Boulder Roller

Boulder Roller is the forty-first level in Donkey Kong Country Returns and Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, as well as the fourth area in the Cliff world.

This level's main obstacle is, as its name suggests, the great amount of boulders rolling around it. Throughout the whole level, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong must avoid these giant rocks, which roll down pathways in the background and down slanted platforms (in which the Kongs must find small gaps in to take shelter from the boulders). Sometimes, the primates have to run away from the boulders as they slide behind them, or even travel in tight spaces between two of the large, spiky rocks. In addition to the rolling boulders, the Kongs must overcome many falling platforms that can only support their weight for a few moments and many dinosaur skeleton-like creatures, some of which rise their heads out of Minecarts to get in the way.

In the Time Attack mode of the game, a time of 1:22:00 is needed to get a gold medal, a time of 1:47:00 for silver, and a time of 2:51:00 for bronze.

Overview
The level begins with a rocky pathway leading to a raised piece of ground placed next to a fan that one of the Kongs can blow on to make a nearby platform lower. They can use the platform to reach a switch that can only be activated by pulling a vine hanging from it. Once the vine is pulled, a button appears below that must be pounded into the ground to make the giant boulder ahead of the primates roll away and reveal a new path. On the new path is a Skellyrex next to the first gap. On the other side is a slanted pathway with small boulders constantly rolling along it. Above the boulders rolling here are some wooden boards that hold the letter K of the K-O-N-G Letters. After this area is a delicate platform that can only hold the Kongs' weight for a few seconds over a gap. Boulders fall from above to the left and right of the platform. When the primates cross the gap it is in, they are able to reach a new land area where more small boulders roll down a slanted pathway.

After the Kongs pass the source of these boulders, they find a Firehead Ned and another gap with a brittle platform between it. Boulders shoot out from below the platform every few seconds, and then fall back down. The first DK Barrel also sits on top of some wooden boards above it. Following the gap are two more slanted pathways with a small platform between them in a gap. The platform tumbles when stood on. Similar platforms are in a wide abyss ahead, with boulders falling between them. Additionally, a solid platform stands after the first two of the platforms. Ahead of them is another slanted platform with boulders rolling down it and a gap with a bridge platform on the other side of it. The bridge is attached to an area of land with the Tutorial Pig and the checkpoint. As the primates progress, they come up to some more wooden platforms, the first with a Firehead Ned on it. Its head can be bounced off of to reach a high set of board with the letter O. Farther ahead of here is a hill with boulders rolling down it. The Kongs can only stand on the end of the hill, as the remaining part of it is farther into the background. After a wooden platform following this area, which has a cactus and a Skellyrex on it, the heroes can find three more hills coming from the background with boulders rolling down them. Jumping along the ends of the hills, they must avoid the boulders and advance to two brittle platforms that fall with their weight. After them is a wooden platform with another Skellyrex and a cactus on it. Boulders fall into the gap between here and the next platform, which is part of a hill from the background. Rocks roll down from here as well. The Kongs can then find a solid platform near to wooden boards that can be used as platforms. However, these boards constantly fall down, keeping the Kongs from using them for a short amount of time. They alternate between these positions.

There is another hill platform with boulders rolling down it ahead of here and a wooden platform with the second DK Barrel on it. After another fragile platform that falls with the Kongs' weight is a solid area of land. On top of some wooden boards is a rock that the primates can break to access the boards, and near it is the letter N being guarded by a Skellyrex. They can then pound through the boards to reach a lower area, while trying to avoid a boulder swinging above them. In the loser area, they can find a platforms standing in a gap. They break when having to hold the Kongs' weight. After another hill coming from the background with rocks rolling down it, the primates can find a solid platform with some wooden boards placed to the left of it and a cactus growing on it. A blue plant grows on the solid platform as well. Following the solid platform are two more curved pathways coming in from the background that drop boulders. They must use the ends of the pathways to reach a wooden bridge-like platform with the Tutorial Pig and the checkpoint right after it.

Approaching the ending parts of the level, the group makes their way over a wooden platform with a Firehead Ned on it and another platform in a gap that falls with any of their weight. After this is a larger area of land with two small spaces in it. The pathway is angled, so giant boulders falling from above can roll down it. They boulders are too big to be jumped over, so the Kongs must crouch in the small spaces to get under them. After they dodge the boulders, they can find a solid, wooden platform with a Skellyrex, bananas, and a blue plant on it. Ahead of it is another platform that falls with the primates' weight and another large area of land with large boulders rolling down it. To avoid the large obstacles, they must crouch into small spaces as before. However, this time, the spaces are placed farther apart. The letter G is after a gap at the end of this area above a Skellyrex on a wooden platform. Boulders constantly fall and roll down the pathway here, and the Kongs must get around them by walking through the small gaps between two of them. At the end of the slanted pathway is a Barrel Cannon that aims to a separate piece of land. Trying not to hit into any of the boulders that are rolling off the cliff, they can blast to the new area. This area features a U shaped pathway in it, which curves in, with a small gap at the center with some stone blocks inside of it. As the heroes travel across this area, a giant boulder falls from behind them and rolls back and fourth along the slopes. If it rolls into them, they get an instant death. If they manage to climb up the last hill safely, they can reach a Barrel Cannon immediately after another weak platform that collapses with weight. The barrel can shoot them to the Slot Machine Barrel, and once it is hit, the level is completed.

K-O-N-G Letters

 * K: Shortly after the Kongs move the giant boulder at the beginning of the level out of their way by pounding on a giant button, they can find the letter K on some wooden boards. Jumping on the first Skellyrex can help them reach the boards.
 * O: The letter O is on some wooden boards immediately after the first checkpoint. They must bounce off of a Firehead Ned as the foe extends its head to reach it.
 * N: Before the Kongs fall through the board shortly before the second checkpoint that leads to a lower area, they can find the letter N in the corner of the area after a Skellyrex.
 * G: After the second section that involves the Kongs crouching into small spaces to avoid boulders, the primates find themselves on a wooden platform stretching out from a slanted area of land. The letter G is above this that can be reached if they bounce on the nearby Skellyrex.

Puzzle Pieces

 * 1) After the letter K, the Kongs should roll-jump to the left to land in a hidden Barrel Cannon that shoots them into a Bonus Level. There, they must maneuver around many stationary platforms to collect 78 bananas and two Banana Coins. If everything is grabbed within thirty seconds, a Puzzle Piece appears.
 * 2) If the Kongs pound on the first cactus after the first Puzzle Piece, they can find the second Puzzle Piece.
 * 3) The Kongs can reveal the third Puzzle Piece by blowing on the blue plant just before the first checkpoint.
 * 4) As the Kongs travel along the curved pathways jutting out from the background, they can find a blue plant growing on the path just after a platform with a cactus on it. If they blow on it, a Puzzle Piece appears.
 * 5) Just before the checkpoint is a cactus on a solid platform. To the left of this are some wooden planks that the Kongs can move along to find a Puzzle Piece.
 * 6) In the first area where the Kongs must crouch into small spaces to dodge spiky boulders, they can find a cactus almost under the source of the big rocks. They must pound on this while dodging the boulders to find a Puzzle Piece.
 * 7) Just before the end of the level when the Kongs are chased by the huge boulder in the U-shaped area, they can head into the center of the pathway to find a gap with two stone blocks in it. They should pound the rocks apart to fall down into a Barrel Cannon while grabbing the seventh and final Puzzle Piece.

Trivia

 * At the very end of the level, a fossil looks very similar to Squiddicus, suggesting there might have been a race of these creatures.