My first video game.

1995 was when I met a neighbor kid named Brandon. He was home schooled, which I thought was hella rad. I don't remember his last name, and this memory is kinda hazy, but I think he had a Super Nintendo with Donkey Kong County. I'm pretty sure we played it often, but we never got far. I remember the minecarts a lot?

Later that year, I got my own SNES and DKC, but I don't think I ever put two and two together that I was playing the same game then as I did with Brandon. Maybe I didn't know the name of the game, or the lack of sound and color tricked me up? Maybe I was just a dumb five-year-old? Either way, it's been nearly thirty years since I first started my journey with a controller...


Let's review it!!!

What does Donkey Kong County do that sucks?
Story. Neither of the Kongs have a lot going for them, and Rool is just sorta there. The plot is as straightforward as can be, too. The McGuffin is missing, so here are the heros who need to find it! It's just very barebones, and I wish my review system had more leeway for games like it.

But that's it!

The soundtrack is legendary, with bangers all over the place. The graphics might be the best on the console, and the gameplay is as solid as six feet of concrete. It's a damn staple of the genre and the bar from which all other platformers should be judged by. The controls are perfect, there's gameplay variety, and everything I want in a game is right here!

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Plot: it's a gameplay game. None of the characters feel fleshed out, but I did track down a manual. It helped to stretch this score a little bit. Nothing is terrible; it's just not here. 6/10

Gameplay: the bar. I've been coming back to DKC for thirty years, and I kinda want to play it again one day. Challenge runs? With friends? Are there any mods? 10/10

Sound: perfect. Many reviewers claim the OST sounds like it came from a CD. They might be right! 10/10

Art: 16-bit peak. The backgrounds are amazing, the sprite work has aged so well they almost seem future proof, and there's just so much stuff. 10/10

Charm: no corners cut. Rare wanted to reintroduce the Donkey Kong franchise, and they went all out. From goofy animations and sound to memorable side characters, Rare accomplished their goal. As a thirty-four-year-old, it's a painfully short game, but my knowledge of DKC shouldn't be counted against it. 10/10

And now, with all that said, Donkey Kong Country gets a well deserved 46 out of 50. The Metacritic score has it at 45, so you can believe the hype. I had so much fun getting the vaulted 101 percent, and I want to go back in. I want to play it again with friends. I want to give DKC2 a go, hoping I don't get a headache this time. Donkey Kong County is goated for a reason, so go enjoy it!