• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

WatchMojo's Top 10 Donkey Kong Country levels

KevinCow

Banned
Stumbled upon this and thought it might make an interesting discussion. The DKC series is filled with so many great levels, it's hard to choose just ten.

Here's the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_d4NhUlg10

And here's their list:

10) Bramble Blast (DKC2)
9) Grassland Groove (DKCTF)
8) Tanked Up Trouble (DKC)
7) Frantic Fields (DKCTF)
6) Ripsaw Rage (DKC3)
5) Cliffside Slide (DKCTF)
4) Tidal Terror (DKCR)
3) Blackout Basement (DKC)
2) Castle Crush (DKC2)
1) Rickety Race (DKC2)

Honorable Mentions:

- Coral Capers (DKC)
- Topsail Trouble (DKC2)
- Crack Shot Croc (DKC3)
- Sawmill Thrill (DKCTF)
- Snow Barrel Blast (DKC)

I find their list to be pretty odd. A bunch of auto scrollers (Tanked Up Trouble, Ripsaw Rage, Castle Crush, Rickety Race), and some with annoying gimmicks (Tanked Up Trouble, Tidal Terror, Blackout Basement). The DKCTF picks are great, though.

Aside from some of the ones already on their list, I'd probably have included some of the following:

- Rattle Battle (DKC2)
- Rambi Rumble (DKC2)
- Animal Antics (DKC2)
- Longshot Launch (DKCR)
- Crumble Cayon (DKCR)
- Music Madness (DKCR)
- Scorch 'n' Torch (DKCTF)
- Aqueduct Assault (DKCTF)
- Meltdown Mayhem (DKCTF)

What do you guys think are the best levels in the series?
 
Ripsaw Rage is probably my favorite level from the original three. Something extremely unsettling about it, between the creepy music and the whole "fleeing into the trees while a giant saw razes the forest around you."

DKC3-RipsawRage3.gif


Blackout Basement is garbage though. Don't know why that's there. And Tanked Out Trouble is probably the worst level in the franchise. Although honestly, I can't think of very many memorable levels from DKC1 at all.
 

mrmickfran

Member
Tidal Terror not #1?

Trash list.

Hell, I could just list every level from World 7 of DKCR in the top 10. What an amazing section.
 

RAWRferal

Member
Castle Crush is definitely up there for me too, but to pick an all out favourite would be tough. So many good levels and so many find childhood memories!
 

KevinCow

Banned
By great you mean hilariously misplaced and completely mood ruining

Fischer's soundtrack is amazing.

Sarcasm, yo.

Well, this just pushed me over the edge. I just went and bought DKC TF off the eShop.

Awesome! Hope you like it. It's seriously great.

These are the two biggest omissions. Would probably have both of these in my top 5. Would also have Snow Barrel Blast in the top 10 and kick the other 2 DKC levels they had off the list.

I was so terrified of Rambi Rumble when I was a kid that I had to get my older brother to beat it for me. But that's what makes it such a great level. You change into Rambi, and then with absolutely no warning, the music changes and you're being chased by a giant indestructible bee.
 

TheMoon

Member
Poor DKC1 gets no love. :(

Undeservedly.

The game that introduced us to the endless Diddy roll deserves all the love it can get.

But man, what is it with this list and auto-scrollers? You don't come to DKC games for the auto scrollers, what the hell! And how on earth is Snow Barrel Blast only an honorable mention?
 

Opa-Pa

Member
I started replaying the trilogy on my n3DS two days ago in reverse order and after finishing 3 I looked up the GBA soundtrack and watched a couple of related videos and ended up watching this very same top 10 like an hour ago haha.

But yeah, a decent list I think, my favorites from there would be Grassland Groove, Bramble Blast and Rickety Race, man love mine cart-like stages in the series and the ones in DKC2 are ace. Although I found it bizarre there were so many auto-scrolling stages as I thought people hated those? I know I kinda do lol. A lot of gimmicks in general in there, actually.

I'm currently breezing through DKC2 after starting in earlier, stopped at the beginning of the last world, and I gotta say it really holds up as good as everyone says. I'm almost done and I think I've only disliked like what, two stages? The one beehive one where you descend with the purple parrot and the windy forest one, and I still appreciate the ideas behind them. Such a good game. DKC3 was good but damn, it's gimmick central.

Another one I'd add off the top of my head is Rattle Battle, so good. But no rocket barrel stages from Retro's games in the list? smh. Now that's a gimmick I can get behind.
 

Neiteio

Member
I'm cool with Rickety Race at No. 1. The "hold back to hit speed boost" trick at the start makes the race that follows incredibly exhilarating!

Also love the fireworks... and the Disco Train theme never gets old.

No level from DKC1 should be there.
Agreed. DKC1 is... not that great.
 

Crayolan

Member
Chain-Link Chamber>Castle Crush

Also, I like Rickety Race, enough so that I might put it in this list, but it's definitely not #1 material.
 
I was originally wondering why they gave Krack Shot Kroc and honorable mention, then I remembered that it has that bonus level where you control the cannon and shoot fireballs at the bad guys. Also, the factory music.
 

Roo

Member
Scorch 'n' Torch is easily one of the best levels in the entire franchise.
Have no idea how it didn't make it even as an honorable mention.
 
I still wonder if it's on Wise that some of the music is comple misplaced or on the programmers. The music in enough itself it fine, but there's some really strange choices made throughout the port and I don't know who's to blame...

Both games play the standard forest theme for that level. It's just that Fisher's actually fits the game, and Wise's does not.
 
That's a solid list there, though I'll be immediately disagreeing with blackout basement which is kinda obnoxious and Rickety Race while fun should be in now way topping such a list.
Otherwise they got a good group in there, happy to see Tidal Terror, Tanked up Trouble and Castle Crush make the cut.

I'll probably throw in my own ranking later but I'll need to refresh my memory first since I've been sitting here with "reply to topic" open for waaay toooo long trying to narrow it down, plus it's hard to not just pluck 10 stages from Tropical Freeze exclusively.
 

Neiteio

Member
That's a solid list there, though I'll be immediately disagreeing with blackout basement which is kinda obnoxious and Rickety Race while fun should be in now way topping such a list.
Otherwise they got a good group in there, happy to see Tidal Terror, Tanked up Trouble and Castle Crush make the cut.

I'll probably throw in my own ranking later but I'll need to refresh my memory first since I've been sitting here with "reply to topic" open for waaay toooo long trying to narrow it down, plus it's hard to not just pluck 10 stages from Tropical Freeze exclusively.
My case for Rickety Race at least being a Top Five contender is I always replay it every time I boot up DKC2, and it's still fun to me, which means it's probably one of my favorite mine cart levels in the series. :)

Really, tho, the more I think about it, the more I realize TF and Returns levels should dominate the list. The self-contained narrative in each of their levels is so good!
 

Lathentar

Looking for Pants
Not a bad list!
I'd replace blackout basement with stop go station. I imagine a top twenty would include switcherro, music madness, scorch n torch, platform peril, bopopolis, dynamite dash.

Looking back we made some great levels.
 
My case for Rickety Race at least being a Top Five contender is I always replay it every time I boot up DKC2, and it's still fun to me, which means it's probably one of my favorite mine cart levels in the series. :)

Really, tho, the more I think about it, the more I realize TF and Returns levels should dominate the list. The self-contained narrative in each of their levels is so good!
I think Haunted Hall always edged Rickety Race out for me, then DKCR and TF came along and completely bowled over the original trilogies cart stages.
Sawmill Thrill, Bombs Away and Prehistoric Path are grand.

Not a bad list!
I'd replace blackout basement with stop go station. I imagine a top twenty would include switcherro, music madness, scorch n torch, platform peril, bopopolis, dynamite dash.

Looking back we made some great levels.

Stop and Go station is definitely what I'd pick as the best for DKC1.
Dynamite Dash is madly underrated I feel.

Bringing K stages into this I'll never be able to narrow this top 10 down.
 

Neiteio

Member
Is Prehistoric Path the mine cart stage from Returns where you're riding over tar fields inside a crumbling eggshell? That level was fucking nuts.
 
Yeah it is, the egg bit is something you don't so quickly forget.
Basically turned the final section of bombs away up to 11.
 

Pancake Mix

Copied someone else's pancake recipe
Really agree with 6,4,3, and 2. Glad to see any DKC3 love, such an underappreciated game. Would have included its first level on my list too.

Oddly, nothing from DKCTF really stood out for me.
 

Kid Ying

Member
It's funny seeing all the games together. I think the retro games are the best in the series, but comparing the aesthetics of all the games, rare had something that it's hard to replicate. Msybe it's just nostalgia talking, but their games felt more dark and crazy, while retro is more about the gameplay.

Still, i think it's a great list. Good to see tropical freeze getting some love.
 

Rich!

Member
Holy shit, it works.

How the hell did you get the DK coin without that boost?!

Not a bad list!
I'd replace blackout basement with stop go station. I imagine a top twenty would include switcherro, music madness, scorch n torch, platform peril, bopopolis, dynamite dash.

Looking back we made some great levels.

hang on a minute here, I want to know who you are!
 

phanphare

Banned
that's a good list

Not a bad list!
I'd replace blackout basement with stop go station. I imagine a top twenty would include switcherro, music madness, scorch n torch, platform peril, bopopolis, dynamite dash.

Looking back we made some great levels.

my personal favorite was horn top hop because of the context and the ending fakeout complete with even more context

yall are great. I hope the "fucking donkey kong" meme is a joke internally because nobody does it like yall do it.

/ gushing praise
 

Pancake Mix

Copied someone else's pancake recipe
Ripsaw Rage is probably my favorite level from the original three. Something extremely unsettling about it, between the creepy music and the whole "fleeing into the trees while a giant saw razes the forest around you."

DKC3-RipsawRage3.gif


Blackout Basement is garbage though. Don't know why that's there. And Tanked Out Trouble is probably the worst level in the franchise. Although honestly, I can't think of very many memorable levels from DKC1 at all.


Agree on Ripsaw Rage, but disagree on DKC1.

My picks from the original Donkey Kong Country:

http://www.mariowiki.com/Temple_Tempest

DKCI2565.jpg


http://www.mariowiki.com/Mine_Cart_Carnage

MKC.png


http://www.mariowiki.com/Snow_Barrel_Blast

DKCI5465.jpg


http://www.mariowiki.com/Vulture_Culture

VulCul.png
 

KevinCow

Banned
Sheesh, DKTF is underrated critcally and the OST imo. Did the OST win any awards in 2014?

Nope. Not outside of NeoGAF, anyway. The fact that DKCTF was pretty much left out of not only the GotY discussion of that year, but also the Soundtrack of the Year discussion, is one of the biggest crimes of recent gaming history.

I remember there was a Giant Bombcast segment where they were debating Soundtrack of the Year, and only one of the guys had even played DKCTF. They let him present like 3 10-second clips and judged the entire soundtrack on that alone. Their conclusion: "It sounds like elevator music." It legitimately made me a little bit angry how dismissive they were.

You mean there's people out there who thought this was required? I completed DKC2 with everything long before I knew about the boost.

Really? I was never able to get past like third without the speed boost.
 

Mory Dunz

Member
Nope. Not outside of NeoGAF, anyway. The fact that DKCTF was pretty much left out of not only the GotY discussion of that year, but also the Soundtrack of the Year discussion, is one of the biggest crimes of recent gaming history.

I remember there was a Giant Bombcast segment where they were debating Soundtrack of the Year, and only one of the guys had even played DKCTF. They let him present like 3 10-second clips and judged the entire soundtrack on that alone. Their conclusion: "It sounds like elevator music." It legitimately made me a little bit angry how dismissive they were.

lol what the hey. You can't listen to all time great tracks like alpine incline in 10 seconds.
And even more, the music always fits the stage so well. As shown in the vid by Grassland Groove and Frantic Fields.
 
Top Bottom