Lava Cavern

Lava Cavern is the twenty-ninth level of Donkey Kong Jungle Beat and the second area of the Lychee Kingdom. Much like Grim Volcano, it is filled with lava pits, falling rocks, and fire pillars that serve as hazards. Fire Bakkies are also scattered around the level and attempt to burn Donkey Kong, while a Rolling Frog appears clogging up his path. Helper Monkeys appear around some parts of the level as well to aid the Kong, along with Dragon Slots that have to ability to transport him through parts of the stage. The level features two types of Jungle Buddies, Flurl and Helibirds, who help him progress. Once Donkey Kong manages to bite into the giant lychee at the end of the level, he travels ahead to battle with Thunder Roc (Double Tusk in the New Play Control version).

Level layout
At the beginning of the level, Donkey Kong is placed on a rising platform through a wide vent. As it rising, Fire Bakkies swoop down to attack the ape, and many small, yellow fairies nearby create an arrow if they are hit by a sound wave. At the top of the area, the rising platform stops next to a small opening. Above here are many Fire Mini Igas. The passage leads into a fiery cave full of lava. Some of the lava in this area shoots out of the spaces between the platforms, which are formed by fairies after the creatures are hit by Donkey Kong's Sound Wave Attack. Deeper into the cave, there is a larger, rock platform, partially submerged in the lava. While the ape heads across this big rock, meteors fall from the sky, but can be destroyed to reveal bananas. Another large rock is floating atop the lava near this platform, and lava occasionally shoots between the two objects. There is a third rock platform just ahead of the rocks, looking very similar to the last platform.

Meteors continue to rain down from the sky in this area, and the three platforms rock back and fourth beneath the lava. A solid platform is near the final moving platform with a Dragon Slot on it. If the ape hits the head with a sound wave, it sucks him up, shooting him to the other end of the room. While being shot around the room, the ape makes his way towards another Dragon Slot, who can loop him back into the mouth of the first Dragon Slot. When this dragon spits the ape out again, he is taken to the side of a wall, which he can wall jump on to reach the next area. The wall and the wall across from it is cluttered with a few Fire Mini Igas, but some bananas are between them. At the top of the two walls, there is a bouncy, horizontal rope. Above it is a straight passage, which is clogged up by a Rolling Frog. Donkey Kong can continue up the walls once it is defeated to meet a Helibird. The Helibird can fly him over a pit of bubbling lava nearby. There are two small gaps above the lava, both having a few Banana Bunches in them. However, lava also shoots up towards these gaps, serving as a major hazard.

On the other side of the pit, there is a small room with another Dragon Slot in it. This dragon can send the ape to a new, much larger area, where he is immediately shot to a set of four Banana Bunches over lava. A Helper Monkey waits right above the lava. It is able to throw the ape a long distance over the hot lava to another helper. While flying to the next monkey, Blooms appear. The second Helper Monkey throws Donkey Kong to a third, who swings him upwards to a tall rock. On this rock is Flurl, sleeping in its nest. The lazy squirrel can help the ape parachute over another pit of lava. Although many Banana Bunches float over the hot substance, the lava shoots up through the area as well. Some small fairies are located near a high rock platform, and if hit by a sound wave, they form a trampoline that can bounce Donkey Kong onto the platform. A Helibird sits in its nest here, and it can fly the Kong above another pit of lava, where there is a group of four more Banana Bunches and a dead end. A Tar Man jumps out of the magma here, and once it is defeated, a giant lychee appears on the tree branch above it. If Donkey Kong bites into this fruit, the level ends.