Donkey Kong series

[Spark Of Spirit]

Yeah, I appreciate that they tried to shake it up with the bosses, but they were still quite average overall. Better than the bosses in DKC1, but that's not exactly an achievement.

[talonmalon333]

DKC2 easily had the best bosses, and not just because of that music.

[Kiddington]

ohhhhhhhhhhhmaaaaaaaaahgaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwd

I haven't even played it yet and already I'm in love with the soundtrack. Somebody get me a Wii U plz.

[Spark Of Spirit]

ohhhhhhhhhhhmaaaaaaaaahgaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwd

I haven't even played it yet and already I'm in love with the soundtrack. Somebody get me a Wii U plz.

My favorite remix in the game.

[talonmalon333]

So how do you guys rank the DKC games from best to worst?

[Commode]

2>3>DKCR>1.  Abstaining from Tropical Freeze because I haven't finished it yet.

[Foggle]

TF>2>R>1>3

[talonmalon333]

I feel like I'd adhere to the popular opinion here.

DKC2 > DKC = DKCR > DKC3

Haven't played Tropical Freeze yet.

[Dr. Ensatsu-ken]

2 > 1 > 3

Obviously I haven't played DKCR or Tropical Freeze yet.

[Eddy]

DKC2 > TF > DKC1 > DKC3 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> DK64

I haven't really played enough of DKCR to properly judge it.

good god, DK64 is garbage though

[talonmalon333]

I liked the Kong characters in DK64, though. Wouldn't have been upset if Lanky or someone was the fourth player in the recent game, instead of Cranky.

[Spark Of Spirit]

1. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

Contains all the best moments of the other games with none of the niggles. It is the only game in the series to have the four best Kongs playable, so that is an advantage as well. The level design is top notch all the way through, and the difficulty is a perfect curve from start to end without spiking. The soundtrack, art style, gameplay, and controls are rock solid here. The series best, I think.

2. Donkey Kong Country 2

Of the Rare games, this is the best and will always be the best. Rock solid platforming, fun gimmicks, and a soundtrack and art style that never grow old. About the only things its missing is what TF added later, so I can't criticize it for that. All in all, awesome game and one of the best on the SNES which equates to "best ever".

3. Donkey Kong Country 3

I will always be in the minority for this but, outside of Kiddy, I think everything about the game is excellent. Sure the music is divisive, the art style is also split, and some of the gimmicks are a bit silly, the rest of the game makes me forgive these quibbles. I actually really like it and have replayed it quite a few times since rediscovering it.

4. Donkey Kong Country Returns

Top notch platformer that like 3 has a few gimmicks that don't quite work and a control scheme that is controversial (though perfected in TF with improved physics as well) it is hard to ignore that the majority of the levels are excellent. My own personal problems can't diminish that it is a great game and great first attempt at one by Retro.

5. Donkey Kong Country

Don't let this ranking fool you, it's still a great game. I just think of this as the base Donkey Kong Country game- if you can't better this game then I'm not interested. The bar is too high, and for me this is the bar. All in all, it is quite the fun platformer- don't quite get the revisionist hate going around.

6. Donkey Kong Land

An original game with some wacky physics, but a fun little portable platformer. I like that they tried to shake it up with this game as opposed to the much safer sequels.

7. Donkey Kong Land 2 and 3

I haven't played these in a long time, but I remember them being far more like DKC 2 and 3 than DKL1 was to DKC1. All in all, good platformers with better physics than the ones from DKL1. I just can't shake the feeling that they're sub-DKC2 and 3.

8. Donkey Kong 64

Ah, the era of 3D platformers that carry nothing from their 2D predecessors. DK64 was a collectathon in the worst sense and threw platforming out the window for collecting things of different colors. Hooray? This almost killed the series by shoving it off into gimmick games for near a decade since no one would follow it up. Of all the DKC games it's also aged the worst on top of it. After this, it's going to be a long time before I can not be biased against a 3D Donkey Kong game.

I liked the Kong characters in DK64, though. Wouldn't have been upset if Lanky or someone was the fourth player in the recent game, instead of Cranky.

Cranky well deserved playability in my mind. I wouldn't mind some of them coming back in a future game but playable Cranky was about due.

[talonmalon333]

Cranky playable was never due because he's supposed to be above that.

[Avaitor]

So what is Lanky?

[talonmalon333]

Cranky's thoughts on Lanky:

A newcomer to the Kong clan and the joker of the pack. I haven't a clue whom he's related to-must be some distant cousin of something.