Stuff I Grew Up With/Video Game Corner: Donkey Kong Land (1995)

Would you believe this is only the second time I've reviewed a Game Boy game (the first was that Godzilla Game Boy game from 1990)? It's definitely not due to lack of material to work with, as, while I don't have a ton of Game Boy games, I did get up to a small handful during my childhood. And while I think many saw the Game Boy as something to play while you were on a road-trip, I did play it quite a bit at home, particularly certain games, such as this. By now, you should know that I'm a Donkey Kong fanatic, with the original Donkey Kong Country likely being my personal favorite video game of all time. So, the year after it was released, the big game on my mind was the sequel, which I knew was coming out that Christmas. But, at the same time, I was also aware of this, which came out in the summer (although I still got it for Christmas). Even at the age of seven, when I first heard about it, I could tell from what I was seeing of it in TV commercials that Donkey Kong Land was more than just a Game Boy remake of DKC, so, naturally, I had to have it as well. While Donkey Kong Country 2 was, naturally, the one I played the most in the weeks and months after Christmas of 1995, I did go over to Land whenever I needed a break, as well as after I beat it. And because of my personal preference for the look and feel of the first Country, I've always had a soft spot for this and feel that it serves a pretty good translation of the groundbreaking Super NES game to the Game Boy. It has virtually the same look, gameplay and character control mechanics, level design, and music, albeit compressed, but also has variables that make it very much its own thing. And, interestingly enough, there are aspects that look forward to the later Donkey Kong Country games. It's a much shorter game, though, with only four worlds and 34 levels in total (including boss battles), meaning that, if you know what you're doing, you can blow through it in a couple of hours or so, and the Game Boy's limitations are sometimes quite obvious. But, overall, I think this is still a rather fun and easy game to pick up and play.

What made these Donkey Kong games so much fun wasn't just the games themselves, but also their presentation. For one, this particular game, as well as the other two Land games and Donkey Kong 64, came in a banana-yellow cartridge. But even cooler were the instruction manuals, which were often wonderfully meta, with Cranky Kong popping in to snark on both the game and you for reading the manual (at one point, in the Donkey Kong Country one, he says, "You're only reading this because you're bored!"). What's more, these little booklets gave backstories and actual plot-lines, which were hardly ever alluded to in the games themselves, 

if at all. The plot they gave for Donkey Kong Land is especially interesting, as it's the most meta and fourth-wall breaking of all. It actually stems from Cranky's constant complaining about contemporary games' fancy graphics and music, as established in DKC. After listening to him go on and on, saying that was the only reason why DKC was such a big hit, both Donkey Kong and Diddy King get sick of it and tell him there was a lot more to its success, mainly in that it was just plain fun. Cranky then asks if they think that kind of adventure would've been just as successful if it had been on an 8-bit system, like Game Boy, and they both say yes. So, he decides to give them an opportunity to put their money where their mouths are by setting the whole thing up, even down to actually calling King K. Rool and telling him to steal Donkey Kong's banana hoard again, hide the bananas in all new places, and send some new enemies for them to face! DK isn't happy about this, as he was hoping to spend the next day lazing around his tree-house, but he and Diddy take up the challenge, much to Cranky's delight. (Incidentally, Cranky never appears in the actual game, nor do any of the other members of the Kong family.)

A big reason why I enjoy Donkey Kong Land is because it wasn't just a Game Boy port of Donkey Kong Country but, rather, something of a spinoff. In fact, that's originally what it was intended to be, with development happening alongside DKC, but Rare's Game Boy programmer, Paul Machacek, was able to convince Tim Stamper, Rare's co-founder and the one who came up with the idea, that it would be better to make a game that was similar but still its own thing. Having already done this with the 1991 Game Boy version of Battletoads, Machacek's reasoning for this direction was because, one, it wouldn't be that hard to do, and two, it would give those who weren't able to buy DKC another way into the franchise. That's why I was really disappointed when Land's two sequels turned out to be little more than Game Boy ports of their respective Country counterparts, save for slightly different plot-lines, altered level designs, and some new names here and there. Thus, I never bought them and have never played them to this day (that also goes for the Game Boy Color and Advance remakes of all three of the original Country games).

The gameplay is indeed very similar to Donkey Kong Country: it's a side-scroller, platformer where you play as either Donkey Kong or Diddy Kong, able to switch from one to the other (though because of the Game Boy's limitations, only one of them can be onscreen at a time), and fight your way to the end of each level. Each of them have all of the abilities they had before, and also like before, each has his own strengths, with Donkey Kong being able to take out the bigger enemies, whereas Diddy is quicker and more agile. Like before, if one Kong takes a hit, the game switches automatically to the other, and you can find him in a DK barrel in the level; get hit when you only have one Kong or fall down a pit, and you lose a life. Likely put in because of the Game Boy's limitations, you can also lose a life if you go up 

really high and fall, even if there were ground and platforms below earlier. That can also happen if you hit an enemy and fall into a pit, even if you have both Kongs. Your in-game itinerary is a bit different, too, in that, here, you always know how many lives you have, indicated by the hearts on the bottom of the screen. Even if the entire bottom bar is filled up, you can keep on adding lives to the counter as long as you can obtain them. You also get a clearance percentage rating based on the number of levels you complete and how many of each level's bonus stages you find (each usually has two, but some have only one and there's one level that has three; like in DKC, the underwater levels have none). The latter achievement is indicated on the world map by an exclamation point above the level's spot, whereas you see your exact clearance percentage every time you save your game. 

Speaking of the maps, they're a little bit different in their layout. While they take up two full screens, like in DKC, they're more non-linear, with some levels that you don't absolutely have to beat in order to progress further (they are necessary if you're going for the 100% clearance rating). There are also some spots on the map that are blocked by boulders, and you have to collect a special TNT barrel from another level in order to blow them up and clear the way. And, again, there are no other Kong family members this time to aid you in your journey.

Many items from DKC are carried over to Land, like the individual bananas and banana bunches that give you an extra life every time you collect a hundred, and Kong Balloons that give you an extra life (there are no 2- or 3-Up variants here). But, while the K-O-N-G letters also return, rather than also giving you an extra life, collecting all four gives you the ability to save your game when you reach the end of a level. A new type of item are Kong Tokens, which you collect in the regular levels and then use in special bonus stages where a rotating and moving Barrel Cannon shoots them every time you hit a button on the ground. The trick is to wait until the barrel is aiming in a trajectory where you can grab a token when it's fired, as you get an extra life for each one you grab. This specific type of bonus stage, as opposed to the

others, which are just random and another means to get items and extra, serves as a sort of precursor to how the bonuses in the later Country games would have different types of themes and goals. The same goes for the Kong Tokens, which are akin to the coins you'd have to collect in order to progress and get a higher percentage in those games. Getting back on point, many of the barrel types introduced in DKC are retained here, like basic wooden barrels, DK Barrels, Barrel Cannons, Steel Kegs, and TNT Barrels, and the same goes for their functions. Again, there's now a special variant of TNT Barrel that you can use to clear the way on the map screens. And the Continue Barrels are replaced with these starry panels that, when you hit them, change over to an image of a Kong hand giving a thumbs-up.

Only two of the animal friends return: Rambi the Rhino and Expresso the Ostrich. Rambi is the one you come across most frequently, including in the very first level, and not only does he, like before, offer you a nigh-invincible way of plowing through enemies and smashing through walls to reach bonus stages but, in this game, if you take a hit while riding him, you just get knocked off, rather than him running away. Expresso appears much less frequently, most often in bonus stages, though he does still have his flying ability and, even better, is not as vulnerable this time, as he's able to take out enemies by jumping on them.

Many enemies from Donkey Kong Country are carried over here, like Gnawties, Kritters, Klaptraps, Krushas, Neckies and Mini-Neckies, Slippas, and, nobody's favorite, Zingers. There are some others who are unique to this game. Hogwashes are literal flying pigs that serve the same purpose as Neckies when they're airborne and can be taken out by jumping on them, as well as used as stepping stones. Swirlwinds are mini-tornadoes that appear in a couple of temple levels and are more akin to hazards like Mincers (which are here again, too), rather than actual enemies. Whenever you get near one, it moves towards you, and while you can't defeat it, you often have to use it as a means to bounce up to a higher spot. Most of the new enemies appear in underwater levels and, since Enguarde the Swordfish isn't here, all you can do is try to avoid them. They include 

Fangfishes, which are these big, imposing fish that can be hard to navigate around; Gloops, which are small angelfish; Flappers, which are like big mussels that are constantly propelling themselves up, before drifting back down, and are often either guarding items or placed in tight spaces where they're really difficult to avoid; and Nemos, which are big, nautilus-like enemies that chase you throughout big sections of the level (they're akin to the Croctopuses in Country in that regard but, fortunately, they only appear in one level). There's also a variant of the Clambo enemies from that game, which have shells that point upward, and are constantly opening and closing, blocking your path; fortunately, they don't shoot pearls this time. And you also come across a new variant of Slippa that slithers down ropes, forcing you to avoid them when climbing up individual ropes or across netting, and in some levels, you come across rolling baskets that, when they stop, begin spitting out Slippas, like the Dumb Drums in Country.

Level-wise, some of the variants from Donkey Kong Country are retained, like jungles, snowy mountaintops, temples, caves, and coral reefs. There are some new ones as well, and all of the level types appear in only one of the four worlds. Aside from the jungle and snow levels, the first one has some set aboard a ship deck, which is like the first world in Donkey Kong Country 2, and tend to involve a lot of rope-climbing and tricky platforming. The second world has some underwater ruin levels that tend to be more claustrophobic than the coral reefs, which are also found here, along with the dry land temple levels, while the third world has, along with caves, mountains where you have to scale upward and avoid hazards like falling boulders, and cloud levels up in the sky where you have to ride on moving platforms while also avoid hazards. And finally, the fourth world has levels set on construction sites, the sides of buildings, and blimps.

Overall, I think the team behind Donkey Kong Land did quite a good job in translating the controls, gameplay, and art direction of Country to the Game Boy. The levels may not be as detailed in their designs, especially in the backgrounds, and the smaller console's limitations are apparent (only one Kong being able to be onscreen, the limited number of animal friends, the new save mechanics, etc.) but, considering what they were trying to do, you have to admit that it turned out better than it probably should have. Reading up on it, you learn that they were really pushing the Game Boy to its limits, as they had to use a greater ROM size for seemingly simple things such as designing levels with slopes and animating items, like the bananas and tokens. Converting the pre-rendered graphics that made Country groundbreaking proved especially tricky, but I think it worked out great, as the character models and animations are very similar to the Super NES game, if just a bit more limited.

David Wise, who composed Donkey Kong Country's awesome music, did return for Land, working with Graeme Norgate, a first-time composer who would go on to work on a number of Rare games. Some of Wise's music for Country was reused, including popular tracks like DK Island Swing for the jungle levels, Aquatic Ambience for the coral reef levels, and Gangplank Galleon for the ship ones, albeit converted down to the Game Boy's smaller sound chip. Wise's bonus level music is also reused, both in the bonuses themselves and on the map screens, as well as the celebratory bonus music, this time for when you finish a level. The hilarious "lose a life" sound is now featured on the "GAME OVER" screen, and rather than making you feel depressed about it, like in Country, this is more likely to offset your frustration with laughter. The other returning level types, however, had to have new music composed in order for them to play on the Game Boy. In some cases, such as in the snow levels, the music is similar to that of the original. But in others, like the temple and cave levels, the music is almost completely different, as the temple levels now have a distinctive, harsher sound (though it does hold on to some of that ancient feel of the original Voices of the Temple track), and the caves have a theme that is much simpler and doesn't have the creep factor of Cave Dweller Concert. Norgate himself handled the music for the completely new levels. The underwater ruins have a more uneasy and mysterious sound than the coral reefs; the mountains have a fast-paced, old-fashioned style theme, like something you might hear on old arcade games and the original NES; the cloud levels have a ridiculously upbeat, chipper, and wondrous theme, despite being as tricky as they often are, and the same also goes for the skyscraper levels in the fourth world; the blimp levels have a very chaotic type of theme; and the construction sites have a really awesome, old school sound that kind of reminds me of the classic Mega Man games. Really, the only themes that are a tad unremarkable are the main title, which is okay but nothing amazing, those for the "select game" and "save file" screens, and the boss battle music. The latter is kind of fitting because, as we'll see, the boss battles themselves are lame, to say the least, but King K. Rool doesn't get his own music during the final battle with him, which doesn't feel right at all.

World 1: Gangplank Galleon Ahoy!: Not only is this first world akin to the first in Donkey Kong Country 2, but it also seems to use the final battle with King K. Rool in the first game, which took place onboard this ship, as a jumping off point for this game. But unlike in DKC 2, where the first world levels are entirely confined to the ship itself, this one also encompasses the terrain around where it's docked on Donkey Kong Island, which is comprised of jungle and snow levels. (When it comes to the names of both the worlds and the individual levels, I'm going by what the instruction booklet and the Donkey Kong Wiki say, as they're not specified in the game itself.)

Level 1: Jungle Jaunt. Like Jungle Hijinxs in Donkey Kong Country, this first level is nice and simple, with the only enemies being Kritters and Slippas, along with hazards like some gaps here and there. The two bonus stages are also easy to find, with the first located just beyond the "K," found by hopping off the right side of a tree and smashing open a spot in the ground where a rope floats upward. You simply grab on and ride it up. The second is shortly after the spot where the first one drops you off, as you find Rambi after the "O" and ride him across several ledges, past the Continue Point, and, after the "N," crash through a wall. The bonuses are simple in and of themselves as well: the first has you run through a small cave, collecting bananas and a Kong Token right at the end, and the second has you swim through an underwater temple, collecting bananas, as well as a 1-Up Balloon that you have to be quick to grab (expect to do this a lot in both the bonuses and the actual levels).

Level 2: Freezing Fun. Going straight from the jungle to the snow, this level increases the difficulty fairly substantially. Not only are there more enemies, from Kritters and Slippas, to Gnawties, Zingers, and Hogwashes, but you have numerous gaps to jump over, some of which require you to hop across enemies, while others use Barrel Cannons and bouncing tires, and you also have to deal with the slipperiness of the icy terrain while climbing up slopes and trying not to fall off the edge of platforms, some of which are very narrow. There's only one bonus stage here, found just after the "K" and reached by jumping into a Barrel Cannon. This is a bonus that forces you to think fast, as it drops you into a jungle area and you immediately have to grab a couple of 1-Up Balloons before they float away; you also collect some bananas.

Level 3: Simian Swing. Back to the jungle, this one, again, has more basic enemies like Kritters, Slippas, Gnawties, and Zingers. But what distinguishes it from Jungle Jaunt is that it requires vine-swinging over some large gaps, and you also have to bounce off enemies and backtrack across some treetops in order to find items like bananas and Kong Tokens. There are two bonuses again, with the first found right before the Continue Point, where you swing across a large chasm and bounce off a Gnawty to uncover a rope that takes you to the stage. Again, the bonus is simple: you have to cross a chasm using some floating clouds, while collecting bananas in midair (the clouds disappear after you touch them, which serves as a preview of what you'll have to deal with in some of the later levels). The second bonus is after

the Continue Point, where you have to cross some treetops inhabited by Kritters. You then roll down to some bananas floating beneath one lone treetop to reach a Barrel Cannon that shoots you to a ledge with an opening in the wall (you collect the "N" along the way). This bonus is the first where you use the Kong Tokens you've collected to gain extra lives (let's call these token cash-in stages from now on), and it's also nice enough to drop you off right beneath the spot where you find both the "G" and the exit.

Level 4: Deck Trek. The first level aboard the ship, this one has you climbing up to its highest mast. You're continuously climbing ropes and jumping from one section of platforms to another, while avoiding Kritters, Gnawties, Slippas, Mini-Neckies, and Zingers. There are some platforms that, if you follow them to their edge, will lead you to items, and there are spots where, as you're climbing rope, you can jump to a series of platforms along the way, either to explore a bit or take out annoying Mini-Neckies there. The first bonus stage is found right after the Continue Point, where you jump into a Barrel Cannon beneath a bit of platform with a patrolling Gnawty. Here, on a construction site, you have to avoid two rotating Mincers in order to grab the "O." The second bonus is found near the end of the level, off to the left, on

another bit of platform with a Gnawty. Again, it's reached via a Barrel Cannon, and here, in a jungle area, you access Expresso for the first time and use him to fly across a gap, collecting the "N" and the "G" along the way. Like before, this bonus drops you off right at the exit, and on the way out, you grab an explosive barrel to use to clear one of two boulders on the map. Blowing up the one beneath and to the right of this level opens up Level 5, whereas the one farther below will lead you to Level 6. You can play both regardless of which path you clear, as it loops around to them.

Level 5: Rope Ravine. Another snow level, this one has the gimmick of slowly moving ropes that you use to cross over large chasms, often while having to climb up and down in order to dodge annoying Zingers. You also have to use Barrel Cannons to get through other sections, but those aren't that tricky. The two bonuses are quite simple to find, as well. The first is found via a Barrel Cannon floating below a spot where a moving rope takes you to the "O"; it's another Kong Tokens cash-in. The other bonus is found right after the "N," via a Barrel Cannon floating in-between two ledges. Here, you swim through an underwater temple, collecting bananas and tokens. Notably, this level is the first of several that have two exits. If you go past the first one, you'll find more bananas, as well as a second exit portal, though it doesn't take you to a secret level or anything.

Level 6: Tyre Trail. Back to the jungle, this level is filled with numerous tires half-buried in the ground, which you use to reach high ledges and treetops, cross long chasms, collect items, and avoid enemies, like Zingers. Not only are Kritters, Slippas, and Hogwashes here again, but Armies make their first appearance in this level. Like in Donkey Kong Country, only DK himself can defeat them when they roll at you by jumping on them. This is also the one level that has three bonus stages. The first is right at the beginning, found by going to the left once you've jumped down off a large slope and jumping into a Barrel Cannon (it's another token cash-in). The second is found after the "O," where you bounce across a line of hopping Kritters in order to hit a dirt patch in the ground hard enough to uncover the rope that you ride to the stage. You simply grab six Kong Tokens and then head on out. And the third bonus is shortly after the Continue Point, with the Barrel Cannon leading to it found beneath a hovering Zinger, to the right of a ledge with a tire. In this one, you just hop into a Barrel Cannon and get blasted across a large gap, collecting the "N" along the way.

Level 7: Riggin' Rumble. The second and last ship stage (not counting the first boss battle coming up), this is also the longest stage in the first world and one of the longest in the game, overall. It's so long that it has three Continue Points, and right at the beginning, if you go to the left and then up, you can find a Barrel Cannon that blasts you all the way to the first Continue Point. Hogwashes, Kritters, and Zingers abound here, as do Klaptraps, and this is where you run into that type of Slippa that slithers down ropes. This makes the extensive climbing portions of the level really tricky, as you're constantly having to climb or jump around them, and you also have to hurry through those spots, as more will quickly take the place of those who've already gone through. The floating Zingers and bouncing Kritters are also a real 

challenge, not only when you're on the ropes and the ship's deck, where you sometimes have to bounce around them using tires, but also while making your way across these distinctive, raised platforms that dot the ship's deck. The first bonus stage is not long after the "O," as you get to a platform with a hopping Kritter, then go off to the left and drop down where a Banana Bunch is floating in midair. The bonus has you jump onto a platform, avoiding a Mincer going back and forth in the air above, and grabbing some bananas and Kong Tokens. The second bonus is shortly after the "N," where you jump across a series of increasingly taller platforms, then jump down off the last to smash open a hatch housing a rope that you ride. You simply hop across a couple of moving platforms while grabbing some tokens that are floating in midair.

Level 8: Congo Carnage. The game's last jungle level, this one is sort of a jungle variant of Rope Ravine, as you're often riding those same kind of slow-moving ropes to get across chasms, and you also have to dodge Zingers again. There are Gnawties and Kritters, too, as well as the type of Necky that sits on the ground and chucks nuts at you when you get close. This level also introduces the Steel Kegs, which not only allow you to mow down lines of enemies, but there's one spot where you can use one to smash your way through the center of a slope and come out an opening on the other side. The first bonus is at the beginning, beneath the "K," and you get blasted into a stage where you jump up a ship's mast in order to grab some tokens, while avoiding Mincers. The other bonus is just beyond the Continue Point, reached via a Barrel Cannon on a lower ledge, and is another Kong Token cash-in.

Level 9: Arctic Barrel Arsenal. The final snow level also happens to be the hardest, as it's akin to Snow Barrel Blast in Donkey Kong Country. It's not quite that difficult, mind you, but you still have to make your way through most of it via a series of Barrel Cannons floating in midair, memorizing their movement patterns and also, as per usual, sometimes having to get around Zingers that are hovering in place. Then, of course, there are the slippery conditions while jumping across platforms and moving on the ground, which is crawling with Kritters, Gnawties, Slippas, and Klaptraps. The first bonus stage is right at the beginning, and can be reached by using the first Barrel Cannon you find, shooting yourself up, and then moving to the left to get blasted into another Kong Token cash-in. The 

second, which is just beyond the Continue Point, can be trickier to reach. After blasting through some Barrel Cannons, you reach one that's angled down to the right and have to wait until it moves over to the right, then pulls back to the left. When you see a lone banana floating down near the bottom of the screen, you have to wait until you're lined up with it and fire. Here, all you do is collect a series of bananas that spell "KONG" above a steel beam.

Level 10: Wild Sting Fling. The first boss battle highlights the overall general issue with them: they're way too easy (save for the final one with King K. Rool). They're also not that compelling in terms of design but, that said, the bosses in Donkey Kong Country were little more than giant versions of regular enemies (the same also goes for most of the bosses in DKC 2). In this case, you're on the ship again, as this flying stingray hovers back and forth across the screen, and you have to dodge him when he swoops down at you from the top, as well as try to bounce on his back. Each time you score a hit, he moves faster when he comes back around for another hit (a commonality with the other bosses), and you have to hit him seven times in all to defeat him. He's not that hard, especially if you've got great reflexes.

World 2: Kremlantis. This second world is made up entirely of temple and underwater levels, and other sources, like the instruction booklet, claim this was an ancient civilization ruled by the Kremlings' ancestors, making it a precursor to the "Lost World" levels in Donkey Kong Country 2 and 3. I do like some of the details in the map screen, including the giant Clambo off to the right, where the boss battle takes place (I don't know if that's actually meant to be the boss or just a statue).

Level 1: Tricky Temple. This level is pretty simple, as it just involves you making your way across a temple floor that continuously slopes up and down, sometimes into very large pits, one of which has a right wall so steep that you have to use a tire to scale it. Like Millstone Mayhem, the first temple level in Donkey Kong Country, this is where Krushas first enter the game, along with a lot of hopping Kritters, Gnawties, Slippas, and Armies to add to the challenge of navigating these slopes and ledges. There's one bonus stage here and it's near the end, found to the right of one platform in a series (this specific one has a hopping Kritter). In this bonus, you get Rambi, and ride him while mowing down Kritters and Slippas, as you collect bananas floating across sections of a rooftop.

Level 2: Kremlantis Kaos. The first underwater level, this one is very tight and claustrophobic, and filled with a number of Flappers. Besides being obstacles you have to get around, some of them are guarding items, such as the K-O-N-G letters, either below or above them, and you have to time your movements in order to get them safely. For instance, to reach the "N," you have to swim down an empty space among three Flappers that are floating up and down one large, deep pit in the ruins. There are also Gloops and Fangfishes to avoid here, and while, like all of the swimming levels, there are no bonus stages, there is a second exit just beyond the first, with a couple of Kong Tokens and some bananas along the way.

Level 3: Reef Rampage. It's good that this, the first coral reef level, has no bonus stages to look for, because it's kind of tough. First, it's filled with Fangfishes, Gloops, Flappers, and even Mincers, and many of these obstacles are placed in tight spaces or around corners, often making them tough to avoid. Second, it's a bit long, with two Continue Points. And third, many of the items are found in spots that branch off from the main path, with some requiring you to swim through false walls and floors, and it's possible to get turned around. However, that's nothing compared to the other coral reef level that's coming up soon.

Level 4: Snake Charmer's Challenge. The second temple level, this one is found directly above another boulder blockade on the map. This time, you're often using slowly moving ropes to get across large gaps, as well as deal with baskets that endlessly shoot Slippas out at you. Some of these baskets come rolling at you and then stand upright when they hit a wall, but they can be destroyed by TNT Barrels whenever they're handy. Other enemies include Gnawties, Klaptraps, and Zingers, the latter of which, naturally, you sometimes have to avoid when on the ropes, and there's one above the ground whose flying pattern gets wider and wider the longer he's onscreen. You also run into a Swirlwind immediately after the first snake basket, setting you up for the next temple level, where they're out in full force. There's only one bonus 

stage, found just beyond the "K," where you destroy a snake basket to uncover a tire and use it to bounce straight up. This bonus serves as your first glimpse of the cloud levels in the next world, and you have to ride a pair of platforms along a track while collecting Banana Bunches, and avoiding Zingers and Mincers. You also collect the "O" when you jump into the barrel that shoots you back into the level. And right before the level's exit, you pick up an explosive barrel to destroy the rock on the map.

Level 5: Chomp's Coliseum. This level is found on the map when you take the right path in the fork in the road that leads to either the previous level or the boulder down below it. Another underwater ruins level, this, like the previous one, is full of Gloops and Flappers, as well as Chomps Jr.s, as per it's title. While there are, again, some tight spaces that can make it hard to dodge enemies, it's actually a pretty straightforward level, again with no bonus stages to worry about, and the "K-O-N-G" letters are easy enough to collect. You also collect an explosive barrel right before the exit, but other than that, there's not that much to say.

Level 6: Nautilus Chase. That's definitely not the case with this second coral reef level, though. Not only is this level long, with three Continue Points, and filled with lots of enemies like Chomps Jr.s, Fangfishes, Clambos, and Gloops, but this is where you often find yourself being relentlessly chased by those freakish Nemo creatures. While desperately trying to keep ahead of them, it's easy to run into other enemies if you're not paying attention, often by rounding a corner or trying to swim down through another passage. It's especially bad when one's chasing you through a narrow passage full of Clambos and you have to stay up along the ceiling to avoid getting munched by their shells. And speaking of Clambos, there's a spot where one is placed on the edge of a tunnel that goes straight down, and part of 

his shell covers the opening when he opens it, forcing you to wait until it's closed. On top of all that, the level is confusing and maze-like, with many paths that branch off from the main one, forks in the road that branch off even further, spots where you can unknowingly swim through the reef walls, and dead ends where the Nemos can trap you. That also makes concentrating on finding the letters fairly challenging. As with the other water levels, there are no bonuses here, thankfully, but there are some spots where you can collect a lot of items, like bananas and Kong Tokens.

Level 7: Swirlwind Storm. After introducing them in the previous temple level, the game designers decided to bring the Swirlwinds out in full force here. While they do mostly prove to be a useful means of transportation, and a way to cross over chasms and bounce up to high places, they can still be hazardous in and of themselves if you land right next to one and it hits you, or if you fall into a gap in the floor right before a Swirlwind reaches it. You often have to lure them away from the spot you need to get to or where an item is in order to collect it safely. And that's to say nothing of the other enemies here, particularly Zingers, which you have to use both the Swirlwinds and ropes to navigate around, as well as jumping Kritters and Armies on the ground. There's only one bonus stage and it's past the "N," where you use a Swirlwind to reach a couple of bananas leading to it. This bonus has you bouncing across long gaps at a construction site using tires, while collecting bananas and a 1-Up Balloon, if you're quick enough.

Level 8: Seabed Showdown. This is definitely the most unique boss battle in the game, as well as in the entire franchise up to this point. Your opponent is a Giant Clam, sometimes referred to as Colossal Clambo, and whose design is more akin to those enemies from Donkey Kong Country. He floats in the middle of the arena, then attacks by going directly across from your last position and shooting a pearl at you. Rather than physically harming him, you have to swim to one of these normal Clambos that appear on the screen's four corners, stay by them until the Clam floats into position and shoots his pearl (touching these other clams doesn't hurt you), and then get out of the way. The pearl bounces off the Clambo and hits the big one. Like with the previous boss battle, the Clam moves faster after he takes a hit, and if you're too slow in swimming to one of the normal Clambos, he won't shoot the pearl in a trajectory where it'll hit them. You have to hit the Clam eight times to defeat him. While definitely unusual, it's not that difficult a battle once you get the hang of it.

World 3: Monkey Mountains and Chimpanzee Clouds. This is where the game truly starts to get hard, as you're now forced into the tricky cliff-side and cloud levels, along with some cave levels. Needless to say, the biggest hazard here is falling to your death, and the platforming is often quite difficult. And yet, ironically, the levels in the fourth and final world aren't quite as hard, at least to me.

Level 1: Pot Hole Panic. Interestingly, a level in Donkey Kong Country 3 would have this same name, and would also be set in a cave. This level is also reminiscent of Bouncy Bonanza in the first Country game, as it's another claustrophobic cave level where you're often pushing tires around in order to reach high ledges, as well as crossing over gaps while also avoiding enemies, which consist of Zingers, Armies, Klaptraps, Krushas, Kritters, and Neckies. The first bonus stage is just beyond the "O," as you push a tire through a tight crawlspace, then use it to bounce up in-between the walls in order to reach the Barrel Cannon. In this bonus, you bust Rambi out of a crate and ride him through some Kritters while collecting bananas, as well as jump over a ledge for even more bananas. The second bonus is right before a floating platform over a gap, and you have to push a tire to this spot in order to jump up and follow a line of bananas leading to it. Here, the goal is to collect the "G," while avoiding a Mincer that's quickly going back and forth in midair.

Level 2: Mountain Mayhem. The first of these cliff-side  levels set, the goal is to make your way up, jumping across ledges and gaps, while contending with enemies like Gnawties, Krushas, Kritters, Slippas, and Zingers. You also have to beware of openings in the walls where boulders come tumbling down, as well as spots where they come tumbling down from directly above, and search the opposite ends of the ledges and other out-of-the-way spots for items. You come upon Rambi about halfway up and he makes things easier, namely when it comes to defeating the enemies. He can also be a liability, though, because if you hit a rock in midair while hopping across platforms, you'll get bucked off and possibly lose a life if there's nothing for you to land on. The first bonus is early on, where you jump on a Kritter on a ledge and follow a trail of bananas down

to where you uncover a rope to ride. This bonus, set on a ship, makes it tricky to get everything it has to offer. You have to jump on one of the two clouds spanning the first chasm, then turn left and jump to the platform up above in order to reach the "O." Then, once you cross this chasm, you have to jump over another series of clouds over a wider drop, while avoiding Zingers, and on the other side, a l-Up Balloon quickly floats upward. On this last ledge, you find Expresso, and you can use the two high platforms behind his crate to jump up, then use him to fly back to the left to reach some really high ledges housing bananas and Kong Tokens. (When you exit the bonus, you land on Rambi's crate.) Further up the cliff, and not long after the "N," is a spot where you can jump to a small ledge off to the left, on the edge of the screen, in order to reach the second bonus. This one is infinitely simpler: again, you have to collect the "G" while avoiding a Mincer that's floating in midair, this time in a circle.

Level 3: Track Attack. This is the level where you realize that the game isn't playing around anymore. You're immediately blasted onto the slowly moving platform, the first of many that you use to navigate the level. Not only do you have to avoid Zingers and Hogwashes while riding them, as well as sometimes jump into the enemies' paths or on them in order to collect items, but this is another level where getting hit in midair could easily cost you a life, even if you have both Kongs, as the platforms are continuously moving and may be out of your reach by the time the game switches characters. You also often jump off the platforms, onto solid cloud banks, which are sometimes inhabited by Kritters and Gnawties. The first bonus is after the first cloud bank and the "K," just to the right of a Zinger and under the track. You simply have to collect the "O" while avoiding a Mincer in midair. Then, while riding on the track after the Continue Point, you jump across a pair of Hogwashes to reach the second bonus, where you collect some bananas and a Kong Token.

Level 4: Spiky Tyre Trail. Like the first cave level, this one is akin to a level in the first Donkey Kong Country; in this case, it's Manic Mincers. There are Mincers strewn throughout this place: on the ground, in midair, floating in place, moving up and down or back and forth, and you have to avoid hitting them, as well as falling down the many pits, some of which you have to cross using moving platforms. There are also enemies like Kritters and Slippas here. All in all, this level isn't that difficult if you know what you're doing. The first bonus is found near the beginning, in-between two Mincers floating in a gap, with a platform going back and forth above them. You simply collect some bananas and then exit; however, you miss the "K" by going for this bonus. The other one is farther along, reached by dropping down a narrow gap where a Mincer is floating up and down. In this section, you have to smash through a wall with a Steel Keg. It turns out to be the first Kong Token cash-in in a long time.

Level 5: Sky High Caper. Two words to describe this level: long and frustrating. The frustration comes from the gimmick, which, again, consists of your having to ride a series of moving platforms throughout the level, and travel across cloud-banks full of enemies in-between. But, unlike in Track Attack, these platforms can only travel through clearly marked areas onscreen, and they change direction whenever they hit a wall or when you jump while riding them. The first section is pretty straightforward to get through, but as the level goes on, the paths become more maze-like, and you find yourself having to change the platforms' directions yourself. Naturally, there are enemies, namely Zingers and Hogwashes, that you either have to avoid or bounce off, sometimes causing you to change your platform's current direction, which you might not want,

especially if you're in a spot where it's tricky to get reoriented. That's the worst part of this level: there are spots where the path you need to take, be it left, right, up, or down, is very narrow and at some kind of a right angle, only giving you a fraction of a second to jump and get it going in the direction you need before it hits a wall, the floor, or the ceiling, and changes direction again. Also, to give you an idea of how long this level is, there are three Continue Points and you don't start finding the "K-O-N-G" letters until after the third one. Granted, after you reach the "K," the others come along in rapid succession, but that's still a surefire way for somebody to think they missed something. The one bonus stage here is found after the second Continue Point, where you jump to a Barrel Cannon off to the right of one platform's 

section. For a change of pace, this bonus is a swimming level, and you have to avoid Gloops and Chomps Jr.s in tight corridors and spaces in order to reach two Kong Tokens before the exit. And when you reach the actual level's exit, if you walk to the edge of the cloud and drop off, you'll find some bananas and another Kong Token waiting for you.

Level 6: Landslide Leap. Another cliff-side level, this one is similar to Mountain Mayhem in that you, again, have to make your way across a series of ledges. Also like before, not only do you have to contend with numerous types of enemies (Kritters, Krushas, Mini-Neckies, Gnawties, Zingers, and Hogwashes), but dodge boulders that come tumbling down from above. The only major difference is that you're often using tires, both those you have to roll and those embedded in the ground, to cross big gaps, and reach high ledges and items. The first bonus stage is near the beginning, after the first pair of Krushas and tumbling boulders, where you jump down, following a trail of bananas, and uncover a rope to ride. Here, you blast across a gap to a crate housing Expresso, then use him to fly across the rest of the way, collecting more bananas and a Kong Token.

(Unfortunately, this time the bonus doesn't drop you off at a spot where you can access Rambi.) The other is further on, past the "N," and you have to time your jump off a Hogwash in midair in order to reach the Barrel Cannon. This bonus has you jump across platforms and oil drums to reach some Banana Bunches and the "G," while also avoiding some Mincers. And when you reach the level's exit, you can find some more bananas on a ledge just beyond it.

Level 7: Collapsing Clouds. Fortunately, this third and final cloud level isn't nearly as long as Sky High Caper, nor is it as painstaking and frustrating. Instead of a moving platform, this time you use those small, temporary clouds to make your way across the level, with the big, solid cloud-banks acting as resting spots in-between. The enemies are made up of Gnawties, Kritters, and Zingers (which seem to be the most common ones in the whole game, don't they?). You get Expresso in the actual level, for a change, and right at the beginning. But, the first bonus stage is also found not far beyond his crate, and if you enter it, you lose him and won't get him back. Speaking of which, said bonus is after the "K" and past a cloud-bank with a pair of Kritters patrolling it. You slip off the bank's right edge to find the Barrel Cannon, with the bonus being one where you simply collect bananas and three Kong Tokens. The other bonus is beyond the Continue Point, in a spot where you hop across three cloud platforms and let the middle one fade underneath you in order to reach it; it's a Kong Token cash-in.

Level 8: Mad Mole Holes. This boss is the definition of pathetic. He's a giant mole called Hard Hat, and he attacks by popping up out of one of three holes in the ground and tossing his hard hat at you as a weapon. Like with King K. Rool and his crown, you have to jump on his head after he removes his hat; in other words, it's literally Whack-A-Mole. Unlike with K. Rool, jumping on the hard hat when he's wearing it doesn't damage you, but it can bounce you in the line of fire when it's thrown. Like with the previous bosses, Hard Hat moves faster with every hit, and it takes eight in all to put him down (he explodes, no less). Again, really sorry excuse for a boss battle.

World 4: Big Ape City. At first glance, I was stunned by the sight of this place, as it goes against how Donkey Kong Island was portrayed in both Donkey Kong Country and this game up to this point (the only thing rhat was comparable was Kremkroc Industries Inc. in the former, and that was something King K. Rool had built unbeknownst, to the Kongs). However, it seems as though this place is meant to be near the island rather than on it, and it's also all but said in certain publications, like the instruction booklet, that the construction site on the map was the setting of the original Donkey Kong game. Regardless, this, being the final world, is full of some more tricky levels (though, again, I find the previous world to be harder), and it leads to the final battle with K. Rool (on a blimp this time, rather than his ship).

Level 1: Balloon Barrage. Starting out World 4 with a skyscraper level, this one's gimmick is that you have to use continuously inflating and deflating balloons as platforms to hop across large gaps between buildings. Of course, the game also sometimes puts Zingers in-between the balloons to make getting across just a little bit tougher, and you have to deal with Kritters, Armies, and Gnawties on the ledges. But what may really cause you to groan in frustration are the bonus stages, as they're based on levels from the previous world. The first is found right at the start, by jumping on a balloon, riding it up, and jumping to the left, into a Barrel Cannon. It's based on Track Attack, and you have to ride some of those slow-moving platforms across their tracks in order to collect a number of Kong Tokens; fortunately, though, only the first and last tracks take a little while to travel their entire

lengths. The other bonus is close to the end, reached by riding the middle balloon in a line of them extending across a gap up to a Barrel Cannon off to the right. This one is especially frustrating in that it's based on Sky High Caper! Fortunately, it's not nearly as hard or time-consuming to navigate, but I can still remember how I almost hit the roof the first time I entered it. But, all in all, this level actually isn't that hard.

Level 2: Kong Krazy. The first blimp level, this one has a gimmick that's really clever and introduced from the get-go. It initially seems as though the level is handing out all four of the "K-O-N-G" letters right at the start, but after you've collect them, you come to a switch that, when you touch it, turns them into a makeshift bridge that you use to cross over a large gap. This cycle continues throughout the level, in different ways, with the letters forming steps in one instance, and another where the "K" and "O" form one bridge, and the "N" and "G" another up ahead. This is liable to make you chuckle in admiration when you first see it but, here's the catch: since you absolutely need to collect them, the letters are placed in tricky spots, often guarded by enemies, particularly Zingers. Many of the other standard enemies, like Armies, Kritters, Klaptraps, Hogwashes, and Slippas,

are here as well. Like the previous level, it's not too terribly difficult, all things considered, and there's only one bonus stage, found after that spot where the first and last two letters form their own individual bridges. It's a simple one where you have to dodge some Mincers in order to grab Kong Tokens and the real "K." That serves as a sign that you're very close to the end, but when you're dropped back into the level, you could easily miss the real "O," as it's a step or two backwards. Also, the "N" and "G" up ahead are partially hidden and can be reached only with high jumps and bounces.

Level 3: Construction Site Fight. The first construction site level has no special gimmicks; you simply have to get from one end to the other using steel-beams as platforms, jumping from chains, and using Barrel Cannons to get across gaps. Some rows of Barrel Cannons are point straight up, forcing you to blast out of one and then move over to the next, and there are some spots where you can make use of Steel Kegs to mow down enemies. Said enemies include not only Gnawties, Kritters, Slippas, Zingers, and Hogwashes, but also some Krushas. In collecting the "K-O-N-G" letters, the bonus stages will sometimes drop you off ahead of them, causing you to potentially pass them up; for that matter, the "K" is found off to the left of the level's starting point. As for the bonuses, the first is near the beginning, beyond a spot where you first use a Steel Keg to take out some

Kritters and a Zinger, and below the right end of a steel beam that you cross over. The bonus has you jump up to a platform to quickly grab a 1-Up, then Barrel-Roll or Cartwheel underneath it to get some tokens. Fittingly, the second is right after the second Steel Keg, underneath the beam with the "N" floating above it. This one has you avoiding Mincers in order to grab some bananas and tokens.

Level 4: Fast Barrel Blast. The second blimp level, you mostly have to make your way through this one using a series of quickly moving and rotating Barrel Cannons. This is the first level in World 4 that I would say is a bit tricky, as timing how you blast yourself from one cannon to another can be a pain, especially when they put a random Zinger in your path or force you to shoot over to a floating tire to continue on. Again, besides the Zingers, you have the expected enemy roll call of Kritters, Slippas, Krushas, and Hogwashes, as well as a random Mini-Necky near the beginning. Speaking of which, the first bonus, which is the game's last token cash-in, is found just beyond that Mini-Necky by jumping off the edge of his platform and uncovering a rope. The second, naturally, is near the end, beyond a spot where you bounce on a Hogwash to reach the cannon that blasts you across the gap. You roll off the left side of the platform you're blasted to in order to reach the cannon, which shoots you into a jungle area where you run by three rotating Mincers to collect the "G."

Level 5: Skyscraper Caper. In this second skyscraper level, the gimmick is you have to use these automatic ropes, which take you either up or down when you grab onto them, to both get across the level and reach certain items. It's something of a take on the level Slipslide Ride from Donkey Kong Country, and like that level, the challenge comes from how the ropes sometimes change direction from one to another, and you have to avoid slipping off the screen while holding onto and jumping across a series of those that move downward. Also, those rope-climbing Slippas show up in some spots, sometimes forcing you to jump back and forth between two ropes in order to avoid them, and you sometimes have to change sides on some ropes or climb and jump against them in order to avoid Zingers. All the other enemies you've, by now, come to expect, show up

here, too. And going for the letters sometimes forces you to head into potentially hazardous spots. But, while this level is certainly tricky, I don't think it's as difficult as its DKC equivalent (it certainly doesn't wear on your fingers as much). The one bonus stage is quite a ways into the level, found by jumping up a line of downward-moving ropes guarded by Zingers and reaching a lone Barrel Cannon located up and to the right. You have to swim between some rapidly moving Mincers to grab the "N."

Level 6: Button Barrel Blast. The second construction site level, this one makes use of the gimmick of the Kong Token-exchange bonus stages. Throughout the level, you come across Barrel Cannons whose directions you have to adjust by jumping onto nearby buttons until they're pointing in the direction you need to go. Though not as clever as Kong Krazy, this is another interesting way of making this level stand out and it really flies by if you know what you're doing. It's also simpler than some of the previous ones, despite the enemies, many of which you bypass when you come out of the bonus stages anyway. The first bonus is just past the "K," and getting into it is a real leap of faith, as you have to fall off the right side of the steel beam and underneath the Barrel Cannon floating next to it (there's nothing there to indicate that it leads to a bonus). The stage itself

has you jump across some cloud platforms, guarded by Zingers, in order to get the "O." The other bonus is just after where the first one drops you off and right beyond the Continue Point. Its Barrel Cannon is below and to the right of one you use to get across this gap. You have to hop into the cannon at the end of the steel beam, let it blast you into the one on the other side, which is pointing up, then maneuver yourself to the left when it shoots you up (which you would do anyway in order to reach the switch that changes its direction). From there, you can jump into the bonus stage, which has you dodge a couple of Mincers for some Kong Tokens and the "N." And the stage exit has some extra items hidden on a steel beam below the one to its left.

Level 7: Oil Drum Slum. The game's final regular level is a skyscraper that takes inspiration from some Kremkroc Industries Inc. levels in DKC and has you use oil drums as platforms while making your way up a building. Sometimes, the drums are perfectly safe to jump up on, while others are burning, forcing you to avoid them, and others have fires that continuously flame up and down and you have to time your jumps across them to avoid getting burned. This level also brings back some other obstacles, like the moving ropes and those that move automatically when you grab onto them. But, I have to say, for the penultimate level, it's not as difficult as you might expect. The two bonus stages, however, are a bit cryptic to find. One is in a hidden section off to the left of the main path at one point, where you also climb against a downward-moving rope and avoid a

Zinger in order to get the "O." It's a swimming stage where you swim through a tight corridor, avoiding a Gloop, Fangfish, and Chomps Jr. in order to grab four 1-Up Balloons that rise up very quickly along your path. The second bonus is after the second Continue Point, at a spot where you defeat a Krusha, grab a TNT Barrel in the doorway in front of you, and use it to blow away an oil drum to uncover a pair of hidden ledges housing the Barrel Cannon. This last bonus stage of the whole game has you quickly blasting and jumping your way up a ship mast in order to, again, grab a series of 1-Up Balloons before they float up out of reach.

Level 8: K. Rool's Kingdom. If you're expecting the final battle with King K. Rool to be akin to the one at the end of Donkey Kong Country, you're partly right. Like before, you can only damage him when he takes his crown off and throws it at you, and at the start of the fight, every time you hit him, he charges to the other side of the screen. But here, he only charges once each time, instead of charging back and forth the same amount of times as the number of hits he's taken. After you hit him six times, he changes his attack pattern, this time by leaping up into the air in a belly-flop pose, then landing and charging to the opposite side of the screen. He does this six times before giving you another chance to stomp on his head again, and after that, he goes back to charging to the opposite side of the screen and throwing his crown each time, though he now moves faster than 

he did before. It takes another seven hits during this phase to put him down for good, and there's no fake-out death here like in DKC. Even though his attack patterns aren't as complex as they were before, he still caught me off-guard, particularly with that second phase where he's jumping up into the air, as he didn't do that in the first game. By that point, your first instinct is to jump to avoid his crown, so he's likely to catch you out in midair with that leap. When that phase comes around, it's best to just stand right in front of him so he'll jump right over you, then follow him to the other side of the screen so you can get into position to do it again. He is definitely the hardest boss in this game, but this battle is nothing compared to the one in DKC or the games that followed.

While it'll probably never be seen as a classic like Donkey Kong Country, or even be held in as high regard as that game's two sequels, I think that Donkey Kong Land is a nice and fun little game. It makes for a surprisingly good translation of DKC, from the gameplay, control mechanics, and graphics to the level and character designs, as well as the music, albeit converted onto the much less advanced Game Boy. Speaking of which, the system's limitations are quite obvious, as the levels aren't as nicely detailed in their designs, there are only two animal friends, only one of the Kongs can be onscreen at a time, and such, and it's a very short game, too, but it doesn't detract from the enjoyment factor. But what I like most of all is how, instead of just a Game Boy port of DKC, this game is its own thing, with its own story. It does use a number of elements from the Super NES game, it also adds its own spin on them, like how it makes use of the "K-O-N-G" letters, and also creates different worlds, level types, bonus stages, items, enemies, and so on. Even some of the quirks that the Game Boy's limitations forced into the game's development make it feel unique. If you're a fan of the Donkey Kong franchise but never gave this one a chance because you thought it was just a port of DKC, you should play it if you get the chance. If nothing else, it makes for a unique spin-off to the awesome Super NES game.