At E3 2001, a curiously named title, Donkey Kong Coconut Crackers (DKCC) was a playable game from Nintendo's favourite 2nd party developer, Rare.
GAMEPLAY
DKCC is a puzzle game, with an isometric view, with the option of changing it to an overhead view. The player is in control of blocks that fall from the sky, and with these blocks they must make shapes out of different blocks. If you make for example a rectangle, then you combo and get more points by stacking the blocks on top of each other. The more blocks made the more points. So far it seems simple, but Rare have added to the difficulty by making the player contend with annoying Kremlins that run across the screen and smash your blocks. You must think before you place the blocks so that the Kremlins get knocked off when you lay more blocks. As the game progresses it gets harder with more Kremlins on the screen and faster movement. Obviously, there is more to the game than placing blocks, it's just that Rare, like always, have stayed tight-lipped on this title. You can also play 4 player via the link cable, but its not yet known what the multiplayer is all about.
GRAPHICS
As mentioned earlier, DKCC is running on the same engine used for the DKC games on the SNES. GBA seems to handle this easily, with no slowdown and smooth animation. While the graphics may not be up there with Sabrewulf, they are acceptable with clear, crisp and easy to make out visuals. New screenshots have not been released for many months now, so it will be interesting to see whether Rare improves on DKCC's graphics.
SOUND
DKCC's sound at E3 was typical Rare, fun, cheerful and atmospheric. It fit well with the puzzle element of the game. Rare has one of the best sound studios in the entire industry, and will not be lacking in the sound department whatsoever. Sound effects were clear and effective, and again showed off Rare's sound skills.
OUTLOOK
Donkey Kong Coconut Crackers is looking the perfect puzzle game for any fans of the genre, and with intriguing play elements and a 4 player mode, this game should not be one to pass up.
Anticipation Rating: 85/100 |
