The “Donkey Kong Country” series on SNES is remembered more for its graphical achievements than anything else. “Donkey Kong” may have featured the most attractive character models of the 16-bit era, but “Mario” always held the gameplay crown. Flash forward three console generations, and “DK” and “Mario” have both received 2-D returns to form. “New Super Mario Bros. Wii” was fantastic, but “Donkey Kong Country Returns” manages to push the simian above his plumber rival in virtually every category.

A wave of nostalgia swept over me when I booted up “Donkey Kong Country Returns.” You’ll hear familiar tunes as you bust out of your jungle hut, and before long you’re collecting bananas, snagging red balloons, and teaming up with your pal Diddy. Many will buy this game for the nostalgia value alone, but as I progressed, I realized that the merits of gameplay carry the adventure more than anything else. This could have been stripped of recognizable characters and renamed “Steve the Gorilla’s BananaQuest” and I would have enjoyed it just as much.

It’s not all fan service. You won’t see the Kremlings, the only animal you’ll be riding is Rambi the rhino, and appearances from DK’s family members are kept to a bare minimum. Rather than bombard fans with familiar faces and gameplay elements, Retro focuses on presenting new and dramatic scenarios. Mine cart levels were a staple from the original trilogy, but now they are far more exciting than ever. In one “don’t you dare blink” moment, your cart bashes through a giant egg and causes it to roll down the track. As the egg spins through the level, you remain in your cart, avoiding rocks that break through the shell (and the holes they leave) as you loop around inside. For this entire segment, you have to be aware of the environment outside of the egg while simultaneously making sure you jump its cracks as they approach you.

These mine cart levels left me breathless, but they’re not the only stages that cause that effect. You’ll outrun a wall of insects as they attempt to eat you, scale the insides of a volcano as lava rapidly rises, and pilot a barrel rocket through a cave as a giant bat shoots sonar at you. As you progress, you’ll breathe a heavy sigh of relief every time you arrive at a checkpoint.

“Donkey Kong Country” games have never been a walk in the park, but “Returns” is easily the hardest in the series’ history. Many of the later stages had me burning through 15-plus lives before I reached the end, but never due to cheapness. You just need to hone your platforming skills, be patient, and pay attention. After beating them once, I found I could usually go through the toughest levels without dying thanks to all the time I had spent practicing the various maneuvers needed to avoid traps and enemies.

My journey through the eight worlds wasn’t without a few minor issues. Shaking the Wii remote to roll isn’t as responsive as the classic method, and can send you off a cliff if the Wii detects an unintentional shake. Having a second player join in as Diddy Kong can be fun, but it is also frustrating in more difficult levels. Considering the amount of speed and precise jumping required late in the game, two players is one too many.

Beating the game is already a substantial challenge, but getting 100 percent requires impeccable platforming skills.

I’ve been looking forward to this game for months, but the final product blew me away. Its gorgeous visuals, awesome boss battles, varied stages, and cleverly hidden secrets guarantee gamers will have a great time revisiting this classic franchise. It’s not only the best “Donkey Kong Country,” it’s also one of the best platformers I’ve ever played.

‘Donkey Kong Country Returns’

9.5 (out of 10)

Wii

Nintendo, Retro Studios

ESRB rating: E for Everyone

New game releases

The following titles were scheduled for release the week of Nov. 29.

• “Rush” (PC)

• “Unbound Saga” (X360)

• “Who’s That Flying?! One More Go!” (X360)

• “Super Meat Boy” (PC, Mac)

• “EVE Online: Incursion” (PC)

• “Mystery P.I. New York” (PC)

• “WinX Club: Rockstars” (DS)

• “Funky Lab Rat” (PS3)

• “Disney Epic Mickey” (Wii)

• “Dead Nation” (PS3)

• “nail’d” (X360, PS3, PC)

• “Dungeon Defenders” (PC)

• “SpellForce 2: Faith in Destiny” (PC)

• “Sniper Elite” (Wii)

• “Deadliest Catch: Sea of Chaos” (Wii, X360, PS3)

• “Golden Sun: Dark Dawn” (DS)

— Gamespot.com

Top 10

ON THE WII

The editors of Game Informer Magazine rank the top 10 Wii games for November:

1. “Donkey Kong Country Returns,” Nintendo

2. “Kirby’s Epic Yarn,” Nintendo

3. “Rock Band 3,” MTV Games

4. “DJ Hero 2,” Activsion

5. “NBA Jam,” EA Sports

6. “Epic Mickey,” Disney Interactive Studios

7. “Batman: The Brave and the Bold,” Warner Bros. Interactive

8. “NHL Slapshot,” EA Sports

9. “Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions,” Activision

10. “Guilty Party,” Disney Interactive Studios

McClatchy-Tribune News Service

Weekly downlaod

‘Pac-Man Championship Edition DX’

For: PlayStation 3 via PlayStation Network and Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Arcade

From: Namco Bandai

ESRB Rating: E for Everyone

Price: $10

After 27 years of playing it safe with spinoffs, retreads and cameos, Namco blew the doors off the barn with a true sequel, “Pac-Man Championship Edition,” that rewrote the “Pac-Man” script without changing the tenets that made it the most popular video game ever made. “Pac-Man Championship Edition DX” takes that blueprint, refines it, and douses it with sprinkles. The base game has changed: Mazes now crawl with dozens of ghosts instead of four, but all but a few rogue ghosts will follow Pac-Man in formation, making their movements easy to predict. “DX” counters the crowded mazes by giving Pac-Man a limited-use bomb to briefly clear his path, and it sends the action into a very brief fit of slow motion whenever Pac heads toward peril. Such lifesavers sound like game-breakers on paper, but they quickly become indispensable. The only downside: The achievements/trophies are entirely too easy to unlock this time, and while every mode of every maze gets its own leaderboard, there’s no at-a-glance way to see how you stack up against your friends.

— Billy O’Keefe, McClatchy-Tribune News Service