Wow, that clip of the GBA version is an absolute nightmare.
Basically what some others here said, I've never really understood how some can like the others and not the third one. We can all have our preferences, but I too have seen the third get a ton of crap over the years for whatever reason.
I do think it's a slow start and don't like the first two worlds that much, it's a bit bloated too with all the secrets (but Rare wasn't DK64 crazy here, yet). Those are really my only complaints.
The gameplay is still rock solid, the new concepts are amazing (the barrel mountain stages were awesome, or the purple smoke that reversed your controls, etc haha), the music is still incredible and the levels are oozing with atmosphere. And yeah, all three of them are seriously just some of the best platformers out there in my book.
The original is still my favorite by a long shot, just because I like the simplicity of it, but the bosses are admittedly very boring and pathetically easy compared to the sequels. They're just all amazing. Kind of like the two Returns games, both are incredible for some of their own reasons and it'd be hard to pick a favorite. I'd love to see Retro do one more Returns and bring the Kremlins and K-Rool back.
Favorite music picks anyone? I never hesitate with this one, easy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dq8OIv5ukFMI'm pretty bummed Nintendo will probably never get these on the WiiU VC, due to Rare complications. That sounded goofy.
alienjesus: What's wrong with different? You're missing out dude. Just straight up the best 2D platformers I've played since the 16bit era. I am also incredibly picky about the look of newer platformers when sprites were kind of done away with. So many of them look too busy (Sonic Generations) and aren't memorable at all, like I can't picture a single level in my head from that game because it was so overly busy and convoluted. Or you get that 3D look that's just nasty. The Returns games somehow got it right and were also, just like the original trilogy, very dense with the atmosphere. Gorgeous, easy on the eyes, well balanced.
It either says something about how picky I am, or perhaps is a testament to how good they were... I loved them when I am extremely miss with most 2D platformers nowadays.
