Vine Valley (level)

Vine Valley is the twenty-ninth level in Donkey Kong Country Returns and Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, as well as the first area in the Forest world.

This level is set in a large forest full of both long and short vines. Donkey and Diddy Kong must use these vines to their advantage by using them to swing over large gaps and collect special items, such as Banana Coins. As they swing through the forest, they must watch out for a large number of red and yellow carnivorous plant enemies, known as Chomps. These foes constantly try to attack them, so they have to carefully maneuver along some of the vines to safely pass them. Additionally, some of the vines in this level appear to be the tongue of a giant, blue Chomp enemy that can eat the Kongs if they hang on too long. Other than Chomps, the enemies in this level include Cling Cobras, Tiki Goons, Tiki Dooms, and Tiki Buzzes.

In the Time Attack mode of the game, a time of 1:44:00 is needed to get a gold medal, a time of 2:02:00 for silver, and a time of 2:15:00 for bronze.

Overview
The level starts out in a cave full of diamonds and bouncy mushrooms. The Kongs can bounce on the mushrooms to reach a Barrel Cannon that shoots them through a passage with more Barrel Cannons. As they progress upwards through the area, Tiki Zings stand in their way. As they shoot from the first barrel to the second barrel, they must shoot past a lone Tiki Zing that moves back and fourth. After that they have to shoot past two, and then three. Once they shoot past a second group of three Tiki Zings, they come up to some Banana Coins placed between two of the Barrel Cannons. The barrel after the coins blasts the primates upwards through a more narrow passage full of bananas. When they exit the passage and reach the surface, they find themselves in a forest area, where there is a curvy path leading past a strange plant with an item in it.

Ahead are a few gaps with red Chomp enemies in them. Between the first two Chomps is a mushroom that holds a DK Barrel that is placed above a solid platform with another plant that contains an item on it. If the Kongs travel past the first DK Barrel, they come past the aforementioned Chomp and another one just after it. A few strange plants grow on the platform following them, and near it is a swinging vine that is placed above a lower section of land with Tiki Goons, a Chomp, and item-bearing plants. The primates must use the vine here and the vine that is located right after it to reach a raised platform with the Tutorial Pig and the checkpoint on it. Around the Tutorial Pig are a few plants holding items, and then soon after the same pig is a large abyss that can only be crossed by using a long, swinging vine. More vines are after this above the wide gap. Tiki Buzzes fly near the top of the area, one of which that hovers near a short vine with an Extra Life Balloon next to it. Bananas and Banana Coins are also scattered around the area that the Kongs swing through. At the other side of the abyss is a yellow Chomp and the letter K of the K-O-N-G Letters, followed by a DK Barrel and some Tiki Goons. A Tiki Doom is here as well, along with some collectibles that are scattered around the area.

At the edge of the large platform is another wide abyss that must be crossed by using a long vine. As the heroes swing, they collect many bananas under the canopy. When they access the other side of the abyss, they come up to a barrel and a vine that must be used to reach a raised platform. If the primates grab onto the vine, a blue Chomp enemy is revealed behind some leaves. It pulls the Kongs into its mouth with the vine if they do not jump off of it fast enough. Below the Chomp is a lower section of land with some Tiki Goons on it, while on the raised platform next to the vine is a path leading to some Tiki Goons and another large abyss. Above the abyss are a few floating pieces of land that are covered in a green, grassy turf. The Kongs must climb along the turf while dodging Cling Cobras to reach the other side of the first platform, where they can jump to another vine that is connected to a Chomp. After the vine is another platform covered in climbable turf and Cling Cobras, and it is also followed by a vine that is part of a Chomp enemy. One last platform is after this covered in turf, and it not only has Cling Cobras on it, but also the letter O. The heroes can jump off of the other side of this piece of land to reach a tree platform with another checkpoint and the Tutorial Pig.

After the checkpoint is a large abyss that can be crossed by using swinging vines. As the Kongs swing, they move around Tiki Buzzes, yellow Chomps, and many banana trails that are placed directly under the vines for them to grab. The letter N is also between two shorter vines near the end of the gap. When they finish crossing the pit, they can make their way onto a platform with some Tiki Goons and a DK Barrel on it. Ahead is another abyss that can be crossed with the aid of five vines that are connected to Chomp enemies. Between each vine is a collectible, including the letter G, which is placed between the last two vines, and Tiki Buzzes also fly around them. There is a long pathway supported by tree trunks infested with Tiki Goons on the other end of this gap. Plants also grow here that hold items. At the end of the platform is another large abyss. Using two long vines that swing directly above a large trail of bananas, they need to cross this and soon reach a set of two platforms. The second platform has the Slot Machine Barrel on it; the level is completed when this is hit.

K-O-N-G Letters

 * K: Right before the second DK Barrel is the letter K at the end of a vine section.
 * O: On the platform just before the second checkpoint is the letter O.
 * N: The letter N is right after the sixth Puzzle Piece between two vines.
 * G: In the area with the five vines connected to Chomps at the end of the level, the letter G can be found between the last two vines.

Puzzle Pieces

 * 1) The Kongs should head left at the start of the level and travel behind some crystals to find the first Puzzle Piece.
 * 2) When the Kongs reach the first set of vines, they should travel along the area below them and enter a hidden opening in a raised platform to access a Bonus Level. There, they must shoot through four Barrel Cannons in order to collect sixty-five bananas, three Banana Coins, and an Extra Life Balloon. Once everything is collected within thirty seconds, a Puzzle Piece appears.
 * 3) Just after the letter K, the Kongs should head to the edge of the platform and jump behind a bush in the abyss. They should land into a hidden Barrel Cannon that shoots them to the Puzzle Piece.
 * 4) Before the primates reach the area with the letter O and the platforms covered in turf, they should find a small plant next to a vine from a blue Chomp that they can break open to reveal a Puzzle Piece.
 * 5) Immediately after the fourth Puzzle Piece, the Kongs can see part of a vine hanging from a bush at the top of the screen. To reach it, they must jump on the nearby platform covered in climbable turf and roll jump off of the top. When they grab onto the vines, they should climb up to access a Bonus Level, where they must move along two moving platforms to grab forty-seven bananas, an Extra Life Balloon, and two Banana Coins. If everything is collected within thirty seconds, a Puzzle Piece appears.
 * 6) While they Kongs swing on the first two vines after the checkpoint, they should make sure to grab every banana below them to reveal a Puzzle Piece that they can grab by climbing up the second vine.
 * 7) On the platform immediately before the Slot Machine Barrel is a trio of plants. The primates should blow on them to reveal three bananas. If they are all collected, a Puzzle Piece appears.