Start planning your second trip to Donkey Kong Country if you haven't been already. This one is a treat!
Again, the story is not the focus. Last time, DK's bananas were stolen by King K. Rool. This time around, however, DK has been kidnapped by Captain K. Rool and it's up to Diddy Kong and his girlfriend Dixie Kong to save DK. Not much different than the first game but, once more, it is just a reason for the adventure.
The gameplay remains the same in the sequel, as mentioned before the focus was the stages. You still run and jump to the end of the stage, but you may not be running in a straight line as in the original, you could find yourself moving through the stage vertically. This lets the level design become more challenging and unique compared to the original. Other than that, there is only one real difference between the sequel and the original is Diddy's girlfriend Dixie. She may only seem like a cosmetic difference at first glance but her large ponytail actually plays into gameplay.
Her ponytail is what she attacks with, same as DK's roll or Diddy's cartwheel, but, more importantly, she uses it to prolong jumps. She spins it like a helicopter and it causes her to glide. It's safe to say that this ability will be used quite often throughout the game and you find yourself almost unable to live without it. In other words, if you enjoyed the original game you'll definitely enjoy this one.
The audio this time around is superior to the original. It has a good amount of memorable tracks and all the sound effects sound great as well. The music fits well and some even rank among the greatest ever made for a game.
The visuals are the same as well, except for the different locals of course. It uses the same 3D style graphics and it all looks really lively and the stages look as great as they play. It's a noticeably darker game than the original. It's still impressive all the same and it puts the Super Nintendo to work.
PROs
- same great gameplay as in the original
- impressive visuals
- can get challenging
- fantastic music
- Dixie brings an incredibly useful ability to the game
-Tons of secrets
CONs
- More of the same, so if you didn't like it the first time, chances are you won't here
- Still on the short side
- Difficulty spikes on the last world
Gameplay: 9.0/10
Audio: 10/10
Presentation: 9.5/10