Well they sound VERY similar, you judge for yourself, but at least one part of the song was ripped-off or maybe inspired by the main theme of Antarctica made by Vangelis.

Too similar, but anyways DKC2 still has one of the greatest soundtracks ever made for a videogame, bring DKC4 Nintendo and buy Rare again, please...

I'm certain that RARE didn't rip off any music maybe the composer they hired :P but after listening to both songs I can tell they're quite different with just the same tone but the DKC2 one gives off a different feeling, it has more going on, if it wasn't for the rhythm for both songs being similar (but it happens when you're going for a Winter feel many songs do that) you'd never say one was a rip off of the other as everything else is different.

that sounds identical, rip off

Hear from 0:55 to 1:03 on the DK video, and also from 1:10 to 1:16 on the Vangelis video.

Exact same notes and exact same percusion and effects from the background. The DKC2 music composer, David Wise, who I respect a lot, was perhaps too "inspired", but maybe this is the only flaw I have found in his works. They are superb and along with Koji Kondo are the best composers by far.

I know they both aim for winter and ice themes, and they both reach that, but that part of the song is the exact same, so there's something going on there. It would have to be a huge coincidence otherwise. Plus you can get the Vangelis feel from some of David Wise's songs in DKC2.

Sorry but they are completely different
Just because they are both atmospheric type tracks doesn't make it a copy
The melody line isn't even close to being the same which is the main part of the Vangelis track.

identical indeed

 have yet to check out the one you mention, but Sonic the Hedgehog featured a nice Vangelis rip off on Scrap Brain Zone:

*Edited. Found the ending theme from Blade Runner, which was actually what I meant to post. The beginning and end themes are basically the same, but have some differences. The Sonic song sounds more like the ending, than the beginning of Blade Runner.

I just said 1 part of the song was too similar, not all the song. Besides they are exactly the same, save for the timing of the last 2 notes.

@Shanobi: Wow, that's a nice find, not completely identical, but yes, it sounds like it. Even the drums at the end, haha. You should link the original Blade Runner version, not the midi one.

Oh, and the parts that are identical in the DKC2 soundtrack, are damn identical. There's no denying that.