Donkey Kong Country (Game Boy Color)

Donkey Kong Country
Developer	Rareware
Publisher	Nintendo
Platform(s)	Game Boy Color
Release date	November 17, 2000 November 20, 2000 January 21, 2001
Genre	Platformer
Rating(s)	ESRB: - Everyone PEGI: - Three years and older CERO: - All ages
Mode(s)	1–2 players
Media	Game Boy Color: Game Pak
Input	Game Boy Color: Gamepad

Donkey Kong Country is a 2000 Game Boy Color remake of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System game of the same name. While its graphics and sounds are downgraded to fit the handheld system's more limited capabilities, several new elements are also added.

Story

“I'll hunt them down through every part of my island, until I have every banana from my hoard back!!”

—Donkey Kong

Diddy guards the banana hoard at the start of the game (GBA version)

During a stormy night on Donkey Kong Island, Donkey Kong orders Diddy to guard his banana hoard for his "hero training" until midnight. While watching for predators beneath the darkness, Diddy hears noises outside. He nervously asks, "W-w-who goes there?!". An ominous voice tells the other to seal Diddy in a barrel, kick it into the bushes, and steal the bananas. Diddy gets ambushed by Kremlings, some of which he manages to defeat with his Cartwheel Attack until being overpowered by Klump. He seals Diddy in a DK Barrel and kicks it across the jungle. The Kremlings load the entire banana hoard onto their vehicles and carry them through the jungle, dropping behind trails of bananas.

The next morning, Donkey Kong wakes up by a loud calling of his name. Realizing that he slept through his watch, Donkey Kong quickly exits his tree house, only to find Cranky Kong outside. Cranky prompts Donkey Kong to check the banana cave for a "big surprise". Inside the cave, Donkey Kong finds out that all of his bananas were stolen, with only a few discarded peels lying around. Cranky mocks Donkey Kong for shirking his responsibility, noting that Diddy is also gone. Meanwhile, Donkey Kong is in disbelief over his stolen bananas and rages that the Kremlings stole all of them. Donkey Kong vows to bring payback upon the Kremlings and recover his banana hoard.

Cranky wakes up Donkey Kong to tell him about the stolen bananas

Cranky breaks the fourth wall by questioning why the "game idea" involves finding Diddy and rescuing bananas instead of a damsel in distress. Donkey Kong tells how Diddy wishes to be a video game hero like Donkey Kong. Cranky believes neither of them are suitable for being video game heroes, and he goes on to brag about his popularity during the arcade era. Deeming the adventure "ridiculous", Cranky believes Donkey Kong would be lucky to even sell ten copies of the game. Donkey Kong gets mad at Cranky and insists on going on an adventure to save Diddy and recover the stolen bananas. Donkey Kong leaves and follows a trail of bananas along his way. Cranky briefly hesitates, but then follows after Donkey Kong. Cranky mumbles that Donkey Kong may need his help and further mentions that kids do not have respect for their elders anymore.

In the first level, Donkey Kong releases Diddy Kong, who tags along during the adventure. Together, the Kongs travel through various areas, including jungles, mines, forests, temples, snowy mountains, caves, and factories. With assistance from Cranky, Funky, and Candy Kong, the two Kongs eventually reach a large pirate ship, the Gangplank Galleon, where they are confronted by the Kremling Krew's leader, King K. Rool. After Donkey Kong and Diddy defeat King K. Rool, Cranky congratulates them and tells them to check the banana hoard. They do so, finding that the bananas have been returned.

In the Game Boy Advance remake, the introduction cutscene for starting a new save file is an abridged version of the instruction booklet story. The ending to the remake was altered; after King K. Rool's defeat, Cranky, Funky, and Candy congratulate Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong on their victory. King K. Rool soon recovers, forces them off the ship and sails away, vowing to return.

Gameplay

The game introduces the "tag-team" system, where Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong follow each other throughout the levels. The Kong in front is the one currently in play, while the other Kong follows behind. If the Kong in play is injured, he quickly runs off the screen (or falls off the screen in the Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance remakes), and the other takes its place. If this happens, only one Kong is on the screen at a time. If the lone Kong is injured by an enemy, the player loses an extra life and must restart the level either from the start or from the activated Continue Barrel. Any Kong that is missing can be recovered from a DK Barrel. When either the Kongs are freed from a DK Barrel, he goes behind the Kong in play. The player can press to switch characters, in which case Donkey Kong high-fives Diddy to switch places with him, or vice versa.

In the Game Boy Color remake, only one Kong appears on screen at a time, like the Donkey Kong Land games. If both Kongs are in the group, the one not in play is represented by a DK Barrel icon at the bottom-left corner. By pressing , the player can switch characters, which shows the Kong in play being moved to the DK Barrel icon while the other Kong moves out to appear on-screen.

Abilities

Diddy rides on a steel keg

The basic moves that Donkey Kong and Diddy can perform include jumping, rolling/cartwheeling, climbing, and swimming. The most commonly used basic abilities are the jump and roll moves, both of which allow the Kongs to cross gaps and defeat enemies. The roll and cartwheel act as the same move, but can only be used by Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong respectively. The respective Kong can perform their roll or cartwheel from a ledge to do a longer jump in midair, effective for moving across abysses. Ropes are the only object that the Kongs can climb up or down on, allowing them to reach items or higher areas. Some ropes start moving across a gap when the Kongs cling on it while some others remain stationary. The Kongs can only swim during underwater levels.

Aside from the rolling attack, the Kongs also have some different abilities. Diddy is faster and more agile than Donkey Kong, but he is not as strong, which makes it harder for him to defeat Armys, Krushas, and Klumps. Donkey Kong is stronger and slower than Diddy and can perform a unique move, the Hand Slap. The move allows Donkey Kong find hidden items or objects in the ground or on treetops, but it can also be used to defeat enemies.

Another difference between the two Kongs is how they pick up and throw barrels. When Diddy picks up a barrel, he holds in front of him, protecting himself from enemies in the way. Donkey Kong holds a barrel over his head, which leaves him vulnerable to enemies in the front. Donkey Kong can throw barrels slightly farther than Diddy, allowing him to hit an enemy from a distance. When the barrel hits into an enemy, it breaks. If the Kongs throw a steel keg against a wall, they can jump on the barrel and balance on it as it rolls along.

Modes

The Game Boy Advance version has two mode select screens: player selection (top) and a gameplay selection between the main game and two exclusive modes (bottom).

When selecting a new file, the player can choose either single player or multiplayer; once the player selects a mode, they cannot change it unless they delete it and start a new one. In multiplayer, the first player controls Donkey Kong while the second player controls Diddy Kong. In multiplayer, if either Kong is hit, the other player must press a button to take over with their Kong (in the Game Boy Advance version, the other player must press , as instructed on the screen). The game keeps a score for both players, to keep track of how many levels they have completed.

Icon	Title	Description
	One player	A single player controls both Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong.
	Two player contest	Two players compete to finish the most levels. The first player's Kong duo are normal, while the second player's Kongs are both yellow. The mode does not appear in the Game Boy Advance version.
	Two player team	Two players cooperatively take turns playing through the levels. The first player controls Donkey Kong, while the second player controls Diddy. Players can change turns by switching the Kongs or by losing their Kong.

Characters

The Kongs

There are a few Kongs who help Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong along their journey, and they each appear in one of the supporting locations.

Playable
Image	Name	Description
	Donkey Kong	The main character of the game, Donkey Kong is stronger and heavier than his partner, Diddy Kong, and can defeat stronger enemies. He also has his own move, the Hand Slap which can defeat certain enemies and reveal hidden objects.
	Diddy Kong	Diddy is the best friend and sidekick of Donkey Kong. While he is not as strong as his partner, Diddy is faster, but his light weight prevents him from being able to defeat more powerful enemies in a single jump.
Supporting
Image	Name	Description
	Candy Kong	Candy is the love interest of Donkey Kong. She hosts a different location in each three versions of the game. In the original version, she operates Candy's Save Point, where the Kongs can go to save their game progress. In the Game Boy Color version, she hosts a mini-game challenge at Candy's Challenge in each world. In the Game Boy Advance version, Candy operates Candy's Dance Studio, where the Kongs can participate in a dancing minigame.
	Cranky Kong	Cranky Kong was the original Donkey Kong from the Donkey Kong arcade game. He resides at Cranky's Cabin, where he provides various pieces of advice to Donkey Kong and Diddy along their adventure. Cranky regards himself as the greatest video game hero, and does not believe the Kongs can complete their adventure without his assistance.
	Funky Kong	Funky Kong operates a flight service at Funky's Flights, where he allows Donkey Kong and Diddy to use the Jumbo Barrel to travel throughout areas of Donkey Kong Island that they have already visited. In the Game Boy Advance version, Funky's location was renamed to Funky's Fishing, where he also hosts a fishing minigame alongside his usual flight service.

The Good Guys

Aside from the supporting Kongs, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong are also assisted by Animal Friends during the game. Each Animal Friend is imprisoned within an animal crate depicting a silhouette of their face. The Animal Friends only appear in certain levels, and the Kongs cannot take them to other levels. Every Animal Friend has their own unique abilities.

Image	Name	Description	First level appearance	Last level appearance
	Rambi	Rambi is first found halfway through the first level. He can defeat most enemies by running into them, as well as break entrances to hidden Bonus Levels.	Jungle Hijinxs	Manic Mincers
	Enguarde	Enguarde appears in most of the underwater levels. With his sharp bill, Enguarde can defeat most aquatic enemies in his path.	Coral Capers	Poison Pond
	Winky	Winky has a high jumping ability that allows him to reach higher areas, namely Bonus Levels. Winky can defeat most enemies by jumping on them, including Zingers.	Winky's Walkway	Rope Bridge Rumble
	Expresso	Expresso has the ability to run fast and to glide across the air, although he cannot attack enemies. Due to his long legs, Expresso is unaffected by Klaptraps moving under his legs.	Temple Tempest	Misty Mine
	Squawks	Squawks only appears in the level Torchlight Trouble, where he holds a lamp to light the path forward for the Kongs. Squawks is the only Animal Friend that the Kongs cannot ride and the only one without an animal token. Squawks cannot be defeated by any enemy.	Torchlight Trouble

Enemies

Various types of enemies appear throughout the levels, attempting to get into Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong's way. The Kremlings are the main enemies of the game.

The Bad Guys
Image	Name	Description	First level appearance	Last level appearance
	Army	An armadillo enemy that rolls up into a ball and charges at the Kongs to attack. Donkey Kong can defeat them from either a jump or roll attack. If Diddy either jumps or cartwheels into a curled up Army, the enemy is forced out of its curled posture. Diddy can defeat Army if it is not curled up.	Ropey Rampage	Platform Perils
	Gnawty	A beaver enemy that is common, but is one of the weakest enemies. They simply walk around back and forth and can be defeated from any attack. Gnawties have a rare, red variant that ride on a Millstone, and contrarily they are invulnerable to any form of attack.	Jungle Hijinxs	Platform Perils
	Manky Kong	Manky Kongs are orangutans who were exiled from the Kong Family. They attack by throwing an unlimited number of barrels at Donkey Kong and Diddy. Both Kongs can defeat them by their jump and roll attack.	Orang-utan Gang	Loopy Lights
	Mini-Necky	A small vulture that attacks by spitting nuts at the Kongs. Some Mini-Neckies move up and down while spitting nuts. They can be defeated by either a roll or a jump attack.	Winky's Walkway	Necky Nutmare
	Necky	A vulture enemy who either throws nuts at the Kongs from high platforms or flies across the level. The flying Neckies can be bounced on to reach higher areas.	Jungle Hijinxs	Platform Perils
	Slippa	A red coral snake that slithers along the ground in caves and other subterranean areas. They are one of the weaker enemies and can be defeated by any attack.	Reptile Rumble	Misty Mine
	Zinger	Zingers are wasps and very common enemies who appear in almost every level. The Kongs cannot defeat Zingers themselves and must use either a barrel or an Animal Friend to defeat them. The Kongs must usually avoid the Zingers along the way. Zingers have a few different color variations, each with their own flight pattern: yellow moves vertically, orange moves horizontally, red moves in a circular path, and green moves in a u-shaped path.	Ropey Rampage	Platform Perils
The Aquatic Bad Guys
Image	Name	Description	First level appearance	Last level appearance
	Bitesize	A small piranha enemy that like other underwater enemies, cannot be defeated by the Kongs. Enguarde can defeat Bitesizes and most other underwater enemies.	Coral Capers	Poison Pond
	Chomps	A large, green shark enemy that are larger than Bitesizes, but otherwise act the same, and they can also be defeated by Enguarde.	Coral Capers	Croctopus Chase
	Chomps Jr.	A small, blue shark enemy and a smaller variant of Chomps. They act similar to Chomps except they are smaller and slightly faster.	Coral Capers	Poison Pond
	Clambo	A clam enemy that attacks by spitting out pearls at the Kongs. They do not move around and are usually in a corner outside of the main path. They cannot be defeated by Enguarde.	Coral Capers	Clam City
	Croctopus	An octopus enemy that quickly treads through water to hit the Kongs. The purple variants move in fixed patterns around blocks of coral reef, while the blue variants go in a set path after the Kongs once they pass them. Like Clambos, they cannot be defeated.	Coral Capers	Croctopus Chase
	Squidge	A jellyfish type enemy that swims up and down through underwater areas in zigzag lines. They can be defeated by Enguarde.	Croctopus Chase	Poison Pond
The Kremlings
Image	Name	Description	First level appearance	Last level appearance
	Klaptrap	Klaptraps are small, four-legged crocodiles who repeatedly open and close their jaws while moving in the Kongs' direction. Because of this, the Kongs cannot attack Klaptrap by rolling into it from the front. Klaptraps can either be defeated from behind or if jumped over. Klaptraps have a rare, purple variant that jump at the same time as the Kongs do.	Stop & Go Station	Loopy Lights
	Klump	Klump is a strong, burly enemy that wears military gear. Klump's helmet defends itself from Diddy's jump attack, although Donkey Kong can defeat a Klump by jumping on it. Both Kongs can use a roll attack to defeat a Klump.	Jungle Hijinxs	Platform Perils
	Krash	A Kritter who rides in a mine cart. Krashes ride in the opposite direction of the Kongs, attempting to crash into them. Donkey Kong and Diddy must avoid Krashes by jumping over them. In Mine Cart Madness, some Krashes are in a stationary mine carts, and the Kongs can jump on them to defeat them and take over the mine cart.	Mine Cart Carnage	Mine Cart Madness
	Kritter	Kritters are the grunt soldiers of the Kremling Krew. They are one of the weakest enemies along with Gnawty. The color of a Kritter determines its movement behavior: the standard, green ones walk forward, the blue ones jump while moving forward, the brown ones jump vertically without moving forward, yellow ones jump left and right, and gray Kritters hop forward a few times before doing a long jump.	Jungle Hijinxs	Loopy Lights
	Krusha	Krushas are strong, muscular Kremlings, and there are blue Krushas and the uncommon gray variant. Diddy cannot defeat Krushas without using a barrel. Donkey Kong can defeat blue Krushas by jumping on them, but performing a roll or a Hand Slap attack are ineffective. Gray Krushas are stronger than the blue ones and can only be defeated from a barrel.	Millstone Mayhem	Platform Perils
	Rock Kroc	Rock Krocs dash back and forth rapidly while the Stop & Go Barrels are set to "Go", and the Kongs get injured when they come in contact with a Rock Kroc. Donkey Kong and Diddy cannot pass the Rock Krocs safely unless the Stop & Go Barrels are set to "Stop", causing the Rock Krocs to briefly curl into a ball until the Stop & Go Barrels return to "Go". Rock Krocs are invincible and cannot be defeated except in the Game Boy Advance remake, where Donkey Kong can Hand Slap a Rock Kroc while it is inactive.	Stop & Go Station
Obstacles
Image	Name	Description	First level appearance	Last level appearance
	Black drum	A drum obstacle that fires out an indefinite supply of a specific enemy, such as Slippas and Gnawties. They can only be destroyed from a TNT Drum. They are a smaller variant of Dumb Drum.	Winky's Walkway	Misty Mine
	Mincer	Mincers are spiked tire obstacles who either move in a pattern or remain in a single spot. They are invincible and must be avoided by the Kongs.	Torchlight Trouble	Manic Mincers
	Oil drum	Oil drums resemble black drums except for their taller appearance and ability to emit fire. The word "OIL" is embedded on them.	Torchlight Trouble	Necky Nutmare

The Bosses

At the end of every world, the Kongs must fight a boss, each guarding a portion of the stolen bananas. Most of the bosses are a larger version of an enemy.

Image	Name	Description	Level appearance
	Very Gnawty	A giant Gnawty that jumps around, trying to hit the Kongs. Donkey Kong and Diddy must jump on it five times to defeat it. For each hit, Very Gnawty bounces and moves around faster.	Very Gnawty's Lair
	Master Necky	A giant Necky that creeps his head out from one of four corners of the screen, spitting large nuts at the Kongs. Master Necky spit nuts faster each time he is jumped on. Donkey Kong or Diddy can defeat the boss by jumping on his head five times.	Necky's Nuts
	Queen B.	A giant Zinger who flies around the arena. The Kongs can attack her with a barrel. When hit, Queen B. temporarily turns red and moves up and down in a wavy pattern before returning normal. She must be hit five times to be defeated. In the Game Boy Advance remake, she is surrounded by several regular Zingers while red, who protect her from being attacked until the Kongs defeat them.	Bumble B. Rumble
	Really Gnawty	A boss who looks and acts similar to Very Gnawty. Really Gnawty can move faster and jump a lot higher than Very Gnawty. The Kongs must jump on Really Gnawty five times to defeat it. In the Game Boy Advance remake, Really Gnawty performs a large jump after being hit, and the impact causes stalagmites to fall from above.	Really Gnawty Rampage
	Dumb Drum	A giant black drum that attempts to crush the Kongs. After that, Dumb Drum sends out a pair of a specific enemy before continuing its attempt to crush the Kongs. The order in which Dumb Drum releases the enemies are: Kritters, Slippas, Klaptraps, Klumps, and Armys. The boss is defeated once the Kongs defeat every enemy. In the Game Boy Advance version, after Donkey Kong and Diddy defeat a pair of enemies, a TNT Drum appears, and the Kongs must use it to attack Dumb Drum.	Boss Dumb Drum
	Master Necky Snr.	Master Necky Snr. is a similar boss to Master Necky except he is stronger. He spits nuts much faster than Master Necky. Each time Master Necky Snr. is hit, he spits out one more nut than the previous turn. The Kongs can defeat Master Necky Snr. by jumping on it five times. In the Game Boy Advance remake, Master Necky Snr. is accompanied by Master Necky during the battle.	Necky's Revenge
	King K. Rool	The final boss and main antagonist, King K. Rool has stolen Donkey Kong's banana hoard. He has a variety of attacks, including throwing his crown, jumping at the Kongs, and causing cannonballs to rain from above. After King K. Rool throws his crown, the Kongs can jump on his head to attack him, before K. Rool puts his crown back on.	Gang-Plank Galleon

Items

Image	Name	Description
	Bananas	Bananas are the equivalent to coins from the Super Mario series, as collecting 100 of them gives the Kongs an extra life. They are the most common item of the game.
	Banana Bunches	Banana Bunches grant ten bananas when collected. They are less common than normal bananas and often appear in Bonus Levels and hidden areas.
	Animal tokens	Animal tokens are small tokens that depict one of the Animal Friends (excluding Squawks). If three animal tokens depicting the same Animal Friend are collected, the game redirects the player to a bonus area where they control the corresponding Animal Friend. In the area, the Animal Friend must collect as many Mini Animal Tokens depicting them within a time limit in exchange for extra lives.
	Donkey Kong Balloons	Similar to 1-Up Mushrooms from the Super Mario series, these balloons give the Kongs extra lives when collected. The balloons come in three different colors: red, green, and blue. Red Life Balloons are the most common and give one extra life, the less common green 2-Up Balloons give two lives, and the rare Blue Balloons give three lives.
	K-O-N-G Letters	Four of these special objects are hidden in every level, and each of them are a letter of the word "KONG". If the Kongs collect all four letters in a level, they are rewarded with an extra life. Each letter is found in order, meaning that the letter K is found first in the levels, then the O, then the N, and lastly the letter G. In the "Spell it Out!" Bonus Level challenges, there are circling letters that the Kongs must jump in a certain order to spell out a word.

Objects

Mechanisms

Image	Name	Description
	Animal crates	These crates contain a certain Animal Friend, which is indicated by a silhouette of their face on the side. In the Game Boy Color remake, the animal crates transform the Kongs into the pictured Animal Friend.
	Tires	Tires bounce the Kongs to higher areas. There are half tires, which are stuck in the ground, and full tires that can be pushed around.
	Ropes	Ropes are objects that appear in many levels, and the Kongs can climb up and down them. Many of them swing over wide abysses, so the Kongs can use them to cross the gaps. In Slipslide Ride, there are blue and purple ropes that automatically send the Kongs up and down respectively.
	Mine Carts	Mine Carts only appear in two levels, and when the Kongs enter one, it automatically starts moving along the track. While riding a Mine Cart, the Kongs can jump with the Mine Cart to go over broken parts of the track. Sometimes there are tipped over mine carts that appear as obstacles along the tracks.
	Platforms	Many platforms appear throughout the game. Although most of them are stationary, some move back and forth over gaps. In later levels, there are platforms with an arrow on them, and when the Kongs step on the platform, it moves in the direction that the arrow is pointing. There are other moving platforms in later levels such as Tanked Up Trouble, which has a platform that runs on Fuel Barrels.

Barrels

Barrels are the most common object in the game. There are many different types of barrels in the game, each with its own purpose and use.

Image	Name	Description
	Regular Barrels	Regular Barrels are the most common type of barrel, and the Kongs can pick it up and throw it. If the barrel hits the ground, it starts rolling, useful for defeating an enemy or opening a secret passage.
	Vine Barrels	Vine Barrels act like regular barrels, except they break instantly when hitting with the ground instead of rolling.
	Barrel Cannons	These barrels are common and appear in nearly every level. They can shoot the Kongs over gaps or to other Barrel Cannons. The Blast Barrel is a type of Barrel Cannon that automatically fires the Kong when entered. Additionally, some Blast Barrels send the Kongs to a bonus room or near the end of the level; in the Game Boy Advance version, these Blast Barrels were replaced by Bonus Barrels and Warp Barrels, respectively. Some may also move in a specific direction as first seen in Barrel Cannon Canyon.
	Continue Barrels	A Continue Barrel is a checkpoint in the middle of every level, except boss levels. If both Kongs are defeated anytime after breaking the Continue Barrel and restart the level, they continue from where it was activated.
	DK Barrels	DK Barrels are the most common barrels in the game, as a few of them appear in certain areas of every level. If either Donkey Kong or Diddy are missing from the group, the active Kong can break a DK Barrel to release the other Kong. DK Barrels can also be picked up and used like Vine Barrels.
	TNT Drums	TNT Drums are a type of barrel that explode after being thrown into an enemy or surface. They are often used to destroy powerful enemies or break a fragile wall leading into a Bonus Level.
	Steel kegs	Steel kegs are silver barrels that act like normal barrels, but are more durable. Steel kegs can roll into an unlimited number of enemies and bounce off walls. The Kongs can jump on a rolling steel keg to ride it.
	Stop & Go Barrels	These barrels appear only in Stop & Go Station, where they are used to control the Rock Krocs' movements. By default the barrels are on the "Go", and the level has a green lighting. The Rock Krocs are active while the barrels have the "Go" setting. If the Kongs jump at a Stop & Go Barrel, every barrel changes to the "Stop" setting for a few seconds, causing the Rock Krocs to stop moving temporarily and the lighting to turn red.
	ON/OFF Barrels	ON/OFF Barrels only appear in Loopy Lights and act almost like Stop & Go Barrels, except they affect the lights in the level. While the barrels are set to "OFF", the lights in the level are off. The Kongs must jump at an ON/OFF Barrel to change the setting to "ON", allowing them to see ahead.
	Fuel Barrels	Fuel Barrels only appear in the level, Tanked Up Trouble, as a fuel supply for the platforms that the Kongs ride. Donkey Kong and Diddy are required to jump at every Fuel Barrel along the way because the platform quickly runs out of fuel. If the platform runs out of fuel, if falls off the tracks, and the Kongs lose a life.
	Jumbo Barrel	The Jumbo Barrel can be entered in Funky's Flights, where it flies the Kongs to any place in Donkey Kong Island that they have visited.

Supporting locations

During their adventure, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong are assisted by three other members of the Kong Family who operate their own location in every world.

Name	Description
Cranky's Cabin	This area is ran by Cranky Kong, who gives random level hints while rambling about how the 8-bit era was better than the 16-bit era.
Funky's Flights	In this special area, the Kongs can meet Funky Kong and use his Jumbo Barrel to travel to any unlocked world.
Candy's Challenge	The area is operated by Candy Kong, and the Kongs must go through a Bonus Level and collect a golden coin.

Levels

Like Super Mario World, Donkey Kong Country's levels and worlds are accessed from a world map. The main overworld is Donkey Kong Island, where the Kongs can travel between the worlds they have visited. Every world has a progression system where the Kongs must complete a level to unlock the next and so forth until reaching the boss level at the end. Every world has five to six levels. After the Kongs complete the boss level, they unlock the next world. The Kongs can return to the main Donkey Kong Island map by either defeating the world boss or by renting Funky's Jumbo Barrel.

A head of either Donkey Kong or Diddy Kong appear on the location of every world and level that either Kong has completed. A Kritter head appears only on the next level or world that the Kongs have not yet completed. In the Super Nintendo version, there is a glitch in single player mode where if Diddy completes a level and then Donkey Kong completes it afterward, his head does not appear on that level.

Most levels have Bonus Levels in them, two or three on average. They allow the Kongs to collect items and prizes. While it is optional for the Kongs to enter the Bonus Levels, entering every Bonus Level is required for 101% completion. Unlike the Super Mario series, the Kongs are not required to traverse a whole level to reach the end boss.

Levels and Bonus Areas
Kongo Jungle
#	Level	Bonus Areas	Type of level	Music theme
1	Jungle Hijinxs	2	Jungle	DK Island Swing
2	Ropey Rampage	2	Jungle	DK Island Swing
3	Reptile Rumble	3	Cave	Cave Dweller Concert
4	Coral Capers	0	Underwater	Aquatic Ambiance
5	Barrel Cannon Canyon	2	Jungle	DK Island Swing
6	BOSS LEVEL: Very Gnawty's Lair	0	Boss arena	Bad Boss Boogie
Monkey Mines
#	Level	Bonus Areas	Type of level	Music theme
7	Winky's Walkway	1	Walkway	Life in the Mines
8	Mine Cart Carnage	0	Minecart/Mineshaft	Mine Cart Madness
9	Bouncy Bonanza	2	Cave	Cave Dweller Concert
10	Stop & Go Station	2	Mineshaft	Misty Menace
11	Millstone Mayhem	3	Ruins	Voices of the Temple
12	BOSS LEVEL: Necky's Nuts	0	Boss arena	Bad Boss Boogie
Vine Valley
#	Level	Bonus Areas	Type of level	Music theme
13	Vulture Culture	3	Forest	Forest Frenzy
14	Tree Top Town	2	Treetops	Treetop Rock
15	Forest Frenzy	2	Forest	Forest Frenzy
16	Temple Tempest	2	Ruins	Voices of the Temple
17	Orang-utan Gang	5	Jungle	DK Island Swing
18	Clam City	0	Underwater	Aquatic Ambiance
19	BOSS LEVEL: Bumble B. Rumble	0	Boss arena	Bad Boss Boogie
Gorilla Glacier
#	Level	Bonus Areas	Type of level	Music theme
20	Snow Barrel Blast	3	Snow	Northern Hemispheres
21	Slipslide Ride	3	Ice cave	Ice Cave Chant
22	Ice Age Alley	2	Snow	Northern Hemispheres
23	Croctopus Chase	0	Underwater	Aquatic Ambiance
24	Torchlight Trouble	2	Cave	Cave Dweller Concert
25	Rope Bridge Rumble	2	Treetops	Treetop Rock
26	BOSS LEVEL: Really Gnawty Rampage	0	Boss arena	Bad Boss Boogie
Kremkroc Industries, Inc.
#	Level	Bonus Areas	Type of level	Music theme
27	Oil Drum Alley	4	Factory	Fear Factory
28	Trick Track Trek	3	Walkway	Life in the Mines
29	Elevator Antics	3	Cave	Cave Dweller Concert
30	Poison Pond	0	Underwater	Aquatic Ambiance
31	Mine Cart Madness	3	Minecart/Walkway	Mine Cart Madness
32	Blackout Basement	2	Factory	Fear Factory
33	BOSS LEVEL: Boss Dumb Drum	0	Boss arena	Bad Boss Boogie
Chimp Caverns
#	Level	Bonus Areas	Type of level	Music theme
34	Tanked Up Trouble	1	Walkway	Life in the Mines
35	Manic Mincers	2	Cave	Cave Dweller Concert
36	Misty Mine	2	Mineshaft	Misty Menace
37	Necky Nutmare	1	Cave	Cave Dweller Concert
38	Loopy Lights	2	Mineshaft	Misty Menace
39	Platform Perils	2	Walkway	Life in the Mines
40	BOSS LEVEL: Necky's Revenge	0	Boss arena	Bad Boss Boogie
Gangplank Galleon
#	Level	Bonus Areas	Type of level	Music theme
41	BOSS LEVEL: Gang-Plank Galleon	0	Ship	Gang-Plank Galleon

Differences from original

Diddy Kong in Necky Nutmare, a level exclusive to the Game Boy Color remake

Donkey Kong Country was remade for the Game Boy Color in 2000. It was released in Japan under the title Donkey Kong 2001 (ドンキーコング2001) and, as the name implies, it was released there in 2001. There are several differences, some of which are because of the Game Boy Color's limited hardware capabilities. Differences include:

• The GBC version prompts the player to select a language before going to the title screen, in the SNES version the language select menu is found in the file select. Also unlike the SNES version, all of the text will be in the selected language instead of having menus still in English.
• There are three different title screens.
• There is no two-player option for adventure mode.
• The mode selection menu is reminiscent of Donkey Kong 64's.
• Much like the Donkey Kong Land games, only one Kong appears at time. A DK Barrel icon is shown if both Kongs are in a group.
• In the German version, many levels' names were changed to ones that more closely resemble their English names.
• DK Sticker Packs are newly collectible photographs hidden in a level of each world. They are viewable from the Sticker Book, and can even be printed from the Game Boy Printer.
• Due to the graphical limitations, the stormy weather effects in the levels Ropey Rampage and Snow Barrel Blast are not present in this version. Also, perhaps ironically, the misty effect in Misty Mine is not present here.
• The light in Torchlight Trouble does not have a beam of light, but rather lights up the whole screen.
• The level Winky's Walkway has been extended with some more enemies and a different layout.
• In Millstone Mayhem, the Gnawties sit on top of the millstones rather than in the middle.
• A new level called Necky Nutmare has been added in Chimp Caverns.
• The Kongs do not ride the Animal Friends; rather, they transform into them when jumping on the animal crate. If an Animal Friend comes in contact with an enemy, it reverts to Donkey Kong or Diddy Kong, who cannot transform back into the Animal Friend unless they find another animal crate.
• The Kongs do not travel between levels on the world map along dots in a straight line, but rather following paths, similar to Donkey Kong Land.
• Two mini-games have been added: Funky hosts a fishing game known as Funky's Fishing (which would be later reprised in the GBA remake) and Cranky hosts a shooting game called Crosshair Cranky.
• Two additional difficulties have been added: the first one removes DK Barrels and the other removes Star Barrels. After beating the game in the normal difficulty, the player has to replay the game with each new difficulty in the same file to achieve 101% completion.
• Most of the music and sound effects were taken from Donkey Kong Land or downgraded for Game Boy Color. Its Forest Frenzy track was even entirely newly composed.
• The warping Blast Barrel in Mine Cart Carnage was removed.
• The game saves automatically after completing a level. As a result, Candy's Save Point was replaced by Candy's Challenge where Donkey Kong or Diddy must complete a challenge in each world.
• The staff credits shows various screenshots instead of taking place in DK's Tree House. The cast of characters no longer appears in the game.

Glitches

Main article: List of Donkey Kong Country glitches

Quotes

Main article: List of Donkey Kong Country quotes

Reception

The Game Boy Color remake was praised for taking a graphically-impressive title and putting it to the platform in a complete and technically competent form, in contrast to other unsuccessful attempts at directly porting or remaking home console games for handhelds.

Reviews
Release	Reviewer, Publication	Score	Comment
Game Boy Color	Frank Provo, Gamespot	9.1/10	"Donkey Kong Country is one of the most playable and replayable Game Boy Color games ever created. Despite being a little rough around the edges, Donkey Kong Country once again proves that stereotypes and misconceptions can be broken. The quality of a game doesn't rest with what system it's on, but with those who make it. As such, Donkey Kong Country may be on the Game Boy Color, but it's still as impressive and pertinent as it was in 1994 on the Super Nintendo."
Aggregators
Compiler		Platform / Score
GameRankings		90.38%

References to other games

• Donkey Kong 64: The Select Screen resembles the Donkey Kong 64 one.

Gallery

For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Donkey Kong Country.

• 

  Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong

• 

  Cranky Kong

• 

  Candy Kong

• 

  Funky Kong

• 

  Rambi

• 

  Kritter

• 

  King K. Rool

Media

Theme

File infoMedia:DKC GBC Theme.oga ​

Help:Media • Having trouble playing?

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	ドンキーコング2001 Donkī Kongu 2001	Donkey Kong 2001
German	Donkey Kong Country	-

External links

• Nintendo UK Game Boy Color site
• Japanese Game Boy Color site