Review: Castle Kong (Steam)

by Jim Smale · June 16, 2020

Relive classic arcade action in an all-new title! 4 stages, 22 levels, and a kill screen. 1 coin* , 3 lives – set the high score. Stop the evil BaronMan and save PrincessGirl! *(Meaning no restarts or additional lives.

Pros:

Classic retro 8 Bit style graphics.
364mb Download size
Steam achievements.
Online leaderboards.
Full controller support.
Platformer gameplay.
A love letter to the classic Donkey Kong game, get to the top of the castle and rescue the princess.
3 lives for one run no continues.
Difficult.
All about learning the patterns of the game.
Simple controls.
Pick up timed powerups.
Buy the game unlock for infinite credits.
Nice soundtrack.
Nails the retro atmosphere.
It can get quite addictive.

Cons:

No pause button in-game.
No tutorial.
Slow restart upon death.
At times it can be hard to make out the enemies or projectiles.
Real difficult, not for the faint-hearted.

7/10

Graphics - 7/10
7/10

Sound - 7/10
7/10

Accessibility - 7/10
7/10

Length - 7/10
8/10

Fun Factor - 8/10

7.2/10

Summary

Castle Kong as the name implies is a spin on the classic game Donkey Kong but set in a castle. It plays just like Donkey Kong, the power ups ape Donkey Kong but one thing it has over DK is the difficulty. That’s not to say DK was easy, not by a long stretch but Castle Kong just throws you straight in at the deep end whereas DK built up your trust before destroying your very soul one confidence brick at a time. Castle Kong may very well be a straight redesign but man it nails it and adds leaderboards and tournaments so it does have a lot going for it. I can’t fault it, all fault lies with me for not being very good at it at all. Castle Kong will break you, you will love Castle Kong