Level Flag
Level Flags,[1][2] also known as End of Level Flags,[3] are objects that appear at the ends of all levels in Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! and Donkey Kong Land III. They are the successor to the End of Level Targets from Donkey Kong Country 2. Every Level Flag is connected to a flagpole, and it can be pulled upward from a rope attached to it. Dixie and Kiddy can pull a Level Flag to end the level and return to the map screen.
Every incomplete level is marked by a black Krem Flag on the map screen. The Kongs can supersede it by completing a level and activating its Level Flag. This involves jumping and pulling at its rope, which ascends its white flag into the air. As it is raised, the flag changes color based on which Kong pulled it: either pink for Dixie or blue for Kiddy, or purple for Dixie or green for Kiddy if the player is using the "COLOR" cheat code. The flag also flies if the Kongs obtain every Bonus Coin of the level.
The Level Flag appears on the map screen as it appeared when being raised. A gold pennant is also displayed if the Kongs defeat Koin and claim its DK Coin. This cannot be seen within a level. The Level Flag artwork shows that "DK" is embedded on the pennant. The status of each Level Flag allows for the player to keep track of which levels were partially or entirely completed.
Once the level is completed, the color of the flag cannot be changed by replaying and completing it with the alternate Kong. However, it is possible in the Game Boy Advance remake.
In Donkey Kong Land III, the End of Level Flag gets raised automatically if either Dixie or Kiddy walks into it. Because of the Game Boy's limited color palette, the raised End of Level Flag is not color-coded based on which Kong finished the level. End of Level Flags also appear at the ends of underwater levels, which does not occur in Donkey Kong Country 3.
Variants
| Image | Flag type | Description |
|---|---|---|
|
Krem Flag | A black flag with a white K in the middle means the level is not completed. |
   
|
Partially raised | The level is completed, but not every Bonus Coin was collected. Its color is based on the clothes of the Kong who completed the level. The "COLOR" cheat is used for the alternative colors. |
   
|
Fully raised | The level is completed, and every Bonus Coin was collected. Its color is based on the clothes of the Kong who completed the level. The "COLOR" cheat is used for the alternative colors. |
|
Golden pennant | An additional golden pennant appears on the world map if the player collects the DK Coin of that level. It appears after the level is completed. |
Gallery
Alternate artwork
An unraised Level Flag from within a level
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ゴールフラッグ[4] Gōru Furaggu |
Goal Flag |
| Italian | Bandiera di "termine del livello"[5] Bandiera di fine livello[6] |
"Level ending" flag End of level flag |
Trivia
- Super Mario 3D World uses a similar method of displaying the levels on the map screen. Uncompleted levels display a black flag with a white symbol. After the player completes the level, the flag gains the character's color and emblem. The flag turns golden if the player hits its top. Finally, a green star appears at the top of the flagpole if all three Green Stars of the level are collected.
References
- ^ Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! SNES instruction booklet, page 23
- ^ Donkey Kong Country 3 GBA instruction booklet, page 27
- ^ Donkey Kong Land III instruction booklet, page 16
- ^ Super Donkey Kong 3: Nazo no Kremis-tō instruction booklet, page 29
- ^ Donkey Kong Land III Spanish-Italian manual, pag. 46
- ^ Donkey Kong Country 3, European manual, pag. 120
