The one developer who has left an indelible mark on the Donkey Kong franchise is of course Rare; their influence is still apparent in this new entry in the series. Gone is the simple, cartoony aesthetic of the previous game, replaced by the pre-rendered pseudo 3-D look that was made popular by Donkey Kong Country on the Super Nintendo. Many reviewers criticised the look of the last game and it must be said that reverting to the Rare style will instantly make many players feel right at home once the game is booted up. However, by doing so, Paon have sacrificed some of the uniqueness that made the original somewhat of a cult hit.

From the start screen onwards, Jungle Climber exudes the sort of humorous, light-hearted fun which is at the centre of the game’s dynamic. Up-tempo music bumps away in the background as Donkey Kong utters indistinguishable phrases of delight as you move through the menus. The gameplay choices on offer are mini-games, which can be played both in single and multi-player, and of course the main story mode, which follows our hairy hero on a crusade to retrieve the Crystal Banana from King K.Rool.

Before thrusting the player straight into the adventure, Cranky Kong gives a tutorial, explaining the controls in the game. As the name of the game suggests, progression through the levels is achieved by climbing up the various objects to reach the end of the level. This is done by using the left and right triggers on the DS, with each one equating to one of Donkey Kong’s hands. After pressing both of buttons together to jump up, Donkey can then make his way to another object by letting go with one arm and swinging around until he is line with his next target. At this point he can let go completely to float over to it. This control method is extremely intuitive and once the tutorials have been completed, players will have no problem traversing the in-game heights.

It is not quite as simple as just swinging from point-to-point though, as there are also enemies for Donkey to contend with. Thankfully it is not just a case of avoiding them, as Donkey is able to attack them in one of two ways. By pressing the A button, Donkey will jump forcibly in the direction he is facing, allowing him to hit the enemies and kill them, in the same sort of way that the Donkey roll did so in his platform days. When Diddy Kong is riding shotgun behind him, a double tap of the A button will send Diddy flying off into the distance in the direction they are facing, allowing for longer range kills than by the other method. This also proves essential for collecting some of the seemingly unreachable pickups throughout the game. Although the Donkey jump technique is good in close combat, there is nothing more satisfying than firing Diddy Kong across the screen to take an enemy down.

Or should that be screens. Rather than limit itself to one screen, Jungle Climber’s action takes place across both of the DS’s screens, giving the player a much larger line of sight than in the Gameboy Advance iteration. This allows players greater scope to plan moves ahead, knowing what enemies or other hazards are lying in wait above. Fortunately, this also means that touch screen controls are all but non-existent in Jungle Climber, with the function merely used to tap the screen to activate the invincible power up. Whilst some games are built for touch screen control, this is clearly not the case with Jungle Climber, and it is refreshing to see that Paon didn’t feel pressured to include them. Had they done so, it would have overcomplicated the simple and very effective control scheme they have created.

In another nod to the Rare platformers of the 16-bit age, Jungle Climber includes all the classic Donkey Kong items to collect as the adventure unfolds. Each level has the obligatory K O N G letters, a fuel canister for Funky Kong’s Jumbo Jet Barrel, a DK medal, and three gold coins to collect. Merely swinging through the levels until the end is relatively straightforward, but to do so whilst collecting all of the items is a much harder task. The gold coins in particular are especially difficult to obtain in many levels. As with many of Nintendo’s games, this allows novices to play the game without too much trouble, but also gives more experienced gamers a challenge if they wish to seek it out.

The sheer variety of level designs found throughout Jungle Climber means that the player never feels as if they are constantly retreading old ground, as was sometimes the case in the original. The game is split into worlds, with a certain number of levels, followed by a boss fight found in each. Each world takes on a certain theme, with many memorable designs throughout, including a few mind-bending levels reminiscent of the ‘Whoa’ level in the recent Super Paper Mario. Jungle Climber is twice the length of its prequel, and as further elements come into play, such as rocks to plug peg holes, rolling stone balls to catch a lift on and flame burners to melt ice, there is a clear feeling that true care and attention has gone into making it a great experience from beginning to end.

Once the main game is completed, there is still plenty to do, with a variety of mini-games unlocked, which provide some instant high score chasing fun. These can also be played via two-four player local wireless play; the climbing wall stage proving to be particularly popular, with plenty of close battles and laughs to be had.

Paon have taken on board all the complaints that were issued toward King of Swing and have rectified almost all of them. The control scheme is still as intuitive as it was first time round, but it is now encased in a fun and rewarding experience that is a pleasure to play from start to finish. Although there is no Miyamoto involvement, Donkey Kong fans can be content that the future of the lovable Gorilla is in good hands.