Donkey Kong Land 2

Donkey Kong Land 2 is a video game developed by Rareware and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy in 1996. It is a sequel to Donkey Kong Land and a predecessor to Donkey Kong Land III. Like its predecessor, the game features a yellow cartridge and special features for the Super Game Boy. The game has a special banana border when played on a Super Game Boy.

Donkey Kong Land 2 is very similar to its counterpart SNES title, Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. While it has the same storyline, areas, and setting, each level received a new layout. The game also stars Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong.

The game was eventually re-released on the Nintendo 3DS's Virtual Console in 2014 for Europe, Japan, and Australia, and later in 2015 for North America.

Story
The story is essentially a retelling of the events in Donkey Kong Country 2 and is the only Donkey Kong Land game with the same story as its Donkey Kong Country counterpart. Kaptain K. Rool and the Kremling Krew kidnap Donkey Kong and in exchange for Donkey Kong's safe return, the Kremlings demand the Banana Hoard. Diddy and Dixie decline and head on a journey on Crocodile Isle to rescue Donkey Kong.

Diddy and Dixie travel through several worlds, including the Gangplank Galleon, Krem Cauldron, Krazy Kremland, Gloomy Gulch, and K. Rool's Keep. The Kongs eventually reach Stronghold Showdown at the peak of Crocodile Isle, where they find Donkey Kong tied up in ropes. Before they can rescue him, he is lifted into The Flying Krock. There, the Kongs encounter Kaptain K. Rool. They engage in battle, and the Kongs eventually defeat the Kremling leader, and Donkey Kong frees himself from his chains. Before Kaptain K. Rool can attack again, the big ape knocks him out of his ship, sending him into the ocean.

Even after freeing Donkey Kong, both Diddy and Dixie must pay 47 Kremkoins to Klubba to enter the Lost World. After completing the world, the mouth of the stone crocodile head opens. Diddy and Dixie go inside and battle Kaptain K. Rool again. The Kongs eventually defeat Kaptain K. Rool another time and then flee from Crocodile Isle. From a distance, Diddy, Dixie, and Donkey Kong watch as Crocodile Isle sinks into the ocean.

Gameplay
Diddy and Dixie are the two playable characters, and the player can only control one Kong on screen at a time. Both Kongs share some basic abilities such running, jumping, and swimming, and they are both able to climb ropes and hang from hooks. Diddy is able to perform a cartwheel and is faster than Dixie, although he has trouble traveling across large abysses. The main difference with Dixie is her Helicopter Spin, which allows her to whip enemies and slowly fall or glide in midair. Diddy holds a barrel in front whereas Dixie holds it above herself with her ponytail. If both Kongs are in play, and either Diddy or Dixie is hit by an enemy or hazard, the game automatically switches to the other Kong. If either Kong is missing their partner and gets hit by an enemy or hazard, they lose a life.

The game progression works the same as in other Donkey Kong Country series. Each world has some levels (usually five or six) which the Kongs must complete in order until they reach a world boss at the end. Each regular level has either one or two After defeating the world boss, Diddy and Dixie can access the next world. Every world has a Kong Kollege, where Wrinkly Kong can save the player's progress, and a Funky's Flights, where Funky Kong leases his Biplane Barrel for the Kongs to travel into another world.

There are either one or two Bonus Barrels in every level and a DK Coin. Each Bonus Barrel leads to a Bonus Level, where the Kongs must complete an objective to obtain a Kremkoin. Some Bonus Levels can be accessed if the Kongs carry a kannonball into a kannon. Once the Kongs have collected every Kremkoin, they can access the Lost World. DK Coins help improve Diddy's rank in Video Game Heroes. Kremkoins and DK Coins are both necessary for 100% completion of the game.

Some levels have an Animal Barrel, which transform the Kongs into the pictured Animal Friend. Some Animal Barrels are required to enter while others are hidden from the main path and are optional to enter. As an Animal Friend, the Kongs can often defeat enemies more easily or reach hidden areas and items. In some levels, an Animal Friend is required to use its ability to progress, such as Squawks, who can fly up vertical paths. When an Animal Friend crosses a No Animal Sign, it turns back into the Kongs and an item is rewarded.

Levels
Donkey Kong Land 2 features most of the same worlds from Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest except Krem Cauldron, which is a fusion of Crocodile Cauldron and Krem Quay. Most of the levels have the same name but their layouts are different. Two levels from Donkey Kong Country 2 were replaced with a loosely related counterpart: Haunted Hall with Krazy Koaster, and Castle Crush with Dungeon Danger. There are 39 levels and 7 boss levels in the game.

Cheat codes
The game has three cheat codes the player can input from the title screen. The cheats do not appear in the Japanese version. While on the title screen, the player must hold either left or right button on the D-Pad and enter a specific combination of buttons. Once they enter a cheat code, an extra life sound effect plays.
 * 50 lives:, , ,
 * 40 Banana Coins:, , ,
 * 47 Kremkoins:, , , (to get 100% completion, the standard Kremkoins must be collected)

Trivia

 * The box art depicts Glimmer the Angler Fish, even though he doesn't appear in the game. Said box art was later used for the title screen in the European Game Boy Advance remake of Donkey Kong Country 2.