Crowded Cavern is the twenty-seventh level in Donkey Kong Country Returns, as well as the fifth level of the Cave (Donkey Kong Country Returns). Similar to the previous level, Mole Patrol, the Kongs (Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong) must ride the Rocket Barrel through a cavern, shooting between large rocks and boulders. However, the level's main obstacle is the Squeekly Family, a large group of bats, that try to fly into the apes or make them fail the level. The Squeekly Family includes regular Squeeklies, who fly towards the heroes, the medium-sized Bobbin' Squeeklies who fly up or down when they sense the Kong's presence, and even the large Mega Squeekly who chases the Kongs, tries to eat them, or even send out dangerous purple sonic waves from its mouth. The Kongs cannot defeat none of the members of the Squeekly Family (Squeeklies, Bobbin' Squeeklies, and the Mega Squeekly), which are the only enemies of the level, leaving them no choice but to avoid each and every one of the bats. They have to avoid them while each of the Squeeklies take up small spaces in the cavern. In Time Attack mode, a time of 1:56:00 is needed to get a gold medal, a time of 2:05:00 a silver medal, and a time of 2:16:00 for a bronze medal.
Overview[]
The level begins with the Kongs landing on a floor with a raised part of floor just ahead of them. The heroes can jump here and then jump onto a wooden floor. When the Kongs reach the middle of the wooden floor, they can see a Minecart on a high ledge, however, the wooden floor begins to tremble. It then collapses, making the Kongs fall to a floor. A raised part of floor can be seen just ahead. If the Kongs go left, they can enter a Bonus Room. Anyway, the Kongs can jump onto the raised part of floor. Here, they can run to the other side of the raised part of floor and jump to another raised part of floor. Here, they can find the Squeekly Family sleeping peacefully and happily. Anyway, on the other raised part of floor, the apes can jump onto another raised part of floor. There is the Mega Squeekly in the background sleeping peacefully and a gap with the Rocket Barrel in it beside the raised part of floor. The Kongs should jump into the Rocket Barrel and activate it (repeatedly press the 2 button on the Wii Remote). This wakes up the bats; the Mega Squeekly shows a shocked/frightened face. When the Rocket Barrel is lifted into the air, the Mega Squeekly gets into a rage as if the Kongs "stole" their Rocket Barrel. After a while, a Squeekly appears from the background and flies at the top of the screen. Shortly after this, another Squeekly appears and flies at the bottom of the screen, both of which the apes must dodge. Another Squeekly appears and flies at the middle of the screen. The Kongs must dodge the enemy, where two Squeeklies appear and fly at the top of the screen, the second one a little lower and behind the first Squeekly. After the Kongs dodge these two enemies, two more Squeeklies appear and fly at the bottom of the screen, the second one behind and higher than the first Squeekly. After the Kongs pass this, another Squeekly appears and flies at the top of the screen. When the heroes dodge it, another Squeekly appears and flies at the bottom of the screen. Shortly after the apes pass this Squeekly, they can dodge a stalactite and enter an area with what looks like waterfalls in the background. The apes can follow a trail of stationary Bananas and Banana Bunches to avoid a tall stalagmite on the ground. The trail continues over a wooden floor and ends with the letter K of the K-O-N-G Letters, which is also found at the end of the wooden floor. However, before the apes reach the letter K, the Mega Squeekly appears and chases the Kongs, trying to eat them. The Kongs, after passing the letter K's area, must dodge some tall stalagmites, which are being destroyed by the Mega Squeekly as it chases the apes. The apes then pass by a wooden structure on a large rock where the Mega Squeekly heads into the background. The apes have now entered an area with water beneath them and in the background. The first thing the duo head through here is a large group of Bananas and Banana Bunches which also contains a Banana Coin and a Puzzle Piece found high in the air. As the apes travel through this large group of collectibles, they also travel over some stalagmites. The Mega Squeekly peeks at the apes through a hole in the background as the Kongs continue to go through the large group of collectibles. The letter O can be found at the bottom of this large group of collectibles at the very end of it. The apes can then head over a floor with the Tutorial Pig hosting the checkpoint on it. After the apes pass the checkpoint, they can head over a tall stalagmite. Immediately after the apes pass the stalagmite, a Bobbin' Squeekly senses their presence and flies upward when they get close. The apes pass another Bobbin' Squeekly who flies downwards when it senses their presence. Immediately after the apes pass this enemy, two Squeeklies fly across the top of the screen, which the apes must avoid. Like before, the second Squeekly is a little lower and behind the first Squeekly. Then, four more Squeeklies appear: two fly at the bottom of the screen (the second Squeekly is higher and behind the first Squeekly), and two fly parallel to one another (one flies at the top of the screen, and one is directly below it and flies at the bottom of the screen. Immediately after this, a Bobbin' Squeekly flies upward when it senses the Kongs getting close by. After the apes pass this enemy, two more Squeeklies fly at the bottom of the screen, the second one being higher and behind the first Squeekly. A Bobbin' Squeekly flies downward when it senses the apes coming by after this, and immediately after this enemy, are two Squeeklies who fly at the top of the screen. Again, the second Squeekly is a little lower than and behind the first Squeekly. Anyway, after the Kongs pass these two Squeeklies, they travel over a wooden floor. They should move upward a bit, cause the Mega Squeekly hits the floor twice (this creates bumps in the floor) right before it appears out of the floor on the third hit and chomps at the heroes. Right after it, close to the ground is a Puzzle Piece the apes can collect. Now, the apes travel over a wooden ceiling where the Mega Squeekly does the same thing again (creates two bumps into the floor before it appears out of the floor on the third hit and chomps at the apes). The apes should dodge this mean enemy by going down a little (not too much or you can crash into the cave ground). Right after the Mega Squeekly near the wooden ceiling is the letter N. The Kongs can then head over a tall stalagmite, where there travel over another wooden floor. Here, the apes must dodge a long stalactite, then head over a tall stalagmite directly after the stalactite. The Mega Squeekly appears just before the stalactite and chases them, trying to eat the apes. The apes can head through a medium-sized group of Bananas and Banana Bunches just before they approach two wooden structures with an opening between them. The Kongs should head through this opening; the Mega Squeekly hits the two structures and goes away. The apes enter another area with water in the background and below them. The Kongs also head through another larger group of Bananas and Banana Bunches with a Banana Coin and a special Banana Bunch at the very bottom at the end of the group. When the apes pass this group of Bananas, they can ride over the Tutorial Pig on a floor hosting the second checkpoint. After the checkpoint, the apes can head over a tall stalagmite with a Banana Bunch on it. Immediately after this, the apes should head down a little (or up a little) to avoid a wooden crane in the middle of the area. After the crane, the apes pass a long stalactite with a Banana
Bunch beneath it before they head over another wooden floor. When the Kongs travel over the wooden floor, the Mega Squeekly catches up with them. Here, the Mega Squeekly chases the apes direction and fires purple sonic waves at the apes. The Kongs can move up or down to avoid this, however, they must make sure they do not hit the sonic waves. As the apes dodge this enemy's attacks, they can collect Bananas, Banana Bunches, some in groups of six (one has a Banana Coin, and another has a special Banana Bunch), as well as a Puzzle Piece and the letter G. Right after the apes pass the group of Bananas with the special Banana Bunch, they should head upwards (not too high), for the Mega Squeekly is getting annoyed and charges a powerful sonic wave. It then fires the large sonic wave, which destroys part of a large stalagmite, revealing a group of crystals. The Kongs should avoid the crystals; the Mega Squeekly hits the crystals, flies into the air behind the apes, and lands on its head. The Rocket Barrel loses its power while the Mega Squeekly hits the ground and lands on its head. It the crashes onto what looks like a track with the Slot Machine Barrel above it. The Mega Squeekly lands and stops moving at the track and lays there unconscious. Anyway, when the Slot Machine Barrel is hit, the level is complete!
Secrets[]
K-O-N-G Letters[]
- K: When the Kongs are in pursuit with the Mega Squeekly, they should follow a trail of Bananas. At the end of this trail is the letter K.
- O: Immediately after the third Puzzle Piece, the Kongs can head to the bottom of a row of Bananas to find the letter O.
- N: Right after the fourth Puzzle Piece, the Mega Squeekly appears from a wooden ceiling. Right after it in the air is the letter N.
- G: Shortly after the final Puzzle Piece (in the area where the Mega Squeekly fires sonic waves at the Kongs), the heroes pass two parallel sets of collectibles. Right at the bottom of this area it the letter G.
Puzzle Pieces[]
- The first Puzzle Piece can be found at the beginning of the level. When the Kongs walk on the wooden floor (or bridge, whatever you want to call it) that trembles, they should jump as it begins to fall. The Puzzle Piece falls from the top of the screen if the apes avoid falling to the below area.
- After the primates fall from the wooden floor/bridge, they can head left to enter a Bonus Room. Here, the apes must bounce on a moving trampoline to collect many Bananas, Banana Bunches and Banana Coins who move at different speeds in a circular motion. If everything is collected within the time limit of thirty seconds, a Puzzle Piece appears.
- Shortly before the first checkpoint, the primates come up to a large group of Bananas and Banana Bunches. On the top row of the group, the third Puzzle Piece can be found.
- When the Mega Squeekly breaks the wooden floor on the ground, it chomps at the apes. Right after it is the third Puzzle Piece close to the ground.
- In the area where the Mega Squeekly fires sonic waves at the Kongs, the apes should stay in the lower area to collect the fifth and final Puzzle Piece.