Kongo Jungle

Kongo Jungle
The world map of Kongo Jungle as seen in the game Donkey Kong Country for GBA.
Number of Stages	6
Boss(es)	Very Gnawty (only in DKC)
Greater Location	Donkey Kong Island
Game(s)	Donkey Kong Country, Super Smash Bros., Super Smash Bros. Melee, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
First Appearance	Donkey Kong Country (for SFC/SNES) (1994)
Latest Appearance	Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018)
Adjacent World(s)	Donkey Kong Country >>

Kongo Jungle is the first world of the Donkey Kong Island in the game Donkey Kong Country. It is a vast jungle covering a large area of island, located at the foot of Monkey Mines. It is also where Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong's Treehouse is located, as well as his precious banana hoard, which is stolen by King K. Rool and the Kremlings.

Kongo Jungle is quite pleasant, possessing a vast amount of jungle and some rocky terrain. A large lake can be seen to the right side of the map. The boss of Kongo Jungle is named Very Gnawty.

Adjacent World

• Next: Monkey Mines

Overview

Donkey Kong Country

Kongo Jungle is the initial setting of the game Donkey Kong Country. Being the first world, the stages are, for the most part, fairly simple. They are mostly jungle-related, but there is a cave leading to a large lake on the other side.

Stages

Jungle Hijinxs

This is the first stage of Kongo Jungle where most of the gameplay mechanics in the game are introduced, such as moving, jumping, running, rolling, collecting items, picking and throwing barrels, and summoning secondary characters from DK Barrels. At the beginning of it, if the player goes back into Donkey and Diddy Kong's Treehouse above, they can earn an Extra Life Balloon, which grants the player an extra try after being defeated. Also, if they jump from tree to tree from the very beginning of the stage, then the player can earn two red Extra Life Balloons and a green one. The Animal Buddy Rambi the Rhinoceros can be found inside an Animal Crate during the second half of the location. His horn attack makes him capable of moving through groups of enemies easily and opening secret entrances on walls to Bonus Rooms. In the Super Family Computer/Super Nintendo Entertainment System version of the game, as the player approaches the end of the stage, the sun will set in the foreground, changing from day to dusk. Common enemies here are Gnawties, regular Kritters and Klumps.

If the player starts a new game and enters the cave below Donkey and Diddy Kong's Treehouse, the banana hoard will be gone. But after the player clears the game, reloads the same save file and revisits the same location, they will then see the banana hoard in its rightful place.

Ropey Rampage

The second stage of this world takes place at night, continuing the day following the previous stage. There is also a storm in the Super Family Computer/Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Game Boy Advance versions of the game. The stage introduces vertical and swinging ropes which allow the Kongs to climb upwards and move over wide pits, respectively, by just jumping towards them in order to grab on them. Armies, armadillo enemies which curl up into balls and pursue the primates, debut here. There are also Zingers, bee enemies, usually seen flying above pits of the location. Their resistance against physical attacks forces the primates to avoid any direct contact with them. Regular Kritters are also enemies found inside the stage.

Reptile Rumble

This is the third stage of Kongo Jungle. It is also the very first cave stage in the game. Slippas, snake enemies, make their first appearances in the area. Many alcoves are seen throughout it, with the presence of tires used as bouncing platforms by timing jumps on them in order to the heroes reach high places. Variants of Kritters capable of leaping first appear in this stage. Some Zingers are also present here, flying around collectables and tires, and above pits.

Coral Capers

It is the fourth stage of the current world and the first of few underwater stages in the game. It is located inside coral caves, containing some hidden alcoves accessible through invisible passages. The swimming mechanic is introduced here, with the Kongs requiring no air, and moving by the player tapping the "Jump" button constantly, alongside using directional buttons. Generic fish-like enemies, such as Bitesizes, debut here, including shark-like ones, such as Chomps and Chomps Jr. Most of the aquatic enemies cannot be harmed unless the player has found one of two Animal Crates containing Enguarde the Swordfish. Appearing here first in the game, this swordfish allows the primates to stay still in the water and move at any direction by using directional buttons. The same Animal Buddy can also use his bill to bash regular enemies away. Croctopuses, invincible octopus enemies, are also present in the stage. They will spin and move around their coral courses in counter-clockwise direction soon after noticing the heroes approaching.

Barrel Cannon Canyon

The fifth and final regular stage of Kongo Jungle is considered the hardest one of the area. It is quite long, and, as the name suggests, there are several Barrel Cannons that the Kongs must use to advance farther into the stage. Except for Autofire Barrels, when the primates are inside moving Barrel Cannons, good timing is required to activate them in order to avoid fall into pits or collisions against Zingers on the way. Regular and leaping variants of Kritters are also seen here.

Very Gnawty's Lair

Taking place on an arena next to hoards of bananas, this is the first boss stage of the game. Very Gnawty, a large beaver boss, is faced here by Donkey and Diddy Kong. He sports green fur in the Super Family Computer/Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Game Boy Color versions of the game, and brown fur in the Game Boy Advance version. Very Gnawty moves around by jumping but he usually does not pursue the heroes. The Kongs must harm him by bouncing on his head. After receiving each hit, the boss will stop, stare at the screen, laugh briefly and jump towards the primates. However, in the GBA version, before stopping, he will also execute a large jump towards the heroes, usually moving over them. Very Gnawty is invincible against attacks during these sequences. More hits the boss receives, he will leap around the arena faster and higher. Very Gnawty will be defeated are taking a total of five hits, and the Kongs will earn a Giant Banana.

After that, the next world, Monkey Mines, will become accessible on the overworld map of the Donkey Kong Island.

Supporting Locations

• SFC/SNES version:
  • Cranky's Cabin
  • Funky's Flights
  • Candy's Save Point

• GBC version:
  • Cranky's Cabin
  • Funky's Flights
  • Candy's Challenge (replaces Candy's Save Point)

• GBA version:
  • Cranky's Cabin
  • Funky's Fishing (replaces Funky's Flights)
  • Candy's Dance Studio (replaces Candy's Challenge)

Donkey Kong 64

The area where Donkey and Diddy Kong's Treehouse is located could possibly be either Kongo Jungle or a portion of it. The stage Jungle Japes has an extreme resemblance to Kongo Jungle, perhaps too much of a resemblance to be called an entirely different location.

Other Appearances

Super Smash Bros. series

The stage "Congo Jungle" as seen in the game Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 64.

Kongo Jungle, incorrectly spelled "Congo Jungle", appears as one of the arenas in the game Super Smash Bros. The Kongo Jungle stage is made out of a large wooden platform with several smaller, sometimes floating ones around it. There is also a vast jungle in the background of the arena and a Barrel Cannon underneath the arena.

In the game sequel, Super Smash Bros. Melee, another Kongo Jungle stage was introduced. This Kongo Jungle stage is constructed out of logs strewn together which are sitting on rocks jutting out of a waterfall. In the background of this stage is a vast jungle along with what appears to be Donkey and Diddy Kong's Treehouse. Occasionally, a Klaptrap will come along on the waterfall, and sometimes a log, which can be used as a platform. Also in Super Smash Bros. Melee is the old version of Kongo Jungle from the previous Super Smash Bros. game. The old version of Kongo Jungle can be unlocked by surviving Fifteen-Minute Melee. The music here was the DK Rap from Donkey Kong 64.

In the Adventure Mode, Kongo Jungle stars in Stage 2: Kongo Jungle. In it, the player has to battle two miniature Donkey Kongs. They are easy to knock off the stage, albeit they gang up on the player. Once beaten, the player moves onto the second half, Jungle Japes, where they must battle a giant Donkey Kong.

The location does not appear in the game Super Smash Bros. Brawl. However, it returns as a past stage in the games Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Mario Kart series

Kongo Jungle has been the main setting for various Donkey Kong-related racing courses, such as D.K.'s Jungle Parkway in the games Mario Kart 64 and Mario Kart Wii.

Other

A jungle stage called DK's Jungle Adventure in the game Mario Party is based off Kongo Jungle.

Donkey Kong Jungle is a stadium in the game Mario Superstar Baseball, for Nintendo GameCube, which was more than likely based off Kongo Jungle.

Gallery

Artwork

Artwork of Donkey and Diddy Kong next to their treehouse in the stage Jungle Hijinxs from the game Donkey Kong Country for SFC/SNES.

Maps

The first half of the world map of Kongo Jungle as seen in the game Donkey Kong Country for SFC/SNES.

The second half of the world map of Kongo Jungle as seen in the game Donkey Kong Country for SFC/SNES.

The world map of Kongo Jungle as seen in the game Donkey Kong Country for GBC.

Sceneries

The jungle stages background from game Donkey Kong Country for GBA.

Screenshots

Kongo Jungle world warp to the middle of the stage Orang-utan Gang, as seen in the game Donkey Kong Country for SNES.

A glitched map showing Kongo Jungle and Gorilla Glacier as uncleared worlds simultaneously, a result of the Kongo Jungle world warp glitch, as seen in the game Donkey Kong Country for SNES.

Music Themes

Note: These sample files are not compatible with Internet Explorer browser.

The Kongo Jungle's theme is the third part from the track known as DK Island Swing.

Title	Description	Composer	Game
DK Island Swing	Third part from the jungle theme.	David Wise	Donkey Kong Country (for SFC/SNES)
DK Island Swing	Third part from the jungle theme.	Minako Hamano Masaru Tajima Shinji Ushiroda Daisuke Matsuoka	Donkey Kong Country Returns Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D
King of Cling	Arrangement of DK Island Swing used in the levels 1-2 King of Cling, 1-5 Canopy Cannons, 5-2 Clingy Swingy and 5-6 Springy Spores.
Swinger Flinger	The theme plays in the Key Temple levels 1-K Swinger Flinger, 3-K Precarious Pendulums and 5-K Platform Problems.	David Wise	Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Bopopolis	The theme plays in the Key Temple levels 2-K Bopopolis, 4-K Spinning Spines and 6-K Slippy Spikes.
Congo Jungle Stage	An arrangement of the third part from DK Island Swing.	Yasunori Mitsuda Kenta Nagata Koji Kondo	Super Smash Bros.
Jungle Japes	An arrangement of the third part from DK Island Swing.	Hirokazu Ando Shogo Sakai	Super Smash Bros. Melee
Jungle Jingle	An excerpt of the arrangement from the location theme.	Grant Kirkhope	Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle: Donkey Kong Adventure
Jungle Joust

Names in Other Languages

Language	Name	Meaning/Translation
French	Jungle Kongo	Kongo Jungle
German	Tiefster Kongo	Deepest Kongo/Congo
Italian	Giungla nel Kongo (GBC) Giungla Kongo	Jungle in the Kongo Kongo Jungle
Japanese	レベル1 コンゴジャングル Reberu 1 Kongo janguru	Level 1 Kongo Jungle
Portuguese	Selva Kongo	Kongo Jungle
Spanish	Jungla Kongo	Kongo Jungle

Trivia

• The name Kongo Jungle is a play on words on the Congo Jungle in the Africa, using the letter "K" instead of "C" to imply that it is the home of the Kongs.
  • That can be the possible reason for the misspelling "Congo Jungle" as stage name in the game Super Smash Bros.
• In some versions of Donkey Kong Country for SFC/SNES, some of the world warps found on Kongo Jungle (activated by pressing the "B" button repeatedly whilst going along the paths with a corner) lead to being warped to the middle of Vine Valley stage Orang-utan Gang. A further glitch exists where the player is warped to Chimp Caverns stage Manic Mincers after intricate manipulation of the game's VRAM.
• In the game DK: King of Swing, it is unclear if the treehouse seen in the Jungle World map, next to the level Banana Bungalow, is the same treehouse present in the Donkey Kong Island. If it is proved to be true, the Jungle World can be located on the same island.
• Jungle Hijinxs is also the name of the first stage of the games Donkey Kong Country Returns and Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, with similar rearranged music theme from the game Donkey Kong Country. Donkey and Diddy Kong's treehouse and their banana hoard cave are also present in the same stage.
• The Jungle world from the games Donkey Kong Country Returns and Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D is based on the Kongo Jungle. And according to Kynan Pearson, one of the main designers of Donkey Kong Country Returns, both locations are considered the same one.