Grip 'n' Trip

Grip 'n' Trip is the twenty-fourth level in Donkey Kong Country Returns, as well as the second level in the Cave world.

This level takes place in a cave, where Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong must ride on minecarts to progress. Unlike earlier minecart levels such as Crazy Cart, the Kongs can jump out of their carts in this level, instead of jumping with them. This way, they are able to access different minecarts throughout the level. Another main feature in this level is its many sections of a grassy, green turf that the primates can climb on. Additionally, near the end of the level, a train begins to ride on the track above the Kongs, holding a metal platform with more of the turf on it. The heroes are able to jump between the minecarts and the turf to obtain collectibles and avoid obstacles. The only enemies in this level are Tiki Buzzes, making Grip and Trip one of the only levels in the Cave world to not feature moles as enemies.

In the Time Attack mode of the game, a time of 1:34:00 is needed to get a gold medal, a time of 1:37:00 for silver, and a time of 1:39:00 for bronze.

Overview
At the beginning of the level, there is a small pillar standing in a gap. The Kongs can only cross the gap if they climb on the green, grassy turf on the ceiling above. A platform following this ceiling holds the level's first DK Barrel. There is a Barrel Cannon nearby that shoots them over an abyss and into a minecart stationary on a track. The minecart begins to move immediately as they enter, pulling them down a small hill towards an abyss with a banana trail across it. Once they jump over this gap, they land in another minecart that takes them down a path full of more bananas. A separate track is above here that the primates can jump to. It leads them to a Puzzle Piece. The two tracks end at the next abyss nearby, which has another minecart on a track on the other side of it. There is an abyss ahead of here, and a Tiki Buzz flies slightly above the track after it. If they manage to cross the gap after the Tiki Buzz as well, they make their way onto a track with two more Tiki Buzzes floating next to each other with an Extra Life Balloon ascending between them. An Auto Fire Barrel floats above a track after a gap nearby. It can shoot the heroes into the letter K of the K-O-N-G Letters and then back on to the curved track below right by an additional pit. If the duo crosses this, they land in a new minecart, as they have each time before, and ride towards a Tiki Buzz at the edge of the track.

A lower track is immediately after the enemy that they can ride along to reach another gap to cross. When they get into the minecart at the other side of the abyss, they are carried down a slanted track that ends with a ramp. Some bananas and Banana Bunches are in this area. The ramp swings them over a gap onto another track, which has a Tiki Buzz at the end of it. A Puzzle Piece is in the air nearby here. There is a lower track following the enemy that leads to another Tiki Buzz. A third track in this area leading to a Tiki Buzz follows this as well, with a track after it pulling Donkey and Diddy towards a gap. There is a ceiling of climbable turf that they must climb onto here to avoid falling. Three Tiki Buzzes are located slightly below the ceiling. The turf helps the Kongs climb to another minecart. The cart leads them across a curvy area under a separate track, which has the letter O at the end of it. Once they reach the end of the lower track, they come up to another abyss that they must cross by climbing along a turf-covered ceiling. A hanging object being held by a train is at the end of the ceiling that they can climb on. When they get on it, the train begins to move and pulls them over a gap towards some bananas and a platform with the Tutorial Pig and the checkpoint on it.

A DK Barrel is located next to the checkpoint, followed by a trio of bouncy mushrooms. The final mushroom can bounce them onto another turf-covered object connected to a train. The train begins to move when they grab onto it, carrying them over a gap and to a track with a minecart on it. The cart leads them over a ramp, which then drops them onto another slanted track with a ramp at the end of it. This ramp sends them onto a straight track with another turf-covered object above it. The train carrying it moves parallel to the Kongs as they ride in the minecart, allowing them to grab onto the turf at any time here. They can grab onto the turf to be pulled into some bananas and a Banana Coin high in the air. More bananas and a Banana Coin can be found later on the track. The items are followed by a cliff with some roadblocks before it. In order to avoid hitting into the roadblocks, the heroes must grab onto the moving turf and ride over the nearby abyss, which has some Tiki Buzzes above it.

The letter N is between the last two Tiki Buzzes, with a minecart just below it. The primates can drop down into the cart to progress across another track that has a Puzzle Piece and a trail of bananas on it. Two gaps are ahead, with a track leading towards another track just below it. A Tiki Buzz is above this area, followed by an Auto Fire Barrel that can be optionally entered to be blasted into the background. If the heroes miss the barrel, they are led to another gap with an additional Auto Fire Barrel in it. The barrel blasts them to a few more tracks with gaps between each of them. Eventually, the heroes can find themselves riding down a bumpy hill towards another gap with a Barrel Cannon in it. The primates are also shot into this cannon when they reach the letter G at the end of the background segment here. The Barrel Cannon shoots them onto a flat track with yet another minecart on it. The gap following this cart has a platform on the other side of it. The Slot Machine Barrel is above this, and hitting it makes the level complete.

K-O-N-G Letters

 * K: An Auto Fire Barrel is above the track following the one with the Extra Life Balloon on it. It shoots the heroes to the letter K if they hop into it.
 * O: Shortly after the third Puzzle Piece, there is climbable turf at the top of a ceiling near a trio of Tiki Buzzes. The primates need to climb along it to cross an abyss. When they get in the minecart at the other end of the abyss, they can notice a separate track above them. They should jump to the minecart on this track to ride towards the letter O that is in the air at the end of this track.
 * N: After the fourth Puzzle Piece, the Kongs are forced to cling onto the turf-covered object hanging from a train on the track above them to avoid running into some roadblocks while in their minecart. Shortly after the minecart explodes due to running into the obstacles, the Kongs are pulled towards three Tiki Buzzes. The letter N is between the last two above the following minecart found below.
 * G: The duo should high-bounce off of the first enemy from the fifth Puzzle Piece to reach an Auto Fire Barrel that shoots them into the background. In this background area, there are two tracks covered in collectibles with an Auto Fire Barrel placed between them. They must travel across this area to reach the letter G above another Auto Fire Barrel that shoots them back into the foreground.

Puzzle Pieces

 * 1) The Kongs can find a separate track above them as they ride on level's second minecart. They need to jump on the top one, where they can find Banana Bunches, Banana Coins, and a Puzzle Piece.
 * 2) Shortly after getting the K, there are more platforms with tracks. Next to one is a barrel, which can take the Kongs to a Bonus Level. Here, they must shoot through a moving Barrel Cannon in order to collect fifty-seven bananas, two Banana Coins, and an Extra Life Balloon within thirty seconds to make a Puzzle Piece appear.
 * 3) The Kongs should high-jump off of the first Tiki Buzz from the Bonus Level to reach the third Puzzle Piece high in the air.
 * 4) The primates should pound on the plant to the left of the checkpoint to make a Puzzle Piece appear.
 * 5) After getting the N and riding on the minecart after it, there is a Puzzle Piece following a banana trail.