

Brainstorming for a sequel began even before the first game’s sales had registered.

Relatively early on in the development of the first game, the team realized they had more ideas than could fit in a single game. Speaking to Retro Gamer in 2018, the game’s Producer and Co-Designer Gregg Mayles said that “the pressure was on ourselves.” For Rare, ideas for a second game emerged during the development of Donkey Kong Country. The company proved that it could more than hang with Sonic and the rest of the upstart Sega Genesis gang.įor Nintendo, domination through one game could only mean one thing: domination through more games. Thanks to a then- unique partnership with the British video game developer Rare, the game had cutting-edge graphics and a breakneck pace that players found irresistible.

In 1994, Nintendo needed Donkey Kong Country to be a hit.
