Squawks's Shaft (Donkey Kong Land 2)
Template:Levelbox Squawks's Shaft is the tenth level of Donkey Kong Land 2. It is the fifth area in the Krem Cauldron.
Not only that this level takes place for the second time in a mineshaft, but it marks the debut of Squawks the Parrot in the Donkey Kong Land games. He helps the Kongs fly upwards throughout the mine. Squawks has the ability to spit eggs from his beak, thus he can defeat easily some enemies. Speaking about enemies, some like Krooks, Klomps, Klampons, Kannons, Zingers, and Flitters obviously represent a threat for the heroes in this level.
Level layout
At the beginning of the level, the Kongs can find a Klomp, a Neek, and a DK Barrel near a raised platform that they must climb up to in order to find a Barrel Cannon that rotates when they enter it. They must use it to shoot to a higher platform with a Krook on it and an Auto Fire Barrel above it. This cannon is able to shoot them straight into the air, where they must shift either left or right to land in a barrel. To the left, they can find a barrel that is able to shoot them to a platform near the letter K and a Bonus Barrel, while to the right, they can discover a different Auto Fire Barrel that is able to blast them onto a higher platform. Another Barrel Cannon is near here that can blast the heroes onto a platform northwest from here. If they enter the Barrel Cannon above this platform, they can shoot themselves onto a small platform with an additional Barrel Cannon above it. This barrel is completely stationary, and the Kongs are able to activate it themselves. However, a Zinger flies back and forth above the barrel, so they must wait for it to move before they shoot. After they pass this enemy, they enter another stationary Barrel Cannon that can be used to blast them onto a higher platform. A Barrel Cannon is above this platform, while an Auto Fire Barrel is to the right of it.
If the primates jump into the Auto Fire Barrel, they are shot towards many Barrel Cannons, which can shoot them to some bananas and to a Banana Coin. If they jump into the Barrel Cannon to the left of this Auto Fire Barrel, they can shoot to another Barrel Cannon, which can then be used to fire them towards a few Auto Fire Barrels. The Auto Fire Barrels are only able to blast them upwards, so they must shift to the right after shooting out of them to reach the next barrel. The third Auto Fire Barrel, found next to a Zinger, can blast the heroes onto a platform that holds a Banana Bunch and a DK Barrel. A small platform is above it that can assist the duo in reaching a Barrel Cannon, which they must use to shoot to a longer platform with a Krook on it. To the right of this foe in the air, the primates can find a hook with the letter O and a Banana Bunch near it against the side of the area. An additional Barrel Cannon follows the Krook, and it must be used to shoot to another Barrel Cannon, which can then blast them to a stationary barrel that they must activate themselves. If the do so, they are shot to an Auto Fire Barrel, which then fires them northwest into a Barrel Cannon that they must use to shoot past a Zinger and to an additional Barrel Cannon. They must use this cannon to shoot them to another Barrel Cannon, which can then send them onto a platform slightly under the level's Star Barrel.
To the left of here, the primates can discover a Barrel Cannon that is guarded by a Zinger. They can use this Barrel Cannon to shoot to an Auto Fire Barrel that can send them to an additional Barrel Cannon that is positioned under a Flitter. They must shoot past this foe to reach a Barrel Cannon that can fire them onto a platform. A platform that supports two Klomps and a Krook is to the right of here, and an Animal Barrel containing Squawks is above it. When the heroes enter this barrel, they are turned into Squawks, who must then fly northwest to progress. Here, he can find a Zinger, a Banana Coin, and a small opening between two platforms that he must fly through. On the other side of the platforms, he can find a trail of bananas leading up to two more Zingers. To the left of these foes, the parrot can discover a platform that is guarded by another two Zingers. The letter N is above this platform. If Squawks heads north from the previous pair of Zingers, he can find a gap between two platforms that he must head through to find a passage between another set of long, wooden platforms. In the passage, there is a Zinger and a Banana Bunch, along with two gaps that the bird can fly up through to progress. The first gap is placed near a group of bananas that form that shape of an arrow pointing upwards, while the second gap is located around a Zinger.
After the Animal Buddy flies through these gaps, he reaches two platforms with one Krook on the end of each of them. If he manages to dodge the hooks thrown by these foes and heads farther north, he comes up to a few Flitters and some more platforms with gaps in them that he must travel through. On the other side of these gaps, he can find even more Flitters, along with a DK Barrel in the top-right corner of the area. In the top-left corner of this part of the level, Squawks can find another gap between two platforms, which two Zingers fly under and above. The area ahead of here contains a few more Zingers, one of which that guards a Bonus Barrel. An additional gap between two platforms is ahead of here, and on the other side of the gap, the parrot can find another Zinger and the letter G, which is hidden in the far right side of the area. One final gap between two platforms is above here, and a Zinger circles through it. Once the bird heads through this gap, he reaches a No Animal Sign that, when passed, turns him back into the Kongs, who are given a Banana Coin for successfully leading him to the sign. Diddy and Dixie can find a kannonball-shooting Kannon ahead of here, and once they pass it, they reach a spring that they must bounce on to complete the level.
Secrets
K-O-N-G Letters
- K: The Kongs can find the letter K next to the level's first Bonus Barrel, which can be reached by shooting out of a Barrel Cannon near the level's beginning.
- O: The heroes must blast upwards with the first Barrel Cannon after the second DK Barrel to find a hook, which they must grab onto to find the letter O to the right of them.
- N: Shortly after the heroes turn into Squawks, they must fly to the top-left corner of a wide area of find the letter N.
- G: The Kongs can discover the letter G in the rightmost side of the area that is located immediately before the No Animal Sign.
Bonus Levels
- Immediately after the Kongs shoot out of the second Barrel Cannon in the level, which shoots them upwards, they should shift to the left in the air, instead of to the right, in order to be shot towards a Bonus Barrel. This barrel can shoot them into a Bonus Level, where the Kongs must run across a few long platforms to find Neeks that they must defeat. If these Neeks manage to attack them, they are forced back into the main level. The primates can travel from one platform to the next by using Barrel Cannons found along the sides of the area. If they defeat all six Neeks within twenty seconds, a Kremkoin appears at the top of the area to grab within the remaining time.
- Near the end of the level in an area found shortly before the No Animal Sign, Squawks can find a Bonus Barrel in the right-hand side of a wide room. The barrel can send him to the Bonus Level, where Squawks must defeat all of the Zingers scattered around the stage with his egg-spitting abilities. A Kremkoin appears at the top of the stage to grab if the parrot manages to defeat all five of the foes. Squawks is given a time of 20 seconds to complete this Bonus Level, and if he hits into any of the enemies in it, he is sent back into the main level.
DK Coin
- After exiting the first bonus level, the Kongs should enter the nearby barrel to the left and shoot left and up. They will land on a platform; drop down off it to the one below, and keep going left to find the DK Coin.
