K. Rool's Keep

K. Rool's Keep is the sixth world of Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest and the fifth of Donkey Kong Land 2. It is a perched castle situated on the very top of Crocodile Isle.

Description

As its name suggests, K. Rool's Keep belongs to Kaptain K. Rool. Since the area is at a high elevation, some surrounding areas are entirely frozen and constantly battered by high winds. The castle is hazardous to climb, as there are two ice caverns, a mine shaft, and three dungeons between the bottom and top of the castle. Every dungeon-based level has a quirk to impede Diddy and Dixie Kong's progress; The first dungeon has a rising floor, meaning the heroes could get crushed if they do not move out of the way of the ceiling quick enough. The only way to proceed up the second dungeon is by climbing chain links, guarded by a plethora of enemies and obstacles. The third dungeon has a rising pool of toxic waste. Donkey Kong Island also appears in the background, on the left side of the world map.

Unlike the other worlds in the Super Nintendo version, K. Rool's Keep does not have a boss. However, it eventually received its own boss in the Game Boy Advance remake: a large, orange monster named Kerozene.

In the Game Boy Advance remake of Donkey Kong Country 2, the castle was remodeled to look like a cylindrical medieval tower, in addition to giving the bottom of the castle a floor of ice. Furthermore, there is snow outside at the world's Kong Kollege. Donkey Kong Island can no longer be seen from the world map.

In the ending of both Donkey Kong Country 2 and Donkey Kong Land 2, after the Lost World explodes, the entire Crocodile Isle sinks into the ocean, including K. Rool's Keep.

Levels

Castle Crush is absent from Donkey Kong Land 2 and is replaced with a different level, Dungeon Danger. In the Game Boy Advance release, the level order is slightly different: Castle Crush is the second level, Clapper's Cavern is the third, and Windy Well is the fourth.

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest

Level	Description	Enemies	Animal Friends
Arctic Abyss	This level is the first ice-themed level. Enguarde the Swordfish will take the majority of the level to swim all the way to the end of the level. Waters will rise or fall depending on the location in the level, essentially making it a race against the waters at times. Beware of exploding Puftups.	Kaboom Flotsam Puftup Lockjaw Shuri	Enguarde
Windy Well	This is the third and final mine shaft level of Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. The player(s) will ride the winds upward and ascend to the top, while avoiding enemies such as Zinger. Bonus items can be collected if they are good enough at positioning and timing.	Click-Clack Zinger Kutlass Kannon Krook Kruncha Spiny Klampon Klobber	Squawks
Castle Crush	The first castle level of this world where the player(s) ride a platform upward and avoid collision with the ceiling and various enemies. Two Animal Buddies can be found in this level, being Rambi the Rhino and Squawks the Parrot, in order of appearance.	Neek Spiny Kutlass Krook Kruncha Klampon Zinger Mini-Necky	Rambi Squawks
Clapper's Cavern	Clapper's Cavern is an ice cavern level where Clapper the Seal will help the player(s) throughout. Clapper has the ability temporarily freeze the water into solid ice for the Kongs so that they can avoid a swimming Snapjaw in the water. The player(s) must slide their way across pools of water to finish the level.	Snapjaw Kruncha Spiny Klampon Zinger Neek Flotsam Shuri Puftup Flitter	Clapper Enguarde
Chain Link Chamber	The player(s) will navigate this level by climbing a series of chains, being laid out horizontally and vertically, and can find various secret areas and items throughout the level. Enemies such as Klingers and Zingers will try to harm the player(s).	Klinger Zinger Klobber Krook Kutlass Mini-Necky Kannon	None
Toxic Tower	The final regular level of K. Rool's Keep has the player(s) transforming into various Animal Buddies as they try to dodge rising toxic waste. They will have to transform into Rattly the Rattlesnake, Squawks the Parrot, and Squitter the Spider, in that order, all of which are required in order to complete the level.	Klampon Kaboing Zinger Kannon	Rattly Squawks Squitter
Stronghold Showdown	This level is essentially a cutscene: the Kongs find Donkey Kong tied up, are then rewarded a Kremkoin, only to have Donkey Kong immediately pulled away into The Flying Krock. In the Game Boy Advance remake, the Kongs fight the new world boss, Kerozene.	None	None

Donkey Kong Land 2

Level	Description
Arctic Abyss	Arctic Abyss is a generic water level, featuring two appearances of Enguarde the Swordfish. The water levels never change, unlike its namesake level, so the player may proceed at their own pace.
Windy Well	Windy Well is fundamentally unaltered from its Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest iteration. The player will get to the top of a mine shaft by being lifted by a strong gust. Collectible items, including Bananas and Banana Coins, can be acquired along the way.
Dungeon Danger	This level is a regular castle level with no rising floors, and replaces Castle Crush in Donkey Kong Land 2. It is a maze-like level.
Clapper's Cavern	Clapper's Cavern in Donkey Kong Land 2 is essentially the same as its Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest predecessor: Clapper must be used to get across pools of water, but instead of the waters having Snapjaw, instead the water itself is harmful to touch. Thus, if the water thaws out before the player can jump to land, they will be injured. The unfrozen water is darkened similar to lava seen in Krem Cauldron, but is extremely cold instead of extremely hot, still being unsafe to swim in.
Chain Link Chamber	Chain Link Chamber has the player climbing up the castle via chain links, and they can find some bonus items along the way. The level itself has a straightforward route without much room for deviation.
Toxic Tower	Toxic Tower has the player racing against rising toxic waste. Similar to its namesake level in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, three animal buddies are used, but the order was altered. After a brief chain link climbing segment, Squitter the Spider is used first, then Rattly the Rattlesnake, and finally Squawks the Parrot. The first two Animal Buddies take up the beginning of the stage, and Squawks is used for the remainder of the level.
Stronghold Showdown	Stronghold Showdown has the same purpose as it did in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest.

Gallery

• 

  In Donkey Kong Land 2

• 

  In Donkey Kong Country 2 (Game Boy Advance)

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	山頂の砦「クロコブルグ」[?] Sanchō no Toride "Kurokoburugu"	Mountaintop Fortress "Croc-berg"
Spanish	Guarida de K. Rool[?]	K. Rool's Lair