When this game was [first announced](https://youtu.be/DueE8vJXpo8) at E3 2013, I initially didn’t pay it much mind. It was a sequel to a game that I didn’t play when it came out, and it looked like an HD revamp of the last game, which I thought similarly of Mario 3D World and Mario Kart 8 when they were revealed in the same Direct. Now I wasn’t angry or even disappointed like how a certain subset of Metroid fans were when they realized Retro Studios’s next big game was another Donkey Kong Country, but it just kinda slipped under my radar for a few years.
Fast forward to the Switch era and after I played Mario Odyssey, I got a newfound love for platformers that test my skill as well as deliver high quality experiences at the same time. I then looked back to some Wii U games I missed out on that could elicit similar feelings. Two of those games were 3D World and, of course, Tropical Freeze. I picked up a Nintendo Selects Wii U copy for $20 bucks and had an absolute blast. The gorgeous HD visuals, the buttery smooth controls, the Uncharted-style setpieces that actually made use of the hardware, the expressive characters and enemies, and that magnificent soundtrack by original composer David Wise, I love it all. I just wish Diddy got some more use, cuz he’s pretty much obsolete with Dixie being here.
I didn’t get far into 3D World and figured it would get ported to Switch eventually, but I was less sure about Tropical Freeze’s chances. That game was so catered to the core platforming audience that it would feel right at home on the Switch, plus it didn’t make any use of the GamePad anyway, so why not? Around the time I 100%ed the game on Wii U, I noticed that content creators like [Mark Brown](https://youtu.be/JqHcE6B4OP4) and [The Geek Critique](https://youtu.be/AnGrcZHu1Pg) were giving the game some well deserved critical analysis.
When the [Switch port](https://youtu.be/Kvj_qCP647I) was finally announced almost four years ago, I was ecstatic and preordered it the same day. I did two Any% playthroughs of the Switch version: one in Original Mode and one in Funky Mode. Speaking of which, Funky Kong is a blast to play as, going beyond a typical easy mode without sacrificing the game’s integrity in my eyes. He’s less of an “easy mode” an more of an alternate gameplay style in an of itself, giving the player a few extra tools without neutering the core experience. It’s a joy to speedrun through a level with him and I actually decided to try some of the time trials because of it. This game is up there with Sonic Mania and Yooka Laylee and the Impossible Lair as one of my absolute favorite platformers of the generation, maybe even number one.