Cranky Kong's still got it in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Old Kong, new tricks
For years, Cranky Kong has berated me from the sidelines, prattling on about how easy I've got it and how shameful it is that I need his advice and/or item supply. I was beginning to think that the wrinkly old gorilla was all talk--but judging from my hands-on time in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, the geezer can still hop and bop with the best of 'em.
Cranky is the third buddy in Tropical Freeze, joining Diddy and Dixie as DK's sidekicks in the Retro Studios-made sequel. Like DKC Returns, this is still a lovingly difficult platformer, overflowing with devilishly tricky jumps and carefully hidden secrets (the latter of which constantly triggered my OCD tendencies to find everything in a given level). Diddy's got a jetpack and Dixie can get airborne with her ponytail--so what's Cranky's gimmick? Turns out, that cane is good for more than simply shaking at Donkey Kong during a cantankerous rant.
Like another certain anthropomorphic curmudgeon, Cranky Kong can utilize his cane as a pogo stick, bouncing on enemies' heads and dangerous terrain alike. His special ability is especially handy in spike-filled levels; I narrowly avoided death by bramble pit thanks to Cranky on numerous occasions. It's definitely more difficult to pair up with Cranky, given that his lack of air maneuverability makes precision jumps even more demanding. But if you can master the timing of his nimble cane jumps, teaming up with Cranky Kong may be the quickest way to blast through levels.
Of course, I got to see much more than just Cranky. Check out the following screenshots (and don't forget to maximize them) for additional info!