It's so bizzarre how DKC2 is able to remain one of the best 2D platformers to this day.

It's so good that it was alone able to turn what was for all intent and purposes a "DK OC made by Rare" into one of Nintendo's biggest icons, stnaidng out to this day (despite his mixed representations in future titles),

It presents immaculate movement, letting you keep your momentum and enjoy the really creative levels on different paces. And this is even without considering the amount of secrets each level has in terms of collectibles and side modes where you get to play as the Animal Buddies.

In terms of the vibes of the game, I love that Rare made a Rayman 2 approach before Rayman 2: the island you known from the first game has now been taken over by pirates, leading to darker and more menacing environments.
But the game doesn't stop at that: it's still able to present a charm like no other nintendo platformer is able to, with its sharp and humorous writing, the incredible visual characterization of any character and enemy, and an atmosphere that sometimes can feel.... oniric or magical.

The fact that an emotional piece of music like Stickerbush Symphony originates from a 1995 game about silly monkeys and crocodiles is incredible.

My only nitpick with this game is that I feel like the addition of Dixie as the "easier" playable character kind of leave diddy to feel a bit off.

Diddy still controls amazingly, don't get me wrong, but the fact that he is standing next to a character with the ability to hover makes him shine a bit less in my opinion: I kinda wish they added something to his gameplay to compensate for this lack of peculiar ability.

But aside from this weird rant.... yeah DKC2 is a masterpiece: easily the best game in the DK franchise.

Words can't describe how much I love this game. Which kind of defeats the purpose of me trying to "review" it...

The levels, the movement, the music, the secrets. How can you even come up with shit like this? what super computer brain could possibly come close to this mastapiece.

If Him was a game, he would be this one.

A few months after my initial attempt at playing through it, I've finally finished Donkey Kong Country 2. And yeah, it's really good. The characters feel great to control, the levels are well-designed, and the music and visuals were pretty ahead of their time. That said, for every few cool bits of level design or moments of satisfying movement, there's a frustrating moment. Maybe I got too reliant on the NSO SNES rewind function or maybe I just need to get good, but there are a few too many rough spots for me to consider this an all-time favorite.

Still, I respect what it does and I get why it struck a chord for so many people!

DKC2 is basically a perfect game. You've got peak atmosphere, great music, gorgeous levels, diverse and challenging levels, smooth and responsive controls, and it's replayable to a fault.

Rare took a nearly perfect game and made it better. This is a game I fire up at the drop of a hat for some good old platformin'.

Also the Rare logo screen with the 8 second stinger is the definition of hype.

A Kong-quest to find a barrel of fun! 🛢️

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest is an absolute BANGER of a platformer that supersedes the first Donkey Kong Country in every way. One year after DKC the visuals to its challenging gameplay are amped up and lets not forget the LEGENDARY memorable soundtrack from David Wise, it's Rareware Magnum Opus on the Super Nintendo!

Moving from DK Island to Crocodile Isle was a bold move and even switching the tone to mysterious and dark I think was the right choice in making the sequel stand out. Every location from Krazy Kremland to Gangplank Ganlleon; every location feels alive and full of personality suiting both our protagonists as they maneuver through obstacles to save Donkey Kong.

That's right! Donkey Kong is nowhere to be seen almost 98% of the game. Introducing the newest addition to the Kongs is Dixie. Her ability to glide through the air adds a new dimension to the platforming, allowing for even more creative level design and traversal options. With this in mind there never felt a dull moment from beginning to end as each level and world felt expertly crafted.

One flaw that DKC had is immediately addressed here. The World bosses now offer a challenge and actually require some thinking instead of the typical jump on their head and move on. Some require you to play as animal buddies. This adds another layer of gameplay to what is already a well built system. I never felt like I was cheated at all besides 1-2 levels.

Now to my favorite part, no review of Diddy's Kong Quest would be complete without mentioning its incredible soundtrack. Composed by David Wise once again, the music is simply phenomenal, that I think is better than DKC. From the upbeat rhythms of Stickerbush Symphony to the dark melodies of Welcome to Crocodile Isle and who can forget the BANGER bonus stage music Token Tango easily top 10 for me.

Overall, Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest is a masterpiece of 2D platforming that stands as one of the greatest games ever made for the Super Nintendo. Replay value is insane as there is a secret world and motivation to continue on and collect everything from all the levels. I absolutely recommend this game!