Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest

This is another of my favorite video games of all time. Of course, after the phenomenal high swinging success of the first game a sequel was inevitable and this game followed up well. Personally, I think the game is equal to its predecessor but I kind of like it a bit more due to a few improvements it has, which is why I rank the game a little high on my personal ranking list.

There isn't a whole lot I can say as the game isn't really that different from the first which is fine by me as it goes with the old saying, "if it's not broke don't fix it." It has the same graphical presentation and gameplay, but the sequel has a few additions and improvements that showcase how this truly is a new chapter. Really like the Will Vinton like character models, their liveliness and humor, one of my favorite moments is seeing Diddy be box or Dixie rock on the guitar every time they clear a level, yeah, those victories I accomplished made me want to that also.

For one thing the game has more of the swashbuckling adventure theme as we see our simian hero and heroine fighting against Pirates, which is cool as I like Pirate adventures and the pulp adventure stories that have to do with long ago hidden treasure. The music is also still great there are still memorable tracks as it this time has the swashbuckling theme and there is also still the relaxation feel to them to take the frustration off but also a few more relaxation tracks to add on.

Gameplay is still the same, with the same control, some of the same animals to ride but some new ones like a spider wearing Nike or Reebok shoes and shoots out deadly webs. You still have the different themed levels which each have different challenges my personal favorite is the amusement park level and stages as I always love amusement parks there is just also so much you can do in those places. The design of the stages and levels I feel is an improvement, you still have the linear point A to B romp but they don't make it a straight path this time as its slightly nonlinear or at least seems that way. And of course, they are all not without those secrets, there are probably still a few I have yet to uncover.

It still has the medium hard difficulty which is fine by me as I honestly wouldn't want it any other way, but like I said that's just me being a veteran of the platform action genre. This doesn't put me off because it's still fair and manageable.

Despite a change in character as Donkey Kong isn't around this time, in fact he's the person in peril to rescue. But I didn't mind as it's expected in franchise sequel where the main character/s from the previous film don't always come back because their story is over and also the title of the franchise is "Donkey Kong Country" where it's not solely about Donkey Kong but more the world he inhabits. Also, the addition of a new character/s help in keeping the franchise fresh but also mean new opportunities to utilize and new stories to explore.

Really like the new character Dixie Kong, makes sense that Diddy would have a girlfriend which is fair as Donkey Kong has Candy Kong. Diddy and Dixie are like a lot of anamorphic duo dynamic couples like Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Buster and Babs Bunny, etc.

Anyway, really like the new edition Dixie as her main thing is having her hair which is as long as "Sailor Moon" being her primary weapon. I know it's so daft, hair as a weapon but I love that as it's a non cliche weapon, the only other time I've seen hair as a weapon was in the NES game "Kabuki Quantum Fighter" (game I reviewed). How the heck here hair can be a lethal weapon is anyone guess, may 'be her strands have superhuman strength. But with this hair she can use it as a helicopter propeller to slow her descent and to help get from point A to B. But also use it as an attack weapon to club away enemies but also pick up barrels with her hair, yeah not kidding. This makes her good with offense as her throws have a long distance.

Donkey Kong's Country just got a lot bigger with this sequel.

Rating: 4 stars.

Donkey Kong has now been kidnapped by Kaptian K.Rool and now Diddy Kong and his girlfriend Dixie Kong must save Donkey Kong from the clutches of the fat kremlin and his crew of kremlings.

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest is a great sequel to the original Donkey Kong Country though sometimes I think this one lacks a little bit behind. I hate how they put some of the new systems in there like the coins to save a game and many coins to get to lost worlds though I like a bit of challenge. Like the original though there is really nothing to hate. What i've just said there was the only thing I didn't like.

An improvement is that now the levels are 200 times harder, Instead of having a heavy Kong and a Light Kong You end up having two flexible Kongs and now you get to buy Lost Worlds and the feel of the Kong Island/Jungle theme is gone and Now in this sequel we have K.Rool's lair and the theme is pirates.

I like the Honey Comb land like levels and you still get Animal Buddies back just like you do in the first one though there are newer ones.

This sequel does keep up well with the original though I still like the original better. I give this sequel an outstanding 9.1/10

The original "Donkey Kong Country" game was such a success that it pretty much usurped Mario on the SNES console for the title of "best side-scrolling adventure". This sequel, "Diddy's Kong Quest", however, manages to even improve upon the gameplay of its predecessor and make for an even better gaming experience.

There are two main reasons why this game is better than the original:

1. The level designs manage to be even more interesting. Not that the levels in "DK1" were bad, by any means, but they are just more interesting in this effort. When I think back to the iconic levels in this series, I'm usually thinking of ones from this game.

2. Dixie Kong is a better playable character than Donkey Kong. The main trouble with the DK/Diddy combo of part one is that DK is such a sluggish character. He "gets the job done", but only passably for a game that requires so much jumping. In that game, Diddy is the much better character. In part two, though, the Diddy/Dixie combination are pretty much equals. Diddy is still a bit more agile and nimble to work with, but the hair of Dixie (used for flying and throwing) makes her very valuable as well.

The only reason I can't give this game the full five stars? It doesn't let you save after every level. I know, I know...gamers weren't used to that feature like they are now. But it still doesn't make it any better (at least for me). After about the second stage, the levels in this game get quite difficult. Difficult to the point of the gamer feeling a real accomplishment after completing a level (which of course is the point!). Yet, there is a clunky system of gathering coins in order to save (and even then it is only after you reach the "save point" in each stage). You may have to beat 3- 4 VERY difficult stages (often with only a few lives to work with) in order to save your progress. I don't care what the "times" were like...that makes for more frustration and less fun.

Overall, though, "Diddy's Kong Quest" manages to slide in slightly ahead of its predecessor (no easy feat). I always had a bit more fun playing this game than the first one.

"Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong-Quest" is one of those exciting games that keeps you tapping buttons from childhood to adulthood. This game is even slightly better than its fantastic predecessor.

The plot goes far beyond banana theft this time. Now, it's Donkey Kong who has been stolen by K. Rool (now reinvented as a pirate, Kaptain K. Rool), meaning that Diddy Kong has to go rescue him. Along for the ride is Dixie Kong, Diddy's blond girlfriend who has a unique ability: she can hover like a helicopter in the air by twirling her ponytail around very fast.

DKC2 is filled with fun challenges, amazing and well-realized characters, and a more in-depth adventure than the first game had. Travel through a pirate ship, a volcano, a bayou, an evil amusement park, a haunted forest, a creepy castle, and K. Rool's wicked flying fortress (The Flying Krock). My personal favorite is the forest (Gloomy Gulch), while my favorite level is in the amusement park, the breakneck-paced Rickety Race. Meet new animal friends like Squitter the Spider.

Above all, rescue Donkey from K. Rool's sinister clutches in this dazzlingly fun adventure for the ages.

I loved the first Donkey Kong Country and I was hoping for more excitement in this sequel. You can do more things in this game such as the helicopter twirl and buddy animal special abilities. The graphics and music are equally awesome as the first. So why do I give this an 8? The first thing that turned me off a bit was the coin system, in the first you could save your game free of charge, but here you need two to do that and if you are broke you're in big trouble. The same thing if you need to go back to previous levels. The second is the challenge can really rack your nerves till you go crazy. The commercial for this game said "even tougher than the original" and sure enough they weren't lying. I do like this game just not as much as the first.