As one of theSuper Mariofranchise’s first characters,Donkey Konghas a bit of a rocky history in gaming, mostly because game devs didn’t seem to know what to do with him. Countless arcade spinoffs - as well as a few ill-fated ripoffs - predated Rareware’s courting of the character. The importance of Rare’sDonkey Kong Countryseries in the annals of videogame history remains to this day.
RELATED:Best Franchises That Started On Nintendo
But in between, Donkey Kong has seen a lot of experimentation, no doubt due to its status as a recognizable albeit unremarkable character in the Mario canon. In talking about Donkey Kong’s best showings, you also get an honest history ofNintendo’s own rises and falls.
10Donkey Konga
TheGameCubeera is historically one of the best periods of experimentation for Nintendo, andthe console’s best titlesare evidence of that truth. Donkey Konga, the Donkey Kong rhythm game, was experimental due to its new controller, the DK Bongos. The Bongos themselves are surprisingly responsive, and are used as a popular challenge for beating modern games.
However, Donkey Konga is a run-of-the-mill rhythm game, with the Nintendo tracks being the most fun. The game sits in last for lacking any nuance beside the controller, which was an ill omen for the many motion-control gimmicks that would come to the Wii. Neither of the sequels would sell very well, and by the nature of the genre, it didn’t pull as much excitement or attention from fans as Nintendo would’ve liked.
9Mario VS Donkey Kong
Mario VS Donkey Kong reminds us what made the classic arcade title so great. Despite the simplified design that aMario Makerpro would sneeze at, there are a lot of fun, varied levels that test your platforming skills. The game consistently adds challenges unique to it’s puzzle-y nature, which earns it ninth place.
MVDK would spawn a series mostly confined to the DS and3DS, though the series' first installment would be its most successful. Fan’s praise for the segment where you must help the Mini Marios navigate the stage would evolve into being the primary focus of the later games. MVDK’s sequels remained casual puzzle games with simple stories and gameplay.
8Donkey Kong: Jungle Climber
A remake of King of Swing, Jungle Climber made some huge improvements. Its gimmick involves using the shoulder buttons to control DK as he swings and climbs through stages. Gameplay relies on decent sense of physics and timing, as you’ll get punished for swinging toward a bad guy at the wrong moment.
The game looks great, utilizing the DS' two screens for its vertical stage design. Overall, its one of the best uses a Nintendo IP has made for the DS' strengths, but is a really one-note gameplay experience, keeping it in eighth.
7Donkey Kong Country Returns
Fans of the Donkey Kong Country series were ecstatic at the announcement ofDKC Returns. It would bring Country into the new era of videogames, and people were perfectly satisfied by the endless fan service, familiar environments, mechanics, characters and music. But Returns, released later in theWii’s lifespan, does little else but retread ground.
The lateral platforming stages combined with the mundane story and enemy design for an experience that leaves you wanting more. An improved UI and overall more three-dimensional experience earns Returns its eighth place spot, but much of what made it great comes from Country’s legacy and the Wii’s inherent graphical superiority.
6Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat
Maybe Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat is a little higher on the list than it deserves, but there’s an awful lot to appreciate about a game that breaks the mold to this degree. Jungle Beat’s an underdog within the franchise, pretty obscure since the DK Bongo controller kept a lot of people away upon release. There are moments where you can tell Nintendo didn’t know what to do with DK, and letting devs run with the IP has produced mixed results.
RELATED:Best Nintendo Controller Designs
Jungle Beat is the best of DK’s fringe phase: an over the top, super fun platformer with many wild mechanics, enemies and worlds. The game stays mid due to its nonsensical UI and lack of stylization. But Jungle Beat is bursting with creativity, and you’ll never want to stop beating up Kongs.
5Donkey Kong 64
This game is just so much. The best way to describeDK 64isBanjo-Kazooieto the absolute max, showcasing Rareware’s talents in rare form (har-har). Released with a memory expansion module for theNintendo 64, DK 64 feels more like Rare flexing the hardware capabilities than anything else. This is because the game’s plentiful characters, stages, and collectibles feel more like filler that don’t necessarily make the game more fun.
Each member of the crew has their own special move, similar to Dixie, Diddy and DK in DKC. But these moves don’t really become useful outside a handful of specific moments, and it isn’t like you’re being challenged to utilize different characters' strengths in order to get through a stage. The game is great to look at, but embodies the phrase “bigger isn’t always better”.
4Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong’s Double Trouble!
The final installment of the DKC trilogy is proof that you may’t always get everything right. The game stars Kiddie Kong and Dixie Kong, this being the former’s only appearance in the series. This game’s characterization isn’t nearly as successful as its predecessor, even though there’s more emphasis on either ape’s specific strengths.
DKC 3 also feels like a step backward in terms of visuals, its palette far darker and more muted than DKC 2’s vibrant environment. It earns points for mixing up gameplay, giving you breaks from the platforming segments. But the game is frustratingly challenging in some places, with weird hitboxes and moves that don’t work all the time.
3Donkey Kong Country
Donkey Kong Country turned the identity of its titular character on its head, a game so distinct that its looks and sounds are immediately recognizable. Let’s all thank Rareware for valuing quality over quantity, because their 3D compressed sprites put theSNESback in the race for best graphics.
RELATED:Best SNES Games
It’s one of the best looking and sounding games of the era, the latter thanks to David Wise and his team that are responsible for its iconic OST. The sassy slapstick tone that Rare would become known for was exactly the refresh Donkey Kong needed, but the game loses points for being a pretty basic platformer that gets stale quickly.
2Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Tropical Freezeprovided that remix DKC needed, no longer simply rehashing old content, but choosing to liven up Country’s world and gameplay. Tropical Freeze brings back the emphasis on style and personality while exploring the updated hardware. Burdened by theWii U’s lackluster performance, this game really didn’t receive the praise it deserved for its stage design, unique character move sets, and diversified gameplay.
DKC composer David Wise returned with new jams that each stage moves to, making for a lively and completely unique experience. K.Rool sits amongthe greatest Nintendo villains of all timefor good reason, so his absence in Tropical Freeze was felt by DKC fans. But the new villains make up for it in their personality, and they’re not after DK’s bananas for once. The lack of familiarity would be somewhat of a detriment, which keeps the game from first.
1Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong-Quest
This game earns first since so much of its ingenuity became successful aspects in later entries. In an effort to go even further with elaborate world designs and a greater emphasis on adding challenge, DKC 2 hit the jackpot. There’s nothing like riding the rail in Kremland and knocking out other racers Mad Max style.
Though Dixie and Diddy play much the same, their movements feel far less awkward than in DKC. Without earning a spot amongthe hardest video game levels ever, each level in DKC 2 had its own gimmick that players had to adapt to. But these gimmicks never got annoying, and instead felt like fun challenges when paired with the creative levels that all connected quite coherently.
