The Donkey Kong Country Series is the Pinnacle of 2D Platforming
When it comes to 2D platforming games, most people think of old and legendary series like Super Mario Bros, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Mega Man while others will think of newer 2D games like Celeste and Shovel Knight.
But only a few might say, “Hey, what about the Donkey Kong Country series?”
The Donkey Kong Country series has been around for 30 years since it was first released on the Super Nintendo on November 21, 1994.
Donkey Kong has been a staple of Nintendo video games ever since the beginning of Nintendo video games. He’s one of two characters who put Nintendo on the map, the other being Mario.
When most people hear the name Donkey Kong, they think of the 1981 arcade game with the same name, and rightfully so. That Donkey Kong game was a huge success and a step forward for gaming and Nintendo.
Donkey Kong’s success is the reason Nintendo is still developing games today.
The huge success of the original Donkey Kong arcade game was followed by two sequels: Donkey Kong Jr. released in ‘82, and Donkey Kong 3 released in ‘83.
The original Donkey Kong game has you play as Jumpman (Mario). His goal is to avoid the falling barrels from the platforms while he tries to reach the top and save his girlfriend Pauline who is being held captive by Donkey Kong at the end of each level.
Donkey Kong Jr. has you play as Donkey Kong’s son. The original Donkey Kong was captured by Jumpman after the events of the first game. It’s your job to save him by playing as Donkey Kong Jr. Since you play as a gorilla in this game, you can do different things, like climbing ropes and swinging from branch to branch while Mario releases enemies that you need to avoid to save your father.
The first game will always have a special place in my heart due to its importance to the video game industry. But I was a huge fan of Donkey Kong Junior’s main premise, and having Mario as the villain was a great way to switch up the traditional format.
Now Donkey Kong 3 is by far the most disappointing of the trilogy. It features shooter gameplay, which differentiates it from its predecessors. In this game, you control an exterminator named Stanley instead of the usual protagonist of Jumpman/Mario.
After Donkey Kong 3's failure, the series went on hiatus for a while.
Fast forward to 1994 —
After 11 years, Nintendo gave the video game company Rare permission to make a new Donkey Kong game.
That game was Donkey Kong Country.
Donkey Kong Country introduced new mechanics and features to the franchise. The biggest upgrade is the 2D platformer/side scroller like the Mario series rather than an arcade shooter/platformer like the original Donkey Kong games.
After 18 months of development, Donkey Kong Country was released in November of 1994 to critical acclaim.
One thing about this game that always stood out is how good it looks. It’s a timeless game that never loses its charm. And 30 years later the visuals still hold up.
Fans thought the same thing and more. This game was a huge success, selling 9.3 million units and becoming the third best-selling game for the Super Nintendo.
It’s safe to say that Donkey Kong’s transition from villain to hero was a success.
Following the success of Donkey Kong Country, a sequel was in order. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kong’s Quest was released on November 21st, 1995.
In this game, you control Donkey Kong’s nephew, Diddy Kong, who was your sidekick in the first game. You’re joined by Diddy Kong’s girlfriend, Dixie Kong, who acts as your sidekick. In this game, you’re meant to save Donkey Kong from King K Rool, the crocodile antagonist.
Even though this game had you saving Donkey Kong and not playing as him, this sold 5.1 million copies and is considered one of the best 2D platformers ever made.
The graphics and soundtrack are as mesmerizing as the first entry. And even though the game is more challenging than the first entry, it’s still widely enjoyed by fans around the globe.
Since both entries in the Donkey Kong Country series were a huge success, a third game was released shortly after. Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong’s Double Trouble was released in November of 1996 (the month of November has proven to be the month of Donkey Kong Country).
In Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong’s Double Trouble, both Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong have been captured by the antagonist King K Rool. You’re meant to save them both by playing as Dixie Kong and occasionally her cousin Kiddy Kong.
This game received great reviews upon its release due to its stunning graphics (noticing a trend?) and its clever level design made for the special features of Dixie Kong’s gliding ability.
Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong’s Double Trouble sold 3.5 million units, a downgrade from the original Donkey Kong Country which sold 9.3 million units. While Donkey Country 2: Diddy Kong’s Quest sold 5.1 million units.
The Donkey Kong Country series went on a hiatus, yet again, after the Nintendo 64 console was released, replacing the Super Nintendo.
Rare and Nintendo began developing spinoff games for the Nintendo 64 and Gameboy, such as Diddy Kong Racing, Donkey Kong Land, Donkey Kong Land 2, and Donkey Kong Land 3. Diddy Kong Racing ended up being the most successful, selling 4.5 million units, more than what Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong’s Double Trouble sold.
Rare has been working on a full-fledged 3D Donkey Kong game behind the scenes since 1997, directly after the release of Donkey Kong Country 3.
The new 3D Donkey Kong game was meant to be another Donkey Kong Country game, but Rare decided to use the Nintendo 64 capabilities to their full potential and make a full-fledged 3D game.
Donkey Kong 64.
Donkey Kong 64 was the first and last Donkey Kong game to be in 3D, while it was a bestselling game and received well by fans, it was critiqued for not matching the revolutionary impact of Donkey Kong Country.
Nintendo and Rare had many Donkey Kong projects planned, and Nintendo’s new console was on the horizon. The future was looking bright for Nintendo and Donkey Kong…
Until Microsoft acquired Rare for $375 million.
Luckily Nintendo gained the rights for Donkey Kong for future releases, but without Rare, the future of Donkey Kong was looking way less bright than before.
In 2004, two years after Rare was acquired by Microsoft, a new developer came out of the shadows and said they wanted to develop a new Donkey Kong Country game.
That company was Retro Studios.
Back in 2004, Retro Studios just finished developing the sequel to Metroid Prime called Metroid Prime 2: Echoes.
After the release, the CEO of Retro Studios, who previously worked as a tester on the Donkey Kong Country series, asked Nintendo if Retro Studios could develop a new Donkey Kong Country game.
Nintendo declined the offer and instead had Retro Studios work on developing Metroid Prime 3:Corruption.
After Metroid Prime 3: Corruptions’ release in 2007, Retro Studios was asked to develop a new Donkey Kong Country game after Donkey Kong creator Shigeru Miyamoto expressed interest in a revival game
“Donkey Kong is my baby and you better get it right!”, said Miyamoto to Retro Studios.
Retro Studios did not disappoint.
After 14 years without a Donkey Kong Country game, Donkey Kong Country Returns was released on the Nintendo Wii in November of 2010 to critical acclaim.
Even without Rare, Nintendo was able to find a replacement who could make a phenomenal Donkey Kong Country game, which saved the series from its demise.
Donkey Kong Country Returns has you play as Donkey Kong and occasionally as Diddy Kong. This game brought back many of the unique elements from the previous games, such as mine cart levels and the ability to swing from vine to vine.
This game was a critical and commercial success selling 6.53 million copies, making it one of the best-selling titles for the Wii. The game was praised for its amazing graphics, clever level design, and great gameplay.
But no game is perfect.
Donkey Kong Country Returns was criticized for its use of motion controls and extremely difficult levels. In my opinion, the difficult levels are more of a good than a bad thing. They keep you playing longer. But the motion controls were an issue — that’s not what Donkey Kong Country players are used to.
So, Nintendo listened to fans.
Donkey Kong Country Returns received a port to the Nintendo 3DS in 2013, which added a whole new world with 8 additional levels. But fans were more excited to play this game without motion controls.
Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D sold 1.52 million copies and is the 15 best-selling games for the Nintendo 3DS. While it wasn’t as big of a success as the original Donkey Kong Country Returns game, it was praised for giving fans a new way to play the game. Portability.
In 2014, after the success of the Donkey Kong Country revival, fans wanted more.
So, Nintendo and Retro Studios answered.
Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze, a direct sequel to Donkey Kong Country Returns was released in February of 2014 for the Nintendo Wii U.
This game was a huge success, although it didn’t take much because it was released on a failed console. Nonetheless, fans adored this game, and rightfully so.
Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze has the same 2D side-scrolling/platformer charm as its previous 4 entries. This game was praised for its mesmerizing, updated graphics, intricate level design, and great soundtrack. But this game, like its predecessor, received mixed opinions for its difficulty.
In 2018, a year after the release of the Nintendo Switch, a port for the Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze was set to release in May of 2018.
This game is like the original. You play as Donkey Kong and occasionally Diddy Kong, Dixie Kong, or Cranky Kong. After being blown off Donkey Kong Island by the Snowmads, you have to traverse five amazingly crafted worlds to try and make it back to Donkey Kong Island.
The only thing this game added that’s different from the original is the ability to play as Funky Kong, which serves as an easy mode for players who want less of a challenge.
This isn’t a great port because there wasn’t enough added. Sure, the graphics and loading times are significantly better, and now there’s an easy mode. But there are no new levels.
It may sound like I hate this port, but that’s far from the truth. This port is how I discovered the Donkey Kong Country series. And I respect Nintendo for porting this game onto the Switch so more people can see this amazing game and series that changed 2D platforming forever.
Sadly, as of 2024, there are no new Donkey Kong Country games on the horizon, except a port of Donkey Kong Country Returns for the Switch, which I’m excited about.
But I’m ready for a new game, and I know everyone else is too.
Donkey Kong Country is my favorite 2D platforming series of all time and one of my favorite series in general. The hard levels, like the ones in Donkey Kong Country Returns and Tropical Freeze, make a 2D platforming game fun. It adds replayability and enjoyment when you can finally beat that one boss or that one level.
I’ve always considered myself more of a casual gamer, but I enjoy the difficulty presented in these games because the gameplay makes up for it.
There are rarely any other games out there with complex 2D-level designs and likable Kong characters.
Donkey Kong Country proved to be the pinnacle of 2D platformer/side-scrolling for its amazing level design and complexity that differentiates it from many other 2D Nintendo games.
This series is very special to me, and I hope I inspired you to give it a shot.
