It hasn't even been a full week since the original Donkey Kong Land hit the Nintendo Switch Online, and Nintendo is back for more jungle fun! That's right, Diddy and Dixie are back in Donkey Kong Land 2, the newest game to hit Nintendo's subscription service. That's pretty cool, but is this game actually worth playing? To answer that question, I decided to flip through the pages of Nintendo Power, Computer & Video Games and more classic magazines to see what the critics said back when this game first came out. I sure hope you're okay with being drip-fed Donkey Kong games, because that's precisely what's happening in this episode of Nintendo Switch Online Review Crew.


With both Donkey Kong Land and the Super Game Boy giving Nintendo's seven-year-old handheld some new life, Nintendo had some momentum going into 1996. This was the year when they decided to finally refresh the design of the Game Boy, putting the old, fat handheld on a diet in order to slim it down enough to fit comfortably in your pocket. With the Game Boy Pocket flying off store shelves, Nintendo needed more games to keep players coming back for more. In Japan, they launched the system just a few months before the first set of Pokémon games, but with those still a couple years away from coming to the States, Nintendo needed something for Western gamers. They once again turned to Donkey Kong's extended family for help, releasing Donkey Kong Land 2 just fifteen months after the first game. Once again, it was enhanced by the Super Game Boy and (attempted) to pull off tricks that were previously unheard of on the aging handheld. Did it work?

No. Or maybe yes? I guess it all depends on which magazine you were reading at the time. Much like the first Donkey Kong Land game in 1995, the critics were a little mixed, with the scores diving a bit lower this time around. A good example of that is Computer & Video Games, who went as low as a 3 out of 5. “Essentially the same game as Donkey Kong Country 2 on the Super NES – except the cool interaction between the two characters is gone. As a consequence, some of the puzzles have had to be adjusted, and others are removed altogether. Regardless, Donkey Kong Land 2 is a very clever platform game and is a worthwhile progression over the original. All the animal helpers have made it over, too; there's even a mouse cart section which is completely new. Donkey Kong Land 2 is arguably the best platform game on Nintendo's handheld. The only problem is you're being short-changed if you already own Donkey Kong Country 2 on the Super NES.”

Believe it or not, Nintendo Power basically agreed with CVG. Despite it being a flagship title for the Game Boy Pocket going into the holiday season, Nintendo Power gave it a somewhat low 3.3 out of 5, noting that “although the levels may look familiar, the animation for the Game Boy has been greatly improved by the developers at Rare over the first Donkey Kong Land game. Donkey Kong Land 2 also makes great use of the Super Game Boy Enhancements.” They liked the “excellent action, play control and graphics,” but disliked that the “stages are basically the same as those in Donkey Kong Country 2 for the Super NES.”

While these may not be great scores, don't worry, Donkey Kong fans, GamePro is here to the rescue. Tucked away in their Handhelds for the Holidays section in issue 100, they ended up giving this sequel a perfect 5 out of 5. “One of the best handheld games of 1995 gets a great sequel in 1996. As in the 16-bit version, Donkey Kong Land 2 introduces Diddy's gal pal Dixie, who uses her helicopter whirl to bash familiar Donkey Kong enemies. The 42 stages of side-scrolling action, hidden areas, bouncy music and exceptional Game Boy graphics make this the best handheld game of the year.”

As it turns out, the readers at Electronic Gaming Monthly agreed, naming Donkey Kong Land 2 the “Handheld Game of the Year.” For what it's worth, the EGM editors went a different direction, giving that distinction to Tetris Attack, but the readers preferred Diddy. And the fact that we're talking about the reader's choice awards in a magazine that didn't even bother to review the game should tell you everything you need to know about how few magazines actually covered Donkey Kong Land 2. With an average score of 75%, this sequel is down dramatically from the 86% we saw from the first game. I suppose it's only a matter of days until we find out if Donkey Kong Land III was able to rally and beat either of those two scores. See you then.