Animal Antics (Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest)

Animal Antics is the fifth level of the Lost World in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest and Donkey Kong Land 2. It can be accessed via Klubba's Kiosk in K. Rool's Keep in Diddy's Kong Quest, or next to Gloomy Gulch in Donkey Kong Land 2.

This level is rather different in comparison to others. The Kongs must transform into all five playable Animal Buddies, and cross several different level archetypes. They must travel through jungles, ice caverns, and even bramble areas, with Rambi, Enguarde, Squitter, Squawks, and Rattly. Each of the animals' special abilities are used in these tough trial, and it's easy to fall off track and get hurt. In Donkey Kong Land 2, the level is more flat, and only Rambi, Squitter, and Rattly can be found. The level is also found to have less difficulty. Enemies found in this level include Kaboings, Kannons, Klampons, Neeks, Zingers, Flitters, Mini-Neckys, Lockjaws, Flotsams, Shuries and Puftups.

''Donkey Kong Country 2
From the start of the level, the Kongs will be immediately turned into Rambi by an Animal Barrel. Rambi should travel east through the dangerous jungle and defeat several Neeks. Then, the rhino must begin to bounce off of a red Zinger to cross a gap. Once this is passed, he needs to beat four Kaboings, and soon bounce off of some more Zingers. Right after that, the Animal Buddy must venture into the nearby cave. He'll end up in and icy area, where he should cautiously jump over the kannonballs from a Kannon. Without sliding on the slippery ice, the animal should be able to pass the foe, and enter another Animal Barrel. This will turn him into Enguarde.

From there, Enguarde must swim down between the ice and then travel east. As he moves about, many Shuris will begin to attack him. The swordfish must dodge each of the starfishes, and enter the next area. Here, he'll meet many Puftups. As he travels by, they will explode and shoot spikes everywhere. Enguarde needs to quickly swim past the numerous hazards floating around, and avoid all the Puftups as they puff up. After that, the fish must swim upwards and defeat three hungry Lockjaws, then continue along the path. Soon, the water level will decrease, and Enguarde must trudge over the ground, until he gets into an entryway. It will take him outside in the jungle, where he'll turn into Squitter.

At that point, Squitter needs to carry on and shoot webs at all the foes that come his way. After that, the spider will pass the Star Barrel (in the Super Nintendo version only) and then have to jump platform to platform, trying not to fall into the sharp spikes below. The problem, though, is that the platforms are small, and a Kaboing occupies each one. Not only that, but a red Zinger circles them, too. Squitter must use the help of his own webs platforms to defeat the Kaboings with ease and then dodge the Zinger orbiting the platforms. Once the spider is successful in getting across the abyss with the small platforms, he needs to defeat many more Kaboings with his normal webs. Eventually, the Animal Buddy will come up to a very wide abyss. Carefully, he must use his web platforms to cross it and also avoid a few Zingers. As soon as he gets to the other end, he should enter the barrel and be shot to the next area. He will land in a bramble area, where he'll find the Star Barrel (GBA version only) and have to use more of his web platforms to get over the sharp brambles. As he climbs up the path, Mini Neckys will begin to swoop down at him. However, Squitter should be able to avoid them all and get to the next solid platform. Here, he'll find another Animal Barrel. When he goes in it, he'll turn into Squawks.

Squawks must begin the get through the area known to players as the hardest part of the level. He needs to fly between the pointy brambles and also hit enemies with his nuts so they can get out of the way. However, the main challenge of this part, is the strong winds that brush through the area, which can push Squawks right into the brambles. Carefully, the parrot must fly through the path, as wind pushes him back and fourth. He must travel over and under several Zinger, and even soon meet a few Flitters in the way. From there, the bird needs to move south and watch out for the red Zingers hanging around the sides of the stage. Eventually, he'll have to beat a few Zingers to access another area, going west. Here, Squawks should carefully maneuver around the brambles and Zingers, who block his path several times, and then finally sneak under some brambles to the final Animal Barrel. Squawks will turn into the snake, Rattly when going in here. Rattly needs to hop right down into a small gap to exit the area, and end up back in the jungle.

In this part of the level, Rattly must use his special jumping ability to leap up to a high ledge on the right, while watching out for a lone Klampon. After that, the snake must bounce off of some red Zingers, just as Rambi had before, and cross a wide abyss filled with many sharp spikes. Some of the Zingers will move as he starts to cross, though, so he must be careful on where he lands, as there is no DK Barrel in this part of the level. After Rattly jumps over all the spikes with the help of Zingers and the safe ground, he'll pas the final No Animal Sign, and be turned back into the Kongs. Then, the monkeys need to very carefully hop into a nearby barrel and shoot to the ledge above, but while watching out for two Zingers. When they make it up this ledge, the heroes will finally be able to exit the levl by hitting the End of Level Target.

''Donkey Kong Land 2
At the beginning of the level, the Kongs must walk across the path and get into the Animal Barrel containing Rambi. Once it transforms them into the rhino, they need to jump up a few ledges and then avoid a few Kaboings. Rambi will have to then drop down a high ledge and bounce off of a few Zingers to cross two wide abysses. After that, the Animal Buddy should continue through the jungle and defeat some Neeks and a Kaboing. Soon, he'll cross the No Animal Sign, and turn back into Diddy and Dixie. These heroes should move on and get into the nearby Squitter Barrel. When they turn into the spider, Squitter must use his webs to cross a very wide gap, just as he did in Web Woods several times. After he gets over the Flitter infested gap, he needs to continue east and beat a few Kaboings, who are able to bounce much higher than the other foes of the level. Eventually, the spider will have to cross a rather large gap with his webs, followed by another abyss. There are Zinger in this one, so he should be careful. Once these short gaps are behind the bug, he must face another large abyss. With his webs, Squitter needs to build platforms across the whole length of the gap, or risk falling off the stage. There are also a few insects on the way to block the animal's path. After this abyss, he will finally pass the Star Barrel, marking halfway through the level.

From there, the Animal Buddy needs to walk east and cross another No Animal Sign. When the monkeys are back to normal, they must hop down into the Rattly Barrel. Once turned into the snake, Rattly should bounce along several Zingers to get over a wide gap. This is followed by another one, but only a few Zingers are needed to pass it. After he crosses the two abysses, the snake must travel along the walkway and dodge some enemies, as well as get over a wide abyss, which can be simply jumped across. At that point, Rattly needs to hop down to another abyss, where he should carefully bounce off of several insects, or fall right into some dangerous spikes. When he is safely to the other side, the animal will cross the last No Animal Sign and turn back into the Kongs. The no longer transformed monkeys should then cross a small gap and finally exit the level.

Bonus Level(s)
At the very end of Squitter's section, the spider should use his webs to build platforms leading over the nearby ledge, instead of hopping into the barrel next to him. Once is over the wall, he'll land right into the Bonus Barrel, leading to the Bonus Level. Here, the animal must use his webs to climb up a bramble area, and defeat four Zingers. After that, he needs to go in the Animal Barrel and transform into Squawks, who must fly up and beat the remaining foes. Finally, the bird must get into another Animal Barrel and turn into Squitter, who should then grab the DK Coin to end the Bonus Stage.

Golden Feather (GBA Only)
As soon as the heroes turn into Rattly and enter the jungle, they should head left. As the snake travels this way, he must avoid some Zingers and Klampons, as well as watch out for spikes. Soon, he should find a small area with both the Golden Feather and three Banana Coins.

Bonus Level(s)
To find the Bonus Level, Squitter must travel downwards with his web platforms through the abyss right before the Star Barrel. When he makes it to the bottom-right corner of the gap, he'll see a small alcove. He must walk through here and enter the Bonus Barrel. It will take him to the Bonus Level, where the spider needs to build more web platforms to collect stars scattered around the area. Once he grabs them all, the DK Coin appears at the end of the stage.