Level Up: Donkey Kong Country 2

(UUGGHH! Blogspot, y u no post image right?)

Alright, let’s get right down to it: Donkey Kong Country 2 for the Super Nintendo. If you haven’t listened to my review of the first Donkey Kong Country, please do it now, because I will be referencing it a lot.

The game starts off sometime after the first game left us off: as a matter of fact, the first level of the game, Gangplank Galleon, is a representation of the final level of the first game (where you fought King K. Rool). The plot starts off with Donkey Kong getting kidnapped by Kaptain K. Rool and held up for ransom for the Banana Hoard. Diddy Kong, who was second banana and the last game, doesn’t want to give into the croc’s demands and leads in on a quest to save DK (hence the subtitle “Diddy Kong’s Quest”). Of course, he doesn’t rush in alone: he enlists the help of his girlfriend, Dixie Kong, recognizable for her pink wardrobe and long ponytail. Together, the two must venture into the strange land of Crocodile Isle, save Donkey Kong and stop the evil Kaptain K. Rool.

Now, I know what you’re probably wondering: is King K. Roll the same person as Kaptain K. Rool? Thought it’s not spelled out for us in the game, the instruction manual implies that most of the Kong family believes that, yes, it’s King K. Rool going under a different title. (Quote: "I thought we'd seen the last of that old rascal for a while") However, I can’t find any reliable source quoting Nintendo or Rare saying that they are the same person in black and white. It’s possible that the Kongs were referencing another incident we don’t know of where they faced the Kaptain and that he’s the King’s brother or other close family member. But, since there’s no implication that he’s a different croc, I’m going to say that they’re the same person.

Remember all those good things that I said about Donkey Kong Country’s gameplay? The smoothness, life system, rolling, barrels, all of that? Well, believe it or not, this game adds to it! Completely new to this game, you have the ability to throw your partner, which is used for a lot of puzzles. When you press the A button, the monkey you’re currently not playing as jumps on the back of the other, which allows you to throw them. This means you can get items and reach platforms that are out of reach. It only takes a short time to master, works great and adds so much to this game.

One thing that I didn’t have time to mention in the last review was the bonus areas: secret rooms you could enter for the chance to get bonus lives and bananas, and if you wanted the full percentage of the game, you had to find them all. The problem for me was they sometimes just seemed pointless and the definition of what was a bonus wasn’t clear. In DKC2, the line is a lot more clearly drawn: you get a title card telling you what your goal is, a timer and various music cues telling you “you are in a bonus”. I’m glad they changed this, because they had to; the bonuses serve a more important purpose now, which are the coin prizes you get.

There are three kinds of coins in this game: banana tokens, Kremkoins and the DK coins. The banana tokens are the only unlimited ones: these are used for things such as saving at Wrinkly’s college, getting a lift from Funky or having Cranky give you a few tips. The Kremkoins are your reward for beating a bonus, and you eventually use them to cross over to the “Lost World” (which is required to see the true ending). The final DK coins are just an extra challenge submitted by Cranky: there is one hidden in each level and your job is to find it. Again, all of this just adds to the amount of fun that the original Donkey Kong Country already set up.

Donkey Kong Country 2 is a prime example of how sequels in video games should work. It takes everything you know from the original game and just adds onto that; more animal buddies, new skills, the coin challenges, etc... The graphics remain just as good and the music has the same quality, but everything seems much more atmospheric due to the slightly more serious nature of the game. The settings are also more diverse, with an amusement park, volcano and haunted world (the most diverse the original game got was a glacial level). This game is SO GOOD! If you liked Donkey Kong Country, you’ll go ape for this one: it’s now available on the Wii Virtual Console and it’s been ported on the GBA. I give Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kong’s Quest for the Super Nintendo 10 out of 10 levels (I told you there was a reason for not giving that score to the first game).