Five Monkey Trial

"My eyes aren't as good as they used to be."
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Five Monkey Trial is the eighth level in the Volcano world of Donkey Kong Country Returns. It is the eighth and the final secret level in the game, and all of the eighth world's K-O-N-G Letters must be collected to unlock it.

Course Layout:

The level starts off in a short hallway with a couple of vases that can be pounded to receive bananas. Afterward, you'll reach a small square room with a large gold DK Plate in the center. If the player pounds on this 3 times, 5 monkey statues will appear behind it, each holding a different fruit, (banana, pineapple, cherries, melon, etc.). The statues will then shift into the pitch dark background, and an Arrow Barrel will appear to shoot the Kongs into the next room.

Room 1/5: The room has two big platforms on the bottom with a golden bouncy tire in between. The player must bounce on it, and grab all five Banana Coins, while avoiding the hovering Tiki Zings. After completing that task, they will gain the 1st Puzzle Piece. Then they will blast further into the temple.

Room 2/5: The room has 4 small platforms with pits in between. Screaming Pillars will start falling onto the platforms, and the Kongs must dodge them, and grab the 5 Banana Coins that are left behind. After grabbing the 2nd Puzzle Piece, the player will gain access to another Arrow Barrel to continue on their way.

Room 3/5: This room has no hazards on the ground, unlike the first two. There are cannons on the walls, lining a vertical passageway. The player must jump upwards, bouncing off of the fired Squidlys to reach the top, where there are 3 small platforms with the five Banana Coins on them. Then the 3rd Puzzle Piece is available, and after grabbing it, the Kongs can be fired into the next room.

Room 4/5: The 4th room in Five Monkey Trial consists of a large rotating circular room with multiple narrow passages, and buzzsaw-like enemies to dodge. The Banana Coins are either inside one of the thin passages, or in a more wide open space. The coins move along as the room spins, so it can get tricky to grab them. On top of that, the player has a risk of going too far to one direction, and falling into the misty pit on either side of the wheel. After nabbing all the coins, the room will stop spinning, and all the enemies will instantly be defeated. Then after nabbing the Puzzle Piece, the player may continue onward.

Room 5/5: The 5th and final room in the temple is situated in an arena with 2 big platforms on the bottom. Strings of spiked rocks, (See Boulder Roller), will fall onto the platforms in various patterns. These can be dodged by jumping over the gap between the platforms at the right time. After one pattern of boulders is over, a Banana Coin will pop up out of the pit, and if the player misses the coins, they must continue to dodge boulders until they can finally nab them. Then after the final Puzzle Piece, they will blast into a small square room with the 8th Rare Orb.

Trivia

• This is the only level in DKCR where it is not optional to gather all the puzzle pieces.
  • All puzzle pieces in this level are all easy to get, unlike most others throughout the rest of the game.