The Discussion Thread | The 12th Annual Greatest Games Event

[Runa216]

04 – Donkey Kong Country SNES Trilogy – SNES, Wii, WiiU, Switch

This entry and the prior entry could almost be swapped, as they're both trilogies of games that came out in quick succession, one in 1994, one in 1995, and one in 1996. All on the SNES, with the first game being the outlier. However, the reason Donkey Kong Country comes out on top is that in that franchise, the first game was the weakest instead of the strongest, whereas 2 and 3 are tied but better. Still, what a great string of games. One that arguably got better with each entry. Rare used to be great, you know? Donkey Kong country 1-3, Donkey Kong 64 (I didn't like it, but others did), Goldeneye, Perfect Dark, Banjo Kazooie 1 and 2. This is almost as good a streak as the Final Fantasy games. I didn't like their N64 output, personally, but for gaming as a whole that's one hell of a decade. I think they also did Diddy Kong Racing somewhere in there. It's a shame Microsoft ruined them. No worry, Playtonic made Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, another candidate for my runner-up section.

As much as I joke about needing to keep the entries short, I'm not actually sure if I have that much to say about the DKC games in spite of loving them. It's not that I don't love them, it's just that for once I don't have some weird, long-winded story about their games passing down to me or some quest I had to go on to learn to appreciate them. Well, aside from the part where my mom sold my copy of Donkey Kong Country 3 and it took me decades to replace it. But that's basically it, mom sold my game, I had to become an adult to get it back. Simple as that. That, or back in Grade three when the first one came out and I tried to draw the first few levels from memory or rebuild DK's home with construction paper.

No, for the most part, the games just came out with a bunch of fanfare about how pretty they looked, I played them and loved them, then I continued to love them as time went on. The second one came out, I loved it as well, then I moved on. The third one came out, the internet wasn't really a thing back then so I didn't hear about the complaints people had and I loved it just as much as the other two. The first one was a fantastic proof of concept that was easy enough to play and fun for people just looking to beat it while also giving completionists something to do by having a handful of bonus levels per stage that'd up your percentage. The bosses were just bigger versions of normal enemies, it introduced a bunch of Donkey Kong lore and gameplay mechanics, and it was great. Simple as that.

When the second one came out, taking place immediately in the wake of the first one's conclusion, it felt to me exactly like what it was. A continuation. DK was captured, suddenly you were playing as Dixie, and the whole game took on a pirate theme, something that would eventually be pretty influential on me between this, Wind Waker, Black Flag, and Pirates of the Caribbean. There were more stages than the first one, a better structure for the bonus levels, something to do with your bonus coins, and DK coins for bragging rights. There was a secret world you could access by beating tonnes of bonus levels, and the whole thing was just better designed. Oh, and the art direction was impeccable and – as a theme you may notice developing, the soundtrack was absolutely astounding, one of the best of all time. I can't not hear half of the tracks from this game without going into a trance to just relax and enjoy them. It also inspires me to go back and play Donkey Kong Country 2 and 3 again.

Finally, Donkey Kong Country 3 came out a year later and I loved it just as much, if not more than 2. In much the same vein as the second game, this one had more levels, more hidden content, even better and tighter design, and more collectibles as well as a world map that actually gave you freedom to explore at your leisure as well as a game-length side quest. However, on the flip side, the aesthetics had changed from a grimy pirate-themed game to a more toony-looking game set in the 'northern kremisphere'. AKA Canada or Norway or something. The songs were a bit more bubbly and poppy than part 2, and the level and creature design were more exagerrated. This made the game look kinda silly and not feel dangerous or serious like the second one, which is why many people don't like it as much.

However, I formed my opinions before I realized what the internet thought, and with 25 years of hindsight I can say with clarity that, from a gameplay and design perspective, Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble is the best game in the trilogy, with donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest in a close second. However, if i had to order them I would put 2 ahead of 3 because the aesthetic and score are pretty important and do make the game FEEL more perilous and encapsulate a better tone. But, as I said, there is more content in 3, and I felt the level design was better, so it's really hard to decide; it really depends on whether I'm thinking about them or playing them. If I'm reminiscing about the games, 2 gets the edge because it's easier to remember visuals and sounds, but if I'm in the midst of playing them I find 3 to be better since the level design is better and there's more to do. Like I said, it's kind of all over the place, and there's a reason it's this high on my list.

As a recap, the first game was pretty basic. Its completion requirements just had you finishing the game and entering the bonus stages. However, the game looked and sounded great, played fantastically well, and was a completely new and unique game style in terms of art direction and fidelity. DKC2 went a step further by having more worlds and levels, making you actually complete the bonus stages to get coins that could be used to access the Lost world (super hard bonus levels and the final optional hidden boss), as well as DK coins for bragging rights. This was all while darkening the tone, giving the world a pirate theme, and delivering some of the best music ever seen or heard in a video game. It replaced Donkey with Dixie, something I personally liked since she floats and thus it gives you more freedom and allows the levels to be a bit more open and fun.

DKC3 toned down the stylistic darkness and went for a more bubbly score, two elements that I personally thought were outstanding but not as good as part 2. Again, there were more levels, more bonus stages that also allowed you to unlock super hard bonus stages and the optional super boss, and the DK coins were now acquired by solving a puzzle in the level rather than just picking them up. This time around, you have to hit the Kremling holding it from behind with a metal barrel, which can be accomplished in many different ways. For the first time in the series, the overworld actually gave you room to explore, leading to the next collectible – the banana bird – that required a simon-says style memory game to get all fifteen. Then, if you are following along, there are new characters native to the Northern Kremisphere called the Brothers Bear, each of which has some sort of task that needs your attention, and each one can help you by giving you the items you need for other brothers or opening up pathways to secrets.

There's a reason I manage to forgive this game's tone. Sure, the music is bubbly and the aesthetics are far brighter, but the level design is slightly better than the other two games in the series and there's a lot more to do. More levels, more secrets, more collectibles. Honestly, I'm disappointed that people put so much emphasis on the art direction, because everything else about the game pops. All in all, these are three great games that I love for similar reasons, each with their own strengths. Like Mega Man X and some of the Final Fantasy games, I can't decide which one I like better, so I just bundle them up. If you ever had any inkling to try these games – say, they're on Switch Online's SNES pack – do it. All three.