We're playing Donkey Kong Country! This game was originally on Super Nintendo in 1992, and now you can play it directly on Nintendo Switch, which is really cool. That's exactly what we're doing — playing it on the Nintendo Switch with the Super Nintendo Entertainment System app that comes free once you have the Nintendo Online subscription. The app also allows you to rewind in the game, which makes the game a lot easier as well. My goal today: let's see if we can get to that mine cart level. I love the mine cart level, so let's see if we can make it in there.
Swordfish Is Greater Than Shark
Isn't there a swordfish in this level? Oh, that's the save point. A shark came at me and I rewound that — ha ha! — not letting that shark do me like that. I'll admit it: rewinding does make these games kind of crazy easy. Here we go, here's a swordfish. Wait — there's a second swordfish? Too bad Donkey can't ride one too. Let me go get that second swordfish, then. He's just floating around right there. Now let's see if we can take this shark out. Swordfish is greater than shark, it turns out. Oh! Not greater than that, though. The nice thing is you can just get back on it. And then — oh! I just legit died once. No rewind excuse on that one. Ha ha.
Then came the barrels. Oh, I remember how awesome these barrels are — love these barrels. Oh, man! There's a rhino one! I got a little overambitious. Whoa! Ha ha! I didn't just do that. Definitely, that didn't happen. Oh, yeah! Maybe it was that one. Now, don't worry about that. Don't worry about that one. Or that one. Ah! Ha ha! I'll take you to the candy shop — bip, bannit — I'll let you lick the lollipop — bip, bannit — go ahead, girl. Okay, no more rap songs. Alright, this is a boss right here, and then we get that cave level next. Come on, beaver boy! He's taking a lot of hits to the head. Wow, that boss was so easy. We didn't even have to rewind on that boss.
The Mine Cart Level Is the Best Level in the Game
Alright, we get to do the mine cart level now, which is fabulous. Here we go. I love this — this is my favorite level in this game. My brother and I managed to beat this level when we were home, or when I visited him. This is the best level right here. It is so cool. Some of these jumps, you gotta time just right. Ooh, got those bananas. Let's see if we can do it without rewinding. Ooh, it picks up the difficulty now. There we go! First time we had to use the rewind — I mean, we didn't have to use it, but we got into the jump button that time. Ah, there we go. Oh, we missed the end. I sound like Santa Claus right now — not liking that I sound like Santa Claus making that noise. Ho! And then that Ludacris song comes on in my head. This is some Indiana Jones right here. Oh, hold up, you're gonna get that and make that jump — oh yeah! Such a cool level. Oh, he slapped me — he slapped right into me. I started to sound like Donkey Kong for a minute.
Frogs, Bees, and Getting Beavered
I lost my little froggy — I must get him back. Oh my gosh, he jumped high. Look how high that froggy is! That's silly. Pop the bee off — this frog is just annihilating these bees. Ah, don't kill my frog. I will survive. Pop that bee off. Well, I have 18 lives; we're gonna have 100 by the time this thing's done. Oh yeah, I got all those. This frog can jump so high it didn't even need to jump. I go all boss god mode on this game with the frog. Come back here — don't get the bee, bird. Yep, I like getting beavered. "Mom, what does that mean?" came the question from off camera. Oh, I'm surprised that barrel caught right there. Go Jerry, it's your birthday, we're gonna party like — no. No 50 Cent. I don't want to be in the club right now. I'm in the Kong — you can find me on the console.
Oh, that's fun how you gotta get these automatic barrels to fire you properly. That's cool. He dies somewhere, sometime, you know. I like these advanced barrel ones. Oh, I did it again. Yeah, I like a good barrel challenge — especially when — I don't know, it does take the edge off of it when you can't lose, right? Like, there's something satisfying about being able to lose and fail. If it's too easy, it's like, I can't lose. I missed the end — that's weak. What do I get for that? Instant ostrich! Oh, look at all the ostrich. Oh my goodness, this thing can fly — it can fly with me. Just fly, get up in the air! I can't fly that good. Oh my goodness, look at all these. This is the most surreal game I've witnessed.
Then that big beaver came up behind me. Oh, those come behind you? Nice. I like getting chased by beavers. You should have seen some of the images that came to my head when I said that — like a good beaver chase. Now, my beaver-chasing days are behind me. I've chased enough beaver in my life. "Dad, why are you talking about beavers so much?" Well, they're in the game! There are like nine of them. This should be called 99 Ways to Die in Donkey Kong. Wow, this ostrich walks right over those. It doesn't like getting hit with a barrel, apparently. What? Come on now, I want my ostrich back. Pop your ostrich head up! Dang it. What — this ostrich can't bounce? It's got those thin legs. Can't feel my legs — it's got these little thin legs. Alright, I'm done with you, ostrich. You can't hang.
Grandmas, Bosses, and Pulp Fiction
Whoa, this guy is throwing them fast and hard. I like it. You like it fast and hard, don't you? Oh yes. Well, dude, I've started to notice some of the grandmas — I'm like, you're cute. I'm like, hmm, that's interesting that I can notice that a grandma is cute now. And the girls that are college age are starting to look like babies to me. I'm like, oh, you're cute — you could babysit or something for my GILF. That's right, starting to notice the GILFs. I'm like, hello, granny. Practice makes perfect, eh? Hey, what kind of retirement you got, granny? I hope I never have to date again. I mean, it's not like a person has to date again, but I'm the kind of fella who would date again if anything happened to my wife. Gummy mummies. A professional beaver connoisseur.
Oh, that thing was sharp — it poked Donkey right in the butt. Oh no, Donkey, right in the butt! No, hold that thing and hit the bee with it. Don't run off. No, don't throw it! Oh good, we got it. Alright, we're gonna have to rewind — this boss is not playing around. Oh, okay, you can only hit it when it's yellow, I guess. Yeah, I bet you can only hit it when it's yellow. Alright, that's it, isn't it? What does this get used for — do we throw this over here? Nope. We could have taken out all those beavers with that one throw, but I'd rather bounce on each beaver individually. Somebody's thinking like Pulp Fiction style: say beaver one more time. Beaver. Oh, he'd die. Oh, cool snow effect. Can we just look at these graphics?
Donkey Kong Country on the Switch was every bit as fun as it was on the Super Nintendo back in the day — maybe more, now that the rewind feature keeps a shark from ending the run early. If you enjoyed riding along for the swordfish, the mine cart, the ostrich, and entirely too much beaver talk, there are plenty more retro gaming sessions like this one waiting for you on my Games playlist.