Nintendo is really ramping up the hype surrounding Donkey Kong as we creep closer to the opening of the Donkey Kong Expansion at Super Nintendo World Japan. Not only have we been treated to the first game in the Game Boy series heading to the platform, but now Diddy and Dixie Kong are getting their time to shine on Nintendo Switch Online with the arrival of Donkey Kong Land 2.
Now, for those of you who have read my article ranking Donkey Kong’s gaming back catalogue, you’ll know that I’ve criticised this game for being a little too similar to its SNES counterpart. While the first DKL game felt inherently different to the SNES offering Donkey Kong Country, I do think that Donkey Kong Country 2 and Donkey Kong Land 2 have a very similar makeup. That being said, I am glad that Nintendo has added the second game in the series for fans to play as soon as they’ve completed the first one. It shows that they’re thinking about the player, something that Nintendo has always done with their strategies over the years, and it’s making me wonder whether we’ll see Donkey Kong Land 3 dropping in a couple of days. Maybe we’ll also see Donkey Kong 64 dropping on the N64 Expansion in the next couple of weeks. I mean, we’ve had Banjo-Tooie, so why not get another Rare classic on there?
One of the best bits about DKL 2 was that, when twinned with the Super Game Boy cartridge adapter for the SNES, the game suddenly became more shaded and textured alongside a 16-bit banana-themed border around the edge of the screen. Nintendo has chosen to go with the DMG-style graphics to keep as close to the original game as possible which is understandable – this is first and foremost a Game Boy game, after all, but if you have access to a Super Game Boy cart and a SNES, then definitely check out the difference!
Donkey Kong Land 2 is available for all Nintendo Switch Online users without having to pay for the Expansion. Head to Nintendo to find out more!
