Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest: Difference between revisions
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'''''Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest''''' (also shortened to'''''Donkey Kong Country 2'''''<ref>{{cite|archive=https://web.archive.org/web/19980705001844/http://www.rare.co.uk/retro/backcat/gamepages/dkc2.html|title=Rarewhere|publisher=Rareware}}</ref> and '''''Diddy's Kong Quest''''' on the title screen) is a 1995 platform game that was developed by [[Rare Ltd.|Rareware]] and published by [[Nintendo]] for the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]]. It is the second installment in the [[Donkey Kong Country (series)|''Donkey Kong Country'' series]]. It is a sequel and direct follow-up to ''[[Donkey Kong Country]]''. The subtitle was originally ''Diddy Kong's Quest'',<ref>{{cite|date=July 1995|publisher=Nintendo of America|language=en-us|title=''Nintendo Power'' #74|page=108}}</ref> but it was later changed to ''Diddy's Kong Quest'', the latter two words being a portmanteau of "[[Kong]]" and "conquest." The game stars [[Diddy Kong]], as he and his girlfriend, [[Dixie Kong]], make their way through [[Crocodile Isle]] to save [[Donkey Kong]] from the [[Kremling Krew]]. A sequel and direct follow-up to ''Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest'' was released in 1996, ''[[Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!]]'' | '''''Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest''''' (also shortened to '''''Donkey Kong Country 2'''''<ref>{{cite|archive=https://web.archive.org/web/19980705001844/http://www.rare.co.uk/retro/backcat/gamepages/dkc2.html|title=Rarewhere|publisher=Rareware}}</ref> and '''''Diddy's Kong Quest''''' on the title screen) is a 1995 platform game that was developed by [[Rare Ltd.|Rareware]] and published by [[Nintendo]] for the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]]. It is the second installment in the [[Donkey Kong Country (series)|''Donkey Kong Country'' series]]. It is a sequel and direct follow-up to ''[[Donkey Kong Country]]''. The subtitle was originally ''Diddy Kong's Quest'',<ref>{{cite|date=July 1995|publisher=Nintendo of America|language=en-us|title=''Nintendo Power'' #74|page=108}}</ref> but it was later changed to ''Diddy's Kong Quest'', the latter two words being a portmanteau of "[[Kong]]" and "conquest." The game stars [[Diddy Kong]], as he and his girlfriend, [[Dixie Kong]], make their way through [[Crocodile Isle]] to save [[Donkey Kong]] from the [[Kremling Krew]]. A sequel and direct follow-up to ''Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest'' was released in 1996, ''[[Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!]]'' | ||
In 2004, [[Donkey Kong Country 2 (Game Boy Advance)|a remake]] of the game was made for the [[Game Boy Advance]]. It features several differences, including the addition of [[photograph]]s and extra [[DK Coin|Cranky's Video Game Hero Coin]]s. It omits the ''Diddy's Kong Quest'' subtitle, thus the game is simply known as ''Donkey Kong Country 2''. | In 2004, [[Donkey Kong Country 2 (Game Boy Advance)|a remake]] of the game was made for the [[Game Boy Advance]]. It features several differences, including the addition of [[photograph]]s and extra [[DK Coin|Cranky's Video Game Hero Coin]]s. It omits the ''Diddy's Kong Quest'' subtitle, thus the game is simply known as ''Donkey Kong Country 2''. |
Revision as of 04:33, September 21, 2024
- This article is about the original SNES game. For the Game Boy Advance remake, see Donkey Kong Country 2 (Game Boy Advance).
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest | |||||||||
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For alternate box art, see the game's gallery. | |||||||||
Developer | Rareware | ||||||||
Publisher | Nintendo | ||||||||
Platform(s) | Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Virtual Console (Wii, Wii U, New Nintendo 3DS), Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online | ||||||||
Release date | SNES: Template:ReleaseVirtual Console (Wii): Template:ReleaseVirtual Console (Wii U): Template:ReleaseVirtual Console (New 3DS): Template:ReleaseSuper Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online: Template:Release[?] | ||||||||
Language(s) | English (United States) French (France) German Japanese | ||||||||
Genre | Platformer, adventure | ||||||||
Rating(s) |
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Mode(s) | Single player, multiplayer | ||||||||
Format | Super NES: Game Pak Wii: Digital download Wii U: Digital download Nintendo Switch: Digital download Nintendo 3DS: Digital download
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Input | Super NES: Wii: Wii U: Nintendo Switch: Joy-Con (horizontal) Nintendo 3DS:
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Serial code(s) | Template:Serials |
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (also shortened to Donkey Kong Country 2[1] and Diddy's Kong Quest on the title screen) is a 1995 platform game that was developed by Rareware and published by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the second installment in the Donkey Kong Country series. It is a sequel and direct follow-up to Donkey Kong Country. The subtitle was originally Diddy Kong's Quest,[2] but it was later changed to Diddy's Kong Quest, the latter two words being a portmanteau of "Kong" and "conquest." The game stars Diddy Kong, as he and his girlfriend, Dixie Kong, make their way through Crocodile Isle to save Donkey Kong from the Kremling Krew. A sequel and direct follow-up to Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest was released in 1996, Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!
In 2004, a remake of the game was made for the Game Boy Advance. It features several differences, including the addition of photographs and extra Cranky's Video Game Hero Coins. It omits the Diddy's Kong Quest subtitle, thus the game is simply known as Donkey Kong Country 2.
In 2007, the original version was rereleased on the Wii's Virtual Console. On November 25, 2012, for reasons unknown, Donkey Kong Country 2 and the other two original Donkey Kong Country games were delisted from the Wii Virtual Console,[3] but on October 30, 2014, the games were relisted in Europe and Australia. Around the same time, the games were released for the Wii U's Virtual Console in Europe and Australia; in Japan on November 26, 2014; and in the United States and Canada on February 26, 2015. For handhelds, Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest was ported exclusively to the New Nintendo 3DS's Virtual Console in March/April 2016. It was made available on Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online for the Nintendo Switch on September 23, 2020.
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest is the sixth-best-selling Super Nintendo Entertainment System game, with its predecessor being the third. A similar Game Boy title was released a year later, in 1996, Donkey Kong Land 2.
Story
- “Arrrrgh! This story's even worse than DKC! They're really scraping the bottom of the barrel this time!”
- —Cranky Kong
Some time after the events of Donkey Kong Country, Donkey Kong is relaxing at a beach, sitting on a chair while drinking a banana milkshake. Funky Kong is busy surfing waves among the seagulls. Cranky Kong walks up to Donkey Kong and hits him on the head with his cane. He asks Donkey Kong why he is sitting around if he is a "big star". Donkey Kong replies that even stars need time off. Cranky says that he never took breaks, "whisking off maidens and throwing barrels seven days a week". Donkey Kong tells him to leave him alone and stop pestering him, so Cranky leaves. Donkey Kong then goes to sleep in his chair.
At night, Diddy Kong and his girlfriend, Dixie Kong, are worried because Donkey Kong has not returned. They go to the beach to investigate, and the Kongs find many footprints surrounding Donkey Kong's broken chair. They find a note in the chair which reads:
- Hah-arrrrh! We have got the big monkey! If you want him back, you scurvy dogs, you'll have to hand over the banana hoard! Kaptain K. Rool
Cranky suggests handing over the banana hoard to K. Rool. Diddy refuses because of how much effort he and Donkey Kong went through to retrieve the bananas, and that he would be very upset if his bananas were stolen again. Cranky asks if they have any better suggestions, and Diddy and Dixie both say that they want to rescue Donkey Kong themselves. The two get in a brief argument with Cranky, who does not believe Diddy qualifies as a video game hero. After Dixie insist that she will accompany Diddy, the two begin their journey.
The two Kongs travel through Crocodile Isle, the hometown of the Kremlings. They defeat numerous enemies and collect items on their way. Diddy and Dixie first travel aboard Gangplank Galleon, a large pirate ship docked at the coast. After completing the world, Diddy and Dixie move on to the volcanic world, Crocodile Cauldron, then the swampy Krem Quay, then the abandoned amusement park Krazy Kremland, and a spooky woods, Gloomy Gulch. Diddy and Dixie eventually reach the end of the sixth world, K. Rool's Keep, where they find Donkey Kong tied up in a chamber. Just as they celebrate, Donkey Kong is pulled up into K. Rool's personal airship, The Flying Krock.
Aboard the giant airship, Diddy and Dixie find Donkey Kong tied up, and they battle Kaptain K. Rool. Donkey Kong eventually breaks free from his ropes, and he uppercuts K. Rool out of the roof. Kaptain K. Rool falls all the way down Crocodile Isle and into the surrounding water, where he is seemingly eaten up by sharks.
During their adventures, Diddy and Dixie can also enter the Lost World by paying a Kremkoin fee to Klubba at his kiosk. The Kongs eventually enter Crocodile Isle's power source, Krocodile Kore, where they re-encounter Kaptain K. Rool. After a short battle, K. Rool's blunderbuss explodes, which propels him into the energy geyser powering Crocodile Isle. This blocks the power flow, which then destroys Crocodile Isle.
From a cliff, Donkey Kong, Diddy, and Dixie watch as Crocodile Isle explodes while sinking into the ocean. Just before the isle sinks, K. Rool escapes on a boat, laughing as he sails off into the horizon.
Gameplay
Abilities
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest is a 2D platformer like its predecessor, Donkey Kong Country. The player controls Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong, whose basic abilities include jumping, climbing, and swimming. The Kongs usually jump to cross gaps and grab airborne items. Either Kong can perform a mid-air jump if they cartwheel or spin off a nearby ledge, often necessary for reaching secret areas or collectibles. Like Donkey Kong Country, Diddy can perform a cartwheel attack and still retains his agility (he can jump, climb, run, and swim a bit faster than Dixie). Dixie's equivalent to the cartwheel attack is the Helicopter Spin, where she spins into an enemy. Dixie has the advantage of also being able to perform the ability in mid-air, where she whirls her ponytail to glide to nearby areas or to cross some large gaps. There are more enemies that Diddy and Dixie can defeat by their respective cartwheel or spin attack, rather than a jump attack.
If both Kongs are on screen, they can perform team up, where either Kong piggybacks on the other in front. While this slows Diddy and Dixie's movement, either Kong can be thrown to reach items or higher areas. When a Kong is thrown to a higher platform, the lead Kong automatically moves up there with them.
Diddy holds a carriable object in front of him, which includes barrels, crates, and treasure chests. This way Diddy can defeat an enemy who walks into the object. Dixie holds an object over her head with her ponytail, which defends against foes above her.
The swimming mechanic is similar to earlier Super Mario platformers. The player must hit , the jump button, to advance upwards into the water. If the player does not press the button, the Kongs slowly sink to the bottom. Pressing enables them to swim quicker, and and controls their ascent and descent.
Modes
When starting a new file, the player has the option to choose between one or two player modes. The original Super Nintendo version has two hidden modes which can be accessed by pressing Down on the a number of times.
Characters
Kong Klan
Diddy and Dixie are assisted by four members of the Kong Klan, two of whom return from Donkey Kong Country and two who debut in the game.
Playable | ||
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Image | Name | Description
|
Diddy Kong | Diddy Kong returns from Donkey Kong Country as the main character of Donkey Kong Country 2. He retains his fast speed, strength, cartwheeling, high jumping, and agility. When he hits an End of Level Target, Diddy performs on his boombox. | |
Dixie Kong | Dixie is the girlfriend and sidekick of Diddy, and she is characterized as confident and brave. Dixie is noted for her Helicopter Spin ability, which allows her to glide in midair. If Dixie hits an End of Level Target hard enough, she performs on an electric guitar. | |
Supporting | ||
Image | Name | Description
|
Cranky Kong | Cranky Kong is the host of the Monkey Museum, the successor to his cabin from Donkey Kong Country. Cranky provides level hints to the Kongs at a fee. | |
Donkey Kong | Donkey Kong is the titular character of the Donkey Kong franchise. In the game's backstory, Donkey Kong was kidnapped and held ransom by Kaptain K. Rool and the Kremlings, who demanded the Kongs give the Banana Hoard to them. Diddy and Dixie go on an adventure to rescue Donkey Kong. | |
Funky Kong | Funky Kong operates a flight rental service, Funky's Flights II, which is the successor to Funky's Flights from the previous game. He leases the Biplane Barrel to Diddy and Dixie, allowing them to travel back to worlds they have previously visited. | |
Swanky Kong | Swanky debuts in the game and is the host of a game show, Swanky's Bonus Bonanza. In it, Swanky gives three questions to Diddy and Dixie. If they answer all three correctly, Swanky rewards them with Extra Life Balloons. | |
Wrinkly Kong | Wrinkly Kong debuts in the game and is the wife of Cranky Kong. She operates a Kong Kollege in nearly every world, and like her husband, Wrinkly provides hints and information to the Kongs. She also has a crucial role of allowing the Kongs to save their game progress. |
Animal Buddies
Animal Buddies are animals who help Diddy and Dixie on their adventure. Each Animal Buddy has its own abilities to help the Kongs find Bonus Barrels, Cranky's Video Game Hero Coins, Banana Coin, and other collectible items. There are a total of seven Animal Buddies, one of which has two variations. Diddy and Dixie can only transform into or ride five of the Animal Buddies. Animal Buddies have a larger role than in Donkey Kong Country, because many levels cannot be completed without them, and more Bonus Levels can only be accessed by them. Some Animal Buddies can perform a super move, where they build up energy before unleashing a powerful attack.
Image | Name | Description | First level | Last level
|
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Clapper | Clapper is a seal with the ability to cool or freeze water temporarily. Diddy and Dixie can get Clapper to cool the water when they jump on him. In Lava Lagoon, Clapper cools the boiling liquid into water, allowing the Kongs to swim through the water. In Clapper's Cavern, Clapper freezes the water to solid ice, allowing the Kongs to move past the Snapjaw below. | Lava Lagoon | Clapper's Cavern | |
Enguarde | Enguarde the swordfish, who first appeared in Donkey Kong Country, is an Animal Friend who appears in underwater levels. With his sharp bill, Enguarde can defeat most underwater enemies. The game introduces the Superstab, which allows Enguarde to break open some walls. | Lockjaw's Locker | Animal Antics | |
Glimmer | Glimmer the angler fish only appears in a single level, Glimmer's Galleon, where his flashlight guides the Kongs through the dark area. He is the only moving Animal Friend that is unaffected by enemies and stage hazards, and the only one that the Kongs cannot ride. | Glimmer's Galleon | Glimmer's Galleon | |
Rambi | Rambi the rhino is an Animal Friend returning from Donkey Kong Country. He is a powerful ally, capable of defeating most enemies with its horn. Rambi's Supercharge ability, which is introduced in this game, allows him to charge fast into enemies and break some walls leading into a Bonus Level. | Pirate Panic | Animal Antics | |
Rattly | Rattly has a similar role to Winky from the previous game, as he has the ability to perform very high jumps. With this ability, Rattly can reach higher areas and items and Bonus Barrels that the Kongs cannot reach themselves. With his Superjump ability, Rattly can charge up and then perform an even higher jump. | Topsail Trouble | Animal Antics | |
Squawks | Squawks is a green parrot who flies the Kongs to higher areas. He can shoot eggs from his mouth, allowing him to defeat stronger enemies like Zingers. An indigo relative of Squawks appears in the level Parrot Chute Panic, and unlike Squawks, he can neither spit eggs nor flap higher. This relative only slowly descends down the hive and around the Zingers. | Squawks's Shaft | Animal Antics | |
Squitter | Squitter the spider can shoot web projectiles to attack other enemies as well as create temporary web platforms for moving across gaps and going up to higher areas. Unlike the other Animal Friends, Squitter gets injured if he touches an enemy. | Hot-Head Hop | Animal Antics |
Cranky's Video Game Heroes
The Cranky's Video Game Heroes ceremony features three cameos of other game protagonists, each with their own amount of Hero Coins collected.
Image | Name | Description
|
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Mario | Mario is the default champion, with 39 of the 40 coins. | |
Yoshi | Yoshi is the default runner-up, with 29 coins. | |
Link | Link is by default in 3rd place, with 19 coins; if the player manages to get enough coins to reach the podiums, he consequently disappears. |
Enemies
- “How many? I reckon they're just put fancy pictures in here to make it look good. There's only three of these in the game, at most!”
- —Cranky Kong[4]
The game features a handful of enemies, many of whom are Kremlings. Most of them first appear in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, though a few of them return from Donkey Kong Country.
Lazy Landlubbers | ||||
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Image | Name | Description | First level | Last level
|
Cat O' 9 Tails | Cat O' 9 Tails are blue cats with many tails. They attack by rapidly spinning around while following the Kongs. Cat O' 9 Tails eventually get dizzy from spinning, which allows the Kongs to defeat them by jumping on them. Sometimes, as it spins, the Cat O' 9 Tails catches the Kongs into its tails and throws them upward. | Mudhole Marsh | Fiery Furnace | |
Click-Clack | Click-Clacks are large beetle enemies who move around back and forth. The Kongs can defeat a Click-Clack by jumping on it twice; the first jumps flips over a Click-Clack, allowing the Kongs to pick it up and throw it. Click-Clacks can instantly be defeated if the Kongs roll into it or throw an object at it. | Mainbrace Mayhem | Clapper's Cavern | |
Flitter | Flitters are large blue dragonflies appearing in midair. Some move back and forth whereas some others stay in one spot. Flitters are often used by the Kongs to get across gaps. | Topsail Trouble | Animal Antics | |
Mini-Necky | Mini-Neckys are small vultures who wear a bandanna. They attack by swooping at the Kongs, and can be defeated by a jump attack or if the Kongs use a held object. It is one of the two enemies to directly reappear from Donkey Kong Country, the other being Zingers. | Kannon's Klaim | Animal Antics | |
Neek | Neeks are one of the weakest enemies, along with Klomps. They simply move around the ground and attempt to hit the Kongs. These enemies can be defeated from any attack. | Pirate Panic | Animal Antics | |
Screech | Screech is Kaptain K. Rool's pet parrot and a mini-boss whom Squawks races in the second half of Screech's sprint. | Screech's Sprint | Screech's Sprint | |
Spiny | Spinies are spiked porcupines who attack with their sharp quills. If the Kongs jump on a Spiny, they get injured; they can defeat a Spiny by a frontal rolling attack. | Glimmer's Galleon | Fiery Furnace | |
Zinger | Zingers are large wasps and airborne enemies. They either remain in one spot or move back and forth. There are yellow and red Zingers; the yellow ones can only be defeated by an Animal Friend or a thrown object, while red ones can only be defeated by a TNT Barrel. | Gangplank Galley | Animal Antics | |
Submerged Seadogs | ||||
Image | Name | Description | First level | Last level
|
Flotsam | Flotsams are underwater stingray enemies who swim around in the water. Like the other underwater enemies, they can only be defeated by Enguarde. There are both blue and green Flotsams: the blue ones continue moving in a single direction while the green ones move around from left to right. | Lockjaw's Locker | Animal Antics | |
Lockjaw | Lockjaws are piranha fish who try and bite the Kongs when they approach them. Like most other underwater enemies, Lockjaws can only be defeated by Enguarde. | Lockjaw's Locker | Animal Antics | |
Puftup | Puftups are spiky, underwater pufferfish enemies. They inflate when the Kongs approach them, and some then explode and release spikes in four directions. | Lava Lagoon | Animal Antics | |
Shuri | Shuries are underwater starfish enemies. Their name is a reference to shuriken, as when the Kongs approach a Shuri, it spins around and attempts to hit into the Kongs. They can only be defeated by Enguarde. | Lockjaw's Locker | Animal Antics | |
Snapjaw | Snapjaws are purple piranha fish and the invincible counterpart of Lockjaw. They patrol the water below the Kongs and bite them if they fall in. | Slime Climb | Clapper's Cavern | |
Kremling Kuthroats | ||||
Image | Name | Description | First level | Last level
|
Kaboing | Kaboings are a type of Kremling with two peg legs. They can only move by bouncing around: some Kaboings only bounce in place while some jump forward. There are green and gray Kaboings, and the former can jump farther than the latter. The Kongs can defeat Kaboings by jumping on their head. | Gangplank Galley | Animal Antics | |
Kaboom | Kabooms are red Kremlings who disguise themselves as a TNT Barrel, like how Klobbers disguise themselves as a barrel. Kabooms hide in their TNT Barrel, and if the Kongs approach one, it jumps out and attempts to run into them. The Kongs can defeat Kabooms by jumping on them and then throwing them like a TNT Barrel. | Ghostly Grove | Klobber Karnage | |
Kackle | Kackles are large, skeletal Kremlings who only appear in Haunted Hall. There are four Kackles, each of whom chases the Kongs throughout segments of the level. When the Kongs are chased by a Kackle, a time limit appears on top of the screen, and if it hits zero, the Kackle attacks the Kongs. Diddy and Dixie must run into Plus Barrels, which increase the timer and thus prevent the Kackle from attacking the Kongs, and avoid the Minus Barrels, which reduce the timer. | Haunted Hall | Haunted Hall | |
Kannon | Kannons are Klumps dressed up in pirate gear. They wield a cannon that shoots kannonballs at the Kongs, though sometimes it shoots out barrels, which the Kongs can bounce on to cross large gaps. | Kannon's Klaim | Animal Antics | |
Klampon | Klampons are crocodilian enemies with large jaws, like Klaptraps from Donkey Kong Country. They attack by biting Diddy and Dixie. | Hot-Head Hop | Animal Antics | |
Klank | Klanks are a type of Kremling who ride on Roller Coasters. They only appear in two levels: Target Terror and Rickety Race. In the former level, Klanks attack Diddy and Dixie by throwing barrels at them, and in the latter level, the Kongs must race past several Klanks until reaching the end of the level. | Target Terror | Rickety Race | |
Klinger | Klingers are Kremlings found on ropes, chains, and pond reeds, which they climb up and slide down repeatedly. | Mainbrace Mayhem | Screech's Sprint | |
Kloak | A ghostly Kremling capable of floating in midair. Kloaks pull out random enemies, objects, and items from the air and throw them at the Kongs. | Barrel Bayou | Screech's Sprint | |
Klobber | Klobbers are enemies who wear and hide inside a barrel as a disguise. When the Kongs approach a Klobber, it gets up and starts running after the Kongs. Klobbers attempt to push the Kongs into a pit. They have two other variants: yellow Klobbers, who cause the Kongs to drop a Banana Bunch from each hit, and black Klobbers, who make them drop a Red Balloon with each hit. The Kongs can quickly regain their dropped items before they disappear. | Pirate Panic | Klobber Karnage | |
Klomp | Klomps are Kremlings with a peg leg. These enemies slowly move back and forth, and the Kongs can easily defeat them with any attack. | Pirate Panic | Ghostly Grove | |
Klubba | Klubba is a large Kremling who operates a tollbooth, Klubba's Kiosk, in nearly every world. He prevents others from entering the Lost World, but Diddy and Dixie can pay 15 Kremkoins to Klubba from each of his kiosks to access the Lost World from that location and unlock one of its levels. Klubba wields a cudgel, and if the Kongs decide to fight him, Klubba whacks them out using his cudgel. | Klubba's Kiosk | Klubba's Kiosk | |
Krockhead | Krockheads are crocodile heads submerged in swamp water and the lava, hence their name. They are used as platforms by Diddy and Dixie to safely cross over. Some Krockheads repeatedly emerge then sink below, meaning that Diddy and Dixie must quickly jump from them. Green Krockheads are used as standard platforms while the brown ones spring the Kongs into the air. | Hot-Head Hop | Mudhole Marsh | |
Krook | Krooks are Kremlings wearing a trenchcoat and have two hooks for its hands. They attack by throwing a hook like a boomerang at the Kongs. They can be defeated by a cartwheel or jump attack, though some are out of range and can only be avoided. | Squawks's Shaft | Fiery Furnace | |
Kruncha | Krunchas are strong, muscular Kremlings. It is invulnerable to jump attacks, and if Diddy and Dixie attempt it, the Kruncha turns bright red and moves around the area. They can be defeated if an object, such as a barrel, is thrown at them, or by team up attack. They have a more uncommon pink variant, which appears in Castle Crush and Clapper's Cavern. | Gangplank Galley | Clapper's Cavern | |
Kutlass | Kutlasses are short Kremlings who wield two large swords. If the Kongs approach a Kutlass, it chases them and attempts to slash them with their swords. If the Kutlass misses, the Kongs have a brief moment to jump on them before the Kutlass pulls its swords back up. There are yellow and green varieties, the latter of whom picks up its swords faster after attacking with them. | Krockhead Klamber | Fiery Furnace |
Barnacled Bosses
Like Donkey Kong Country, a boss is fought at the end of every world after beating every stage in their respective order. Every boss level has a unique stage, a notable difference from Donkey Kong Country where every boss stage took place between similar piles of Banana Bunches. Every boss's name in the game begins with 'K'.
Image | Name | Description | First level | Last level
|
---|---|---|---|---|
Krow | Krow is the first boss and is a large vulture who appears at the end of Gangplank Galleon. He attacks by taking a large egg from his nest and throwing it down at the Kongs, or by bumping into his nest, causing numerous large eggs to fall. The Kongs can attack Krow by throwing a large egg at him. After taking four hits, Krow is defeated. Later, Krow's ghost appears as the fifth boss and is battled at the end of Gloomy Gulch. Here, he is fought in three sections of the stage. He sends ghost Mini-Neckies to attack the Kongs, though one of them is a normal Mini-Necky. By jumping on the live Mini-Necky, this spawns a barrel, which the Kongs must use to attack Krow. After he takes three hits, Krow is defeated again. | Krow's Nest | Kreepy Krow | |
Kleever | Kleever is the second boss and is a giant sword who appears at the end of Crocodile Cauldron. It attacks by swinging itself at Diddy and Dixie, or by launching fireballs from the lava at them. The Kongs can attack Kleever by throwing a kannonball at it. After being hit by a kannonball, hooks drop from the sky, and the Kongs must move to the other side of the arena. Kleever usually rapidly slashes itself after the Kongs. After taking six hits, Kleever is defeated, as it breaks apart into pieces. | Kleever's Kiln | Kleever's Kiln | |
Kudgel | Kudgel is the third boss, found at the end of Krem Quay. He is a large muscular Kremling who heavily resembles Klubba, except Kudgel has gray skin. Kudgel wields a large spiked club for a weapon against Diddy and Dixie. He also has the ability to jump high and causes the ground to shake from landing. The Kongs must throw a TNT Barrel to attack Kudgel, who gets defeated after taking six hits. | Kudgel's Kontest | Kudgel's Kontest | |
King Zing | King Zing is a large Zinger and the fourth boss, located at the end of Krazy Kremland. He constantly moves around his beehive, and is fought by Squawks. King Zing's weakness is his stinger, which Squawks must spit a coconut at to attack him. After taking some hits, King Zing shoots spikes in every direction and then resumes moving around. When King Zing takes six hits, he shrinks to the size of a normal Zinger and summons other Zingers to guard him. Squawks can defeat King Zing by spitting three more coconuts while he is in this state. | Rambi Rumble | King Zing Sting | |
Kaptain K. Rool | Kaptain K. Rool is the pirate alias of King K. Rool. He is the main villain and the final boss. Kaptain K. Rool is first encountered at The Flying Krock and later at the Lost World. In the first battle, at K. Rool Duel, Kaptain K. Rool wields a blunderbuss, which he uses to shoot kannonballs and gases at the Kongs. He also dashes from one side of the arena to the other, attempting to hit Diddy and Dixie. The Kongs can attack Kaptain K. Rool by throwing a kannonball into his blunderbuss. If they do this nine times, Kaptain K. Rool is defeated. In the second battle, at Krocodile Kore, Kaptain K. Rool shoots numerous objects out from his blunderbuss. The last object he shoots out is a barrel containing a kannonball. Unlike the first battle, K. Rool is defeated instantly when the Kongs throw the kannonball into his blunderbuss. | K. Rool Duel | Krocodile Kore |
Items
- “I've never seen so much worthless rubbish! I'm surprised they don't give you a special "trash barrel" to haul it all around in!”
- —Cranky Kong[5]
A variety of items and objects appear throughout the levels, and they each have a unique purpose.
Image | Name | Description
|
---|---|---|
Bananas | Bananas are scattered all over Crocodile Isle. If Diddy or Dixie Kong collect 100 of these, they get an extra life. Sometimes a trail of bananas may lead to a hidden item or path. | |
Banana Bunches | Like normal bananas, Banana Bunches are scattered all over Crocodile Isle. They reward ten bananas to the player, and it allows them to obtain 100 bananas quicker. | |
Banana Coins | Banana Bunch Coins are the currency that Diddy and Dixie use on Crocodile Isle to pay for the supporting Kongs' services. There are several of them in every level, and a few of them appear in a boss level. | |
Cranky's Video Game Hero Coins | Cranky's Video Game Hero Coins are large golden coins bearing the DK symbol. They were hidden by Cranky Kong in every level. There are 40 to collect. After beating Kaptain K. Rool, Cranky tallies up how many the Kongs have collected and ranks Diddy accordingly as a part of Cranky's "Video Game Hero" contest. | |
Extra Life Balloons | Extra Life Balloons come in three varieties: Red Balloons, Green Balloons, and Blue Balloons, and each type respectively rewards one, two, or three lives. | |
KONG Letters | These are a series of four individual gold tokens, each being a letter of "Kong": 'K', 'O', 'N', and 'G'. These letters are scattered at different parts of the level. Diddy and Dixie can optionally collect all of them for an extra life. | |
Kremkoins | A Kremkoin appears at the end of every Bonus Level challenge when Kongs have met its objective. They must be paid at Klubba's Kiosk to enter the Lost World levels. | |
Letter | Kaptain K. Rool's ransom note, obtainable from his cabin once at the beginning of Pirate Panic. | |
Stars | Appearing in bonus stages, collecting all stars within the time limit earns a Kremkoin. |
Objects
Mechanisms
Image | Name | Description
|
---|---|---|
Animal crates | These objects contain a certain Animal Friend whose silhouette appears on the crate. By jumping on an animal crate, Diddy and Dixie can free the Animal Friend, mount it, and continue with it in the level. | |
Brambles | Huge, thorny vines that hurt the Kongs when touched. | |
Crates | Like barrels, crates are objects that the Kongs can carry and throw, except they are more fragile because they always break if thrown at something. | |
Eggs | Projectiles used by Squawks and Krow, as well as against the latter. | |
End of Level Target | High striker-esque mechanisms with a landing target and a pole with a barrel roulette on top; the prizes usually include bananas, Banana Bunches, Banana Coins, or a Red Balloon. The letter G or a Cranky's Video Game Hero Coin rarely appear on the roulette. The Kongs can only win a prize if they land on the target hard enough, either by jumping from a height or by blasting from a Barrel Kannon. | |
Fireballs | Burning spheres launched by Kleever. | |
Honey | A sticky substance that prevents the Kongs from walking on the floor. Despite this, honey allows Diddy and Dixie to jump up walls. | |
Hook | Grabbable objects that can be hung from and jumped from. Harmful ones are thrown by Krooks. | |
Hot Air Balloon | Floating platforms that lift when caught in steam jets. | |
Kannons | Kannons fire Diddy and Dixie to a Bonus Level when a Kannonball is loaded inside. | |
Kannonballs | Kannonballs are an object that appear in some levels. For reach level it the Kongs must carry it all the way into a nearby kannon, causing it to glow and fire Diddy and Dixie to a Bonus Level. Kannonballs appear in some "Destroy Them All!" Bonus Level challenges, as objects which can be thrown at other enemies, and is used during the boss fight against Kleever. | |
No Animal Signs | Prevent Animal Buddies from crossing, but may reward the player with an item if the animal reaches the sign. | |
Roller Coasters | Rickety, skull-shaped amusement park vehicles that must be carefully ridden to avoid falling from the track. | |
Ropes | Unlike the previous game, ropes may appear both horizontally and vertically (often amongst each other) and take different appearances depending on the location, including normal ropes, giant typha plants, vines, and chains. A notable type are the phantom ropes who repeatedly vanish and reappear. | |
Smoke | Multicolored, skull-patterned gases shot from Kaptain K. Rool's blunderbuss, with varying effects: blue smoke freezes the Kongs, red smoke slows them down, and purple smoke inverts left and right on the player's controls. | |
Spike Balls | Kannonballs with retractable spikes shot from Kaptain K. Rool's blunderbuss as his main attack. | |
Spike Traps | Clusters of wooden spikes found in the jungles of the Lost World. | |
Stinger | Spikes shot in several directions at once by exploding Puftups as well as the large King Zing three times after every second successful attack against him. | |
Tires | Enormous rolling objects that can be bounced on. | |
Treasure chests | Treasure chests are another object that the Kongs can carry and throw. If the Kongs hit a number of enemies with a chest (usually varies between one through three times), it breaks open and reveals an item such as a Banana Coin. Some chests contain a kannonball. The Kongs cannot break a chest by throwing it on the ground. | |
Webs | Squitter can create these as temporary platforms or projectiles. | |
Wind | Pushes the player in various directions. |
Barrels
Barrels are prominent objects throughout the Donkey Kong franchise. Multiple variants of these objects exist, many which are featured in Donkey Kong Country 2.
Throwable barrels | ||
---|---|---|
Image | Name | Description
|
Barrels | Normal Barrels appear in most levels and are objects that the Kongs can throw into other enemies. When Diddy or Dixie throw a barrel, it rolls on the ground and breaks when it hits a wall. Barrels, along with other carriable objects, can be used to defeat normal Zingers. | |
DK Barrels | If either Diddy or Dixie is missing, the other Kong can break a DK Barrel to free them. If both Kongs are present, the DK Barrels do not release anything. Regardless, it can be used like a normal barrel. | |
TNT Barrels | TNT Barrels are explosive barrels and are stronger than normal barrels. If the Kongs throw a TNT Barrel at a fragile wall, they can blast it away and create an opening. TNT Barrels can also be used to instantly defeat red Zingers. | |
Enterable barrels | ||
Image | Name | Description
|
Animal Barrel | If Diddy and Dixie jump into an Animal Barrel, they transform into the pictured Animal Friend, either Enguarde, Rambi, Rattly, Squawks, or Squitter. They are similar to animal crates by allowing the player to control an Animal Friend. | |
Arrow Barrels | Arrow Barrels automatically launch the Kongs out in the direction they point, never turning. | |
Barrel Kannons | Barrel Kannons are hovering barrels that the Kongs can enter to blast into a certain direction. Their main purpose is to allow the Kongs to blast across gaps. When the player presses a button, the Kongs are blasted out in the direction that the barrel was facing. Some Barrel Kannons spin in circles while others only move between a few directions. Some Barrel Kannons and their variants give the Kongs slight control of the direction they move in upon being blasted out. | |
Biplane Barrel | The Biplane Barrel is a vehicle at Funky's Flights II that can take Diddy and Dixie back to a world that they have previously visited. It is the successor of the Jumbo Barrel in Donkey Kong Country. The Kongs must pay two Banana Coins to Funky Kong when they first use the Biplane Barrel, but it subsequently becomes free of charge. | |
Blast Barrels | Blast Barrels automatically blast the Kongs in a direction not specified before launching. | |
Bonus Barrels | Bonus Barrels warp the Kongs into a Bonus Level challenge, where they must complete a task for a Kremkoin. Bonus Barrels are very common and usually appear either once or twice in every level, though a few levels feature three Bonus Barrels. | |
Diddy & Dixie Barrels | Diddy & Dixie Barrels are a type of Barrel Kannon that only pictured Kong (either Diddy or Dixie) can enter if they are in lead. | |
Golden Barrel | The Golden Barrel is a unique barrel that only appears in Klubba's Kiosk. In a world, when the Kongs pay 15 Kremkoins to Klubba, he allows them to enter the Golden Barrel. The Golden Barrel warps Diddy and Dixie to the Lost World, from which they can access one of its levels from each Klubba's Kiosk. | |
Rotatable Barrels | Rotatable Barrels are a type of Barrel Kannon that the player can rotate in any direction. They have a countdown timer on them, and the Kongs are automatically fired out when it reaches zero. | |
Steerable Barrels | Steerable Barrels only appear in the level, Fiery Furnace. They are similar to Rotatable Barrels except that the Kongs move the barrel around instead of rotating it. When the time limit reaches zero, the Kongs are blasted out of the barrel. | |
Warp Barrels | Warp Barrels appear in early levels and act as hidden shortcuts to the end of their respective stage. | |
Triggerable barrels | ||
Image | Name | Description
|
Check and X Barrels | Only appearing in Target Terror, the Check and X Barrels control whether the roller coaster's gates are passable. | |
Exclamation Point Barrels | Exclamation Point Barrels act like a Super Star from the Super Mario series, as they grant temporary invincibility to the Kongs. While in this state, Diddy and Dixie flash in a white color, allowing them to defeat most enemies they touch and to walk over spiky surfaces. | |
Krockhead Barrels | Krockhead Barrels are rare barrels that can only be found around the swamp levels of Krem Quay. When hit, they summon Krockheads from the swampy water to be used as platforms. | |
Plus and Minus Barrels | Plus and Minus Barrels only appear in the level Haunted Hall, and are respectively used to increase and decrease the timer. If the timer runs out, Kackle injures the Kongs. A single Plus Barrel appears in an earlier level, Rickety Race, and it has a different role of speeding up the Roller Coaster just as it hits into it. In one Bonus Level, the Plus Barrel causes the Roller Coaster go backwards. | |
Star Barrels | Star Barrels appear halfway through every level, and the Kongs can activate one by jumping at it. Therefore, if the Kongs lose a life and re-enter the level, they can continue from the Star Barrel. |
Supporting locations
There are five unique locations which are hosted by a supporting character, and these areas appear in most worlds.
Image | Name | Description
|
---|---|---|
Funky's Flights II | Diddy and Dixie can lease Funky Kong's Biplane Barrel to travel to worlds that they have previously visited. | |
Swanky's Bonus Bonanza | An optional quiz mini-game hosted by Swanky Kong. Diddy and Dixie have to correctly answer three questions, each being trivia related to the game, to win Extra Life Balloons. After completing a challenge, the Kongs cannot replay it. | |
Kong Kollege | An establishment run by Wrinkly Kong where Diddy and Dixie can save their game (in each world, the first save is free but is subsequently priced at two Banana Coins) or purchase level hints. | |
Monkey Museum | Here, Cranky Kong gives vague hints of where the Kongs can find secrets within levels; like Kong Kollege, some advice is free while others cost Banana Coins. | |
Klubba's Kiosk | A tollbooth operated by Klubba to guard others from entering the Lost World. However, at each location, Klubba allows Diddy and Dixie to enter a level of the Lost World if they pay fifteen Kremkoins to him. |
Levels
Levels and Bonus Areas | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Gangplank Galleon | ||||
# | Level | Bonus Areas | Type of level | Music theme |
1 | Pirate Panic | 2 | Ship deck | Klomp's Romp |
2 | Mainbrace Mayhem | 3 | Ship mast | Jib Jig |
3 | Gangplank Galley | 2 | Ship deck | Klomp's Romp |
4 | Lockjaw's Locker | 1 | Ship hold | Lockjaw's Saga |
5 | Topsail Trouble | 2 | Ship mast | Jib Jig |
6 | BOSS LEVEL: Krow's Nest | 0 | Ship mast | Boss Bossanova |
Crocodile Cauldron | ||||
# | Level | Bonus Areas | Type of level | Music theme |
7 | Hot-Head Hop | 3 | Lava | Hot Head Bop |
8 | Kannon's Klaim | 3 | Mines | Kannon's Klaim |
9 | Lava Lagoon | 1 | Ship hold | Lockjaw's Saga |
10 | Red-Hot Ride | 2 | Lava | Hot Head Bop |
11 | Squawks's Shaft | 3 | Mines | Kannon's Klaim |
12 | BOSS LEVEL: Kleever's Kiln | 0 | Lava | Boss Bossanova |
Krem Quay | ||||
# | Level | Bonus Areas | Type of level | Music theme |
13 | Barrel Bayou | 2 | Swamp | Bayou Boogie |
14 | Glimmer's Galleon | 2 | Ship hold | Lockjaw's Saga |
Ship deck | Snakey Chantey Klomp's Romp (GBA version) | |||
15 | Krockhead Klamber | 1 | Swamp | Bayou Boogie |
16 | Rattle Battle | 3 | Ship deck | Snakey Chantey |
17 | Slime Climb | 2 | Ship mast | Jib Jig |
18 | Bramble Blast | 2 | Brambles | Stickerbush Symphony |
19 | BOSS LEVEL: Kudgel's Kontest | 0 | Swamp | Boss Bossanova |
Krazy Kremland | ||||
# | Level | Bonus Areas | Type of level | Music theme |
20 | Hornet Hole | 3 | Hive | Flight Of The Zinger |
21 | Target Terror | 2 | Roller coaster | Disco Train |
22 | Bramble Scramble | 1 | Brambles | Stickerbush Symphony |
23 | Rickety Race | 1 | Roller coaster | Disco Train |
24 | Mudhole Marsh | 2 | Swamp | Bayou Boogie |
25 | Rambi Rumble | 2 | Hive | Flight Of The Zinger Run, Rambi! Run! |
26 | BOSS LEVEL: King Zing Sting | 0 | Hive | Boss Bossanova |
Gloomy Gulch | ||||
# | Level | Bonus Areas | Type of level | Music theme |
27 | Ghostly Grove | 2 | Forest | Forest Interlude |
28 | Haunted Hall | 3 | Roller coaster | Haunted Chase |
29 | Gusty Glade | 2 | Forest | Forest Interlude |
30 | Parrot Chute Panic | 2 | Hive | Flight Of The Zinger |
31 | Web Woods | 2 | Forest | Forest Interlude |
32 | BOSS LEVEL: Kreepy Krow | 0 | Ship mast | Boss Bossanova |
K. Rool's Keep | ||||
# | Level | Bonus Areas | Type of level | Music theme |
33 | Arctic Abyss | 2 | Ice | In A Snow-bound Land |
34 | Windy Well | 2 | Mines | Kannon's Klaim |
35 | Castle Crush | 2 | Castle | Krook's March |
36 | Clapper's Cavern | 2 | Ice | In A Snow-bound Land |
37 | Chain Link Chamber | 2 | Castle | Krook's March |
38 | Toxic Tower | 1 | Castle | Krook's March |
39 | BOSS LEVEL: Stronghold Showdown | 0 | Castle | False Triumph? |
The Flying Krock | ||||
# | Level | Bonus Areas | Type of level | Music theme |
40 | Screech's Sprint | 1 | Brambles | Stickerbush Symphony Bad Bird Rag |
41 | BOSS LEVEL: K. Rool Duel | 0 | Gunship | Crocodile Cacophony |
Lost World | ||||
# | Level | Bonus Areas | Type of level | Music theme |
42 | Jungle Jinx | 1 | Jungle | Primal Rave |
43 | Black Ice Battle | 1 | Ice | In A Snow-bound Land |
44 | Klobber Karnage | 1 | Jungle | Primal Rave |
45 | Fiery Furnace | 1 | Lava | Hot Head Bop |
46 | Animal Antics | 1 | Jungle | Primal Rave |
Ice | In A Snow-bound Land | |||
Jungle | Primal Rave | |||
Brambles | Stickerbush Symphony | |||
Jungle | Primal Rave | |||
47 | BOSS LEVEL: Krocodile Kore | 0 | Altar | Crocodile Cacophony |
Cheats
In the original version, when the player starts a new file, they can press Down ten times to navigate down to the hidden Cheat Mode option (after five presses, the hidden Music Test will appear). While highlighting the option, the player can press a combination of buttons to enter one of two cheats:
- One cheat removes all the DK Barrels. It is activated by entering: B, A, Right, Right, A, Left, A, X
- One cheat causes the Kongs to start with 50 lives. It is activated by entering: Y, A, Select, A, Down, Left, A, Down
Differences in other versions
In addition to regional differences, there are two main revisions of the SNES release. Changes from the first version:
- V1.1
- Jungle Jinx and Klobber Karnage both have their bonus areas' color schemes swapped from the previous version.
- King Zing moves faster during King Zing Sting.
- Infinite throwing jump glitch fixed.
- Various bugs fixed.
- This section is a stub. You can help the Super Mario Wiki by expanding it.
Glitches
Castle Crush glitch
Warning! Performing this action may corrupt your game's save file.
Note: This glitch only works in the SNES, Wii U and Nintendo Switch versions.
To perform this glitch, the player must enter Castle Crush with Diddy Kong as the lead character (Dixie is optional, but cannot be the lead character). Then, the player must pick up the first DK Barrel and hold it against a wall. The player must now drop the barrel and quickly pick it up again; if done correctly, the barrel will break, but Diddy will act as if he's still holding it. Upon throwing the "invisible barrel", it will be replaced with a nearby object, with the exact object depending on how much of the level had been traversed before throwing.[6] Throughout most of the level, this will cause an enemy to warp in front of Diddy, following which the enemy will often die immediately. If thrown near the top, it will be replaced with the "No Rambi" sign. Both of these outcomes are relatively harmless. However, if thrown shortly after being "picked up," the invisible barrel will be replaced with the nearby Rambi Barrel. The transformation aspect of the Rambi Barrel becomes broken after this happens, and will typically cause Diddy to either turn into a screen-sized glitchy mess, an incorrectly-colored Klubba with no hammer, which stands in place, or a fully-black Kleever, which moves slowly to the side while spinning. In all three of these cases, the game typically will softlock shortly thereafter.
Quotes
- "All those Kremlings want to do is learn how to fight and squash monkeys!"
- "Those naughty crocodiles! All they want to learn is how to fight and squash monkeys, Tsk!"
- "When you see Kaptain K. Rool, can you ask him if he has done his homework?"
- "Hurry along! School is nearly finished! You need to study a little more if you're going to beat the Kremlings!"
- "You're looking a little weary dear. Would you like to save your game?"
- "Good luck, children."
- "Be careful now, Kongs."
- "Have you been to see my husband Cranky? He complains a little, but he does know everything about this island."
- "Goodbye, dearies."
- "Don't be a stranger now."
- "Well! Just look at all those sums those Kremlings have done. Disgraceful!"
- "I hope you're better behaved than those reptiles. Why I even caught one sharpening his sword in class yesterday."
References to other games
- Donkey Kong - Cranky makes a direct reference to this game in the intro by saying, "Whisking off maidens and chucking barrels seven days a week, I was!"
- Super Mario Bros. - The instruction booklet's description of the Minus Barrel jokingly states that it will send the player to the Minus World.
- Super Mario franchise - Mario makes an appearance as a video game hero as first place or second place depending on the number of Cranky's Video Game Hero Coins obtained. Yoshi also appears in second or third place depending on the number of coins obtained.
- The Legend of Zelda series - At Cranky's Video Game Heroes, Link can be seen in third place or ranked out.
- Sonic the Hedgehog series - Sonic the Hedgehog's discarded shoes is seen among the "No Hopers" pile in the original SNES game.
- Killer Instinct - A Killer Instinct arcade cabinet and a poster of Chief Thunder can be seen in Cranky's Monkey Museum.
- Earthworm Jim series - Earthworm Jim's discarded blaster is seen among the "No Hopers" pile in the original SNES game.
References in later games
- Donkey Kong 64 - Paintings of Kaptain K. Rool hang in sunken ships in this game.
- DK: Jungle Climber - Funky's Theme in this game is a cover of the theme Funky the Main Monkey.
- WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase - The microgame DK Country is based on the game.
- Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze - A bramble level returns, and is named Bramble Scramble after the one in Donkey Kong Country 2.
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - In this game, one of King K. Rool's attacks involves him using his blunderbuss and he also wears his pirate hat when using the move. Kaptain K. Rool also appears as a spirit in this game, using his artwork from Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. In King K. Rool's announce trailer "The Rivals", Donkey Kong's and Diddy Kong's eyes comically bulge out in horror when they witness King K. Rool knock away King Dedede (who had posed as King K. Rool as a prank), referencing their reactions when about to face a boss in Donkey Kong Country 2 (and to a lesser extent, Donkey Kong's reaction whenever Kaptain K. Rool regains consciousness and starts the next phase of the final boss battle).
Development
Even before the first Donkey Kong Country turned out to be a blockbuster success, the game's development team already had plans for a sequel.[7] The team focused first on the game's environments; the game's setting was informed by Gregg Mayles' life-long obsession with pirates and the fact that the first Donkey Kong Country had already featured most stock platforming level archetypes. While some ideas from its predecessor were carried over, all of the levels in Donkey Kong Country 2 were brand new.[7] Replacing Donkey Kong with the new character Dixie Kong came from a desire to take risk and surprise players.[7]
Speaking of the game's level design, Mayles explained that Donkey Kong Country 2 went with a more exploration-based structure as "If we had made it speed runs again then there wouldn't have been much scope for us to go anywhere different with it" and to make the game more different from its predecessor.[7] Secret collectables and the Lost World were included to give the game more intrigue and extend its replay value. Nintendo was less involved in Donkey Kong Country 2's development, which Gregg Mayles chalked up to the success of the first game.[7]
Pre-release and unused content
Rare Witch Project preview and German strategy guide
The Rare Witch Project website once had previews of several upcoming enemies and characters for Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. Among these enemies was a sinister looking character simply dubbed "Mr. X". Mr. X was an early version of the enemy Kackle, a ghostly Kremling that appears in the level Haunted Hall and chases the Kongs throughout the level in the final version of the game. Mr. X was a phantasmagoric white Kremling with red eyes, wearing a large black jacket covered in army medals, he also possessed two small hooks for hands. Despite his status as an unused element, Mr. X somehow managed to be included in the official German player's guide, which cryptically states that he is a character no one has known or has seen.
Reception
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest received widespread critical acclaim, considered by critics to be among the best titles on the Wii's Virtual Console.
Reviews | |||
---|---|---|---|
Release | Reviewer, Publication | Score | Comment |
Wii | Mark Birnbaum, IGN | 8.8/10 | "If you love action-platformer games then Donkey Kong Country 2 is a no-brainer. There is a strong chance that you've already played it on the SNES or GBA so you'd know how similarly it plays to the original. Consequently, it's easy to recommend spending the 800 Wii points to anyone who has enjoyed the original classic by Rareware. Who doesn't love blasting from barrels and collecting bananas? Surely no normal person." |
Wii | Frank Provo, GameSpot | 9/10 | "If you're looking for a diverse platformer that'll take you a while to finish, look no further than Donkey Kong Country 2. It's well worth the 800 Wii points that you'll need to fork over to download it to your Wii." |
Wii | Damien McFerran, Nintendo Life | 9/10 | "Donkey Kong Country 2 may prove frustrating for some younger or less dedicated players. For those who enjoy a challenge this is probably one of the best games available on the Virtual Console. PAL users will be pleased to hear as this is a game developed by Rare this game is optimised for 50Hz. That means no real differences between this and it's[sic] NTSC counterpart." |
Aggregators | |||
Compiler | Platform / Score | ||
GameRankings | 89.81% |
Nintendo eShop description
Kaptain K. Rool and his cutthroat Kremlings have kidnapped Donkey Kong and are holding him ransom at Crocodile Isle for the banana hoard! Who will brave the seas to save our hairy hero?
Enter Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong, and they're ready to head out and show their stuff! The two small Kongs are each equipped with their own abilities—Diddy Kong's Cartwheel can sprint him across a distance, while Dixie Kong's Helicopter Spin will let her float from high places.
Play solo, against a friend, or together with a friend in eight exciting worlds. During your adventure, meet up with other Kong family members for some fun times or friendly advice. Be on the lookout for animal friends, collectibles, and hidden areas, as they can be very valuable in your adventures!
All aboard, and let's set sail! It's time for Kaptain K. Rool to get knocked off his ship.
Staff
- Main article: List of Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest staff
- Head Programmer
- C. Sutherland
- Assistant Head Programmer
- M. Wilson
- Technical Programmer
- B. Gunn
- Programmer
- T. Attwood
- Characters / Animation
- S. Mayles
- Objects and Additional Characters / Backgrounds
- M. Stevenson
- Backgrounds
- C. Gage
- J. Nash
- A. Smith
Gallery
- For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest.
Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong
Media
- For a complete list of media for this subject, see List of Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest media.
Snakey Chantey | File info |
Stickerbush Symphony | File info |
Bad Bird Rag | File info |
Crocodile Cacophony | File info |
School House Harmony | File info |
Names in other languages
Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Japanese | スーパードンキーコング2 ディクシー&ディディー[?] Sūpā Donkī Kongu Tsū Dikushī ando Didī |
Super Donkey Kong 2: Dixie & Diddy |
Trivia
- The game was placed 33rd in the 100th issue of Nintendo Power's "100 best Nintendo games of all time" in 1997.[page number needed]
- This is the only game in the original Donkey Kong Country trilogy where the players start with four lives by default. The other two games have the players start with five lives by default.
- The game over screen is also used in error and anti-piracy screens in-game. This also occurs in Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!
- An arcade game manufacturer named Sunwise made a Japan-only slot machine game based on the Japanese version of Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest called Swanky no Bonus Slot (which translates to "Swanky's Bonus Slots"). The game would play a music piece while the wheels would spin.[8]
References
- ^ Rarewhere. Rareware. (Archived July 5, 1998, 00:18:44 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^ July 1995. Nintendo Power #74. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 108.
- ^ Femmel, Kevin (November 16, 2012). Nintendo removing all Donkey Kong Country games from Virtual Console. Gimme Gimme Games (English). Archived December 6, 2015, 04:44:00 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
- ^ 1995. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest instruction booklet. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 31.
- ^ 1995. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest manual. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 17.
- ^ Crash Catalogue (March 7, 2021). Castle Crush Glitch on Switch compilation. YouTube (English). Retrieved June 5, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Milne, Rory (July 2018). "The Making Of Donkey Kong Country 2" - Retro Gamer Magazine Issue 181. Page 65 to 68. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
- ^ kodomoyo (December 29, 2012). 【メダルゲーム】―スワンキーのボーナススロット ①―【すゎ~ん】. Niconico Video. Retrieved June 5, 2024.