You should play this platformer that apes Donkey Kong Country’s formula

digitaltrends.com:

It’s hard to believe that it has been over a decade since we’ve gotten a new Donkey Kong Country platformer. Retro Studios’ Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze was one of the best Wii U games, but we’ve yet to get a new platformer in that style from Nintendo or Retro since. We won’t be getting a new Crash Bandicoot anytime soon either since Activision canceled Crash Bandicoot 5, which would’ve featured Spyro the Dragon. Thankfully, we’re on a bit of an upswing regarding the return of these kinds of platformers.

Donkey Kong Country Returns is coming to Nintendo Switch in January 2025. And Toys for Bob made itself independent from Activision to work on something (hopefully a new Crash or Spyro game). For those who can’t wait, a new game harkens back to the best of Donkey Kong Country and Crash Bandicoot. That game is Nikoderiko: The Magical World, which launched on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch earlier this week. It’s worth checking out for those who can’t wait any longer for the return of their favorite platformers.

Nikoderiko follows the genre formula to a T, down to a lighthearted, adventurous story needed to back everything up. Mongooses Niko and Luna are Indiana Jones-types who find a relic stashed away on a magical island, but it’s stolen by a villain named Grimbald. The rest of the adventure is about getting that relic back, and that will only happen after several worlds’ worth of platforming challenges.

Most of Nikoderiko consists of 2D platforming segments that closely ape the Donkey Kong Country formula. Niko and Luna’s jumps are weightier than those of Mario and Sonic. They can slam into the ground, pick up and throw objects, and the main collectibles in levels are letters that spell out Niko. Even the level design consistently pulls from Retro Studios’ Donkey Kong Country games.

Some set pieces are outright copies, like underwater levels that