Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest Rare Retrospective

After the phenomenal success and popularity of DKC, it would have been lunacy for Rare to do anything but make plans for a sequel. And so it was that the original development team, more or less intact from their last venture and carrying a new load of valuable experience, plunged headlong into the production of DKC2. They were all too aware that the balance had to be perfectly struck: a carbon copy of the original would find favour with nobody, and yet any radical change brought with it the risk of corrupting a proven formula. So compromises were made and work began on a totally new adventure for the Kongs, one that used the familiar elements of an already established DK Country as its foundations but attempted to shift the emphasis of the adventure itself to new Kong clan members, previously unseen landmarks and a fresh host of Kremlings to do battle with. K. Rool stayed on for a second term as the apes’ reptilian nemesis, and this time found the battle spilling over into his home territory…

Back amongst the opposition, both Donkey Kong himself and his sweetheart Candy were among the first to be shunted from the spotlight. When the decision was made to provide Diddy with a new partner in the form of his girlfriend Dixie, there were worries that the DK / Candy relationship would clash with this and detract from the game’s character and its clarity – and so it was that the original leading lady found her position usurped. Along with Dixie came Wrinkly, introduced as Cranky’s long-suffering but good-natured old wife, and Swanky, making his debut as the gaudy entrepreneur in the family who came bearing scope for a variety of stop-off points and subgames.

The pioneering ACM technique had advanced, too, allowing for even stronger graphical effects to complement the game’s challenge, a challenge which in turn was maximised by sequential targets for the player (complete each level and beat K. Rool, find Cranky’s hidden Hero Coins, discover and follow the path to the Lost World…)

In terms of publicity, though, the launch of DKC2 was a quiet one compared to the hype that had buzzed around its predecessor. As a consequence it was even more gratifying when the critics in general decided that the sequel was, in fact, an improvement, and while it could hardly hope to match DKC’s staggering sales record, the game has still managed to shift over five million copies to date. True to form it has also made the transition to the smaller screen in the guise of Donkey Kong Land 2, the second title in the parallel Game Boy trilogy.