The Donkey Kong Country series had its debut on the SNES in 1995. At the time, the pre-rendered graphics were revolutionary along with amount of items to collect within one platformer. Three games of the DKC trilogy were released during the lifespan of the SNES, each improving and adding new things to the mix. In 1999, Rare released one of the most expansive action-adventure games of its time, Donkey Kong 64 which grossed high praise and was accepted as a sequel to the trilogy. Now in 2010, Rare is a first party developer for Microsoft and Retro Studios takes on the task of molding a new Donkey Kong Country game that could perhaps be the successor of the previous titles. Is it a worthy game of the Donkey Kong Country name?

Donkey Kong has to reclaim his bananas from the Tiki Tak Tribe.

Story:

Donkey Kong Country Returns begins on a newly-formed volcano on DK’s Island. The volcano erupts, bringing rise to a large tiki overlord from within. The large statue brings rise to the Tiki Tak Tribe who begin to hypnotize the animal inhabitants of DK Isle with a hypnotic song. The animals steal Donkey Kong’s hoard of bananas. Diddy Kong warns Donkey Kong about his stolen bananas. While doing so, one of the Tiki’s invades DK’s hut and tries to hypnotize him. With a Tiki failing to hypnotize this new and less intelligent gorilla, DK beats the wood out of it and goes on a hunt for his bananas with his sidekick, Diddy. Sorry, but there’s no K-Rool this time guys! Of course for a platformer, there should be any need for me to nit-pick this game’s story line however this new Donkey Kong just isn’t that appealing, nor is the less cool chimp, Diddy. Donkey Kong no longer rocks to his boombox and instead acts more like the stupid ape he becomes. Cranky doesn’t hit Donkey Kong with his trusty cane anymore possibly due to Nintendo making it “suitable” for children nowadays. The small comedy bits and the character have been omitted from the originals and utterly replaced with mediocre ones.

Get ready to get owned, DK!

Gameplay:

The game flow is almost exactly the same to that of the Rareware, Donkey Kong Country Trilogy. You play as Donkey Kong, traversing through stage, heading to the goal while optionally searching for hidden collectables and the trademark K-O-N-G letters scattered within the stages. DK begins with two hearts representing how many hits he can take before a life is lost. If he rescues Diddy from a DK barrel, an additional two hearts adds to his life meter. DK also has a blow ability which allows him to blow certain objects to find hidden items. Blowing seems like a last minute addition as it is slow, tedious and breaks the pacing of the game.

Beware the unavoidable boulder.

If you are new to the game then you would at least expect the game to play as its predecessors, correct? If so then you would be completely wrong. There are only two types of controls in the game, Nunchuck with Wiimote or standalone Wiimote; no classic or Gamecube controls in sight. After playing the game, alternating with both control types to see which one is better, I’ve come to the conclusion that switching controls during certain parts of the game works best. Donkey Kong handles like a brick and is prepared to drop in the many, many, MANY bottomless pits in the game. Using Nunchuck controls, there is a lack of a run button which feels completely halfhearted when playing. However, I believe he is set to automatically run though he moves so slow that the difference is subtle. Standalone Wiimote controls provide a run button that works nothing like it would in previous titles. Donkey Kong lacks the speed to properly assume the distance of certain, risky leaps of faith which will lead to many instant deaths. Don’t worry; Diddy Kong saves the day as he is now a mere hover ability for DK. That’s right, all tag team actions are gone and the ability to play as switch to Diddy Kong has been completely omitted from the single player and is left for co-op similar to NSMB Wii. Retro Studios also had the edacity to add unnecessary motion controls to the game. Donkey Kong retains his roll ability but it is performed by shaking the Wiimote while holding the D-pad/Nunchuck stick in the desired direction. The roll move becomes the equivalent to running in the old games which will leave you scratching your head at the terrible maneuverability in this title. What’s even worse is that Diddy is a necessary powerup to be able to at least collect all of the K-O-N-G letters in certain places. The consequences of chancing are instant deaths. Out with the underwater stages, out with the low friction snow stages, and out with every animal buddy besides Rambi who only appears about twice in the game during a main playthrough.

The "rage quitting" begins here!

Even with all of the omissions, Retro Studios was kind enough to have plenty of infuriating mine cart stages and the 9^th circle of hell added in known as the rocket barrel. The first time through a mine cart stage, I was ready to have one fun hell of a ride. That would be correct if only the game was polished enough for you to not accidentally jump off of the cart. In DKC, mine cart stages were challenging but fun at the same time, allowing for a second chance if hit (If partnered with Diddy) to reach the goal. In Donkey Kong Country Returns, one collision on anything equals instant death no matter your life bar. Expect to die, die, and die over and over. Only mastery can grant you access to the goals in these stages. Proper timing is a must which ponders the question of the unfortunate difficulty spike. Rocket barrel stages are even worst because there are many of them. Touching anything in a rocket barrel equals instant-death! The goals of these stages are to hold the jump button to soar up and release to decrease altitude. Unlike a standard side-scrolling shoot-em-up, you must avoid touching the ground, ceiling, and any annoying obstacles which may obstruct your path while dealing with wonky controls. One hit kills and sparse checkpoints really don’t help but instead may cause a case of “rage quitting.” (Not to me of course, I dealt with the torture.) To promote the game to casual players, the Super Guide from NSMB Wii has been added for all your cheating needs. If you lose a bunch of lives in the same spot, the Super Guide becomes available in that specific stage. An AI controlled Donkey Kong guides itself to the end of the stage. However, using the Super Guide does not give the player any collectibles the AI grabs in the stage, influencing you to go through hell for the K-O-N-G letters yourself.

Design:

There have been many weird design choices in the game. Even judging the game from within its own merits, it’s hard to find anything that actually is great. Retro Studios took a chance to redesign the entire gameplay mechanic of previous DKC entries and unfortunately, it plays worst than those SNES classics.

Mugly? Uh yeah I remember you...?

The Kremlings are not even spoken of in the game and neither are Gnautys, Zingers, Neckys, and any other familiar enemy that the nostalgic would be looking forward to see. As generic as can be, there are now birds, frogs, crabs, and tiki drums to fight. Even the animal buddies have all been reduced to having only Rambi. While playing the game for the first time from beginning to end, Rambi only appears twice and is almost completely invincible. Spikes don’t hurt him along with enemies. It really isn’t a bad thing compared to the majority of the game. Running through stages on top of Rambi is actually pretty fun in this game.

The minecart stages are only the few which ramp up the difficulty.

This game takes two steps back from how Rare built the DKC series from the ground up. DKC stages were very linear, forcing to move right through every stage. However, there were multiple animals that helped you through many of the stages in the game while DKC Returns only has Rambi. DKC 2 expanded by giving every stage a gimmick while having the player not just move left to the goal. Collecting items gave more replay value and the animal buddies were playable by themselves in many stages. The new lost world and secret last boss were added to the mix. DKC 3 added puzzles to the mix, making it feel like the “Majora’s Mask” of the series. Though the music wasn’t as memorable, DKC3 was a blast to play and the level design felt fresh. Donkey Kong Country Returns lacks what had made the DKC series so awesome from the first to the third. Retro Studios adds a few things but takes out the variety; the stuff which made the games so good to begin with. Every stage is almost completely linear like in DKC, go left to right but never changes that pace. Occasionally you will climb or shoot through a few barrels but other than that, the level design is average. There are many things to collect but in this game they are well hidden near pits and behind layers of the foreground. Bonus stages exist but they aren’t nearly as exciting and the music is terrible for the most part.

These retro shaded stages are visually some of the best in the game even if simple.

There are no water stages to speak of which gives Enguarde the boot. Donkey & Diddy lose their ability to swim and sink like a brick when touching water which was a beginner’s trap for me and a disappointment. DKC had some of the best underwater controls to date in a platformer. Even with two hits (four hits with Diddy on single player), the game ramps up its difficulty with various cheap one hit kills. No matter what, on a mine cart or a barrel rocket, it is a one hit kill. The game lacks the fun-hard that existed in the old entries. In DKC 2, your platforming skills had to be hardcore near the end. The controls were so good that it was on you if you died. It made kicking K-Rool’s reptilian ass so much more satisfying. 15 years later, the controls feel slow, stiff, and have a mandatory shake gimmick added in to the mix. Trial & error is the name of the game and it will rob you of your lives through many of the infuriating stages in DKC Returns. It’s not a fun experience even when you see Retro Studios teasing you with a health bar. Don’t get me wrong, the game is easy on most platforming segments though it seems that the developers lacked the means to add fun difficulty and instead provided a cheap way to prolong the game. After many lost lives in a single stage, the game will mock you, giving you the choice to cheat and use the Super Guide. You will want to force yourself to the end or be robbed of any satisfaction what-so-ever. At almost 3/4ths in the game, I just wanted to get it over already because I wasn’t having fun with the random traps and instant deaths the game continued to throw at me. Unfortunately the last boss wasn’t even on par compared to the ramped up difficulty.

Shouldn't that bird be uh... flying?

Not all is as terrifying as I say it is such as the graphics. The game always runs at an impressive 60 frames per second even with all its detail on screen at once. The graphics may not suit everyone’s taste but I thought it fit for DKC Returns. (Rambi looks like a joke though.) It’s closer to a cell-shaded, cartoonish look contrasting with the detailed look from the original; possibly due to the Wii’s limitation on graphics. Trees sway back and forth with the wind, background plants bounce around as DK slams his hands on the ground, overall its a very sweet looking game. Also, most boss battles are well designed and are fun to play through. Finishing the Tiki’s God of War style becomes really satisfying. Though the nostalgia of the SNES game is almost completely lost in this title, Mr. Game & Watch makes a small cameo appearance in his type of stage that looks really cool. Gunpei Yokoi would be proud!

Sound:

In Donkey Kong Country Returns, there are plenty of remixes to keep old fans asking for more. The problem is that you will rather hear a remix of Dave Wise, Robin Beanland, and Eveline Fischer’s music rather than the lame, original tunes composed by Retro’s, Kenji Yamamoto. Many of the remixes have either been butchered such as Aquatic Ambience or been given a faithful remix such as Fear Factory and Life in the Mines. As it would seem, the soundtrack is a mixed bag of good and outright terrible tunes.

DK Sr. (Cranky Kong) + New Age Motion Controller = Blasphemy!

I believe there has been a lack of research from the music director of the game with other titles other than the original DKC. Remixes from previous games with similar environments could have added much better flavor, adding to the nostalgia I.E. the beach level using a bit of Gangplank Galley in the ship stages. Instead, the beach tunes are replaced with keyboard drum tunes that can only be laughed at due to the reputation of Rare’s high quality music.  Bonus Room Blitz has been remixed to something much less than a spectacle, leaving a terrible tune to play as you collect bananas from most bonus stages. Other tracks include a Metroid-esque track in the volcano level that is completely out of place with the type of game. None of the original tracks are very catchy or memorable in the least. It’s a shame that DKC, a game made 15 years ago, cannot retain its gorgeous musical melodies when remade.

Easily the most satisfying part of the game.

With that said, not all hope is lost from the music in the game. There are plenty alterations of Mine Cart Madness that will have you humming the tunes even as the stages infuriate. As bad as the Rocket Barrel stages are, they actually have a catchy tune that will probably have you replaying them over rather then immediately “rage quitting” altogether. Either way, the soundtrack is hit or miss depending who you are or what your taste is. You will be disappointed if you are an old fan. If this is your first DKC game then you are really going to be missing out.

Conclusion:

If you are a fan of the Donkey Kong Country series, you will probably be disappointed from the changes made in this game. It seems that this game has been overly praised even when worse than previous entries. Controls are broken, music is bland, Donkey Kong loses all of his cool character, Diddy is reduced to a powerup, Kremlings and notable enemies have all been wiped off of existence in this game, and only the title is really reminiscent of the original. The game is not unplayable but a mediocre laughingstock in the name of the originals which had major improvements in each sequel. I’m not bashing on DKC Returns without a legitimate reason. I loved the DKC series and even DK 64 which came much after. Even with knowledge of Rare’s impressive design from controls to fun factor along with new-age technology, Retro Studios fails to deliver a remarkable experience over a decade later. Instead of giving what the fans truly want, they dish out a mediocre platformer, slapping the DK name on it. The game isn’t a terrible, it works and plays well enough though it lacks the charm of what the DKC series had to offer making it suffer Sonic 4 syndrome. For me, popping in DKC after was truly a relief. If you are following the hype, then I recommend you to pop in the original three to truly see which one is better.

“Back in my day, we didn’t have any of these here motion controls; just one controller that worked pretty darn’ well, whippersnapper!” ~ Cranky Kong



From average to mediocre games, Sonic hasn’t had a bright history within the realm of 3d. In November of 2010, a new title emerged called Sonic Colors but does it overcome the infamous “Sonic Cycle”?

Story:

Sonic and Tails ride a space elevator to Dr. Eggman’s Interstellar Amusement Park as he calls it. The doctor claims to be humble and that the park was built as atonement for his previous schemes. Obviously, Sonic and Tails believe it to be suspicious of the doctor to change his tune so quickly. The two set out and find that Eggman has been kidnapping little alien creatures known as wisps for another diabolical scheme to rule the universe.

Roger Craig Smith and Kate Higgins replace the original voice actors for Sonic & Tails.

The story is decent for a Sonic game, never leading to excessive melodrama or trying too hard. It’s a fun plot to see unfold especially when Sonic’s character is revealed as obnoxious and talkative. Even with very few characters, the writers do a very good job of fleshing out their personalities from just being cliche drones. Sonic appears as the quick and loquacious hedgehog who seems to talk even without anyone to listen but the player. With Roger Craig Smith (Chris Redfield in RE5) doing the voice-work for the hedgehog, it’s no wonder the story seemed hilarious in its own right. New voice actor Kate Higgins makes Tails sound less of a raspy voiced girl and more to an actual young boy. Tails comes off as the intelligent technician you expect also showing some spirit and is aware of his own quality instead of just aimlessly admiring Sonic. Mike Pollock continues to do an excellent job voicing Dr. Eggman. Throughout stages in the game, he speaks through a loud speaker to guide fellow visitors through his hazardous amusement park and “persuade” Sonic to come to him with excuses such as “we’ve found your keys… yeah that’s it!” Eggman has with him two robots called Cubot and Orbot (from Unleashed.) that have their own unique personality and add to the comedy of the game even though it was made for a younger audience. It would have been nice if the two drones appeared in cutscenes more often instead of only in Eggman’s scheme speeches.

Mike Pollock returns to voice the nefarious Dr. Eggman.

The story written by the writers of Madworld and Happy Tree Friends flows through well without forcing exposition and ends on a good note. If you pay even close attention you’ll notice the writers even slipped a Madworld reference into a cutscene.

Gameplay:

Think Sonic Unleashed without the werehog gimmick and various power abilities adding to the mix. Sonic runs from a constantly switching 2D to 3D plane. The 3D areas are usually speed based while the 2D areas are more platforming based. Sonic carries all of his abilities from Sonic Unleashed back into Sonic Colors besides the excessive boost move. In place for this, he has been given the ability to double jump when no enemies are around to home on. It really helps in a tight situation when the platforming gets rough.

If you are familiar with the gameplay and controls of Sonic Unleashed then you’ll feel right at home with Colors. Unlike its predecessor, Sonic Colors feels like it’s a much more polished version of unleashed, with specific sections of stages to handle well and lacking the constant glitches. The controls are responsive and easy to handle even with the Wiimote and Nunchuck.

Yummy, that ship looks good enough to eat!

In Sonic Colors, you are able to use the abilities of small alien creatures known as wisps. There are seven in total and the first grants Sonic his generic speed dash from Unleashed and the Rush series though isn’t as fast nor lasts that long. One such ability called “Cyan Laser” has Sonic roll in his trademark spindash to smash through a group of enemies like bowling pins. The ability doesn’t just have you roll into a random direction but predicts Sonic’s trail in his laser form so the player will easily be able to perform it quickly. The third ability is called the “Yellow Drill” which allows Sonic to dig through certain ground and water to grab rings and other goodies from within. Number four of the wisps is the “Orange Rocket” which shoots Sonic up once into the sky and has him glide his way to the ground soon after. It’s disappointing that this specific wisp isn’t really wired into the level design but is more of a pacing technique to reach higher ground. The fifth wisp in the list is “Green Hover” which (as the name says) allows Sonic to temporary float into the air. It also gives Sonic his light dash from previous entries in the franchise, allowing him to dash through a line of rings. The sixth and next to last wisp is “Blue Cube” which transforms Sonic into a “blue cube” and has him smashing the ground like Kirby in stone form. Smashing the ground breaks nearby objects that stand in Sonic’s way but also transforms special blue rings into blue cubes that can be traversed to access optional pathways and secrets. Each time Sonic uses his power, the blue cubes and blue rings switch form allow for actual platforming and puzzle elements instead of just dashing to the goal. The final wisp is “Purple Frenzy” which has Sonic transform into a purple chomping monster that devours everything in its way and grows when literally eating through the stage.

Underwater stages are back and begin to give out "Ganbare Goemon" vibes.

Everything is spot on in the gameplay department though there are a few flaws here and there. Even with its new style of gameplay, Sonic Colors delivers when it comes to nostalgia. (May I even say more-so then Sonic 4?) Old enemies appear throughout the game such as Buzzbomber, Grounder, and even the lovable Crabmeat show up, ready to have a taste of Sonic’s new powers.

Spikes (Yadorin in JP) from the original Sonic the Hedgehog is back and bigger than ever!

There are a few annoyances to add with the great gameplay. The yellow spring makes a welcome return as a tedious gimmick which suddenly stops the intense flow of the game. These annoying yet thankfully short stages contain a yellow spring that you follow in the direction it moves toward over bottomless pits and above enemies which may knock you into a pit if not careful. It’s surprising that the pace is killed by these stages of lackluster quality. Water stages also become a problem due to some being on rails with currents whishing you away from the goal and being able to infinitely jump underwater ruins what could have added a nice challenge though that is just nitpicking. Luckily these problems are few and far between leaving most of the game to daytime stages that surpass Unleashed in design.

Multiplayer comes in the form of "Sonic Simulator" stages.

There are stages gained by collecting red rings called Sonic Simulator stages in which you play as a mechanical Sonic through test stages. Each song has an 8-bit rendition of the level the stage is based on. There are 21 simulator stages altogether with 3 acts each for their respective Chaos Emerald. These Sonic Simulator stages are bland and sometimes tend to carry on for too long. (With one player of course.) After beating the stage once, there is no reason to replay them unless you want beat your time and score. However collecting them all nets you a special prize that hasn’t been seen since the 2D games. With only one Wiimote, I have not played the multiplayer so I am unable to verify if the lag is horrendous, good or if the multiplayer in general sucks.

Design:

This is where Sonic Colors really shines its brightest. This game literally has the best graphics on the Wii to date beating Super Mario Galaxy outright. Unlike SMG which only has a few actual modeled planets in the background along with a BG image, Sonic Colors has a large draw distance with most of the background objects modeled. In one level, Sonic runs over a digital road in space while Eggman’s fleet of colorful ships warp into the carnival while firecrackers crackle in the air and in another, rides a rollercoaster through a comet containing nuclear green volcanoes, spewing acid all over. There is sparse popup (I have yet to see any at all.) and the frame rate is an impressively constant 30 frames per second, even when things get really intense. Loading screens feel non-existent with stages booting up as fast as you select them.

The "Blue Cube" wisp adds more complex platforming to the mix, having you think instead of aimlessly running to the goal.

The engine is the most polished I’ve seen since Sonic’s debut in 3d. Sonic lacks the ability to glitch and run through walls and fall into cheap pits underneath the detailed architecture. Sometimes the engine may seem a bit too polished, with invisible walls blocking your way if you want to go and recollect something you previously missed, preventing any game breaking though this is only a problem if you are trying to experiment with the game’s already impressive engine. Unlike in Sonic Unleashed where to survive, memorization was the key to avoid cheap deaths; Sonic Colors warns you of instant kill hazards beforehand, preparing you for death defying platforming without the need to replay a level a million times. Prior to the final level, if you die then it’s your fault.

Sonic Colors is an extremely colorful game, hence the title.

It’s easy to tell that Sonic Team had fun designing this game. The egg-pawn which were generic in the past are finally given their own identity. In each stage, the egg-pawns are given their own look depending on the theme. In the second level, Sweet Mountain, the egg-pawns are all dressed up in chef attire, traversing the mountains of hamburgers and giant donuts. In the oriental theme park, Aquatic Park, the egg-pawns wield katanas while dressed as Japanese samurai, ready to cut Sonic down when he comes near.

As good as the game actually is, Sonic Colors actually suffers for being too good. What does that mean you ask? Well before the game was released I’ve browsed through footage of first couple of stages from the E3 demo. I could see the player using the wisps to their full potential, digging for secret rings with the Yellow Drill and gaining bonuses for tumbling egg-pawns with Cyan Laser. When you first play the game the wisps are unavailable to use at your disposal and the game forces you to play the stage like a generic platformer without any of the powers. Yes, eventually you’ll unlock them all but depending on who you are, you may or may not want to replay those prior stages with the newly obtained wisps. It’s not to say it was a dumb choice on Sonic Team’s part because I understand it is for the sake of replay value and boy this game has a lot of that. The problem lies in the fact that the stages aren’t mandatory to be played with full control over the wisps. So for anyone who plans to play the game once through will not be as satisfied as those who actually replay the game. It is a shame that due to the wisps making the levels more lively and complex compared to the hold right to win stages in its predecessor, Sonic Unleashed.

"Beware the treacherous yellow spring!"

A weird design issue I had was the timer in a stage. Whenever you die, the timer doesn’t reset and makes it seem like you took 8 minutes when you technically took 5 to beat a stage. Perhaps it’s for the sake of perfection if you want a good time; either way I find it an odd design choice.

Another problem is the way the game is paced. Each level consists of six acts and a boss battle. “Six? That must be a lot of stages for each level!” You may think until you actually play the game. The first act of each level is usually the most epic and well designed stage of level consisting of presentation not found in prior games. After completion you’ll head on to the next act, only to find it much shorter though still fun like the first act. Then on the 3rd act, the stage will take a minute or less to beat along with some arbitrary platforming which will make you scratch your head in confusion. The rest of the acts then become rehashes of previous acts with platforms swapped in different locations; basically, the same physical stage with a less inspiring path and if you’re unlucky, a yellow spring. (Though in a few levels Act 6 is close to the best act in the level in terms of quality.) At the end of level, you’ll reach the boss and the flow will suddenly retain itself. Half the bosses in the game are also rehashes of previous bosses but more difficult to battle. Its things like those that make you think why the developers cut corners and hadn’t given us six epic, good length acts. That would have made the flow perfect. Things get cheap near the final boss where checkpoints suddenly disappear and a certain level proves to be very anticlimactic. No Doomsday Zone really sucks…

Now you can literally eat your way through a stage with the "Purple Frenzy" wisp.

Sound:

I must say that Sonic Colors has one of the best soundtracks, if not the best soundtrack of the year. Lead Composer, Jun Senoue tosses the lackluster attempt of revisiting the genesis era with Sonic 4 out of the window in place for the exotic sounds in Sonic Colors. In each level, the music isn’t too forced, or dull at all. Every track is given something that makes it fit into the level it is placed in. From the Japanese techno beats in Aquarium Park to the funky orchestra in Sweet Mountain to the satisfying jazzy guitar riffs in the final stage, (Which I must say is better then the actual stage.) the music will keep you hooked until the end. In the Sonic Simulator stages 8-bit renditions of each level will play through the acts. There are a few exceptions to the sound however. Depending on your taste, you will either love or hate the vocal themes. A few of the normal boss themes also seem a bit underwhelming compared to the rest of music within the game. The budget was high on this one and it really shows. Hell buy the soundtrack, it’s that good!

Conclusion:

Sonic Colors is perhaps the best 3D Sonic game to date though it suffers for having been in development shortly yet the polished engine proves that Sonic Team has the potential of making grand Sonic game. The game is gorgeous, has an astounding soundtrack, epic act 1 level design. It suffers from short first playthrough and various corners cut though don’t expect to find any glitches about. (Rarely, if at all.)

If you just want to run through the levels and enjoy the sights, the game will clock in at about 5 hours. However if you’re a perfectionist, the game will definitely be worth the money you spend. There are a dozen things to do after completing the game such as collecting all 180 red rings, completing all 21 Sonic Simulator stages for the Chaos Emeralds, and testing your skills on the challenge mode.

If you’re a Sonic fan or a fan of platformers, this game is a must-buy for the Wii. You won’t be disappointed unless you’re just going for the ride one time. This game is meant to be played more than once.

Sonic Cycle, thou’st has been bested.

Youmacon, now finished with its 6th year, is a convention of exponential growth. Being one of the bigger cons in Detroit, Michigan, not only is it popular for those in the Midwest, or even to many others within the United States, but also to those across the border in Canada, especially residents of Toronto, Windsor, and other cities. This year, it being moved to its new location of the GM Renaissance Center, located just across the border and beside the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, it definitely had a chance to shine both location- and attendance-wise.

Noting the eight elevators within the Renaissance Center, I thought to myself that it’d be quick rides up and down between the rooms and main convention area. I, like many others, was unfortunately wrong– the new location and space meant a severe hike in attendance, which the hotel and staff simply did not seem to be ready for; the elevators and escalators were packed for the duration of the con, at least during the main hours.

Unlike many other conventions, Youmacon begins its programming on Thursday instead of Friday, making it one of many 4-day anime conventions within North America. The Thursday kick-off gives people a chance to get to wander around, meet people they may re-encounter in the following days, pick up badges, and scope out locations for photos.

Guests this year ranged from common to rare, with the avid goers like Vic Mignogna making an appearance alongside fairly uncommon, but impressive, voices like Brad Swaile and Caitlin Glass. Martin “LittleKuriboh” Billany of the “Yu-Gi-Oh: The Abridged Series” fame also made an appearance to talk about his material and work. Many guests on Friday were treated to the musical performances of Lemon Demon, The Spoony Bards, and even the eye-tantalizing light show that only a talent like Illuminatus can put on.

The masquerade, a tradition of attendee talent display with just about any convention, was abundant with skits, varying from dance to comedy routines, dramatic to humorous, and absolutely fantastic to a chore to watch. There were, amongst the usual inside joke and out-of-character acts, a few notable gem routines– some involving angry anime puppetry, sporadic dance routines, and even live violin playing.

Following the skits of the masquerade were the walk-on cosplayers, showcasing their talent in craftsmanship and costuming, some simple, some massive, some quirky, some complex, but almost all of them outstanding.

The day wound down drastically on Sunday, with the cosplayers hurrying to pack up their myriad of costumes, the artists and dealers packing up their products, and everyone else was busy napping or relaxing around the convention center. A few people talked about their Hallowe’en plans for later on in the night, others about their trips home. A great way to wind down a great weekend, and I, and a good few others, look forward to Youmacon’s return to the Renaissance Center next year.