DKC 1

The goat. It has the purest platforming experience with few gimmicks but is arguably the least fleshed-out. Bosses are simple and re-used, but the levels and music are infinitely charming.

DKC 2

The first but better. An improvement on basically every aspect of the original from bonus stages, bosses, and gimmicks. I felt there were a few too many gimmicky stages here but not enough to ruin the game for me, but enough to not make this a slam dunk improvement. Also Dixie makes the game a bit too easy at times, playing her feels like summoning in Dark Souls.

DKC 3

Lots of gimmicks, and the music sucks. Almost every level has a unique mechanic but it gets to be so obnoxious. Just let me jump from one platform to the next without making me stand on one leg in the dark in a unicycle while I do it. Shut the frick up. Kiddy Kong sucks.

DKC: Returns

Giving the player four health points instead of two ended up making levels way easier, so they countered this by putting in tons and tons of one-shot kills (usually pits or god-awful rocketbarrel sequences). Also the music sucks and Donkey Kong sounds like an r-slur. Also, no Kremlings fricking sucks.

DKC: TF

Lots of improvements over the original. Fewer bullshit stages, more kongs (finally Cranky Kong! ), better music (David Fricking Wise). Still no Kremlings though, but was overall fun to play.