Finally scratched one of those games off my list, a game I really had no business not having played nor finished until now: Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. As a huge fan of the first game, I really should have made efforts to play the other games sooner. Or 2 at least, hailed as the best in the series; 3 is usually forgotten but I'm gonna check it out someday anyway because it's Rare, and fans of the first two games still say it's good, so there's that.
As for DKC2... Well I mean, it's a good game. But going on memory... I can't say it's better than DKC1 by any stretch. I do intend on playing the first game again (later) just for a confirmation on that perspective, and don't get me wrong, there were a few things DKC2 did better. Like bosses. And animal buddies. And Dixie Kong. I just feel like DKC1 had more charm on the whole, better level ideas and design, and soundtrack. DKC2's soundtrack is quite good, but I feel like DKC1's is better overall. Jib Jig, Mining Melancholy, and Snakey Chantey are highly enjoyable to me, about on par with the best of DKC1's songs. Stickerbrush Symphony is good, but not the be-all end-all of David Wise's musical career like many claim. No, that's Seashore War from Tropical Freeze. 
I swear though, hit detection was super screwy in the game, and maybe it's a issue I forgot about DKC1 as well. And there were a couple instances of annoying precision, but mostly just in the parrot level where you're descending through the hive. Also I hated Gusty Glade because I swear the wind wasn't being consistent and kept screwing me over and throwing me into a pit one time, when another time it worked fine. And I know there's timing. I counted on it and sometimes it would still screw up. Also the first couple of worlds just felt a little bland and samey to me. Things fortunately did pick up later, and I loved the last world. Overall though, I guess I just couldn't see what everyone else saw. But all things considered, it's still a pretty good game.
