The newer DKC games do have great music, but they are less memorable to me because those games were just too darn hard! And I'm not bad at DKC games, I don't think. I beat the first three on SNES anyway. So I don't know what it is. I do remember one of the newer games had a boss that was also a mine cart level and I was like, "Yeah no thank you." But it still amazes me how they were able to pull off the CD quality music on the SNES, especially with tunes like the underwater theme from the first game. Wow!
OST So Good! #13: Donkey Kong Country- Tropical Freeze
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 On 02/17/2022 at 10:25 AM by The Last Ninja See More From This User » |
Wii U, 2014
Composer: David Wise
The music for the Donkey Kong Country games has always been great, led by the masterful David Wise. But to be honest, I think Tropical Freeze actually surpasses the SNES games in the music department. For some reason, Retro had Kenji Yamamoto do the music for their first DKC game on the Wii, and while it was good, there was something missing. David Wise was the missing piece, and so they got him for Tropical Freeze, and wow! No one can do DKC music like Wise. Many of these songs don’t sound like video game music at all, and some of them even sound like Cusco music (New Age music from the early 2000s, really great stuff). The use of exotic and tropical instruments alone is excellent, but the compositions are also great.
Windmill Hills
This is the best song in the game imo. It has a very happy feel to it that makes you feel good. The instruments used here are superb—woodwinds, guitars, snare drums, and strings. At 1’06” the strings take over, and are followed by some kind of flute (almost like a whistle) which evokes a cheery vibe. The whole song is simply a joy to listen to, and all the instruments are blended together so well.
Grassland Groove
I can’t believe that Wise actually pulled this off! This song sounds like it was taken right out of The Lion King, as it has African singers with a tribal beat and theme. Remarkable! The rhythm here is impressive, as the tribal drums never stop, and the singers will chant things and do different rhythms themselves. The song doesn’t really have one main melody as it changes about every 30-40 seconds, but it’s so interesting that I don’t mind at all. The song is also really long, just when you think it’s going to loop, it keeps going.
Fruity Factory
This song in particular reminds me of Cusco music, which is great. The melody is traded back and forth between a pan flute and a xylophone. There’s some cool details here: light drums, a strange didgeridoo-sound that comes in sometimes, and some subtle atmospheric sounds. At 1’43” the melody really takes off, and it’s very good—the sound seems to exude a feeling of mystery but it’s also a pleasant sound. Great stuff!
Busted Bayou
I’m a sucker for stuff like this. The song opens with fun, clean guitar that’s reminiscent of old Spy movies (that’s what came to mind). Acoustic guitar comes in next, followed by flute, and then the song becomes tropical with some kind of tambourine lead. It all blends together so well too. At 1’43” the crunchy guitars take over, and it sounds amazing! And if that’s not enough, a little later a saxophone comes in to make this jazz ensemble complete. Honestly, this song seems to be too good to be in a DKC game. Enjoy it!
Homecoming Hijinx
This is the song for the last level as you make your way to the leader of the Snowmads. There’s a sense of foreboding and dread, which is great. The Snowmads’ theme is used here, which has a strong and fantasy-like feel to it. Once again, the instruments all blend together so well here, and the song is reminiscent of Wise’s work from DKC 2, which had several songs that were pirate-like, whereas here the Snowmads are more like Vikings.
Also check out: any of the DKC OSTs
Download this OST here
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