Tree Top Town

Tree Top Town is the twelfth level of Donkey Kong Country. It is also the second level of the Vine Valley area.

Summary
Tree Top Town is the first level at a treetop village, where houses and walkways are made of wood and are tacked or bound with ropes to the enormous tree trunks. The town seems to be quite widespread, as the background shows several huts (which do not appear in the Game Boy Color remake), and tall wooden ladders.

In the level, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong traversing the treetops by walking across bridges, jumping between treetops, and utilizing numerous Barrel Cannons to get across large abysses. In the walking segments, the areas are usually not too large, leaving small room for repositioning. Blue Kritters and Gnawties are the main enemies encountered in the level.

In the Game Boy Advance version, more offscreen Barrel Cannons were added to catch the Kongs if they blast off the path.

Layout
The Kongs begin the level by exiting a small hut and walking towards a bridge that a Gnawty walks along. As the Kongs walk through the area, a Necky flies over their heads. The primates soon travel to a Barrel Cannon placed on the edge of a platform composed of several planks. It can shoot them over a small abyss and optionally to a DK Barrel. On the other side of the abyss, the Kongs can find another wooden area that wraps around a tree trunk. A Gnawty drops onto it as they approach a large gap full of Barrel Cannons. Each of these Barrel Cannons, with the exception of the stationary Auto Fire Barrel at the end the pit, move in a vertical path when entered, they the Kongs can shoot through each of them to cross the abyss, which is followed by another wooden platform that is structured around a tree trunk.

The platform is connected by another just like it by a bridge that some Gnawties march along. A wide abyss is ahead, and it contains many Barrel Cannons that, with the exception of the Auto Fire Barrel at the end of the pit, move in a horizontal path when entered. The Kongs must blast among the many barrels in order to cross the abyss, which is followed by two sets of wooden platforms that surrounded tree trunks. The letter K hovers over a small pit between them, and a few Gnawties also walk along the second platform. They can discover another wide abyss near here with numerous Barrel Cannons in it. Aside from the Auto Fire Barrel at the beginning of the pit, all of the Barrel Cannons move in diagonal paths, aiming the heroes one barrel to the next. Once they make their way over the abyss, they slam into the level's Star Barrel.

A raised set of planks follow the Star Barrel, and they support a lone barrel. After crossing a small pit ahead of here, the Kongs reach a pair of platforms that circle tree trunks. An Auto Fire Barrel is placed between them, and if they enter it, they are blasted up into a Barrel Cannon that moves back ad forth in a horizontal path. The letter O is to the right of this barrel. A bridge holding a DK Barrel connects the platform to the right of the Auto Fire Barrel to another platform composed of planks. The primates can find a wide abyss after it that consists of four Auto Fire Barrels. They must jump in the first of the barrels with good timing, as it immediately blasts them to the next barrel, which moves in a vertical path up and down. The primates can land in the abyss if they do not shoot at it when it is positioned in front of the first Auto Fire Barrel.

Donkey and Diddy Kong can find another platform made of planks ahead of here, and a Gnawty and another Auto Fire Barrel are located on it. The Auto Fire Barrels fires them above a wide abyss towards a few other barrels that they must use to shoot over the remaining part of the hazard. On the other side of the abyss, the Kongs can find a wooden platform that wraps around a tree trunk, which carries a lone Gnawty. Another wide pit is ahead of here, and the Kongs can only cross it with the help of a mixture of Auto Fire Barrels and Barrel Cannons. As they cross, they must make sure to shoot into the Auto Fire Barrels with good timing so they can blast them into the following barrel while it is positioned in the correct place. On the opposite side of the pit, the duo can discover two platforms composed of planks being connected by a long bridge that supports a multitude of hopping Kritters. A barrel also sits on the first of the platforms. An abyss can be found after the platforms that contains three Auto Fire Barrels and a Barrel Cannon.

As they blast over the beginning of the pit, they must hop into the first Auto Fire Barrel so that it blasts them into the next at a good time, due to the second Auto Fire Barrel shooting them into a moving Barrel Cannon that they are able to miss. Another wooden platform that circles a tree trunk follows the abyss. The Kongs can find another pit immediately after it the contains many Barrel Cannons that move back in forth in vertical paths. After using them to cross a great deal of the pit, the heroes reach a Necky that flies above the remaining part of the pit. They are able to blast on top of it to cross the rest of the obstacle, which is followed by a wooden platform. The letter G hovers high above the platform, which holds a tire that can help them bounce to a higher set of planks. A sign can be found on the higher planks, and it indicates that the level is near complete. After the two friends jump over a small pit ahead of here, which contains a Zinger with an Animal Token of Expresso above it, they can find an exit sign that is followed by a small hut. The level is completed when they enter it.

Other appearances
In the Donkey Kong Country animated series, Cranky's Cabin is designed in a manner resembling the huts seen in this level.

Notably, artwork of an area called Tree Top Village is available for the Bonus Gallery of Donkey Kong Country Returns. However, this location is unplayable in the actual game and is considered a mere cameo.

Donkey Kong Country: Rumble in the Jungle
In the 1995 novel Donkey Kong Country: Rumble in the Jungle, Tree Top Town is at the edge of Donkey Kong Island's jungle. It used to be an "active ape community" until it became overrun by Kremlings. The Kongs pass through Tree Top Town while making their way on foot to Big Ape City, in order to rescue Funky Kong. Donkey Kong tells the other Kongs to "move quickly and quietly" underneath the platforms, as the wooden tree huts that house the Kremlings were above. However, Cranky Kong insists to take the lead, and he trips on a low vine while charging ahead. This triggers a loud alarm, alerting all Kremlings in Tree Top Town.

Surrounded by Kremlings, Donkey Kong swings from an overhead vine to defeat several of them, as well as using a hand slap. Diddy Kong uses a cartwheel, and Cranky Kong utilizes his cane to strike attacks. It is shown that the Kremlings operate powerful barrel cannons high up in the trees, which fire "dangerous barrels". Donkey Kong uses a tree branch to launch several TNT Barrels, destroying the cannons.