Game Debate #149: Donkey Kong Country 2

[docile tapeworm | 4,203]

@Sumez I did read your first post. Please, that kind of hurt my feelings that you assumed I did not.

I play dkc2 for 20 minutes and think “this doesn’t capture me like the first game”. I did play it last night for about 20 minutes….. I will have to put effort into continuing to play the game but I would like to sit down with it to give it a “fair shake” if you will.

[Kguillemette | 1,545]

One of the best sidescrollers ever made. Its perfect in almost every way. The difficulty progresses perfectly, and it culminates with my favorite platforming level in any game near the end(Toxic Tower). It also has one of the best soundtracks ever made and doesn't sound like it's playing off an SNES sound chip. It sounds like a jazz quintet, no idea how this was accomplished. I can pop this in and play any time! Easy 10/10

[Brickman | 3,994]

6 hours ago, Kguillemette said:

The difficulty progresses perfectly, and it culminates with my favorite platforming level in any game near the end(Toxic Tower).

This is what I love so much about DKC2 as well.

I found DKC 1 & 3 to be very easy all the way through. Whereas 2 starts off simple but each world gets harder and harder until you reach the peak with some of hands down the best platforming out there.

Minus some of the slowdown it suffers from, Toxic Tower has to be one of the most legendary platformer levels ever made imo. Just absolute perfection.

[mbd39 | 2,025]

You guys have a warped perspective on what is "very easy". None of the DKC games are very easy. Maybe if you've played them enough.

 

[Sumez | 2,967]

DKC1? I never bought it as a kid because I'd seen everything it had to offer in my rental period - and I was really crap at games back then

 

[mbd39 | 2,025]

7 minutes ago, Sumez said:

DKC1? I never bought it as a kid because I'd seen everything it had to offer in my rental period - and I was really crap at games back then

 

 It has an average difficulty rating of 3.32/5 on Gamefaqs which translates to "just right/tough."  Most gamers wouldn't agree that it's that easy. https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/snes/588282-donkey-kong-country

 

This online critic gave it an "Arthur award" for extreme difficulty and complains about the hardness of some of the stages. Granted he's not the best gamer, but it gives perspective on how hard it would be for an average player. https://videogamecritic.com/snesdd.htm?e=80946#rev3165

 

[DefaultGen | 5,413]

9/10

I hate how 16-bit platformers feel. Most are the loosey-goosiest pile of donkey balls and the DKC series has to be one of the worst offenders with stylized platforms, gigantic lumbering sprites, and weird 3D angled edges. Give me a platformer where one pixel on top of the other pixel means I'm on the platform.

 

But every time I go back to DKC, it's incredible, and DKC2 is even better. I can't believe how good it is despite how much I dislike it in theory. Shit, even GLOVES has played this game, that's NUTS. Is there a bigger endorsement?

And it has this delightful bullshit. Nothing better to unite gamers in solidarity than a hard level that basically uses different mechanics from the entire rest of the game so we all remember it. It's like Tubular in SMW.

[Estil | 1,265]

Oh I got a real kick out of how if you slam on the target goal Diddy will rap with a boom box and Dixie will play electric guitar with her ponytail in front of her face!  Which made it a HUGE let down when in the third game all they did was pull a flagpole string

And whatever you do, don't make Dixie cry!  

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,105]

I prefer the first game, but it's still an 8/10.

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,105]

On 4/13/2023 at 1:43 PM, Reed Rothchild said:

It's because you're an old man

You know, that's a lot funnier when you're saying it to skinny instead of me. 

[DoctorEncore | 3,691]

On 4/12/2023 at 11:22 PM, TDIRunner said:

The original DKC was one of my favorite games of all time, but my brother and I couldn't get into this one.  We never owned it back in the day and only played it through rentals.  Honestly, we probably didn't play it enough to give it a fair shake, but regardless, it never grabbed out attention from the very start the way that DKC did.  I loved the idea of adding a new character to play, but I hated loosing DK.  

Are you me? DKC is also one of my favorites, but I never got into the sequels. I didn't put any significant time into them so I can't comfortably rate them, but I suspect I would prefer the simplicity of the original. 2 and 3 always look seem strangely unappealing when I see videos of them.

Edited April 15, 2023 by DoctorEncore

[Reed Rothchild | 9,548]

3 hours ago, Bearcat-Doug said:

You know, that's a lot funnier when you're saying it to skinny instead of me. 

I'm sure we're all the same age 

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,105]

29 minutes ago, Reed Rothchild said:

I'm sure we're all the same age 

I think you and skinny are a few years younger than me, but I'm willing to go along with that idea if it knocks off a few years. 

[docile tapeworm | 4,203]

3 hours ago, Reed Rothchild said:

I'm sure we're all the same age 

 

2 hours ago, Bearcat-Doug said:

I think you and skinny are a few years younger than me, but I'm willing to go along with that idea if it knocks off a few years. 

I’m 39 and 1/2

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,105]

22 minutes ago, docile tapeworm said:

 

I’m 39 and 1/2

Yeah that's what I thought. You are a few years younger than me. 

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,105]

2 hours ago, docile tapeworm said:

 

I’m 39 and 1/2

I think I'm older than @Reed Rothchild too. I thought both of you were still in your 30s.

[Estil | 1,265]

It might be just me but they did a REALLY good job hiding those DK coins!  Good luck trying to find anywhere near all of them without a guide and/or maps!

[cartman | 195]

I'd say around a 7. The hidden areas in all these games are often counter-intuitive and it drags to be thorough going backwards before moving forward because there might be one behind a wall. 

The theme/atmosphere is great throughout.

Altough always thought it would've been way better if the clear % was based on the K-O-N-G letters instead. Those tended to flow along with the gameplay much more naturally.

[G-type | 2,482]

I might play it, if its part of a contest.

[AstralSoul | 502]

Easily one of my favorite games of all time. Easily top 10, probably top 5, maybe even top 3. It feels like 2D platforming perfected. Hard for me to come up with a game with better level designs plus a masterpiece soundtrack and amazingly fluid gameplay. It's not just nostalgia talking either, truly holds up ridiculously well today. Even the graphics still look fantastic. 10/10 and if I give it more I would.

[3rdStrongestMole | 430]

I love DKC 1 for the nostalgia factor, etc., but DKC 2 was an all around better game. It's a 1-2-3 tie for me with LttP and Earthbound.