Hook
| Hook | |
|---|---|
 Hook sprite in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest  Donkey Kong Land 2 sprite | |
| First appearance | Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (1995) |
| Latest appearance | Donkey Kong Country 2 (Game Boy Advance) (2004) |
| Effect | Used as floating supports for Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong |
Hooks are an object which first appear in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. They are floating metal hooks always positioned downward. Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong use them to reach higher areas and cross gaps. Whenever the Kongs jump at a hook, they hang from it automatically: Diddy hangs from his tail, and Dixie hangs from her ponytail. To get off a hook, the Kongs have to either jump from it or drop right below it. Hooks often appear in groups, requiring several of them to be jumped from. The Kongs cannot grab on to a hook while they are carrying an object, and none of the Animal Friends can grab on to a hook. Diddy or Dixie can use team up to throw the other Kong on a hook as a way for both to hang from it automatically. Hooks are often used to reach collectible items, such as a Banana Coin or a Red Balloon, or even to enter a Bonus Barrel. Some of the hooks are invisible at first, but can be made visible by touching them. Some of the invisible hooks' locations are hinted at by a trail of bananas.
For regular levels, hooks first appear in Gangplank Galley, where the first hooks are used to collect the Video Game Hero Coin at the start, and the level's Bonus Level even involves Diddy and Dixie having to jump from several hooks to reach the Kremkoin. In certain levels, hooks appear the end of Gangplank Galley and some other levels, where jumping from them is the only way the Kongs can land on an End of Level Target with enough force to win one of its prizes. During the first half of Topsail Trouble, hooks are an alternative way for Diddy and Dixie to progress further into the level rather than by using Rattly's Superjump ability.
Hooks prominently appear in the Crocodile Cauldron boss level, Kleever's Kiln. During the first portion, whenever Diddy or Dixie throw a kannonball at Kleever, a trail of hooks fall from the sky and remain in place above the lava pit. When the other side of the arena is reached, the hooks drop into the lava. Later, during the second part of the battle, several more hooks appear above the pit of lava. They are especially used for Diddy and Dixie to avoid Kleever's swinging attacks. Unlike before, these hooks do not fall back the lava when Kleever takes damage, but only once he has been defeated.
Hooks return in Donkey Kong Land 2, functioning identically as in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. However, they are less common, and the invisible ones do not return. Since the team up move was removed, it can no longer be used to reach a hook.
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | フック Fukku |
Hook |
