It’s very impressive Rare did two things after the smash hit SNES game Donkey Kong Country (1994). That’s as follows:
- Launch Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest a year after the original.
- Make it one hell of a better game than the first one.
Rare learned from all the gameplay failings of the first to deliver DKC 2, one of the finest Super Nintendo platformers. And it just so happens to be complemented by one of the best game soundtracks of all time.
One of the Best SNES Platformers in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest
Launching on November 21st 1995, Rare’s sequel to the smash hit first game had some serious business about it.
British developer Rare seemed hellbent on improving the gameplay experience, building on the lack of depth of the first DKC outing. And development began shortly after the launch of DKC in November 1994.
Rare also made the brave decision to drop Donkey Kong from the sequel.
He’s kidnapped and, with red baseball cap sporting Diddy Kong as the lead, you have to go off and rescue the hairy SOB.
Although the hype wasn’t as vast as for the first game, it didn’t disappoint on its launch. Critically acclaimed, it also sold 4.37 million copies and was the second bestselling Super Nintendo game of 1995 (not a bad achievement given its launch late in the year).
But we have to address it immediately.
Diddy’s Kong Quest was a massive step up over Donkey Kong Country. Its gameplay is sublime; fast-paced, intricate, inventive, and thrilling. After the jaunty first level of Pirate Panic the game launches Mainbrace Mayhem at players.
There’s just something about this level we love. High up with those multi-layered pre-rendered graphics (clouds swooping in the foreground) and then that fabulous looping track from David Wise.
It’s a challenging level, too, that opens up the game world. With new character Dixie Kong you can swoop about the place.
The ropes take you across the entirety of the screen. Bonus levels are well hidden and rewarding when you bag them. And there’s a DKC Coin to collect, too, for canny players looking out for it.
Just a categorically vast, all-encompassing gameplay enhancement over DKC.
And that’s made very clear right from the second level. Everything just builds from there and some of the stages in Donkey Kong Country 2 are just outstanding. Again, full credit to Rare here. This was no lazy sequel, they did their homework and results speak volumes almost 30 years later.
By the second world there’s the likes of Hot Head Hop, with its amazing music, dramatic backdrop, and fun level mechanics.
Things just keep on building, too, and by world three you’ve got Barrel Bayou with another amazing composition and dramatic, moody, swampy landscapes and precise platforming action.
An absolute masterclass in level design, we’d say only Nintendo’s genius in Yoshi’s Island (1995) topped 2D platformers that year.
Bramble Blast we must mention as Stickerbush Symphony rears itself here. Some gamers have expressed their dislike of this level, but we quite like it.
There’s something quite melodic and relaxing about the repetitive search to escape from the brambles. Helped along massively by the might of that reflective music.
The challenge is ramped up, especially towards the end of the game (just try out that final, secret world to see) and this is tough platformer.
But it’s accessible. To this day, playing it is a joy. It’s just packed with little details and hidden areas, but the variety of each area is well thought out.
Each new world offers something new, refreshing, and interesting.
Although we have a huge amount of love for Donkey Kong Country 3 (1996), we must say DKC 2 is the best in the SNES trilogy. That’s debateable, of course, but as a platformer it is an outright classic.
Rare didn’t hold back, either, as they’d launched Killer Instinct in 1995, too, on the SNES and we all know what the developer went on to do for the Nintendo 64.
In addressing the issues with DKC for the sequel, and being open to feedback from gamers and Nintendo, Rare set itself on the path towards being the best games developer in the world.
And we’d say they did that by the end of the 1990s.
It’s always with great delight we see Nintendo launch DKC 2 on its latest hardware. You can see it on the Nintendo Switch right now and, yes, it’s totally worth investing in the annual subscription fee.
Diddy’s Kong Quest is a delight from start to finish. Our only lasting wish is it gains a greater reputation than its predecessor.
Donkey Kong Country 2’s Soundtrack: One of the Best in Video Game History
Cripes alive, British composer David Wise delivered something very special with Diddy’s Kong Quest. The DKC 2 soundtrack is a work of genius.
Alongside the brilliance of Stickerbush Symphony, there are many other major highs. That includes one of our favourites—Hot Head Hop (replete with bubbling lava sound effects).
There’s some serious drama in Bayou Boogie, too, which was probably our favourite as kids. It now reminds us a bit of Can’s Sing Swan Song from the Ege Bamyasi (1972) album. It’s a magical little number.
That’s become one of the peculiar things about the DKC trilogy. This music makes these platformer adventures profound.
It’s a weird thing, but it just works so spectacularly well. As you guide these monkeys towards their goal you feel totally invested and immersed in it all. You’re there to save the bloody day!
Pretty much every level is accompanied by amazing music. A personal favourite (as we’ve mentioned higher above) is Jib Jig off the second level.
We make the claim the DK Country 2 OST is one of the best ever video game soundtracks. There’s a lot of stunning music out there in the gaming world.
But even modern titles struggle to match the melodic brilliance of Wise’s work here from 1995. An absolute career highlight for him.
