Haunted Hall
Template:Level Haunted Hall is the twenty-fourth level of Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, and also the second area of Gloomy Gulch. It is one of two levels (the other being Castle Crush) that does not appear in the game's semi-sequel, Donkey Kong Land 2. Instead, it is replaced by a more generic roller-coaster level known as Krazy Koaster.
Although this is a roller coaster level, it is the only stage to be set inside a haunted library. Kackles, in their first and only appearance, pursue the Kongs throughout the level here, and the they must deal with them through the use of Plus and Minus Barrels. Because Kackles catch the Kongs when the timer, found at the top of the screen throughout the level, runs out, they have to increase the timer whenever they can by touching Plus Barrels. If they are not careful, they can decrease the timer by hitting Minus Barrels. Other than Kackles, Zingers also can be found on the track.
The music of Haunted Hall is called "Haunted Chase."
Level Layout
Donkey Kong Country 2
The level begins on a large, wooden platform with a gap ahead of it. Two hooks are above the gap to aid the heroes in crossing. Inside of this gap, the Kongs can find a Dixie Barrel that is able to fire them to a Golden Feather, and then back onto the starting platform. A track is also on the other side of the pit with a Skull Cart on it. As soon as the cart is entered, it begins to move and take the Kongs along a bumpy path to a small ramp with the first DK Barrel near it. There is a gate near here. When it is entered, a Kackle with a blue bandanna starts to chase the primates. As it chases them, the heroes ride up a hill towards a Plus Barrel, followed by another on the bumpy track. A gap is right after this with the letter K above it. As the two friends travel farther ahead, they ride up a hill with another Plus Barrel on it. The track soon flattens out. As the Skull Cart moves along it, it approaches two Minus Barrels with only a small space between them. A gate is after the pair, and when it is passed through, the Kackle ceases to chase them.
A bumpy path is after here. A hill is at the end of it that pulls the heroes downwards. As they ride down the hill, they can notice a separate track hidden nearby that leads to two Bonus Levels. If the miss this track, they ride across a track with two Zingers above it. Shortly after passing the two foes, they ride through the second gate, causing the second Kackle to chase them. Upon entering the gate, they ride up and down a large hill. A Plus Barrel is on the way down it, while another is at the bottom of the hill. Three more Plus Barrels are along the bumpy trail ahead, but each of them only replenish a few seconds. After the third barrel, the Kongs ride up a hill and approach a gap that they must pass. They ride down a hill after this, traveling towards another Plus Barrel. There is a small gap ahead, but a lower track is in it. A Banana Coin sits on it. Once this small section is passed, the primates come up to a Plus Barrel, followed by another just before a gap with the letter O in it. A Plus Barrel is also at the edge of the other side of the gap. A gate is just ahead of here, and the Kackle stops chasing them when it is passed. The level's Star Barrel floats at the top of a hill found after here.
After the Kongs ride down this hill and then wind up another, they come across a gate. Once it is passed and the heroes ride down to the bottom of a hill, a Kackle pursues them again. It chases them into an area full of Minus Barrels, which only decrease the thirty seconds that they begin the area with. They ride towards a pair of Minus Barrels at the start of this chase. A small gap is between the objects. Three more Minus Barrels are along a rather flat part of the track found just after a larger gap. An even larger abyss is after these barrels, but a piece of a track is in it with a Banana Coin on it, so the heroes can cross. A Minus Barrel hangs off the edge of the track right after these gaps. Soon, the primates ride down a small hill leading towards a Minus Barrel with the letter N next to it. An abyss follows here with one more Minus Barrel found in the air at the other side of it. Once they pass this, they travel towards another gate. The Kackle stops chasing them when it is passed. A bumpy track is ahead of here. There are two more tracks found separate from each other nearby. The bottom route leads to a Bonus Level, while the top one leads over a tunnel towards some Zingers. Once they pass this area, they wind over a small hill and pass through another gate. As a result, a Kackle chases them into an area with a mixture of Plus and Minus Barrels in it. A Plus and a Minus Barrel can be found just ahead of here, and they are placed right next to each other.
Two small gaps are after the barrels, and a track is between the two gaps with a Plus Barrel on it. Another Plus Barrel and a Minus Barrel float in the air after the gap. As the heroes ride up and down the two hills that follow, they come towards a Minus Barrel. Another one of these unhelpful barrels appears after a gap at the top of the hills. The letter G stands next to it. The Kongs ride past four more Plus and Minus Barrels on a bumpy trail just before reaching the next gap. A Plus and Minus Barrel found close together are just after it, located just before another gap. A hill leading downwards to another gap is on the other side of this abyss. It is followed by another gap with a straight, bumpy track after it. Plus and Minus Barrels are placed along this piece of the track. Two more gaps are ahead, and a Minus Barrel waits after each one. Once the heroes pass this final Minus Barrel, they pass through a gate, stopping the dangerous Kackle. They then head over a flat pathway leading them into a tunnel. Once they go through the passage, they find themselves on foot again without their Skull Cart. The End of Level Target can be found in this area next to a raised platform that the heroes enter the section on. The level is complete when they hit it. If they jump on the target from the raised platform, they can also win a prize.
Secrets
K-O-N-G Letters
- K: The letter K is above the first gap found after the first Kackle begins to chase the Kongs.
- O: The letter O is above the last gap just before the Star Barrel.
- N: The Kongs can find the letter N immediately before the second-to-last Minus Barrel, which is located before the second gate after the Star Barrel.
- G: The letter G is found in the final area that a Kackle chases the Kongs in. It is placed right behind a Minus Barrel.
Bonus Levels
- Bonus Level 1 and 2: When the Kongs are being chased by the first Kackle, they can find two separate tracks: one that leads up, and one that continues straight ahead. The primates should jump up to the track leading upwards, where they can see the entrance to a tunnel (which takes them to the second Bonus Level). Instead of going into it, they must jump on top of it to ride into the first Bonus Level. Here, the heroes need to travel up the track. Soon, they ride up a steep hill and hit a Plus Barrel. At the moment they touch it, the Kongs are shot backwards across the track. As they go back down the steep hill, they must jump up to another set of tracks and continue crossing gaps at a high speed. At the end, they run right into the Kremkoin and exit the Bonus Area, which they are given 15 seconds to complete. When they are back in the main level, still going backwards, the primates land directly in front of the tunnel they had just been above. Suddenly, the cart switches directions and moves on forward into the next Bonus Level. Here, they must travel down the track and collect 120 stars scattered throughout the area. There are more than 120 stars along the way, so they do not have to collect all of them. When the primates reach the end of the area, they come up to a Kremkoin, if they manage to grab enough stars. The Kongs are sent back to the main level without the Kremkoin if they fall into the pit at the beginning of the bonus, run out of time (they are given 17 seconds to complete the bonus), or fail to obtain enough stars.
- Bonus Level 3: While being chased by the second Kackle past the Star Barrel, the Kongs can find two separate tracks. As before, one leads strait forward, while the other goes upwards. The Kongs should make a small jump and take the bottom route, which leads to a Bonus Barrel that shoots them into a Bonus Level. Here, they have to ride their Skull Cart at the highest possible speed and cross large gaps with it. If they fall into any of these gaps, they are sent back into the main level. Eventually, they can make it to the end of the course and obtain the Kremkoin. The Kongs have 15 seconds to find an collect this coin.
DK Coin
- At the end of the level before the Kongs hit the End of Level Target, they should walk under the tunnel to the left. When they go in, they grab the DK Coin, and then are shot out of the tunnel from an Auto Fire Barrel. In the Game Boy Advance port, the coin is present in a different area. Instead, it is hidden behind the Kongs in the doorway at the end of the level. They must jump up to reach it.
Golden Feather (Game Boy Advance version only)
- The heroes should jump into the abyss located immediately before the Skull Cart to find a hidden Dixie Barrel. If Dixie Kong lands in this, she is shot to the level's Golden Feather.
Photograph (Game Boy Advance version only)
- At the end of the level when the heroes get off of their Skull Cart, they should scurry under a small tunnel. Once they do this, they are blasted into a photograph and back out of the tunnel with an Auto Fire Barrel. The photograph gives them a picture of a Kackle for the fifth page of their scrapbook.
Gallery
Artwork of Haunted Hall.
- HauntedHall165.png
The Kongs ride down a small hill in the original version of the game.
- GhostlyChase 2 65.jpg
A Kackle chases the heroes.
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The Kongs ride under a Zinger in the Game Boy Advance version of the game.
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Diddy and Dixie passing through one of the gates.
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The heroes collecting some bananas.
