Retro knew they had to make Donkey Kong Country Returns difficult
“It’s a game with broad appeal that all sorts of people can play, so I thought we needed to keep that approachability. At the same time, I thought it’s important the game be a little difficult.” – Retro’s Kynan Pearson (senior designer)
“I thought it was extremely important that the game be challenging. When this project began, I played the Super NES version again and was a little irked at how hard it was. I only remembered that it was fun! I thought it’s really important to make the game tough, but in a good way. I wanted to make a game that was not simply difficult, but possessed a kind of difficulty that made players want to try it again. I thought it was important that, rather than make players angry, the game makes players feel that even if they fail, they will be able to jump better next time.” – Retro’s Mike Wikan (senior designer)
This is just a small excerpt from the latest edition of Iwata Asks. Check out the full interview with Retro Studios and other members from Nintendo right here.
