Old Skool Review 1: Donkey Kong Country 2-Diddy Kong's Quest

[Demiveeman]

I remember the first time I beat Donkey Kong Country for the SNES. Ahh, yes...Monkeys Jumping, Bananas Falling, Gators Flying...
For that for short period of time between the beginning of the credits and the ending screen...I was in pure bliss. I had finally completed the game that had controlled me for once. I also remember how it felt when I turned the SNES off.

I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE SEQUEL.

Well, the sequel finally arrived with a bang...and became one of the greatest games in SNES history. What seperates Donkey Kong Country 2 from the others (besides the fact it was made in Japan while the others were made in China)? Well, one of the reasons is the lack of Donkey Kong. Sound strange? Well, It's not. In my opinion...Donkey Kong ruined the first game. He was just too big and hefty to be a platform character. Ok...so you are saying Donkey Kong wasn't in DKC3 Either, right? Well, you are right...he wasn't. They actually sank lower and created Kiddy Kong--an even more unfit and stupid monkey than the original Donkey Kong. So what was the big deal with these characters? Well, since they were gone...Donkey Kong Country 2 was the fastest moving of the series...and I just like fast games.

Story
Donkey Kong Country 2 takes off a little later than the first. In the beginning Diddy Kong discoveres that Donkey Kong has been kidnapped by K. Rool and with the help of his girlfriend, Dixie, begin to search for him and his napper.

Gameplay
Probably one of the best platformers of all time, the game really provides enough variety to keep the player clinging for more without changing it so much that you lose the feel of the game. As Diddy, you are a quick moving, light-weighted chimp who can use his cartwheel technique to knock out enemies. Where Diddy exceeds in lightness, Dixie counteracts with Aerodynamics. She has hair that can be used as a copter and can glide for long distances. She also has a hair spin technique to knock out enemies. The bonus targets at the end of the levels are a great add on, and the addition of even more secret levels than the first game offers awesome challenge to the game. And with the return of the original Animal Pals, along with some new friends, this game gets perfect on gameplay.

Graphics
Well, I'm not going to lie. The graphics aren't the best...but they aren't exactly the worst. Weather effects were done well. The levels are detailed enough and the characters are well-defined. Certain objects in the games look fuzzy and well...stupid. That's right...Stupid. Whats the point of putting an object for view in a room if you cant tell what it is? I remember spending 30 minutes trying to figure out what one object was. I finally narrowed it down to either a shadow of luigi, a coat hanger, or a life-size replica of John Travolta. I still have yet to figure out the mystery. The games graphics really aren't the best. But with what this game lacks it graphics...it will make up in sound.

Sound
This is where the game truly revolutionizes the SNES. Never before have I ever heard such amazing compositions come from a video game, including the original Donkey Kong Country. In fact, I am listening to some of the songs as I type this review. Not only is the music absolutely astounding, but the sound effects are equal in quality. When you are on the boat...You can hear the waves splash back and forth. The amazing detail in the sound made the game a truly remarkable experience. Every "baddie" had its own special sounds. The weather sound effects like rain and thunder were done exeptionally well. I'm talking...near CD quality here...or at least..sounded that way. The sound ALONE is enough to purchase the game...let alone awesome gameplay and decent graphics.

Overall
What else can I say? This is by far my favorite SNES game and is definitately a must have for all SNES owners...and is even a reason to buy a Super Nintendo itself. The game never gets old, you always discover something new in the game...and just hearing the sounds again in their original context is worth dusting off the SNES once in a while.

Thanks for reading this review...
Brought to you straight from Demiveeman-The Review Man

And keep a lookout for my review of eDimensional's E-D Glasses for the PC...It will be up in the next week.

[Demiveeman]

I correct myself...

Donkey Country 2 was made in Mexico...

the rest were made in Japan