Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is one of the most demanding, and at the same time best-designed, two-dimensional platformers of its era. The Kong family's island is overrun by Nordic wildlife that freezes everything solid, and Donkey Kong, with help from Diddy, Dixie, and Cranky Kong, sets out to reclaim his home. Each buddy you carry on your back changes how you move: Diddy hovers briefly thanks to his rocket-pack, Dixie's hair-helicopter lifts you extra high, and Cranky uses his cane as a trampoline that lets him bounce off spikes and other hazardous surfaces.

The game's strength lies in its unusually ambitious level design. The camera travels along tracks around the player, platforms break apart, ships sink, silhouettes come alive in the background, and several levels are built around a single idea taken to perfection — whether that's a mine-cart ride, swimming against the current, or fleeing an avalanche. The difficulty is high but fair. Every death is clearly your own fault, and the game offers plenty of shortcuts and helper items for anyone who gets stuck. Collectible KONG letters and puzzle pieces then unlock hidden levels that rank among the toughest in the entire series.

Technically it's one of the best-looking titles on the console, with rich lighting, ice you can see through, and background details that often become part of the gameplay itself. The most frequently praised aspect, though, is the music, composed in part by David Wise, author of the original soundtracks from the series' Super Nintendo days; his underwater tracks rank among the best game music has to offer. Reviews were excellent, but sales were again held back by the Wii U's small install base. A later Switch version with a simplified mode made the game accessible to less experienced players too. Today, Tropical Freeze is considered one of the best platformers of the last two decades and is often cited as proof that the classic genre still has plenty to say when handled by a studio that understands rhythm and camera work.