SNES: Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (1995)

Diddy and Dixie Kong approach a checkpoint barrel.

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest is was released in 1995 by Rare and is the sequel to Donkey Kong Country. The game's titular character, Diddy Kong, is tasked with rescuing the series's titular character, Donkey Kong, from Kaptain K. Rool and his horde of Kremling baddies. The game features single player, two-player cooperative, and two-player competitive game modes.

The game primarily differs from its predecessor in that Donkey Kong, a slow and strong ape, is replaced with Dixie Kong, a quick and agile monkey. This makes the gameplay feel fast-paced, as both of the playable characters are lightweights. However, Diddy and Dixie control and play differently. Dixie is equipped with her magical ponytail which allows her to glide slowly through the air and avoid dangerous obstacles below. Furthermore, she holds barrels and other objects above her head, which makes defeating overhead enemies significantly easier. Diddy is slightly faster and jumps slightly higher. However, he holds barrels directly in front of him, which makes defeating overhead enemies more challenging.

Cranky Kong giving away some freebies.

Diddy's Kong Quest involves players traversing numerous levels in eight diverse environments, including a pirate ship, a haunted forest, and my personal favourite, an amusement park filled with bees. The players encounter a diverse cast of friendly animals, such as Rambi the Rhino and Rattly the Rattlesnake, who help the Kongs overcome an array of challenges. There are several varieties of coins scattered throughout the levels. These coins must be collected to buy additional lives, purchase hints, and even save the game beyond the first time at any save location. This contributes to the increased difficulty of Diddy's Kong Quest over the original Donkey Kong Country. The game is markedly difficult and, with saving being a limited resource, you may be required to either spend time collecting lives in advance or repeating a handful of levels following a game over screen. There are several levels which feel like gauntlets in their difficulty and length.

Diddy's Victory!

Diddy's Kong Quest's is a difficult and frustrating game at times. However, with enough persistence, beating the game can be a very rewarding experience. The game is mostly fair to players (except for the Gusty Glade level -- which is absolutely unfair), but there are several locations which almost require players to die at least once to learn the layout of the level. Nonetheless, the gameplay is fun, the music is fantastic, and beating a level is awesome.

While the game is argued by some to be the best of the Donkey Kong series, Donkey Kong Country 1 and 3 may be better entry points for someone new to either the Donkey Kong series or even retro gaming. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest is a worthy game for anyone seeking a rewarding challenge in their gaming library.