First of all, a fair warning: this is another mine cart level, and by now you’re probably very well aware of how great a test of reflexes and patience these can be. In addition to the usual last-second jumps just before barreling into an obstacle, you can expect crystaline spikes over your head to play a role at forcing plenty of quick restarts, not to mention the presence of the Mole Guards lobbing bombs at you from the background.
The moment DK arrives at the level start, move to the left and pound next to plant at the edge of the platform to reveal the first Puzzle Piece of five.
Not long after the first checkpoint you reach, you’ll pass under a spiked rooftop with falling crystals destroying parts of the walkway. Shortly after surviving that, you can find a poundable set of wooden boards that will land you in a cannon that can take you to a bonus chamber where you’ll recover Puzzle Piece two.
Puzzle Piece three is a bit trickier to recover. You’ll have to make use of the group of Squeeklies flying in from the left side of the screen after you return from the bonus chamber. These enemies can help boost you to a ledge where a lantern can be blown out to reveal the piece.
The second checkpoint heralds a brutal series of tough jumps and crouches as you try to avoid crystals and falling to your doom. There are few places in this level that will force as many attempts as the first moments on the mine cart after this checkpoint.
The fourth Puzzle Piece is just after the initial gauntlet you might have retried numerous times. Don’t forget to jump up to snag it!
The Mole Guards return as you pass the third checkpoint, lobbing constant barrages of bombs at you from the background. Further complicating things is the fact that you’ll start having to move even faster as the platforms start collapsing the moment you touch them.
The last Puzzle Piece is located underneath one of the platforms you’d naturally try to jump on as you advance forward. You’ll have to roll-jump to retrieve it and safely continue advancing through the level, but be careful about the crystal spikes overhead!
The final series of platforms leading to the Slot-Machine Barrel get rushed by a large squadron of Squeeklies making one last attempt to stop you. The platforms here still collapse after you touch them, so you really can’t afford to waste time on these guys.