History ThatOneLevel / DonkeyKong

* 5-8, Muncher Marathon. A level with an [[AdvancingWallOfDoom Advancing Wall Of]] [[NightmareFuel Baby Spiders]] constantly after you throughout the level, [[CheckPointStarvation only one checkpoint]] (and by the time you reach it, the level is practically over; the rest is easy), lots of places to make mistakes and get behind, collectibles that are easy to find but range from mildly tricky to nearly impossible to get and still make it through...it may be one of the shortest levels in the game (the "Marathon" in the level's name refers to your constant running while keeping the wordplay, [[AvertedTrope not]] the [[MarathonLevel length]]) but it's definitely one of the most annoying.

* 5-8, Muncher Marathon. A level with an [[AdvancingWallOfDoom Advancing Wall Of]] [[NightmareFuel Baby Spiders]] constantly after you throughout the level, [[CheckPointStarvation only one checkpoint]] (and by the time you reach it, the level is practically over; the rest is easy), lots of places to make mistakes and get behind, collectibles that are easy to find but range from mildly tricky to nearly impossible to get and still make it through...it may be one of the shortest levels in the game (the "Marathon" in the level's name refers to your constant running, [[AvertedTrope not]] the [[MarathonLevel length]]) but it's definitely one of the most annoying.

* 5-8, Muncher Marathon. A level with an [[AdvancingWallOfDoom Advancing Wall Of]] [[NightmareFuel Baby Spiders]] constantly after you throughout the level, [[CheckPointStarvation only one checkpoint]] (and by the time you reach it, the level is practically over; the rest is easy), lots of places to make mistakes and get behind, collectibles that are easy to find but range from mildly tricky to nearly impossible to get and still make it through...it may be one of the shortest levels in the game ([[NonIndicativeName despite having]] "[[MarathonLevel Marathon]]" [[NonIndicativeName in the name]]) but it's definitely one of the most annoying.

* Crowded Cavern, 4-5. It's a rocket barrel level filled to the brim with ''[[BatOutOfHell literal]]'' GoddamnedBats. Most of the time is spent dodging bats and various rocks, and one hit and you're ''dead''. The end is the worst, as you have to dodge a giant bat's sound wave weapons that have the horrible habit of appearing just as you go up. And if you don't move out of the way at the end? You have to do the giant bat's area ''again''!

* Fish Food Frenzy is a major pain of a level. In that level, a Nibbla follows your every move. He'll protect you by eating the fish in your way, but if he eats too many Lurchins in a row ("too many" usually meaning "two"), he'll turn on your Kongs instead. And the level is ''crawling'' with Lurchins. He'll also take a bite out of your Kongs if he goes too long without eating a regular fish, which is difficult because they're less common than the Lurchins, and getting him close enough to one without touching the fish yourself can be quite a pain; Lurchins, on the other hand, he'll eat even if he's not particularly close to.

* Rocket Rush, ''the'' final non-boss level and the toughest level to get into (all 85 Bonus Coins in the SNES version, 98 in the GBA version). It's a descent down and rapid ascent to the top of a canyon in a rocket, the only time you use the rocket in the game, and the controls could be politely described as "wretched". The ascent is brutal to where screwing up '''two or three times at most''' means you won't make it out the other side, and you likely will screw up in the ascent since it requires you to [[TrialAndErrorGameplay know the course ahead of time]]. The GBA version makes this second half more lenient, but it makes up for it by making the first half a good deal worse; unlike before, the bees actually damage you if you ram the bottom of the rocket barrel into them, and the checkpoint barrel is removed. The Japanese version makes it obvious how bullshit this level is: The title of the level is instead ''Ponkotsu Rocket de Go'' (Go by Piece-of-Junk Rocket).

* Rocket Rush, ''the'' final non-boss level and the toughest level to get into (all 85 Bonus Coins in the SNES version, 98 in the GBA version). It's a descent down and rapid ascent to the top of a canyon in a rocket, the only time you use the rocket in the game, and the controls could be politely described as "wretched". The ascent is brutal to where '''screwing up twice''' means you won't make it out the other side, and you likely will screw up in the ascent since it requires you to [[TrialAndErrorGameplay know the course ahead of time]]. The GBA version makes this second half more lenient, but it makes up for it by making the first half a good deal worse; unlike before, the bees actually damage you if you ram the bottom of the rocket barrel into them, and the checkpoint barrel is removed. The Japanese version makes it obvious how bullshit this level is: The title of the level is instead ''Ponkotsu Rocket de Go'' (Go by Piece-of-Junk Rocket).

* Rocket Rush, ''the'' final non-boss level and the toughest level to get into (all 85 Bonus Coins in the SNES version, 98 in the GBA version). It's a descent down and rapid ascent to the top of a canyon in a rocket, the only time you use the rocket in the game, and the controls could be politely described as "wretched". The ascent is brutal to where a '''single''' slip-up means you won't make it out the other side, and you likely will screw up in the ascent since it requires you to [[TrialAndErrorGameplay know the course ahead of time]]. The GBA version makes this second half more lenient, but it makes up for it by making the first half a good deal worse; unlike before, the bees actually damage you if you ram the bottom of the rocket barrel into them, and the checkpoint barrel is removed. The Japanese version makes it obvious how bullshit this level is: The title of the level is instead ''Ponkotsu Rocket de Go'' (Go by Piece-of-Junk Rocket).

* Three words. TANKED. UP. [[PunctuatedForEmphasis TROUBLE!]] This level requires you to grab pretty hard-to-reach fuel tanks before the platform you're riding on collapses. Missing even one barrel can result in death, if those freakin' bees don't kill you first!

** While the igloo and cabin Golden Bananas involving all the Kongs can all be difficult, it's Donkey Kong's Golden Banana in the igloo that's truly heinous. The Golden Banana sits in the middle of the room, and is guarded by a spiral-shaped maze of ice. The shard-covered walls of this maze deal ''absurd'' amounts of damage if DK touches it -- namely ''one whole melon, '''a third of your maximum health''''', per hit! This maze is difficult enough to navigate, especially considering how much damage the maze's walls do, but then ''it moves.'' It rotates clockwise, pauses, then rotates counterclockwise, and then repeats. It's possible to make the maze not move, which is the only easy way to get this Golden Banana without extreme frustration.

* The Key Temple levels in this game do not slouch. The actual level design tends to be ''slightly'' more lenient than it was in Returns, but to make up for that and then some, they are ''longer'' and [[FakeDifficulty still]] [[CheckPointStarvation lack checkpoints]]. 1-K, Swinger Flinger, is full to the brim with [[SpikesOfDoom spikes]], [[VineSwing vines]], [[BreadEggsBreadedEggs spikes ON vines]], [[TemporaryPlatform collapsing platforms]], collapsing ''ceilings'' (with vines attached to them), and [[BottomlessPit almost no solid ground]].
* 2-K, Bopopolis, consists almost ''entirely'' of [[GoombaStomp bouncing off enemies]] to progress. Mistakes in timing are not an option.
* 5-K, Platform Problems, basically has the Donkey Kong Country equivalent of [[VideoGame/MegaMan1 Guts Man's lifts]] ''for an entire level''. In this case, though, it's not the ''difficulty'' that makes these [[TemporaryPlatform platforms]] a [[TitleDrop problem]] as much as the ''length'': 5-K is probably the longest K level in the game, and it does not give you many places to rest.
* On the non-temple side of things, we have 4-B, Shoal Atoll. What's worse than an [[UnderTheSea underwater level]] with an OxygenMeter and noticeably sparse air bubbles, a FetchQuest [[TheMaze maze]], or a level with [[CheckPointStarvation no checkpoints]] (the only one not to have any that isn't a bonus level or boss)? How about ''all three at once?!''

* Low-G Labyrinth. [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin The level's main gimmick is, obviously]], [[GravityScrew low gravity]]. Dodging the onslaught of Zingers is very tough considering you move slower than usual, and the moving ones aren't slowed down one bit. Then you have to navigate the place with the purple parrot, and that gets... tricky.

* Low-G Labyrinth. The level's main gimmick is, obviously, [[GravityScrew low gravity]]. Dodging the onslaught of Zingers is very tough considering you move slower than usual, and the moving ones aren't slowed down one bit. Then you have to navigate the place with the purple parrot, and that gets... tricky.

* Glimmer's Galleon. Seemingly long stage, entirely underwater with no Enguarde (which means no way to attack enemies) save for the very end, and very dark save for your animal buddy Glimmer providing a cone of light.

* To elaborate on Toxic Tower, it's a level where poison keeps on rising at all times and you have to escape, taking the forms of the different animal buddies. The first part has you playing as Rattly the Snake, doing jumps that kill you if you miss them by an inch. The second part has you flying away as Squawks the Parrot, shooting bees that block your way and navigating through a dungeon labyrinth. The bonus area requires using Squitter to shoot web platforms up a long curving bramble-lined passageway to get the Kremkoin, and you don't have a lot of time to do it in. If the webs are not a skill you have thoroughly mastered by now, you're going to be in for some major headaches trying to get that magical 102% completion.

* Three words. TANKED. UP. [[PunctuatedForEmphasis TROUBLE!]] This level requires you to grab almost impossible to reach fuel tanks before the platform you're riding on collapses. Missing even one barrel can result in death, if those freakin' bees don't kill you first!

* Koindozer Klamber contains [[PaletteSwap pink versions of Koin]], an enemy which you get one of the PlotCoupons from. The only problem? You have to land pretty much exactly on top of them- if you land any other direction on them other than the top, they'll bump you to off a ledge to your doom. Dixie's gliding ability makes this a bit easier, but if you lose her, you'd better be good with Kiddy!

* Honorable mention goes to the final bonus mission in the Krematoa level Stampede Sprint. To even ''get'' there, you have to [[EscortMission keep Parry the parallel bird safe through the level]], and it's the only one in the game [[CheckPointStarvation that doesn't have a midway point]]. He flies high above you, waiting to run into bees, and you can't stop! Once you get to the end, he turns into the bonus barrel. And ''there'' is where the trouble starts. It's a "collect 15 green bananas" mission. You have the bird in the bonus level, and a red bee hovers above. Some of the bananas appear ''above the bee'', which means you're going to need a running start to collect them safely. Hit the bee ([[NintendoHard and you will]]), and you have to retry the level to try again. At least this bonus got substantially toned down in the GBA remake by moving the bee down to where you no longer need to make a running jump to collect bananas above it. (Though the remake also added a couple ''more'' annoying bonus rooms, including one where you have to collect ''20'' bananas around a rope with a very fast enemy on it...in fact, Grab 15 Bananas/Collect X Bananas in general is pretty much That One Bonus.)

* 8-3, Roasting Rails. By itself, it's pretty much your usual [[MineCartMadness mine cart shenanigans]], which you're probably used to by this point. However, the level is infamous for being home to probably the single most frustrating puzzle pieces in the entire game. There's one point where you jump to a particular mine cart, and the second you land in it, you have to ''immediately'' jump out into another mine cart above you. The two tracks are placed so that your timing has to be absolutely spot-on or you won't make it. If you don't know about this one in advance, you'll always jump too late. And if you ''do'' know about it in advance, you'll almost certainly jump too soon.

* [[spoiler:[[BrutalBonusLevel World 7 (Secret Seclusion)]] in general. The world has only three levels, but all of them are longer and more difficult than the temple levels. And, of course, [[CheckPointStarvation no checkpoints]].

* On the non-temple side of things, we have 4-B, Shoal Atoll. What's worse than an [[UnderTheSea underwater level]] with an [[OxygenMeter air]] [[ScrappyMechanic meter]] and noticeably sparse air bubbles, a FetchQuest [[TheMaze maze]], or a level with [[CheckPointStarvation no checkpoints]] (the only one not to have any that isn't a bonus level or boss)? How about ''all three at once?!''
* 3-5 (Twilight Terror) isn't ''difficult'', as the level becomes rather easy once you've played through it. However, if you're going for HundredPercentCompletion you will need to play through the level a minimum of ''three'' times. Both the secret exits require Dixie, so you'll also have to go through the entire level without dying (or just halfway for one of the secret exits). It can become very tedious after a while.

* 6-4 (Blurry Flurry). All the levels in the sixth world are icy versions of the previous worlds of ''Donkey Kong Country Returns'', so you'd probably expect the one based on the Cave world to be an awful Rocket Barrel level. And you'd be correct. The level is full of suddenly-appearing obstacles, sharp turns in corridors only slightly larger than the Rocket Barrel, puzzle pieces that require collecting bananas on a twisting trail during said obstacles (it's all one-way, by the way), and is capped with a trial-and-error segment in a giant rolling snowball. Your one relief is that the Rocket Barrel has two hit points this time.
* [[spoiler:[[BrutalBonusLevel World 7 (Secret Seclusion)]] in general. The world has only three levels, but all of them are longer and more difficult than the temple levels. And, [[ScrappyMechanic of course]], [[CheckPointStarvation no checkpoints]]. [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking The lack of variety in the music and graphics doesn't add anything to the experience either.]]]]

* [[spoiler:[[BrutalBonusLevel The Golden Temple]] (9-1 in the original Wii version and 9-9 in the 3DS version).]] It's only unlocked after beating all 8 other {{Brutal Bonus Level}}s, and has tiny platforms everywhere, some of which explode, sink, or are nearly impossible to judge when they're safe to jump on; [[GoddamnedBats Invincible enemies which lead their shots incredibly well and appear in groups]] and flying enemies only killed by the bombs they throw, and all of this [[CheckpointStarvation any checkpoints]]. Good luck on [[HarderThanHard Mirror Mode]].

* Ripsaw Rage, the tree-styled level where a giant saw rises up to kill you and you have to out run it. So they put in sections where you have to move laterally while the saw moves up. More frustrating than hard.

* Crystal Caves is overall a fairly easy level, however despite that it manages to have two of the hardest Golden Bananas in the game. The worst part of the level itself is the fact that you will frequently be assaulted by a rain of rocks falling from the ceiling. This will keep happening until you find the enemy responsible and beat them.
** The second Beetle race in the ice castle is a flat-out nasty thing. You have to do the entire thing with Lanky doing his Orangusprint, which doesn't help on the hairpin turns and narrow walkways that the Beetle himself has no trouble running. The fact that you'll get nothing if you don't collect a minimum number of coins again, even if you win, makes it even worse.
** While the igloo and cabin Golden Bananas involving all the Kongs can all be difficult, it's Donkey Kong's Golden Banana in the igloo that's truly heinous. The Golden Banana sits in the middle of the room, and is guarded by a spiral-shaped maze of ice. The shard-covered walls of this maze deal ''absurd'' amounts of damage if DK touches it -- we're talking ''one whole melon, '''a third of your maximum health''''', per hit! This maze is difficult enough to navigate, especially considering how much damage the maze's walls do, but then ''it moves.'' It rotates clockwise, pauses, then rotates counterclockwise, and then repeats. It's possible to make the maze not move, which is practically required to get this Golden Banana without extreme frustration.

* Level 1-K, Platform Panic. Aside from being the first bonus level, meaning the largest difficulty spike in the game if you like to beat all the levels before moving on, you get no Diddy, you have to know ''exactly'' when to jump (or not) or you lose one of your valuable hearts or just outright die.
* If you liked 1-K, you'll love 2-K, Tumblin' Temple. It has whole platforming ''sections'' coming down and sinking into the lava, and they don't start coming until the previous one is ''just'' about to be completely submerged. There's even one covered with spikes that you have to let sink and wait for another, and one that comes down ''behind'' you. Oh, and LedgeBats. You do get a Diddy this time, though.
* Level 4-K, Jagged Jewels. Either you're dealing with invincible enemies, spike platforms that are very difficult to determine whether it's safe to pass, gyroscopic bladed rings, or tilting logs with more spike rings. It's so difficult that you get Diddy for it - most temple levels don't give him to you.
* Level 5-K, Blast and Bounce. There is no solid ground for the entire level, and it's either spent waiting for the perfect opportunity to go through or jumping on enemies and ''hoping'' you bounce off of them due to the [[SomeDexterityRequired tiny window of time the jump button registers as a "bounce"]].
* Level 6-K, Perilous Passage. It's a RiseToTheChallenge level with many chances to die, and about halfway through you're chased by invincible electric bees. To make things worse, ''[[CheckPointStarvation there's no checkpoint]]'', as with all Key Temples.
* 7-K, Treacherous Tracks. Let's take Tanked Up Trouble from the first game, replace the fuel barrels with switches that put retracted pieces of track back in place, make the platform faster, and remove the checkpoints. This means that if you miss even one switch, it's goodbye platform.

* [[spoiler:[[BrutalBonusLevel The Golden Temple]] (9-1 in the original Wii version and 9-9 in the 3DS version).]] Only unlocked after beating all 8 other {{Brutal Bonus Level}}s? Check. Tiny platforms everywhere, some of which explode, sink, or are nearly impossible to judge when they're safe to jump on? Check. [[GoddamnedBats Invincible enemies which lead their shots incredibly well and appear in groups]] and flying enemies only killed by the bombs they throw? Check. [[CheckpointStarvation No checkpoint]]? Check. Good luck on [[HarderThanHard Mirror Mode]].

* Level 5-K, Blast and Bounce. There is no solid ground for the entire level, and it's either spent waiting for the perfect opportunity to go through or jumping on enemies with the weird method of bouncing off them.

* 7-K, Treacherous Tracks. Let's take Tanked Up Trouble from the first game, replace the fuel barrels with switches that puts retracted pieces of track back in place, make the platform faster, and remove the checkpoints. This means that if you miss even one switch, it's goodbye platform.

* 7-K, Treacherous Tracks. Let's take Tanked Up Trouble from the first game, replace the fuel barrels with switches that puts retracted pieces of tracks back in place, make the platform faster, and remove the checkpoints. This means that if you miss even one switch, it's goodbye platform.

* Level 1-K, Platform Panic. Aside from being the first bonus level, meaning the largest difficulty spike in the game if you like to beat all the levels before moving on, you get no Diddy, you have to know ''exactly'' when to jump (or not) or you lose one of your valuable hearts or just outright die.
* If you liked 1-K, you'll love 2-K, Tumblin' Temple. It has whole platforming ''sections'' coming down and sinking into the lava, and they don't start coming until the previous one is ''just'' about to be completely submerged. There's even one covered with spikes that you have to let sink and wait for another, and one that comes down ''behind'' you. Oh, and LedgeBats. You do get a Diddy this time, though.

* Two words: Screech's Sprint. Just take that infamous Animal Antics Squawks part and replace the gusts of wind with a RACE THROUGH A MAZE OF THORNS AND BEES! At least you can glitch the level by taking damage to skip the race, if you mess that up though...