videogames
I'm gonna go cry in the bathroom now
Pretty chill vid
The Screech Sprint Race from DKC2 was even harder. The intensity of the song throws you off even more.
The weather changing is really cool set design.
I just beat this level earlier by accidentally missing an early barrel shot and falling into an auto-blast barrel that took me all the way to the end. I feel like I missed out on a real challenge. Time to revisit!
Amazing narration. I miss those days
Hey, I’ve been binging some of your videos the past week (I’m a friend of Tarvould’s and recently found you through him on Twitter), and I just want to say I love your content, you put into words a lot of game design that I just sorta intuited but never thought about.
This video is a great example, I never thought about where the biggest difficulty spike is in DKC or even how this stage stands out but I immediately realized this is where I got stuck the most as a kid. Not specifically this stage, but the start of this world, and this stage likely was the biggest culprit because, as you said, every time I got a Game Over I had to do this one again! It’s trivial to me now because I usually use the shortcut (and I’ve gotten pretty good at barrel timing anyways), but your video was very insightful and I love how you break down each individual encounter in levels. As a former game design student, I very much appreciate how you notice each obstacle was thoughtfully placed for a reason.
Also glad one of my favorite series is getting all your love this month. :)
Dark Souls’ Blight Town: Finally, a worthy opponent! Our battle will be legendary!!
When I first play DK I found this level to be tricky but not hard. For the 18 barrel section players are rewarded for not hesitating if you do that's when you had to wait it more likely to get hit, at least for me.
I like the way you speaks on the videos
5:04 Surprise Vinny
@@jrlepage2a03 Vinny jumpscare
The homestar runner reference made me smile :]
never had a problem with this one tbh. And I didn't even know about the shortcut so thanks for the tip!
Talk about Sawmill Thrill and how the music is perfectly synced to the action.
2:04 I was not expecting to here that song, Long live Tarantula!!! 🤘
I LOVE how dramatic this guy sounds. These games are underrated
Honestly never really atruggled with this stage is that wierd? I remember coming out with like 3 more lives then i started in my no save challenge. Always found the other ice levels harder
In the worst section, there is a shortcut right BELOW the 3rd cannon that will completely skip that segment, you even get the G letter, also if you do that section well you will be rewarded with a Blue Balloon
That last skip probably makes the whole thing even worse
I never had an issue on this level, mainly since dk doesn't have a timer so I took my time on all the levels I had full control, but those mine cart levels were the bane of my existence
I love the northern hemispheres music It's So perfect
In the 18 barrel gauntlet, if you fire on the first cycle you'll miss the Zingers 100% of the time. It's very demanding timing and easy to mess up, but once you have it down the gauntlet is lot less terrifying.
You can skip a few barrels too by aiming too high sometimes, I get it by feeling now, I did it too much lol.
5:04 Shame Vinny never said it once during that level in his playthrough.
I was expecting this to wrap up this video, I knew it would be the punch out.
I love your enthusiasm.
This stage was why I never beat the game as a kid. I think I actually beat DKC2 before beating DKC1 because I was so traumatized by this stage and the subsequent lack of a save spot after beating it.
And yet, the game gives you a hidden barrel launch at the beginning of the gauntlet that basically lets you skip the whole thing if you know where it is.
I never really clocked this as a particularly difficult level. Croctopus Chase gave me far more anxiety frankly.
The music and atmosphere of this level are amazing...but it was one of the toughest for sure.
I remember the 18 barrels. I was at the second barrel (I think) and accidentally shot when the barrel was pointed top right and I ended up in the barrel that helps you bypass those 18 barrels and Zingers.
Literally never beat this level without that handy little barrel that skips the last half of the barrel blasting section. The way I see it, it's either the intended path because they put the "G" there, or a cheeky little dev exit cuz testers all unamiously said the level was way too freaking long and psychologically damaging. Haha!
Pretty sure the last few annual playthroughs I've done, I've taken the skip as I know I did it the hard way as a child in the 90s. The stress in watching this video makes me want to go back to only taking the hard route...
I remember DKC in the snes has 3 barrel blast gimmick stages: 1 jungle stage, 1 tree top stage and this one
Just now realizing that this game was the one that started my obsession with painfully difficult video games
I like that the level is so hard that they put in a dev exit in it...
I'm pretty sure I only got through this level as a kid was by accidentally hitting that short cut barrel, and then just never thinking about this level again.
As an adult feel like I have to kick this levels ass
Speed run Snow Barrel Blast while nabbing that Rambi Token and without taking a hit. Also, no shortcut. Good luck!
My grandma and I played this all the time together. I remember when the blizzard hit we sat there for a moment thinking it was really cool. I remember her always complaining that she needed her glasses for that one part because the snow made the TV look too fuzzy.
I’ve never beaten the game due to the sudden spike 😅
World 6 is legit infuriating.
Always used to be so obsessed with doing the gauntlet perfectly to get the 3-up
made the decision to start doing playthroughs of the game yearly til i die. looking forward to still feeling palpable dread as the blizzard approaches in this level when im in my 70s, trying to navigate the level with arthritic hands
Once I found the skip canon I was super happy.
When you miss but accidentally hit the shortcut cannon.
This level kept me from beating the game. This was my hard stop for YEARS.
I needed new glasses at the time I played this game. When the blizzard became more fierce, I actually experienced snow-blindness. I remember having to don my glasses and get right against the TV screen to beat this level. It was a very tough level for me to beat!
The fact I don’t remember this stage very well makes me think this is repressed trauma
Wow, I haven't thought about "Movin slowly" by Tarantula in forever
Funnily enough it's not this level that has prevented me from ever beating DKC, it's the one after. I've owned this game since I was a young child but Slipslide Ride is my nightmare. This level takes a close second though.
I don't know. This level would surely be a test of Zenos's reflexes as well.
Good to know it wasn't just me who this level tortured as a child.
To this day, I never got past this level. I beat Earthbound, Cuphead, Megaman X and almost every Mario game, but this level frustrated me so much I tried for days to beat this level many years ago and never beat it. That says something.