Donkey Kong Country 2 - Stickerbush Symphony [Restored]

Stickerbrush Symphony from Donkey Kong Country 2 restored to studio quality. This was made possible by locating the original audio samples used to create the soundtrack from the keyboard workstations they came from (such as the Korg Wavestation and Alesis HR16B) and combining them with the music instruction data ripped from the game, plus a little mixing and mastering magic to create what the track would have sounded like if the veil of 16-bit compression was lifted.

I do not claim any ownership for this song as it was composed by David Wise and not me

[silvergalaxia]

You wouldn’t expect something so beautiful to come from a game about monkeys collecting bananas, and yet here we are.

[nons]

This music is like transcending from a human body to some energy that travels through time and space feeling sad and happy at the same time.

[Mogswamp]

The time, effort, and love that goes into recreating these from scratch by hand is astounding

[antoniazi]

when I was 8 yo my mom was dating a man who like that song. she married him and everytime we were in the car that song was played. today he isn't with us, but i remember the good things he done for us...

[Ishicoatl]

My brother's(may he rest in peace) favorite videogame song of all time, we spent hours playing co-op years ago

[xbatusai]

Fun Fact: It is said that this song was not even intended for the Bramble Blast stage but for some reason ended up in there, making it a relaxing song among the dangers that surround you there.

[PostmanDan]

I can’t believe how crisp this song is without all that muddiness. I was instantly transported to 8 year old me figuring out barrel cannon puzzles and I lost it. Thank you. This was absolutely necessary for me to hear.

[theaaronshow]

I'm feeling the nostalgia even though I didn't grow up with this game

[georgieorgy]

I was born in 1992 but I can still remember how just breathing the air back then felt. Missing old times

[sixstanger]

These themes really capture the essence of 90s gaming - such a great time for the industry. Developers were not afraid to take huge risks on experimental tech (FX chip, 3D rendered graphics, Virtual Boy, etc), playability was of utmost importance, replay value, etc. It was before the age of DLC, so developers had to go to great lengths to make sure the game was complete and any/all bugs were fixed before it went on the market. Today, developers sell gamers 1/4 of the whole game for full price, then require they download the rest of it for extra $$. Not only that, but games have to be periodically updated with patches because developers are too lazy to bother getting it right the first time. Players are nickel'd and dime'd with DLC.


I will never forget growing up with my NES, SNES, N64, etc....poring over Nintendo Power magazines and eagerly anticipating what their pages promised in the near future. I would say a considerable chunk of my NES, SNES & N64 libraries exists because I read about them in NP.

[orgxiiiever]

this makes me cry and smile at the same time. one of the best

[leatherhidegaming]

I listened to the one uploaded by TerraBlue and it sounded a bit off. This one sounds much better and closer to the original.

[Buddlebot]

I’m telling you these games were thousands of years ahead of time. They don’t create that muggy detailed and uncanny but goofy art anymore.

[TacoCrisma]

Wonder if David Wise has seen this. He’s very active in the the DKC enthusiast community.

[Hollowolfjas]

It's so weird how a game about cute monkeys beating up crocodiles could have such beautiful, melancholic music. Not to mention a gloomy atmosphere almost on par with a Metroid game. As a pre teen struggling through an... unpleasant... childhood I found it oddly relatable.

Damn good reconstruction here, Sam. This took me back to my good memories so thanks for that.

[ragmanx]

This is one of the best tracks in any videogame ever. Crazy how much cleaner it sounds without the compression.

[coffeecoffee]

The level with this song was so hard. But this song made it all worth it. Games have rarely reached the peaks they hit in the 90s. This is a great example…

[nonyabusniss]

I don't think I would have ever heard this if you hadn't restored it, and that would have been a shame. This is wonderful, both in original design and in your restoration

[TekMan]

Whenever spring is blooming like it is right now, this is the default music in my head. Seeing all the bright colors and the clouds slowly drifting overhead on a bright sunny day. David Wise didn't just make video game soundtracks, he created auditory scenery to connect back to nature.

[panopticpunk]

Okay, i thought it was ONLY me that got STRONG feelings from this song. For me, it unlocks something in my brain, and harkens back to when i was happy, as a child. This is the most depressing, nostalgic, and happy song ive ever heard. Iv'e never felt so many emotions at once - i hate it, and i love it.