How to Free the Kongs: Upgrades, Kits, and Banana Requirements Guide
Early on in the game, your control is limited and your progress depends on finding the right upgrades, using each Kong’s special kit, and keeping an eye on the level’s banana requirements. Here’s how the key systems work—starting with freeing the rest of the Kongs and moving through the various collectibles and objectives you’ll be chasing as you play.
Freeing the Kongs and Using Their Abilities
At the beginning of the game, you can only control DK. As you move through the stages, you’ll locate and free the other four Kongs.
Each Kong comes with distinct abilities that you’ll need to use to collect five golden bananas per level, per character. The way you earn those bananas varies from one level to the next, but one of the five is always earned by discovering a blueprint and bringing it back to Snide’s shack.
Shacks and What They Unlock
Types of shacks
There are four kinds of shacks in the game, though not every type shows up in every level. You’ll encounter them as follows:
- Cranky: Crafts potions for the Kongs that grant special abilities.
- Funky: Supplies weapons for the Kongs.
- Candy: Provides musical instruments.
- Snide: Collects blueprints from each Kong and, in return, gives you a golden banana.
Why you should visit often
Potions and weapons aren’t free—you need to gather the coins scattered across the levels to pay for what you want.
It’s a smart habit to find every hut as early as you can whenever you start a new stage. You never know when a new action or upgrade will be offered.
Even when there isn’t anything new available, it’s still worth dropping by regularly: Funky can top up your ammo, while Candy replenishes all your music energy.
What “100%” means for each character
To finish a level at 100% for every character, you must complete these steps:
- Collect 75 small bananas to earn a medallion.
- Locate a blueprint, then bring it back to Snide for a golden banana.
- Collect four additional bananas so you have five bananas total per level.
Music, Fairies, and Other Rewards
Play your instruments often
As you advance, you’ll earn more music energy. Still, you should start using the Kongs’ instruments right away. Music functions like a “smart bomb,” clearing every enemy on screen.
This is useful in multiple situations, including difficult-to-hit threats like Zinger wasps and larger enemies that are harder to bring down, such as the club-wielding Koshas. Even the Kasplats are good targets. These (often) blueprint-carrying foes tend to be perched on top of platforms, and their shockwaves can knock you off if you’re not careful.
Fairies and picture-based secrets
Fairies are scattered throughout the world. When you hear one giggling, look around—you’ll likely find it nearby.
By taking pictures of fairies, you can unlock secrets. Those secrets are covered in the Secrets section at the end of this guide.
Gold crowns
Gold crowns are earned by completing battle arena levels. There is one gold crown available per stage.
Bonus barrels
Bonus barrels lead to a bonus round. Completing that round grants you a golden banana.
Banana objectives across the stage and hub
Each monkey needs to collect five bananas in every level, and also five in the central hub. In the normal stages, turning a blueprint into Snide always results in the fifth banana.
Blueprints can be found on enemies that have hair matching that character’s small banana color, and you’ll also come across relevant items like coins as part of your banana runs.
Guide Navigation and Next Sections
Up next: Walkthrough
Top guide sections
- Basics
- Walkthrough
- Freeing the Kongs
- Boss Strategies
