Secret cave
- Not to be confused with Crystal Caves, a level in Donkey Kong 64.
| Secret cave | |
|---|---|
 In Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!  In the Game Boy Advance version | |
| First appearance | Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! (1996) |
| Latest appearance | Donkey Kong Country 3 (Game Boy Advance) (2005) |
| Greater location | Northern Kremisphere |
| Inhabitants | Banana Bird |
- “So you've found one of the secret Banana Bird caves. To release the imprisoned bird, you must watch the sequence of lights, and then repeat it exactly using the directions on the
. It seems like a waste of time to me. Why can't these game developers come up with something more interesting?” - —Cranky Kong, Donkey Kong Country 3 (GBA)
The secret caves (alternatively formatted as Secret Caves),[1] also named Crystal Caves[2] or Banana Bird caves,[2] are a series of caverns located throughout the Northern Kremisphere in Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! Each secret cave contains a Banana Bird, which they had been trapped behind by Baron K. Roolenstein.[citation needed] Throughout their adventure, Dixie and Kiddy Kong must rescue the Banana Birds trapped in every secret cave, one of which appears in every world, and a few on the Northern Kremisphere map itself. A few of the secret caves can only be reached with the help of a Brother Bear, or by using the Gyrocopter. Every secret cave involves a concentration challenge of memorizing the sequence in which the red, green, yellow, and blue crystals flash. Each crystal is arranged and colored the same as the 
, 
, 
, and 
buttons on a Japanese and European Super Nintendo Entertainment System controller, and each button causes its corresponding crystal to light up. The sequence in which the crystals flash is always random, and the player can replicate the sequence by pushing the buttons in the same order that the crystals flash in. In the Game Boy Advance remake, the is used to activate the crystals; similarly, the crystals are activated based on which arrow button the player presses. A secret cave has a mostly empty scenery except for some tunnels that appear in the background. By successfully replicating the order, the Banana Bird is freed from the small crystal it was trapped in, though if the order is not replicated correctly, the Kongs leave the secret cave, which also occurs if they enter a secret cave that has already been completed.
The following secret caves appear in the following locations:
- Bounty Beach – Northern Kremisphere overworld, east of Funky's Rentals. It can be reached by using any of Funky Kong's vehicles.
- Kong Cave – Northern Kremisphere overworld, northwest of Bazaar's General Store, behind several rocks. The Hover Craft or a more enhanced vehicle is required to reach it.
- Undercover Cove – Northern Kremisphere overworld, north of the waterfall near Kong Cave. The Turbo Ski or Gyrocopter is needed to reach it.
- Belcha's Burrow – Northern Kremisphere overworld, southwest of Bazaar's General Store, across the water. The Gyrocopter is required to reach it.
- K's Kache – Northern Kremisphere overworld, on the island in the northwestern lake, or for the Game Boy Advance version, in the cave north of it, southwest of the domain of the Banana Queen. The Gyrocopter is required to reach it.
- Hill-Top Hoard – Northern Kremisphere overworld, far northeast cliff. The Gyrocopter is required to reach it.
- Smuggler's Cove – Lake Orangatanga, along the northern beach.
- Arich's Hoard – Kremwood Forest, across the river after completing Bobbing Barrel Brawl. After beating Brash's record in Riverside Race, he throws a tantrum at his location, sending a piece of driftwood down the stream as a bridge to the cave.
- Bounty Bay – Cotton Top Cove, slightly northeast from Bazza's Blockade.
- Sky-High Secret – Mekanos, only reachable by using Big Bessie.
- Glacial Grotto – K3, just west of Blizzard's Basecamp.
- Clifftop Cache – Razor Ridge, reachable from Björn's Chairlifts.
- Sewer Stockpile – Kaos Kore, behind the sewer grate, which can be opened by decoding Baffle's clue.
- Whirlpool Wreck – Pacifica, directly north of Barbos's Barrier. (Game Boy Advance remake only)
Names in other languagesEdit
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ヒミツのほら穴[?] Himitsu no Horaana |
Secret Cave | |
| Italian | Grotta segreta[?] | Secret cave |
ReferencesEdit
- ^ "There are eight areas to explore in the Northern Kremisphere. Not counting Bear cabins, Secret Caves or major baddie hangouts, that means you have over forty levels to conquer before finishing the game." – Owsen, Dan, Kent Miller, and Paul Shinoda (1996). Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! Player's Guide. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 4.
- ^ a b March 1997. Nintendo Official Magazine (UK) issue 54. Page 54.