This game was da bomb back in da day!!!
Story: 10/10
- The storyline is very nice! In this game, Donkey Kong, together with his nephew Diddy Kong, must recover his stolen hoard of bananas from King K. Rool and the Kremlings. Upon investigating the empty "Kong's Banana Hoard", located directly underneath his home in the Kongo Jungle, Donkey Kong goes on an adventure throughout his native Donkey Kong Island. While collecting bananas on the island's vastly different regions, Kong must defeat many enemies, including the reptilian Kremlings, and other hazardous creatures native to the island.
Gameplay: 9/10
- The gameplay is so great! All the controls run so smoothly. The object of the game is to make it through 39 different side-scrolling levels and recover the Kongs' banana hoard stolen by the Kremlings. Each level is uniquely themed and consists of all kinds of tasks such as swimming, riding in mine carts, or launching out of barrel cannons, or swinging from vine to vine. Players lose a life if they get hit by any enemy or fall off the screen. When they have lost all their lives, the game is over. However, there are opportunities to gain additional lives, such as collecting bananas scattered throughout the levels, letters that spell out K–O–N–G, extra life balloons, and golden animal tokens that lead to bonus levels. There are also many secret passages that can lead to bonus games which can give players additional lives or other items. In various levels, players can also get assistance from various animals, which are found by breaking open crates. Animals include Rambi the Rhino, Expresso the Ostrich, Enguarde the Swordfish, Winky the Frog and Squawks the Parrot. These animals can help players depending on the type of level they are on. Some of the animals can also give players access to bonus games. In addition, players can switch between Donkey and Diddy Kong, depending on availability and the situation. Donkey Kong is stronger and bigger and can defeat enemies more easily, while Diddy is faster and more agile and can take out multiple enemies with one cartwheel. In the game, the player can play solo or with another player. In 2 Player modes, players can choose between 2 modes of play: "Contest" or "Team". In Contest mode, players take turns going through each level as quickly as possible. The object in this mode is to complete the most levels in the fastest time. In Team mode, both players play the same game with one player controlling Donkey Kong and the other controlling Diddy Kong. The game consists of a series of map screens to track the players' progress. Between levels, players control their character on the map screen. Located on these screens are Kremlings (the game's main enemy) and other members of the Kong family such as Candy (who operates the island's save points), Funky (who offers a means of transportation around the island) and Cranky Kong (who provides hints and comic relief). Players enter levels or other map screens during this mode. The manner of displaying information during gameplay is different in that the information of scrolled off the screen until various items are collected, when the information briefly appears on top of the screen. The information displayed is the number of bananas, letters and animal tokens collected, and the number of lives remaining.
Graphics: 10/10
- The graphics are superior for a Super Nintendo game! This game had revolutionized graphics!
Sound: 9/10
- The sound effects of the game are all good. The music is really nice! You got to love the game intro's music and the music of the first stage!
Overall, I give this game a 9 1/2 out of 10. Like I said, this game was very popular around me. I still remember that my friend's cousin showed me and my friend a secret of the game: where you drop down in the first gap of the first mine cart stage and end up already at the exit of the stage. Thanks to her, I will always know that secret. I remember when I was little, I first lost all my lives and saw the "Game Over" screen for the very first time. Boy, was I frightened when I saw it?! I know I was not the only one who was scared of that "Game Over" screen as a kid. Why I was scared of it? Well, I guess it had a lot to do with the combination of the dramatic music that played in the "Game Over" screen, Diddy Kong's creepy stare at you, with the lights out in my room, and me being just a little kid. Do not give me that "Oh toughen up, stop being a sissy, that Game Over screen was not scary to me!", well let me tell you this: whenever you become 5 years old and you get that "Game Over" screen with the lights turned out, you come back and talk to me. Anyway, like I said, everybody loved this game!