Editing Hideout Helm

{{DK64 level infobox
|image=[[File:Hideout Helm start.png|250px]]
|entry=100 Golden Bananas
|boss=None
|boss_requirement=None
|trapped_kong=None
|before=[[Creepy Castle|<<]]
|after=>>
}}
{{quote|You must locate and deactivate the machine in the main cavern. Hurry, or you won't have an island to go back to!|Snide|Donkey Kong 64}}
'''Hideout Helm''' is the eighth and final level of ''[[Donkey Kong 64]]''. It is the [[Kremling Krew]]'s battle station located inside the head of [[Crocodile Isle (Donkey Kong 64)|Crocodile Isle]]. Hideout Helm is the control room of the Crocodile Isle and the location of the [[Blast-o-Matic]]. The Kongs must decommission the Blast-o-Matic before it fully charges, which [[King K. Rool]] plots to blast at [[Donkey Kong Island|Kong Isle]]. The Kongs have a limited amount of time to meet this objective, which is shown from a timer. It counts down from ten minutes by default, but [[Snide]] can delay it by a minute for each [[Blueprint]] he has received. There are forty Blueprints in total, meaning that the highest possible countdown is 50 minutes. The timer does not take pauses, even when selecting a Kong from a [[Tag Barrel]] or on the "Try Again" screen shown when losing a Bonus Barrel challenge. If the timer runs out, the player gets a [[Game Over]], and the associated cutscene plays.

The Hideout Helm lobby is accessible after the [[Kong]]s unlock Padlocks 6 and 7 on [[K. Lumsy]]'s cage (meaning the player must collect the Boss Keys in [[Crystal Caves]] and [[Creepy Castle]]). After K. Lumsy's celebration, the mouth of Crocodile Isle is knocked open, and is where the Kongs can enter the lobby. The mouth can be reached by climbing up the ship, or if [[Tiny Kong]] uses her [[Monkeyport]] ability from a [[Cranky's Kong Pad|Tiny Pad]]. To enter the level itself, the Kongs must have a minimum of 100 [[Golden Banana]]s.

Hideout Helm has few key items unlike the other levels. It only features five [[Banana Medal]]s and a [[Battle Crown]], the former of which replaces the [[Golden Banana]]s. The [[Kong]] family shops and [[Snide's H.Q.]] are not featured. There is only one pair of [[Bananaporter]]s, the first pad being at the entrance and the other being in the control room.

Hideout Helm has a throne room where King K. Rool is located. It has a door depicting both the [[Nintendo Coin]] and [[Rareware Coin]], which are both needed to open it. The final [[Boss Key]] and two [[Banana Fairy|Banana Fairies]] are located behind the door. It is possible to capture them without accessing the door, by using the [[Banana Fairy's Camera]] from the outer glass window.

==Enemies==
*[[Kritter]]
*[[Klaptrap]]
*[[Klump]]
*[[Kasplat]] (Battle Arena only)
*[[Kosha]] (Bonus Level only)
*[[Mechanical Zinger]] (Bonus Level only)

==Layout==
First, [[Lanky Kong]] must use his [[OrangStand]] technique to get up two slopes. A Kritter and Klaptrap come before the first one while a Klump precedes the second slope. Lanky then ends up in a circular, symmetrical room with another Klump and a [[Target Switch|Pineapple Switch]]. He must jump into a nearby [[Tag Barrel]] and have [[Chunky Kong|Chunky]] shoot the switch. Doing so moves down a stone wall and reveals another pathway. Here, the Kongs must jump between five vines over the lava.

Another circular, symmetrical room appears afterward. [[Tiny Kong]] is required in this part, as there is a nearby [[Cranky's Kong Barrel|Tiny Barrel]] that Tiny must enter to use her [[Mini-Monkey]] ability to travel through a small pipe that leads to the room with the Blast-o-Matic. This Tiny Barrel somehow grants Tiny indefinite [[Crystal Coconut]] energy. A gate door automatically opens for Tiny just before she exits the pipe.

Tiny must jump into a Tag Barrel to swap out for [[Donkey Kong]]. He must walk behind the Blast-o-Matic and then use [[Gorilla Grab]] to pull a switch. This causes five DK stars to surround the Blast-o-Matic's second floor, and a Diddy Barrel also appears next to the Tag Barrel. There is a 60 second time limit for [[Diddy Kong]] to utilize [[Rocketbarrel Boost]] and fly through the stars. Doing so successfully opens five doors (which have a roman numeral on them, either 1-5) each leading to a room with a power generator for the Blast-o-Matic.

Each room has a differently colored generator powering a power stream of the Blast-o-Matic with the same color, and must be deactivated by a Kong of the associated color. The generators are protected by a force field, which take away a quarter melon of the Kongs' health if touched. Every room (aside from Diddy's, which can only be reached with his Rocketbarrel Boost) is blocked off by a flimsy gate that can only be removed from Chunky's [[Primate Punch]].

Every room has a glass door that prevents the Kongs from entering, and each one can be opened by a [[Music Pad]]. These pads only appear individually, as the next one appears after a Kong has completed their two challenges. The challenges are done in the order of Donkey Kong, Chunky, Tiny, Lanky, and lastly Diddy. Each generator room either features one or two enemies. Donkey Kong's room features a Kritter, both Chunky's and Lanky's have a Klaptrap and Kritter, Tiny's has a single Klump, and Diddy's has two Klaptraps. After every power stream is deactivated, the Blast-o-Matic shuts off, the timer stops, and the door depicting K. Rool's head opens up.

The active Kong must go down the newly-accessible hallway leading to the control room, which has the steering wheel, some computer screens, and the second Bananaport Pad. A single Klaptrap is at the left side, near the steering wheel, while a Kritter is on the right side. There is also a door depicting the Battle Crown and the number 4 on it, indicating a minimum requirement of four Battle Crowns to enter. This leads to the throne room. Just as the door opens, a cutscene shows K. Rool retreating into his [[K. Rool's airship (Donkey Kong 64)|airship]]. The last objective is for the Kongs to obtain the Boss Key behind the Nintendo/Rareware Coin Door.

==Bonus Barrels==
Unlike previous words, the [[Bonus Area#Donkey Kong 64|Bonus Stage]]s take place inside a steel drum with K. Rool's head. Each Kong must complete two challenges, which then deactivates their corresponding color of the Blast-o-Matic. Each Kong wins a [[Banana Medal]] for completing both challenges.

===Donkey Kong===
*'''Left Barrel''': Jump into the [[Barrel Cannon]] and shoot Donkey Kong into three of the four targets in under 30 seconds.
*'''Right Barrel''': [[Rambi]] must defeat 18 [[Kritter]]s while avoiding the electrical pylons in under 30 seconds.

===Chunky Kong===
*'''Left Barrel''': In a twenty second time limit, Chunky (as [[Hunky Chunky]]) must break open ? crates with his [[Primate Punch]] until he finds a lone Kritter, whom he must defeat.
*'''Right Barrel''': From the podium, Chunky has fire at five Kritters in 30 seconds. The challenge is easier with homing missiles, because the Kritters tend to move around.

===Tiny Kong===
*'''Left Barrel''': Tiny has to Ponytail Twirl through three DK stars. She is on top of metal boxes and cannot touch the ground, otherwise she loses. The third star is at an extreme angle. After she touches the stars, Tiny has to [[Simian Slam]] a switch.
*'''Right Barrel''': Similar to the left barrel, Tiny must bounce off mushrooms and Ponytail Twirl through three DK stars. She also does not lose from touching the ground. 

===Lanky Kong===
*'''Left Barrel''': Within 25 seconds, he must use [[OrangSprint]] to quickly navigate through a maze, hit a switch, and cross the finish line. Lanky must also avoid some Klumps and Koshas.
*'''Right Barrel''': Lanky must shoot down three [[Mechanical Zinger]]s, who get defeated from three hits each. The homing ammo makes the challenge easier because the enemies move around fast.

===Diddy Kong===
*'''Left Barrel''': There are a lot of Kritters in the room. Within 30 seconds, Diddy has to defeat the Kritter who activated the switch, and then press it. A sound effect plays if he defeats the correct Kritter is defeated.
*'''Right Barrel''': Within 45 seconds, Diddy must use [[Rocketbarrel Boost]] to go up and fire at four up-arrow switches. Then he must go down, avoid Koshas, and [[Simian Slam]] on the blue switch.

==Battle Arena Pad==
*Name: Shockwave Showdown
*Time: 90 Seconds
*Enemies: Kritter, Kasplat x2 (a third Kasplat appears towards the end)
*Location: In the Blast-o-Matic room, Diddy must use Rocketbarrel Boost to fly to the top of the machine where the [[Battle Arena Pad]] is located.
==Profiles==
===''Donkey Kong 64''===
{{quote|You'll find one of the hardest challenges you've faced in here. All five Kongs must work together! Yep, I know it's tough, but find enough playing skill from somewhere, and maybe you'll struggle through to the finish. But even when you get there, it may not be the end after all...|Cranky Kong|Donkey Kong 64 instruction booklet, page 21}}
{{quote|Deep within the gullet of his metal juggernaut, K. Rool awaits the persistent family of Kongs. Despite the danger of a malfunction, he orders his crew to fire up the defective war machine. Unless they can root out the King at his command center, the Kongs are living on borrowed time.|''Donkey Kong 64'' Player's Guide, page 108}}

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Hideout Helm generator.png|Full view of the Blast-o-Matic generator
Hideout Helm reactor room 1.png|First reactor room
Hideout Helm reactor room 2.png|Second reactor room
Hideout Helm reactor room 3.png|Third reactor room
Hideout Helm reactor room 4.png|Fourth reactor room
Hideout Helm reactor room 5.png|Fifth reactor room
Hideout Helm bonus barrel.png|Bonus Barrel interior
Hideout Helm control room.png|Control room
Hideout Helm throne room.png|King K. Rool's throne room 
</gallery>

==Names in other languages==
{{foreign names
|Jap=ハイドアウト
|JapR=Haidoauto
|JapM=Hideout
|Spa=Escondite Extremo
|SpaM=Extreme Hideout
|Fre=Planque-Panique
|FreM=Panic-Hideout
|Ger=K.Rools Kommandantur
|GerM=K. Rool's Commander's Office
|Ita=Elmetto Nascondiglio
|ItaM=Helmut Hideout
}}

==Trivia==
*K. Rool's laughter sounds as the countdown timer goes down. It plays more often as the timer nears zero. It sounds out at the 30 minute mark, the 20 minute mark, the 15 minute mark, the 10 minute mark, the 5 minute mark, and every minute mark after 3 minutes.
*Hideout Helm is the only level where the Tag Barrel theme is absent.
*This is the only level that does not have Wrinkly Kong doors in the lobby.
*A part of the level's theme is based on an unused track in ''{{wp|Banjo-Kazooie (video game)|Banjo-Kazooie}}'', also while it was known as Project Dream. The music track was named "Lost 1" by the composer of both ''Banjo-Kazooie'' and ''Donkey Kong 64'', [[Grant Kirkhope]].<ref>[https://tcrf.net/Prerelease:Banjo-Kazooie#Other_Music_Tracks Other Music Tracks] ''The Cutting Room Floor''. Retrieved February 21, 2022.</ref>

==References==
<references/>

{{br}}
{{DK64}}
[[Category:Fortresses]]
[[Category:Underground areas]]
[[Category:Donkey Kong 64 levels]]