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Donkey Kong Country 2 is 25 years old

Mekanos

Mekanos

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Oct 17, 2018
44,127
While finding the exact date is difficult, several pages on Wikipedia claim that DKC2 came out on November 20th, so, we're gonna do this now.

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The highly anticipated sequel to the breakout Donkey Kong Country, the story took a swerve by having the hero of the previous game be imprisoned as Diddy must now step up to save the day with his newly introduced girlfriend Dixie Kong, traveling across pirate ships, beehives, brambles, and more.

With its legendary soundtrack, iconic Kong duo, gothic pirate theme, secrets galore, and arguably the most beloved incarnation of K. Rool, DKC2 is widely regarded by fans as the best of the original SNES trilogy and still a contender for the best DKC game to this day, and one of the most beloved 2D platformers of all time. It's also considered a crown jewel of Rare's library, which is no mean feat considering how many games they made that are still considered classics to this day.

Here's to another 25 years of Kong Questing.
 
Weiss

Weiss

User requested ban
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
64,265
The single greatest 2D platformer of all time.

Except for that one DK Coin where you have 1/8th of a second to get it or you have to repeat the hardest level in the game.
 
lt519

lt519

Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,064
I remember it taking us a whole afternoon to get through Target Terror rollercoaster level especially because each time you ran out of lives you had to replay the previous levels. I remember it specifically cause the damn beehive level was before it. Not sure why it was so hard for us, but then again we were like 8 years old.

That or it was one of the other ones, maybe Rickety Race. It's made me despise the mine cart levels in the DKCR games.
 
hydruxo

hydruxo

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Oct 25, 2017
20,409
Still my all-time favorite game. Nothing else really comes close for me. The music, the platforming, the atmosphere. It's pretty much perfect.

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jwhit28

jwhit28

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Oct 25, 2017
5,048
It's crazy a 2d mascot yearly sequel platformer has such a unique atmosphere. It's hard to think of anything quite like it still.
 
Giga Man

Giga Man

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Oct 27, 2017
21,218
The debut of a character that really should have been in Smash Bros. by now but still isn't.

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Nocturnowl

Nocturnowl

Member
Oct 25, 2017
26,092
GOAT tier

I just realised that 5 years ago I made this game's last anniversary thread in the old place, still got some of the game's concept images on my imgur, may as well bring them back!

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xpownz

xpownz

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Feb 13, 2020
2,161
and it took me 25 years to realize that diddy's kong quest is diddy's conquest
 
criteriondog

criteriondog

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Oct 26, 2017
11,080
Played through this and DKC1 on Switch when they released. 1 was great but 2 is so much fun. I never played 3 and at this point I might when it comes to SNES Online.
 
Catalyst

Catalyst

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Oct 6, 2020
1,440
Probably the best SNES platformer and that says a LOT considering Mario World, Yoshi's Island, and Mega Man X exist.
 
Dolce

Dolce

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Oct 25, 2017
14,236
I wish I liked it more than I do. I like DKC1 a lot but have always hated the first few worlds of DKC2 and have never made it further than that.
 
Hootie

Hootie

Member
Dec 25, 2017
1,332
the absolute pinnacle of platformers and one of my favorite games of all time. just flawless

and so many nostalgic memories, both as a child playing it and in college playing it with my buddy
 
Xtortion

Xtortion

One Winged Slayer
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Oct 25, 2017
6,638
United States
Nocturnowl said:
GOAT tier

I just realised that 5 years ago I made this game's last anniversary thread in the old place, still got some of the game's concept images on my imgur, may as well bring them back!

0ljOxjJ.jpg


Bp6EoRv.jpg
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Oh snap, never seen that world map concept before. Mount Kremore became the Lost World if I had to guess. Swamp city concept reminds me of that one 200% concept art from Tropical Freeze with the same theme.
 
Shiranui93

Shiranui93

One Winged Slayer
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Mar 7, 2018
429
I love absolutely everything about this game. One of my fondest childhood memories and one of the first games I've ever played.
 

CarpenterJack

Member
Nov 18, 2017
142
Maybe I'm crazy but I think first DKC is much better than DKC2. Much better music, varied levels and environments. This hit me when I played them again on NSO. Less memorable OST than I remembered in #2, to my disappontment.

Still a great game though!
 

Deleted member 8463

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
6,261
One of the few SNES games I held onto, unfortunately the box is pretty shabby after 25 years. Absolutely sublime and the soundtrack is still stuck in my head.
 
OP
OP
Mekanos

Mekanos

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Oct 17, 2018
44,127
I think Yoshi's Island isn't too far behind DKC2 but I do think SMW, even though it was literally my first game ever, is comfortably behind both of those. SMB3 vs. DKC2 on the other hand is much closer and I go back and forth on which I like more.

CarpenterJack said:
Maybe I'm crazy but I think first DKC is much better than DKC2. Much better music, varied levels and environments. This hit me when I played them again on NSO. Less memorable OST than I remembered in #2, to my disappontment.

Still a great game though!
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Gotta disagree on the varied levels and environments, considering how often DKC1 reuses the cave/mine themes. The last world of DKC1 doesn't even introduce any new level themes. Meanwhile DKC2 has some really inspired settings like beehives and brambles that you really don't see in many other platformers to this day.

Both games have fantastic soundtracks though.
 
Nocturnowl

Nocturnowl

Member
Oct 25, 2017
26,092
Mekanos already got there so I don't need to pounce, DKC2's varied level themes are like its secret sauce and even the ones sharing a similar angle (pirate ship) have this combo of ship deck, rigging and flooded hold that feel far removed for each other.
On that note
- I can't be the only thirty something around here who still thinks the background visual of the ship hold with its shifting water level is still dope as all hell
- Why can I never remember the placement of Glimmer's DK coin? whhhyyy
 
El Buga

El Buga

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,595
Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
Happy birthday to the King. To me, it has the best video game OST of all time, and I'm glad I got the CD from a friend years ago.

I want this game remade with the original SGI assets in 1080p, plus restored music!
 
GreenMamba

GreenMamba

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Oct 25, 2017
10,291
One of the all time greats. I'm still discovering cool things--just realized in the last playthrough on the NSO version that the sunset on the third level is based on your forward movement through the level, very clever.
 
Nali

Nali

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Oct 25, 2017
3,649
Rare's finest moment, and still comfortably the best game in its series and one of the best platformers ever made. Every single designer in every corner of the project brought their A game, and it all gelled into a uniquely melancholy experience. The only meaningful criticism I can level at it is that Dixie's hover is a substantially more interesting advantage than Diddy's higher agility.
 
aerie

aerie

wonky
Administrator
Oct 25, 2017
8,033
I've been replaying Donkey Kong Country with a friend via NSO, and it has been a really wonderful experience. We'll be starting DKC2 soon.

Both games I owned when they released, and I still adore 2. Arguably Rare's best game.
 
base_two

base_two

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,811
The GOAT. They don't make too many games like this anymore. The visuals, the gameplay, the soundtrack...it's just all working together at a high level in this game.
 
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OP
Mekanos

Mekanos

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Oct 17, 2018
44,127
The Woods said:
I've been replaying Donkey Kong Country with a friend via NSO, and it has been a really wonderful experience. We'll be starting DKC2 soon.

Both games I owned when they released, and I still adore 2. Arguably Rare's best game.
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Both Banjo-Kazooie and DKC2 occupy my top ten, I gotta give the slight nod to BK, but DKC2 definitely is just as worthy for a claim to that throne. 90s Rare was such an incredible dev that we may never see the likes of again.
 
xGeneral Ice

xGeneral Ice

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Nov 1, 2017
1,950
Weiss said:
The single greatest 2D platformer of all time.

Except for that one DK Coin where you have 1/8th of a second to get it or you have to repeat the hardest level in the game.
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Are you talking about the coaster level? Cause fuck that. Thank god for save points.

oh you said dk. I was thinking about bonus coin lol
 
aerie

aerie

wonky
Administrator
Oct 25, 2017
8,033
Mekanos said:
Both Banjo-Kazooie and DKC2 occupy my top ten, I gotta give the slight nod to BK, but DKC2 definitely is just as worthy for a claim to that throne. 90s Rare was such an incredible dev that we may never see the likes of again.
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I'd personally give the nod to Banjo as well. Rare's output from the mid to late '90s was just unreal.
 
FerrisBueller

FerrisBueller

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Jul 15, 2018
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I never played it as a kid, but any time I hear the title theme it makes me imagine how much nostalgia it would make me feel if I had.
 
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