DKC was a great breakthrough for the big lovable ape who hadn't been relevant before that for like 15 years.

DKC2 was one of the best platformers of all time. A truly excellent game, surpassed only by Yoshi's Island on the SNES.

DKC3 was good but lives in the shadow of the first two.

DKC Returns was a great revitalization of the franchise and had some stunning visual backdrops and innovative levels on the Wii.

Haven't played Tropical Freeze but I hear it follows in DKC2's footsteps in surpassing the original in every way.