[Playing…] Peter Jackson’s King Kong – Kong The 8th Wonder of the World

The first film of king kong appeared in 1933 and it was a success due to its special effects, soundtrack and its memorable ending. Kong, the giant ape, captivated the world and, many decades later, he was already part of popular culture, being one of the most parodied and copied characters in cinema.

The films starring Kong include sequels such as Kong's son, Japanese movies (King Kong VS Godzilla and King Kong escapes), a remake in the 70s that had a sequel (for which a strange game appeared for the Famicom), a new remake by Peter Jackson in 2005 and its appearance in the current MonsterVerso where with films like Kong: Skull Island and Godzilla VS Kong.

As for video games, Kong has appeared in a few. Most become forgettable (like king kong for Atari 2600) to strangers (such as King Kong 2 Ikari no Megaton Punch and its appearance in Konami Wai Wai World, both from NES), with only a few truly notable ones, among which we can highlight Peter Jacksons King Kong, which appeared for 128-bit consoles on the occasion of the release of the film of the same name.

That same game had different versions for portable consoles. The PSP and Nintendo DS were modified and cut versions of the original game. The one that appeared for Game Boy Advance, on the other hand, was a totally different game which went unnoticed by the general public, and which has the peculiarity that its American version was renamed as Kong 8th Wonder of the World.

in the magazine Bonus Stage Magazine did an extensive special on King Kong (where I comment on his films, his influence and his video games) and it was then that I dedicated some time to that curious version of the Game Boy Advance, which I will analyze below.

The graphic section of Kong 8th Wonder of the World It is very accurate. The characters are well animated and reminiscent of the actors from the film, although their design is much simpler.  Kong is well recreated and in its playable parts we can crush huge dinosaurs (on Skull Island) or human vehicles (in the final part of the game).

The common enemies are divided between the very small ones (bats, different types of crabs and crustaceans) and the largest ones (dinosaurs, human enemies), but we must also be attentive to the dangers of the jungle itself (spikes, giant flowers that trap us or launch poison). The final bosses look much more intimidating and detailed. They stand out noticeably and give a more epic touch to the game.

However, What I liked the most was Skull Island itself, full of details that give it a sinister and wild touch (heads stuck on sticks, temples, ruined ruins, Kong's footprints, dinosaur skeletons, stone paths that protrude from the vegetation...). Within the limitation of being on a tropical island, an attempt has been made to give variety to the different parts by changing the color and some elements that highlight specific areas (the stone temples, the indigenous village, the swamp with the dinosaurs coming out of the water...).

The fact that the game has so much level of detail and Skull Island is shown as something unexplored by the city man, it can also become something negative, since Sometimes it is not easy to see which paths can be taken in the jungle and the temples are too similar to each other, making it easy to confuse some rooms with others (but at least we have clues written on the floor to help us orient ourselves). The music varies depending on the area and the situation, going from jungle and tribal to menacing and atmospheric, which gives the game a good level of immersion.

The final part takes Kong to the city, giving some variety to the visual section and offering us the possibility of experiencing the mythical ending of the film in first person.

As for the gameplay itself, We are faced with an adventure game, where we will explore Skull Island controlling a group of three characters (Carl, Jack and Ann) who from time to time will be changed to an action game at the same time. beat'em up style where we will control Kong. Although I have to admit that it is fun to control Kong, it is undeniable that the best part is the adventure, que afortunadamente también en la parte principal del juego.

Los controles son algo complejos de primeras, pero enseguida te acostumbras. El botón A se usará para situaciones concretas (tirar de algún interruptor, cerrar diálogos…), B es el botón de acción, L nos permitirá cambiar de personaje y el botón R cambiará el tipo de acción que hará el personaje. El personaje controlado irá delante y los otros lo seguirán, pero mientras lo hagan estos pueden ser dañados. Si presionamos el botón SELECT podemos separar al equipo y controlar libremente a uno de los personajes, pero hay que tener en cuenta que no podemos abandonar la pantalla sin el resto de personajes.

Cada personaje tiene su propia barra de vida (que podemos aumentar con objetos especiales) y su momento de lucirse en el juego, ya que tienen habilidades muy distintas. Carl, el director de la película, es capaz de mover objetos pesados, lanzar granadas y usar antorchas, de manera que será más útil resolviendo puzles que combatiendo, Ann puede gritar (para aturdir a los enemigos) y curar a otros personajes, lo cual la convierte en “la salvavidas” de los otros dos y Jack puede atacar con diferentes armas (machete, lanza y metralleta) siendo el personaje ideal para recorrer la selva y enfrentar enemigos.

Durante la aventura encontraremos objetos como azufre, palos, troncos, lianas o piedras afiladas, que de por sí no sirven para nada, pero afortunadamente se pueden combinar para conseguir ítems que sí necesitaremos durante la misma (si juntamos el palo con la piedra afilada conseguiremos una lanza, si juntamos troncos con lianas, una balsa….).

Con el botón START podemos acceder a los menús (por los cuales navegaremos con L y R) y también al mapa.

Kong 8th Wonder of the World hace un gran esfuerzo por adaptar la historia de la película, y diría que lo logra con bastante acierto, pues los personajes se comportan de manera similar a la misma y veremos que los diálogos se parecen a los del largometraje (podemos elegir el idioma Español, al menos en la versión Europea). La jugabilidad es buena y los controles (pese a ser algo complejos de primeras) son correctos.

En función de nuestra habilidad como jugadores, pasaremos más o menos tiempo recorriendo la laberíntica Isla Calavera obteniendo objetos, encontrando mejoras para personajes (que les aumentan la vida) y superando templos llenos de puzles, que generalmente están custodiados por un jefe final. La dificultad es bastante justa, es fácil que nuestros personajes resulten dañados, pero se nos dan herramientas para curarnos (los objetos aparecen con facilidad, podemos salvar partida en cualquier momento y, si por error entramos en un templo ya explorado, nos avisarán de que ya lo hemos completado). Además, una vez tengamos a Ann en nuestro equipo, podremos curarnos usando sus habilidades.

Kong 8th Wonder of the World de Game Boy Advance me parece muy bueno. Transmite muy bien la sensación de estar perdidos en una isla llena de peligros, tiene buenos gráficos, una música muy acertada y una jugabilidad centrada en eliminar enemigos y resolver puzles que lo hace adictivo. Si sois fans de los juegos de aventuras, deberíais darle una oportunidad a este juego. No os defraudará.