Cliff

The Cliff is the sixth world of Donkey Kong Country Returns and Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D. Located on Donkey Kong island, it, as its name suggests, is full of rocky mountains. During the events of the game, it is infested by members of the Tiki Tak Tribe, who have stolen Donkey Kong's Banana Hoard. Thugly is the boss of this world.

Cliff is a very barren, prehistoric-looking area that appears to have very dark, cloudy skies in the earlier levels and more calm weather in the later levels (in the opposite fashion of the Beach). It features many new elements not seen in the game's previous worlds such as animal fossils in the backrounds, and also has new cactus plants that can be opened to reveal hidden collectibles. Other mechanisms and items in this world include falling boulders, which roll down areas in the background and down slanted platforms. Another very common obstacle is a tar-like substance that the Kongs can easily get stuck in. Dinosaur skeletons that can be used as platforms are also in this substance, causing them to tilt when any weight is put on them. Additionally, the world features many platforms that fall moments after the Kongs' weight is put on them, as well as Auto Fire Barrels that help the primates reach higher parts of the mountains. Ships appear in the Cliff world as well, and they have platforms that only appear when the ships' cannons stick out of them to shoot bombs.

The enemies in this world mainly consist of dinosaur skeleton enemies, but there are also crab and squid enemies in the Tippy Shippy level.

Unlike the previous worlds, the World Map for the Cliff changes after Crumble Canyon is cleared. The way to the boss level collapses, forcing the Kongs to take an alternate path consisting of two more levels.

Trivia

 * Because of the ships and the ammonite fossils it is possible that the cliff was once underwater.
 * Normally, the first level of a given world starts with the environment of the world preceding it, but the beginning of 6-1 simply has the forest seen in the backdrop view for the first third of the level.