Donkey Kong Country 2 Named 2nd Greatest Nintendo Game by Fans in Surprising Vote
Easily the most respected video game company of all time, Nintendo has released a slew of truly iconic titles throughout its history. One truly remarkable recent fan vote named Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest the second-greatest Nintendo game of all time. Notably, it was ranked above every Mario game ever produced.
Why ‘Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest' Was Named the Second ‘Greatest Nintendo Game of All Time'
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest / SNES / NA / 1995
— East vs West Box Art (@eastwestboxart) November 18, 2023
Super Donkey Kong 2: Dixie & Diddy / SFC / JP / 1995 pic.twitter.com/14eEYmvY3i
In February 2025, a user on the r/Nintendo subreddit asked other fans to name the "greatest Nintendo game of all time." While the top response was deleted, it clearly named The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time the best based on the replies that the comment received.
Remarkably, the second most upvoted response to the subreddit post argued for Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. That makes it the second-best Nintendo game based on the number of people who upvoted the comments. This is especially remarkable since it would typically be the most dedicated fans who would join a subreddit like that.
The comment and its responses noted several reasons why Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest was ranked so high. The person who suggested it argued that none of its levels were letdowns, the graphics were "mindblowing" for the time, and it had an "astoundingly amazing" soundtrack. Another user argued "everything about (it) is amazing," while a different fan claimed it "gets everything right." The game has also consistently been praised for other reasons over the years. Some of its other highlights include that it is challenging while still feeling fun and rewarding, Diddy and Dixie offer gameplay variety, it is extremely replayable, and more.
While it is undeniable that Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest has never been forgotten, fans ranking it so high is still surprising. After all, it typically falls a lot lower on lists of the company's best games ever. For example, when IGN and Nintendo Life collaborated to list the 100 best Nintendo games in November 2025, it was ranked at No. 78. That still is an amazing achievement, but a far cry from No. 2.
In addition to Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, several other games were brought up in the comments of the subreddit post. Some of those games include:
- The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
- Super Mario World
- Super Mario Galaxy
- Super Mario Bros. 3
- Super Metroid
- Super Mario Odyssey
- The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Next: 2017 Nintendo Game That Was Banned Became a No. 1 Hit
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 31, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published May 31, 2026 at 8:30 AM.