This one is my favourite.

Its a hard decision between one and two. Probably two, but three is completely out of the race.

This one is my favorite as well.

I agree that DKC3 is not as strong.  It's game design was good, but it just wasn't as interesting as the first two games.

I've never played Donkey Kong Country 3, but from what I hear it didn't expand too much on DKC2's formu. I own Donkey Kong Country 1 and 2 and I like two better, but the original is good too

I have more nostalgia for DKC, but DKC2 is clearly a better game. DKC3's style and characters just aren't as memorable as the other two.

I think you guys are letting nostalgia cloud your judgement. Just because it came out so late and you never got into it, don't discredit DKC 3. It had BY FAR the most interesting overworld, with secrets and the vehicle upgrades to access new parts of the world. Plus the level design is just as good as the two that came before it.. Also the boss fights are a bit more inspired in 3. They're all awesome, don't get me wrong, but I think 3 is the best game hands down.
 
.. oh and "memorable characters" in a Donkey Kong Country game?... gimme a break

Does Donkey Kong Land count?

Donkey Kong Country 2 without a doubt. It has some of the best game music ever.

" I think you guys are letting nostalgia cloud your judgement. Just because it came out so late and you never got into it, don't discount DKC 3. It had BY FAR the most interesting overworld, with secrets and the vehicle upgrades to access new parts of the world. Plus the level design is just as good as the two that came before it. They're all awesome, don't get me wrong, but I think 3 is the best game hands down. "

I like Donkey Kong Country 2 the most. It had a pretty crazy collection of worlds to run through. But hey, any game that has an amusement park level is a big plus for me. The music was awesome (featuring my favorite, Stickerbush Symphony) and K. Rool was pretty hard with his multi-ammunition Blunderbuss.

I'm probably going to be the only one to say this... but my favorite was Donkey Kong Country 3. My least favorite was Donkey Kong Country 2.

I'm gonna agree and say the second one. But I really havent played these games since they originally came out, so I guess I'm just playing off nostalgia. I never made it far in the first one, and for whatever reason I don't remember the third one too well. Really should try out these games again, I loved them as a kid.

" I think you guys are letting nostalgia cloud your judgement. Just because it came out so late and you never got into it, don't discredit DKC 3. It had BY FAR the most interesting overworld, with secrets and the vehicle upgrades to access new parts of the world. Plus the level design is just as good as the two that came before it.. Also the boss fights are a bit more inspired in 3. They're all awesome, don't get me wrong, but I think 3 is the best game hands down.  .. oh and "memorable characters" in a Donkey Kong Country game?... gimme a break "

DKC 1 and 2 are very close for me.  I can't pick which one I like more.  DKC 2 was the first one I owned though.  GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!  It's hard to decide.  DKC 3 is easily the worst of the 3 though, but it was still a good game.

And I also say this game is the best mainly because it has one of the best soundtracks ever and the atmosphere is amazing.

Tight race between the first and second game, but I think I like DKC2 the best.

I'm gonna go with the first. Out of sheer nostalgia. Also, a Donkey Kong game where you don't control Donkey Kong is blasphemy! But I'd probably agree that the second had the best music. And it was friggin hard.

1. I remember running to a department store in the mall because they had a demo set up and just gawking at it. So fucking amazing.

2 > 1 > 3
 
But I love 'em all :)

Donkey Kong Land.

Dk1 then DK3 then DK2.

Returns, no contest.

The original

DK64 was also fucking rad, more complex than Banjo without being annoyingly complex lime Banjo Tooie.

Donkey Kong Country 2.

They're all great though. It caused me pain when some dude requested DKC2 during the SNES-athon, and no one from the entire staff has a single DKC cart.

Donkey Kong 64

If you dont count that, then 2

I love both of the first two, but I have to go with DKC2. It was genuinely a superior game. 
 
As for DKC3, I missed out on it. Downloaded it for Virtual Console a couple years ago, but that was a mistake. It's almost completely unplayable with how poorly they mapped the controls to the Gamecube controller. Thanks, Nintendo!

The original is my favourite, I dug the second one and the third was miles below the rest.