When comparing Star Fox Zero vs Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, the Slant community recommends Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze for most people. In the question“What are the best Wii U first party games?” Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is ranked 4th while Star Fox Zero is ranked 12th. The most important reason people chose Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is:
A lot of thought and effort went into the level design in Tropical Freeze. The massive side-scrolling forests, jungles, mines, underwater zones, and many other locations are filled with spectacles that naturally fit into the gameplay. There are gigantic sea monsters following your every move with platforming obstacles, intriguing animal-like creatures who float around as possible pillars and ledges for you to grab onto, and parts of the environment that come crashing down unexpectedly that you have to react to in time. Each of the platforms you encounter are way more than simple, random blocks sticking in the field, helping you feel like you're traversing actual living, breathing locations.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Full mission co-op
The whole of the games main story mode can be played with co-op. This is done with one player manning the flight controls of the ship while the other manages the guns of the ship, basically a co-pilot. This co-pilot mode adds a lot of teamwork mechanics to the game as you both will need to communicate and plan successfully in order to win.
Pro Interesting controls
The game akss the user to control their ship in two different ways, one with the view on ones TV or monitor, this is the outside ship vies which will be controlled with the thumb stick. The second is the cockpit view, which is viewable on the controllers screen. This is where the user concentrates on operating their weapons through moving the whole of the controller around with motion controls. It is through this combination of two control schemes that the user needs to interact in order to correctly steer and shoot with their ship, which is an interesting and new way to go about a shooter.
Pro Difficulty allows for lengthier gameplay
Older Star Fox games can usually be completed in under an hour and tended to be pretty easy for the most part. Star Fox Zero has upped the difficulty (especially when taking branching paths) which means the player will have to spend more time with the game in order to be successful.
Pro Branching paths
Each level has different direction one can go in that leads to different outcomes like hidden or secret boss fights. This mixes up the gameplay and allow for one to explore and search out different story elements.
Pro Choice in control schemes through offered ships
There are many different vehicles in the game, each of which that has a different control scheme. This makes for a situation where things can stay fresh due to how much the gameplay and strategy changes on a per vehicle basis.
Pro Creative level design
A lot of thought and effort went into the level design in Tropical Freeze. The massive side-scrolling forests, jungles, mines, underwater zones, and many other locations are filled with spectacles that naturally fit into the gameplay. There are gigantic sea monsters following your every move with platforming obstacles, intriguing animal-like creatures who float around as possible pillars and ledges for you to grab onto, and parts of the environment that come crashing down unexpectedly that you have to react to in time. Each of the platforms you encounter are way more than simple, random blocks sticking in the field, helping you feel like you're traversing actual living, breathing locations.
Pro Challenging platformer gameplay
Platforming is a challenge without feeling cheap. The game will push you sometimes, especially with all the moving parts in each levels where you have to quickly adapt to new obstacles. As you run up to a gap of some kind or a wall you have to scale, you might see the solution as you approach, only for the environment to suddenly change on-the-fly. That ledge you thought you could reach is now too high, or the stones you're standing on start to move, or the camera might even shift to cut off your usual side view of the level. The difficulty is fair since it encourages you to think on your feet, meaning you naturally get better as you keep trying to get the timings down just right.
Pro Modernized feel to age old classic platformer action
The look and feel of Tropical Freeze is very reminiscent of the original Donkey Kong Country game for the SNES, offering plenty of nostalgia. The 2D view and traditional platformer play is in-tact, with modern updates like polished graphics, cinematic camera angles, and tight, responsive controls. Everything feels familiar while still improving on the old school ideas. Anyone who loves retro gaming will probably enjoy Tropical Freeze.
Cons
Con Lackluster graphics
While the Wii U is only on par of the PS3 or Xbox 360, the graphics for Star Fox Zero look pretty basic. There is not much in the way of great textures or particle effects. While it may be the aesthetic the developers were shooting for, there is little in the game that visually impresses.
Con Controls have a high learning curve
The learning curve for controls of the game may take some time, as they are in combination not something anyone will be used to, which may cause some frustration.
Con Optional bonus rooms are boring
The optional areas in the game are pointless and boring. They're pretty much a single room with a bunch of floating platforms with bananas on them. All you have to do is reach all of the bananas to "complete" the bonus area. Compared to the huge, creative levels in the rest of the game, these are way too flat and repetitive in design. Thankfully, unless you're going for 100% completion, you can avoid these rooms altogether.
Con Can't use the Wii U touchpad as a second screen
There's no way to use the touchpad as a second screen while playing Tropical Freeze. When playing on your TV, the touchpad goes blank. You have to specifically play with the Wii U gamepad instead of the TV in order to see the screen at all. Since plenty of other games utilize the second screen in some way, it would have been nice to see some Wii U touchpad interactions built into the game.