DKC DKC2: Nostalgia Anyone?

[DenDenDos]

Whenever I listen to "Donkey Kong Country" Aquatic Ambiance or "Donky Kong Country 2" Stickerbrush Symphony I get this overwhelming feeling of nostalgia. I used to play DKC and DKC2 a lot when it first came out (I was probably 11 or 12).

The Soundtracks to both games are amazing, but I wanted to know of anyone else experiences this with DKC or with any other game music.

What game music makes you want to throw up with nostalgia?

[buzz_n64]

Same here with those games. Bought the snes with the donkey kong combo, and bought dkc2 as soon as I could, fantastic games! I actually prefer the music in dkc2, than dkc1. Other games that do this for me are Sparkster (SNES), Mega Man 2, Blaster Master, and to a lesser degree Super Mario 64.

[Aussie2B]

The first two DKC soundtracks are quite popular among game music fans. Dave Wise is in general, although mostly for those works. And your favorites just happen to be the two stereotypical favorites. :P If you want to hear more takes on those songs, there's a boatload of arrangements on OCRemix. You should check out Kong in Concert too.

[DenDenDos]

Thanks Aussie. I just checked out Kong in Concert Beneath The Surface... God #$%@it that was great.

What strange minds we have.

[ShinobiMan]

I totally know what you mean. It's funny that the same particular song from DKC (Aquatic Ambiance) has the same nostalgic effect on you. I've felt the same way about that song for years. I was 10 years old going on 11 when it came out... I think most of our generation has great memories attached to that game.

[NayusDante]

Oddly, I never really liked the DKC soundtracks. They never sounded much like game music to me, more like normal background music. I suppose that's a complement to the audio quality, but none of the tunes really stuck in my head.

Anybody got a link to some of those concert clips? I'd certainly like to have a listen.

[DenDenDos]

I think most of our generation has great memories attached to that game.

So true.

Edit: You Tube is littered with Kong in Concert tracks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDy_9QmF0P0
this is beneath the surface.

[baraka]

Whenever I listen to "Donkey Kong Country" Aquatic Ambiance or "Donky Kong Country 2 Stickerbrush Symphony I get this overwhelming feeling of nostalgia. I used to play DKC and DKC2 a lot when it first came out (I was probably 11 or 12).

The Soundtracks to both games are amazing, but I wanted to know of anyone else experiences this with DKC or with any other game music.

What game music makes you want to throw up with nostalgia?

Same, especially DKC1 for me! And the music of Battletoads & Double Dragon (another great title by RARE) gives me that same feeling as well. The music in those games was excellent.

And like someone else mentioned Mega Man II. Somehow the music in that one particular Mega Man really touches me as well.

[DenDenDos]

And like someone else mentioned Mega Man II. Somehow the music in that one particular Mega Man really touches me as well.
I think I mentioned nostalgia being the reason for me choosing the Mega Man II sound track over the others on Shinobiman's Mega Man Music thread.

Ditto's on the Battletoads. After I read your post I looked up the Battletoads ice stage music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGl3b3V6AoE&feature=PlayList&p=B26E0D4EEBDEA224&index=1

[Aussie2B]

Anybody got a link to some of those concert clips? I'd certainly like to have a listen.

It's not an actual concert (I wish there was such a thing). It's just the title of an OCRemix project in which a large assortment of different remixers arranged the entire soundtrack. Here's the site: http://dkcproject.ocremix.org

As typical of OCR projects, not every track is good and some are so liberal with the material that you can barely recognize the original tune, but it still has some quality stuff. There's a project for DKC2 coming out soon too called Serious Monkey Business.

[Baloo]

You know, aside from that bonus level theme, I never really thought of the music in Donkey Kong Country as being all that special. Maybe it's because I never played through any one of the games totally, even though I own all three :/

[Voliko]

I adore good game music, and DKC2 has got to be one of my favorite games of all time, I have played it so many times, the music is etched into my brain, and I love it.

[super nes]

DKC2 has the best music on the snes imo, its also my favorite game on the snes. I go back to it every few months.

[DefaultGen]

.....

[PresidentLeever]

DKC1 had a few good tracks, but 2 just reminds me of 90s radio junk.

[ShinobiMan]

DKC1 had a few good tracks, but 2 just reminds me of 90s radio junk.

Strange. To me, DKC2's soundtrack sounded like an epic pirate adventure full of swashbuckling and danger. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q73bkS4c5ZM

[baraka]

I think I mentioned nostalgia being the reason
Ditto's on the Battletoads. After I read your post I looked up the Battletoads ice stage music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGl3b3V6AoE&feature=PlayList&p=B26E0D4EEBDEA224&index=1

Thats the Battletoads music from Genesis port of the NES version though, I meant the "Battletoads and Double Dragon" title for SNES (not the seperate titles). That game, imo, has some of the best music in gaming history but its probably mostly nostalgia again :).

Anyway, overal the music in games made by RARE was always awesome

[Aussie2B]

I beat DKC for the first time... last year? I hate being 'that guy' in conversations who feels it's a competent platformer with great music when a lot of 20-something guys seem to think it's god's gift to the platforming genre.

I have immense love and nostalgia for the series, and even I can admit that the first game is a little on the shallow side and way too easy. Some critics did regard it as hype and graphics over gameplay, but that's where the sequel comes in. Not only did it have even better graphics and music, but the gameplay was really kicked up a notch with depth, variety, and a healthy challenge.

[SpaceHarrier]

DKC1 had a few good tracks, but 2 just reminds me of 90s radio junk.

Funny.. the forest theme from DKC2 always vaguely reminded me of Soft Cell's "Sex Dwarf"..

that said, I love both soundtracks... and in terms of nostalgia, Mega Man X and Sonic 2 are both highlights for me, in addition to DKC 1/2.

[PresidentLeever]

Strange. To me, DKC2's soundtrack sounded like an epic pirate adventure full of swashbuckling and danger. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q73bkS4c5ZM

Yeah, what I meant to say was Stickerbrush and the other techno songs sounded like that. The pirate themes are OK in my book, but nothing too special.


Funny.. the forest theme from DKC2 always vaguely reminded me of Soft Cell's "Sex Dwarf"..

Which track is that? I love the soft cell song :)

Edit: Forest interlude? Well, it does sound a bit like porn music in the intro.

[SpaceHarrier]

Yeah, what I meant to say was Stickerbrush and the other techno songs sounded like that. The pirate themes are OK in my book, but nothing too special.



Which track is that? I love the soft cell song :)

Edit: Forest interlude? Well, it does sound a bit like porn music in the intro.

Yeah, from the stage 'Ghostly Grove' etc.. I don't know why I thought that, maybe the similar synth sound, but back in the day when I was 15 and playing the game, SEX DWARF was all that came to mind.

..but maybe that says more about me than it does the game, right?

[DenDenDos]

That game, imo, has some of the best music in gaming history but its probably mostly nostalgia again

It's funny to think that we consider nostalgia as playing a part in the quality of gaming music.
I wonder if there's any one out there that will declare the DK Rap as one of the best piece of music in gaming.

[Rickstilwell1]

Am I like the only one who likes DKC3's original music just a much as 1 & 2's? I don't know I just can't see the games as anything but a perfect trilogy that should be played back to back. I enjoyed mostly the tracks for these types of levels in the games. Top 4's:

DKC: Mines (Winky's Walkway type, not the misty ones)
Ice Cave
Factory
Underwater

DKC2: Brambles
Ice Caves
Haunted Woods
Mines

DKC3: Factory
Canyon
Underwater
Caves

and out of all the Donkey Kong Land games, I would say the first one has the best soundtrack as it's mostly unique and faster paced than the others.

[scottw182]

Donkey Kong Country 1 & 2
Secret of Mana
Blaster Master

[MissingNo_1231]

dude, the Donkey Kong Country series is my favorite series of games, with 1 and 2 being my absolute favorite games of all time, and both containing the greatest video game soundtracks ever for me.

Nostalgia level is like over 9000.

[todesengel]

Honestly never liked this series and even recently replayed through the first DKC to see if my opinion of it changed any. I do really like the final boss music in the first DKC though.

[DenDenDos]

Honestly never liked this series and even recently replayed through the first DKC to see if my opinion of it changed any. I do really like the final boss music in the first DKC though.

I can definitely understand. I have a similar reaction to contra.

I played contra when I was much younger and after replaying the series I can't say that I enjoyed it as much as 'I thought I should have.' I replayed it about a year ago after a 7 year hiatus.

And I can't say that I don't like the contra soundtracks... but it just doesn't have the same feeling.

[pseudonym]

DKC2 is one of my favorite games on the SNES. Some lovely music and I love the pirate theme all throughout the game.

[Rickstilwell1]

For me, Metroid is the one popular series by Nintendo that I never feel absorbed into. I don't know if it's the non-linearity of it or something else. Or maybe it's because in the first one you have to kill the same enemies hundreds of times to refill your health every time you come back to life or start the game.

[scottw182]

I'm surprised I'm the only one who's mentioned Secret of Mana for music nostalgia, it's got one of the greatest video game soundtracks I've ever heard. Every song just floods me with nostalgia.

[ShinobiMan]

I'm surprised I'm the only one who's mentioned Secret of Mana for music nostalgia, it's got one of the greatest video game soundtracks I've ever heard. Every song just floods me with nostalgia.

Well I would have mentioned Secret Of Mana had I known we were going to talk about nostalgic video game music in general. Secret Of Mana is amazing. Truly a work of art. Oddly enough, I got it the same Christmas I got Donkey Kong Country. Christmas '94. Perhaps there should be an entirely new thread for video game music that gives us those nostalgic vibes.

[ShinobiMan]

I thought this was relevant to this thread:

http://kotaku.com/5494517/a-barrel-full-of-free-donkey-kong-country-2-music


Two and a half years ago, the enormously talented community at OverClocked Remix set about creating the ultimate Donkey Kong Country 2 remix album. Featuring 1.25GB of amazing free music, the end result is definitely Serious Monkey Business.

Donkey Kong Country 2: Serious Monkey Business, available now as a free download, compiles the work of more than 30 remixers across three discs, totaling more than two hours of music for your listening pleasure. And this isn't simply the work of lone basement remixers either. The game's original composer David Wise gets in on the action, as well as Rare alum Grant Kirkhope and Rare's music department head Robin Beanland. With such an official presence, one could call this the definitive Donkey Kong Country 2 compilation.

Jeremy Waters and Wesley Cho directed the compilation, which features music from many different genres, including new age, trance, rock ballad, and orchestral tunes. There's something here for everyone, and from what I've heard so far, it's uniformly brilliant.

You can download the entire three-disc set, complete with custom CD and case labels, using your torrent downloading program of choice, or find out more via the link below.

And please remember to seed!



Funny how this got released while this thread was active.

[fahlim003]

Whenever I listen to "Donkey Kong Country" Aquatic Ambiance ... I get this overwhelming feeling of nostalgia.

What game music makes you want to throw up with nostalgia?

Aquatic Ambience. What an excellent choice. One of my favourite tunes from DKC as well. I personally never really liked the DKC series but it has lots of charm and plenty of nostalgia. The Rare logo intro too takes me back, it's classic.

Super Mario Bros 3 is a very nostalgic game for me, even though I only recently completed it. As is Earthworm Jim 2, what with it's terrific soundtrack and great variety.


Honestly never liked this series and even recently replayed through the first DKC to see if my opinion of it changed any. I do really like the final boss music in the first DKC though.

Me neither, although after getting into Skullmonkeys, I appreciate the DKC games more.

[CelticJobber]

DKC is one of my favorite series Nintendo ever published, and the music definitely makes me nostalgic. Aquatic Ambience and Forest Interlude are my favorites as well as GangPlank Galleon.

This series seems to have really been under-rated as the years have went by (atleast by gaming journalists). It was fucking great.