DKC Atlas Forum

[The Kirby]

I've noticed that in most games, when something is removed from one installment of the series, it tends to never be brought back in later sequels.

In the case of DKC, we used to have Winky and Expresso, but they pretty much disappeared from DKC2 except for a few in-game text references and background objects, and aren't even mentioned at all in DKC3. A similar thing can be said about the animal tokens and members of the Kong clan.

Although, there are two exceptions:

1. The metal keg barrel made an interesting return after being absent from DKC2, and ironically made an appearance in EVERY level of DKC3 (which is understandable given its new uses, but still interesting.)

2. This one's a bit harder to spot, but DKC3 reuses a couple backgrounds from the previous two games. One is in the jungle levels, which use the pine forest background from DKC.

These are the only ones I can think of. If there are any other things that are in DKC3 that made a return after being absent from DKC2, please list it.

[Qyzbud]

I've noticed that there are no objects hidden in the ground in DKC2, but there are in DKC and DKC3.

[Kiddy14]

I don't know if this one could be added; but DKC3 has coral water levels like DKC.
Also, there weren't any moving platforms in DKC2 (except for Castle Crush).

[The Kirby]

As far as game mechanics go, the Krumple is pretty much DKC3's version of the Krusha, and even though Kruncha kinda filled that role in DKC2, he was quite a bit different (no heavy Kongs, and he got mad.)

It's also interesting that you brought up the fact that DKC3 had coral levels like DKC. Every water level in DKC was completely submerged, unlike DKC2's, where the water would vary in height as you played the level. DKC2 only had one submerged level, Glimmer's Galleon, but I guess you can still consider DKC3 a more widespread return to this level-type.

[Qyzbud]

That's a good point about the water levels. I thought about that shortly after my last post... There are also snowy areas and natural caves in DKC/DKC3 (which are absent from DKC2), but the lack of water levels in DKC2 seems more significant to me because it affects the gameplay significantly, not just aesthetics. I guess many of these locations weren't present in DKC2 because of the game's fairground/fantasy/pirate/haunted theme (which brought with it many dank, unique and mysterious locales).

Oh, there were factories in DKC and DKC3, too. Seems like lots of level archetypes fit this 'gone and back again' scenario.

[Cody]

I just figured they ran out of ideas by DKC3

I believe I noticed the steel kegs myself. There was also something else I noticed that was similar to that, but I can't remember what it was... I'll update this post in a short while.

[Mattrizzle]

• Continue Barrels have the sparkle effect again.
• Funky Kong is standing on the ground again, instead of on a flying surfboard.
• I'm not sure if this counts, but the DKC3 title screen music is a remix of DKC's bonus area music.

[Qyzbud]

Music that appears in both DKC and DKC3 is a pretty good observation... but I'm not sure if the Funky one counts. Haha.

I don't think there are any 'basic little fish' baddies in DKC2... Bitesize and Coco are a fair bit smaller than Flotsam.

Oh and the fact that a 'heavy Kong' is again playable should probably be mentioned outright, as it's a pretty significant gameplay factor which returned in DKC3. I'm sure everyone has noticed that, and Kirby mentioned it in passing here... but hey.

[The Kirby]

I did consider mentioning the 'Heavy Kong' element returning, but I figured that it wasn't particularly profound, nowhere near the differences that you saw between Donkey and Diddy. From my experiences playing DKC3, Kiddy ran as fast as Dixie, jumped as high as her, and jumped as far as her (nixing helicopter.) The only physics differences between them was that Kiddy seemed to take longer to jump off the ground than Dixie did, and I'm not absolutely sure if I'm remembering correctly, but I know that Kiddy had lag when he grabbed horizontal ropes.

This returning element's probably a bit vague, but doesn't Floodlit Fish remind people a bit of Loopy Lights?

[Kobble]

For these reasons, DKC3 and DKC were a lot more similar to eachother than DKC2. More natural, happy levels. I guess that's what makes DKC2 unique.

[Katastrophe Kong]

In the level Barrel Drop Bounce of K3 in DKC, a lone crate from DKC2 lies. Weird...

[The Kirby]

True, but this topic is about things that were in DKC1 and 3, and were on hiatus in DKC2.

[Rodent]

This returning element's probably a bit vague, but doesn't Floodlit Fish remind people a bit of Loopy Lights?

And Glimmer's Galleon. >.>

[Sockpuppet]

In Floodlit Fish and Loopy Lights, the lights go off themselves and you have to attack fish/hit barrels to turn them back on, but in Glimmer's Galleon the light is always there (except at the very start). GG is more similar to Torchlit Trouble.

[HavocReaper48]

Bumping for possible reference:

Bristles have a rolling attack much like Army did. Their physics are very different but that's something interesting to consider. No enemy in DKC2 had a rolling attack.

[SSBMaster11]

No enemy in DKC2 had a rolling attack.

What about that porcupine-type thing in Mudhole Marsh (The one that twirls you and throws you upwards)? Does that not count as a "rollling attack"?

[Phyreburnz]

Here's a good one:
Items under ground. DK could get underground bananas with his hand-slap attack. By using the team-up thing, Kiddy's weight could get unearth ground items.

[HavocReaper48]

No enemy in DKC2 had a rolling attack.

What about that porcupine-type thing in Mudhole Marsh (The one that twirls you and throws you upwards)? Does that not count as a "rollling attack"?

Spinning ≠ rolling.

[Phyreburnz]

Oh, I guess the one I said was mentioned earlier. But I have a new one. On the area maps in 1 and 3, you could see buildings (Cranky's Cabin, Funky's flights, Wrinkly's Save Cave, and things like that).

[7S7ui3]

Yeah, youre right. You cant see any specific buildings in DKC2. But I think you could in the GBA version.

[Phyreburnz]

I know this is a major bump, but that DKC3 is Weird topic has me thinking about this again!

A Kong enemy is something absent from DKC2. Manky Kong was our Orang villain from DKC and Minky Kong in DKC3. They both throw stuff at you, but only Manky can be killed.

Another thing pointed out in the DKC3 is Weird thread is the living inanimate objects... i.e. Dumb Drum and Belcha. Pretty similar if you ask me.

[Qyzbud]

Solid bump! I'm surprised the topic didn't fall over.

I was thinking about the Dumb Drum/Belcha thing... I only didn't mention it because of Kleever in DKC2. In a lot of ways, Belcha's really the odd one out, here.

Good point about Manky/Minky; I suppose there wasn't a strong enough mutiny for any conspiring Kongs to make the dangerous trek to enemy territory for DKC2. This mention of Minky Kong has me musing... Were there any undefeatable enemy types in DKC2? I guess you could count the Kackle krew, but they're pretty different from the set-in-place baddies like DKC's Croctopi, Krashes and Rockkrocs*, and DKC3's Minkys, Kuchukas, etc... DKC3 also has Karbines, the "Baby Buzz" swarm in Riverside Race and the kamikaze Klasps, but I'm not sure if you'd count those.

I'm probably missing some obvious faultless DKC2 foes, but it feels like the emphasis is solidly on DKC and DKC3 here.

Also, I don't recall there being electric storms (thunder/lightning) anywhere in DKC2... rain and wind, sure, but nothing particularly stormy.


The fact that I'm unsure about these things is a solid indicator that I need to play through DKC2 (heck, the whole trilogy) again.