Donkey Kong Country 2 (Game Boy Advance) - Review by Andrew

Introduction

Given the success of the first Donkey Kong Country outing on the GBA it was only a matter of time before a sequel appeared despite Rare's departure from Nintendo. There was much to celebrate about the original as not only did it maintain the visuals that made the SNES title so famous in the first place but it also added some new gameplay features. Like the movie industry though sequels are a bit of a hit and miss affair and it's occasionally difficult to fathom as to why a second part was even green lit in the first place. What DKC 2 does have though is a developer with an incredibly successful track record but is that enough? Read on and see...

Gameplay

If you've played Rare's original Donkey Kong Country on the GBA or even the SNES you'll know exactly what to expect, but if not this is platforming in its purest and most engaging form. On top of what's familiar there are new additions, the first of which is the inclusion of a new playable character: Dixie. For those of you who aren't up to date with the personal lives of the DKC folk, Dixie is Diddy's girlfriend who has the unique ability to glide thanks to her flowing blonde hair. While that sounds a little crazy (along with most of the plot) it does make complete sense in the actual game. The objective is a simply to get from 'A' to 'B' whilst avoiding all manner of nasties and collecting as many bonus items as you can. It's these bonuses that are at the heart of Rare's game design, encouraging you to explore the areas fully rather than simply rushing through. You're rewarded with almost endless continues and while this will mean little early on in the game they become essential later on.

Apart from the main platforming action there are also a series of mini-games, which although they utilize the same characters and environments, are all suitably different types of gameplay. These include Expresso Racing, which is actually Ostrich Racing. We don't know where the Expresso bit came from but we can only assume they're fuelled with very strong coffee. Funky's Flight involves you piloting a helicopter as you attempt to navigate a succession of golden rings in the fastest time whilst it is probably best if you play Bang a Bug rather than let us explain it. One aspect of the GBA that has all but been overlooked in recent months is the single cart multiplayer and while this clearly takes more development time it's always a bonus regardless of how small or complicated the game is. DKC 2 offers up a few of the mini-games as two, three or four player games and while we've sampled most of them with two players the Ostrich Racing as a four player game is a must. Everything is saved to a handy battery backup (in one of three slots) which is the very least you'd expect from a developer like Rare.

Controls

Rare were always recognized for the 'pick up and play' quality at the core of their games and unsurprisingly DKC is as easy, smooth and intuitive as you remember it. This is true not only for the main game but also for the various mini-games so there's little need to even get the manual out of the box. The collision detection is spot-on and it needs to be as the terrain in the later levels is tricky to say the least when the slightest misjudgment can result in a loss of life. It's very easy to find your way around and help as to what a button press will do is provided every step of the way.

Graphics

As with the first outing everything you see on the screen is produced courtesy of Rare's ACM (Advanced Computer Modeling) technology, which basically allows visuals from significantly more powerful computers to appear on the GBA thanks to some clever compression techniques. This produces some vibrant visuals and well above average animation while also allowing for an attention to detail that has all too often been ignored in many titles we've encountered recently.

Sound

It's hard to fault Rare with their audio and as with all their handheld titles DKC 2's music and sound effects are incredibly well implemented demonstrating just how important they view this often overlooked feature. The highlight though is definitely the music, which will occasionally have you tapping your foot and which is again a rarity with the GBA's limited sound chip.

Final comments

While this second outing brings very little that's new to the Donkey Kong universe, it's still all very enjoyable stuff and arguably one of the better SNES conversions to appear on the GBA. This is due to the care Rare have clearly taken in every stage of this title's journey to the handheld format and the production values on display here are definitely on the high side. The extras also help DKC 2's overall appeal, the various mini-games offer a huge amount of replay value and the multiplayer sections also provide a welcome break from the main game. It's not without its problems though and if you already own the original this is really just more of the same but even with that said it's still highly recommended.

Pro: Still Looks Great.
Con: Not Very Progressive.
Final score: 7.6

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