yeah I love DKC2. it even improved DKC, but DKC still has the top stop. and the third one, well, it's the third one!

the soundtrack is really fantastic, my copy even came with the CD (Killer Instinct included the soundtrack too)
and there are some good remixes out there too.

I loved this game. The pirate ship theme kicks ass: tatadadam tadadadada-daa-dadaa tumdumdumdumdum-dum-dumdum...

yeah but Donkey Kong Country 1 was better

in terms of soundtrack NOTHING beats FFVI

I treasure my killer instinct soundtrack CD, I like all 3 DKC's equally.

DKC1 was the best, then the two, and at least the 3.. maybe thats why we never saw a 4...

All tracks with vocals on the Killer Instinct CD are sooo corny.

"Everybody rock, Everybody move, Everybody jump to the killer cool"

But on Halloween I would play Spinal and Saberwolf's tunes on a loop, great ambiance!

OT : Donkey Kong Country 2 was great. Dixie was a much better addition than that stupid baby in DKC3. But I missed DK though.

I have to go with DKC2 over the original, even with the lack of Donkey Kong working against it and the fact that all of a sudden everything became pirate themed.

DKC2 removed some of the useless animal partners from the first game and replaced them with slightly less useless ones. The team moves were a nice touch. The bonus levels weren't NEARLY as obnoxious to find. Plus it had a cool secret ending.

Can't say I was a huge fan of DKC3 though. I hated those banana bird mini games so much.

DKC 2 was the best one.

DKC 1's bonus stages were a lot more trial and error than anything. DKC 2 gave subtle hints so if you had a good eye, you could find most secrets. ('cept for that one secret in Galleon's Galley, ARGH) David Sirlin describes it better than I can: http://www.sirlin.net/archive/hiding-secrets-in-platform-games/

In DKC1, Donkey Kong was useless. In DKC2, Diddy's roll jump gave him a speed advantage Dixie couldn't afford. On the flip side, Dixie's glide was excellent.

DKC2's boss fights were a lot better. The final boss (the regular and the secret one) tested platforming skill. DKC1's tested...when to jump.

DKC2's Lost World was pure awesome. And it was first!

After DKC2, Rare was infected with collectivitis and forced you to go on a billion scavenger hunts. Drove me nuts.

I couldn't have said it better myself... the original was a huge hit and a landmark title in its own right and I love it dearly, but the sequel took everthing great about it and multiplied it times 10 with even better graphics and some of the best music to ever come out of that little Sony chip inside the SNES.  And you're right on about Rare's "collectivitis" syndrome... Donkey Kong 64, Jet Force Gemini, and Starfox Adventures are the worst of the bunch.  Banjo-Tooie was almost ruined by it but luckily the level design was some of the best of any platformer.

The best of the bunch. Love the Lost World and the games music, and my favourite Kong Diddy, was the star. Pure Genius!