KONG Letters: Difference between revisions

{{rename|KONG Letters}}

[[File:DKCletters.png|left|frame|The complete K-O-N-G Letters from ''Donkey Kong Country'']]

[[File:Letter K Artwork - Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze.png|frame|Letter "K" from ''[[Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze]]'']]

The '''K-O-N-G Letters'''<ref>''Donkey Kong Country'' instruction booklet, page 9.</ref><ref>''Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!'' instruction booklet, page 8.</ref><ref>''Donkey Kong Country Returns'' [https://www.nintendo.com/consumer/gameslist/manuals/Wii_DKC_Returns.pdf NTSC] instruction manual, page 19.</ref> (also formatted as '''KONG Letters'''<ref>''Donkey Kong Land'' instruction booklet, page 10.</ref><ref>''Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest'' instruction booklet, page 17.</ref><ref>''Donkey Kong Country Returns'' [http://m1.nintendo.net/docvc/RVL/EUR/SF8P/SF8P_E.pdf PAL] instruction manual, page 24.</ref><ref>[https://cdn02.nintendo-europe.com/media/downloads/games_8/emanuals/wii_u_6/donkey_kong_country__tropical_freeze/ElectronicManual_WiiU_DonkeyKongCountryTropicalFreeze_EN.pdf ''Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze'' instruction manual (PDF).] Section 17</ref> or '''K O N G Letters'''<ref>''Donkey Kong Land 2'' PAL Virtual Console digital manual, section 12</ref><ref>''Donkey Kong Land III'' PAL Virtual Console digital manual, section 12</ref>), alternatively '''KONG Panels'''<ref>''Donkey Kong: Jungle Climber'' instruction booklet, page 15.</ref>, are common collectable items in the ''[[Donkey Kong (franchise)|Donkey Kong]]'' franchise. In most of their appearances, they resemble flat, gold-lined objects with either of the K, O, N, and G letters stamped on them. They are found in every level of the games, except boss battles. Some are out in the open, and some are hidden through the stage or in [[Bonus Area]]s. Their main function is granting an extra life to the player once all four are collected in a level, which is seen in the first three ''[[Donkey Kong Country (series)|Donkey Kong Country]]'' games, ''[[Donkey Kong Land 2]]'', ''[[Donkey Kong Land III]]'' and ''[[DK: Jungle Climber]]''.

In ''[[Donkey Kong Land]]'', KONG Letters play a completely different role, where they must be collected to save game progress. If the heroes are to miss any letters, they will be unable to save their progress. The level [[Kong Krazy]] contains multiple sets of KONG Letters; after a set is collected, a button must be pressed in order to form all currently collected letters into a bridge that helps the Kongs cross a gap. Such buttons are always encountered shortly after the end of each set.

Their role was changed once again in ''[[Donkey Kong Country Returns]]'' and ''[[Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D]]''. In these games, collecting all KONG Letters in one world unlocks a Key Temple stage, which conceals one of the [[Rare Orb|magical orbs]] that are required to enter the [[Golden Temple]]. While playing the game in Mirror Mode, the letters on the KONG Letters are flipped as they would appear in a mirror. In this game, KONG Letters were redesigned to appear more simplistic, resembling plain orange panels with yellow letters.

In ''[[Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze]]'', they serve the same function as in its predecessor, unlocking a temple level once all of them are collected in a world. Each temple now holds a [[Mysterious Relic|relic]] required to unlock the [[Secret Seclusion]]. Even though the KONG Letters retain the same orange coloration as in ''Donkey Kong Country Returns'' during normal gameplay, they are blue when playing in [[Hard Mode#Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze|Hard Mode]].