With Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest joining Nintendo Switch Online's library of Super Nintendo (SNES) games, co-op platformer lovers can celebrate a new game to enjoy hand-in-hand. Fans and veterans alike can also celebrate the fact that the game's beloved Cheat Mode has made a return too.

Whether in pursuit of bonus perks, or a way to make the game more challenging, the easily accessible Cheat Mode is there to help a player out (or not). Donkey Kong Country 2 allows players to quickly access the secret mode by highlighting the "Two Player Contest" game option and pressing "down" on the D-pad ten times total. After pressing "down" five times, players will gain access to the game's Music Test mode, but pressing "down" an additional five times unlocks Cheat Mode.

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Once Cheat Mode has been activated, a player can input different series of commands to activate different cheats, just like in the original Donkey Kong Country. Once successfully entered, the following commands will each elicit a sound effect to mark their respective cheat's activation:

  • 50 Bonus Lives: Y - A - Select - A - Down - Left - A - Down - Exactly what it sounds like. Start off the game with 50 lives.
  • Hard Mode: B - A - Right - Right - A - Left - A - X - Hard Mode removes all DK Barrels and Star Barrels from the game. DK Barrels revive a fallen teammate.

Needless to say, Donkey Kong Country 2 doesn't offer players a great variety of cheats through Cheat Mode, but the two that it does offer are both substantial. And aside from Cheat Mode, players have access to the secret Music Test mode, and one other hidden, practical, in-game perk (full disclosure: the perk unfortunately has nothing to do with recent exciting Nintendo trademarks.)

donkey kong country 2 cheat mode sound test

Again, to access Music Test, players need only highlight the "Two Player Contest" option on the Main Menu and press "down" on the D-pad five times. This simple option allows players to enjoy sifting through the game's entire soundtrack.

Audio fun aside, the other secret in-game feature allows players to track their progress in collecting the hidden DK Coins that are scattered across the game's maps. "Cranky's Video Game Heroes" is a short in-game event that consists of the oldest member of the DK crew, Cranky Kong, ranking the player's DK Coin collection against that of other Nintendo heroes, like Mario and Link. To access Cranky's Video Game Heroes and check how many DK Coins have been collected, players can either wait until they've completed the game, which will automatically trigger the event, or input a secret command while on the map screen.

The command in question is: L - R - R - L - R - R - L - R - R. It should be entered while the player is on the stage selection/map screen, and will allow players to view the most updated version of Cranky's Video Game Heroes. This should make DK Coin collection and overall completion of the game a bit less daunting.

This sequel to the beloved SNES hit, Donkey Kong Country, is arguably more popular than the original, and only one of five total Donkey Kong Country games in existence. While two of its sequels were relatively recent titles (Wii/Wii U), Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! was actually a SNES release as well, so hopefully, that finds its way into the Switch Online collection soon too.

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (SNES) is available now on the Nintendo Switch Online Library.

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