The game features a wide number of enemies, which include land-based reptilian Kremlings, rats, porcupines, bees, and vultures.

If both characters die, the player will lose a life and will restart from either the beginning of the level or from the last checkpoint, which comes in the form of a star-painted barrel.

Playable animals include Squitter the spider, Rambi the rhino, Rattly the snake, Enguarde the swordfish and Squawks the parrot.

[17] Other characters include Cranky Kong, situated in "Monkey Museum", who is back due to "popular demand" to divulge secrets of the game world and provide comic relief, as well as offer advice.

[19] Swanky Kong runs a game show quiz where the player may complete quizzes and earn extra lives.

K. Rool manages to escape though, and shortly after, Diddy and Dixie confront him in the Lost World, a secret area powered by a geyser at the heart of Crocodile Isle.

The explosion causes all of Crocodile Isle to sink, as the Kongs watch K. Rool escape on a small sailboat.

To avoid reproducing the same game entirely, Mayles altered the gameplay to be less linear and more encouraging of exploration, while respecting the basics of fluidity and speed.

[32] Nearly fifty names were considered for Dixie, including Didene, Dee, Daisy, Dandi, Dolly, Dizzie, Danni, Dippy and Ducky.

Miyamoto offered different motifs to adorn Dixie's beret with, including a banana, a heart and a logo, namely one inspired by that of the musical group ABBA.

Rare incorporated the idea for a logo and placed a small version of the company's own on Dixie's beret in early promotional art.

[33] The design choice to have Diddy and Dixie transform into the friendly animals that were initially mounted in the previous game was made out of concerns over sprite size; additionally, Gregg noted that having the two player characters clinging onto a parrot would significantly reduce its maneuverability.

In Australia, Nintendo released the Donkey Kong Country 2 Pirate Pak, a limited edition bundle of the game and SNES console.

[35] The soundtrack maintains similarity to its predecessor with its prominent percussion and eclectic genres ranging between big band, disco and hip hop.

The final track, "Donkey Kong Rescued", was remixed by David Wise himself, featuring Grant Kirkhope on electric guitar and Robin Beanland on trumpet.

Scary Larry of GamePro hailed the game as being longer, more graphically impressive, and more fun than the original Donkey Kong Country, and having some of the most cleverly illustrated levels ever seen on a home system.

He gave it a perfect 5/5 in all four categories (graphics, sound, control, and FunFactor), but said that some levels are too difficult for younger players.

[44] Dan Whitehead of Eurogamer said that the graphics of the game were similar to the first Donkey Kong Country installment, although he praised them both as "impressive".

[46] Reviewing the SNES version, Frank Provo of GameSpot heralded the graphics as "more detailed" although admitting that it appeared stylistically similar to the first game.

[11] In a separate review regarding the Game Boy Advance version, Provo praised the graphics as richer and "livelier" than those of the original.

[12] In a retrospective review, Mark Birnbaum of IGN stated that whilst its predecessor "boasted some of the most beautiful graphics" on the SNES at the time, Diddy's Kong Quest offered a superior experience due to its detail, smooth animation and varying colour palette.

[48] Jeff Pearson of Nintendojo stated that Rare improved the graphics for Diddy's Kong Quest, and that the character animations appeared "much smoother and more cartoon like" in contrast to the computer-generated feel of the original.

[63] Writing for Kotaku, Ethan Gach called it "melancholic and reflective" while still "up-tempo enough to be a bop" and that when combined with its accompanying level, it was "one of the most transcendent platforming moments in the genre".

[69] Diddy's Kong Quest was later released for the Game Boy Advance in November 2004 and the Wii's Virtual Console in May 2007.