Vine Valley (level)

Vine Valley is the twenty-ninth level in Donkey Kong Country Returns and Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D and the first level of the Forest world. It has the same name as the third world in Donkey Kong Country.

Vine Valley takes place in a large forest with many long vines and short vines. Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong must swing from these vines to cross large gaps and collect items such as Banana Coins. Chomps are a common enemy in the level, and the Kongs must avoid getting bitten by them. The Kongs must also quickly jump from the tongue of some vine Chomps. Other enemies in the level include Wiggles (who move around areas with Climbing Grass), Tiki Goons, Tiki Dooms, and Tiki Buzzes.

In the Time Attack mode, a time of 1:44:00 is needed to get a gold medal, a time of 2:02:00 for silver, and a time of 2:15:00 for bronze.

Layout
The level starts out in a cave full of diamonds and bouncy mushrooms. The Kongs can bounce on the mushrooms to reach a Barrel Cannon that shoots them through a passage with more Barrel Cannons. As they progress upwards through the area, Tiki Zings stand in their way. As they shoot from the first barrel to the second barrel, they must shoot past a lone Tiki Zing that moves back and fourth. After that they have to shoot past two, and then three. Once they shoot past a second group of three Tiki Zings, they come up to some Banana Coins placed between two of the Barrel Cannons. The barrel after the coins blasts the primates upwards through a more narrow passage full of bananas. When they exit the passage and reach the surface, they find themselves in a forest area, where there is a curvy path leading past a strange plant with an item in it.

Ahead are a few gaps with red Chomp enemies in them. Between the first two Chomps is a mushroom that holds a DK Barrel that is placed above a solid platform with another plant that contains an item on it. If the Kongs travel past the first DK Barrel, they come past the aforementioned Chomp and another one just after it. A few strange plants grow on the platform following them, and near it is a swinging vine that is placed above a lower section of land with Tiki Goons, a Chomp, and item-bearing plants. The primates must use the vine here and the vine that is located right after it to reach a raised platform with the Tutorial Pig and the checkpoint on it. Around the Tutorial Pig are a few plants holding items, and then soon after the same pig is a large abyss that can only be crossed by using a long, swinging vine. More vines are after this above the wide gap. Tiki Buzzes fly near the top of the area, one of which that hovers near a short vine with a Red Balloon next to it. Bananas and Banana Coins are also scattered around the area that the Kongs swing through. At the other side of the abyss is a shooting Chomp and the letter K of the K-O-N-G Letters, followed by a DK Barrel and some Tiki Goons. A Tiki Doom is here as well, along with some collectibles that are scattered around the area.

At the edge of the large platform is another wide abyss that must be crossed by using a long vine. As the heroes swing, they collect many bananas under the canopy. When they access the other side of the abyss, they come up to a barrel and a vine that must be used to reach a raised platform. If the primates grab onto the vine, a vine Chomp enemy is revealed behind some leaves. It pulls the Kongs into its mouth with the vine if they do not jump off of it fast enough. Below the Chomp is a lower section of land with some Tiki Goons on it, while on the raised platform next to the vine is a path leading to some Tiki Goons and another large abyss. Above the abyss are a few floating pieces of land that are covered in a green, grassy turf. The Kongs must climb along the turf while dodging Wiggles to reach the other side of the first platform, where they can jump to another vine that is connected to a Chomp. After the vine is another platform covered in climbable turf and Wiggles, and it is also followed by a vine that is part of a Chomp enemy. One last platform is after this covered in turf, and it not only has Wiggles on it, but also the letter O. The heroes can jump off of the other side of this piece of land to reach a tree platform with another checkpoint and the Tutorial Pig.

After the checkpoint is a large abyss that can be crossed by using swinging vines. As the Kongs swing, they move around Tiki Buzzes, shooting Chomps, and many banana trails that are placed directly under the vines for them to grab. The letter N is also between two shorter vines near the end of the gap. When they finish crossing the pit, they can make their way onto a platform with some Tiki Goons and a DK Barrel on it. Ahead is another abyss that can be crossed with the aid of five vines that are connected to Chomp enemies. Between each vine is a collectible, including the letter G, which is placed between the last two vines, and Tiki Buzzes also fly around them. There is a long pathway supported by tree trunks infested with Tiki Goons on the other end of this gap. Plants also grow here that hold items. At the end of the platform is another large abyss. Using two long vines that swing directly above a large trail of bananas, they need to cross this and soon reach a set of two platforms. The second platform has the Slot Machine Barrel on it; the level is completed when this is hit.