Back in 2016, I used video capture equipment to make this video essay on the visual storytelling techniques used in the Wii-U game Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. The DKC series has always been near to my heart, and Tropical Freeze is outstanding.

In this video, I document how the developers at Retro Studios tell story—not through elaborate cutscenes—but through in-game visuals. This essay reveals a lot of depth to the game that has been little discussed in other forums.

I always meant to follow up this video with other video essays, but life got busy, and I never returned to the hobby (I even recorded footage for the original Donkey Kong Country). Still, as a fan of Let’s Play videos, I was satisfied with what I was able to achieve in this video. Had Let’s Plays been a thing when I was in my 20s, I probably would’ve made more of these.