system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: How were the graphics in Donkey Kong Country so much more impressive than the graphics in most other SNES games (like Super Mario World)?
gpt
It used pre-rendered graphics.  Basically they built the characters and levels in a high resolution in 3D.  Then they coverted the 3D animations to 2D.  They're just flat pictures of the character, not the actual model.  So they were able to capture a lot of subtle detail that would be very difficult to reproduce if they built it straight in 2D.

It's closely related to rotoscoping, which can produce very realistic animations because it's traced from actual live action.