Super Donkey Kong GBThe massive success of Donkey Kong Country on the SNES and its groundbreaking Advanced Computer Modelling (ACM) graphics assured that a sequel would be on the way. Before that happened, however, Rare's Game Boy team stepped up to produce a handheld accompaniment to the first game using the same ACM graphics techniques, but limited to a 4-colour pallette.
Story
Cranky Kong's constant put-downs about how Donkey Kong Country was only a success due to its 16-bit graphics have pushed Donkey Kong over the edge. In a fit of anger, he unwittingly agrees to prove his adventure will be just as good on an 8-bit system. Before DK can reconsider, Cranky Kong arranges for King K. Rool to steal DK's banana hoard again. DK and Diddy Kong have to chase them down to reclaim Donkey Kong's most precious treasure, and more importantly, to prove Cranky wrong.
Gameplay
Donkey Kong Land is not a port of the original game, but a whole new game built around the same core gameplay of the original. There are 30 levels plus 4 boss stages set across 4 worlds: Gangplank Galleon, Kremlantis, Monkey Mountain and Big Ape City.
While many of the original stage types return (jungle, cave, underwater), Donkey Kong Land features the first pirate ship stages in the series (before Donkey Kong Country 2 made it a theme) as well as underwater ruins, surreal cloud and airship stages, and even a throwback to the original Donkey Kong arcade game with the construction site and skyscraper stages.
While DK and Diddy retain their original moves (except for DK's ground slap), only one character appears on-screen at any one time, and you can switch between them by pressing the SELECT button. Animal Buddies also return, although only Rambi and Expresso can be found.
The biggest change is to the save system. You can only save your game if you find all four K.O.N.G. letters in a level and reach the goal. The only other way to save is to reach the end of the world and defeat the boss. This particular change has been criticised for making the game too difficult, especially in the later stages when the letters are extremely well hidden.
One new item is the Kong Token. In certain bonus stages, all of the Kong Tokens you have collected so far can be grabbed for extra lives.
The map screen has received some small changes. Your path to a new level may occasionally be blocked by a rock, so you will have to detour to a different new level and collect the Bomb at the end of it to break the rock. There's no Kong Family to help you this time, but you can move between worlds you have already played through unhindered.
