Croctopus Chase

Croctopus Chase is the twentieth level of Donkey Kong Country and the nineteenth in the Game Boy Advance remake. It is also the fourth level of the Gorilla Glacier area, and third level of the same world in the remake (having switched positions with Ice Age Alley).

Taking place in the depths of a freezing lake, Croctopus Chase is the third underwater level in the game. To complete the level, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong must navigate an underwater maze. However, with blue Croctopi chasing them through the narrow passages, it is a race against time. The Kongs must swim as fast as they can, otherwise they are attacked by the Croctopi. To make matters worse in this level, the Kongs also have to avoid the other underwater enemies, including Chomps, Chomps Jr., and the tiny, but mighty, Squidges. Luckily, Enguarde the Swordfish can be found in a hidden area near the end of the level to help the heroes. This is also the first underwater level in the series to feature Barrel Cannons.

Level Layout
At the beginning of the level, the Kongs make their way through a narrow passage. A Squidge floats past them as the continue to a 90 degree turn in the pathway. Once they swim to the top of the pathway, it leads them to the east, where a Croctopus waits in an alcove. Shortly after passing it, it begins to chase them, soon stopping in a second alcove nearby. Another alcove holds a wobbling DK Barrel. As the heroes continue down the passage, they come up to a Squidge and another Croctopus, who follows them around a U shaped pathway. They meet another Croctopus at the bottom of the passage, and it chases them north through an area with the letter K in it. An alcove is located at the top of the area, which the Croctopus swims into once it is passed. A passage branches off of it, leading to the left, where a slightly wider area can be found with another DK Barrel.

Soon, the duo approaches another Croctopus that chases them through a bendy passage with several turns in it. Eventually, the heroes pass an alcove that the Croctopus stops in once it is reached. A pair of Auto Fire Barrels sit ahead, blocking the Kongs' path. They blast them past an intersection and into another set of Barrel Cannons. The letter O and a DK Barrel is located on other pathways of the intersection, which can only be reached if the heroes enter a secret passage after the second pair of barrels. A wider area follows the barrels with a Croctopus waiting in it. The passage narrows again as the two friends pass the Croctopus, who immediately begins to pursue them. It chases them up a pathway full of several small, sharp turns. At the top of the area, an alcove can be found that the Croctopus soon rests in. A passage to the right of here leads the heroes to an alcove with level's Star Barrel in it.

A sign indicating that the Kongs are nearing the exit is ahead of here, being followed by another alcove with a Croctopus in it. The enemy pursues them through a straight passage, until they reach a pair of alcoves. A DK Barrel wobbles in one, while the Croctopus rests in the other hole. Another straight pathway leading upwards is ahead. As it is traveled through, a Croctopus chases the heroes. It ceases to chase the Kongs at the top of the area, where they can find a Chomps enemy swimming above a passage that takes the primates south. At the bottom of this pathway, they meet another Crotopus that chases them towards an intersection. It makes a circle around the intersection and then moves upwards into an alcove. If the heroes head east from this alcove, they can discover a lone Barrel Cannon that shoots them across a passage full of bananas. Another Barrel Cannon then catches them and shoots them into a wider area with a Chomps in it. A passage containing another Chomps is located to the west. A Croctopus chases them as the travel through it. The passage leads them downwards through many small, tight turns. At the lowest part of this pathway, they can find a small alcove that the octopus enemy soon stops in. Two Chomps swim parallel to each other in a wider area ahead.

The fourth DK Barrel in the level and another Croctopus follow. The enemy pursues them as they swim upwards through a thin pathway. Soon, they approach a small turn in the pathway that leads them to the east, where an alcove can be found. The Croctopus rests in the gap when it reaches it. The letter N waits in a passage to the north of here. At the end of this passage, the heroes can find a lone Croctopus who begins to chase them farther up the area. After swimming around a few tight turns, they can reach a pair of alcoves placed across from each other. The previous Croctopus rests in the top gap once it reaches it, while a new Croctopus waits in the lower alcove. It pursues the duo as they swim through an area full of several sharp turns. Soon, the Croctopus ceases to chase them, making its way into a small alcove. Another passage branches off of this area. A sign stands at the beginning of it, indicating that the level is near complete. After passing through an area infested with Squidges, the primates reach the letter G and an exit sign. If they travel ahead of the sign, they finish the level successfully.

K-O-N-G Letters

 * K: After the third Croctopus begins to chase the heroes, they swim up through a narrow passage, which contains the letter K.
 * O: Once the Kongs shoot through the second pair of Barrel Cannons, they can spot a DK Barrel in an alcove being blocked by a wall. The primates can swim over this wall to reach the barrel. If they swim around the bend, they can find the letter O in a small area.
 * N: The letter N can be found in a narrow passage shortly after the fourth DK Barrel in the level.
 * G: The letter G is immediately before the exit sign at the end of the level.

Photograph (Game Boy Advance version only)

 * Once the primates shoot out of the fourth Barrel Cannon in the level, they should carefully swim backwards and travel back into the passage before the cannon (which they could not freely swim through before because the previous Barrel Cannon shot them past it). They can find a tight pathway in the center of the passage that leads into an area with a camera icon. Two Croctopi guard it. If they manage to grab the icon, they earn a photograph of a Croctopus in the second page of their scrapbook.