Lychee Kingdom

The Lychee Kingdom is the fourteenth kingdom in Donkey Kong Jungle Beat and the second kingdom linked to the B Barrel. The kingdom is located in a large plant and in a fiery cave. The Lychee Kingdom can be accessed by completing all the kingdoms linked to the J Barrel, defeating the Cactus King, and collecting twenty-nine or more Crests. Donkey Kong travels through this kingdom to fight Thunder Roc, the ruler of the kingdom. As in the other kingdoms, Donkey Kong eats a giant fruit at the end of every level here, particularly a lychee.

Helibird Dash
Helibird Dash is the first area of the Lychee Kingdom. The level takes place inside a giant hollow vine. Helibird Dash is a relatively short level, where Donkey Kong has to race four Helibirds to the finish line with his own Helibird. The level features little obstacles, and the ape must simply move his Helibird through the narrow pathways quickly. However, small, pink flowers are located throughout the whole level, and the ape must try to come near them, as they produce heavy winds that can push the Helibirds forward faster. At the end of the level, Donkey Kong can bite into a giant lychee to head to the next level, Lava Cavern.

Winning the race is not necessary to complete the level, however, completing the race before the ape's opponents can help him gain more beats and, as a result, earn more crests. Losing to all four Helibirds causes the ape to earn no beats, while coming in third place in the race gives him 100 bonus beats. 300 beats are awarded if the ape achieves second places, and first place gives him a total of 500 extra beats.

Level Layout
The level begins at the bottom of a large vine's interior. A Helibird waits on a small tree near Donkey Kong, and four more Helibirds fly above it. If Donkey Kong flies his Helibird towards the opponents, the race begins. The track starts out with a straight pathway stretching to the north. The path then curves to the right to some pink, air blowing flowers. Two Helibirds are located in their nests at the bottom of this area. The flowers can push the Helibirds up to a wide, open area full of many small platforms. A Helibird waits on each of these platforms to help Donkey Kong if he loses his current Helibird, and wind currents are placed around the perimeter of the area. The currents are able to push the Helibirds towards a wide pathway, which is full of several twists and turns. A few Helibirds wait in their nests on these curves. The path soon widens to show a few more flowers that produce wind currents. Helper Monkeys also cheer for the racers in this area on the ground, and the slanted pathway soon turns to the north, where there is a white line stretching across the area. Once the ape crosses it, the race ends, and he is able to fly his Helibird to the lychee growing at the top of the vine above him. Biting into this fruit ends the level.

Lava Cavern
Lava Cavern is the second area of the Lychee Kingdom. As its name implies, the level takes place in a cavern filled with lava. If Donkey Kong comes into contact with the lava, falling rocks, or fiery bubbles that move around the level, he takes damage and loses beats. Fiery bats are also scattered around the level to harm and burn Donkey Kong, while a round, rolling amphibian enemy appears clogging up his path. Helper Monkeys appear around some parts of the level as well to aid the Kong, along with strange dragon heads that have to ability to transport him through parts of the stage. The level features two types of Jungle Buddies, Flurl the Squirrel and Helibirds, who help him progress. If Donkey Kong manages to bite into the giant lychee at the end of the level, he travels ahead to battle with Thunder Roc.

Level Layout
At the beginning of the level, Donkey Kong is placed on a rising platform through a wide vent. As it rising, bats swoop down to attack the ape, and many small, yellow fairies nearby create an arrow if they are hit by a sound wave. At the top of the area, the rising platform stops next to a small opening. Above here are many sphere shaped enemies covered in hot flames. The passage leads into a fiery cave full of lava. Some of the lava in this area shoots out of the spaces between the platforms, which are formed by fairies after the creatures are hit by Donkey Kong's Sound Wave Attack. Deeper into the cave, there is a larger, rock platform, partially submerged in the lava. While the ape heads across this big rock, meteors fall from the sky, but can be destroyed to reveal Banana Bunches. Another large rock is floating atop the lava near this platform, and lava occasionally shoots between the two objects. There is a third rock platform just ahead of the rocks, looking very similar to the last platform.

Meteors continue to rain down from the sky in this area, and the three platforms rock back and fourth beneath the lava. A solid platform is near the final moving platform with a large, dragon head on it. If the ape hits the head with a sound wave, it sucks him up, shooting him to the other end of the room. While being shot around the room, the ape makes his way towards another dragon head, who can loop him back into the mouth of the first dragon head. When this head spits the ape out again, he is taken to the side of a wall, which he can wall jump on to reach the next area. The wall and the wall across from it is cluttered with a few fiery, sphere-shaped foes, but some bananas are between them. At the top of the two walls, there is a bouncy, horizontal rope. Above it is a straight passage, which is clogged up by a large, round amphibian enemy. Donkey Kong can continue up the walls once it is defeated to meet a Helibird. The Helibird can fly him over a pit of bubbling lava nearby. There are two small gaps above the lava, both having a few Banana Bunches in them. However, lava also shoots up towards these gaps, serving as a major hazard.

On the other side of the pit, there is a small room with another dragon head in it. This dragon can send the ape to a new, much larger area, where he is immediately shot to a set of four Banana Bunches over lava. A Helper Monkey waits right above the lava. It is able to throw the ape a long distance over the hot lava to another helper. While flying to the next monkey, Blooms appear. The second Helper Monkey throws Donkey Kong to a third, who swings him upwards to a tall rock. On this rock is Flurl the Squirrel, sleeping in its nest. The lazy squirrel can help the ape parachute over another pit of lava. Although many Banana Bunches float over the hot substance, the lava shoots up through the area as well. Some small fairies are located near a high rock platform, and if hit by a sound wave, they form a trampoline that can bounce the ape onto the platform. A Helibird sits in its nest here. The creature can fly the Kong above another pit of lava, where there is a group of four more Banana Bunches and a dead end. A large monster jumps out of the magma here, and once it is defeated, a giant lychee appears on the tree branch above it. If Donkey Kong bites into this fruit, the level ends.