After Nintendo squeezed all the life out of Donkey Kong after the launch of the NES, they gave Donkey Kong a much-needed vacation... that lasted about 8 years. During that period, Mario became the face of Nintendo leaving Donkey Kong wondering what to do next. He had to face the fact that the hiatus was needed since the series was becoming stale. Well, in 1994, he teamed up with the people at Rare and rediscovered that Donkey Kong magic. Yes, he came back with a bang in Donkey Kong Country, a traditional side-scrolling platformer for the SNES that created a lot of buzz for not just the gameplay, but its groundbreaking visuals. Yes, swinging on vines and throwing barrels play an integral part in the game, but this wasn't Cranky Kong's Donkey Kong of old... it was beautiful and filled with nonstop action. Simply put, it is one of the best games of the 16-bit era and one of the greatest platformers of all-time.
