Photo: MobyGames
In our recent Nintendo Nostalgics, we’ve proven that the way to a good time doesn’t just come through a $5000 cheese grater or knocking back a ton of Mezcal — some old-school Nintendo games can also be a blast. With this edition, we pay homage to the one true king of the jungle: Donkey Kong Country for the SNES!
Not only was Donkey Kong Country another platforming hit for Nintendo, but it also helped reform its main monkey hero from his earlier days of villainy. Here are some of the reasons why we still go ape for it.
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The Kong Family
Before Donkey Kong Country hit the shelves in '94, it’s fair to say we misunderstood this dynasty of big-hearted gorilla heroes. The last Kong we saw before this game was in his own arcade series. There, he was painted as a villainous, woman-napping misogynist who threw barrels around to express himself -- kind of like a psychotic neckbeard, but with actual upper body strength.
Fast forward to Country, and it turns out the new Donkey Kong (yes, he’s a descendant) is a pretty chill dude with a pretty chill crew. Diddy Kong also marked his debut here as his cool little sidekick. Funky Kong could get you across the game world in an instant, and he had a pretty sweet bandanna too -- if such a thing is possible. And who could forget the granddaddy of ‘em all: Cranky Kong, and his endless one-liners? They were comedy gold!
Photo: MobyGames
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Rambi the Rhino
DK didn’t just have his fellow primates for allies, either. He also had a few other friends in the animal kingdom to give him the edge over those damn Kremlings. And there were none better than Rambi, a big rhino buddy you could take a ride on if you needed to clear anything out of your path.
Once you freed Rambi from his crate, you just knew good times were gonna go down. Not only could he charge through hordes after hordes of hapless enemies, he could also bust through walls and find you those all-important secret rooms.
Of all the best animal bros there are in gaming, Rambi definitely ranks high on the list.
Photo: MobyGames
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Difficulty
If you somehow don’t remember Donkey Kong Country for its amazing levels or the insane amount of collectibles there were for you to find, you should at least remember one other thing: it was insanely hard.
‘Platform Perils,’ ‘Manic Mincers,’ and ‘Loopy Lights’ were just a few of the levels that struck fear and awe into anyone who played them, and probably even left some PTSD behind as well. And let’s not even go into the levels that forced you to fly across gaping chasms with only barrels and perfect timing to prevent you from certain death. Some games might be like shooting fish in a barrel, but shooting monkeys out of them is a different thing entirely.
Photo: MobyGames
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Music
Last but not least, it’s no secret that every Donkey Kong game has awesome music. And if you played this game, you’ll know just how fantastic the soundtrack for it was.
This game had it all: tropical vibes, jazz breaks and even a hip-hop remix of the original Donkey Kong theme for the title music. You’ll definitely remember this track too, which we sincerely hope is going to be in your head for the rest of the day. Because why shouldn’t it be?
Photo: MobyGames
