I had never played the original Donkey Kong Country before, a statement I can attest is only slightly untrue. This was my first time playing the SNES version of this game, as the GBA remake of DKC was one of my first games. I shared it with my older sister, and we'd try to complete every level with Diddy Kong so his face would appear everywhere on the map screen.

If you know anything about me, you'll know that my admiration for Diddy Kong has only increased.

The original entry in this series stands as a shining example of a 2D platformer done right. I'm going to berate Mario for a second here, so please avert your eyes if this sounds upsetting to you. I started playing through Super Mario Wonder a while ago and enjoyed it, but something just wasn't clicking. The levels in that game, while admittedly tightly designed and polished, wash over me without leaving an impact. I'll likely explore that a little more once I finish the game, but the 2D Mario series has always had this effect on me.

Donkey Kong Country reminds me what 2D platformers can be, in the same ways as Rayman Redemption, Yoshi's Island and a more contemporary example such as Pizza Tower. Levels can hook you atmospherically, an incredible strength of this primate platformer. Words cannot begin to describe how wonderful this soundtrack is, and while we have to attribute most of the credit to David Wise, one of my favourite tracks - Ice Cave Chant - was composed by the oft overlooked Eveline Fischer. The soundscape, combined with the timeless, immersive visuals builds the so-called Donkey Kong Country into a place I can enjoy sitting around in just as much as I do jumping around it.

The jumping is no slouch either; almost every level has you contesting with something unique, and no mechanic overstays its welcome. I'd even say that some levels could have done with expanding their ideas, but it's clear that brevity was one of the team's core goals and I can't blame them for it. Some of these levels are truly brilliant: a creepy cavern filled with kremlings that have to be disabled constantly by touching barrels, a tense floating platform that needs to be refueled lest you be tossed into the void and the myriad of levels that play with the iconic barrel mechanics in new ways. A lot of these are gimmicky, but I don't say that as a bad thing. I appreciate how often the game is willing to toss you into new territory - and isn't all that forgiving at that.

There's a tense balance in the life system here. The game is hard enough that you'll be draining lives likely quicker than you obtain new ones, and due to the absence of save points during certain portions, you're often forced into deeply uncomfortable stretches where one more death could cause you to repeat multiple levels. I'd understand someone using this as a critique, but to me it sucks me into this world. This world has been dominated by a truly cruel leader, and you aren't going to breeze through his forces. You have to work to beat this, yet it's not at all brutal. The game's difficulty hits a sweet spot that I think so many devs have strived to hit themselves, but missed the mark. A truly commendable achievement of design that, unfortunately, we likely won't see these days. I suppose that makes going back to play this even more special, though!

My only major complaint about this first title is that the bosses are rather... shit. I don't even want to dedicate more time to them, besides King K. Rool they have absolutely nothing going for them. Donkey Kong Country is a relic of the past, not every little thing works, but it coalesces into an unforgettable experience, an adventure through a world I'll never cease to love.

This is a very story forward game for me, while the gameplay is good it definitely can be condemned for its limitations placed on top of the player and the fact it doesn't innovate very much, but everything works and nothing is broken, and it feels good too. The reason I love this game so much is because of one thing, Arthur Morgan. I am a huge fan of Rockstar but outside maybe one character, there is nothing quite like Arthur Morgan in video games. He is the key to this game, without him this amazing story would fall apart. Everyone involved in his creation, and Roger Clark voicing and acting him physically should be given payment until they die. Besides this, do I even have to mention the beautiful graphics to you? Go play this game. The only part of this game that's a low point is the first hour (or having to use the Rockstar Launcher on PC).