DKC2 > DKTF > DKC1 > DKCR > DKC3
2 became challenging almost immediately, every single gimmick lands, had the hardest boss fights, and an amazing soundtrack.
Tropical freeze starts easy and becomes steadily harder over the course of the game. The game is beautiful and extravagant with every level doing something different, Cranky, and Dixie offers different ways to play, and it arguably has the best soundtrack(even though I like DKC2s more)
DKC1 has moderate difficulty, a good variety of levels, amazing soundtrack once again it's the game that started it all what else is there to say
Returns is great game, it has some difficulty spikes here and their and the score isn't the best but it's still very fun
3 is the only game in the series with outright bad levels
>mouse wheels
>Elephant being scared by mice in the dark
>Barrel jump bullshit
>Rocket
II would call it the easiest game in the series but that final rocket level is bullshit. Those few levels aside the game is pretty good though like I said it's quite a bit easier. I like the countryside esthetic of the game even if it is a bit limiting and I like the bears. The hub world is fun to explore and I like the vehicles. I respect them for not reusing sprites and making every game different in appearance even at the cost of ugly kremlings. This games sound tracks the worst, it has its highs and lows but it has some pretty low lows. Also this game doesn't have Rambi in it so it's a zero for me