Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

This article is about the 2014 Wii U game. For the Nintendo Switch version, see Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Nintendo Switch).

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
For alternate box art, see the game's gallery.
Developer	Retro Studios Monster Games Nintendo SPD Group No. 3
Publisher	Nintendo
Platform(s)	Wii U
Release date	Wii U (original release): February 13, 2014[?] February 21, 2014 February 21, 2014 February 22, 2014 March 20, 2014 Wii U (Nintendo Selects): March 11, 2016[?] April 15, 2016[?] December 1, 2016
Language(s)	English (United Kingdom) English (United States) French (France) French (Canada) German Spanish (Spain) Spanish (Latin America) Italian Japanese
Genre	Platformer
Rating(s)	ESRB: - Everyone PEGI: - Three years and older CERO: - All ages ACB: - General USK: - All ages FPB: - Parental guidance
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer
Format	Wii U: Optical disc Digital download
Input	Wii U: Wii U GamePad Wii Remote (horizontal) Wii Remote and Nunchuk Wii U Pro Controller
Serial code(s)	WUP-ARKJ-JPN WUP-P-ARKE-USA-0

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is a side-scrolling 2.5D platform game developed by Retro Studios and Monster Games for the Wii U. It is the fifth game in the Donkey Kong Country series and a direct sequel to Donkey Kong Country Returns. It follows the adventure of Donkey Kong and his partner Kongs as they travel back to Donkey Kong Island after the Snowmads, an organization of Vikings-like seafarers, invaded it and sent them away. Throughout their journey, the Kongs must overcome six islands seized by Snowmads. Most levels feature classic platforming where the Kongs need to jump, roll, climb and swing to get to the end of an area, but some levels are traversed in a vehicle such as a Mine Cart or a Rocket Barrel. For the first time in the series, the camera angle can change dynamically in some levels where Blast Barrels or mine carts are found, showing more areas and perspectives of the scenery. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is the first title in the series to feature more than two playable characters, with Diddy Kong, Dixie Kong and Cranky Kong acting as companions of Donkey Kong who provide him additional abilities. The name "Tropical Freeze" is a pun on the term "tropical breeze".

The game was originally slated for release during November 2013 before being pushed back to December 6; it was later pushed back again to February 2014. The downloadable version of the game requires approximately 11.3 GB of free space on the console. In North America, the digital version of the game was removed from the Nintendo eShop shortly before the release of the Nintendo Switch version, leaving the original game only available in retail in that region. However, the game remained available digitally in other regions until the closure of the Nintendo eShop for the Wii U.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze was praised for its colorful visuals, large environments, variety, and improvements made to the Donkey Kong Country formula, although its high level of difficulty received some criticism. A port was released for the Nintendo Switch in May 2018.

Story

The Kongs together celebrating Donkey Kong's birthday

The story begins at Donkey Kong's hut, where the Kongs are celebrating his birthday, with a banana-themed cake. One of the balloons detaches from the exterior of the house and drifts out towards the ocean where a fleet of Snowmad ships are stationed. Far away from the island, a Pointy Tucks spots the balloon through a telescope, traces it back to Donkey Kong's hut, and relays its discovery to the Snowmads' leader, shrouded in a dark silhouette, who orders his subordinates to bring him an enchanted horn. He blows into the horn, creating an entity known as an ice dragon.

Lord Fredrik blowing the enchanted horn

Meanwhile, back at Donkey Kong's hut, Diddy Kong is briefly shown blowing a noisemaker. Right as Donkey Kong is about to blow out the candle on his cake, a gust of wind extinguishes the candle, to Donkey Kong's surprise, and a snowflake blows in and lands on the tip of the candle. Donkey Kong turns away angry as he hears an uproar. The Kongs walk out on the front deck to investigate. The ice dragon swoops in on Donkey Kong Island, generating strong winds that blows the Kongs away to the Lost Mangroves. With the Kong family disposed of, the Snowmads invade the island as their command ship stations itself on top of its Volcano and the ice dragon causes it to enter a state of perpetual winter.

Donkey Kong Island, now frozen over

After traversing across five islands, the Kongs return to Donkey Kong Island. The Kongs make their way through the frozen fortress until they encounter the leader of the Snowmads, Lord Fredrik, who challenges the Kongs to a final battle deep within the volcano. After a long battle, Donkey Kong delivers the final punch to Lord Fredrik, who is sent flying out from the roof of the Snowmads' ship, destroying it. The Kongs go out of the ship remains and look to see Lord Fredrik crashing into the remainder of the Snowmad ships out at sea. With the Snowmads defeated, Donkey Kong catches Lord Fredrik's horn and blows into it. This causes a breeze of flowers to carry the Kongs to the bottom of the island. The Kongs celebrate as the breeze of flowers flutter around Donkey Kong Island, melting all of the ice and snow and restoring the island to its original state.

In an epilogue cutscene after the credits, the Kongs discover a wrapped present on their front lawn, which they open. Inside the box is a small relic that serves as the final key to unlocking Secret Seclusion.

Gameplay

Returning elements

Basic gameplay

Donkey Kong uses a ground pound action to break a Cracked Block.

The gameplay of the title is very similar to that of its predecessor, Donkey Kong Country Returns. The Kongs are able to walk, run, jump, roll, pound the ground, as well as climb vines and ropes. By jumping, the Kongs can stomp on various enemies and defeat them; however, some enemies cover their top-sides with shields or sharp objects, making them troublesome or dangerous to stomp on. Stomping on at least three enemies in a row grants the player one Banana Coin for each enemy stomped thereafter. The players start earning Red Balloons if they achieve a combo of eight or more enemy stomps.

The Kongs can perform Ground Pounds in various places to break unsound structures (such as crates and cracked blocks), revealing items or secret paths underground. The move can also be executed near some enemies to stun and neutralize them temporarily. Likewise, ground-pounding can be used to empty Item Containers, which are found in the immediate background.

The Kongs can also roll to knock out enemies. Donkey Kong can perform this move on a short distance. Rolling confers high momentum, and if Donkey Kong jumps while rolling, he will gain longer distance than usual. If he rolls off the edge of a platform, he can quickly hop in mid-air, providing extra distance.

Diddy Kong returns as a playable partner for Donkey Kong and is the first Kong partner to be encountered in the game. Using his Barrel Jet, he can help Donkey Kong hover across pits and other obstacles for a short time. Diddy wields two popguns which can fire peanuts. Upon getting shot out of the weapon, the peanuts bounce on the ground swiftly until smashing into a wall or an enemy, bearing a minimal effect on the latter. If hit by a peanut, some enemies become stunned for a brief moment, although tougher enemies, like bosses, are not affected at all. The popguns can only be used in multiplayer or on Hard Mode. If controlled independently, Diddy will cause small tremors on the ground by firing his popguns, forming an ability called the Popgun Pound that is equivalent to the other Kongs' ground pound.

The health meter of the Kongs is measured in hearts which can be lost upon getting touched by an enemy and the like. In order to restore them, the Kongs have to collect Heart items found along the way. Red Balloons add more tries to the game. If all lives are lost, the players receive a game over and are prompted to restart the game from where their progress was last saved.

Vehicles

In specific levels of the game, Donkey Kong and co. are able to ride different vehicles. One such vehicle is the Mine Cart, which carries the characters along rail tracks that cannot be trodden by foot. As the Mine Cart moves automatically, the Kongs can duck inside the vehicle or jump with it in order to dodge obstacles. Another is the Rocket Barrel, which is necessary to fly across wide chasms and normally has to be navigated through a series of hazards and enemies. It can be risen up or let to fall down. Lastly, there is Rambi (who is categorized as a "vehicle" in the game's instruction manual), a powerful Animal Friend who can charge into enemies and defeat them. Otherwise invincible to most enemies even when standing still, he is vulnerable to lightning, fire enemies, or any other object protected by flames.

Level map and bonuses

The Kongs progress through an island map. They head towards an incomplete level, marked by a red pad. On the bottom left lies a blue pad, the level of which has had its goal reached.

The game features a total of 63 levels (including boss and hidden temple stages and excluding Funky's Fly 'n' Buy stations), grouped in seven island. On the world map, islands are seen from an aerial viewpoint and feature a system of routes that connect levels. Once players complete a level, they open a new path or crossroad. Paths are normally navigated on foot, but Blast Barrels are sometimes used for taking shortcuts; Donkey Kong Island's map navigation, on the other hand, is entirely provided by Barrel Cannons. Warping from an island to another is always released via Blast Barrels.

On the map, non-boss levels are marked with circular pads, whilst boss stages are associated with star-shaped pads. Level pads light in several colors on different conditions: red pads mean their levels have not been completed yet; blue pads mean their levels have been finished at least once. Additionally, green pads relate to levels which have been completed on Hard Mode. Unlit/black pads are inaccessible, and switch to red when the paths that lead to them are unlocked.

On each island, the Kongs encounter a shop run by Funky Kong, which is always marked with white pads. The shop, Funky's Fly 'n' Buy, offers items that can turn helpful for the Kongs, in exchange for Banana Coins. The price for each item stays the same on the course of the game. Alongside items, which include balloons of all sorts, Kong Barrels, and Heart Boosts, the shop also displays a Capsule Toy Machine, which contains collectible toy figures representing characters from the game. Each of them costs five Banana Coins and can be obtained by chance. As the players progress through the game, more toy figures become available in the shop.

An odd number of Puzzle Pieces (5, 7, or 9), as well as four KONG Letters, are spread in each level, excluding boss levels for both and Hidden Kong Temple levels for the latter. Puzzle Pieces unlock various concept artworks in a select Image Gallery, while KONG Letters are compulsory for unlocking hidden temple stages; each world aside from the last one contains one of these stages. While some Puzzle Pieces are scattered throughout a level in different areas, some appear only after collecting a certain group of items. Bonus Stages dedicated to collecting these items are often featured within levels, and yield Puzzle Pieces after completion. These bonus stages can usually be accessed through hidden Blast Barrels or passages blocked by Snowflake Shields.

Finishing all the levels of the game (including the Hidden Kong Temple ones) and collecting all of the KONG letters in the non-boss/temple levels are amongst the requirements for full, 200% completion of the game.

Menu

The map menu

On the map, the player can access a menu where they can select several items from a list. These items and their corresponding actions are presented in the following table.

Summary	Allows the player to view a summary of their progress on the island where they are currently located. The summary lists all the unlocked levels on that island and shows whether the KONG letters and Puzzle Pieces have been collected, as well as the best medal obtained in Time Attack mode for each level.
Options	Allows the player to configure settings such as sound volume and button mapping. They can also use the "Add/Drop Players" function to establish the number of players and their controllers.
Extras	Main article: List of extras in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Allows the player to view a group of galleries where extra content can be unlocked. The Image Gallery is composed of artwork showing various concepts and ideas considered during the development of the game. Each piece of artwork is unlocked after all the Puzzle Pieces are collected in a certain stage. The Music Gallery contains music used in the game. Each set of music pertains to one of the six main islands of the game and can be unlocked by beating the boss of its corresponding island. Dioramas that represent the six main islands of the game are unlocked the same way.
Quit Game	Quits the game. A message window is displayed beforehand, asking the player to confirm they want to leave.

New features

Kong partners

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze features more playable characters than Donkey Kong Country Returns. The additional characters are Dixie Kong and Cranky Kong.

Dixie Kong can execute the Helicopter Spin with her ponytail and propel herself upward in midair. Using her ponytail, she is also able to swim against strong currents, accessing potentially secret areas. Cranky harnesses the Cane Bounce by using his iconic rigid cane to combat or overcome some obstacles that could be dangerous to stomp on, such as urchins and thorns. The Cane Bounce can be seen as a substitute to Dixie Kong's Helicopter Twirl, as Cranky can bounce off the ground with his cane and take off to increased heights. With the inclusion of more than two playable characters in the game, a premiere feature in the series, the variety of Kong Barrels has been invigorated. Players can stumble upon Diddy, Dixie, or Cranky barrels, each displaying their name abbreviations – DD, DX, and CK respectively. These barrels usually appear to contain only one character, whereas the other spins like a roulette and constantly switch the partner inside, each time indicated by the before-mentioned abbreviations. In the standard mode of play, Donkey Kong can only carry one partner at the time; a partner freed from a Kong Barrel will replace the one that is currently on Donkey Kong's back. If the character in the chosen barrel is already seated on Donkey Kong, the characters can regenerate their health bar upon destroying the barrel.

A new feature in this game that is adjacent to the partner system is the Kong POW attack, which turns all the enemies on-screen into items. In multiplayer, the move can be used if both players press a button at the same time. This move can only be performed when 100 bananas have been collected, as well as when there is a partner by Donkey Kong's side.

Underwater mechanics

Donkey Kong is low on air and rushes towards a column of rising air bubbles. Air bubbles gush out of various stage decorations and replenish the Kongs' air supply.

The game also presents underwater levels, which were absent in Donkey Kong Country Returns. Rather than using the Mario-styled controls present in the original trilogy, swimming is now handled similarly to the New Play Control! version of Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, where instead of pressing the jump button to gain momentum, the player has to move the stick / buttons. The Kongs are now given a gauge with limited air while underwater, requiring them to seek out air bubbles to fill it and survive. Their air gauge will also fill up if the Kongs enter an underwater Barrel Cannon, and will remain filled for as long as they stay inside the barrel. A Corkscrew attack has been added, which can be used to defeat certain enemies or collapse less durable structures while underwater.

Plucking ability

The Kongs try to pluck an Item Handle out of the ground. Item Handles hide not only items, as their name suggests, but also Barrel Cannons. In some cases, they even affect the environment upon getting pulled.

In a vast number of areas in the game, players will encounter orange handles fixed on the surface of platforms. While standing atop these handles, the Kongs can grip and pull them to uncover hidden objects, which can be either bonuses or Barrel Cannons that launch them to other spots. When pulled, some handles cause certain phenomenons that manipulate the environment.

The plucking function is used transport objects, such as barrels, DK Barrels, and Watermelon Fuse Bombs, the most common in the game. Some can be found directly on the ground and can be picked up, but others are located under handles. The player can also haul enemies, specifically those that are relatively small and wear orange helmets, like Tuff Fluffs and Tuff Tucks. Portable items and enemies are sometimes necessary to destroy hindrances, bags with precious content, and tough foes.

Producer Kensuke Tanabe stated that the ability to pick up enemies and throw them, and overall the plucking capability, was inspired from Super Mario Bros. 2, which he directed.

Single-player modes

Time Attack

A mode originating in Returns, Time Attack of any level can be accessed only after the player has beaten the level in question at least once. It is available on single-player and is a completely optional mode, meaning it does not unlock extra content in the game, nor contribute to its completion percentage.

The Kongs achieve a shiny gold medal and a new best time after playing in Time Attack mode.

Before entering Time Attack, players are given the option to select a type of Kong Barrel for the course of the chosen stage. During Time Attack, players have to guide the Kongs to the level's finish barrel in the fastest time possible. Three-time limits are set during the course, each corresponding to one of the gold, silver, and bronze medals. Should the Kongs reach their destination within one of these time limits, they are rewarded with the medal accordingly. A special shiny gold medal can be obtained if the Kongs finish the level at a particular time within the standard gold medal time limit. The milestone times for shiny gold medals are never displayed nor made clear.

Checkpoint booths are not present during Time Attack. As such, every time they lose their health in a level, players are prompted to restart the stage with the count reset to zero. Unlike in other modes of the game, the Kongs do not lose a life after their health bar has been drained completely.

Additionally, if the Kongs finish a level in Time Attack mode without taking damage, their achieved medal will be accompanied by a heart icon. This icon is permanent until they achieve a better time.

Despite Checkpoint Booths being unavailable during Time Attack, Professor Chops makes an appearance as a referee. During every race, he first shows up at the beginning, waving a small green flag in the rhythm of the countdown. After the Kongs break the finish barrel, he springs on the scene with a chequered flag, indicating the race has been terminated.

Time Attack Leaderboards

If connected to the Internet and signed into Nintendo Network, players are granted the possibility to upload their Time Attack records on a worldwide leaderboard. These records are associated with their Nintendo Network IDs. The global Time Attack rank of any level in the game can be accessed by selecting the "LEADERBOARDS" section on the Time Attack menu. The rank displays other player's time records on said levels, as well as the Kong partner used and, occasionally, a replay of their progress to be observed.

Hard Mode

Cranky Kong travels alone on Hard Mode. Note the single heart in his health meter.

When players have collected all the KONG Letters in the game and have subsequently completed every level, an additional game mode, Hard Mode, is unlocked. Hard Mode can only be played with one Kong, marking the only occasion in the game aside from multiplayer sessions when one can take full control of Diddy, Dixie, or Cranky. The characters are given a single heart to go along the selected level, and have to reach the goal in it without checkpoints and without taking damage at all in order to complete the stage. In order to complete the game 200%, every level in the game has to be finished in Hard Mode. During Hard Mode, the KONG Letters of each level are recolored from red to blue; collecting them again in this mode replaces the red star icon next to a chosen level's name (marking that all letters have been previously obtained there) with a blue one, although it is not necessary for 200% completion. Upon completing Hard Mode, a message appears saying, "You've achieved 200%! Hard mode? That wasn't so hard!" and new images are unlocked in the Extras menu.

Multi-player

The game features a co-operative two-player mode, where the first player is always Donkey Kong and the other can select either Diddy, Dixie, or Cranky to play as. The second player can independently control their Kong, but may choose to climb on Donkey Kong's back and perform joint actions, allowing player one to move both Kongs at once like in single-player mode while the other player makes use of their character's abilities. This includes the ability to use the popgun as Dixie and Cranky and perform ranged attacks. During multi-player, Kong Barrels are displayed as generic DK Barrels, akin to the previous iterations. Should one player lose a life, the other can take the lead; however, the former can be found and redeemed inside the nearest DK Barrel.

Controls

Note: moves marked with the color blue are only utilised while the characters are underwater.

The game can be played with either the Wii U GamePad, the Wii Remote alone and held horizontally, or the Wii Remote held vertically and connected to a Nunchuk.

Solo and co-op modes
Action(s)	Wii U GamePad (primary controls)	Wii U GamePad (secondary controls)	Wii Remote (held horizontally)	Wii Remote (held vertically) and Nunchuk
Walk
Run
Crouch
Swim
Jump	/	/
Barrel Jet hover (playing as/having Diddy)
Helicopter Spin (playing as/having Dixie)
Cane Bounce (playing as/having Cranky)
Swim Boost
Jet Blast (playing as/having Diddy)
Ponytail Propeller (playing as/having Dixie)
Cane attack (playing as/having Cranky)
Ground Pound (while standing)	/	/	Shaking	Shaking and
Roll Attack (while moving)
Kong Roll (while moving and having a partner)
Shoot popgun
Corkscrew
Grab	/	/		/
Hold
Pluck
Kong POW	/	/
Enter pause menu	/	/	/	/
Enter HOME Menu
Co-op mode only
Pick up partner (for player 1)	/	/		/
Mount/dismount Donkey Kong (for player 2)

Professor Chops appears from behind a rock to teach the player how to perform a Corkscrew attack. This is the button combination for the Wii U GamePad primary control scheme.

The Kongs can skip water by performing a continuous Kong Roll on its surface.

Characters

Playable characters

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze has four playable characters (five in the Nintendo Switch port), making it the Donkey Kong Country game with the most playable characters.

Character	Description	Kong POW Ability
Donkey Kong	Donkey Kong is the character the single or first player always controls. He is able to water skip when rolling with another Kong on top of him. Underwater, Donkey Kong is able to charge at enemies to defeat them.	N/A
Diddy Kong	His jetpack allows him to hover in midair and get speed boosts underwater. His Peanut Popgun can be used to shoot and stun or distract enemies for a brief moment.	Turns enemies into Red Balloons, which add lives.
Dixie Kong	Her ponytail allows her to get a short lift or fall slowly in midair. Underwater, her hair can also be used as a propeller, conferring more agility in her swimming; secret exits can be found with her hair as well, by going through currents. Her Gumball Popgun can shoot bubble gums at enemies.	Turns enemies into Gold Hearts, which allow extra hits from enemies.
Cranky Kong	His cane can be used to defeat hard-to-stomp enemies, and as a pogo stick in order to jump higher and on spikes. Also with his cane, he can whack enemies underwater. His popgun shoots dentures at enemies.	Turns enemies into Banana Coins, which can be used to purchase items in Funky's Fly 'n' Buy.

Supporting characters

Character	Role
Funky Kong	Runs the Funky's Fly 'n' Buy shop, which sells various items in exchange for Banana Coins, similarly to Cranky Kong's Shop from the previous installment.
Professor Chops	Runs the checkpoint booths in each level as he did in Donkey Kong Country Returns. He no longer offers the Super Kong option, which does not reappear in the game.
Rambi	Rambi retains his role as the sole ridable Animal Friend. He can bash into enemies easier than the Kongs and can break some walls or other big objects that the Kongs cannot normally break. He can also defeat enemies by just walking into them. He is affected by lightning and runs away as he bumps into fiery enemies.
Squawks	Squawks is once again a hireable character, who will sit in the corner of the screen and warn the player if Puzzle Pieces are nearby during a stage if placed in the inventory for a level.

Bosses

Each boss of this game is faced at the end of one of the six main worlds. The Kongs have to deliver nine hits to a boss enemy in order to defeat him; after every three hits, the boss will anger and morph into another phase, usually changing color to reflect this. As the final blow is struck, the player is given the chance to punch the boss and knock him out violently by repeatedly pressing the buttons shown on screen.

Image	Name	Description	Level appearance
	Pompy	An enormous sea lion and the first boss of the game. The enemy repeatedly skates down a half-pipe arena in a circus tent, attempting different stunts to attack the Kongs. These include jumping high up in the air and diving back down onto the arena, or doing barrel rolls. During his first and third attack phases, Pompy retreats in the foreground pond and sends aquatic enemies, such as Green Finleys, Sea Urchins, and Gordos, bouncing on the arena. Occasionally, he employs several Big Sphens as extra obstacles during the course of the battle, skating on their bellies in Pompy's tow.	Big Top Bop
	Skowl	A giant owl and the leader of the Hootz platoon. His main attack set includes scattering sharp feather missiles, charging onto the Kongs with his sharp talons, creating strong gusts with his wings, and spawning small owl minions, some of which can be thrown back at the enemy to damage him. As the battlefield ascends into the sky, Skowl attempts new attack techniques.	Mountaintop Tussle
	Ba-Boom	A trio of mischievous baboon brothers. Their repertoire of attacks consists of throwing Watermelon Fuse Bombs and swinging on a rope towards the Kongs, usually spinning a hammer in an attempt to hurt them. Ba-Boom will also try a rolling dash attack, changing direction as they collide with the arena margins. After two members of the trio are defeated, the third will summon specters of himself and attack in the same manner as before.	Triple Trouble
	Fugu	A pufferfish capable of growing in size. He attempts to suck in the Kongs by inhaling large quantities of water, then pushes them onto the hermit crabs on the walls by puffing the water back. He usually also exhales green fish, which can be bounced back at the boss to deal damage. Likewise, his rear side is exposed and can be occasionally rammed into with a corkscrew. During his third phase, Fugu will swell enough to cover half of the battle area.	Fugu Face-Off
	Bashmaster	A large bipedal polar bear that wields a mallet. His most basic attack is a powerful blow with his weapon, which momentarily gets stuck on the ground, allowing the Kongs to use it as a platform and stomp on the boss's head. Bashmaster is able to leap from the scene and crash back on the arena, tilting it abruptly while also sending icy shock waves. Often, Bashmaster creates columns of icy blocks that he sends sliding on the battlefield. These blocks can be pounded and destroyed, and some contain Banana Coins and Watermelon Fuse Bombs, the latter having to be thrown at the boss to damage him.	Punch Bowl
	Lord Fredrik	The final boss, titled the king of all Snowmads. He is fought on a basalt field surrounded by lava. Lord Fredrik uses his horn to summon ice dragons and icy balls, some of them containing Tuff Tucks and Tuff Fluffs that can be thrown back at the boss to damage him. Likewise, Fredrik faces the Kongs directly by charging and attempting to ram his Viking horns into the protagonists; while running, his back is exposed to stomp attacks, needed to damage the boss. He will also pound the ground and temporarily sink patches of basalt in the lava.	Volcano Dome

Enemies

Snowmads

Tucks
Image	Name	Description	First level appearance	Last level appearance
	Tucks	A enemy that simply roams back and forth on ground areas. It can be defeated by any signs of attack, including stomping and rolling. Bare Tucks that bounce on springy surfaces appear in Windmill Hills and Jelly Jamboree.	Mangrove Cove	Crazy Clouds
	Speedy Tucks	A variant of Tucks that tries to attack the Kongs by charging into them. Speedy Tuckses can be knocked down with any attack.	Twilight Terror (seen in the background, loading fish with a Tucks) Shoal Atoll (encountered as an obstacle)	Slippy Spikes
	Tuff Tucks	An enemy which temporarily flips over when jumped on. In this state, it can then be picked up, carried, and hurled by the Kongs to attack other enemies or break fragile walls that hide secrets.	Mangrove Cove	Rocket Rails
	Tenacious Tucks	A combination of Tuff Tucks and Speedy Tucks; the enemy actively tries to attack the Kongs while being protected by an orange helmet.	Volcano Dome	Volcano Dome
	Pointy Tucks	An enemy that wears a viking helmet, making it invulnerable to jump attacks. The enemy can be defeated with any other attack method.	Shipwreck Shore	Icicle Arsenal
	Trench Tucks	A Pointy Tucks that carries a shield to push the Kongs back. The enemy can be defeated by rolling into it from behind.	Frantic Fields	Meltdown Mayhem
	Archy	An enemy that shoots fish from a bow. The fish follow a straight line in the air and can be stomped on. The Archy can be also stomped on, as well as rolled into.	Canopy Chaos	Icicle Arsenal
	Archy (fire)	A variety of the regular Archy. It shoots flaming fishbones instead of carnal fish, which cannot be jumped on. Nonetheless, Archies (fire) can be defeated the same as normal Archies.	Scorch 'n' Torch	Icicle Arsenal
	Boom Bird	A red-colored penguin that carries a Watermelon Fuse Bomb on its back. It can be defeated by any means of attack. As soon as the bomb drops on the ground, its fuse starts to burn and will explode after a short time.	Cannon Canyon	Icicle Arsenal
	Painguin Tucks	An enemy that tries to attack the Kongs with a spear. It can be taken out by jumping on its head or rolling into it from behind.	Mangrove Cove	Rocket Rails
	Papa Painguin	A Painguin Tucks wearing a thorny helmet. Both ends of its spear are sharp, making the enemy initially devoid of vulnerable spots. The Kongs can stun the Papa Painguin with a ground pound and make it drop its spear, then roll into the enemy from either side to defeat it.	Deep Keep	Rocket Rails
	Soary	An enemy that flies towards the Kongs in a straight line. They can be defeated with a stomp.	Alpine Incline	Slippy Spikes
	Big Sphen	A large enemy that carries a blowing horn and uses it to shoot icy fish as a means of attack. These fish slide down on the ground and can be taken out with a stomp. Big Sphens themselves can be defeated with three stomps or three roll attacks.	Big Top Bop	Slippy Spikes
	Pengatcha 1-gō	A large robotic vehicle operated by a Speedy Tucks, used in various ways to hinder the Kongs.	Reckless Ride	Reckless Ride
Fluffs
Image	Name	Description	First level appearance	Last level appearance
	Fluff	Enemies that constantly leap from side to side and can be defeated with any attack technique.	Mangrove Cove	Dynamite Dash
	Tuff Fluff	A variation of Fluff that, like Tuff Tucks, flips over temporarily when jumped on and can be used as a throwing object.	Horn Top Hop	Volcano Dome
	Harey	A large enemy that creates sharp ice waves on the ground that can damage the Kongs. They can be defeated by jumping or rolling into them three times.	Reckless Ride	Homecoming Hijinxs
	Harold	An enemy similar to Hareys that continuously throws Watermelon Fuse Bombs at the Kongs. Before they detonate, the bombs can be passed back at the Harold to defeat it.	Sea Stack Attack	Rocket Rails
Hootzes
Image	Name	Description	First level appearance	Last level appearance
	Hootz	Owl-like enemies that fly around in set patterns and can be defeated in any way.	Trunk Twister	Crazy Clouds
	Hot Hootz	An orange Hootz that engulfs itself periodically with fire and conveys it into a fireball, sending it towards the Kongs' current position. Except when they are shrouded in flames, Hot Hootzes can be knocked down with any attack method.	Swinger Flinger	Crazy Clouds
	Puffton	An large Hootz that takes three stomp or roll attacks to defeat.	Windmill Hills	Crazy Clouds
	Tuffton	Puffton variants that wear a helmet, which protects them from stomp attacks but can be used as platforms.	Windmill Hills (seen in the level's introduction) Horn Top Hop (encountered as an obstacle)	Slippy Spikes
	Blue Hootz	A small enemy constantly covered in blue flames. It can only be defeated with a throwable object.	Zip-Line Shrine	Crazy Clouds
Waldoughs
Image	Name	Description	First level appearance	Last level appearance
	Waldough	A large enemy that can be jumped on (or rolled into) three times to defeat.	Mangrove Cove	Meltdown Mayhem
	Walnut	A Waldough that wears a helmet on its head, preventing jump attacks. They can be defeated with three Cane Bounces or three roll attacks from the front or back.	Mountain Mania	Meltdown Mayhem
	Walbrick	An armored enemy that is invulnerable to jump and frontal roll attacks. Although its back is not covered, the Walbrick immediately turns around if the Kongs attempt to attack it from behind. Jumping on a Walbrick stuns it, allowing the Kongs to attack its back side with a roll attack. Three roll attacks are required to defeat the enemy.	Big Top Bop	Blurry Flurry
	Chum Chucker Charlie	An enemy that attacks the Kongs by tossing fish at them. It takes three jump or roll attacks to defeat, and can also be taken out directly with a thrown object.	Fruity Factory	Icicle Arsenal
	Fish Poker Pops	An enemy that cannot be jumped on and carries large stick weapon with two puffer fish tucked on its sides. As the Kongs approach the Fish Poker Pops, it rises the weapon in the air to attack; in this stance, it can be attacked by rolling into it from the front.	Spinning Spines	Rocket Rails
Other
Image	Name	Description	First level appearance	Last level appearance
	Lemmington	An enemy that uses a spiky wheel to move along various surfaces. While upside-down or on a vertical surface, Lemmingtons can be defeated by pounding the surface they are on.	Horn Top Hop	Icicle Arsenal
	Ice dragon	Enemies released from Lord Fredrik's horn that fly out and plummet on the ground shortly after. As they crash, they freeze the patch of ground they fell onto, creating a slippery surface.	Volcano Dome	Volcano Dome

Domestic enemies and other obstacles

General enemies
Image	Name	Description	First level appearance	Last level appearance
	Finley	Finleys are regular fish enemies that follow set patterns when swimming. They are harmful if touched, but vulnerable to Corkscrew attacks or Cranky Kong's cane swipes. Finleys are divided into Blue and Red Finleys, with the former moving more slowly. A distinct Green type also exists, though it behaves differently by leaping out of the water.	Mangrove Cove	Rocket Rails
	Horror Gills	A family of enormous fish predators that can only be encountered in vehicle-riding sequences of the game. Most of them roam around savannah waters while keeping their dorsal sides over the surface, potentially crashing their upper appendages into the Kongs. Other actively seek to attack the characters by jumping out of the water. A few of them remove part of the railtrack in High Tide Ride.	Twilight Terror	High Tide Ride
	Gordo	A considerably larger and tougher fish than a Finley, but one that otherwise behaves the same. It can only be destroyed with three consequent Corkscrew moves, or three cane attacks from Cranky.	Shipwreck Shore	Rocket Rails
	Snaggles	Snaggles resemble great white sharks and are aggressive, despite their goofy look. They are capable of leaping high above the water as they try to snatch the Kongs. Under the water, Snaggles chase the characters, trying to attack them. They can be defeated with throwable objects or with Cranky's cane.	Shipwreck Shore	Rockin' Relics
	Yellow Snaggles	An ochre-colored variation of Snaggles that is not able to leap from the water. Nonetheless, it behaves the same underwater, as it tries to bite the Kongs. Yellow Snaggles can only be taken out using Cranky's cane.	Shoal Atoll	Panicky Paddles
Lost Mangroves enemies
Image	Name	Description	First level appearance	Last level appearance
	Dozy	A bird foe that walks from side to side. The Kongs can get damage from this enemy if they simply head into it. Dozies can be brought down using any means of attack.	Mangrove Cove	Busted Bayou
	Mimic	A mysterious enemy hiding inside a bush and waiting to surprise attack the Kongs. Upon spotting them, Mimics walk in their direction, but soon turn out to stroll aimlessly. They can be defeated by any attack method.	Busted Bayou	Busted Bayou
	Large Mimic	A mere bigger variation of Mimic. It can be defeated by any means of attack.	Busted Bayou	Busted Bayou
	Monocle Monica	A pink dragonfly-looking enemy wearing a monocle. It is very similar to Hot Hootz, in that it also flies by following set routes. Monocle Monicas can be knocked down by stomps and thrown objects.	Shipwreck Shore	Busted Bayou
	Punchy Paddy	A grasshopper enemy that comports by hopping up and down. It can be defeated using any attack, but can be dangerous if it lands on the Kongs.	Mangrove Cove	Busted Bayou
	Sour Dodo	A blue-feathered variant of Dozy, which deliberately runs into the Kongs upon spotting them. It is vulnerable to any attacks.	Mangrove Cove	Busted Bayou
	Thug Slug	A slug enemy. It sticks to any platform, crawling on all of its sides. Thug Slugs can be defeated anyhow.	Canopy Chaos	Trunk Twister
	Wild Wendell	A turtle-resembling foe that wears aviator goggles. When on dry land, should the player stomp this enemy, it retracts within its shell, which can afterwards be transported and hurled into other foes. Wild Wendells can also be found floating on water; in this stance, they can be defeated with a Corkscrew move from the beneath the surface of the water.	Mangrove Cove	Canopy Chaos
Autumn Heights enemies
Image	Name	Description	First level appearance	Last level appearance
	Cheesy Chester	A rat enemy, first seen strolling on its back feet, then walking on all fours as it spots the Kongs, moving considerably faster. Cheesy Chesters deal damage to the Kongs when bumping into them, but are also vulnerable to any attack.	Windmill Hills	Rodent Ruckus
	Schnautzel	A fiery wild boar. After setting their aim for the Kongs, Schnautzels shoot fireballs from their large snouts at them. Three stomps (or, alternatively, three roll attacks), as well as a barrel, can knock them out.	Windmill Hills	Horn Top Hop
Bright Savannah enemies
Image	Name	Description	First level appearance	Last level appearance
	Buffaloafer	A massive and strong buffalo that rams its large horns into the characters in an attempt to harm them. It will fling the Kongs up in the air if they simply hop on its back. Despite this, there are several ways to defeat a Buffaloafer: it can be lured into an abyss and fall, or it can accidentally hit a wall (or collide with the Kongs' roll attacks) and turn upside down, leaving its vulnerable spot, the belly, unprotected. Buffaloafers can also be quickly defeated with three Cane Bounces from Cranky.	Baobab Bonanza	Bramble Scramble
	Chompette	A steadfast creature with a thorny stem. It grows above pits and continuously chomps air. Only its fangs are dangerous, but the plant can be bounced on safely when its mouth is closed. Carnivorous plants can be defeated with three roll attacks, three Cane Bounces, or a thrown object.	Bramble Scramble	Bramble Scramble
	Flaming Falling Totem Pole	A dormant stone pillar that becomes awake as soon as it senses the Kongs being close. Afterwards, it topples on the ground and passes out, crushing the Kongs or any other creature if they remain where the pillar falls. The primates can mount on the back of the collapsed obstacle and pound it three times to break it.	Scorch 'n' Torch	Scorch 'n' Torch
	Giant Spiked Nut	Large thorny fruits falling from baobabs and rolling on the ground. They are dangerous to touch and completely indestructible, although Cranky Kong can bounce on them with his cane without getting hurt.	Baobab Bonanza	Baobab Bonanza
	Hanging TNT	Explosive clusters suspended with a rope. They detonate when touched by the Kongs or a throwable object.	Cannon Canyon	Cannon Canyon
	Porcupal	A fiery porcupine enemy that engulfs itself in flames and startles its bristles to defend itself from the Kongs. Porcupal's flames eventually go out, and its bristles settle down its back, becoming vulnerable to any sign of attack. Even while under the fire, Porcupals can be knocked out with Water Sacks.	Frantic Fields	Bramble Scramble
	Swooper Dooper	A peculiar secretarybird enemy that swoops continuously, trying to attack the Kongs. It can be destroyed by any attack.	Grassland Groove	Bramble Scramble
	Tornado	Unbeatable natural hazards that traverse a patch of ground. When facing the Kongs, they block their path, but when facing the opposite direction, they fling them forward.	Frantic Fields	Frantic Fields
Sea Breeze Cove enemies
Image	Name	Description	First level appearance	Last level appearance
	Electrified Anemone	Colonies of electrically charged anemones coat underwater surfaces in dark areas. They usually hide items, but are harmful and indestructible. However, Electrified Anemones are sensible to light and will retract whenever their area is floodlit by luminescent fish.	Amiss Abyss	Amiss Abyss
	Fritz	An underwater enemy that resembles an eel. Fritz releases shock waves around itself, and then swiftly teleports to another close area. When not electrically charged, it can be destroyed by any attack method that can be approached underwater, including a Corkscrew move.	Deep Keep	Shoal Atoll
	Green fish	The spikeless blowfish that Fugu summons during his battle. Green fish are exhaled by the boss enemy and used to attack the primates. However, they can be deflected with Corkscrew moves or cane swings and sent back to their master, who gets hit and subsequently damaged.	Fugu Face-Off	Fugu Face-Off
	Hermit crab	Colored hermit crabs that appear as obstacles which can harm the player.	Fugu Face-Off	Fugu Face-Off
	Jellyfish	Almost invulnerable enemies that can be found swimming either vertically or around stones. They are not affected by any of the Kongs' direct attacks, and will shock them with electricity upon contact. Jellyfish only perish if the heroes perform a Kong POW nearby.	Deep Keep (seen in the level's introduction) Amiss Abyss (encountered as an obstacle)	Amiss Abyss
	Mama Saw	A small, chubby sawfish enemy that swims from side to side. Its spiky frontal saw is harmful for the Kongs, but its rear is not. A Corkscrew attack can be performed on that spot to defeat the enemy.	Irate Eight	Shoal Atoll
	Proximity mine	Objects found afloat in the water. They will start to flash as they are approached, and will eventually explode. Their shrapnel can injure any character, such as the Kongs and enemies.	Irate Eight	Shoal Atoll
	Pufftup	A pufferfish that inflates itself periodically. In this state, the spikes on its body are revealed and can injure the Kongs. While inflated, the Pufftups are only vulnerable to Cranky's cane. They eventually deflate themselves, becoming exposed to any sign of attack.	Amiss Abyss	Shoal Atoll
	Sea Urchin	Obstacles that are typically moved around by currents. Due to their thorns, they can only be defeated with Cranky's cane swing.	Big Top Bop	Fugu Face-Off
	Sting Tentacle	Long, thin hazards that protrude from various surfaces, swaying slowly from side to side. They can be taken out using Cranky's cane.	Current Capers	Current Capers
	Squiddicus	An enormous cephalopod that impedes the Kongs in the level, Irate Eight. The Kongs have to dodge his spike-covered arms, which the monster tries to slip through tight gaps and tunnels. The creature also leaves a deadly cloud of ink that the Kongs would have to survive.	Irate Eight	Irate Eight
Juicy Jungle enemies
Image	Name	Description	First level appearance	Last level appearance
	Bouncelisk	A lizard foe that slithers on its path while transporting a bouncy round fruit with its tail. The Kongs can use this fruit as improvised trampoline, in order to reach high areas or items. Nonetheless, Bouncelisk are still dangerous. A roll attack can defeat them.	Harvest Hazards	Jammin' Jams
	Bucky	A yellow caterpillar enemy that clings to any surface, in the manner of Thug Slugs. Buckies leave trails of toxic gas behind, and when hanging down the ceiling, they release big, dangerous bubbles that descend slowly. Any attack method is effective against these enemies, but only when they are encountered normally; only barrels are apt to defeat upside down Buckies.	Harvest Hazards	Harvest Hazards
	Buzzy	A grouchy bee that flies towards the Kongs when tempted to do so. It is a potentially dangerous enemy indeed, but it can be jumped on.	Spinning Spines	Beehive Brawl
	Chompasaurus	A flytrap beast that is able to crawl on the ground. Chompasauruses can also be found sticked to ceilings. They can use their long and stretchy tongues to hunt for prey. The Kongs can also get stuck to the tongue and end up inside the mouth of the beast. However, the Kongs can punch the Chompasaurus from inside repeatedly and destroy the enemy, freeing themselves. A Chompasaurus can also be defeated with three stomps on its head, or with a single barrel tossed at it.	Reckless Ride (seen in the background) Fruity Factory (encountered as an obstacle)	Beehive Brawl
	Punch Piranhas	Small predator fish encountered in the jungle's punch ponds. They quickly hunt anything dropped in their waters, including the Kongs. Punch Piranhas cannot be defeated.	Punch Bowl	Punch Bowl
	Toucan't	A small toucan-like foe that constantly rolls a thorny and seemingly pungent berry down a path. At set intervals, the berry releases a substance that launches the Toucan't upward, letting the Kongs pass beneath it while heeding the berry. A single stomp can defeat a Toucan't.	Harvest Hazards (seen in the level's introduction) Panicky Paddles (encountered as an obstacle)	Jammin' Jams
Donkey Kong Island enemies
Image	Name	Description	First level appearance	Last level appearance
	Electroid	A small, electric enemy. Electroids follow conductible wires, but can also often be found standing underneath metallic pressure platforms, waiting to electrocute the Kongs. Electroids are invincible.	Frozen Frenzy	Frozen Frenzy
	Snowballs	Hazards usually encountered in mid-air, as they are shot by bombards. They also spring in the air when their platforms get flipped by large objects. They are dangerous and have to be dodged.	Blurry Flurry	Blurry Flurry
	Snowflake	Icy obstacles cluttered in rows. They drop down from the sky and float along a set path in the air. While dangerous to touch, they can be destroyed with any projectile or with a Cane Bounce.	Forest Folly	Forest Folly

Miscellaneous

Several Donkey Kong Country Returns enemies, such as Big Squeekly, Skittlers, and Mugly, make cameo appearances frozen in ice. The former two are found in the levels Blurry Flurry and Forest Folly respectively, while Mugly can be seen at the bottom of the Donkey Kong Island diorama. In addition, a Snippys can be seen on the title screen.

Image	Name	Description
	Don Zunāna	A giant fish that can be found sleeping near the beginning of Amiss Abyss. If the Kongs wake it up, it destroys a wall on the right that normally prevents them from swimming further.

Objects

Below is a table containing notable objects found in the game. A collectible is a gameplay element that can be collected and stored to a specific counter. Usually, when this counter reaches a certain number or magnitude, a special gameplay-related event will take place. A projectile represents an item that can be picked up and thrown at enemies or other elements. Vehicles refer to certain apparatuses that are used as mandatory ways of locomotion during select levels of the game.

Collectables

Image	Item	Description
	Banana	Bananas are the most common items in the game. They are usually found floating in the air and arranged in straight or circular patterns. However, some can be revealed upon pulling Item Handles. Sometimes, bananas in a particular group can be collected to reveal Puzzle Pieces and other items. When a total of one hundred bananas are acquired, the player earns an extra life and the Kong POW move is enabled. The main goal of Bonus Areas is collecting items, including mostly bananas.
	Banana Bunch	A cluster of five or ten bananas. Although common, Banana Bunches are rarer than singular bananas.
	Banana Coin	Banana Coins represent the currency in the game. They are rather frequent and can be obtained either by usual ways, or by performing a task such as collecting a set of bananas. Likewise, stomping three or more enemies in a row also grants the players Banana Coins. Using Banana Coins, the player can purchase goodies from Funky Kong's shop.
	Heart	Hearts compose the Kongs' health meter. If they get damaged once and therefore lose one point from their meter, they can replenish it with one heart found along the way.
	Red Balloon	Red Balloons grant supplementary tries for the player. A few can be found floating in the air, but they can mostly be acquired by performing tasks. After the character stomps on eight enemies in a row, he stops receiving Banana Coins and gets rewarded Red Balloons instead.
	KONG Letters	These are precious square pieces, each having one of the letters "K", "O", "N" and "G" printed on them. In conclusion, there are four of these items in each level of the game (excluding bonus and boss levels), and are placed orderly in each stage to spell the word "KONG". Their sole role in the game is to unlock the bonus levels of each world, given that all the KONG Letters of the respective world are collected.
	Puzzle Piece	Puzzle Pieces, as items, do not affect gameplay in any way, and only unlock concept artwork available by accessing the "Extras" menu. As challenge creators, they are a great factor of gameplay, as they are usually placed in the most secretive zones - for example, behind walls that stand between the player and actual paths; they also appear after completing a bonus stage, or after collecting occasional sets of bananas.
	Air bubble	Air bubbles are generated by sunken diving helmets. While underwater, the Kongs have an air gauge that gradually depletes. They should pop air bubbles to gain and restore air.
	Slot Machine Barrel	The main objective of most levels is to hit the Slot Machine Barrel. It contains a roulette that decides what prize will the barrel reveal upon getting destroyed. The roulette only activates when the Kongs are very close to the Slot Machine Barrel.
	Mysterious relic	Mysterious relics are similar to Rare Orbs from the previous game; they are required to access a secret world, Secret Seclusion. Six of them are obtained by completing the temple levels in the game, while the seventh and final one is obtained after beating the game.

Projectiles

Image	Item	Description
	Barrel	Donkey Kong's signature object is present in this game. It can be heaved and carried by any Kong until the player decides to let it loose, which means to make the Kong throw it. After being thrown, the barrel rolls on the ground and knocks out every foe in its path until it smashes into a wall.
	Kong Barrel	Kong Barrels are more common than regular barrels. In the standard game mode and Time Trial mode, Kong Barrels contain either Diddy, Dixie, or Cranky Kong, each character having unique powers. If Donkey Kong lacks a partner, he can redeem him by throwing and breaking such barrels (otherwise, these barrels are empty) if he encounters them. As weapons, Kong Barrels function differently from regular barrels, in that they break instantly upon contact with any platform, without rolling. In Hard Mode, since the player can only make use of one character, all Kong Barrels are empty and useful only as weapons.
	Watermelon Fuse Bomb	Bombs that take the form of spherical melons are called Watermelon Fuse Bombs. After pulling certain Item Handles, the Kong extracts such explosives from the ground; enemies called Boom Birds, as well as Harolds, wield these bombs and can be considered sources of explosives too. Watermelon Fuse Bombs can be carried and hurled just like barrels, but they detonate after several moments of fuse burning. Their explosions can take out groups of enemies and/or cracked surfaces and blocks.
	Water Sack	Water Sacks are found in stacks on the ground. They can be picked up and thrown one at a time. As such, they hurt any enemy that gets hit, but they also extinguish fiery enemies or spots due to being water holders.

Miscellaneous

Image	Item	Description
	Barrel Cannon	A levitating cannon, shaped like a barrel. Barrel Cannons fire the Kongs across long distances, doing so at the player's signal. Common Barrel Cannons feature a white arrow imprinted on them. A type of Barrel Cannon that self-destructs as it blasts the Kongs features a skull and crossbones symbol instead.
	Blast Barrel	A floating barrel-shaped cannon. It will automatically shoot the Kongs shortly after they mount it, without the player's input. The barrel is marked by the white outline of an explosion; Blast Barrels that self-destruct also display a skull inside the outline.
	Bells	Bells come in various shapes, sizes, and colors. Usually, they are used to produce items. This can be done by ground-pounding or performing a similar action in front of one, or by knocking it with Rambi, depending on the situation. However, only the silver bells found in Wing Ding are mandatory to use, as they act as switches that reveal part of the path ahead.
	Burlap Hanging Sack	A heavy sack made of cloth that lies hanged with a long rope. The rope's upper end is never seen. Hanging sacks can be broken open with projectiles to reveal treasures.
	Climbing grass	Vegetation wrapped on walls, ceilings, and platforms. It can be grasped and used to escalate said surfaces.
	Collapsible Underwater Grass	Underwater grassy plants that retract their stems to reveal items when approached.
	Cracked Block	Cracked Blocks are fragile, blocky objects that usually contain items. The Kongs can mount these blocks and break them with three consecutive ground pounds in order to obtain the items inside, if any.
	Flying banana	Entities conducting long trails of bananas. They hide under Item Handles, and once pulled out of the ground, they quickly start flying above the Kongs. They hold prizes, which they will reveal only after all bananas from their trails are collected. Flying bananas leave the screen after a few moments.
	Item Containers	Objects that come in many different shapes and sizes. If pounded, they collapse and reveal collectibles of great diversity (Banana Bunches, Red Balloons, Puzzle Pieces, etc.)
	Item Handle	Item Handles are levers that are always stuck to the ground. They can be pulled upwards, but not all of them have the same role. Most of them keep items of all sorts underground, and after the Kongs exert a force on them, they reveal the items. Nevertheless, other handles are essential to the gameplay, since they bring about events such as the creation of platforms.
	Jelly block	Jelly blocks are large and highly elastic objects on which the Kongs can bounce. When they are encountered in rows, they usually contain items. To get them out of a jelly block, the Kongs have to bounce on any other adjacent jelly block. These bouncy mold objects come in three colors: purple (regular), green (with higher elasticity, thus offering better bouncing capabilities), and blue (causing a moving structure to work as soon as they are pressed).
	Portal	Portals are found in a few levels, in areas which are accessible only with the use of one character's powers, such as Dixie Kong's ponytail twirl or Cranky's cane bounce. They are formed by glowing rune stones arranged in a circular pattern, and lead to hidden Slot Barrel Machines, opening the path to secret levels.
	Purple Flower Platform	A large plant that has grown high above the ground. Its flower faces the sky above and can be stepped on, but will tilt under the Kongs' weight. It would soon wither and let the characters slip off, reverting to its initial state after a while.
	Rambi Crate	A small crate identified by the rhino head clipped onto it. It can be hopped on and pounded to break it, revealing Rambi.
	Spinning Platform	A rotatable surface that is hidden amongst the usual ground. Spinning Platforms hide pits that transport the heroes either into bonus areas or merely into hidden areas that contain loot. They can be rotated with a ground pound.
	Snowflake Shield	An object that is usually found blocking access to hidden areas and, sometimes, even the main path. They can be destroyed with a throwable object or with Rambi.
	Spring Platform	A wooden contraption floating on water. It has two springs underneath. When pounded, this platform will press the springs and launch the Kongs up.
	Venus Trap Platform	An upside-down carnivorous plant with a leaf crown serving as a platform. When the Kongs or an enemy walk under the plant, it drops down in an attempt to attack them. While down, the Kongs can jump on the plant's platform and rise along with it as the plant retreats to its initial position.
	Vine	A long and narrow plant hanging from the ceiling. Vines are encountered motionless or swinging, and can be climbed to reach higher areas, or jumped from one to another to pass wide pits.
	Vine-Triggered Platform	A platform that normally stays in a vertical position, but drops horizontally whenever the Kongs tension its vine connected underneath. The platform reveals collectibles whenever it drops down. It is timed, however, and will go back to its vertical position after a while.
	Zip-Line Vine	A straight, slightly inclined vine traced across the screen. The Kongs can grab the vine and slide along it, being able to jump or drop from it at any time.

Vehicles

Image	Item	Description
	Mine Cart	Mine Carts make up the main gameplay gimmick in a few levels, as they transport the Kongs on rail tracks. Players can jump over dangerous gaps or other obstacles while their character is in the Mine Cart. It moves forward automatically, requiring the player to dodge every hazard on the way in time. In Sawmill Thrill, the Mine Cart is temporarily replaced with a Log Canoe; in addition to having the properties of the Mine Cart, the object can also float on water and be used as a boat.
	Rocket Barrel	An aerodynamic machine very similar in concept with the mine cart, the rocket barrel moves forward at a constant velocity. It transports the Kongs throughout very steep tunnels or over wide chasms, using its fuel power. It can only be controlled to ascend or descend.

Worlds and levels

The game has seven total islands, consisting of six "main" islands and one secret island (Secret Seclusion), which serve as the game's worlds. Each island has 6-8 levels (at least two are optional), a Key Temple, a Funky's Fly 'n' Buy, and a boss level at the end. Some levels have a secret exit, and by reaching it, the Kongs unlock an alternate path from the world map that leads to another level.

The table below lists all of the worlds and levels in the game, including their respective music theme(s) and a number of Puzzle Pieces. Since not every musical composition in the game has been given an official name, several of the ones shown are either described as arrangements from past Donkey Kong games, or merely marked as conjectural with a pointy line.

Note: tracks succeeded by an asterisk (*) in the following table are given their titles in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

Worlds and levels
Lost Mangroves
Level number	Level name	Puzzle Pieces	Music theme(s)
1-1	Mangrove Cove	9	"Mangrove Cove" "Mangrove Cove Underwater"
1-2	Shipwreck Shore	9	"Shipwreck Shore"
1-3	Canopy Chaos	7	"Mangrove Swing"
1-4	Trunk Twister	5	Trunk Twister theme
1-A	Zip-Line Shrine	5	A cover of "Jungle Hijinxs" from Donkey Kong Country Returns, very similar in tone to "Jungle Jitter" from the Game Boy Advance version of Donkey Kong Country 3
1-B	Busted Bayou	9	Busted Bayou theme
1-K	Swinger Flinger	5	A rearrangement of "King of Cling" from Donkey Kong Country Returns
1-BOSS	BOSS LEVEL: Big Top Bop	0	Big Top Bop theme
Autumn Heights
Level number	Level name	Puzzle Pieces	Music theme
2-1	Windmill Hills	9	"Windmill Hills"
2-2	Mountain Mania	7	Mountain Mania theme
2-3	Horn Top Hop	5	Horn Top Hop theme, with several variations depending on the location of the player in the level
2-4	Sawmill Thrill	5	"Sawmill Thrill"
2-5	Alpine Incline	5	"Alpine Incline"
2-6	Wing Ding	5	Wing Ding theme
2-A	Crumble Cavern	7	"Cave Dweller Concert Returns"
2-B	Rodent Ruckus	5	"Rodent Ruckus" A cover of "Mine Menace" from Donkey Kong Country Returns
2-K	Bopopolis	5	"Swinger Flinger" *
2-BOSS	BOSS LEVEL: Mountaintop Tussle	0	Mountaintop Tussle theme
Bright Savannah
Level number	Level name	Puzzle Pieces	Music theme(s)
3-1	Grassland Groove	9	Grassland Groove theme
3-2	Baobab Bonanza	7	"Baobab Bonanza"
3-3	Frantic Fields	5	"Run, Rambi! Run! Returns"
3-4	Scorch 'n' Torch	7	"Scorch 'n' Torch"
3-5	Twilight Terror	5	A cover of "Stickerbush Symphony" from Donkey Kong Country 2 "Twilight Terror"
3-6	Cannon Canyon	5	"Savannah Pop"
3-A	Rickety Rafters	5	"Savannah Pop"
3-B	Bramble Scramble	7	"Savannah Pop"
3-K	Precarious Pendulums	5	A rearrangement of "King of Cling" from Donkey Kong Country Returns
3-BOSS	BOSS LEVEL: Triple Trouble	0	Triple Trouble theme
Sea Breeze Cove
Level number	Level name	Puzzle Pieces	Music theme(s)
4-1	Deep Keep	7	"Deep Keep" "Funky Waters" "Aquatic Ambiance Returns" (DKC:TF version)
4-2	High Tide Ride	5	A remixed version of the title screen theme
4-3	Amiss Abyss	9	"Cave Dweller Concert Returns" "Funky Waters"
4-4	Irate Eight	5	A cover of "Lockjaw's Saga" from Donkey Kong Country 2 "Irate Eight"
4-5	Sea Stack Attack	7	"Mangrove Swing"
4-6	Current Capers	5	"Aquatic Ambiance Returns" (DKC:TF version)
4-A	Rockin' Relics	9	A cover of "Lockjaw's Saga" from Donkey Kong Country 2
4-B	Shoal Atoll	5	"Aquatic Ambiance Returns" (DKC:TF version)
4-K	Spinning Spines	5	"Swinger Flinger" *
4-BOSS	BOSS LEVEL: Fugu Face-Off	0	Fugu Face-Off theme
Juicy Jungle
Level number	Level name	Puzzle Pieces	Music theme(s)
5-1	Harvest Hazards	7	"Swing Juice"
5-2	Reckless Ride	5	"Swing Juice" A cover of "Mine Menace" from Donkey Kong Country Returns
5-3	Fruity Factory	5	"Juicy Groove"
5-4	Panicky Paddles	9	"Swing Juice" An underwater cover of "Swing Juice"
5-5	Jelly Jamboree	7	"Fruit Bounce"
5-6	Frosty Fruits	5	"Frosty Fruits" A cover of "In a Snowbound Land" from Donkey Kong Country 2
5-A	Beehive Brawl	7	"Fruit Bounce"
5-B	Jammin' Jams	5	Jammin' Jams theme
5-K	Platform Problems	5	A rearrangement of "King of Cling" from Donkey Kong Country Returns
5-BOSS	BOSS LEVEL: Punch Bowl	0	Punch Bowl theme
Donkey Kong Island
Level number	Level name	Puzzle Pieces	Music theme
6-1	Homecoming Hijinxs	5	"Snowmads Theme"
6-2	Seashore War	5	"Seashore War"
6-3	Aqueduct Assault	5	Aqueduct Assault theme
6-4	Blurry Flurry	7	A cover of "Mine Menace" from Donkey Kong Country Returns
6-5	Forest Folly	5	"Freezie Breezie"
6-6	Cliffside Slide	5	"Snowmads Theme"
6-7	Frozen Frenzy	5	"Frozen Frenzy"
6-8	Meltdown Mayhem	5	"Snowmads Theme"
6-A	Dynamite Dash	5	A remix of "Run, Rambi! Run! Returns"
6-B	Icicle Arsenal	7	"Freezie Breezie"
6-K	Slippy Spikes	5	"Swinger Flinger" *
6-BOSS	BOSS LEVEL: Volcano Dome	0	Volcano Dome theme
Secret Seclusion
Level number	Level name	Puzzle Pieces	Music theme
7-1	Levitation Station	5	An extended cover of the ending theme from Donkey Kong Jr.
7-2	Rocket Rails	5	An extended cover of the ending theme from Donkey Kong Jr.
7-3	Crazy Clouds	5	An extended cover of the ending theme from Donkey Kong Jr.

Lost Mangroves

Autumn Heights

Bright Savannah

Sea Breeze Cove

Juicy Jungle

Donkey Kong Island

Secret Seclusion

The worlds seen in the game

Marketing

For images related to these promotional materials, see Gallery:Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze.

One of the eleven Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Valentine's Day greeting cards shared by Nintendo on their Facebook page

One of Cranky Kong's image macros posted by Nintendo of America on their Twitter

On February 7, 2014, Nintendo launched the Banana Mania Contest for residents of Canada. In a video posted on YouTube and presented by Canadian actor Ajay Fry, they were challenged to guess how many bananas are in a solid block of ice for a chance to win a four day trip to the Whistler Blackcomb ski resort, as well as a Wii U Deluxe Set system bundled with Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, a Wii Remote controller and a Nunchuk.

One week before the game's initial launch, on February 13, 2014, Nintendo celebrated Valentine's Day on their official Facebook page by posting various Donkey Kong-themed greeting cards. The photographs contain affectionate captions with word plays, and are accompanied by artwork for the game.

On the day of the game's initial release, Nintendo of America pretended to make a deal with Cranky Kong to let him lead their Twitter account and post tweets. Over the course of the day, the character would interact with fans by answering questions, as well as using image macros of himself, parodying similar Internet memes in an attempt to approach the youth culture. However, the marketing campaign was mostly met with negativity from the fans. The final tweet attributed to Cranky Kong is the game's launch trailer.

On the Play Nintendo website, the game is the subject of one of the questions in a skill quiz on Nintendo Selects games. The website also features several other activities focused entirely on the game, but these are promotions for the Nintendo Switch version.

Reception

The game was primarily praised by critics for its graphics, with Thomas Whitehead of Nintendo Life describing the series' upgrade to HD visuals as "impressive" and the game, a "visual achievement". He found the game to have engaging stages as well as fresh and eccentric environments, distinctly bringing out Autumn Heights and Bright Savannah as examples. He also found the game to have personality and overall attention to detail, conferred by character design and humorous animation, and opined that the game has charm, partially attributed to David Wise's soundtrack, whom he described as an "expert ear".

Jose Otero from IGN distinguished the game from other two-dimensional platformers for a sense of scale and journey, accomplished by what Otero opines as a brisk variety in level design. He liked what he saw as a realistic sense of weight in the playable characters, commenting that it affects their movements. The game was once again praised for attention to detail, and he opined Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze to have tantalizing backgrounds and a dynamic camera enhancing the player's perspective. He also believed that the game's issue of being very difficult is softened by the large amount of extra lives that can be collected. Otero likewise praised the boss fights as unique, and considered the punching segment at the end of each one as a "cool-payoff" and an homage to Donkey Kong Jungle Beat. Conversely, he criticized the use of the GamePad, which he felt was underused.

Chris Carter of Destructoid complimented the HD visuals and regarded the game as one of the best-looking games in the Wii U library. He opined that David Wise's contribution is a step-up from the soundtrack of Donkey Kong Country Returns. He also lauded the game's swimming mechanics and large amount of what he believed to be painstakingly-crafted levels.

Danielle Riendeau of Polygon appreciated the game as a rewarding experience, in spite of its difficulty. In effect, Riendeau likened the reward to playing the game itself, believing it to have "imaginative layouts" and a perfect balance between new enemies and energetic platforming. The co-op play was praised as a fun and chaotic experience.

Mark Walton of GameSpot strayed from praising the game's visuals and directed criticism towards the level design. He implied that the game is a downgrade from its predecessors for staying too close to the formula without maintaining the same quality ("your journey gets very familiar, very quickly"). He commented on what he opined as a lack of flow and inventiveness, which he claims to define the best 2D platformers. In particular, Walton was displeased by the game's difficulty, naming it a frustrating and cheap experience based on trial and error. However, he complimented the bosses and vehicle-riding sections, which in his view were unique, unusual, and contrasted with the "monotonous" levels.

Reviews
Reviewer, Publication	Score	Comment
Thomas Whitehead, Nintendo Life	9/10	"Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze utilises the Wii U’s graphical capabilities beautifully, with levels both stunning in design and looks, and impressive set-pieces that never skip a frame and can test any gamer’s skills. As a single player experience it is near flawless, but the precision of the level design can lead the often fun multiplayer into moments of chaos."
Jose Otero, IGN	9.0/10	"Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze is a fun and challenging platformer that isn’t afraid to make you work hard."
Chris Carter, Destructoid	10/10	"10s aren't perfect, since nothing is, but they come as close as you could get in a given genre. The new leader to beat in its sector, we're talking pure ecstasy."
Danielle Riendeau, Polygon	8.5/10	"Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze could've easily been a me-too sequel. Its much-loved predecessor reinvigorated the series and did so much with the 2D framework that Retro could've released a bunch of new stages and called it a day. But Tropical Freeze adds intelligently to the formula, with new characters that imbue subtle nuance to the gameplay, a better-tuned challenge level and an increased emphasis on replay value. These features make Tropical Freeze consistently worth coming back to, and mark it as a high point for the series."
Mark Walton, GameSpot	6/10	"If the regular levels were as inventive as the boss battles, then Tropical Freeze would be a surefire hit, or at least a game that demands more of your attention. […] As it stands, this a[sic] sometimes fun but mostly uninspired and unimaginative entry in the Donkey Kong series."
Aggregators
Compiler		Platform / Score
Metacritic		83%
GameRankings		84.46%

Sales

In the United States, Tropical Freeze sold more than 130,000 units (both digital and physical copies) in its first eight days on the market according to Nintendo and the US sales analysis firm NPD. In Japan, the Wii U version sold 43,301 units for its first week and went on to sell a total of 120,086 copies according to Media Create data.

Gallery

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze.

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  Donkey Kong swinging on a vine with Diddy Kong, Dixie Kong, and Cranky Kong

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  Pointy Tucks

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  Hootz

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  Snowmad ship

Media

For a complete list of media for this subject, see List of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze media.

Title theme

File infoMedia:DKCTFTitleMusic.oga ​

Credits theme. Contains arrangements of the tracks that play in Wing Ding and Jammin' Jams, and of "Stickerbush Symphony" as well

File infoMedia:DKCTF Credits.oga ​

Help:Media • Having trouble playing?

Staff

Main article: List of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze staff

Main article: List of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Nintendo Switch) staff

The game's producers were Michael Kelbaugh from Retro Studios and Satoru Iwata, Kensuke Tanabe, and Risa Tabata from Nintendo of Japan, all of whom were previously involved in the production of Donkey Kong Country Returns. Shigeru Miyamoto's involvement as the game's supervisor was less significant than during the development of the previous game. The game's art direction was lead by Vince Joly like its predecessor, and Stephen Dupree was the lead game designer.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze notably marks the return of long-time Donkey Kong Country composer David Wise, whose last soundtrack for the series was for the Game Boy Advance version of Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! in 2005. Wise was specifically brought on board by Retro Studios president Michael Kelbaugh.

Development and release

The game was first announced during a Nintendo Direct presentation at E3 2013, where it was revealed that Kensuke Tanabe was the main director of the game. He was also responsible for the inclusion of the new "pluck" ability, which was inspired by the mechanics of Super Mario Bros. 2. The game was announced to be released in November of that same year, before being pushed back to December 6th in order to be released in time for the holiday season. Finally, during the October 2013 Nintendo Direct, Satoru Iwata announced that Tropical Freeze would be delayed to February 2014 in order to optimize the gaming experience, but the specific date would not be revealed until December 7th at the VGX Awards.

The game's soundtrack was produced by returning composer David Wise (who had previously worked on the soundtrack for the previous Donkey Kong Country games except for Returns), with some help from Daisuke Matsuoka, Minako Hamano, Shinji Ushiroda, and Riyu Tamura. The team was supervised by Kenji Yamamoto, who had provided the soundtrack for Donkey Kong Country Returns.

Pre-release and unused content

The steamboat, next to a screenshot of Trunk Twister, where part of it can be seen in the backdrop

Unused ideas

According to creative director Vince Joly, more Animal Friends were intended to appear in this game, including Enguarde. However, the development team decided against adding them as they felt that the playable Kongs provided enough character variety and gameplay mechanics on their own.

Early build

The HUD in E3 2013 footage of the game was slightly different from the final version, as the health counter lacked the wooden plank graphic behind the hearts and the Kong POW meter was not shown or implemented.

Additionally, the second and third worlds are swapped in internal data, which can be seen in the E3 2013 demo, where the level Cannon Canyon (known as "Cannon Canyons") was located in the second world rather than the third.

Level template

A steamboat model was built to serve as the basis for all mechanical structures present in Lost Mangroves. The steamboat itself is not fully used in the game, but a few instances appear in Trunk Twister.

Concept artwork

The game contains unlockable concept artwork, a full list of which can be seen here complete with indications on which concepts have been used and which were not. Below are several examples of artwork with concepts that were not implemented in the final game.

Beavers positioned between the paddles of a mill wheel

Donkey Kong using a kiwi bird to carefully go down a bramble-filled descent

Anthropomorphic pigs living and working in Juicy Jungle. In the game, the factory of the jungle is entirely automatic.

Donkey Kong traversing a moon world

A large caterpillar cook inside a kitchen or food storage

Glitches

Inaccessible level

Prior to update Version 1.1.0, the level 3-4: Scorch 'n' Torch would have a chance to not open after the completion of 3-3 Frantic Fields. On April 3, 2014, an update was released to fix this issue.

Levitating DK

DK being pushed against the reforming blocks

In Levitation Station, if DK jumps towards a block as it is forming, he may hang in the air beside it until it is ready to return to the background.

Pompy flying sideways

When fighting Pompy using Donkey Kong and Cranky Kong as a partner, it is possible to hit Pompy just after the cutscene ends. Using Cranky Kong's Cane Bounce just before Pompy begins rolling will cause him to fly sideways with an inexplicable splash in the water underneath.

Schnautzel falls into background

The glitch as performed in the Switch version

When a player finds a Schnautzel near a Tuff Fluff in Horn Top Hop, they need to make sure they that it is slightly facing the background and keep rolling into it or throw another enemy at it. If done correctly, the Schnautzel is knocked out falling into the background instead of the foreground. This glitch can be done in both versions of the game.

References to other media

• Donkey Kong: Donkey Kong's 8-bit sprite, holding a Wii U GamePad, appears at the end of Aqueduct Assault stage.
• Donkey Kong Jr.: The levels in Secret Seclusion feature music that originated from this game.
• Donkey Kong 3: At the second checkpoint of Fruity Factory, the background features a replica of the blue greenhouse.
• Metroid series: Samus Aran's Gunship appears in the background of Busted Bayou.
• Super Mario Bros. 3: A tank resembling those from Bowser's military forces, originating in the said game, can be seen in the background of Frosty Fruits. A P-Wing emblem can be found on the side of a plane in the level Trunk Twister.
• Donkey Kong Country: The music theme "Aquatic Ambience" is covered. In the Canopy Chaos level, Cranky's record player from this game can be found and when ground pounded in front of it, it plays this games' title theme. The music theme "Jungle Groove" has two covers: one during the loading screens between levels and another during some levels. Part of the music in the level Frozen Frenzy contains a cover version of the music theme "Fear Factory". Part of the music in the Crumble Cavern level contains a cover version of "Cave Dweller Concert" from this game. A small section of the bonus theme, "Bonus Room Blitz", plays when clearing a stage.
• Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest: Dixie Kong returns from this game which marked her first appearance. A bramble level, a swamp level and a beehive level return. The music theme Lockjaw Saga is covered. Part of the music in the Frosty Fruit level contains a cover version of "In a Snowbound Land" music from this game. The music theme Stickerbush Symphony is covered. Part of the music in the level Frantic Fields contains a cover version of "Run, Rambi! Run!" from this game. One of Dixie Kong's idle animations in multiplayer involves her playing some air guitar could be a possible reference to her playing her electric guitar from this game.
• Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!: Water skipping and lightning from Lightning Lookout return.
• Donkey Kong Country television series: Exclusively in the Nintendo Switch version's Funky mode, upon leaving the shop every once in a while, Tawks will utter "Give 'em the old banana slamma, dude!", referencing Donkey Kong's catchphrase from the animated series.
• Mario Kart Wii: Funky Kong's emblem from this game reappears on a plane in the background of Big Top Bop.
• Donkey Kong Country Returns: Being the direct sequel to this installment, the gameplay is similar to its predecessor. The levels in Secret Seclusion have a remix of the music from the single Golden Temple stage in this game (which itself was remixed from Donkey Kong Jr.). Also, the design of Donkey Kong Island is based on its appearance in this game; all of the worlds from this game can be seen. Finally, a number of sound effects from this game are used. In the level Blurry Flurry, Mega Squeekly has a cameo still alive in the background while frozen solid in an iceberg. The giant Eyeball from Handy Hazards makes a cameo in the background of the level "Frozen Frenzy" frozen in place. Mugly makes a cameo in the diorama of Donkey Kong Island frozen under the ground. Also, one of the logos seen in the cockpit of the plane Donkey Kong crashes into at the beginning of the game has the logo for this game. Snaps, an enemy from this game, makes a cameo on the title screen.
  • Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D: The Crash Guard, Green Balloon, and Portable DK Barrels originated in this game. Also, this is one of the games Donkey Kong plays on his Nintendo 3DS during his idle animation. He is heard in Cranky Kong's Shop, as well as activating a secret path in a level.
• Super Mario 3D Land: One of the games Donkey Kong plays on his Nintendo 3DS during his idle animation is this game. During the animation, he can be heard passing a Goomba and collecting a coin.
• Mario Kart 7: Donkey Kong sometimes plays it during his idle animation. He is heard playing as himself, picking up a Super Leaf item, and avoiding a Green Shell.

References in later games

• Super Smash Bros. for Wii U: A number of Snowmads appear as Trophies. Additionally, the music that plays in Mangrove Cove and in every second Kong Temple level are playable in the Jungle Hijinxs stage under the names "Mangrove Cove" and "Swinger Flinger".
• Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: Lord Fredrik appears as a spirit, and Dixie Kong's spirit uses her artwork from Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze.
• Mario Kart Tour: Funky Kong and Dixie Kong's artworks are reused in this game. Dixie Kong's emblem in this game is derived from the design of the Dixie Kong Barrel.

Trivia

• The game features a variety of idle animations depending on the character combination in use, featuring a larger variety than all of its four predecessors:
  • Donkey Kong alone: Briefly scratches his armpit after a short time. If the player waits a little longer, he will look around and start playing a blue Nintendo 3DS XL, with the game being either Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7, Animal Crossing: New Leaf, and Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D. In the Nintendo Switch port's Funky Mode, he plays a Nintendo Switch instead.
  • Diddy Kong alone: Diddy's animations are all in a random order. He might remove his cap and sing dramatically, or stretch while making one of three different yawning noises.
  • Dixie Kong alone: Dixie's animations are all in random order. She will either do a handstand, (using one of three different voice clips each time), or play air-guitar as a reference to Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest.
  • Cranky Kong alone: Cranky only has one animation. He will stand in place, using his cane to dig in his ear briefly.
  • DK and Diddy: Diddy will help Donkey check to see if the coast is clear, and then sit on his back, constantly switching which of his shoulders to grip as he watches him play.
  • DK and Dixie: Dixie will help Donkey look around just like Diddy. When he starts playing the 3DS, Dixie will start grooming DK.
  • DK and Cranky: Unlike the other partners, Cranky does not help DK check if the coast is clear. As Donkey Kong plays his 3DS, Cranky will show disinterest in watching and read a newspaper instead.
• During the in-game cutscenes, the character animations depend on which character(s) are being used (e.g. Dixie slowing her fall with her ponytail and Cranky rolling a few times before falling, as opposed to Diddy simply crashing into the ground).
• This is the first original Donkey Kong Country game to be reissued for a handheld console that is also a home console (in this case, the Nintendo Switch).
• The game's plot bears a strong resemblance to that of Donkey Kong in: Banana Day 24, a Club Nintendo comic released exclusively in Germany.
• This is the first Donkey Kong Country game since Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! in which the banana hoard does not appear, although it is mentioned in the Wii U Nintendo eShop description.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	ドンキーコングトロピカルフリーズ[?] Donkī Kongu Toropikaru Furīzu	Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze

External links

• E3 2013 Trailer
• Extended E3 2013 Trailer
• Official North American website
• Official United Kingdom website
• Official Japanese website