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What Makes the Donkey Kong Country Trilogy So Special?

CloudConnection

104,076 views

The Donkey Kong Country trilogy holds a special place in many people's hearts. I never grew up with them, and I always wanted to understand why. Let's take a look at this SNES trilogy and why it's made such an impact.
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TIMECODES

00:00 — Intro
01:45 — Development
05:24 — Donkey Kong Country
15:57 — Donkey Kong Country 2
24:44 — Donkey Kong Country 3
32:58 — Conclusion

20 Comments

@CloudConnection Creator 3 years ago Pinned

Thanks for making the past five years truly remarkable! Here's to many more years of CloudConnection.

What's your favorite Donkey Kong game?

@Wolfkaosaun 3 years ago

The SNES Donkey Kong trilogy was so important to me while growing up. It's interesting to hear someone talk about the trilogy that hasn't grown up with them

@LarryLopez91 3 years ago

"I'm not sure if I love the rolling attack though."

Dude...

@titanayrum 3 years ago

playing it outside of Snes means it gets easier. Snes has that perilous no save zone in the icy caps of DK Island that really hits hard. The poetry of the landscapes in the first DKC is what makes it the favorite for me

@ShamanJeeves 3 years ago

I'm going to echo the sentiments of my fellow old-timers; it's great to see someone appreciating these games who didn't grow up with them. I was six when my family got DKC for Xmas in '94, and the series remains my hands-down favorite to this day.

@gabrielhersey5546 3 years ago

When DKC released the hype train was massive. Commercials everywhere, industry magazines couldn’t stop talking about Rare and donkey Kong
The game was a ground breaking with new visuals and graphics. Music and sound reached new heights. Popularity explosions

@j.p.obregon1415 3 years ago

DKC 2 has always been a special game for me. It was so dark, but colorful at the same time, and the music was so immersive. Something about this game just really made it stand out for me.

@TheWASHINGMACHINEBOY 6 months ago (edited)

who is watching this in 2026? donkey kong finally got a new game last year: donkey kong bananza, and it even has king K. rool make his grand return after 18 years (7 if you count his smash roster debut in super smash bros. ultimate)

@LITTLEdzx 3 years ago

What made DKC special to me is not only Rare made masterpiece platformers with great graphics for SNES, but it was the time Donkey Kong got reformed into his since-current look from the arcade days and introduced his family.

I still have all three games in original hardware. DKC 1 is my favorite, though I agree with the fanbase that the second is the best.

@salinaember9527 3 years ago

You HAD to be there to really get why they're so great. idk how to explain it, but the memories of playing some of the most difficult platformers at the time before gaming had evolved into what it is now, is something that will never be understood by a newcomer. back then, you really bonded with players who loved this game. it was a seal of a hardcore gamer.

@WhyYouAlwaysLying786 2 years ago

I think it’s time to replay all 3 again. It’s been 5 years or more now

@ricorichardson5945 3 years ago

I assume you didn't notice that the rolling mechanic (you mentioned you didn't like) had a speed multiplier and length multiplier on it so if you could hit multiple enemies with it in a row, it would speed up horizontal movement tremendously and also would last longer.

@MrEvilbyte 3 years ago

Small caveat on Funky in DKC2. For each world in the game, his planes have a one time fee. I usually visit his shack in each world, just to pay the one time fee, then save the game afterwards.

@arturohernandez8789 3 years ago

The DKC series hold a special place in my Gaming Heart. Can’t wait to see what your thoughts are on the Returns and Tropical Freeze!

@KeepingOnPoint 7 months ago

10:16 this is a wild statement in 2026 😂😭

@Enuelle 3 years ago

To this day I still listen to the DKC2 ost. I used to eat listening to the songs in the snes as a kid

@SwoleCalibur 3 years ago

the dkc 2 bonus stages are a must to complete the game. You need to complete them so you can fight k rool in another battle to get the true ending.

@aidanhever3369 3 years ago

I was first introduced to this series as DKC3 from a TV commercial. Then I saw DKC2 from a Nintendo magazine. And finally, I played DKC for the first time for the SNES.

@BubsyMysteryDungeon 3 years ago

DKC is undoubtedly my all time favorite franchise, 3 is especially my most nostalgic one out of them. I grew up with the GBA version of 3 and only 3, I never had the other two growing up. It wasn’t until I became an adult that I finally got to play the other two, DKC2 is my second favorite, but 3 is still number one no matter what.

Plus two and three had Dixie, the best Kong in the series! XD

Great video! I enjoyed watching it!

@CRTechRetro 3 years ago

I was 8yrs old when this game was gifted to me on Christmas. It would come to be the best Christmas gift I have or would ever receive outside of my SNES system itself. I can still sit down and beat the game relatively quick ,due to cataloging the timing as a child years ago. Was a blast then and is a blast now. I am now in the process of showing my 8yr old daughter this culturally iconic masterpiece of a game. Truly a testament of time. Loved the video