Bramble Blast (Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest)

Bramble Blast is the sixteenth level of Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest and the sixth area of Krem Quay. This level appeared again as the eighteenth level of Donkey Kong Land 2, with a similar layout. Here, it is the third area of Krazy Kremland.

This is the first bramble level of both games, and in it, Diddy and Dixie Kong must navigate through the thorns via many series of Barrel Cannons. The barrels of this level, unlike most other Barrel Cannons, constantly make 90 degree turns when accessed, and they sometimes do not aim in all four directions. One wrong move can blast them into the brambles, so they must watch their timing. Klampons, Zingers, Click-Clacks and Flitters also impede on the Kongs' progress. Squawks the Parrot is located near the end of the level in Donkey Kong Country 2, and he can help the Kongs nab a DK Coin, as well as reach a Bonus Barrel, if he is found. Squawks appears in the Donkey Kong Land 2 version of the level as well, but only in a Bonus Level.

A remix of the background music of Bramble Blast appears as a selectable Donkey Kong song that can be played in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl, the song is entitled "Bramble Blast" to match the actual level. However, the song's title, as evidenced by the Donkey Kong Country 2 official soundtrack, is known as "Stickerbush Symphony".

Donkey Kong Country 2
The Kongs begin the level on some wooden boards that carry them over the sharp brambles. A Banana Bunch is above the entrance to the level, and it can be reached with their Team-up move. If the primates travel to the east from here, they reach an Auto Fire Barrel that shoots them into an area full of Barrel Cannons. They must use these many barrels to shoot to the top-right corner of the area, where another Auto Fire Barrel is located. Before the heroes access this Auto Fire Barrel, they are able to shoot to a Banana Bunch in the bottom-right corner of the area and also to a DK Barrel near the top-left corner of the same area. Once they reach the Auto Fire Barrel, they are shot into another section of Barrel Cannons. A Zinger and the letter K are among these many barrels, which must be used to send the Kongs into the top-right corner of the area. Here, they can find a narrow passage containing a Zinger, and they must shoot through it to reach a larger area of Barrel Cannons. As they shoot towards the top of the area by using these barrels, they come up to some bananas, a Banana Bunch, and the letter O, which are all surrounded by the many cannons.

Eventually, the heroes reach a passage that they must shoot through to access another Barrel Cannon that is guarded by a Zinger. This Barrel Cannon is placed in a narrow passage among the brambles. While trying not to shoot into the brambles, the Kongs must fire themselves southwest from here in order to access another Barrel Cannon in a wider area that contains more Barrel Cannons. These cannons are positioned on the perimeter of the area, and the heroes must shoot around the section to reach another curved passage among the brambles. Four Barrel Cannons are placed throughout this passage, and they must be used to shoot over the brambles. However, all four of them rotate when accessed, so the heroes must aim carefully. If they manage to reach the fourth barrel and then shoot northwest, they land inside of another Barrel Cannon in the fifth section of barrels. Most of this section consists of Barrel Cannons, but a few Auto Fire Barrels are also mixed into it.

After the primates shoot the correct way through the barrel maze, they reach an Auto Fire Barrel that fires them along a trail of bananas and into another Auto Fire Barrel, which can then send them into another wide area that contains only three Barrel Cannons. The first Barrel Cannon simply tilts left and right towards the two Barrel Cannons below it. The lower two barrels make full rotations when entered, and they can be used to reach a Banana Coin hidden high above the barrels. One of these Barrel Cannons can also be operated to blast the heroes towards a narrow passage that contains two more Barrel Cannons that rotate when accessed. The last of these Barrel Cannons is able to fire the Kongs along a trail of bananas and to an Auto Fire Barrel that can blast them down to a Star Barrel, and then into another Barrel Cannon.

This Barrel Cannon tilts from left to right as it holds the Kongs, so they must shoot out of it when it leans to the right in order to shoot to another Barrel Cannon near here. This Barrel Cannon tilts just like the previous barrel, and it hovers under the letter N and next to a DK Barrel, which is followed by another Barrel Cannon. The heroes must shoot to this barrel to arrive in the sixth section of Barrel Cannons. Here, the cannons are placed along the perimeter of the diamond-shaped area. A single Auto Fire Barrel is also placed among these Barrel Cannons, but shooting into it does not help them progress, as the barrel simply shoots them back to the beginning of the barrel section. As the two friends shoot through this section of barrels, they must watch out for a Zinger that flies in the center of the area. Soon, they make their way into a curvy, thin passage that contains a few Barrel Cannons that rotate when accessed.

As they shoot through the thin passage with these barrels, they, in the Super Nintendo Entertainment System version of the game, come up to a red Extra Life Balloon that quickly floats away if they do not move fast enough. Eventually, the primates fire themselves into a slightly wider part of the passage, where they can find two more rotating Barrel Cannons and some more Barrel Cannons that simply tilt from left to right when accessed. As the primates fire through the area with these barrels, a few Zingers stand in their way, and they must avoid the enemies in order to reach an Auto Fire Barrel that can shoot them upwards towards some wooden planks that support a Klampon. The Kongs must dodge this foe while avoiding the brambles only slightly above their heads in order to reach a trail of bananas that lead them into a narrow, square-shaped passage. Three Barrel Cannons are placed along this square-shaped area, and they rotate when the Kongs are inside of them. With precise aim, the duo must shoot around the square-shaped passage with them in order to reach another section of wooden planks. These planks, as the ones before, help carry the Kongs, along with two Click-Clack enemies, over some brambles.

A rather small area of Barrel Cannons follows the wooden planks, and while the duo shoots through the section with these barrels, they come up to a Banana Bunch, some bananas, and an Auto Fire Barrel that can blast them into a larger area of barrels. Here, the primates can find a mixture of Barrel Cannons and Auto Fire Barrels, along with bananas and, in the Game Boy Advance version of the game, a Golden Feather. Once the heroes reach the bottom-right corner of the area, they can find an Auto Fire Barrel that is able to fire them through a thin passage and towards a trio of Barrel Cannons with bananas around them. The first two of these barrels rotate when loaded, so the Kong must watch their aim to avoid shooting into any brambles. The last of the three Barrel Cannons tilts from left to right when accessed, and it can be used to shoot into a nearby Flitter that the heroes must bounce on to reach an Auto Fire Barrel. This barrel automatically fires the heroes into a quadruplet of Flitters, who Diddy and Dixie must bounce on in order to cross over the brambles. Some wooden planks are ahead of here, and they support an End of Level Target, which must be jumped on to complete the level. A Rotatable Barrel with only five seconds on it is above this target, and the heroes can win a prize from the End of Level Target if they shoot to it from this barrel.

If the primates bounce into the gap found before the previously-mentioned quadruplet of Flitters, they land in an Auto Fire Barrel that is able to shoot them into another Auto Fire Barrel in a hidden part of the level. This barrel can blast the Kongs into Squawks, who is able to carry them through the hidden area. To the right of Squawks's location, the group can find a Banana Bunch in the corner of the area around some brambles. To the left of here, the heroes can find a DK Barrel in a small alcove and some bananas that are followed by a wide passage leading to a small area that contains a DK Coin, which is guarded by a Zinger. A pair of red Zingers are farther into the area to the right, and they both move back and forth in a vertical path. They are followed by a curvy path with a few Banana Bunches in it. After the heroes pass the second Banana Bunch, they reach a wider area with a red Zinger circling the inside of it. If they head down a small passage below this foe, they can find an Auto Fire Barrel that can shoot them into a Bonus Barrel. Once they finish playing in the Bonus Level it leads to, they lose Squawks and are fired into the letter G, which is located in a narrow passage near here. The Rotatable Barrel located above the End of Level Target is at the bottom of this passage.

Donkey Kong Land 2
At the beginning of the level, the heroes find themselves on some wooden planks that hold them above the brambles. A DK Barrel and an Auto Fire Barrel are near here, and if the Kongs jump into the Auto Fire Barrel, they are shot into a Barrel Cannon that they must use to shoot to another barrel. Some more Barrel Cannons are ahead of here, and the primates must use them in order to safely access the bottom-right section of the area. Bananas placed in front of the barrels help them determine which direction to shoot in. As they approach the bottom-right portion of the area, a Zinger flies in their way, and they also come up to some Barrel Cannons hidden to the left of them that can fire them to a Banana Bunch. If they continue to the bottom-right part of this area, they make their way to a Banana Coin, and then into an Auto Fire Barrel that can shoot them through a thin passage around the brambles. The primates then land in another Barrel Cannon, which is positioned near several more Barrel Cannons that they must use to progress over the brambles. One of these Barrel Cannons can either fire them into a barrel to the left, or another to the right. If they shoot to the barrel on the left, they can find a few more Barrel Cannons that they must operate in order to shoot them to the letter K in a narrow passage.

If they fire themselves into the Barrel Cannon to the right, they can find more barrels ahead of them that they must use advance. With the help of the bananas next to the barrels, which indicate the correct direction to shoot in, the heroes can make their way to a Zinger that they must shoot past to reach another Barrel Cannon. As before, they must fire themselves over the brambles with these many barrels. Eventually, they reach a Barrel Cannon that rotates when accessed. They must shoot out of this barrel with perfect timing in order to reach another Barrel Cannon above it. This barrel moves in the same way as the previous barrels, as it only makes 90 degree turns. After they shoot to the left with this barrel, they land in an Auto Fire Barrel that automatically fires them to an additional Auto Fire Barrel. This barrel then sends them to another Barrel Cannon that rotates when accessed. This time, they not only have to shoot at the correct time to avoid shooting into the brambles, but they must also watch for a Zinger that moves in their way. Once they fire past this foe, they land in an Auto Fire Barrel that shoots them onto some wooden planks with a DK Barrel above them. Bananas are placed along a vine near here, and the heroes must climb down the vine in order to reach some more wooden planks that they must walk along to reach a Flitter, another vine, and a Barrel Cannon. By bouncing on the Flitter, the heroes can reach the vine, which they can climb up to find a Zinger that flies in their path and a horizontal vine. An additional Zinger flies around the horizontal vine, which is also positioned above a Bonus Barrel and some wooden planks.

If the primates do not climb along these vines, they can instead jump into the previously-mentioned Barrel Cannon, which can fire them into a stationary barrel with a Zinger in front of it. When the enemy moves out of their path, they must shoot out of the barrel in order to reach another stationary Barrel Cannon, which they must also use to shoot past a Zinger and into an additional stationary Barrel Cannon. They must activate this barrel in order to blast themselves into an Auto Fire Barrel that can blast them towards a few more Auto Fire Barrels. These barrels can send the duo into a Barrel Cannon that is surrounded by several other Barrel Cannons. They must fire through the area with these barrels in order to progress. As they travel through the area, they can find an Auto Fire Barrel that is able to blast them to the letter O, and then to another Auto Fire Barrel that can shoot them back into one of the Barrel Cannons. Once the primates shoot towards the bottom-left corner of this section of barrels, they reach a tilted Auto Fire Barrel, which they must use to shoot them to some more Auto Fire Barrels. The barrels send the heroes into a Barrel Cannon, which they must operate to lead them into another Barrel Cannon to the right. The barrel is able to fire them towards two stationary Barrel Cannons that are both placed next to Zingers. They must shoot out of the barrels when the enemies pass them in order to safely progress to some wooden planks with an Auto Fire Barrel and a Star Barrel above them.

The nearby Auto Fire Barrel is able to to shoot them towards a chain of Barrel Cannons above it. Each of these barrels rotate when accessed, so the Kongs must aim carefully in order to reach the top of the area, where they can discover another Barrel Cannon that simply makes 90 degree turns when entered. As the two friends approach this Barrel Cannon, a few Zingers stand in their way. Once they reach the Barrel Cannon, they must fire themselves to an Auto Fire Barrel that can then shoot them onto some wooden planks positioned on top of some brambles. Another section of planks is ahead of here, and the heroes must travel over the brambles with it to reach a DK Barrel and an Auto Fire Barrel that can shoot them onto some more planks that hold the letter N. A hidden area is to the left of the Auto Fire Barrel, and it contains some more Barrel Cannons and a DK Coin. The primates can discover an additional Barrel Cannon above the letter N, and they must use it in order to reach an Auto Fire Barrel that can shoot them into another Barrel Cannon. This cannon can fire them north into an Auto Fire Barrel, which then blasts them towards a Flitter that is placed next to another Auto Fire Barrel. After they bounce off of this insect foe, they must shift themselves towards the barrel to land in it and be shot into another Barrel Cannon, which they must use to shoot to an additional Barrel Cannon.

A Zinger flies above this barrel, but once it moves out of their path, they must fire themselves upwards into yet another Barrel Cannon, which is followed by a few more Barrel Cannons. Once the duo shoots across some of the area with these barrels, they reach an Auto Fire Barrel that, again, shoots them into a Barrel Cannon. With this cannon, along with the many other cannons ahead of it that are placed diagonally from each other, the Kongs can reach some Auto Fire Barrels that can send them up into some different Barrel Cannons that rotate when accessed. The second of these spinning barrels can shoot them to a hidden Auto Fire Barrel, which is then able to send them onto some wooden planks in a secret area. Here, they can find the letter G, a Flitter, and some vines that they can climb along to reach a Bonus Barrel. If the primates do not shoot to this secret area, they must instead shoot to the left with the previous rotating Barrel Cannon in order to reach an Auto Fire Barrel that can blast them upwards into a Barrel Cannon that is located next to a Zinger. While trying not to shoot into the foe, the primates must fire to the left to reach a few more Barrel Cannons that they must use to traverse the area. Soon, they reach some Auto Fire Barrels that can shoot them onto some wooden planks that support a spring, which they must bounce on to complete the level. A Banana Bunch is above this spring.

K-O-N-G Letters

 * K: Near the beginning of the level, the heroes reach a large group of barrels with a Zinger among them. If they blast into the Barrel Cannons near the bottom of this area, they can find the letter K, which they must blast to in order to collect.
 * O: In the third area of Barrel Cannons, which is located shortly after the letter K, the Kongs can find the letter O between two of the Barrel Cannons, which they must shoot between to grab the letter O.
 * N: Immediately after passing the Star Barrel, the heroes are shot into a Barrel Cannon with the letter N, which they can shoot to, above it.
 * G: After the primates complete the second Bonus Level of Bramble Blast, they are shot to the letter G, and then into a Barrel Cannon above the End of Level Target.

Bonus Levels

 * In the fifth section of barrels, which is located shortly before the Star Barrel, the heroes must shoot via many barrels to reach the far-west side of the area, where they can find a lone banana floating near them. If they shoot to it, they make their way into a Bonus Barrel, which is able to send them to a Bonus Level, where they must use a multitude of Barrel Cannons to reach the rightmost side of the area, where a Kremkoin is located. Most of the barrels do not aim the Kongs in the correct direction, so they must move through the cluster of barrels in a certain way to reach the end. If they access the end of the bonus within the time limit of 40 seconds and without hitting any brambles, they can find a Kremkoin to grab before the remaining time runs out.
 * Starting from where the DK Coin is located, the primates must travel east with Squawks while dodging some red Zingers, who cannot be defeated. Eventually, they make their way through a thin passage that holds a Barrel Cannon, which can fire them into a neighboring Bonus Barrel. This special barrel takes them to a Bonus Level when accessed, where they need to simply fly around the bramble obstacles with their parrot buddy to reach the end of the stage within the time limit of 25 seconds. Bananas are placed throughout the area to direct them on where to go. Once the group reaches the end of the bonus, they pass a No Animal Sign, causing their Animal Buddy, Squawks, disappear, and also making a red Extra Life Balloon appear. The sign is followed by a Kremkoin, which they must collect within the remaining time. The Bonus Level ends in a loss if the Kongs hit into any of the brambles.

DK Coin

 * If the primates land in the gap found immediately before the final three Flitters in the level, they land in an Auto Fire Barrel that shoots them into an additional Auto Fire Barrel, which can then send them to Squawks the Parrot. Once they grab onto the bird's talons, they are able to safely fly to the west, where they can find a long path leading past a DK Barrel and to a Zinger that guards the level's DK Coin, which they must touch to collect.

Golden Feather (Game Boy Advance version only)

 * In the final section of barrels, the Kongs should travel through the barrels in the right side of the area to find a Golden Feather between a Barrel Cannon and an Auto Fire Barrel. By blasting into another Auto Fire Barrel near here, the primates can shoot to the Barrel Cannon next to the Golden Feather. This barrel can then send them into the feather and to the Auto Fire Barrel across from it.

K-O-N-G Letters

 * K: Near the start of the level, the heroes head through a thin gap that is located immediately after the first Banana Coin in the level. After shooting through here, they must travel to the far-west side of the area via many Barrel Cannons to reach a barrel that is positioned directly above the letter K, which they must shoot to in order to collect.
 * O: In the fourth Barrel Cannon before the Star Barrel, the heroes must blast to the left to reach a Barrel Cannon that can shoot them into an additional Barrel Cannon, which they must use the blast to the letter O located above it.
 * N: Shortly after the heroes pass the Star Barrel, they make their way north via many rotating barrels and then along a few wooden platforms. Soon, they reach another Barrel Cannon that is able to blast them onto another wooden platform with the letter N on it.
 * G: As with how the heroes find the second Bonus Level, they must, near the end of the level, reach a Barrel Cannon with a banana to the west of it, and an Auto Fire Barrel to the northeast of it. If they shoot into the Auto Fire Barrel hidden to the northeast, it shoots them onto a platform that holds a No Animal Sign and the letter G.

Bonus Levels

 * When the heroes discover the first Flitter in the level, who is placed shortly after the second DK Barrel in the stage, they should bounce off of it and grab onto the vine nearby. Then, they need to climb along it while dodging a pair of Zingers to reach a Bonus Barrel, which they must enter to access a Bonus Level. Here, they must reach the end of an area surrounded by brambles to discover a Kremkoin. To reach the end of the bonus, they must rely on several Barrel Cannons and wooden platforms. As they travel, a Zinger flies in their way, and if they hit it or any of the brambles, the Kongs are sent out of the Bonus Level. They have only 20 seconds to complete the bonus and collect the Kremkoin.
 * Near the end of the level, the group accesses a barrel in which there is a banana to the west of it, and an Auto Fire Barrel northeast of it. They should blast to the barrel to the northeast of them to be shot onto a platform with a No Animal Sign on it. Here, they need to climb along some ropes and dodge a Flitter to reach a Bonus Barrel in the rightmost side of the area. The barrel transports them into a Bonus Level upon being entered, where they must head into an Animal Barrel to turn into Squawks. While playing as him, they must fly among the brambles to defeat several Zingers and reach the end of the area. If Squawks manages to defeat all six Zingers with his nut projectiles and then reaches the end of the stage within 30 seconds without touching any brambles, he can find a Kremkoin to collect within the remaining time.

DK Coin

 * After the Kongs pass the Star Barrel and shoot upwards through all of the rotating Barrel Cannons, they must hop to the left across a few wooden platforms. When they get to the next barrel, they should ignore it and instead jump over the brambles to the left. Here, they can find a few Barrel Cannons that are able to blast them to a DK Coin.