Game Debate #58: Donkey Kong Country

[Tanooki | 4,939]

Very solid 9, and really to me, sadly it was downhill from there.  Such a very well made game, good stages, audio, designs, gameplay, all of how it was handled.  DKC2 with the forced toll booths and other wonky stuff was a step back to me, DKC3 was a bit nicer, but either way this isn't about sequels.

[ZeldaFreak | 3,600]

Absolute psychopath

[ZeldaFreak | 3,600]

Only joking obviously, it's fine, haha. Everyone's got their own preferences.

Personally, I would rank this game a 9, borderline 10. I like all 3 games in the trilogy about equally. I would say all 3 of them are 9, almost up to a 10. They're all absolutely fantastic, classic games that are still very fun to this day, and I never understood the hate the third one always got.

Personally, I would rank them 2 > 3 > 1 (although like I said, overall I'd give them all very high 9s)

[Estil | 1,265]

6 hours ago, CasualCart said:

I'm surprised your score is so generous haha - Donkey Kong Country and Donkey Kong Land are games I immediately think of when you always bring up that "mascot-era" issue of having no idea what stage-elements you can or can't interact with.

I'm always falling off platforms in this series because I can't figure out where they start or end. That's not to say Super Donkey Kong isn't fun, though. It's really fun.

-CasualCart

I thought that a very creative/cute plot in Donkey Kong Land when Cranky was beetching about how DKC was in his opinion all flash, no substance.  Donkey and Diddy insisted that yeah the graphics/sound was super nice but the gameplay was fun too (such as trying to find all hidden levels and other secrets).  To which Cranky threw down the gauntlet and challenged them to another adventure...on the 8-bit black and white (or "creamed spinach color") Game Boy!  Though to be fair you can use a Super Game Boy and get some color and a neat border...

[SpoonMan Abrams X | 697]

8/10

Great game though I like DKC 2 and 3 a lot more. 2 might be a 10/10. 3 at least 8.5 if not 9

[GPX | 1,370]

I remember being in absolute awe of the graphics when it first came out. It was definitely revolutionary as a 2D platformer as far as graphics was concerned. Otherwise the gameplay and variety kept it above most other platfromers as well. Solid 9.

Fun fact: although there is a Kiddy Kong pic in my avatar, I've never played more than a couple of levels of DKC1. I loved the art, but was never a die-hard DKC fan. Also, I haven't yet to try DKC 2 or 3!

[Estil | 1,265]

2 hours ago, GPX said:

Fun fact: although there is a Kiddy Kong pic in my avatar, I've never played more than a couple of levels of DKC1. I loved the art, but was never a die-hard DKC fan. Also, I haven't yet to try DKC 2 or 3!

You got Kiddy as your icon but you never played his game???  BTW he's got the best...lost life...behavior...ever  

And I almost forgot (I have mentioned this already here a time or two) but I'll never forget the first time I saw this commercial in 1995 during Channel One News (those were the days...) and I was just thinking, yeah!  Take that Sega!    And then just when we think the SNES can't be pushed any harder, get the next two games in the DKC trilogy, Super Mario RPG, Doom (the fact that it was able to work at all with all the levels and music intact was a miracle)...if only Tales of Phantasia and Star Ocean (biggest SNES games (6MB or 48 "megabits")) ever released) made it out of Japan...

And 20 years later I get ahold of the SD2SNES and get to do Tales of Phantasia, all the Picross games that didn't make it out of Japan, and exploring some of the BS-X stuff...wow if only back then I knew just how Super the Super Nintendo really could be!  We may already be up to their seventh console but there is much I could still be impressed about by their second one!  Go figure!

PS: Say, when DKC was first announced/shown off weren't there people who at first thought it was meant for the Ultra 64?

Edited July 18, 2021 by Estil

[GPX | 1,370]

2 hours ago, Estil said:

You got Kiddy as your icon but you never played his game???  BTW he's got the best...lost life...behavior...ever  

And I almost forgot (I have mentioned this already here a time or two) but I'll never forget the first time I saw this commercial in 1995 during Channel One News (those were the days...) and I was just thinking, yeah!  Take that Sega!    And then just when we think the SNES can't be pushed any harder, get the next two games in the DKC trilogy, Super Mario RPG, Doom (the fact that it was able to work at all with all the levels and music intact was a miracle)...if only Tales of Phantasia and Star Ocean (biggest SNES games (6MB or 48 "megabits")) ever released) made it out of Japan...

And 20 years later I get ahold of the SD2SNES and get to do Tales of Phantasia, all the Picross games that didn't make it out of Japan, and exploring some of the BS-X stuff...wow if only back then I knew just how Super the Super Nintendo really could be!  We may already be up to their seventh console but there is much I could still be impressed about by their second one!  Go figure!

PS: Say, when DKC was first announced/shown off weren't there people who at first thought it was meant for the Ultra 64?

Like I said, the graphics had definitely made an impact on me, because for its time back then, it was completely revolutionary for a 16-bit console. I guess at the time, I was busy with studies in the mid-90s and there were too many games to try out by then. Regarding the avatar, I drew it some years ago because I saw it in a gaming magazine, and it inspired me to do a 1:1 replica/bootleg of that art piece.

That moment of the drawing onwards, was my rekindling of the passion for retro gaming and collecting. So I guess I have DCK a lot to thank for!

[Sumez | 2,968]

Decent platformer with a lot of design and camera issues, which were almost entirely fixed by the sequel, which also improved the game in a billion other ways.

So yeah, sequel is amazing, original game is.. okay?

6/10

[themisfit138 | 523]

9. Fun game with an awesome soundtrack. I regularly play DKC and DKC 2. 

[phart010 | 1,707]

DKC1 was great.

DKC2 expanded on it perfectly.

DKC3 made things more complex than it needed to be. The simplicity is what made the game enjoyable 

[JeremiahJT | 75]

A five for me.  I remember when it came out, although I had a Genesis instead of a Super NES, there was plenty of hype, but I never understood what the fuss was about.  About ten to fifteen years ago I played through the whole game with my wife two player and I have had no desire to go back to it since. I have never played either sequel outside of testing a cartridge out to see if it works.

Although even at a five it would still make my top ten Super NES games. Of course I have only actually played through six or seven Super NES games. I do have plenty of Super NES games on my to play list though.

[Jono1874 | 144]

5/10
 

Donkey Kong Country doesn't click with me. I think it's a quality game, but I personally don't like it. I'll play it every couple of years to see if my mind is going to change and it doesn't.

I think a lot of it has to do with the Jungle/Monkey theme of the game. I'm not a fan of that kinda stuff.   Yeah, it's petty, but it is what it is.

[Sumez | 2,968]

11 hours ago, JeremiahJT said:

About ten to fifteen years ago I played through the whole game with my wife two player and I have had no desire to go back to it since. I have never played either sequel outside of testing a cartridge out to see if it works.

Do try out DKC2 at least. It's a so much better game.

[Kguillemette | 1,545]

DKC gets a 9/10. Everyone should play this game. It's timeless!

 

DKC 2 is a masterpiece and a pinnacle of 2D platforming with some of the best levels ever designed. If we ever get to it, my vote will be 10/10.

[phart010 | 1,707]

On 7/17/2021 at 11:26 PM, Estil said:

PS: Say, when DKC was first announced/shown off weren't there people who at first thought it was meant for the Ultra 64?

I clearly remember talking about Mario RPG with many people back in the day and everyone seemed to think it would be an “Ultra 64” title.

[OptOut | 8,889]

Donkey Kong Country remains an amazing and awesome game to this day. 9/10

Donkey Kong Country 2 is the best Super Nintendo game, and POSSIBLY the best 2D platformer of all time... Either that or Super Mario Bros. 11/10

[mbd39 | 2,025]

Because of this thread I replayed DKC again. I never go for 100% so I just played straight through.

The hardest levels for me were Snow Barrel Blast without using the shortcut,  Elevator Antics and Loopy Lights. Having to do multiple tough levels in a row without save can be kind of grueling as well. But it's always a fun type of frustration where I want to keep trying again.

I did notice that sometimes there's almost no time to react to enemies. This is exacerbated by emulator lag but also an issue with the game itself. Still easily overcome with practice. Heck Battletoads has obstacles that are impossible to see coming the first time and I love that game too.

 

[Reed Rothchild | 9,549]

You can always go back to previous save spots fyi

Unless I'm somehow remembering wrong

[mbd39 | 2,025]

3 minutes ago, Reed Rothchild said:

You can always go back to previous save spots fyi

Unless I'm somehow remembering wrong

You can only go back to previous save spots when you have access to a flight. Otherwise no.

[a_profile_name | 230]

DKC is repetitive and boring. The graphics are amazing of course, but that's all it has.

DKC2 on the other hand is a masterpiece. DKC3 is also great. The DKL's are also solid. Only the first installment mediocre-ish.

Sorry ppl, I know now everybody here is going to hate me. Just deal with the truth lol

[asmikace | 68]

8, great game but never like it like Super Mario Land and sometimes the game bores me quicker than other games.

[Radagast | 21]

9 out of 10! As someone who was old enough to remember 1994, this game was well ahead of its time for being on a 3 year old 16bit console! It's one of the best 16 bit games period and still holds up.

[Strange | 1,700]

I just can’t get into it, as hard as I try. I voted “not my cup of tea.” But I wouldn’t call it a bad game.

[Estil | 1,265]

On 7/25/2021 at 4:07 PM, sg17 said:

DKC is repetitive and boring. The graphics are amazing of course, but that's all it has.

That's not true!   People liked Donkey Kong Country for more than just the "amazing graphics"!  The number of colors, the resolution, it doesn't make a difference. It was just plain fun!