Donkey Kong Country 2 is what I believe to be the game as close to perfect as possible. Everything about the game is dripping with brilliance, from the intense score by Dave Wise, to the challenging but never unfair levels later in the game as the difficulty curve rises smoothly. The graphics are still great despite having had 15 years to age, and the level design has yet to be topped, even by the main platforming series of Mario and Sonic. Never frustrating and never too simple, the sheer variety of stages is astounding, and I never get tired of replaying levels, sometimes only replaying them to listen to the fantastic music. The game’s unique character designs and art direction combined with platforming perfection show why Rare was so highly regarded in the 90s, and why its games are still relevant to this day.

Tags: diddy's kong quest, rare, snes, super nintendo