Boss Key

A Boss Key is an item in Donkey Kong 64. There are 8 boss keys in total, all obtained by defeating a level boss, with the exception of the eighth, which is found at the end of Hideout Helm. The bosses of each level are accessed by the Troff and Scoff rooms and the final one can only be accessed if the player has obtained both the Nintendo Coin and Rareware Coin. The boss keys are used to help free K. Lumsy, resulting in opening new levels and completing the game.

Types

 * The different boss keys open different areas of the world
 * Key 1 opens Angry Aztec
 * Key 2 opens Frantic Factory and Gloomy Galleon
 * Key 4 opens Fungi Forest
 * Key 5 opens Crystal Caves and Creepy Castle
 * Keys 6 and 7 opens Hideout Helm
 * Keys 3 and 8 spawn K Rool's Ship
 * Grabbing Key 8 in a certain manner can cause it to be 'fake'. In other words, you'll pick it up, but it won't save to the inventory. Fortunately, if you revisit Hideout Helm, you can pick it up again, hopefully it will save to the inventory.
 * This happens more-often-than-not in glitched play, but can occur in a glitchless playthrough.