Donkey Kong Island (world)

Donkey Kong Island is the sixth and last main island the Kongs have to venture through in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, a game for the Wii U. The player learns in the prologue of the game that the Kong family, consisting of Donkey, Diddy, Dixie, and Cranky, has been exiled on a faraway island by Snowmads coming from the North Sea. Displaying a barbaric, -like behavior, these warriors raided the island and conquered it, transforming the tropical paradise into an improvised arctic inferno.

The levels of this world, with the exception of the optional stages, are each orderly based on a world from Donkey Kong Country Returns (the predecessor of Tropical Freeze), since Donkey Kong Island was the main area in this game. As such, Homecoming Hijinxs, the first level of this world, corresponds to the Jungle world from the past game; Seashore War to the Beach world, and so on until Meltdown Mayhem, a volcanic area that takes place inside the Volcano world.

Frozen still, guarded by Snowmad ships and forts, and reminding little of what it used to be, Donkey Kong Island indicates an hostile atmosphere, heavily suggested not only by the surrounding snow heaps or the unlively vegetation, with palm trees burdened by snow, but by the dramatic music that plays in its levels during the game. The fauna of the whole island seems to have been replaced in its entirety by Snowmads, as there are almost no allusions to enemies from the past game. In Blurry Flurry, which is linked to the Cave world, the Big Squeekly that guarded the place is now seen frozen in a solid block of ice. Mugly can also be seen frozen in the Donkey Kong Island diorama. The only enemies returning from Donkey Kong Country Returns which the Kongs can physically interact with are Electroids in Frozen Frenzy (a stage in the Factory area).

Eventually, the protagonists reach the Snowmad king, Lord Fredrik, in the Volcano Dome. They confront him in an arena inside the dome, and ultimately beat him and determine the withdrawal of the Snowmads.

During the events of the game, the map of Donkey Kong Island is navigated by using Barrel Cannons. Since the paths are not physically marked on the map of the island, there are arrows that indicate where the player can go, much like on the world maps of Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest.

Music gallery

 * "Snowmads Theme" – plays in Homecoming Hijinxs, Cliffside Slide, and Meltdown Mayhem.
 * "Seashore War" – plays in Seashore War.
 * "Freezie Breezie" – plays in Forest Folly and Icicle Arsenal.
 * "Frozen Frenzy" – plays in Frozen Frenzy.

Trivia

 * This is the first occasion since the original Donkey Kong Country when the Kongs can explore snowy places on Donkey Kong Island, as the aforementioned game featured Gorilla Glacier, the summit of the island. It was subsequently replaced in Donkey Kong Country Returns with the Volcano.
 * The fact that the waters of Donkey Kong Island are very cold and dangerous in Tropical Freeze, and that Donkey Kong Country Returns lacked the ability to swim, make the original Donkey Kong Country the only game from its series where the player can explore the waters of Donkey Kong Island.