Donkey Kong Country

This article is about the 1994 SNES game Donkey Kong Country. For other uses of the name "Donkey Kong Country", see Donkey Kong Country (disambiguation).

"DKC" redirects here. For information about Donkey Kong Circus, see Donkey Kong Circus. For Donkey Kong Classics, see Donkey Kong Classics.

Donkey Kong Country
For alternate box art, see the game's gallery.
Developer	Rareware
Publisher	Nintendo
Platform(s)	Super Famicom/Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Virtual Console (Wii, Wii U, New 3DS), Super NES Classic Edition, Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online
Release date	SNES: November 18, 1994 November 21, 1994 November 26, 1994 1994 Virtual Console (Wii): December 7, 2006 December 8, 2006 December 12, 2006 February 19, 2007 May 26, 2008 Virtual Console (Wii U): October 16, 2014 October 17, 2014 November 26, 2014 February 26, 2015 Virtual Console (New 3DS): March 4, 2016 March 24, 2016 March 24, 2016 March 25, 2016 Super NES Classic Edition: September 29, 2017 September 29, 2017 September 30, 2017 October 5, 2017 Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online: July 15, 2020 July 15, 2020 July 15, 2020 July 15, 2020 July 15, 2020 July 15, 2020
Genre	Platformer
Rating(s)	ESRB: - Kids to Adults (original release) ESRB: - Everyone (Virtual Console release) PEGI: - Three years and older CERO: - All ages
Mode(s)	1–2 players
Media	Super NES: Game Pak Wii: Digital download Wii U: Digital download Nintendo Switch: Digital download Nintendo 3DS: Digital download Super NES Classic Edition: Built-in
Input	Super NES: Super NES Controller Wii: Classic Controller Nintendo GameCube Controller Wii U: Wii U GamePad Classic Controller Wii U Pro Controller Nintendo Switch: Joy-Con Nintendo Switch Pro Controller Super NES Controller Nintendo 3DS: Gamepad Super NES Classic Edition: Super NES Classic Controller Classic Controller

Donkey Kong Country is a side-scrolling platform game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System released in November 1994. It was developed by Rareware and published by Nintendo. The game stars Donkey Kong and his sidekick Diddy Kong, as the two travel across Donkey Kong Island to recover their banana hoard, stolen by the Kremlings and their leader, King K. Rool.

The player controls Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong (each with their own strengths and abilities) as they travel throughout a variety of linear levels in different environments. Gameplay features include the ability to ride a variety of other animal characters after freeing them, the ability to pick up and throw barrels to defeat enemies and uncover hidden passages, and puzzles involving navigating gauntlets of moving suspended barrels. Donkey Kong Country also encourages players to find all bonus rooms hidden in the game's levels to get 101% completion, a feature its sequels would greatly expand upon.

The game reintroduced the Donkey Kong franchise (alongside the 1994 Game Boy game released a few months prior) after a nearly decade-long hiatus and, in doing, also introduced Donkey Kong's modern design, his supporting cast and enemies, setting, musical motifs, and the gameplay mechanics that most of the following Donkey Kong games as well as Donkey Kong's appearances in spin-off games in the Super Mario franchise that titles would build upon. The game's success spawned multiple sequels and spin-offs, a 40-episode 3D animated series, a chapter book adaptation, manga adaptations in both Kodansha's Super Mario manga and Super Mario-kun, and other merchandise. Donkey Kong Country was notable because of its pre-rendered sprites that were converted from 3D CGI models on Silicon Graphics workstations, inspiring future video games to do the same. The first main game installment in the Donkey Kong Country series, the title was followed by two sequels: Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, released in 1995; and Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!, released in 1996. A reboot, Donkey Kong Country Returns, was released in 2010 for the Wii and was followed in 2014 by a direct sequel for the Wii U, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze.

The game was remade for the Game Boy Color in 2000 and was also remade again for the Game Boy Advance in 2003. Both remakes feature some extra Bonus Games and the ability to save in the overworld. Donkey Kong Country was ported to the Wii's Virtual Console in 2006/2007. On November 25, 2012, Donkey Kong Country and its sequels were delisted from the Wii Virtual Console, likely due to Microsoft's desire to renegotiate licensing agreements with Nintendo before re-releasing it, but on October 30, 2014, the games were relisted in Europe and Australia. Around the same time, the games were released on the Wii U's Virtual Console in Europe and Australia, in Japan on November 26, 2014, and in the United States and Canada on February 26, 2015. For handhelds, Donkey Kong Country was ported exclusively to the New Nintendo 3DS's Virtual Console in March 2016. It is one of the 21 games included on the Super NES Classic Edition and was made available on Super Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online for the Nintendo Switch on July 15, 2020.

In 1995, a specialized competition variant named Donkey Kong Country Competition Cartridge was manufactured for use in various video game tournaments held throughout 1995. After that, the few existing cartridges were sold in a Nintendo Power subscriber catalogue, and the carts have since become a collector's item.

Story

“I'll hunt them down through every part of my island, until I have every banana from my hoard back!!”

—Donkey Kong

During a stormy night on Donkey Kong Island, Donkey Kong orders Diddy to guard his banana hoard for his "hero training" until midnight. While watching for predators beneath the darkness, Diddy hears noises outside. He nervously asks, "W-w-who goes there?!". An ominous voice tells the other to seal Diddy in a barrel, kick it into the bushes, and steal the bananas. Diddy gets ambushed by Kremlings, some of which he manages to defeat with his Cartwheel Attack until being overpowered by Klump. He seals Diddy in a DK Barrel and kicks it across the jungle. The Kremlings load the entire banana hoard onto their vehicles and carry them through the jungle, dropping behind trails of bananas.

The next morning, Donkey Kong wakes up by a loud calling of his name. Realizing that he slept through his watch, Donkey Kong quickly exits his tree house, only to find Cranky Kong outside. Cranky prompts Donkey Kong to check the banana cave for a "big surprise". Inside the cave, Donkey Kong finds out that all of his bananas were stolen, with only a few discarded peels lying around. Cranky mocks Donkey Kong for shirking his responsibility, noting that Diddy is also gone. Meanwhile, Donkey Kong is in disbelief over his stolen bananas and rages that the Kremlings stole all of them. Donkey Kong vows to bring payback upon the Kremlings and recover his banana hoard.

Cranky breaks the fourth wall by questioning why the "game idea" involves finding Diddy and rescuing bananas instead of a damsel in distress. Donkey Kong tells how Diddy wishes to be a video game hero like Donkey Kong. Cranky believes neither of them are suitable for being video game heroes, and he goes on to brag about his popularity during the arcade era. Deeming the adventure "ridiculous", Cranky believes Donkey Kong would be lucky to even sell ten copies of the game. Donkey Kong gets mad at Cranky and insists on going on an adventure to save Diddy and recover the stolen bananas. Donkey Kong leaves and follows a trail of bananas along his way. Cranky briefly hesitates, but then follows after Donkey Kong. Cranky mumbles that Donkey Kong may need his help and further mentions that kids do not have respect for their elders anymore.

In the first level, Donkey Kong releases Diddy Kong, who tags along during the adventure. Together, the Kongs travel through various areas, including jungles, mines, forests, temples, snowy mountains, caves, and factories. With assistance from Cranky, Funky, and Candy Kong, the two Kongs eventually reach a large pirate ship, the Gangplank Galleon, where they are confronted by the Kremling Krew's leader, King K. Rool. After Donkey Kong and Diddy defeat King K. Rool, Cranky congratulates them and tells them to check the banana hoard. They do so, finding that the bananas have been returned.

Gameplay

The game introduces the "tag-team" system, where Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong follow each other throughout the levels. The Kong in front is the one currently in play, while the other Kong follows behind. If the Kong in play is injured, he quickly runs off the screen, and the other takes its place. If this happens, only one Kong is on the screen at a time. If the lone Kong is injured by an enemy, the player loses an extra life and must restart the level either from the start or from the activated Continue Barrel. Any Kong that is missing can be recovered from a DK Barrel. When either the Kongs are freed from a DK Barrel, he goes behind the Kong in play. The player can press to switch characters, in which case Donkey Kong high-fives Diddy to switch places with him, or vice versa.

Abilities

Diddy rides on a steel keg

The basic moves that Donkey Kong and Diddy can perform include jumping, rolling/cartwheeling, climbing, and swimming. The most commonly used basic abilities are the jump and roll moves, both of which allow the Kongs to cross gaps and defeat enemies. The roll and cartwheel act as the same move, but can only be used by Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong respectively. The respective Kong can perform their roll or cartwheel from a ledge to do a longer jump in midair, effective for moving across abysses. Ropes are the only object that the Kongs can climb up or down on, allowing them to reach items or higher areas. Some ropes start moving across a gap when the Kongs cling on it while some others remain stationary. The Kongs can only swim during underwater levels.

Aside from the rolling attack, the Kongs also have some different abilities. Diddy is faster and more agile than Donkey Kong, but he is not as strong, which makes it harder for him to defeat Armys, Krushas, and Klumps. Donkey Kong is stronger and slower than Diddy and can perform a unique move, the Hand Slap. The move allows Donkey Kong find hidden items or objects in the ground or on treetops, but it can also be used to defeat enemies.

Another difference between the two Kongs is how they pick up and throw barrels. When Diddy picks up a barrel, he holds in front of him, protecting himself from enemies in the way. Donkey Kong holds a barrel over his head, which leaves him vulnerable to enemies in the front. Donkey Kong can throw barrels slightly farther than Diddy, allowing him to hit an enemy from a distance. When the barrel hits into an enemy, it breaks. If the Kongs throw a steel keg against a wall, they can jump on the barrel and balance on it as it rolls along.

Modes

When selecting a new file, the player can choose either single player or multiplayer; once the player selects a mode, they cannot change it unless they delete it and start a new one. In multiplayer, the first player controls Donkey Kong while the second player controls Diddy Kong. In multiplayer, if either Kong is hit, the other player must press a button to take over with their Kong. The game keeps a score for both players, to keep track of how many levels they have completed.

Icon	Title	Description
	One player	A single player controls both Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong.
	Two player contest	Two players compete to finish the most levels. The first player's Kong duo are normal, while the second player's Kongs are both yellow.
	Two player team	Two players cooperatively take turns playing through the levels. The first player controls Donkey Kong, while the second player controls Diddy. Players can change turns by switching the Kongs or by losing their Kong.

Characters

The Kongs

There are a few Kongs who help Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong along their journey, and they each appear in one of the supporting locations.

Playable
Image	Name	Description
	Donkey Kong	The main character of the game, Donkey Kong is stronger and heavier than his partner, Diddy Kong, and can defeat stronger enemies. He also has his own move, the Hand Slap which can defeat certain enemies and reveal hidden objects.
	Diddy Kong	Diddy is the best friend and sidekick of Donkey Kong. While he is not as strong as his partner, Diddy is faster, but his light weight prevents him from being able to defeat more powerful enemies in a single jump.
Supporting
Image	Name	Description
	Candy Kong	Candy is the love interest of Donkey Kong. She hosts a different location in each three versions of the game. In the original version, she operates Candy's Save Point, where the Kongs can go to save their game progress.
	Cranky Kong	Cranky Kong was the original Donkey Kong from the Donkey Kong arcade game. He resides at Cranky's Cabin, where he provides various pieces of advice to Donkey Kong and Diddy along their adventure. Cranky regards himself as the greatest video game hero, and does not believe the Kongs can complete their adventure without his assistance.
	Funky Kong	Funky Kong operates a flight service at Funky's Flights, where he allows Donkey Kong and Diddy to use the Jumbo Barrel to travel throughout areas of Donkey Kong Island that they have already visited.

The Good Guys

Aside from the supporting Kongs, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong are also assisted by Animal Friends during the game. Each Animal Friend is imprisoned within an animal crate depicting a silhouette of their face. The Animal Friends only appear in certain levels, and the Kongs cannot take them to other levels. Every Animal Friend has their own unique abilities.

Image	Name	Description	First level	Last level
	Rambi	Rambi is first found halfway through the first level. He can defeat most enemies by running into them, as well as break entrances to hidden bonus rooms.	Jungle Hijinxs	Manic Mincers
	Enguarde	Enguarde appears in most of the underwater levels. With his sharp bill, Enguarde can defeat most aquatic enemies in his path.	Coral Capers	Poison Pond
	Winky	Winky has a high jumping ability that allows him to reach higher areas, namely bonus rooms. Winky can defeat most enemies by jumping on them, including Zingers.	Winky's Walkway	Rope Bridge Rumble
	Expresso	Expresso has the ability to run fast and to glide across the air, although he cannot attack enemies. Due to his long legs, Expresso is unaffected by Klaptraps moving under his legs.	Temple Tempest	Misty Mine
	Squawks	Squawks only appears in the level Torchlight Trouble, where he holds a lamp to light the path forward for the Kongs. Squawks is the only Animal Friend that the Kongs cannot ride and the only one without an animal token. Squawks cannot be defeated by any enemy.	Torchlight Trouble	-

Enemies

Various types of enemies appear throughout the levels, attempting to get into Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong's way. The Kremlings are the main enemies of the game.

The Bad Guys
Image	Name	Description	First level appearance	Last level appearance
	Army	An armadillo enemy that rolls up into a ball and charges at the Kongs to attack. Donkey Kong can defeat them from either a jump or roll attack. If Diddy either jumps or cartwheels into a curled up Army, the enemy is forced out of its curled posture. Diddy can defeat Army if it is not curled up.	Ropey Rampage	Platform Perils
	Gnawty	A beaver enemy that is common, but is one of the weakest enemies. They simply walk around back and forth and can be defeated from any attack. Gnawties have a rare, brown variant that ride on a Millstone, and contrarily they are invulnerable to any form of attack.	Jungle Hijinxs	Platform Perils
	Manky Kong	Manky Kongs are orangutans who were exiled from the Kong Family. They attack by throwing an unlimited number of barrels at Donkey Kong and Diddy. Both Kongs can defeat them by their jump and roll attack.	Orang-utan Gang	Loopy Lights
	Mini-Necky	A small vulture that attacks by spitting nuts at the Kongs. Some Mini-Neckys move up and down while spitting nuts. They can be defeated by either a roll or a jump attack.	Vulture Culture	Elevator Antics
	Necky	A vulture enemy who either throws nuts at the Kongs from high platforms or flies across the level. The flying Neckys can be bounced on to reach higher areas.	Jungle Hijinxs	Platform Perils
	Slippa	A red coral snake that slithers along the ground in caves and other subterranean areas. They are one of the weaker enemies and can be defeated by any attack.	Reptile Rumble	Misty Mine
	Zinger	Zingers are wasps and very common enemies who appear in almost every level. The Kongs cannot defeat Zingers themselves and must use either a barrel or an Animal Friend to defeat them. The Kongs must usually avoid the Zingers along the way. Zingers have a few different color variations, each with their own flight pattern: yellow moves vertically, orange moves horizontally or flies in place, pink moves in a circular path or flies in place, and green moves in a u-shaped path.	Ropey Rampage	Platform Perils
The Aquatic Bad Guys
Image	Name	Description	First level appearance	Last level appearance
	Bitesize	A small piranha enemy that like other underwater enemies, cannot be defeated by the Kongs. Enguarde can defeat Bitesizes and most other underwater enemies.	Coral Capers	Poison Pond
	Chomps	A large, green shark enemy that are larger than Bitesizes, but otherwise act the same, and they can also be defeated by Enguarde.	Coral Capers	Croctopus Chase
	Chomps Jr.	A small, blue shark enemy and a smaller variant of Chomps. They act similar to Chomps except they are smaller and slightly faster.	Coral Capers	Poison Pond
	Clambo	A clam enemy that attacks by spitting out pearls at the Kongs. They do not move around and are usually in a corner outside of the main path. They cannot be defeated by Enguarde.	Coral Capers	Clam City
	Croctopus	An octopus enemy that quickly treads through water to hit the Kongs. The purple variants move in fixed patterns around blocks of coral reef, while the blue variants go in a set path after the Kongs once they pass them. Like Clambos, they cannot be defeated.	Coral Capers	Croctopus Chase
	Squidge	A jellyfish type enemy that swims up and down through underwater areas in zigzag lines. They can be defeated by Enguarde.	Croctopus Chase	Poison Pond
The Kremlings
Image	Name	Description	First level appearance	Last level appearance
	Klaptrap	Klaptraps are small, four-legged crocodiles who repeatedly open and close their jaws while moving in the Kongs' direction. Because of this, the Kongs cannot attack Klaptrap by rolling into it from the front. Klaptraps can either be defeated from behind or if jumped over. Klaptraps have a rare, purple variant that jump at the same time as the Kongs do.	Stop & Go Station	Loopy Lights
	Klump	Klump is a strong, burly enemy that wears military gear. Klump's helmet defends itself from Diddy's jump attack, although Donkey Kong can defeat a Klump by jumping on it. Both Kongs can use a roll attack to defeat a Klump.	Jungle Hijinxs	Platform Perils
	Krash	A Kritter who rides in a mine cart. Krashes ride in the opposite direction of the Kongs, attempting to crash into them. Donkey Kong and Diddy must avoid Krashes by jumping over them. In Mine Cart Madness, some Krashes are in a stationary mine carts, and the Kongs can jump on them to defeat them and take over the mine cart.	Mine Cart Carnage	Mine Cart Madness
	Kritter	Kritters are the grunt soldiers of the Kremling Krew. They are one of the weakest enemies along with Gnawty. The color of a Kritter determines its movement behavior: the standard, green ones walk forward, the blue ones jump while moving forward, the brown ones jump vertically without moving forward, yellow ones jump left and right, and gray Kritters hop forward a few times before doing a long jump.	Jungle Hijinxs	Loopy Lights
	Krusha	Krushas are strong, muscular Kremlings, and there are blue Krushas and the uncommon gray variant. Diddy cannot defeat Krushas without using a barrel. Donkey Kong can defeat blue Krushas by jumping on them, but performing a roll or a Hand Slap attack are ineffective. Gray Krushas are stronger than the blue ones and can only be defeated from a barrel.	Millstone Mayhem	Platform Perils
	Rock Kroc	Rock Krocs dash back and forth rapidly while the Stop & Go Barrels are set to "Go", and the Kongs get injured when they come in contact with a Rock Kroc. Donkey Kong and Diddy cannot pass the Rock Krocs safely unless the Stop & Go Barrels are set to "Stop", causing the Rock Krocs to briefly curl into a ball until the Stop & Go Barrels return to "Go". Rock Krocs are invincible and cannot be defeated.	Stop & Go Station
Obstacles
Image	Name	Description	First level appearance	Last level appearance
	Black drum	A drum obstacle that fires out an indefinite supply of a specific enemy, such as Slippas and Gnawties. They can only be destroyed from a TNT Drum. They are a smaller variant of Dumb Drum.	Winky's Walkway	Misty Mine
	Cannonball	Giant iron balls that fall across the screen sequentially when K. Rool performs his floor-slam attack.	Gang-Plank Galleon
	Coconut	The favored projectiles of the Necky family, they may be launched straight horizontally or in bouncing arcs.	Jungle Hijinxs	Necky's Revenge
	Crownerang	K. Rool's primary weapon, his own crown. When he throws it, however, he renders himself vulnerable to stomp attacks.	Gang-Plank Galleon
	Millstone	Millstones are enormous invulnerable stone wheels ridden in by Gnawties.	Millstone Mayhem	Temple Tempest
	Mincer	Mincers are spiked tire obstacles who either move in a pattern or remain in a single spot. They are invincible and must be avoided by the Kongs.	Torchlight Trouble	Manic Mincers
	Oil drum	Oil drums resemble black drums except for their wider appearance and ability to emit fire. The word "OIL" is embedded on them.	Torchlight Trouble	Oil Drum Alley
	Pearl	Projectiles shot in numbers from one to five at once in straight lines by Clambos.	Coral Capers	Clam City

The Bosses

At the end of every world, the Kongs must fight a boss, each guarding a portion of the stolen bananas. Most of the bosses are a larger version of an enemy.

Image	Name	Description	Level appearance
	Very Gnawty	A giant Gnawty that jumps around, trying to hit the Kongs. Donkey Kong and Diddy must jump on it five times to defeat it. For each hit, Very Gnawty bounces and moves around faster.	Very Gnawty's Lair
	Master Necky	A giant Necky that creeps his head out from one of four corners of the screen, spitting large nuts at the Kongs. Master Necky spit nuts faster each time he is jumped on. Donkey Kong or Diddy can defeat the boss by jumping on his head five times.	Necky's Nuts
	Queen B.	A giant Zinger who flies around the arena. The Kongs can attack her with a barrel. When hit, Queen B. temporarily turns red and moves up and down in a wavy pattern before returning normal. She must be hit five times to be defeated.	Bumble B. Rumble
	Really Gnawty	A boss who looks and acts similar to Very Gnawty. Really Gnawty can move faster and jump a lot higher than Very Gnawty. The Kongs must jump on Really Gnawty five times to defeat it. After each hit, it performs a consecutive amount of high jumps corresponding to the total amount of times it has been hit.	Really Gnawty Rampage
	Dumb Drum	A giant black drum that attempts to crush the Kongs. After that, Dumb Drum sends out a pair of a specific enemy before continuing its attempt to crush the Kongs. The order in which Dumb Drum releases the enemies are: Kritters, Slippas, Klaptraps, Klumps, and Armys. The boss is defeated once the Kongs defeat every enemy.	Boss Dumb Drum
	Master Necky Snr.	Master Necky Snr. is a similar boss to Master Necky except he is stronger. He spits nuts much faster than Master Necky. Each time Master Necky Snr. is hit, he spits out one more nut than the previous turn. The Kongs can defeat Master Necky Snr. by jumping on it five times.	Necky's Revenge
	King K. Rool	The final boss and main antagonist, King K. Rool has stolen Donkey Kong's banana hoard. He has a variety of attacks, including throwing his crown, jumping at the Kongs, and causing cannonballs to rain from above. After King K. Rool throws his crown, the Kongs can jump on his head to attack him, before K. Rool puts his crown back on.	Gang-Plank Galleon

Items

Image	Name	Description
	Bananas	Bananas are the equivalent to coins from the Super Mario series, as collecting 100 of them gives the Kongs an extra life. They are the most common item of the game.
	Banana Bunches	Banana Bunches grant ten bananas when collected. They are less common than normal bananas and often appear in bonus rooms and hidden areas.
	Giant bananas	A giant banana is held by each boss. Claiming one marks the completion of one of the game's worlds.
	Animal tokens	Animal tokens are small tokens that depict one of the Animal Friends (excluding Squawks). If three animal tokens depicting the same Animal Friend are collected, the game redirects the player to a bonus area where they control the corresponding Animal Friend. In the area, the Animal Friend must collect as many Mini Animal Tokens depicting them within a time limit in exchange for extra lives.
	Mini Animal Tokens	Hundreds of Mini Animal Tokens fill the Animal Friend-themed bonus stages. For every hundred collected, an extra life is earned.
	Big Animal Tokens	A single Big Animal Token is hidden in each of the Animal Friend-themed bonus stages. Collecting it doubles the held amount of Mini Animal Tokens.
	Donkey Kong Balloons	Similar to 1-Up Mushrooms from the Super Mario series, these balloons give the Kongs extra lives when collected. The balloons come in three different colors: red, green, and blue. Red Life Balloons are the most common and give one extra life, the less common green 2-Up Balloons give two lives, and the rare Blue Balloons give three lives.
	K-O-N-G Letters	Four of these special objects are hidden in every level, and each of them are a letter of the word "KONG". If the Kongs collect all four letters in a level, they are rewarded with an extra life. Each letter is found in order, meaning that the letter K is found first in the levels, then the O, then the N, and lastly the letter G. In the "Spell it Out!" bonus room challenges, there are circling letters that the Kongs must jump in a certain order to spell out a word.

Objects

Mechanisms

Image	Name	Description
	Animal crates	These crates contain a certain Animal Friend, which is indicated by a silhouette of their face on the side.
	Arrow Signs	These signs indicate the Kongs are approaching the end of a stage.
	Elevators	Many lifts appear throughout the game with many different designs and behaviors. Although a few of them are stationary, some move back and forth over gaps, and some move vertically. In later levels, there are platforms with an arrow on them, and when the Kongs step on the platform, it moves in the direction that the arrow is pointing. There are other moving platforms in later levels such as Tanked Up Trouble, which has a platform that runs on fuel canisters.
	Exits	These signs indicate the Kongs have reached the end of a stage.
	Mine Carts	Mine Carts only appear in two levels, and when the Kongs enter one, it automatically starts moving along the track. While riding a Mine Cart, the Kongs can jump with the Mine Cart to go over broken parts of the track. Sometimes there are tipped over mine carts that appear as obstacles along the tracks.
	Ropes	Ropes are objects that appear in many levels, and the Kongs can climb up and down them. Many of them swing over wide abysses, so the Kongs can use them to cross the gaps. In Slipslide Ride, there are blue and purple ropes that automatically send the Kongs up and down respectively.
	Tires	Tires bounce the Kongs to higher areas. There are half tires, which are stuck in the ground, and full tires that can be pushed around.

Barrels

Barrels are the most common object in the game. There are many different types of barrels in the game, each with its own purpose and use.

Throwable barrels
Image	Name	Description
	Regular Barrels	Regular Barrels are the most common type of barrel, and the Kongs can pick it up and throw it. If the barrel hits the ground, it starts rolling, useful for defeating an enemy or opening a secret passage.
	Vine Barrels	Vine Barrels act like regular barrels, except they break instantly when hitting with the ground instead of rolling.
	DK Barrels	DK Barrels are the most common barrels in the game, as a few of them appear in certain areas of every level. If either Donkey Kong or Diddy are missing from the group, the active Kong can break a DK Barrel to release the other Kong. DK Barrels can also be picked up and used like Vine Barrels.
	Steel kegs	Steel kegs are silver barrels that act like normal barrels, but are more durable. Steel kegs can roll into an unlimited number of enemies and bounce off walls. The Kongs can jump on a rolling steel keg to ride it.
	TNT Drums	TNT Drums are a type of barrel that explode after being thrown into an enemy or surface. They are often used to destroy powerful enemies or break a fragile wall leading into a bonus room.
Enterable barrels
Image	Name	Description
	Barrel Cannons	These barrels are common and appear in nearly every level. They can shoot the Kongs over gaps or to other Barrel Cannons. Some may also move in a specific direction as first seen in Barrel Cannon Canyon.
	Blast Barrels	This is a type of Barrel Cannon that automatically fires the Kong when entered. Additionally, some Blast Barrels send the Kongs to a bonus room or near the end of the level.
	Jumbo Barrel	The Jumbo Barrel can be entered in Funky's Flights, where it flies the Kongs to any place in Donkey Kong Island that they have visited.
	Save barrel	Found only at Candy's Save Point, the save barrel allow the player to save their progress.
Triggerable barrels
Image	Name	Description
	Continue Barrels	A Continue Barrel is a checkpoint in the middle of every level, except boss levels. If both Kongs are defeated anytime after breaking the Continue Barrel and restart the level, they continue from where it was activated.
	Roulette Barrels	Appearing in certain bonus rooms, Roulette Barrels float in the air in groups. Depending on the challenge, they may switch between displaying different items which stop when touched, and as such need matched (or in some cases spell the word "KONG"), or they may switch an Extra Life Balloon around in a shell game-type manner where the final location must be guessed.
	Stop & Go Barrels	These barrels appear only in Stop & Go Station, where they are used to control the Rock Krocs' movements. By default the barrels are on the "Go", and the level has a green lighting. The Rock Krocs are active while the barrels have the "Go" setting. If the Kongs jump at a Stop & Go Barrel, every barrel changes to the "Stop" setting for a few seconds, causing the Rock Krocs to stop moving temporarily and the lighting to turn red.
	ON/OFF Barrels	ON/OFF Barrels only appear in Loopy Lights and act almost like Stop & Go Barrels, except they affect the lights in the level. While the barrels are set to "OFF", the lights in the level are off. The Kongs must jump at an ON/OFF Barrel to change the setting to "ON", allowing them to see ahead.
	Fuel canisters	Fuel canisters only appear in the level, Tanked Up Trouble, as a fuel supply for the platforms that the Kongs ride. Donkey Kong and Diddy are required to jump at every fuel canister along the way because the platform quickly runs out of fuel. If the platform runs out of fuel, if falls off the tracks, and the Kongs lose a life.

Supporting locations

During their adventure, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong are assisted by three other members of the Kong Family who operate their own location in every world.

Name	Description
Cranky's Cabin	This area is ran by Cranky Kong, who gives random level hints while rambling about how the 8-bit era was better than the 16-bit era.
Funky's Flights	In this special area, the Kongs can meet Funky Kong and use his Jumbo Barrel to travel to any unlocked world.
Candy's Save Point	The area is operated by Candy Kong, and the Kongs can visit Candy's Save Point to have their game saved for free.

Levels

Click a level icon to open the relevant article.

Like Super Mario World, Donkey Kong Country's levels and worlds are accessed from a world map. The main overworld is Donkey Kong Island, where the Kongs can travel between the worlds they have visited. Every world has a progression system where the Kongs must complete a level to unlock the next and so forth until reaching the boss level at the end. Every world has five to six levels. After the Kongs complete the boss level, they unlock the next world. The Kongs can return to the main Donkey Kong Island map by either defeating the world boss or by renting Funky's Jumbo Barrel.

A head of either Donkey Kong or Diddy Kong appear on the location of every world and level that either Kong has completed. A Kritter head appears only on the next level or world that the Kongs have not yet completed. In the Super Nintendo version, there is a glitch in single player mode where if Diddy completes a level and then Donkey Kong completes it afterward, his head does not appear on that level.

Most levels have bonus rooms in them, two or three on average. They allow the Kongs to collect items and prizes. While it is optional for the Kongs to enter the bonus rooms, entering every bonus room is required for 101% completion. Unlike the Super Mario series, the Kongs are not required to traverse a whole level to reach the end boss.

Levels
Kongo Jungle
#	Level	Bonus rooms	Type of level	Music theme
1	Jungle Hijinxs	2	Jungle	DK Island Swing
2	Ropey Rampage	2	Jungle	DK Island Swing
3	Reptile Rumble	3	Cave	Cave Dweller Concert
4	Coral Capers	0	Underwater	Aquatic Ambiance
5	Barrel Cannon Canyon	2	Jungle	DK Island Swing
6	BOSS LEVEL: Very Gnawty's Lair	0	Boss arena	Bad Boss Boogie
Monkey Mines
#	Level	Bonus rooms	Type of level	Music theme
7	Winky's Walkway	1	Walkway	Life in the Mines
8	Mine Cart Carnage	0	Minecart/Mineshaft	Mine Cart Madness
9	Bouncy Bonanza	2	Cave	Cave Dweller Concert
10	Stop & Go Station	2	Mineshaft	Misty Menace
11	Millstone Mayhem	3	Ruins	Voices of the Temple
12	BOSS LEVEL: Necky's Nuts	0	Boss arena	Bad Boss Boogie
Vine Valley
#	Level	Bonus rooms	Type of level	Music theme
13	Vulture Culture	3	Forest	Forest Frenzy
14	Tree Top Town	2	Treetops	Treetop Rock
15	Forest Frenzy	2	Forest	Forest Frenzy
16	Temple Tempest	2	Ruins	Voices of the Temple
17	Orang-utan Gang	5	Jungle	DK Island Swing
18	Clam City	0	Underwater	Aquatic Ambiance
19	BOSS LEVEL: Bumble B. Rumble	0	Boss arena	Bad Boss Boogie
Gorilla Glacier
#	Level	Bonus rooms	Type of level	Music theme
20	Snow Barrel Blast	3	Snow	Northern Hemispheres
21	Slipslide Ride	3	Ice cave	Ice Cave Chant
22	Ice Age Alley	2	Snow	Northern Hemispheres
23	Croctopus Chase	0	Underwater	Aquatic Ambiance
24	Torchlight Trouble	2	Cave	Cave Dweller Concert
25	Rope Bridge Rumble	2	Treetops	Treetop Rock
26	BOSS LEVEL: Really Gnawty Rampage	0	Boss arena	Bad Boss Boogie
Kremkroc Industries, Inc.
#	Level	Bonus rooms	Type of level	Music theme
27	Oil Drum Alley	4	Factory	Fear Factory
28	Trick Track Trek	3	Walkway	Life in the Mines
29	Elevator Antics	3	Cave	Cave Dweller Concert
30	Poison Pond	0	Underwater	Aquatic Ambiance
31	Mine Cart Madness	3	Minecart/Walkway	Mine Cart Madness
32	Blackout Basement	2	Factory	Fear Factory
33	BOSS LEVEL: Boss Dumb Drum	0	Boss arena	Bad Boss Boogie
Chimp Caverns
#	Level	Bonus rooms	Type of level	Music theme
34	Tanked Up Trouble	1	Walkway	Life in the Mines
35	Manic Mincers	2	Cave	Cave Dweller Concert
36	Misty Mine	2	Mineshaft	Misty Menace
37	Loopy Lights	2	Mineshaft	Misty Menace
38	Platform Perils	2	Walkway	Life in the Mines
39	BOSS LEVEL: Necky's Revenge	0	Boss arena	Bad Boss Boogie
Gang-Plank Galleon
#	Level	Bonus rooms	Type of level	Music theme
40	BOSS LEVEL: Gang-Plank Galleon	0	Ship	Gang-Plank Galleon

In addition to saving at a world's Save Point, the Kongs can also use Funky's Flights to save at a previous world (except in the first world). In each world, they can save after every level once they encounter either of these amenities.

• In Kongo Jungle, Funky's Flights can be accessed after Coral Capers, and Candy's Save Point can be accessed after Barrel Cannon Canyon. The Kongs can save after five levels.
• In Monkey Mines, Candy's Save Point can be accessed after Stop & Go Station, and Funky's Flights can be accessed after Millstone Mayhem. The Kongs can save after four levels.
• In Vine Valley, Funky's Flights can be accessed after Tree Top Town, and Candy's Save Point can be accessed after Orang-utan Gang. The Kongs can save after two levels.
• In Gorilla Glacier, Candy's Save Point and Funky's Flights can both be accessed after Torchlight Trouble. The Kongs can save after five levels.
• In Kremkroc Industries, Inc., Candy's Save Point can be accessed after Elevator Antics, and Funky's Flights can be accessed after Mine Cart Madness. The Kongs can save after three levels.
• In Chimp Caverns, Funky's Flights can be accessed after Misty Mine, and Candy's Save Point can be accessed after Platform Perils. The Kongs can save after three levels.

Differences in other versions

See also: tcrf:Donkey Kong Country (SNES)#Version Differences

Three different versions are known to exist for the North American release.

V1.1

In Trick Track Trek, the moving platform does not fall instantly once it reaches the end of the line. Otherwise, it is v1.0.

V1.2 (Player's Choice)

In Coral Capers, there is a gap between the Continue Barrel and lower platform. Otherwise, the game is at most v1.1.

Japanese

• Rather than only Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong appearing on the title screen, the Japanese version of the screen includes both Kongs, as well as all five animal buddies, and a pair of Zingers.
• On the World Map, the DK head next to Donkey Kong's Treehouse is not present.
• Manky Kong takes two hits from Diddy to be defeated, unlike in the American/European versions where either Kong can kill him in a single blow.
• The Rock Krocs in Stop & Go Station can be defeated in the Japanese version via DK's Hand Slap, whereas they cannot be defeated at all in the other versions.
• In the Japanese version, Hand Slapping three enemies consecutively would earn DK several bananas.
• Extra DK Barrels were added to various levels:
  • In Barrel Cannon Canyon, an extra barrel was added near the letter N.
  • In Snow Barrel Blast, two barrels were added to the Barrel Cannon section, and one of the existing ones was moved.
  • In Elevator Antics, an extra barrel is present at the top of the vine leading to the first bonus room.
  • In Mine Cart Madness, an extra barrel was added near the level's Continue Barrel.
  • In Loopy Lights, an extra barrel is present near the first Necky.
• Certain levels were made easier:
  • In Mine Cart Carnage, some of the crashed Mine Carts were removed.
  • An extra TNT Drum was added to Millstone Mayhem.
  • The Mini-Necky was removed from the end of Vulture Culture.
  • A specific room in Clam City contains only three piranhas instead of four.
  • The first Klaptrap has been removed from Snow Barrel Blast, as well as one of the Neckys, and the green Zinger before the Barrel Cannon.
  • One of the Armies was removed from the stage, alongside the Zinger placed directly above it. Additionally, the fourth blue Kritter and another pair of Zingers were removed.
  • The oil drums in Oil Drum Alley have a longer gap between the times when they release flames, thus making them attack less frequently.
  • The moving platforms in Trick Track Trek do not automatically drop at the end of their cables, giving the player more time to jump off.

Glitches

Main article: List of Donkey Kong Country glitches

Enguarde color swapping

First, the player has to go to Croctopus Chase. Then, after the parts where the Kongs are carried from one place to another by the blast barrels, the Kongs will have to find Enguarde and get on him. Then the player has to go back through the level until the Kongs reach the last blast barrel that the apes were shot from. By simply getting in that barrel and getting fired out, the player can perform four different glitches:

1. The first of these is that Diddy will be walking, not swimming, behind Donkey Kong. The player can get off Enguarde and swim to his side. Then the player must press select. If done correctly, the camera will freeze and Diddy alone will be able to walk around as if it were a land level.
2. While still frozen, the player could jump back on Enguarde. Diddy should turn into a greenish-blue color and hover in mid-air. This allows the player to control Enguarde by himself, which results in the Kongs being left behind if the player continues on through the level.
3. While on Enguarde, the player can press and then once quickly after. Enguarde should turn into another greenish-blue Diddy that the player will be able to control. If the player touches the other floating Diddy it will turn the player back into Enguarde.
4. While using Enguarde once again, the player needs to press the quickly and repeatedly; it will permanently turn him into a reddish color with either DK or Diddy following behind.

As this new red Enguarde, the player has to have Diddy follow behind him (if Donkey is behind the player, the player will have to press twice and the Kongs should switch). Then, the player has to press and the player then has to press . This results in Enguarde transforming into an oddly colored Donkey Kong that hovers in the air while the player is left controlling the Kongs once again. The player can redo this with DK following behind the player while the player is controlling Enguarde, and a normally colored Diddy should be hovering in the air instead of the oddly colored Donkey Kong.

Quotes

Main article: List of Donkey Kong Country quotes

Candy Kong

• "Hi, I'm Candy Kong and this is my Save Point!"
• "If you want to save your current game, just jump into my spinning save barrel!"
• "Hello guys, got anything worth saving?"
• "Wow! You guys really came a long way! Save your game now, while you have the chance!"
• "Yoo-hoo, Honey Kong! Now's a good time to save where you've gotten to!"
• "It must have been hard work for you to come all this way! Why not save your game?"
• "Can I help you monkeys save your game?"
• "How would you like a quick spin in my save barrel?"

Soundtrack

The game's soundtrack was released in Japan under the title Super Donkey Kong Game Music CD Jungle Fantasy. This album has a total of 28 tracks, including most of the original soundtrack of the game and seven new arrangements by Yoshiyuki Ito. A different album, entitled DK Jamz, was released in the United States, Germany and France. The latter features 23 or 25 tracks depending on the version, including some omitted from the Japanese soundtrack. It also features one of the Yoshiyuki Ito covers, although Ito is not credited.

Development

The lead-up to Donkey Kong Country's creation started in the summer of 1993. While visiting Rare as a part of a globe-travelling journey to find potential quality games in development, Tony Harman of Nintendo of America saw a tech demo, tentatively called Brute Force, showing an animated, computer-rendered boxer fighting a prototypical version of Orchid. Rare was experimenting with 3D animation at the time as they found the then-popular digitization technique too restrictive. Impressed by the demo, Harman lobbied for Nintendo to collaborate with Rare, and, with the help of Genyo Takeda and Shigeru Miyamoto, managed to convince them. Nintendo approached Rare with the mandate to make a game that would have "better graphics than Aladdin" (specifically referring to the popular 1993 Sega Genesis game, which was lauded for its impressive graphics and animation hand-drawn by Disney animators). They recommended that it should star Donkey Kong, as they thought that the character and his universe were less explored than other Nintendo properties and that thus Rare could have greater creative freedom while making the game.

A team of 12 people were assembled for the project, which was the most Rare had assigned for a single game at the time. Gregg Mayles cited Super Mario Bros. 3 as his chief inspiration, saying that he wanted to imitate its structure while also providing smooth and flowing level designs that skilled players could navigate quickly. A team of developers were sent to the nearby Twycross Zoo to observe the movements of real gorillas, but found that it would not suited to the fast-paced platformer that they wanted to make. The team created around fifteen different styles of movement for Donkey Kong, including ones based on rabbits and frogs, before arriving at the current animations, based loosely on the movements of horses. The Kremlings originated from another project Rare was developing at the same time (which, according to Rareware employee Gregg Mayles, was from a canceled adventure game named Jonny Blastoff and the Kremling Armada), but were transplanted into the game as Rare found that they were a good fit for Donkey Kong Country's aesthetic. The developers also wanted the screen to be as "clutter-free" as possible, which lead to the creation of a "buddy" character so that the player could take more than one hit, inspired by the "big Mario returns to little Mario" system of the Super Mario games. Donkey Kong Jr. was first considered for the role, but he was changed into a separate character as Nintendo felt Rare's redesign looked too different.

When Donkey Kong Country was demonstrated at Summer CES 94, Nintendo of America had arranged the press conference to have people assume that the game was running off an early version of the then-upcoming Ultra 64 in order to further impress those who would not believe that it was capable of running on a 16-bit console.

Rare demoed an early version of the game at Nintendo's headquarters in Kyoto. Reception of the demo was mixed, with Gunpei Yokoi remarking that the game looked "too 3D". However, Shigeru Miyamoto approved of what was done with the project. He and his staff gave advice to Rare on how to improve the game, with one of the results being the implementation of the Hand Slap move a few weeks before completion.

Reception

At the time of its release, Donkey Kong Country received universal acclaim by critics and audiences, with the game being praised for its visuals, controls, and replayability. The massive hype it received due to its innovative use of pre-rendered 3D sprites and subsequent commercial success has been credited with extending the SNES's lifespan and help the system stay relevant in the face of the next-generation Sega Saturn and PlayStation consoles.

Following Rare's acquisition by Microsoft, Donkey Kong Country experienced a period of backlash. Electronic Gaming Monthly placed the game in their top 10 overrated games list (despite the publication previously awarding it the 1994 Game of the Year award), and, in their review of the GBA version, stated that the game did not hold up. Similarly, GameSpy placed it ninth on their list of the top 25 most overrated games of all time. Regardless, the Game Boy Advance and Virtual Console re-releases were still positively received.

Reviews
Release	Reviewer, Publication	Score	Comment
SNES	George Wood, Flight of Fantasies	n.d	"Donkey Kong Country is truly perfect. If you do not get this amazing new generation of Donkey Kong Country madness, you are stupid. Yes, I know it's insulting, but that's also the truth. If you're a true video game fan, you will not hesitate in the slightest bit to buy this piece of gaming history."
SNES	Mr. Goo, Die Hard Game Fan	100/100	"When you see Donkey Kong Country for the first time, you'll do what I did ... turn into a blabbering, drooling idiot! This is the most amazing 16-bit game yet, and that's a fact. Simply everything about DKC is kick-butt rocking magnificent ... you'd swear it was 32-bit. If you possess a SNES, you have no excuse not to buy this game NOW."
SNES	Nintendo Power	4.4/5	"The ultimate graphics in the best action adventure game ever for the Super NES or any other video games system. It's simply the best. Battery backed-up memory. 100 bonus areas. MINUS: Players may miss many of the bonus areas and think the game is shorter than it really is. (You must try everything to get the full impact!"
Wii	Lucas M. Thomas, IGN	8.5/10	"A sacrifice may be offered of some of your nostalgic feelings for this title, as its revolutionary-in-1994 visuals aren't as spectacular any more, now in 2007. But DKC's gameplay is still a lot of fun, and it's still easy to see why this was the game that saved the Super."
Wii	Damien McFerran, Nintendo Life (formerly VC Reviews)	9/10	"Over a decade has passed since this game's original release and although some of the shine has dulled it still manages to impress. Although it's not in the same league as the sublime Super Mario World, Donkey Kong Country still ranks as one of the better SNES platformers and is a worthy download on the Virtual Console."
Aggregators
Compiler		Platform / Score
GameRankings		SNES - 88.94%

Sales

Donkey Kong Country ended up selling more than expected, since the game was released at the peak of the 16-bit era. The game had an extremely successful first day at the stores, and sold 9.3 million copies worldwide, making it the third best-selling game on the Super Nintendo, following Super Mario World and Super Mario All-Stars. To date, it is the best-selling Donkey Kong game and overall Rare's best-selling game.

References to other games

• Donkey Kong - Cranky Kong is said to be the Donkey Kong from this game who fought Mario in some of his own games. The oil drums from the first stage of this game were also featured in Donkey Kong Country at Oil Drum Alley. In addition, the intro of the game has Cranky Kong listening to and operating a phonogram that is playing the theme song for the Nintendo Entertainment System version of Donkey Kong in a background resembling the iron bars from the original game before Donkey Kong drowns out the music with his boom box and proceeds to knock Cranky Kong out of the area, revealing that the setting is actually within the jungle, further implying Cranky Kong's connection to the original Donkey Kong.

References in later games

• Super Smash Bros. series: Diddy Kong's up taunt in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and onwards is based on his victory animation from Donkey Kong Country.
• Donkey Kong Country Returns: Some of Cranky Kong's quotes are also reused.
• Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze: In the level Canopy Chaos, Cranky's record player can be found, which plays the original title theme when the player ground pounds in front of it.
• WarioWare Gold: A microgame in 5-Volt's stage based on Donkey Kong Country appears in this game.

Pre-release and unused content

Main article: List of Donkey Kong Country pre-release and unused content

Early previews video show minor differences, such as items in different spots, different level palettes, and the Krusha and Klump enemies being invulnerable to attacks that they are vulnerable to in the final game.

Unused data still present on the cartridge include several sprites (including one enemy featured in the sequel), enemy palettes swaps and an early script which depicts Cranky Kong as a friendlier character.

Staff

Main article: List of Donkey Kong Country staff

Donkey Kong Country was developed by a team of 12 people, the largest development staff of any Rareware game at that point. Rareware co-founder Tim Stamper was the director while Gregg Mayles served as the designer.

The game had a team of three composers working on it. Eveline Fischer composed the tracks "Simian Segue", "Candy's Love Song", "Voices of the Temple", "Forest Frenzy", "Treetop Rock", "Northern Hemispheres", and "Ice Cave Chant". Robin Beanland's sole contribution was the Funky's Flights theme (a holdover from the arcade version of Killer Instinct, featuring a vocal sample by Robin Beanland). David Wise handled the rest of the soundtrack.

Nintendo eShop description

After a dark and stormy night, Donkey Kong finds all of his bananas stolen by

K. Rool and his reptilian crew of Kremlings! Armed with chest-pounding muscle, mighty barrel rolls, and awesome vine-swinging skills, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong set out to face their adversaries!

Play solo, compete with a friend, or play cooperatively with a friend in over 100 levels filled with collectibles and hidden bonus levels. With the help of Donkey Kong's quirky family, animal friends, and your fast reflexes, our dynamic duo will prove to be an unstoppable force.

Time to save those bananas!

Gallery

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

• 

  Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong

• 

  Cranky Kong

• 

  Candy Kong

• 

  Funky Kong

• 

  Rambi

• 

  Kritter

• 

  King K. Rool

Media

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

Theme

File infoMedia:DKC SNES Theme.oga ​

Help:Media • Having trouble playing?

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	スーパードンキーコング Sūpā Donkī Kongu	Super Donkey Kong
French	Donkey Kong Country	-
German	Donkey Kong Country	-

Trivia

• This game has an adaptation in the Super Mario-kun manga with some changes. Mario and Yoshi land in the Donkey Kong Country by mistake, and Cranky Kong asks to them help Donkey and Diddy in their task to find the bananas and stop King K. Rool.
• A 13-minute long promotional VHS tape was released in 1994 called Donkey Kong Country: Exposed.

External links

• Super Donkey Kong Japanese Super Famicom manual
• Donkey Kong Country North American SNES manual