Donkey Kong's Treehouse

Donkey Kong's Treehouse is a small wooden shack where Donkey Kong, (and possibly a few other Kongs) reside. It debuted in Donkey Kong Country, and has been the beginning point of most games in that series. Throughout its appearances, its depiction had varied.

Donkey Kong Country
The treehouse debuted in Donkey Kong Country, where it depicted as a small plain brown wooden house on the ground. It appears on the world map, near Jungle Hijinxs, and also appears in the beginning of the level. The hut can be entered, and upon doing so, the game's death theme plays, and DK shakes his head in sadness at the sight of his lost banana hoard. It is to note that when Diddy Kong was trapped in the barrel at the beginning, the barrel was simply placed outside the house.

Donkey Kong Country Returns
The treehouse returns in DKCR, after an absence of almost 20 years. Its appearance has changed, as it now has a banner that reads "KONG" on the front, and is highly elevated off the ground. The house has a small porch wrapping around it. It appears in the opening cutscene, and appears on the Jungle section of the world map, where it starts to move around in place, whenever the player goes onto the level icon for Jungle Hijinxs (DKCR). In said level, the Kongs pummel Kalimba Tiki, and bust the door down sending him flying. After pounding his chest, Donkey Kong begins his quest. Upon entering the level, the player has the option to bounce on the tire on a platform below the house to reach the porch. Entering the house leads to the single room inside it. The player will see a rack with DK's ties on it, a stack of spare tires, a Red Balloon, and a television. Pounding the television will turn the screen on, and the music from the game's title-screen will start to play. In addition, the player may enter the hole beneath the house, (where the hoard used to be before it was stolen), and grab a Puzzle Piece.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
The treehouse returns in DKCTF, where it once again appears in the CGI opening. Inside, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Dixie Kong, and Cranky Kong are sitting around, celebrating DK's birthday, when a snowflake blows in and extinguishes the birthday candle. Enraged, Donkey steps outside to see the approaching Snomads, who freeze the island over, sending in a strong wind that blows them all the way to the Lost Mangroves.

Upon making it back to Donkey Kong Island, the treehouse is seen in the first level, Homecoming Hijinxs, though this time it cannot be entered, (with that opportunity being replaced by the plane cockpit in Mangrove Cove.

Super Smash Bros. Series:
Donkey Kong's house appears in Super Smash Bros. Melee on the stage Jungle Japes, where it is part of the scenery, and is not enterable. The house appears on an elevated wooden platform on a raging river. , along with two platforms on either side, also suspended above the water. There is an outhouse shaped like a barrel on the platform to the right. Cranky Kong and a small rack of potions, (serving as a reference to his role in Donkey Kong 64) can be seen in a rocking chair in one of the windows. The house appears more like a normal human house rather than a monkey treehouse, and is black, except for the light inside the windows. The house reappears with no changes in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, as the stage reappears as a retro stadium.

Mario Kart 7
The treehouse reappears in Mario Kart 7 with the same appearance as in DKCR, as the level is mainly referring to said game. It appears on the side of the track DK Jungle (Mario Kart 7), where it has a DK Barrel on its porch, referencing the original Donkey Kong Country. But unlike DKCR, the house is right near the Golden Temple, while in said game, the player must cross the entire island to reach the temple from the house.

Trivia

 * Though referred to as Donkey Kong's "treehouse", the hut is not in a tree, and is simply elevated by long wooden rods.
 * In DKCR, the music changes whenever the player enters the house, or the hole underneath it.
 * In addition, the music that plays while in the hole is the same track played during part of Sloppy Sands.
 * Throughout the Donkey Kong franchise, the interior of the house varies constantly.
 * In the original DKC, the interior contains nothing but a large room where the Banana Hoard is kept, (though this is empty upon first entering it).
 * In DKCR, the house contains a TV, a rack with some of DK's neckties on it, a stack of tires, a rug, and a few scattered banana peels.
 * In DKCTF, the house is shown to contain a table, alongside everything else from the predecessor. It is also shown that Donkey Kong owns a set of wooden cups used for drinking. Also, the banana hoard is once again kept inside the house, as opposed to being stored underneath, (similar to the first game).
 * In SSBM, the house contains a rack of potions and appears to have electricity, as light can be seen inside the windows.