Donkey Kong Country 2 is one of those SNES classics that just holds up. You play as Diddy and Dixie Kong this time—no Donkey Kong around, which threw me off at first—but the duo’s tag-team moves make up for it. Dixie’s helicopter hair spin is a lifesaver in tight spots, and the level design? Still some of the best platforming out there.

Bramble Blast’s minecart chaos, the eerie Krem Quay pirate vibes, and those secret bonus rooms hidden behind fake walls—it all feels as satisfying now as it did back then. Just don’t get me started on the bee levels; those things are harder than they look.

If you missed this one in the ‘90s, it’s basically the perfect sequel: tighter controls, weirder enemies, and a soundtrack that’ll stick in your head for days.