Rocket Rush (level)

Rocket Rush is the fortieth level in Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! and the fifth level of Krematoa. It is the last regular level of the game. In the Game Boy Advance remake, it is instead the forty-sixth level due to the addition of Pacifica. Dixie and Kiddy are required to have obtained every Bonus Coin before they can access Rocket Rush, so they can pay for "Boomer's Special" (which costs more than previous Krematoa levels); as such, there are no Bonus Levels, making Rocket Rush the only level without any.

Like other Krematoa levels, when the Knautilus rises from the center lake of the world, Rocket Rush gets a bright red tint.

Summary
Rocket Rush is a cliffside level that Dixie and Kiddy must travel through in a Rocket Barrel. For the first half, the Kongs must steer the Rocket Barrel as it steadily descends between the cliffs. During this half, they encounter red Buzzes and must collect Fuel Barrels along the way so that the Rocket Barrel does not run out of fuel. At the second half, the Rocket Barrel touches an Ignition Barrel at the bottom of the level, causing it to blast up the other side of the cliff. The Kongs must carefully maneuver the Rocket Barrel so that it does not crash into a cliff.

In the Game Boy Advance remake, Rocket Rush has a few notable differences that increase its difficulty. In this version, the Buzzes can damage Dixie and Kiddy if they touch the Rocket Barrel. Green Buzzes appear in the remake, unlike the original version, and they can be defeated from the Rocket Barrel's exhaust flames. Red Buzzes cannot be defeated. The controls for the Rocket Barrel were reversed, making it so pressing left or right on the D-Pad makes the Rocket Barrel go in the corresponding direction. The Star Barrel does not appear in the remake.

Layout
When the level begins, the Kongs find a Rocket Barrel. They jump in to find themselves hovering downwards. With limited fuel, the Kongs 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 encounter more Buzzes, along with a Fuel Barrel. They will enter a small area, where they travel diagonally and head into another narrow passage. Once they get through the passage, they hover through a small space. Another small opening is at the bottom of this small area. They go through it to enter a larger area, where they find another Fuel Barrel. Continuing downwards, they come up to a diagonal pathway, surrounded by some Buzzes. The Kongs fly between the Buzzes and curve into another path. There, they find several Buzzes flying across the area, as well as a Fuel Barrel. They also find the letter O here. Once the Kongs exit this area, they make several twists and turns through the rest of the path. Eventually, they find a small gap in the ground. At this point, the Star Barrel can also be found.

Falling into the small gap, the heroes grab some more Fuel Barrels and hit a barrel with a flame icon on it. This barrel causes the Rocket Barrel to move upwards. With progressively faster speed, the Kongs rush upwards, taking a different route than the one they traveled down before. If the Kongs hit a wall, they lose a great amount of fuel. Using banana trail to guide them, the Kongs soon head past the letter N and begin to travel through thinner passages. There, the Rocket Barrel lands, and the Kongs can continue to the Level Flag, which gives them the fifth and final cog for Boomer's machine.

Trivia

 * In the Game Boy Advance remake, it is possible for the player to do a glitch which makes the Kongs fall off the screen in the Rocket Barrel. The player can only continue playing the game by exiting the level or resetting the game.
 * This is one of two levels where both Dixie and Kiddy do their crying and tantrum on-screen at the same time if both get injured.