Thursday, December 28, 2017

DKC on Crank


I have a tradition that I return to every five years or so... I play through the original Super Mario Bros, a game I remember to be challenging as hell as a kid, still captivating as an adult. This time, after Super Mario Bros and the original Donkey Kong Classics, I decided to do a my first play through of Donkey Kong Country in 22 years. Just a couple things I'm curious about now... 


First, is just a minor oddity in the Trick Track Trek stage (5-2), where baddies fall from overhead platforms... There's a Klump character up there, and he never actually falls down. I don't believe it's possible to reach the platform, and there's no bonus or anything that I know of associated with it. Just seems kinda odd. Is he just there to distract you?



Next thing to ponder is during the end credits, old Cranky Kong claims that he finished the game in less than an hour, using only one life... I assumed someone had met this challenge by now....

With all the pitfalls and baddies, is it possible to get through it all without even dying once? Some have done it in less than an hour - But they've lost a few lives.

The best video I've found is this guy who does it in 31 minutes. Yikes!
Donkey Kong Country - SPEED RUN in 0:31:00 by tjp7154
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qsAMzOWG78
(Just past the seven minute mark, and he's already conquered the second WORLD.)

He absolutely flies through each level as Diddy Kong, spending more time in the air than on the ground... I believe he only dies once, in Torchlight Trouble (falls into a hole in the pitch black cave).

Of course, simply defeating King K. Rool doesn't include getting all the bonus areas to earn 101%... Though some players have STILL managed find score 101% within an hour, which is a crazy feat by itself. Time spent on the map does not count towards your time, only time spent playing levels and bosses. Most players will save their games, quit & restart if they die, so wasted minutes won't count towards their total time.
I was like most players who hoped for a special message or something for completing the game with one life in an hour. Sadly, no such message exists. Best you get, is a nod from Cranky Kong after you score 101%, he says you're nearly as good as he used to be.


No comments:

Post a Comment