Donkey Kong 64
For alternate box art, see therelated gallery.
Developer	Rareware
Publisher	Nintendo
Platforms	Nintendo 64,Virtual Console (Wii U)
Release dates	Nintendo 64: November 22, 1999[1] December 6, 1999[2] December 6, 1999[?] December 10, 1999[3] Player's Choice: December 21, 2000[4] Virtual Console (Wii U): April 2, 2015[5] April 2, 2015[6] April 2, 2015[?] April 16, 2015[7]
Languages	English Japanese French (Europe) German Spanish (Europe)
Genres	Platformer, action-adventure
Ratings	ESRB: - Everyone[?] CERO: - All ages[?] PEGI: - Seven years and older[?] ELSPA: - Three years and older[?] SELL: - All ages[?] USK: - Six years and older[?] ClassInd: - General audience[?] ACB: - General[?]
Modes	Single player, multiplayer
Format	Nintendo 64: Game Pak Wii U: Digital download
Input	Nintendo 64: Nintendo 64 Controller Wii U: Wii U GamePad Classic Controller Wii U Pro Controller
Serial code	NUS-NDOE-USA

“And you thought insanity was crazy.”

—Tagline^[8]

Donkey Kong 64 is a 3D action-adventure platform game developed byRareware and released for theNintendo 64 in1999. It is a follow-up to the originalDonkey Kong Country trilogy for theSuper Nintendo Entertainment System; it was the first 3D platform game in theDonkey Kong franchise and Rareware's lastDonkey Kong game before its acquisition byMicrosoft in 2002, and remained the only 3DDonkey Kong platformer untilDonkey Kong Bananza for theNintendo Switch 2, releasing 26 years later. In the game,Donkey Kong and his friends go on an adventure to stopKing K. Rool from using his doomsday device, theBlast-o-Matic, to destroyKong Isle.

In April 2015,Donkey Kong 64 was ported to theWii U'sVirtual Console service. The game, along withSuper Mario 64, was among the first Nintendo 64 games that were released for the Wii U's Virtual Console.

Story[edit]

K. Rool ordering his minions to distract Donkey Kong while the Kremlings repair Crocodile Isle

“Whileyou'll be busy looking for your preciousGolden Bananas and yourflea-bitten friends, I'll be preparing mylizard flavored surprise!MWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!”

—King K. Rool

The story begins with a view ofDK Isles, which is the homeland of theKongs. Meanwhile, theKremlings andKing K. Rool are sailing inside a fortified, technological version ofCrocodile Isle, which hosts the doomsday device, the Blast-o-Matic. The device was designed by a weasel engineer namedSnide, whom K. Rool later fired out of paranoia. K. Rool puts theKritters in charge of operating the Blast-o-Matic and manuevering Crocodile Isle, but due to the Kritters' incompetence and laziness, Crocodile Isle crashes into a rock. The Blast-o-Matic becomes heavily damaged as a result. Crocodile Isle docks directly in front of Kong Isle, and K. Rool orders three of his minions—aKlump, a Kritter and aKasplat—to distractDonkey Kong by stealing hisbanana hoard and imprisoning the other Kongs, to buy them time as they repair the Blast-o-Matic. Klump assures K. Rool that they have already fulfilled his orders.

Donkey Kong's first visit to Cranky's Lab

Meanwhile, Donkey Kong is inhis tree house, doing push ups while listening to theDK Rap on his radio.Squawks suddenly flies into his house and tells Donkey Kong that all of hisGolden Bananas are gone and that the other Kongs have vanished. Donkey Kong then goes toCranky's Lab for help, whereCranky Kong, who has the role of a professor, offers homemade potions that each grant a new ability to a Kong. He allows Donkey Kong to have his first potion, theSimian Slam, after he completes theTraining Barrels. With the Simian Slam, Donkey Kong exits outside Kong Isle and starts his adventure in stopping K. Rool and rescuing the Kongs.

Donkey Kong goes inside around, green prison where a giant Kremling,K. Lumsy, is imprisoned. He was locked inside a cage for refusing to help K. Rool in destroying DK Isles. K. Lumsy asks Donkey Kong to retrieve theBoss Keys to unlock his cage and free him. As Donkey Kong recovers his Golden Bananas, he eventually savesDiddy Kong inJungle Japes,Lanky andTiny Kong inAngry Aztec, and lastlyChunky Kong inFrantic Factory. Tiny meets theBanana Fairy Princess inBanana Fairy Island, and she asks Tiny and the other Kongs to capture all of theBanana Fairies with theBanana Fairy's Camera.

King K. Rool preparing for the final battle.

The Kongs manage to enter inside of Crocodile Isle and manage to shut down the Blast-o-Matic before its power gets fully restored. After the Kongs obtain the finalBoss Key, K. Rool retreats into hisKremling craft. With the final Boss Key, the Kongs free K. Lumsy from his cage. He then chases after K. Rool, who is flying his aircraft around Kong Isle. As he chases K. Rool, K. Lumsy accidentally trips over a rock and hits the aircraft, causing it to crash into the water. The Kongs enter the craft and engage in a five-round boxing match against King Krusha K. Rool. After the match,Funky Kong appears and launches a boot at K. Rool whileCandy Kong distracts him. This results in K. Rool being defeated, and the Kongs and rest of DK Isles celebrate over their victory.

Instruction manual text[edit]

“Left!” rasped a voice to his left.

“Right!” came back the immediate response from the other side.

It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now the Klaptrap turning the wheel wasn’t so sure. His little legs were getting tired, and those two incompetent fools didn’t have a cluewhere they were going.

“Left!”

“Right!”

With a sudden sickening crunch of metal against rock, the King’s pride and joy came to a shuddering halt, knocking all three off their feet. The tough little Klaptrap was up first, dashing eagerly across to the broken bridge window to see what those goons had hit.

“You two are going to be in sooo much trouble!” he barked gleefully.

But that pair weren’t the only ones in trouble. Deep within the gloomy bowels of his latest creation, a furious King K. Rool sat on his throne, glaring down at the quaking generals of hisvast Kremling army.

“Well? I’m still waiting for an answer...”

His plan couldn’t fail this time, or so he had thought. But like so many times in the past, he’d underestimated just how useless his scaly minions could be. It had taken years to build, but now his mighty island stronghold lay immobile off the coast of its very firsttarget – Kong Isle. Perhaps all was not lost, though...

“Power up the Blast-o-Matic. Target is Kong Isle. Fire when ready!”

Instead of a deafening explosion, there came only a pathetic whimper.

“I’m so v-very sorry your m-majesty, but I’m afraid the Blast-o-Matic isn’t quite w-working yet...”

K. Rool turned to face the white-coated technician responsible for the bad news. The King began to cry.

“It’s just not fair...” he sobbed. “I really thought I was going to win this time.”

Klump waddled over and put a consoling arm around his distraught leader.

“Don’t get all upset now, your excellency. We’ll go and capture those nasty Kongs for you. Then we’ll steal their Golden Bananas as usual so that if any Kongs escape us, they’ll be too busy looking for them to come and ruin your magnificent plans.”

As King K. Rool watched his generals leave, he wiped away his crocodile tears and began to laugh. His little play acting had worked, and now those Kongs would soon be history. He glared down at his bemused technician.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Get the Blast-o-Matic working. I’ve got an island to destroy!”^[9]

Gameplay[edit]

Donkey Kong climbing a tree in the first level, Jungle Japes.

The player controls one of the five availableKongs, who must venture into open and vast levels similar to those found inSuper Mario 64. Their objective in every level is to obtain theGolden Bananas among other collectibles. Only Donkey Kong is available from the start, and the other four Kongs,Diddy Kong,Lanky Kong,Tiny Kong, andChunky Kong, are eventually freed and become available during the adventure. The player can use theTag Barrels, located throughout every level, to switch to another Kong to play as. All five Kongs are required for completing the game because each of them must use their unique abilities to recover the Golden Bananas. There are 25 Golden Bananas in every level, and each of the five Kongs have their own five Golden Bananas to obtain.

The gameplay is heavily based upon item collection, and each stage has several items for each Kong to collect. It is not mandatory to collect every single item, but it is required for 101%completion. Many of the collectibles (includingBanana Medals,Banana Bunch Coins,bananas, andblueprints) are of a certain color, and can only be collected by a Kong specifically associated with that color:

• Donkey Kong - yellow
• Diddy Kong - red
• Lanky Kong - blue
• Tiny Kong - purple
• Chunky Kong - green

Donkey Kong standing at the shore of Kong Isle, which is part of the hub world.

Banana Bunch Coins are currency used by the Kongs to pay forCranky Kong's,Funky Kong's, andCandy Kong's respective services. AtCranky's Lab, the Kongs can purchase a potion to learn a unique ability. AtFunky's Store, each Kong can purchase their own weapon that fires a certain type of ammo. AtCandy's Music Shop, the Kongs can purchase their own musical instrument to perform on aMusic Pad. Cranky offers more abilities to the Kongs in the later levels, and likewise, Candy and Funky offer more upgrades in later levels.

Donkey Kong obtains a Boss Key after defeating a boss.

DK Isles is the hub area from where the Kongs can access the other levels. Every level has its own lobby on DK Isles and a portal leading into the level itself. At first, the level lobbies are blocked or inaccessible by the Kongs. To unlock a level's lobby, the Kongs must use aBoss Key to open a padlock ofK. Lumsy's cage. This results in K. Lumsy happily celebrating and creating a tremor that unlocks access into a lobby (with the exception of the first level,Jungle Japes, which is accessed after Donkey Kong meets K. Lumsy). In every lobby,B. Locker prevents the Kongs from entering a level unless they have at least a certain number of Golden Bananas to meet B. Locker's requirement. The later levels require the Kongs to have more Golden Bananas in order to enter.

Every level has a boss whose arena is accessible from theTroff 'n' Scoff location, Here the Kongs feedScoff with a certain number ofbananas, and as Scoff eats them, he progressively becomes larger. Eventually Scoff becomes large enough forTroff's platform to be raised up to the key for Troff to unlock the door leading to the level boss. Each boss can only be fought by a certain Kong, whose face appears on the door just before the battle. The boss battles are constructed around the designated Kong's abilities. After that Kong defeats the boss, the Kongs obtain a Boss Key.

The game features twoAnimal Friends,Rambi andEnguarde, who each have ananimal crate located inJungle Japes andGloomy Galleon respectively. Only Donkey Kong can transform into Rambi and only Lanky can transform into Enguarde. Rambi can attack enemies and smash crates and wooden walls, and Enguarde can attack enemies and smash open chests to reveal hidden items.

Multiplayer[edit]

Donkey Kong 64 has its own multiplayer mode that supports 2-4 players, and has a total of 3 arenas. There are two types of multiplayer games in the mode: Monkey Smash and Battle Arena. There are 6 modes for Monkey Smash, and 4 for Battle Arena. All five Kongs that are playable in the main game are playable in this mode as well as a secret sixth unlockable character,Krusha fromDonkey Kong Country andDonkey Kong Land, who does not appear in Adventure mode at all.

Monkey Smash[edit]

In Monkey Smash, characters engage in a deathmatch-style battle on an open arena. They must collect ammo and shoot them from their weapons to damage their opponents. There are six modes:

• Survival: The last character standing is the winner.
• Coin Hoard: Characters compete to collect the most coins within a time limit. If a character loses all of their health, they lose coins.
• Wins: The first character to reach a target number of monkey smashes wins.
• Time: The character with the most monkey smashes at the end of the time limit wins.
• Capture: The character holding the coin at the end of the time limit is the winner.
• Capture Pad: Characters must try to activate the pads while holding the coin. The first one to activate them all wins. A variant of this mode does not appear in Battle Arena.

Battle Arena[edit]

In Battle Arena, the characters must use weapons and explosives to knock their opponents off a platform. There are five modes:

• Wins: The first character to score a set number of ring outs wins.
• Coin Hoard: The character to collect the most coins within the time limit wins.
• Survival: The character who survives the longest wins.
• Capture: The character holding the coin at the end of the time limit is the winner.
• Time: The character with the most ring-outs in a set time limit wins.

Six items appear randomly on the arena. Each of them have a different effect than in Adventure mode:

• Yellow Banana: Temporarily increases a character's speed.
• Crystal Coconut: Makes a character larger temporarily.
• Supply Crate: These contain a weapon which, as in Adventure mode, correspond to a Kong. Krusha has his own one, theorange grenade launcher. Unlike Adventure mode, these weapons are temporary and come with five shots, and once all are used up, the weapon disappears.
• Blue Banana: Temporarily freezes all of the user's opponents.
• Orange: If touched, the Orange sends out a shockwave across the arena.
• Question Mark: An item entirely absent from Adventure mode, the Question Mark produces a random effect such as reverse direction or slow motion.

Controls[edit]

• : Jump, swim fast underwater
• : Attack, swim slowly underwater, swim faster while floating in the water, grab and throw objects, shoot weapon (with weapon out), hold to charge upSuper Slam and release to use it, take a picture with theBanana Fairy's Camera
• : Crouch, dive underwater, activate pad move (when standing on Cranky's Kong Pad), stand still (with weapon out), useBananaport Pad, release vine
• Center camera behind the character (hold to fixate the camera in a position), face the other direction when holding vines
• : Move character, move cursor in menus
• : Pause/Unpause, view status screen
• : Rotate camera left
• : Rotate camera right
• : Enter first-person view
• : Zoom out/in
• +: Pony Tail Twirl (Tiny)
• +: Jumping attack
• +:Simian Slam, Super Simian Slam, Super Duper Simian Slam
• +: Backflip
• +: Special Move (Diddy, Lanky, Chunky)
• +: Throw an orange
• +: Take out weapon/put away weapon, cancelCranky's Kong Barrel ability
• +: Take out the Banana Fairy's Camera
• +: Play instrument
• +: Running attack
• + +: Long jump
• + +: Roll/slide (Donkey, Tiny)

Characters[edit]

Playable[edit]

Kong	Information	Manual description
Donkey Kong	Donkey Kong is the main and starting character. He is a balanced character with average speed and agility, slightly slower than Lanky. Donkey Kong can kick forward if the player presses the button, and can use a double-handed punch while in the air by pressing the button as he jumps. Donkey Kong uses theCoconut Shooter as his personal weapon, which can shootcoconuts, and his musical instrument is thebongos. Donkey Kong is the only character who can accessBaboon Blast challenges via his Kong Pad, and can useGorilla Grab to pull levers. Donkey Kong can collect yellowbananas,Banana Bunch Coins, andBlueprints.	"He's the only ape who still cares enough to wear a tie. DK may not be the most powerful Kong - or the quickest - but he applies a strong blue-collar work ethic to the business ofKremling Crushing. That may be why he's the leader of the Kong Clan."
Diddy Kong	Diddy Kong is the first Kong to be rescued and the second one overall. He is found imprisoned in a cell in a mountainside ofJungle Japes. When Donkey Kong frees him, Diddy becomes a playable character. Diddy has weaker attacks than the other Kongs, which is compensated by his quick speed and agility. Diddy's main attack is his trademarkcartwheel. While Diddy is in midair, the player can press the button for him to spin his tail. From his Kong Pad, Diddy can perform theSimian Spring to reach heights by bouncing on his tail, and he can useChimpy Charge to charge into switches and fragile walls. Diddy Kong uses thePeanut Popguns as his personal weapon, which can shootpeanuts, and can use them in conjunction with hisRocketbarrel Boost. Diddy's musical instrument is an electric guitar. Diddy can collect red bananas, Banana Bunch Coins, and Blueprints.	"You'll probably recognize his familiar furry mug from past adventures. A mere bantamweight in bulk, this courageous chimp is the heavyweight champion of hard-core attitude. Whether he's rocking out on a six-stringed, amplified guitar or rocketing through the sky, he's always giving it 100 percent - Diddy Style."
Lanky Kong	Lanky Kong is one of the imprisoned characters. He is rescued in the second level,Angry Aztec. Lanky is the most balanced in speed, strength and agility, and his long arms give him longer range in his basic attacks than other Kongs. By pressing the button, the player can have Lanky stretch out his arms either to attack enemies or to reach switches. By standing on his Kong Pad, Lanky can performBaboon Balloon to briefly inflate himself and float up like a balloon. With hisOrangStand ability, Lanky can walk on his hands, which allows him to move up steep slopes. A related ability, theOrangStand Sprint, allows Lanky to perform OrangStand, but at a much faster speed. Lanky's personal weapon is theGrape Shooter, a blowgun that he can spitgrapes from, and his musical instrument is the trombone. Lanky Kong can collect blue bananas, Banana Bunch Coins, and Blueprints.	"This knuckle-dragging Kong looks like a clown, and it's more than just a coincidence. Think of him as a twisted twig on a distant branch of the family tree. Kremlings andKlaptraps may snicker at his goofy gait as he ambles in their direction, but there's nothing funny about a hyper extended sucker punch."
Tiny Kong	Tiny Kong is the fourth Kong and the only playable female Kong. Like Lanky, she is also rescued at Angry Aztec, and the player can either rescue her before or after Lanky and Chunky. Tiny has the highest speed and agility of the Kongs, though her attacks are comparatively the weakest. Tiny's main attack is using her ponytails to whip other enemies, done by pressing the button. While Tiny is in midair, she can use herPony Tail Twirl to spin around her ponytails and slowly glide through the air. With theMini-Monkey ability, Tiny can shrink herself to a very small size, allowing her to access small entrances. Tiny uses theFeather Bow as her personal weapon, which can shoot feathers, and her musical instrument is the saxophone. Tiny can collect purple bananas, Banana Bunch Coins, and Blueprints.	"Dixie's VERY little sister brings a big dose of flower power to the Kong's campaign. You'll find her pigtails perfect for pugilism and not too bad for a helicopter ride from the treetops. Tiny never shrinks from her responsibilities - even when she shrinks herself physically for a mouse's eye view of the action. "
Chunky Kong	Chunky Kong is the fifth and final Kong, who is rescued from a hanging cage inFrantic Factory. Chunky is the strongest of the Kongs, as he can liftboulders and other heavy objects, as well as attack enemies with powerful punches. However, he is the slowest, least agile, and has the lowest jump height of the Kongs. By pressing, the player can have Chunky perform his main attack, where he rapidly spins to attack an enemy. By standing on his associated Kong Pad, Chunky can performGorilla Gone to become invisible. By jumping into his Kong Barrel, Chunky can performHunky Chunky, which turns him to a giant size. Chunky uses thePineapple Launcher as his personal weapon, which can shootpineapples, and his musical instrument is the triangle. Chunky can collect green bananas, Banana Bunch Coins, and Blueprints.	"He's big. He's bad. He plays the triangle. Chunky is something of a primate paradox: brutal when the situation demands it, yet almost meek at other times. He's also not the sharpest knife in the drawer, so he'll need all the help you can give him. If there's heavy lifting to be done, however, Chunky is the Monkey to see."

Animal Friends[edit]

Animal Friend	Information
Rambi	Rambi is one of the two playableAnimal Friends. He can use his strong horn to smash crates, attack enemies, and break huts and wooden walls depicting his face. Rambi'sanimal crate appears in Jungle Japes, and only Donkey Kong can enter the crate to transform into him. Rambi also makes an appearance in one of Donkey Kong's Hideout Helm challenges.
Enguarde	Enguarde can use his pointy bill to smash open treasure chests and reveal hidden items. He can jump out from the water and go through stars with the DK logo in the center. Enguarde's Animal Crate appears in Gloomy Galleon, and Lanky is the only character who can transform into Enguarde.

Playable Kremlings[edit]

Kremling	Information
Krusha	Krusha is aKremling originating fromDonkey Kong Country, and is a character playable only in the game's multiplayer mode. He is unlocked once the player collects fifteen Banana Fairies. He has similar attributes to Chunky Kong, as he is one of the strongest characters physically, but lacks in speed and agility, although he has a few unique attacks, such as a fast sliding punch. His weapon of choice is theorange grenade launcher, which is used to launchoranges.
Klaptrap	Klaptrap is a regular enemy that appears in various locations throughout the game and acts like a dog, but he is playable in a minigame, "Beaver Bother!". He must snap at the beavers to scare away the numerousGnawties into the hole in the middle of the arena before the time runs out.

Supporting characters[edit]

Character	Information
Cranky Kong	Cranky Kong can be visited inhis lab, which is located in every world except forHideout Helm. Having taken an interest in science, the Kongs can visit him to obtain ability-granting potions in exchange forBanana Bunch Coins. The abilities obtained through these potions are required to progress through the game and includes Pad Moves, Barrel Moves, and Special Moves.
Funky Kong	Funky Kong has set upa shop in all worlds excluding Hideout Helm. Here, Funky sells personal weapons with fruit-based ammunition to each Kong, and also allows them to reload their weapons. These weapons can be used to attack enemies and hit targets from afar. Funky Kong is also able to upgrade the Kongs' weapons in exchange for Banana Bunch Coins.
Candy Kong	Candy Kong can be found inher music shop, which appears in all worlds aside from Hideout Helm. She sells a personal music instrument to each Kong, which can be played on its designatedMusic Pad to make something happen in order to progress through the game. Instruments can also be played to defeat enemies, but this depletes some of its energy, which can also be replenished at Candy's shop. Much like Funky's store, Candy Kong also provides upgrades for each instrument in exchange for Banana Bunch Coibs.
Banana Fairy Princess	TheBanana Fairy Princess is the princess of the Banana Fairies and lives in a fairy shaped structure on an island surrounding DK Isles. Only Tiny Kong can visit her, and when she does, the Banana Fairy Princess will request that the Kongs search for and return her Banana Fairies to her. The Banana Fairy Princess will then give away theBanana Camera Film and also gives the Kongs the ability to perform aSuper Slam, which can defeat almost any enemy in one hit.
K. Lumsy	K. Lumsy is a large Kremling who is first seen locked up in a large cage on an island beside Crocodile Isles. Unlike the other members of the Kremling Krew, K. Lumsy is a kind-hearted Kremling who refuses to destroy DK Isles, which resulted in King K. Rool locking him up. The Kongs agree to collect the keys to K. Lumsy's prison and set him free, which is one of the game's main tasks.
Wrinkly Kong	Wrinkly Kong appears in the lobbies to each world (save for Hideout Helm) where she appears as a ghost, having died prior to the start of the game. Here, she gives the Kongs hints towards one of their Golden Bananas in each level. The Wrinkly Doors are color coded to match each of the Kong's main colors.
Troff	Troff andScoff are a pig and hippopotamus, respectively, that appear in each boss portal. They appear standing beside each end of the boss door, with Troff trying to reach the key to unlock it and Scoff on the other end. The Kongs must feed Scoff in order for Troff to reach the key to open the boss door.
Scoff
Snide	Snide is a weasel character who was once the chief technician for King K. Rool. However, King K. Rool threw him out because he found him untrusting. Snide set out for revenge against him by asking the Kongs to locate the blueprints to the Blast-O-Matic and helping them with destroying it. Snide's HQ can be found in every level (excluding Hideout Helm) as well as DK Isles where the Kongs can exchange blueprints for Golden Bananas, as well as play bonus games after returning all the blueprints.

Minor characters[edit]

Throughout the game, the Kongs meet various characters within certain worlds. These characters often don't appear outside said world, with a few exceptions.

Character	Description
B. Locker	B. Locker is a character who appears at the entrance to each world in the world's lobby. He appears to block the world's entrance and will only let the Kongs enter if they have a certain number of Golden Bananas. If they do, he will disappear and allow access to the world.
Beanstalk	A character appearing in Fungi Forest. The Beanstalk sprouted from a small pink seed found by Tiny Kong and holds a Golden Banana at its top.
Beetle	The Beetle is a character appearing in the worlds Angry Aztec and Crystal Caves. She is a racing beetle who challenges Tiny Kong in Angry Aztec and Lanky Kong in Crystal Caves, both with the same conditions of collecting 50 DK Coins and beating her in the race.
Buzzard	A buzzard character sporting a pilot helmet and goggles appears in the Angry Aztec area. It can only be met as Diddy Kong after freeing him from his caged prison. Upon doing so, he will challenge Diddy Kong to race through the rings he leaves behind; if beaten, he will reward Diddy with a Golden Banana.
Ice Creature	The Ice Creature is a frozen tomato looking character appearing only in Crystal Caves. It appears in the igloo where only Lanky can visit it. It will challenge Lanky to a game and reward him with a Golden Banana should he win.
Llama	The Llama is a character who appears in Angry Aztec. He is first seen locked in a cage before being freed by Donkey Kong. After being freed, he rewards Donkey Kong with a Golden Banana and can later be found in his temple.
Mermaid	The Mermaid is a character only appearing in Gloomy Galleon. She lives in a shell like structure deep underwater and can only be visited by Tiny Kong with her Mini-Monkey ability. When Tiny visits the Mermaid, she will ask her to retrieve her lost pearls. Once Tiny retrieves the pearls, she will be given a Golden Banana.
Microphone	The Microphone is a character only appearing for the final fight against King K. Rool. He is a living microphone with a handle resembling a tuxedo. During the final fight, he appears as the announcer of the battle, giving off dramatic introductions to the Kongs.
Mini-Car	The Mini-Car is a character appearing in Frantic Factory and Creepy Castle. Both times he can only be encountered by Tiny Kong and both times he will challenge her to a race. The first time appears on a set track while the second time in the block tower area of Frantic Factory. If Tiny beats him in both races, she will receive a Golden Banana for each time.
Owl	The Owl is a character appearing in Fungi Forest. Similarly to the Buzzard from Angry Aztec, the Owl will only talk to Diddy Kong at night, though Diddy must be using his Rocketbarrel Pack in order to do so. After talking with him, the Owl will start a similar, ring based challenge the Buzzard gave Diddy, with the difference being a Bonus Barrel reward rather than a direct Golden Banana.
Rabbit	The Rabbit is a character that appears in Fungi Forest and Crystal Caves. He can only be talked to by Lanky in Fungi Forest and encountered only by Chunky in Crystal Caves. In Fungi Forest, he will challenge Lanky to a race for a Golden Banana. While Lanky beats him a first time, he refuses to give him the banana and declares for a rematch where is much faster and the OrangStand Sprint is required to beat him. When the Rabbit loses the second race, he gives Lanky a Golden Banana. In Crystal Caves, he is found tied to a TNT Barrel surrounded by flames. Chunky must defeat the flames for a set time to free the Rabbit and obtain a Golden Banana.
Seal	The Seal appears in Gloomy Galleon and can only be spoken to by Donkey Kong. After Donkey Kong frees him from his cage prison, the Seal will thank him with a Golden Banana as well as a racing minigame for a second Golden Banana.
Worm	The Worm is a character appearing only in Fungi Forest and can only truly be interacted with by Chunky Kong. The Worm resides in an apple surrounded by monstrous tomatoes and requests Chunky to help him by defeating the tomatoes and moving his apple home. By doing so, he rewards Chunky with a Golden Banana.

Buildings and abilities[edit]

Cranky's Lab[edit]

Cranky's Lab

Cranky's Lab appears in every area of the game, with the exception of Hideout Helm. Cranky Kong has seemingly taken up science as a hobby, and in his lab, the player can buy different potions in exchange for Banana Bunch Coins to learn new techniques and abilities needed to progress throughout the game. Also, if the Kongs visit Cranky at his lab with at least fifteenBanana Medals, Cranky allows them to play a game calledJetpac (an early Rare game). The Kongs must get 5000 points in the game in order to obtain theRareware Coin.

There are three kinds of potions that are available for the Kongs and each type of potion gives them a different ability. The types of abilities are as follows:

• Pad Move - These abilities are activated when any of the Kongs stand on a circular pad with their face on it.
  
• Barrel Move - To activate a Barrel Move, the playable Kong has to enter a wooden barrel with their face on it.
  
• Special Move - Most of the Kongs' Special Moves can be used anytime, with the exception of Donkey Kong's, which can only be used near rusty levers.
  

There are also shared potions which give all the Kongs the same ability - to press Kong Switches with their face on them.

Potions and prices[edit]

Funky's Store[edit]

Main article:Funky's Store

Funky's Store

Funky's Store is a shop owned byFunky Kong where the Kongs can buy and reload their weapons. Each Kong has his or her own personalized weapon. They can use these weapons to shoot a variety of fruit-based projectiles to attack enemies, hit certain switches that have a certain fruit emblem on them, and hitBanana Balloons. Initially, the Kongs can have 50 rounds of ammunition, but this amount increases when the Kongs buy Funky's upgrades. It costs 3 coins per Kong for each one to buy their weapon from Funky; 3 coins to upgrade their maximum ammo capacity; 5 coins to unlock homing ammo; 5 coins to upgrade their ammo capacity again, and a sniper scope for 7 coins.

The following Kongs can each purchase the following weapon:

• Donkey Kong -Coconut Shooter
• Diddy Kong -Peanut Popguns
• Lanky Kong -Grape Shooter
• Tiny Kong -Feather Bow
• Chunky Kong -Pineapple Launcher

Candy's Music Shop[edit]

Main article:Candy's Music Shop

Candy's Music Shop.

Candy Kong owns a music shop where she provides the Kongs with powerful instruments that they can use to make a variety of things happen. Usually, when the Kongs play their instruments on certain locations, doors open or areas that were previously impossible to reach become accessible. The power of the instrument can also defeat all the enemies on the screen, but playing it reduces its energy. The Kongs can touchCandy's Headphones to replenish their instruments' energy, or visit Candy to reload the energy. It costs 3 coins per Kong for each one to buy their instrument from Candy; 5 coins for the first upgrade; 7 coins for an extramelon towards thehealth bar; and 9 coins for the second upgrade.

• Donkey Kong:Bongo Blast
• Diddy Kong:Guitar Gazump
• Lanky Kong:Trombone Tremor
• Tiny Kong:Saxophone Slam
• Chunky Kong:Triangle Trample

Snide's H.Q.[edit]

Main article:Snide's H.Q.

Snide's H.Q.

Over the course of the game, the player may findKasplats holding pieces of blueprint. If the player takes them to Snide's H.Q.,Snide will trade the blueprints for Golden Bananas. There are a total of 40 blueprints in the game, 5 per world along with 5 in DK Isles. If the player delivers all of Snide's Blueprints, he will then allow the Kongs to play the various Bonus Stage games. In addition, collecting blueprints increases the amount of time that the Kongs have to complete the final world,Hideout Helm, by one minute per blueprint collected.

Wrinkly Doors[edit]

Main article:Wrinkly Door

Donkey Kong's Wrinkly Door

Wrinkly Doors are found in the lobby of each level (excluding Hideout Helm). As the name suggests,Wrinkly Kong will come out of each door if a Kong approaches it and give the Kong advice on one of their Golden Bananas hidden in each level. The doors are color coded for each Kong; yellow for Donkey Kong, red for Diddy Kong, purple for Tiny Kong, blue for Lanky Kong and green for Chunky Kong.

Levels[edit]

Name	Description
Jungle Japes	Jungle Japes is the first level of the game. It takes place in a tropical jungle.Diddy Kong is imprisoned in this level, and is held in a cage in the cliffs. The jungle is home to many kinds of enemies, includingGnawties,Zingers, andKritters. This is a basic level where the player can learn basic gameplay elements. The jungle has several trees and vines that can be climbed, allowing the Kongs to reach new heights. There is a river going through the jungle, and the area is surrounded by many rocky cliffs, most of which can be climbed. One of these cliffs has a mine located inside the mountain itself, where several crates and conveyor belts are found. There are also several dark tunnels in the jungle, connecting the various areas. There is a stormy area of the jungle that can only be accessed by one of the tunnels, and it contains Cranky's Lab. Rambi the rhino is found in this area. The boss of this level isArmy Dillo, and he is fought by Donkey Kong.
Angry Aztec	Angry Aztec is the second level visited by the Kongs. It is located in a group of ancient temples in the middle of the desert. Lanky Kong and Tiny Kong are both imprisoned in this area, in different temples. In the outside area, there is a constant sandstorm, but it does not affect gameplay. There are several palm trees that can be climbed, and most of them give access to higher parts of the ruins. There are also several quicksand swamps, both inside and outside the temples, located throughout the level that damage the Kongs should they touch the quicksand. Notable points in this area include the Llama's Temple, home to allama that is originally found imprisoned in a cage, and the Temple with Five Doors, which has areas accessible by each Kong. Once Donkey Kong saves the llama, he later helps him by cooling a pool of lava, allowing Donkey Kong to swim in the pool and free Lanky Kong from his jail cell. In this level, Diddy also gets to free a vulture once he flies with hisRocketbarrel Boost through a golden gate on top of a spinning statue three times. The boss of this level isDogadon, and he is fought by Diddy Kong.
Frantic Factory	Frantic Factory is the third level in the game, and where the last imprisoned Kong can be found, Chunky Kong. This is a toy factory owned by the Kremlings. Several animate Kremling wind-up toys are found here, such as theRobokremlings and theMechanical Zingers. The factory consists of several areas and rooms, mainly The Lobby, Storage Room, Block Room, Factory Machine, and the R&D. Most of these rooms contain weird machines and boxes, along with challenges for each Kong to face. There are several dark tunnels resembling huge pipes that are used to access the different rooms of the factory. ADonkey Kong arcade game is found in the factory, and the player must win the game once to obtain a Golden Banana, and a second time to obtain theNintendo Coin. Tiny Kong gets to race aMini-Car once she shrinks herself, and she must complete two laps on a toy racetrack, while collecting at least tenDK Coins. One of the game's three mini-bosses, theToy Monster, is also found in this level. The boss of this level isMad Jack, and he must be defeated by Tiny Kong.
Gloomy Galleon	Gloomy Galleon is the fourth level, and it seems to be based off of theGangplank Galleon level in the gameDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. This level takes place in a water area surrounded by huge cliffs, where several sunken ships from earlierDonkey Kong Country games are found. There are several dark and humid caves that connect the various lakes found in the level. Many of the sunken ships are locations to treasures and Golden Bananas. However, the inside of these shipwrecks are extremely dark, and as such, the Kongs receive help from theLightfish, who illuminates the area for them. This is also the only level whereEnguarde the swordfish makes an appearance, although only Lanky Kong can transform into him. Tiny Kong also discovers a secret underwater palace where she meets theMermaid, who has lost all of her pearls and asks Tiny to find them. Another race takes place in this area, this time against the Seal. The boss of this level isPuftoss, and he is battled by Lanky Kong.
Fungi Forest	Fungi Forest is the fifth level, and it is set in a vast forest area with manymushrooms and several wooden barns. The main gimmick in this level is the giant Cuckoo Clock located in the center of the forest. The Kongs can hit certain switches located on the Cuckoo Clock to make it change the day into night, and vice versa. Certain areas, such as Snide's HQ can only be accessed during the day, while other areas like some of the wooden barns can only be accessed during the night. The enemies present in this level are also affected by the time of the day. Enemies likeZingers only appear in the day, whileSkeleton Kremlings andKoshas only appear during the night. The giant mushrooms found throughout the forest appear to glow during the night, providing the only source of light when the sun goes down in this level. A mini-boss, theGiant Spider, is fought in one of the barns by a shrunken Tiny Kong. The main boss of this level is a rematch with Dogadon, and he is fought by Chunky Kong.
Crystal Caves	Crystal Caves is the sixth level of the game. It is located exclusively inside a huge, humid cavern with several icy crystals. There are several water rivers and ponds throughout the cavern, as well as a few cabins that contain collectibles inside them. There is an icy igloo near the beginning of the stage with five doors. Each door can only be opened by playing the instruments of certain Kongs on pads near them, and these doors lead to different rooms of the igloo with challenges for each Kong. There is also aGiant Viking Kremling at the highest part of the cavern that constantly smashes the floor, raining down stalactites on the Kongs. Once thisKosha is defeated, the stalactites stop falling down from the ceiling. Additionally, there are some see-through icy walls that can only be broken by Chunky Kong's Primate Punch ability. These walls often block passages to hidden areas of the cavern. The boss fight of this level is a rematch against Army Dillo, and he is fought by Donkey Kong.
Creepy Castle	Creepy Castle is the seventh and penultimate level in the game. It consists of a huge, medieval castle floating above the clouds in the sky. The castle has a constant spooky atmosphere, and its many rooms are haunted. The Kongs must explore both the outside and the inside of the castle. The outside consists of several grassy and wooden platforms with enemies such asSkeleton Kremlings andKoshas. There is a constant thunderstorm outside, and a pond near the beginning of the stage. There is also a giant tree near the pond that can be entered for one of the Golden Bananas, and a small greenhouse with a labyrinth where aKroc resides. The castle itself consists of several haunted rooms, some of them with a medieval style. The largest room in the castle is the Ballroom, a huge room with images of K. Rool and three giant candles. Next to this room is the Museum, which contains several ancient statues. The library is haunted by severalbooks that attack the Kongs. The castle also has several underground catacombs, where a torture room and a creepy minecart track with aresident demon that attacks the Kongs are found. The boss of this level isKing Kut Out, and it can be fought by all the Kongs, although only Lanky is mandatory for the battle.
Hideout Helm	Hideout Helm is the eighth and final level of the game. It is located inside King K. Rool's fortress, and is where the Blast-o-Matic is located. As soon as the Kongs enter this stage, a timer appears on the bottom of the screen, indicating how much time the Kongs have to shut down the machine before it destroys Donkey Kong Island. Depending on how many Blueprints the Kongs collected, the amount of time increases. The default time is ten minutes, and each blueprint given toSnide adds one minute to the timer for a maximum of fifty minutes. The machine must be disabled by completingminigames with each Kong, thus disabling the machine by sections. Once the Blast-o-Matic is disabled, the Kongs can access the final Boss Key if they have at least fourBattle Crowns and have completedJetpac andDonkey Kong. There are no collectibles in this level aside from five Banana Medals found in the minigames and a Battle Crown. When the Kongs reach the highest area in the fortress, K. Rool flees in his airship, only to crash when K. Lumsy is freed, allowing the Kongs to battle him in the final showdown.

Enemies[edit]

Enemy	Description
Gnawty	Gnawties are blue beaver enemies mostly found in Jungle Japes. Their only attack pattern is running into the Kongs.
Kritter	Kritters are King K. Rool's main henchmen. They are common throughout the game in levels and mini games. They attack by punching and biting. They spawn off some unique sub species as well such as Robokremlings or Ghosts.
Zinger	Zingers are wasp enemies that are commonly seen throughout each level. They mainly attack by dropping green oranges or by swooping down to sting the Kongs.
Kasplat	Kasplats are enemies that hold Snide's blueprints. Five appear in each world (excluding Hideout Helm) and Kong Isle, each one holding a blueprint colored after a Kong's main color. The color of their hair tells which Kong's blueprint they hold. Their main attacks are creating shockwaves and using various punches. While they are resilient to most attacks, Kasplats are easily defeated by the shock wave attack or a musical instrument. There are a total of 40 Kasplats in the game.
Klump	Klumps are large Kremlings who mainly attack by throwing green oranges. At close range, they can also push back the Kongs with their bellies. Although the Kongs can attack them directly, Klumps can only truly be defeated by oranges, the shock wave attack, and a musical instrument. Likewise, Chunky Kong can defeat Klumps by touching them while in his Hunky Chunky state. Klumps drop three oranges when defeated.
Klobber	Klobbers are green Kremlings hiding in barrels. If a Kong gets close enough, they will pop their heads and feet out and follow the Kong in an attempt to harm them by collision. Klobbers can't be harmed with direct attacks at all; the Kongs will hurt themselves if they even touch a Klobber directly. Klobbers can only be defeated with oranges, the shock wave attack, or a Kong's musical instrument.
TNT Bomber	TNT Bombers are red Klobbers hiding in TNT Barrels. Like Klobbers, they follow the Kongs when they get too close, but if they don't catch them, they will explode shortly after. They can't be attacked with normal direct attacks, but they are easily defeated by oranges, a musical instrument, and even shots fired from the Kongs' shooters. The shock wave attack also defeats them, but it'll hurt the Kongs in the process.
Krash	Krashes are Kremling riding inMine Carts who appear in Bonus Stages relating to Mine Carts. Here, they will swing clubs as they pass by the Kong. Sometimes their minecarts will be positioned beside the Kong for a short period of time. They cannot be defeated outside of one instance in Fungi Forest and can only be avoided by jumping or leaning away from them when they swing their clubs.
Klaptrap	Klaptraps are small, alligator like enemies that appear in various levels in the game. They will chase the Kongs around attempting to bite them. They can be defeated by any attack method, though once they are defeated, their jaws will remain and continue chasing the Kong. The jaw can also be defeated in any way. Of course, defeating a Klaptrap with an orange or a musical instrument will prevent the jaws from appearing. Purple Klaptraps are immune to all direct attacks, along with the shock wave attack; the Kongs will only get bit if they use that attack, or touch the Purple Klaptrap in any way. As such, they can only be defeated by the use of an orange, or a musical instrument. Instead of dropping a watermelon slice, they drop three oranges when defeated.
Kosha	Koshas are small Kremlings who wield large, spiked clubs. They use the club as their main source of attack, swinging or slamming it to harm the Kongs. Koshas can take away two watermelon slices from a Kong, making them dangerous enemies to face. Koshas can also shake off any direct attacks that they take, making it so that only the shock wave attack, a musical instrument or Chunky touching them while using his Hunky Chunky ability can defeat them. Oranges can also defeat a Kosha, but only while its club is stuck in the ground.
Ghost	Ghosts are Kritters wearing bedsheet ghost costumes. They only appear in Creepy Castle and also aid in the battle against King Kut Out. They only attack by running into the player.
Shroom	Shrooms are blue Kremlings wearing mushroom costumes. They appear in Fungi Forest where they disguise themselves as normal mushrooms until the Kongs get too close. Once they do, a Shroom will pop out and chase the Kong.
Skeleton Kremling	Skeleton Kremlings are skeletal Kritters who appear mainly in night time areas (such as Fungi Forest). They attack with clubs, and can be defeated by any attack, though weaker attacks will only break the skull and left arm. Stronger attacks will defeat it instantly. Additionally, oranges can easily take out a Skeleton Kremling, and remove the skull and left arm at the same time.
Kremling cop	Kremling cops are large, burly security guard that appear in the minigameStealthy Snoop!, where they patrol the maze while the Kongs navigate through it. If they are caught by one, they lose the minigame.
Block	Blocks are enemies only found in Frantic Factory. They resemble stick blocks with colorful shape holes in them. They appear in the toy fight area in Frantic Factory and are only fought by Chunky. Their only attack is running into him.
Mr. Dice	Mr. Dice is an enemy found only in Frantic Factory. They are dice with arms and legs. The 2 side is facing forward, making the dots look like eyes. They are found in the toy block tower area as well as the Toy Monster fight. They only attack by running into the Kong.
Sir Domino	Sir Domino is an enemy only found in Frantic Factory. They are domino enemies with arms and legs. Two appear in the Toy Monster battle while a few can be found in the toy block tower area. They attack with collision damage and can be defeated by any attack.
Mechanical Zinger	Mechanical Zingers are robotic versions of Zingers only appearing in Frantic Factory. They act just like normal Zingers, only with robot designs, such as landing wheels for legs and a propeller instead of wings. They attack in the same way by dropping green oranges, but they never swoop down at the Kongs.
Puftup	Puftups are puffer fish enemies found mostly in water areas, such as Gloomy Galleon. They are mostly stationary until a Kong approaches them, to which they will explode. Puftups aid Puftoss in his battle.
Shuri	Shuries are starfish enemies that only appear underwater. They attack by charging into the Kongs as they swim. They cannot be defeated due to the Kongs not having proper attacks underwater and being immune to Enguarde's stab attack.
Scubi	Scubis are scuba diving starfish enemies only appearing in underwater areas. They are similar to Shuries though they attack with whips rather than charging. Like Shuries, they cannot be defeated.
Book	Books are haunted, flying ghost books that only appear in Creepy Castle library areas. They are invincible enemies that only Donkey Kong encounters. He must use his Strong Kong ability to pass through them.
Flame	Flames are fireball enemies appearing only in one of Chunky Kong's missions in Crystal Caves. They try to light a TNT Barrel with the Rabbit Lanky raced tied to it. Flames can be defeated with any attack.
Fly	Flies are enemies that appear in one of Tiny Kong's missions in Creepy Castle. They more commonly appear in theBig Bug Bash! minigame.
Bat	Bats are enemies commonly found in dark areas, mainly Fungi Forest during the night and Creepy Castle. They often replace Zingers during these times, though they do not drop green oranges. They do, however, swoop down at the Kongs.
Tomato	Tomatoes are enemies found only in Fungi Forest where they surround the Worm's apple in one of the forest's areas. Chunky Kong must use his Hunky Chunky ability to defeat them. The only attack Tomatoes have is ramming into the Kongs.
Robokremling	Robokremlings are robotic, wind-up Kremlings, appearing only in Frantic Factory. They attack mainly by trying to run into the Kongs. Although the Kongs can stun them with their direct attacks, Robokremlings can only truly be defeated by oranges, the shock wave attack, a musical instrument, and Chunky Kong's Primate Punch.
Oyster	Oysters are clam-like enemies that appear in Gloomy Galleon. They are present in the treasure chest area within treasure cove where they hold the pearls from the Mermaid. Tiny is the only one who encounters them, though they can't be defeated. They open and close their mouths at regular intervals, which causes damage if touched.
Kroc	Kroc is an unseen enemy that only take the form of a green crosshair on the screen. They appear in Angry Aztec, Crystal Caves, and Creepy Castle, and usually appear after the Kong retrieves a Golden Banana or fails a challenge in a specific area. Their only attack is taking aim at the Kong present and firing a blast that either instantly knocks out the Kong or removes a single melon slice after a set amount of time.
Resident demon	The resident demon is a large, skeletal Kremling only appearing in the Minecart Ride game in Creepy Castle. It attacks by swiping its disembodied claws at Donkey Kong or by sending Skull Carts holding TNT down the tracks.

Bosses[edit]

Troff andScoff guard the doors that lead to the bosses who hold seven of the eight keys toK. Lumsy's cage. By feeding Scoff a certain number of bananas, it allows Troff to reach the key to open the door. The players need to feed Scoff more bananas each progressed level and the combined total of all the Kongs' bananas can be pertained. Once all the bananas reach to 0, the key opens the door and a roulette spins, determining which Kong is going to battle against the Boss. Only the designated Kong can enter the door. The door will close if a different Kong tries to go inside the door at any time. Once the correct Kong enters the door, the door slams shut, and evil laughter can be heard before the screen fades to the Boss Battle.

Boss	World	Banana requirement	Kong used	Description
Army Dillo	Jungle Japes, Crystal Caves	60 (Jungle Japes) 350 (Crystal Caves)	Donkey Kong (twice)	Jungle Japes: Army Dillo is the boss of Jungle Japes and first boss of the game. His general attack pattern is firing fireballs from the cannons attached to his shell and rolling along the ground to try and flatten Donkey Kong. Crystal Caves: Army Dillo's rematch in Crystal Caves. Much like Dogadon's rematch, Army Dillo's rematch plays much like the first one, albeit with a few new moves. Army Dillo now has rockets attached to his shell, which he uses to create shockwaves upon landing. After taking enough hits, he will also fire homing missiles at Donkey Kong.
Dogadon	Angry Aztec, Fungi Forest	120 (Angry Aztec) 300 (Fungi Forest)	Diddy Kong (Angry Aztec) Chunky Kong (Fungi Forest)	Angry Aztec: Dogadon will fly around the stage spitting fireballs at Diddy Kong. Each time he is struck, he spits more fireballs, moving to a new corner each time. Fungi Forest: Dogadon's rematch in Fungi Forest. The battle plays out similarly to the first, however, Dogadon has a few different attacks. After being hit two times, he will breathe a wave of fire along the arena, and after the third hit, will stomp the arena, causing it to slowly sink into the lava. Chunky must use his Hunky Chunky ability to fully defeat Dogadon.
Mad Jack	Frantic Factory	200	Tiny Kong	Mad Jack's arena takes place on a 4-by-4 grid of tall platforms. Mad Jack will hide in his box and jump from platform to platform, attempting to flatten Tiny. When standing still, he will throw fireballs at her. After being hit 3 times, he will start firing lasers that shock a platform when hit. He will be invisible after taking four hits.
Puftoss	Gloomy Galleon	250	Lanky Kong	Puftoss sits in the middle of the small pond, spitting fireballs at Lanky. After a few hits, he will jump up and cause shock waves to travel to the outer walls of the arena. He may also summon Puftups to home in on, and damage Lanky.
King Kut Out	Creepy Castle	400	All (Lanky Kong goes first)	A cardboard cut out of King K. Rool that acts as the boss of Creepy Castle. The cut out is capable of firing lasers from its head and creating duplicate cut outs to fool the Kongs. The Kongs must use a cannon to strike the cut out.
King Krusha K. Rool	DK Isles	N/A	All (Donkey Kong goes first)	The final battle against King K. Rool (under the name King Krusha K. Rool) which plays out in a boxing style. King Krusha K. Rool uses a variety of attacks to harm the Kongs, from creating shockwaves, to throwing his gloves like boomerangs, to punching the Kongs, to faking being knocked out.

Note: The final boss,King K. Rool, does not involve help from Troff & Scoff.

Mini-bosses[edit]

There are three mini-bosses in the game:

Mini-Boss	World	Description
Toy Monster	Frantic Factory	A giant monster made up of various toys. It can only be fought by Chunky while using the Hunky Chunky ability. It appears after Chunky defeats all the other toy enemies in the area. It attacks mostly through punches. Although the shock wave attack does hurt this enemy, it also hurts Chunky Kong in the process.
Giant Spider	Fungi Forest	The Giant Spider is a mini boss found in one of the barns in Fungi Forest. It can only be fought by Tiny, as she is the only one able to enter the barn at night (through a tiny hole in the side). The Giant Spider attacks by sending waves of little spiders at Tiny and spitting web balls from its mouth, some of which can even reverse the player's controls. To combat this foe, Tiny Kong has to attack its eye by using herFeather Bow.
Giant Viking Kremling	Crystal Caves	The Giant Viking Kremling is a mini boss found in Crystal Caves, and it is fought by Tiny. It is generally responsible for the constant raining stalactites in the area. It attacks much like its smaller counterparts, and can be defeated by using the Kongs' shock wave attack, musical instruments, or an orange if its club is stuck in the ground.

Items[edit]

Item	Description
Golden Banana	Golden Bananas are the main collectible item, and they have a pivotal role in the storyline. They make up Donkey Kong's banana hoard supply, which were stolen by the Kremlings at the start of the game. Golden Bananas allow the Kongs to bypassB. Locker and enter new levels if they meet the minimum Golden Banana requirement. Each level has five Golden Bananas for each Kong to find, and they must complete certain challenges, often designed around each Kong's abilities, to earn the Golden Banana. There is a total of 201 Golden Bananas in the entire game. While not all Golden Bananas are required for finishing the game, they are required for 101%completion. After capturing everyBanana Fairy, Tiny can visit the Banana Fairy Princess and receive the 201st Golden Banana. This specific Golden Banana has theRareware logo on it instead of the usualNintendo logo.
Banana	Bananas are the most common items. The Kongs must collect the bananas and feed them toScoff until he becomes heavy enough forTroff, both of whom are using a mechanism, to elevate to the key and unlock the door to the level boss. Each banana is of a certain color that can only be obtained by the Kong who corresponds to that color. Each level has 500 bananas, with 100 for each Kong to collect. Bananas are found in every level exceptHideout Helm, and they can be found individually, in bunches of fives, or packed into aBanana Balloon, which contains ten bananas.
Banana Bunch Coin	Banana Bunch Coins are used as currency to pay for the Kongs' services. Like bananas, Banana Bunch Coins appear in five different colors and can only be obtained by the Kong corresponding to that color. Banana Bunch Coins are used to learn new moves atCranky's Lab, to buy weapons and upgrades atFunky's Store, and musical instruments fromCandy's Music Shop. Donkey Kong also uses two extra Banana Bunch Coins to play theDonkey Kong arcade game.
5-Banana Coin	5-Banana Coins are a rare, multi-colored type of Banana Bunch Coin that give five Banana Bunch Coins to each Kong, even if a Kong has not yet been rescued. 5-Banana Coins are only found buried beneath aDK Dirt Pile, and the player can unearth it by performing aSuper Slam. Each level usually only has one 5-Banana Coin.
Banana Medal	The Kongs can obtain a Banana Medal in a level by obtaining 75 bananas of their color. There are 40 Banana Medals in the game and five in each level, one for each Kong to collect. If the Kongs have at least 15 Banana Medals,Cranky allows them to play a classicRareware title,Jetpac. In Hideout Helm, which does not feature any bananas, the Banana Medals are obtained differently: a Kong is rewarded a Banana Medal for completing one of their Bonus Stages. The other 25 Banana Medals do not have any other role other than to contribute to 101% completion.
Boss Key	Boss Keys are golden keys that are needed to open the padlocks of K. Lumsy's cage. There are eight Boss Keys, and as their name suggests, each one is guarded by a boss at the end of a level. The only exception is the eighth and final Boss Key, which is acquired at the end of Hideout Helm. Every time a Kong brings unlocks a padlock of K. Lumsy's cage, he happily celebrates and causes a tremor that slightly alters the layout in the hub world, allowing the Kongs to access more levels.
Melon	Melons represent the Kongs'health meter, and are made up of four slices. The Kongs start with one melon, but during their adventure, they can obtain two more from Candy Kong. If a Kong gets hit by an enemy or comes in contact with a stage hazard, they lose a melon slice, sometimes even two. They can obtain more melon slices by breaking open a Melon Crate or by defeating enemies such as Kritters or Gnawties. If the Kongs lose all their melon slices, they are sent back to the start of the level.
Melon Crate	Melon Crates are big, wooden crates with a melon imprinted on them. They contain up to four melon slices, which are used to replenish the Kongs' health.
Orange	Oranges are explosive fruits that are used as weapons. They have a multitude of uses, with the main use being to defeat enemies, including stronger ones such asKlump. Oranges are useful for destroying barriers and other obstacles, such as certain fragile walls and fences. The Kongs can carry up to 20 Oranges, but later in the game the limit slightly increases to 25, and again to 30. Oranges also appear during Multiplayer mode where they have an additional function of generating a shockwave attack.
Candy's Headphones	Candy's Headphones are blue headphones that fully restore the energy of the Kongs' instruments. Candy's Headphones are objects which appear around every level, and they fully restore the instruments' energy without the Kongs having to visit Candy's Music Shop. They can be used an unlimited number of times. Candy's Headphones only start to appear once the Kongs learn how to play their instruments.
Supply Crate	Supply Crates are wooden crate objects found in every level. They provide five pieces of ammo for the Kongs' weapons and often appear in areas that requiring them to use their weapons. A Kong can simply walk into a Supply Crate to obtain its ammo. There is a less common, unique, red type of Supply Crate that provides red homing ammo to the Kongs.
Crystal Coconut	Crystal Coconuts are crystal items that collectively power each Kong'sKong Barrel ability. The Kongs can initially carry up to twenty Crystal Coconuts, but as they capture more Banana Fairies, the amount increases; each collected Banana Fairy adds another Crystal Coconut to the max, for up to forty Crystal Coconuts. On certain occasions, like in the final battle, the Kongs receive infinite Crystal Coconuts.
Banana Camera Film	Banana Camera Films are yellow film rolls that are used with theBanana Fairy's Camera. They are necessary for capturing photographs of each of the Banana Fairies. Each time a Kong takes a photograph from the Banana Fairy's Camera, they use up a film. Banana Camera Films are uncommon items which only appear in certain parts of a level.
Rareware Coin	The Rareware Coin is one of the required items for obtaining the final Boss Key to unlockK. Lumsy's cage. In order to obtain it, the player must playJetpac at Cranky's Lab. By earning 5,000 points in the game, the Rareware Coin drops from the top of the screen, allowing the player to obtain it.
Nintendo Coin	Aside from the Rareware Coin, the Nintendo Coin is another required item for obtaining the final Boss Key to K. Lumsy's cage. InFrantic Factory, there is an arcade cabinet of the originalDonkey Kong game, which Donkey Kong must play. After completing it, Donkey Kong must play the arcade game again, this time with the Nintendo Coin replacingPauline's sprite and increased game difficulty.
Blueprint	The blueprints are the design plans for theBlast-o-Matic, andSnide assigns the Kongs to recover the blueprints. There are five blueprints in each level, each of a different color corresponding to a Kong. Each blueprint is guarded by aKasplat, whose hair represents which color blueprint they have. For each blueprint that the Kongs recover for Snide, they are rewarded with a Golden Banana. During the final level, Hideout Helm, Snide uses every blueprint that the Kongs recovered to delay the Blast-o-Matic from firing and gives the Kongs more time to deactivate the machine entirely.
Battle Crown	Battle Crowns are the reward for completing aBattle Arena Pad challenge, where the Kongs must survive several enemies within a time limit. There are ten Battle Crowns, four of which are required to enter K. Rool's throne room in Hideout Helm. The other six have no effect during the Kongs' adventure and only add to the 101% completion ranking.

Barrels[edit]

Barrel	Description
Barrel	Regular barrels return from the previousDonkey Kong Country titles, though they are very uncommon inDonkey Kong 64. The Kongs can pick up barrels and throw them to defeat enemies. Once thrown, the barrel continues rolling in the same direction until it hits into something, causing it to break.
Bonus Barrel	Bonus Barrels can be identified from a picture of a Golden Banana on them. When a Kong enters a Bonus Barrel, they are taken to aBonus Stage where they must complete a certain task. After completing it, the Kong exits the Bonus Barrel with a Golden Banana reward. In Hideout Helm, the Bonus Barrels appear as a keg, and their Bonus Stages must be completed to deactivate the Blast-o-Matic.
Cranky's Kong Barrel	Cranky's Kong Barrels are wooden barrels that depict one of the five Kongs' face on them. These barrels are used to activate the Kongs' special abilities, learned when they consume Cranky's magic potions. For example, once Donkey Kong enters one of Cranky's Kong Barrel with his face on it, he becomes able to use his special ability, Strong Kong, for a limited amount of time. The special abilities, however, use up the Kongs' Crystal Coconuts.
Metal keg	Metal kegs are heavy, metallic barrels that only appear in a wooden barn ofFungi Forest. Due to their weight, metal kegs can only be lifted by Chunky Kong. Chunky must put three of them on a conveyor belt at a nearby grinder to obtain a Golden Banana.
Tag Barrel	Tag Barrels are a rotating wooden barrel depicting one of the five Kongs' faces on each side. Tag Barrels are used for the player to switch into another Kong to play as.
TNT Barrel	TNT Barrels are explosive barrels that appear duringArmy Dillo's andDogadon's boss fight, and they must be used to attack the boss. When thrown, TNT Barrels act like normal barrels by continuing to roll in a direction until they hit something. A difference with TNT Barrels is how a fiery explosion is generated when it collides into something. There are enemies known asTNT Bombers who hide in TNT Barrels.

Switches[edit]

There are a few types of switches, which usually affect the landscape when activates. This allows the Kongs to access to new areas and collectibles. The switches are either found on the ground, or in the walls, requiring a special ability to hit them. There are three types of switches:

Switch	Description
Kong Switch	Kong Switches are the most common type of switch, and as their name suggests, they depict the face of a Kong. Kong Switches appear in three colors, each of which can be activated by a type ofSimian Slam including their stronger counterparts. The Simian Slam works on normal green Kong Switches, the Super Simian Slam on blue ones, and the Super Duper Simian Slam on red ones. When a Kong Switch is activated, it usually reveals a secret or opens up a passageway.
Target Switch	Target Switches are a type of switch that appear on the walls. Each one depicts a certain ammo, which indicates the specific type that can activate it. It either depicts a coconut (Donkey Kong), a peanut (Diddy Kong), a grape (Lanky Kong), a feather (Tiny Kong), or a pineapple (Chunky Kong).
Wall switch	Wall switches are similar to Target Switches except they can only be activated from Diddy'sChimpy Charge or Chunky'sPrimate Punch. They are the least common of the three switches.

Pads[edit]

Pad	Description
Cranky's Kong Pad	Cranky's Kong Pads depict one of the Kongs' face. They allow the depicted Kong to perform a unique ability associated with the Kong Pad, if the Kong has purchased the ability fromCranky's Lab.
Music Pad	By playing on a Music Pad, the Kong can trigger a certain event, such as revealing a Golden Banana or opening the entrance to a passageway. A Music Pad depicts an instrument, and only the Kong corresponding to it can perform on the Music Pad. The Kong does not use any musical energy from performing on a Music Pad.
Battle Arena Pad	Battle Arena Pads are pads with a headshot of King K. Rool on them. By stepping on a Battle Arena Pad, the Kong is teleported into a Battle Arena where they must fight several enemies and survive in the giventime limit. When the Kongs successfully survive the Battle Arena challenge, they are rewarded a Battle Crown.
Bananaport Pad	Bananaport Pads are a pair of two pads that share a color and number. There are five pairs in every level and on the DK Isles hub. Once both pads in a pair are activated (which is done by walking onto each one), the Kong can enter a giant banana to quickly warp from a pad to its likewise one.

Mystery[edit]

When the players manage to collect a certain amount of Banana Fairies in any file, theMystery option will be unlocked in the main menu. Depending on the number of Banana Fairies collected, the players will unlock the following things:

Similarities betweenDonkey Kong 64 andBanjo-Kazooie[edit]

As bothDonkey Kong 64 andBanjo-Kazooie were games made byRare, there are a few similarities between them:

• In an early version,Banjo andKazooie's faces could be seen on a shower stall inDK's Tree House. Similarly, pre-release material ofBanjo-Kazooie shows a picture of DK as he appeared in the originalDonkey Kong Country above Banjo's bed, but was eventually replaced with a picture ofTooty, Banjo's sister.
• The gameplay ofDonkey Kong 64 shares many things withBanjo-Kazooie, like the different pads (and their appearance), the Golden Bananas (collected and used in the same way asBanjo-Kazooie'sJiggies), some moves (the OrangStand, for example, being extremely similar to theTalon Trot) and the Blast-o-Matic (which is more or less theDonkey Kong 64 equivalent of the B.O.B., theBig-O-Blaster, used byGruntilda and her sisters inBanjo-Tooie).
• Fungi Forest was originally intended forBanjo-Kazooie, but was scrapped due to time constraints, before being moved toDonkey Kong 64 with minor changes.
• Donkey Kong 64 was part of the incomplete feature calledStop 'n' Swop. It involvedsix different colored eggs anda key of ice, found inBanjo-Kazooie, and only two eggs and the key were shown in the ending cinematic (after collecting all 100 Jiggies). Their locations were sealed off, and it was told that they would be unlocked inBanjo-Tooie. After hackers found the codes to access their hiding places, the eggs proved useless. Rare intended to use them as a connection betweenBanjo-Kazooie,Banjo-Tooie, andDonkey Kong 64, unlocking secret features in all of them. After accessing a special pause menu, gamers were supposed to stop their current game and swap the Game Paks for another. Stop 'n' Swop got canned byNintendo, due to concerns about players damaging their systems and the possibility that it would not be possible in some revisions of theNintendo 64 hardware.^[10] Due to fact that the necessary chunk of the code forBanjo-Kazooie was already complete and compiled in the game after its release when Nintendo changed the N64's hardware, Stop 'n' Swop remained a mystery until theXbox Live Arcade re-release ofBanjo-Kazooie andBanjo-Tooie where Rare completed the contraption they started, replacingDonkey Kong 64 withBanjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. However, the use of the eggs and key for Donkey Kong is still unknown.
• Donkey Kong 64 holds many cameos to theBanjo-Kazooie series, including the enemies resemblingSwellbellies, and the relation between the enemyGnawty and the characterGnawty, who is a minor character inBanjo-Kazooie.
• Inside ofCandy's Music Shop are three of the instruments that appeared in the intro toBanjo-Kazooie, which are Banjo's banjo, Kazooie's kazoo, andMumbo's xylophone.
• The tune that plays whenTroff 'n' Scoff unlock a boss door is a faster version of the tune that plays whenever Banjo enters a room containing a Stop 'n' Swop item inBanjo-Kazooie.
• In both games, the first three worlds share the same themes; the first being a mountain like valley, the second being set in a sandy like environment, and the third is set in an industrial facility.
• In both games, the fifth world features two races, the first one not requiring a new move, but the second one requires a move that allows the player to run at a very fast speed. In both games, the move must be learned in the next world.
• In both games, the seventh world takes place in a haunted like environment and even share similar music.
• A number of musical tracks, instruments, and snippets of music fromDonkey Kong 64 were initially composed for, but unused in,Banjo-Kazooie and its prototypeProject Dream.^[11]

Development[edit]

Donkey Kong 64 started development immediately after the conclusion ofDonkey Kong Country 3's.^[12] The original incarnation ofDonkey Kong 64 was meant to be more similar in design to theDonkey Kong Country series than the final game, featuring linear levels played through a combination of forward-scrolling and side view sections, similar toCrash Bandicoot.^[12] After around 18 months, development was rebooted after Rare took notice of the trend of open 3D games started bySuper Mario 64.^[12] Transitioning the series to true 3D proved challenging: graphic artistMark Stevenson noted, "As an artist who was on the DKC games, I used to build and animate the characters from a fixed side-on view. Being able to see this character from any angle, you'd make an animation, put it in the game, and you'd think it looked good side-on, but awful from every other angle! It was challenging from a technical and design perspective."^[13]Donkey Kong 64 was among the first Nintendo 64 game to feature dynamic lighting, although its implementation was faked after the first rendering.^[13]

Due to the success ofBanjo-Kazooie, one of the first requests Rare co-presidentTim Stamper made was to include even more collectables. Mechanics such as the 5 playable characters and "thrilling moments" such as mine cart and slide sequences were also deviced to differentiate the game fromBanjo-Kazooie.^[13]Grant Kirkhope, who had composed the soundtrack toBanjo, settled on a darker tone due toDavid Wise's work on the originalDonkey Kong Country trilogy.^[13] Although therealistic gun models sighted in pre-release material were always intended to be placeholder, the final design of theCoconut Gun was only conceived after a mortifiedShigeru Miyamoto saw Donkey Kong's shotgun in a demo of the game and immediately drew up a replacement.^[13]

In 2013, a story was published that impliedDonkey Kong 64 was not initially meant to require theExpansion Pak. According to that story, Rare was unable to fix a memory leak bug discovered near the game's release date; the bug would cause the game to crash after 30 minutes of gameplay, but Rare found that the issue did not occur when the Expansion Pak inserted. As a result, the game was bundled with the Expansion Pak, a move that supposedly took a large toll on the game's profits.^[14] This turned out to be the result of a misconception that confused and melded the decision to use the Expansion Pak into the discovery of the game-breaking bug.^[15] The Expansion Pak was in fact the only way to properly runDonkey Kong 64, as the game-breaking bug was eventually patched out, though the necessary game code required to run the game would be provided via the Expansion Pak, further proving that the game was built around it ever since the beginning of the game's development.^[16]

Staff[edit]

Main article:List of Donkey Kong 64 staff

The game's core development team was largely formed of people who had no involvement with Rare's previousDonkey Kong games, although severalDonkey Kong Country veterans such asGregg Mayles andChris Sutherland are credited as support staff. The game's soundtrack was composed byGrant Kirkhope. Initially meant to assistEveline Fischer, Kirkhope ended up composing the entire soundtrack (including theDK Rap) and also provided the voice ofDonkey Kong.

Descriptions[edit]

Wii U eShop[edit]

North America

"With his mechanical isle stuck off the shores of DK Island, K. Rool kidnaps the Kong family to distract Donkey Kong™. It's up to our furry hero to rescue his friends, reclaim his Golden Bananas, and save his homeland from certain doom. Choose from five Kong members as you play solo in a quirky adventure or with friends in competitive battle arenas!

Join Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong™, Tiny Kong™, Lanky Kong™, and Chunky Kong™ as they fight to keep DK Island safe and sound from K. Rool and his Kremling crew. Climb, swim, and jump with each of the five Kong members through treacherous and puzzling areas while taking advantage of their special abilities and upgrades. Encounter friendly aid from other Kongs and a caged Kremling by the name of K. Lumsy. Hunt for collectibles and play wacky minigames while solo, or duke it out in battle arenas with friends in a four-player split-screen view. There's enough fun to go around to make you go bananas!"

Europe

"King K. Rool™ has set his sights on conquering Kong Isle, and only Donkey Kong and his pals can save the day! In DK's first 3D adventure, help him rescue his furry friends, reclaim the Golden Bananas and save his homeland.

Take control not only of Donkey Kong and Diddy, but also Tiny, Lanky and Chunky Kong. Each character has unique abilities, from Tiny’s Ponytail Twirl to Chunky’s Pineapple Launcher.

With a massive single-player quest packed with surprises and a madcap multiplayer mode, Donkey Kong 64 is a bursting barrel of fun!"

Reception[edit]

Donkey Kong 64 was the subject of universal acclaim at release. Critics praised the game's length and large amount of content, the variety brought about by the game's tasks and different player characters, and the graphics, although multiple outlets expressed disappointment thatDonkey Kong 64 did not feel like a massive technological leap over the developer's previous work onBanjo-Kazooie despite requiring the Expansion Pak accessory. A reoccurring criticism of the game was thatDonkey Kong 64 was derivative ofSuper Mario 64 andBanjo-Kazooie, and not a revolutionary step like the critics judgedDonkey Kong Country to be.

In a 1999 interview withEarthBound series creatorShigesato Itoi,Shigeru Miyamoto said ofDonkey Kong 64 that Rare "really perfected the art" of making 3D action games and that "I bet you that it turns out to be the absolute best 3D action game available on any hardware - even includingDreamcast.", although he ultimately judged thatDonkey Kong 64 would not be a game that would attract new players to the Nintendo 64.^[17]

In later years, critical reception toDonkey Kong 64 has been more mixed. Modern retrospectives of theDonkey Kong series and reviews of the game's Wii U rerelease have criticized various aspects ofDonkey Kong 64's design such as the excessive gating of collectables and switches by characters, the tedium of having to backtrack to switch characters through theTag Barrel, and the low quality and frustrating nature of many of theBonus Stages.^[18][19] Publications such asElectronic Gaming Monthly blamedDonkey Kong 64 as one of the factors in the decreasing fortunes of the 3D platformer genre.^[20]Grant Kirkhope was quoted as saying the game and fellow Rare platformerBanjo-Tooie were "too much",^[21] and the game's lead tester Gavin Price mocked its high amount of collectibles in an interview.^[22]

In a 2016Famitsu poll to determine the "most memorable" games for each console,Donkey Kong 64 ranked 7th for the Nintendo 64 with 129 votes, being the onlyDonkey Kong game to make the list.^[23]

Additionally, the creator ofA Hat in Time, Jonas Kærlev, pinned most of the blame of the decline of games likeSuper Mario 64 andBanjo-Kazooie on this game.^[24]

Promotion[edit]

To promote the game in North America, Nintendo of America startedthe Beast Is Back Tour on October 9, 1999.^[25] Starting at the CollegeFest event inPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania, a 34-foot-truck traveled to 15 cities in the United States to let people playDonkey Kong 64 before its retail release and win various pieces of merchandise like T-shirts, CDs, and games.

Multimedia[edit]

For the complete list of media files for this subject, seeMultimedia:Donkey Kong 64.

DK Rap - This is what plays during the introduction toDonkey Kong 64.

File info 0:22

Jungle Japes Theme - This music plays when the Kongs enter Jungle Japes.

File info 0:30

Mad Jack's Theme - This music plays when Tiny faces Mad Jack.

File info 0:30

Help:Media file •Having trouble playing?

Gallery[edit]

For this subject's image gallery, seeGallery:Donkey Kong 64.

• 

  Donkey Kong with his Coconut Gun

• 

  Diddy Kong

• 

  Tiny Kong

• 

  Lanky Kong

• 

  Chunky Kong with his Pineapple Launcher

• 

  King K. Rool

Quotes[edit]

Main article:List of Donkey Kong 64 quotes

• "I've been waiting a long time for this moment. Soon,Donkey Kong and his pretty littleisland will be no more!" - King K. Rool
• "Well, if it isn't my good-for-nothin'son..." -Cranky Kong
• "Snide's my name, revenge is my game!" -Snide

Pre-release and unused content[edit]

Main article:List of Donkey Kong 64 pre-release and unused content

Early screenshots show thatDK's Tree House was meant to have a shower stall with Banjo and Kazooie on it. The Kong's weapons originally resembled actual weapons, such as Donkey Kong's Coconut Shooter resembling a double barreled shotgun.

Glitches[edit]

Main article:List of Donkey Kong 64 glitches

Donkey Kong 64 contains a variety of glitches, to a degree that the game is often considered to be one of the most broken games on theNintendo 64. Lag issues are common, most noticeably inFrantic Factory and few other places. To keep the gameplay at a steady pace, the developers implemented a movement speed-to-lag system, where the more lag there is, the faster characters move. Due to this, players can frequently clip through terrain.Orange explosions cause massive lag, and the fact that the player can enter first person mode and throw oranges faster allowed the use of many more sequence breaks and wall clips. Most of the lag issues were fixed in theVirtual Console release of the game, which means some glitches are impossible to perform.

Version differences[edit]

TheLodgeNet version of the game added a "Training" toggle on the file select menu. Setting it to off allowed skipping the Training Barrel tutorial and gives Donkey Kong the Simian Slam from the start.^[26]

References to other media[edit]

Donkey Kong

• A full version of this game can be played at Frantic Factory. Notably, for many years, this would be the only rerelease of the arcade version since theIkegami Tsushinki lawsuit until it was rereleased standalone in 2018 as part of theArcade Archives line.

Donkey Kong Country

• TheJungle Japes theme is an arrangement of "DK Island Swing," the jungle level theme first heard inJungle Hijinxs.
• King K. Rool has the same appearance as that game, and Squawks has shrunken back down to his original size from that game.

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest

• Pictures ofKaptain K. Rool can be spotted in the sunken ship of Gloomy Galleon, in the museum of Creepy Castle and in some cabins inCrystal Caves.

Donkey Kong Country (television series)

• Cranky Kong's chemistry hobby is retained from this series.
• Crystal Coconuts are used to power theKong Barrel powers.
• The Klump in the intro is stated by the manual to be General Klump.

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!

• When the Kongs visit Wrinkly Kong for the first time, she says that she has been deceased sinceDonkey Kong Country 3.
• The alarm sound effect fromKrack Shot Kroc is used for theK. Rool's Mobile Island Fortress, the conveyor belts in the Jungle Japes mine when they are set to "low," and in the minigameKrazy Kong Klamour!

Diddy Kong Racing

• TheKritters wear leather vests similar to the oneKrunch wears, except they lack buttons and are black instead of purple.
• The theme instrument in theTag Barrel's background music changes depending on the highlighted character.

References in later media[edit]

Donkey Kong Country (Game Boy Color)

• This game features a menu selection taken directly fromDonkey Kong 64.

Banjo-Tooie

• One of the questions Gruntilda asks during the final battle is "What is the name of the first game I appeared in?". One of its three answers,Grunty Kong 64, directly references the game.

Super Smash Bros. Melee

• TheDK Rap was rearranged for background music on theKongo Jungle stage.
• Jungle Japes, despite not looking like the actual level, appears as a stage, with some elements from its original appearance.

Donkey Kong Country (Game Boy Advance)

• This version ofDonkey Kong Country features voices of DK, Diddy, and King K. Rool that were used inDonkey Kong 64.

Donkey Kong Country 2 (Game Boy Advance)

• After the Kongs complete Funky's "Cool Sounds" mission in the Game Boy Advance remake, he mentions the Monkey Rap.
• Tiny Kong appears in Funky's minigames during Kongnapped and Kongnapped 2 where the player must rescue a certain amount of her.

DK: King of Swing

• Crystal Coconuts made a return, although they served an entirely different purpose.
• Wrinkly Kong is a ghost in this game, just as she is inDonkey Kong 64.
• Bats returned as enemies, now known asFlipflaps.

Donkey Kong Country 3 (Game Boy Advance)

• Lanky, Tiny, and Chunky make cameos in one of Funky's minigames.

Mario Hoops 3-on-3

• Diddy's Special Shot involves the use of his Rocketbarrel Jetpack.

Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast

• Chunky's Pineapple Launcher, Crystal Coconuts, Golden Bananas, and Banana Fairies are usable items.
• The entire concept of barrel-rocket belts originated fromDonkey Kong 64.
• Lanky appears in this game.

Diddy Kong Racing DS

• The game's title logo is similar toDonkey Kong 64's.
• Tiny Kong is a playable racer.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

• Diddy Kong is included as a playable character, and his move-set (specifically hisRocketbarrel Boost andPeanut Popguns) comes straight fromDonkey Kong 64.
• Diddy Kong, Lanky Kong, Tiny Kong, and Chunky Kong appear as stickers using artwork fromDonkey Kong 64.

Donkey Kong Country Returns

• Diddy Kong can use a Rocketbarrel Jetpack to slow Donkey Kong's fall.
• In multiplayer when facing either Mugly or Thugly, the player can have Diddy Kong shoot peanuts at them and Mugly or Thugly will eat them being distracted.

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U

• Trophies of the Peanut Popgun and Rocketbarrel Pack appear in these games.
• Trophies of Lanky Kong and Tiny Kong appear in theWii U version.

Mario Party 10

• DK's description says "He's finally back to kick some tail!"

Skylanders: SuperChargers

• Chunky Kong's special ability, Primate Punch, is used as Turbo Charge Donkey Kong's primary ability in this game.

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle

• A rearrangement of Army Dillo's battle theme is used forRabbid Kong. A rearrangement ofDK Isles is also heard.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

• King K. Rool's moveset contains references toDonkey Kong 64.
  • HisFinal Smash,Blast-o-Matic, is taken from the game over scene for this game, although it shows the weapon actually firing at the DK Isles and blowing it up.
  • His side smash attack has him wear a boxing glove (also shown in the scene near the end of his reveal trailer), referencing the final battle against him in the game.
• King K. Rool appears as one of the characters challenging Incineroar in the Boxing Ring arena at the end of Ken and Incineroar's reveal trailer.
• Tiny Kong, Lanky Kong, and Chunky Kong all appear asspirits.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020

• Donkey Kong's website description forMario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 references Chunky Kong's verse in the DK Rap, saying "He's so strong, it isn't funny."^[27]

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

• The DK Rap plays when Donkey Kong makes his entrance in theGreat Ring of Kong.
• Funky Kong wears his attire fromDonkey Kong 64 in the movie as opposed to his modern design.

Donkey Kong Bananza

• When Donkey Kong collects a Banandium Gem, a voice clip saying "Ooh, banana!" plays, much like inDonkey Kong 64. The line is also said by aFractone in thePlanet Core.
• Cranky Kong calls Donkey Kong the "leader of the bunch", a line from theDK Rap.
• The game includes a rearrangement of Rambi's theme.
• The "Getaway" music track samples the chorus of the DK Rap.
• K. Rool's theme is played when he is first shown and in the music for New Donk City.
• There are billboards in New Donk City showingLanky Kong with the text "No style. No grace. Funny face," referencing the DK Rap.
• Tiny Kong's name appears on one of the billboards in New Donk City, which reads "Tiny Bank".
• The King of Rot phase of the final boss fight is set within a platform resembling a boxing ring, referencing the final fight against K. Rool inDonkey Kong 64. There is text in the octagonal design on the floor of the ring reading "K. Rool's the king!", the same message printed on the outside of the boxing ring in this game.
• The beginning of the second phase of the final battle with King K. Rool has a closeup of K. Rool's unconscious body only for him to suddenly open up his eye, alluding to his attempted ambush of Chunky Kong after the latter beat him in the final battle of this game.
• The animation used when feeding theGrowtone is very similar to the one used when feedingScoff, with DK using alternating hands to "throw" the gold into it.
• In theResort Layer,Quiztone asks if DK misses "those sparkling coconuts" and mentions that the "oranges don't explode this time", in reference toCrystal Coconuts andoranges from this game.
• In the Boss Rush lobby, Dixie and Diddy shout, "D! K!" and "Donkey! Kong!" respectively, derived from the chorus of the DK Rap.
• The Armadillo fossil mentions that "[s]ome of them with military training simply carried cannons instead," which is a reference toArmy Dillo.
• In Ingot Isle, there is a Banandium Gem called "Shifty Smash: Quick & Nimble," which is a reference to Tiny Kong's section of the DK Rap.
• DK Island's theme is an arrangement of "DK Isle".
• In Emerald Rush mode, using aWarp Barrel plays the same transition sound as in this game.
• The secondEmerald RushEvent adds statues ofChunky Kong and Lanky Kong.
  • Chunky's statues references his idle animation.

Names in other languages[edit]

Notes[edit]

• This game holds theGuinness World Record for "most collectable items in a platform videogame."^[28] However, Guinness is incorrect in claiming there are 3,821 items to collect, as going by what they consider collectable, there are actually 4,841 items.
• InSuper Smash Bros. Brawl, the trophy for the Peanut Popgun states that Diddy Kong can shoot two peanuts at a time inDonkey Kong 64, which is not true.
• Donkey Kong 64 is the firstSuper Mario-related title to support 16:9 widescreen display; despite this, the game's cutscenes are still locked to the standard 4:3 aspect ratio.
• Donkey Kong 64 is the firstSuper Mario-related game that supports surround sound (via the three-channelDolby Surround encoding standard, as theNintendo 64 lacks native surround sound support).

References[edit]

External links[edit]

Donkey Kong 64 coverage on otherNIWA wikis:

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NintendoWiki

SmashWiki

StrategyWiki

The Cutting Room Floor has an article onDonkey Kong 64.

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