I’ve already posted a little list ranking my top 5 favorite stages from the original Donkey Kong Country from 1994.  And now it’s time for the worst.  One surprising fact I had to face was that, after roughly three decades of playing this game, some levels are still surprisingly difficult!  I can appreciate a challenge when it’s actually fun, but the levels listed below were anything but.  It’s no wonder my child-self struggled so much with this game back in the day…

5: Mine Cart Carnage – I always remember the mine cart levels fondly until I actually replay them.  While the later Mine Cart Madness is actually pretty fun, the first iteration is not.  Carnage is a perfect description of what you’ll be getting yourself into, as you will be narrowly dodging downed carts on the tracks while attempting to avoid head-on collisions with reckless Kremlings! This one’s not fun.  Not fun at all.

4: Rope Bridge Rumble – I really don’t enjoy dealing with bouncy tires on moving platforms.  And this is the worst version of this sort of challenge.  It’s tricky enough navigating gaps while bouncing, but then it gets even worse when Zingers are introduced!  Spoiler alert, but this is NOT the last you’ll be seeing of Gorilla Glacier on this list!

3: Elevator Antics – This level contains vertically moving platforms and a whole bunch of Klumps.  Worst of all, these guys are tricky to deal with, as Diddy cannot defeat them simply by jumping on their heads, and they often like to patrol in weird spots where cartwheeling into them is difficult.  So basically, you better keep DK as your primary character or you’re probably doomed.  And good luck dealing with that awful Mini-Necky towards the end.  You know the one…with the bouncy tire.  Yeah, get used to dying right before the end because it will probably happen.  A lot.

2: Slipslide Ride – Ice levels in platformers are pretty much always miserable.  On top of slippery snow that will attempt to make you glide helplessly into enemies, this stage also forces you to traverse ropes that either force you to slide upwards or downwards, often right into Zingers!  They give you such tight spots in which to maneuver that this area was an easy choice for this list.  This level ticks me off like no other, except for…

1: Snow Barrel Blast – Yes, this list contains two slippery snow levels.  But this one is also partially obscured by a blizzard, and the sections with the barrels require some really precise timing.  This game contains multiple shortcuts, but I can still complete most levels without them.  Snow Barrel Blast, however, is the one and only stage in the game that I still can’t conquer without the use of a certain hidden barrel…  Not after roughly 30 years of practice!  If they didn’t include that shortcut, there’s a good chance I would have never even completed this game!  (Then again, would it have been such a bad thing when three of the stages on this list come after this one?  Hmm…)

Now, dear readers, which Donkey Kong Country levels did you find to be the most aggravating?  Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments below!

Image (© Nintendo, Rare) downloaded from Wikipedia.