Donkey Kong Country is a 16-bit console game developed by Rare and published by Nintendo. It is a side-scrolling platform game for the Super Nintendo. The game was released in Japan on October 12, 1990, and in the United States on November 17, 1990. It is the second game in the Donkey Kong series and the first game in the DK series. The game is set in the Mushroom Kingdom and follows the story of DK, a young boy who must help his friend Kong escape from an evil empire that has captured the king and all the other Kongs. The game features many of the same features as other Nintendo platforms games, such as a two-player co-operative multiplayer mode, as well as a single-player mode where DK must travel through different levels and collect items to help Kong. Donkey Kong Country was met with critical acclaim upon its release. It was awarded Game of the Year by many publications and has been considered one of the greatest video games of all time.