Not a Perfect 10, but Still One of the Best Game Boy Games I've ever Played.
Plot 8/10
Despite its simplicity, the cliche ridden plot of Donkey Kong Land 2 actually manages to add a few interesting twists to the age old "kill all the baddies and save the ditzy damsel" storyline that is almost synonymous with the genre. In a nutshell, Donkey Kong, the burley patriarch of the Kong family, has been kidnapped by Captain K. Rool and his newly acquired band of obnoxiously tenacious pirates. In exchange for Donkey's safe return, the good Captain is demanding the Kong family's entire banana hoard. Well, his son Diddy (Donkey's sidekick in the SNES games) and Diddy's girlfriend, Dixie won't stand for this. So, they board a ship and head for K. Rool's private island, where Donkey is being held, to crash some kremling skulls and rescue the beloved icon from the grimy clutches of the evil K. Rool. While not altogether original, the plot does have its certain charm, but, more importantly, it serves the gameplay and structure very well.
Gameplay 10/10
The gameplay is nothing short of superb. Donkey Kong Land 2 is the quintessential side scrolling platformer. It plays like a cross between Super Mario World and Sonic the Hedgehog. Both Diddy and Dixie are playable characters, and you can toggle between the two at will by pressing select, providing that one has not died. This system works out great because each character has a different set of moves and abilities. For instance, Diddy doesn't jump very far, but He can climb incredibly quickly, while Dixie can actually glide using her helicopter spin, but is very slow on the ropes. There are many more such varied uses for the two characters, and half the fun of the game dynamics is figuring out how to best utilize each character in any given situation. This game is loaded with different types of enemies, each with different strengths and weaknesses, which keeps you constantly on your toes and the action fresh and exciting throughout. Donkey Kong Land 2, just like its SNES counterparts, is divided into seven distinctly themed levels, with a total of thirty seven sub-stages, which range in type from standard bump and jump stages, to underwater caverns, to the obligatory moving platform jumper. The level bosses are themed according to which level they control, and the boss battles get quite intense. Within each stage there are a whole slew of secrets to find and items to collect. The primary objects to search for are DK Koins, which effect your rating at the end of the game, and Krem Koins, of which you have to collect all forty seven to enter the final level. All this collecting might sound tedious, but it actually adds to the fun. Each Krem Koin is located within a unique hidden bonus barrel, which contains a mini-game of sorts. Some of these are rather challenging, but never dull or redundant. It takes quite a few hours of playtime to collect everything and beat the game 100%, which gives the player more bang for the hard earned buck. My only objection to the gameplay itself is a small but significant one: namely, the save system. You have to make it to the Kong Kollege that is located within each level before you can make your first save in a new area. Sometimes this entails beating two or three stages in a row without saving. Early in the game this is not a problem, but later on it becomes a nuisance. Once you have saved in a level, however, this system becomes much easier to deal with. All in all, the gameplay is flawless, despite the comparatively minor issue of saving.
Graphics 10/10
The graphics in Donkey Kong Land 2 are absolutely astounding. The level of detail and precision in this department are unparalleled for the Game Boy, and are, in fact, even better than many GBA titles that I've seen. The framerete is the quickest I've seen in an older Game Boy game, and the attempt at 3-D rendering is quite commendable. Both the enemies and your allies are stunningly detailed, even to the point of realistic texture modeling. You can actually see the ripples in Diddy and Dixie's Fur! the backgrounds are beautiful, but a bit sparse. However, this works very well to emphasize the lushness of the more important graphical content. Somehow, this game doesn’t translate very well to the GBC or GBA, but on the original Game Boy, for which it was made in the first place, this game looks absolutely beautiful!
Sound 10/10
I love the soundtrack to this game! The music is incredibly catchy, and it goes a long way towards creating a richly involved atmosphere. Donkey Kong Land 2 has, without a doubt, the best musical score ever to be featured in a Game Boy game. In fact some of the music, as well as almost all of the sound effects, come directly from the SNES titles. Even when you set aside quality, this game contains ne of the most expansive and diverse arrays of music and sound that I've heard in a game created for anything short of the PSX.
Replay Value 7/10
The replay value of this particular game is completely subjective. It all depends on what you consider the term to mean. It is most definitely good enough to want to play again, but due to its considerable length and the fact that it is a somewhat difficult game, you might not want to play it again for a good long while. Having said that though, I have played through it 100% a total of three times and am working on a fourth. So, it's best if you just play it, then decide for yourself what the replay value is.
Content/Extras 9/10
The entire last level is technically a bonus stage. I have to rate the game highly in this category because the extras are integrated seamlessly into the game itself. This is something that is rarely done, but it works quite well here.
Overall Rating 9/10
This is one of the most finely crafted, carefully designed, and all around fun games I have ever played. Even more impressive is the amount of detail that went into creating it. As a game in general it is incredibly good, but as a Game Boy game it is nearly flawless. There are a few minor problems, such as the save system and the ridiculous level of difficulty on some stages, but, all things considered, Donkey Kong Land 2 is nothing short of amazing.
Buy/Rent/Ignore?
Buy!!! Even if you don't collect older Game Boy games, this is an awesome game and one that you should most definitely make an exception for. I guarantee that no matter what kind of games you are into, Donkey Kong Land 2 won't disappoint.
Bottom Line
A few very minor complaints prevent this game from being a perfect ten, but it is still one of the best Game Boy games that I have ever played. There's not much I can say here that I haven’t already said. So, in closing, I hope that you will get as much from this game as I have, and I wish you the best of luck in this and all future gaming endeavors.