Rocket Rush (level)

Rocket Rush is the fortieth level in Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble. It is also the fifth area of Krematoa. In the game's Game Boy Advance remake, it is instead the forty-sixth level of the game, due to the addition of Pacifica.

The Kongs must navigate this cliff side level in a special Rocket Barrel. For the first half, they must descend to the bottom, conserving fuel so that they don't run out and crash. For the second half, they'll blast up the other side of the cliff, trying to reach the top without running out of fuel. Buzzes are the only enemy here, and in the Super Nintendo version of the game, both Green and Red Buzzes can be defeated by simply coming into contact with them. There are no Bonus Areas in this level.

The Game Boy Advance version is significantly different than in the original version. Unlike the Super Nintendo version, Buzzes can damage the rocket, and the rocket can take two hits before exploding. To defeat Buzzes, the player has to hold A to brake and burn them with the exhaust fire, or they can burn them with the fire made when turning left or right. Red Buzzes however, cannot be defeated. Additionally, the controls for the Rocket Barrel are slightly different. In the original version, holding left would make the Kongs travel to the right, while holding the right button would make them move left. This was switched around in the remake to be like the game's normal controls. The Star Barrel is also absent from the level in the Game Boy Advance version, adding much more difficulty.

Level Layout
When the level begins, the heroes will find a Rocket Barrel waiting to be boarded. They should jump in to find themselves hovering downwards. With limited fuel, the Kongs will gain speed and maneuver around a few Buzzes, as they follow a banana trail and grab the letter K. Heading into a narrow passage, they will encounter more Buzzes to defeat, along with a Fuel Barrel. After they pass the foes, they will enter a small area, where they will travel diagonal and head into another narrow passage. Once they get through the passage, they will carefully need to hover through a small space. Another small opening will be waiting at the bottom of this small area. They should go through it to enter a larger area, where they will find another Fuel Barrel. Continuing downwards, they will come up to a diagonal pathway, surrounded by some Buzzes. The apes should try to fly between the wasps and curve into another path. There, they will find several Buzzes flying across the area, as well as a Fuel Barrel. They will also find the letter O here. Once the monkeys exit this large space, they will make several twists and turns through the rest of the path, defeating many more Buzzes. Eventually, they will find a small gap in the ground. At this point, the Star Barrel can also be found, though only in the Super Nintendo version.

Falling into the small gap, the heroes will grab some more Fuel Barrels and hit another odd barrel below it. This barrel will cause the Rocket Barrel to move upwards. With progressively faster speed, the apes will rush upwards, taking a different route than the one they traveled down before. The Rocket Barrel will fly around the mountainous area, and while it uncontrollably moves upwards, the Kongs will have to move it left and right, keeping it from hitting any walls. If it does hit into a wall, a great amount of fuel will be lost. Using banana trail to guide them, the Kongs will soon head past the letter N and begin to travel through thinner passages. If they keep their rocket from crashing, due to lack of fuel, they will eventually reach the top of the level. There, they will be able to exit the rocket and find a flagpole to the right. If they raise its flag, the level will end.

DK Coin

 * Just before the flagpole, the Kongs will find a Steel Barrel. They should carry this barrel to the left to meet the Koin, who will have the DK Coin, on a high ledge. Unfortunately, the enemy will not give up the coin without a fight, so the Kongs will have to choice but to use their Steel Barrel to attack. If they throw the barrel above the Koin, it will roll against a wall and bounce back. While the enemy watches the monkeys, unaware of the barrel behind him, the object will hit into the distracted foe. This will defeat him, thus giving the Kongs the DK Coin.

Trivia

 * On some copies of the Super Nintendo version of the game the 'G' letter is missing from this stage; however, it is in plain sight in the Game Boy Advance version and Virtual Console release.
 * This is the only level that has an exclamation mark at the end of the name before getting all the Bonus Coins. This is because this level does not have any bonus stages. The same is not true in the Game Boy Advance version, as an exclamation mark doesn't appear at the end of a level's name when the player gets all of the Bonus Coins in it.
 * In the Game Boy Advance remake, it is possible for the player to do a glitch which will make the Kongs fall off the screen in the Rocket Barrel. Gameplay can only be continued if the player exits the level or if the player just turns off the game.
 * When Buzzes are hit by the rocket's exhaust in the Super Nintendo version, they turn black. However, this effect is not kept in the Game Boy Advance version.