This section covers the enemies that live on the islands. For those that are part of the invading army of ice-dwelling ruffians, see the section “The Snowmads.” See “Boss Fights” for brief descriptions of each island’s ultimate foe.
Blue Finley
These blue fish are the weaker of the underwater enemies. They swim in a set path in hopes of catching you off guard, but a well-timed Corkscrew maneuver will knock one out of the fight.
Bouncelisk
These enemies mainly serve to bounce Donkey Kong and company to a higher platform with that bulbous ball, so instead of trying to fight a Bouncelisk, look upward for a nice place to land. It may hide some interesting stuff.
Bucky
The caterpillar with the goofy grin may seem harmless, but watch out for the toxic fumes that Bucky releases as it walks. Touching it will cost you a heart and your dignity. The sweet spot is its head, so try to target it, and stay away from its backside.
Buffaloafer
This savannah-dwelling beast of pure muscle is fast, incredibly strong, and, worst of all, very persistent. Once this horned beast catches sight of you, it will rest at nothing to stomp you into the earth. An easy method for getting rid of a Buffaloafer is to stand at the edge of a ledge and wait for it to charge. Leap over its huge frame and watch it tumble over the side. Yet another way is to stand by a wall and leap over the animal as it charges head first into it, which knocks it out. This gives you plenty of time to bop it three times on its belly to finish it off.
Buzzy
These plump bumblebees fly slowly but surely in your direction in hopes of making Donkey Kong faint. Unfortunately for the Buzzies, they forgot that a simple bop on the body will drop them like a fly.
Cheesy Chester
These enormous rodents are a scampering and scurrying indigenous enemy. Cheesy Chesters look a bit creepy, but an attack of any nature will bring them down with a single blow, so go nuts!
Chompasaurus
As far as the carnivorous plantlife go, the Chompasaurus is by far the most ravenous. They have tremendously long tongues that will grab you and literally chew you up and spit you out. Fortunately, you will take no damage from this if you mash the Ground Pound buttons to punch your way out. You can defeat it by bopping the plant over the head to destroy it before it violates you with its tongue.
Dozy
These flightless birds are a bit dim but will damage you quickly if you aren’t aware of your surroundings. A simple Roll Attack or a quick bop over the head is enough to dispatch this bird brain. A Ground Pound attack will stun a Dozy for a short amount of time, making it easy to finish the job with a stronger attack.
Fritz
Fritz are a huge problem when traveling underwater. These enemies can disappear and reappear in different areas, which makes them difficult to target. To add insult to injury, they also shoot electrified balls in all directions, which can be challenging to dodge. Wait for a whirlpool to appear, which will be the position that the Fritz will appear in, then land a Corkscrew attack on the electric annoyance before it can shoot its projectile.
Gordo
This giant purple fish is tough and will not go down easily like its smaller cousins. It will take three well-placed Corkscrew attacks to bring Gordo down for the count. Be sure to target Gordo head on, because if you Corkscrew into the lower portion of the body, DK may receive damage instead of dealing it.
Green Finley
Green Finleys are like the other Finleys but will also follow your movements. They are only encountered during the fight with Pompy.
Jellyfish
Jellyfish may take a heart away if you come in contact with them, but they serve a purpose. Under water it can be dark and unforgiving, and many items can hide unseen. These jellyfish will illuminate dark crevasses, so use them to your advantage, then leave them alone and move along.
Large Mimic
The Large Mimics blend in and lie in wait for you to bumble up and get a nice leafy slap to the face. Do not let it have such satisfaction. Creep up on it so that it will give itself away, giving you ample time to inflict your version of jungle justice.
Lemmingtons
These spiked wheels are piloted by deranged hamsters, a serious nightmare. They also travel on climbling grass, which can make your climbing progress tense, to say the least. You can try to outrun these insane hamsters, or just pound the grass with Donkey Kong’s massive palms to knock out the certifiable hamsters for good.
Mama Saw
You can’t attack these sharks head on, on account of the saw-toothed mouths. Just be patient and wait until they turn their backs on you, then Corkscrew their backsides.
Mimic
The Mimics are not in many levels, but what they lack in appearances, they make up for in stealth. This Mimic blends in impeccably and can easily catch you with your pants down, if you in fact wear pants. Walk up slowly to a curious-looking Mimic, wait for it to come alive, then perform any attack to take it down.
Monocle Monica
These flying enemies fly up, down, left, and right in short increments. They can be hard to target because of the way that they move, so time their descent correctly and finish them with a nice clean bop to the brain.
Porcupal
This is a mixture of hog and porcupine, but with an inferno core. Like the Hot Hootzes, these animals cannot stay aflame forever, so it is wise to dodge or lie in wait for the flames to go out before performing an attack on the Porcupal.
Pufftup
Like a normal blowfish, these puffy fish will blow themselves into a big spiky ball of pain, which must be avoided or defeated with Cranky’s Cane Swipe. That being said, once they deflate, you are free to beat the Pufftups into submission.
Punchy Paddy
Punchy Paddy may look like easy prey, but it is a good idea to be aware of your surroundings before bopping a Punchy Paddy into extinction. These grasshoppers can often be the key to reaching higher platforms that hold some great items. Simply wait until it is about to jump, then leap and bop it in the head to launch upward to the higher area.
Red Finley
Like the Blue Finleys, Red Finleys are a staple underwater enemy; however, they are a bit more intelligent and move faster. As with the Blue Finleys, just Corkscrew them into oblivion.
Schnautzel
Schnautzels are a pain in the keister and demand some quick maneuvers. These big porky pests shoot flames from their nose, which not only breaks all laws of physics but can stop you in your tracks. Make sure you dodge the flame, then perform a triple-bop combo over the head of the large beast.
Sea Urchin
These urchins can only be destroyed by Cranky’s Cane Swipe and are simply there to be a painful obstacle. Sea Urchins move up and down, in a circle, or are carried along a strong current on a path. Time their movements carefully, then Corkscrew past them with ease.
Snaggles
Snaggles are by far the most aggressive and damaging forces under the water. They are difficult to swim away from, and it’s even more difficult to time an attack to defeat them. Taking Cranky Kong with you is great because he can smack a Snaggles with his cane. Or, taking Dixie Kong allows you to quickly swim away with her Ponytail Propeller.
Sour Dodo
Like the Dozy, these birds need only a simple bop over the head or a Roll Attack to dispatch them. The only real difference is that these birds will charge at you with their beaks flapping. Be sure to dodge their attacks quickly, then go on the offensive with an attack of your own. Sour Dodos can also be stunned by using Ground Pound while standing close to them.
Swooper Dooper
These enemies like to swoop down on you, making it a little tricky to dodge and perform a counterattack. Time the Swooper Dooper’s flight patterns masterfully and bop it over the head to permanently change its trajectory.
Thug Slug
These slow-moving enemies are quite simple to take down, but as always, it takes correct timing as they draw near. Choose between a Roll Attack and a bop to squish Thug Slugs in their place. These enemies can also be stunned by a Ground Pound, but a simple Roll Attack will do just as well.
Toucan’t
These crazy birds are flightless; however, they do bounce pretty high on those spiky balls. This enemy needs a simple bop over the head to finish it off, but at the same time, bopping it on the head as it jumps will allow DK to access hidden areas or items too high up to grasp. Use the high jump to your advantage before dispatching the Toucan’t to the great beyond.
Wild Wendell
These bad guys can be seen on land or floating on the surface of the water, making it difficult to time your exit from the water. Try to bop onto the Wild Wendells’ shells when they are on water, or perform a Roll Attack when they are walking on land. Once they hide inside from a good bop over the head, the shell can be used as a projectile to fell its buddies or to break through breakable walls to access bonus rooms.
Yellow Snaggles
One of the more relentlessly attacking Snaggles in the sea, the Yellow Snaggles will chase DK around ceaselessly unless you either destroy it, it destroys you, or you simply swim past into the next room. I suggest leaving it to its own devices, collecting whatever you need quickly, and moving on. You will live a lot longer that way.