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Nintendo Power issue 79 cover — Donkey Kong Country 2
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Nintendo Power · Volume 79

Donkey Kong Country 2

Issue
#79
Published
Dec 1995
Poster
Earthworm Jim 2 📌

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest took the cover, and a Shoshinkai preview from Japan gave the first look at the Nintendo Ultra 64 and its controller. Virtual Boy Wario Land, Waterworld, WWF WrestleMania: The Arcade Game and Earthworm Jim 2 filled the features. The Sports Scene sized up the holiday sports releases.

The biggest hit of all time can't hold a banana to its sequel. DKC2 does it all.

The opening of the Now Playing review for Diddy's Kong Quest
Pull-out poster from Nintendo Power issue 79 — Earthworm Jim 2
Pull-out poster
Games featured in this issue
Donkey Kong Country 2 cover
Secret of Evermore cover
… as well as the following games not in my collection:
  • Waterworld
  • Virtual Boy Wario Land
  • Earthworm Jim 2
  • WWF Wrestlemania: The Arcade Game
  • Vegas Stakes
  • Mortal Kombat 3

Sweepstakes

A trip for four to Six Flags and a copy of Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. A separate Stamps for Champs contest asked readers to photograph the winning screen from Killer Instinct for a chance at one of 50 Fulgore masks.

Classified Information

The codes and secrets this issue gave away.

Killer Instinct
More psycho combos!!, Stage select
Bubsy II
Super power codes
Syndicate
Special passwords
Chrono Trigger
Charming and disarming
Batman Forever
Riddle me this, Batman!
Judge Dredd
Stage select and energy refill
Mega Man 7
Street fighter Mega Man
Virtual League Baseball
Miracle team passwords

Power Charts

These were the top Nintendo games in Dec 1995, as voted by Nintendo Power readers. Arrows show the move since the previous issue's chart; the peak is the best position the game had reached by then.

# Super NESGame BoyVirtual Boy
1
— Killer Instinct peak #1 · 6 issues
— The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening peak #1 · 32 issues
▲3 Mario's Tennis peak #1 · 2 issues
2
▲1 Chrono Trigger peak #2 · 5 issues
— Donkey Kong Land peak #1 · 11 issues
▼1 Galactic Pinball peak #1 · 2 issues
3
▼1 Donkey Kong Country peak #1 · 14 issues
▲1 Tetris peak #3 · 39 issues
▲2 Mario Clash peak #3 · 2 issues
4
NEW Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest debut
▲2 Galaga/Galaxian peak #4 · 2 issues
▼1 Virtual Boy Wario Land peak #3 · 2 issues
5
— Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island peak #5 · 3 issues
NEW Killer Instinct debut
▼3 Red Alarm peak #2 · 2 issues
6
▼2 The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past peak #1 · 48 issues
▼3 Metroid II: Return of Samus peak #1 · 48 issues
7
— Mortal Kombat 3 peak #3 · 3 issues
▲1 Super Mario Land 2: 6 Golden Coins peak #1 · 9 issues
8
▼2 Final Fantasy III peak #2 · 12 issues
▲1 Donkey Kong peak #1 · 19 issues
9
▼1 Super Metroid peak #1 · 20 issues
NEW Dr. Mario debut
10
▲6 Ken Griffey Jr. Presents Major League Baseball peak #2 · 10 issues
— Asteroids/Missile Command peak #10 · 2 issues
11
▲3 Mortal Kombat II peak #1 · 5 issues
12
▲5 Earthworm Jim peak #5 · 14 issues
13
▼4 Earthworm Jim 2 peak #9 · 2 issues
14
NEW NBA Jam: Tournament Edition debut
15
NEW Mega Man 7 debut
16
NEW Batman Forever debut
17
▼7 Doom peak #9 · 5 issues
18
▼7 EarthBound peak #8 · 5 issues
19
▼1 Illusion of Gaia peak #7 · 12 issues
20
NEW NHL '96 debut
Read the full issue at the Internet Archive ↗