![donkey kong country 2 haunted hall donkey kong country 2 haunted hall](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/v53H-2RReAI/maxresdefault.jpg)
This is possibly my least favorite track in the game, though by no means is it bad. It's very relaxing, though later in the theme it starts to sound more dangerous, a perfect move since many of the swamp levels had tricky jumping and loads of enemies. With crickets chirping and frogs croaking, and some very good use of instruments, this song is swampland personified in musical notes. This is hands down the best portrayal of a swamp in music form I have ever heard.
![donkey kong country 2 haunted hall donkey kong country 2 haunted hall](https://www.giantbomb.com/a/uploads/square_small/6/68003/1190746-gloomy_gulch.png)
When I make CDs, I try to keep the tracks in the order in which they were played in the game. Also, I have no idea why this song is at #7 on the tracklist. At the risk of sounding like a corny Nintendo Power one liner, anyone who doesn't like this needs to walk the plank. Every time I listen to it I can't help but smile and dance a little bit. This is my definite favorite of the two pirate ship deck themes used in the game. It's one of my personal favorites in the entire soundtrack (though I like each and every track and could never be able to pick a single favorite). It did its job very well, managing to sound gameshow-y enough while at the same time not straying far from the atmosphere set by the rest of the soundtrack. This song is just a little bit repetitive, but that doesn't matter much when playing the game since you don't spend very long periods of time in Swanky's. One of the better gameshow melodies in the DKU. It's somehow light-hearted and very deep at the same time, something I don't think I could pull off were I given the task of doing it. The sound of wind and rain is prominent in this melody, which only adds to its atmosphere.
![donkey kong country 2 haunted hall donkey kong country 2 haunted hall](https://mario.wiki.gallery/images/3/30/Haunted_Hall_Bonus_Area_3_GBA.png)
Whoever those people were, they knew what they were talking about: this song is darn near flawless. Here it is, the song that was voted the # 1 DKU melody of all time by some website whose name I forget. This song let you know right off the bat that even the seemingly calm waters of Crocodile Isle were not without their dangers, as all manner of creatures lurked below their glistening surface. This song stands in sharp contrast to DKC's watery level theme, in that it's very dark and dangerous while its predecessor had calming, beautiful music. I was unaware Lockjaw had a saga, but according to this song he does. I can listen to this for long periods of time without getting tired of it and often find myself humming along with it. Beginning with just the sounds of the sea, it eventually moves into a delightful little pirate jig. This song manages to capture the feeling of being on a pirate ship perfectly. The spray of sea-mist on your face, the creaking of groaning timbers, and the relentless toil of life at sea. Definitely another perfect job by David Wise here. The song only lasts a few minutes, but never manages to get repetitive (unless you listen to it for several hours at a time, like I've done every now and then). It also happens to be my favorite map/level select music of all time. Pounding military drumbeats and trumpets let you know you're in dark territory, Kremling country, and danger lurks 'round every corner. Whereas DKC's map screen had a light-hearted theme to it, Crocodile Island's map is dark, dark, dark. Get used to adjectives like 'awesome,' I know I'm going to be using them a lot in this review, and for good reason. It only lasts a few minutes, but it's still completely awesome. They could have easily done a happy pirate jig with accordians and the like for the title, but opted instead for a dark, adventerous sounding theme that sums up the game perfectly. You don't see too many title screens that sound sinister and yet have an actual melody at the same time, and this music perfectly sets you up for what the rest of the game will be like. Don't even try to tell me I'm wrong, I won't listen. This is the best title screen song in the history of the world.
![donkey kong country 2 haunted hall donkey kong country 2 haunted hall](https://mario.wiki.gallery/images/4/45/Haunted_Hall_Bonus_Area_1.png)
It just doesn't get any better than this, buckos. The soundtrack was just as cool as the rest of the game was, and I consider it to be among the best soundtracks of all time, with a definite # 1 slot in my list of top sidescroller soundtracks. The game had it all - dangerous (and evil!) tropical islands, lush environments, amazing graphics, and pirates. I take it as a personal insult when someone talks about the game or its beautiful soundtrack in a negative light, because honestly I can't see how anyone could do that. Donkey Kong Country 2 was a great game with a great soundtrack.