Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest is the second Donkey Kong game for the Super Nintendo. It is the sequel of Donkey Kong Country and is also the predecessor to Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! and Donkey Kong Country Returns. The game has a Game Boy psuedo-sequel, Donkey Kong Land 2, that was released one year after the original. It was released in 1995 and stars Diddy Kong, as he and his partner, Dixie Kong, make their way through Crocodile Isle to save Donkey Kong from the Kremling Krew.

In 2004, a remake of the game was made for the Game Boy Advance. It features several differences, including the addition of photographs and extra DK Coins. Later in 2007, the game was remade on the Virtual Console to play on the Wii system.

Storyline
At the beginning of the game, Donkey Kong is relaxing at home, feeling safe after recovering his Banana Hoard. However, an evil crocodile by the name of Kaptain K. Rool kidnaps Donkey Kong and brings him to the top of K. Rool's Keep. Diddy Kong soon wakes up and panics, searching for Donkey Kong, when his girlfriend Dixie Kong walks in. Kaptain K. Rool appears, and offers the monkeys Donkey Kong for the Banana Hoard. The apes decline, and begin off on a quest to find and rescue DK.

Their adventure begins on K. Rool's ship, the massive Gangplank Galleon. While traveling through underwater, ship deck, and rigging levels, the Kongs find Cranky Kong, Wrinkly Kong, and Funky Kong, who offer the heroes help throughout the rest of the game. At the crow's nest of the ship, the apes find a giant overgrown Necky. Known as Krow, this giant bird swoops down at the Kongs, attempting to stab them. The monkeys use his eggs that drop out of his nest to defeat him, and they then travel to Crocodile Cauldron.

With the help of Funky Kong, Diddy and Dixie are able to travel to the volcano, Crocodile Cauldron. They encounter mine shaft levels, lava levels, and a water level featuring the rare Animal Buddy, Clapper the Seal. They also encounter Klubba for the first time, offering them a free pass to the Lost World when they pay him fifteen Kremkoins. At the peak of the volcano, the Kongs meet and, with the help of Kannonballs, defeat the evil possessed sword, Kleever, allowing them to go to Krem Quay.

Dixie and Diddy arrive in Krem Quay next, a swampy area of Crocodile Isle. They meet the Animal Buddy Glimmer for the first and only time here, and also travel through levels featuring the helpful Krocheads. Towards the end of this world, the monkeys travel through a level filled with spiky brambles. As they move on to the next area, a giant Kremling, similar to Klubba, named Kudgel stops them in their tracks. The monkeys, however, are set on advancing, so they use TNT Barrels to defeat the large crocodile. They then continue on to Krazy Kremland.

The Kongs find themselves outside of a giant amusement park owned by King K. Rool, know as Krazy Kremland. Before they can enter however, they have to travel through a dangerous Zinger hive. The amusement park features two roller coasters, Target Terror and Rickety Race. Both feature the rare enemy Klank. Between these, however, is another level in the brambles, this one being harder. After exiting the park, the apes find a swamp that must be crossed to find a second Zinger hive. At the end of the hive, Rambi is chased by a giant Zinger called King Zing. The monkeys then defeat the giant Zinger, with the help of Squawks the Parrot, allowing them to access Gloomy Gulch.

The apes' next spot on their adventure is an old area known as Gloomy Gulch. They will travel through many levels in the enchanted woods, some even with wind. Kackles chase the monkeys in a roller coaster here. Flapper the Parrot helps the Kongs descend through a Zinger hive, while Squitter the Spider helps them travel through a foggy forest. At the top of this world, the Kongs are frightened to meet the ghost of Krow, a spirit called Kreepy Krow. The monkeys defeat him, while avoiding Mini-Neckies, to travel to the tip-top of Crocodile Isle, K. Rool's Keep.

Diddy and Dixie arrive in K. Rool's Keep, unaware of the danger that is about to unfold. They travel through an ice level, a level featuring Clapper again, several castle levels, and the largest test of all, Toxic Tower. At the top of the keep, the monkeys encounter Kaptain K. Rool, who challenges them to a duel. After they defeat him, he blows up and goes away, never to return again.

However, the monkeys' adventure is far from over. Diddy and Dixie decide to look for all the Kremkoins so that they can pay Klubba to access his Golden Barrel. After paying him five times, and beating all five levels of the Lost World, the giant crocodile mouth in the center of the world opens, giving access to a secret area, where, unfourtanetly, K. Rool awaited. The monkeys were able to use Kannonballs to defeat him, giving them the last DK Coin. With that, the Kongs quitley rescue Donkey Kong, but, as they return home, K. Rool forces Crocodile Isle to sink under the ocean. THe monkeys were safe, for now at least.

Kong Abilities
In order to travel through each level of the game and complete each of the game's many Bonus Levels, the apes have to use their basic and special abilities. However, both of the heroes have different abilities. The basic abilities include jumping, climbing, and swimming. Jumping is often used in the game to cross gaps and grab things in the air. A super-jump can also be preformed if the apes cartwheel off of a ledge and jump while in mid-air. Diddy's cartwheel move and Dixie Helicopter Twirl can also defeat a large amount of enemies, although some foes are immune to this attack. Dixie is able to use her Helicopter Twirl ability in mid-air as well, allowing her to float for a short amount of time to avoid falling into gaps. Both apes can also climb up ropes quickly to access high areas, although Diddy Kong is able to climb slightly faster than Dixie, just as he can on land and in water. Swimming in Diddy's Kong Quest is much like swimming in early Mario games. The player must hit the jump button to advance upwards into the water. If the player is to not hit any buttons, the apes slowing float downwards to reach lower areas or to dodge underwater enemies.

Though Diddy does not have as many abilities as Dizie, he is able to defend himself while holding a barrel. While Diddy holds an object in front of his body to block himself, Dixie holds objects over her head, allowing enemies to easily attack her. When both Kongs are in play, and none are stuck in a DK Barrel, the two heroes are able to use the new Team-up move. During this move, one of the monkeys pick up the other and hold them on their shoulders. Though not able to move as fast this way, the ape on the other monkey's shoulders can be thrown at enemies to easily beat them. The hero can also be thrown upwards to grab high up objects and to reach high areas.

Special Areas
Various spots of Crocodile Isle are hosted by more or less benevolent characters, each of which help the duo in different way. They are:


 * Funky's Flights II is where the player can revisit previous worlds. Funky Kong also hosts flight tests in the Game Boy Advance port.
 * Swanky's Bonus Bonanza is a quiz about various obscure facts of the game. Swanky Kong and (in the GBA port) Candy Kong host it. The prize for successfully completing a quiz are Extra Life Balloons. When a quiz is successfully completed, it can’t be played again.
 * Kong Kollege is where Wrinkly Kong teaches a class of Kremlings. Here, the player can learn basic facts about the game's controls, how to defeat the World's Boss, and (in the SNES version only) save the game progress.
 * Monkey Museum is where Cranky Kong shares cryptic advice on how to find secrets hidden within levels. It is replaced by Cranky's Hut in the GBA port, where Cranky also hosts the Expresso Racing minigame.
 * Klubba's Kiosk is an area leading to the Lost World, which is guarded by Klubba, the toll-keeper to the special world. He lets the Kongs access the Lost World here if they pay fifteen Kremkoins. In the GBA port, Klubba also hosts the minigame, Bag a Bug.

Animal Buddies
Animal Buddies are partners in the Donkey Kong Country Series. They help the Kongs find Bonus Barrels, DK Coins, Banana Coins, and other special items in the game with their special abilities. They often appear in levels, and the Kongs can sometimes turn into the buddy, or ride on it. The monkeys must be careful when riding on the animal though, as they will run away when hit by an enemy, very similar to Yoshi in Super Mario World. Most of the animal buddies from Donkey Kong Country return in Diddy's Kong Quest, but a few new ones also appear in the game as well. Below is a list of each Animal Buddy, and a brief description on them.

Items and Objects
Many collectibles and objects can be found on the Kongs' quest, hidden in each level of the game. Below shows the main objects the monkeys can find during gameplay.

Barrels
Barrels are prominent items throughout the Donkey Kong series, and multiple variants exist, many which are featured in Donkey Kong Country 2. Below shows the different types of barrels and what they do.

Enemies
As with all games, Diddy's Kong Quest features many enemies, some Kremlings and some not. Most of the enemies are new, though some enemies, such as Zingers, reappear from the first game.

Changes in the Game Boy Advance port

 * The last level in K. Rool's Keep is now on the roof rather than inside, and a new boss, Kerozene, can be found here.
 * The file selection screen at the beginning now has Diddy Kong as a cursor, a la Donkey Kong Land 2. Additionally, in PAL regions, the title screen itself is the box art of Donkey Kong Land 2 (in NSTC regions, it's the box art from the original SNES DKC2).
 * Cranky comes to talk to the player after the defeat of each boss, as in the port of the first game.
 * Swanky's quiz is redesigned in the remake and has some new questions. Candy Kong also appears here, although she was nowhere to be found in the original.
 * The view from the Kong Kollege windows changes from world to world in the remake but looks identical in every world of the original.
 * A new game mode called Diddy's Dash is available from the start. In this mode, the player can only play as Diddy, and must get to the end of the level as fast as possible. There are no Star Barrels; instead, multiple checkpoints are scattered throughout the stage. If Diddy should die, he will instantly appear back at the last checkpoint.
 * A new mini-game called Bag-a-Bug is now playable from the main menu and Klubbas Kiosk.
 * Funky's Biplane Barrel had been replaced with a Gyrocopter.
 * When the player starts a new file, a cutscene of what is only described in the manual of the original is shown.
 * There are more color variations for Kaboings and Floatsams than the original.
 * When the player has defeated Krow, a short scene of him leaving his body as Kreepy Krow is shown, but nothing at all like this is in the original.
 * Instead of just a title screen and file select, a new main menu is present in the remake, with three selections: Diddy's Dash, Start, and Minigames.
 * Unlike the original game, all the levels that the player unlocks for the Lost World are accessible from any entrance to it.
 * Funky now has missions which involve flying his Gyrocopter around obstacles courses. Tiny Kong appears in some of these.
 * Cranky's Video Game Heroes are in a different order instead of being: 1st: Mario, 2nd: Yoshi, 3rd: Link like the original it is now, 1st: Mario, 2nd: Link, 3rd: Yoshi. The background in Cranky's Video Game Heroes is also different than the original's, having more of a tropical theme.
 * There are now 67 DK Coins, as opposed to the original, which had 40.
 * The Super Nintendo controller is no longer present at K. Rool Duel.
 * The ending is slightly different. In the original, Donkey Kong punches K. Rool through the roof of the Flying Krock, while in the remake, he punches him through the window instead.
 * The levels Target Terror and Rickety Race now take place around sunset, while in the original it is the middle of the night.
 * The level Lava Lagoon has been slightly altered from the original.
 * The Monkey Museum has been replaced by Cranky's Hut.
 * Nearly all sound effects are different, enemies all have different voices, all Bosses do, and so do generic things such as explosions and wind.
 * Cranky now hosts a mini-game where the player controls Expresso II, where he races against other ostriches.
 * Wrinkly Kong gives the player a scrap book when he or she first meets her, and she asks the player to fill it. This can be done by doing certain things, such as killing specific enemies.
 * By pressing start on the overworld a new menu comes up allowing the player to save anywhere on the map, see advise given to him/her by Wrinkly and Cranky, call Funky and fly to another area, see the scrap book, or check mini-game high-scores.
 * When fighting a boss after it has been defeated, Swanky Kong will charge fifteen Banana Koins and calculate how much time it took to defeat the boss.
 * The Kongs have new voices clips, most of which were taken from Donkey Kong 64.
 * The Worlds' maps have been redesigned.
 * The player can travel to a different world for free at any time, as long as Funky Kong is seen at least once.
 * The death and end-of-level music no longer changes depending on the level. It instead changes depending on which character is being used at the time.
 * The music “Run! Rambi, Run!” that plays when King Zing chases the Kongs in the original version of Rambi Rumble was removed, and replaced by the music heard when racing against Screech in the remake. The music can still be heard in the sound test, though.
 * A cheat that allows the player to obtain all Kremkoins in the first level was removed. However, it could still be done by entering the code, "FREEDOM" in the password screen.
 * The player's lives and Banana Coins are now saved, instead of losing them whenever the game is turned off after saving.

References to Other Games

 * Donkey Kong - Cranky makes a direct reference to this game in the intro by saying, "Whisking off maidens and chucking barrels seven days a week, I was!"
 * Donkey Kong Country - The reason the Kongs does not swap the banana hoard for Donkey Kong is because they had just tried hard to get them back in this game. Also a stuffed Winky is found in the game. Additionally, Cranky states that Donkey Kong Country 2 will never be as good as Donkey Kong Country, and then says that it was "rubbish".
 * Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest - The remake references the original, as when the monkeys defeat Kerozene Cranky says "I bet you didn't expect that!", as Kerozene did not appear in the original; also K. Rool says "You didn't think it would be so easy did you?" as Kerozene appears.
 * Mainstream Mario - Mario makes an appearance as a video game hero.
 * Yoshi - Yoshi appears as a video game hero.

References in Later Games

 * Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! - Wrinkly mentions how she has given up working in a school, which was her occupation during Donkey Kong Country 2.
 * Donkey Kong Land 2 - A direct semi-sequel and almost a port of DKC2, in which most of the level names and bosses remained the same.
 * Donkey Kong 64 - Paintings of Kaptain K. Rool hang in sunken ships in this game.
 * DK: Jungle Climber - Banana Coins, which debuted in Donkey Kong Country 2, make a return.

Trivia

 * A Virtual Boy version of Donkey Kong Country 2 was in development for a short time, but was never completed due to the system's failure. Little else is known about this unmade version.
 * The game was placed 33rd in the 100th issue of Nintendo Power's "100 best Nintendo games of all time" in 1997.
 * Even though Nintendo sold Rare to Microsoft, the Rare Symbol can still be seen in the beginning of the game in the Virtual Console.