DKC Atlas Forum

[WesternTanager794]

I just found it odd that there was lava in the world map. Maybe that could explain the fact there are no new level types in that world. Maybe it potentially correlates with the DKC1 cave entrances in DKC2's lava levels. It does look like there are similar entrances in the crocodile cauldron world map.

[Mattrizzle]

I remember it being mentioned that the volcano archetype was planned to appear in DKC1 originally. I can't find any evidence for this, but it may have been in a Scribes post on Rareware's website from the '90s or early 2000s. Someone referenced this in DKVine's DKU forums over a decade ago, but they were incorrect in saying that the Hot Head Bop music track exists in DKC1's data (it doesn't).

Worlds and levels were definitely shuffled around during development, as tweets from devs indicate. One artifact of this in the final game's data is that Vine Valley is the last world in order of ID. The other worlds follow their final order: Kongo Jungle; Monkey Mines; Gorilla Glacier; Kremkroc Industries, Inc; and Chimp Caverns. An earlier render of the DK Island map also used in prerelease screenshots seen in certain magazines prior to the game's release (as well as existing as an unused asset in the Kiosk version of Donkey Kong 64, and in the background of the GBA port's Bonus Area objective screen, albeit slightly modified*) shows that Kremkroc Industries, Inc. was once nestled among the trees where Vine Valley is in the final version. This likely means that Kremkroc Industries, Inc. and Vine Valley were once the same world.

Interestingly, DKC2's appearances of DK Island are based on the layout of this earlier render, not on DKC1's revised final render.

*The GBA port's Bonus Area objective screen BG appears to use an intermediate version, where the temple is in its final location, but the smokestacks are still in the forest. The temple would be repurposed as the main part of the factory representing Kremkroc Industries, Inc. for the final version.

[WesternTanager794]

Thanks, Matt! Ill scroll scribes to figure that out! I was waiting for you to respond! i thought this would be in your field!