DONKEY KONG 64 BOSS STRATEGY GUIDE V1.0
Kirk Israel <kisrael@alienbill.com>  -  Jan 15 2000

---INTRO---
At the writing of this, there are already a few Boss FAQs on
GameFAQs, but none of them were quite what I was looking 
for when I was playing the game.  In particular, this guide,
written by a so-so gamer for so-so gamers, is meant to save
some time and frustration as you battle your way through 
the hugeness that is DK64.  It started as a King K.Rool 
guide, but then I decided I had a few things to say about 
the Factory and Galleon Bosses as well, so I decided to make
a detailed all-Boss guide.

I do have to admit Rare does a pretty good job with its 
difficulty curves.  Usually, a minigame or Boss seems well 
nigh impossible at the first run through.  Then after a few
failed attempts you start to gain some skills, pick up a
few strategies and finally win, and feel proud of yourself
for doing so. So in some ways, strategy guides like this 
are pointless.  On the other hand, if you're like me, you 
want as much help as possible to avoid wasting time and 
feeling frustrated. This guide is meant for people like that.

---PLUG---
Check out my website, http://www.alienbill.com , especially
if you're interested in "Classic" Video Games for Windows
and the PalmPilot.

---THANKS--- 
Thanks to Mojo [masterofyourdomain@yada-yada.com] and his 
Boss FAQ for advice on King Kut Out, the Nintendo Power 
strategy guide, without which I wouldn't have had the 
patience to see half of these guys, and GameFAQs, the 
canonical FAQ resource.

---THE BOSSES---
**Jungle Japes - Army Dillo**
This guy just isn't that tough. Except for the fact that 
you can only take 4 hits, there's nothing tricky about him,
which I guess is appropriate for a first boss.  Dodge the
fireballs, but try not to get too far away from the TNT 
barrel. When he takes a breather, grab and throw the TNT- 
and remember, aim for the face!  His rolling attack is 
pretty easy to dodge, though it looks pretty cool.

**Angry Aztec - Dogadon**
Jeez, this guy looks cool, but basically just has one of 
Army Dillo's attacks- that's it!  And HE doesn't know to 
"lead his target" any better than the last boss! So this 
round should be no sweat.  Grab and throw the TNT as he 
takes a break (to give you a stern lecture, it looks like) 
3 times and you'll be out of here. (You know, Diddy does 
seem like a jerk.  Here's this beautiful, inoffensive 
creature, a mystical blend of entomology and mythology, 
which Diddy can only relate to by smacking down and 
stomping.  Sheesh.)

**Frantic Factory - Mad Jack**
Mad Jack is the most annoying boss in the entire game. 
Having to zap him 5 times is just overkill, man.  Half 
the challenge is just hoping that the switches will show 
up where you can see them. Luckily there are a few tricks 
you can use that make life much easier.

To start the match, just start running around the squares. 
The rest of the board will drop, and you'll have to ponytail
twirl from square to square.  That deranged jack-in-the-box 
(with a voice suspiciously like that of Donald Duck) will
come after you.  For the first few "rounds", he won't be
able to jump back to the square he just jumped from.  For
instance, if he jumps from square A to square B, he can't
jump back to A immediately. This makes planning a little 
easier.  An even more useful strategy however, is to 
stopping running away!  Wait for him to come to you, and 
then jump UNDER his leap. This lets you rest three times 
out of every four, instead of being always on the run. 
(Eventually, he gains the ability to jump back and forth, 
or even jump twice on the same square, and you will have 
to move more often.)


Finally the guy will stop and start shooting at you.  He's 
as bad a shot as the rest, but it's harder to dodge 
fireballs when you're twirling all the time.  Find the 
switch that's the same color as the square he's on and 
Z-slam it.  (Note that any fireball he sends out is 
destroyed if you zap him before it hits, but your Z-slam 
is SO sloooooooow you're likely to get hit if you rely on 
this fact)

Here's an important hint: if you fall off the squares, you 
can wait as long as you want on that little elevator platform! 
Not only that, you can leap off of the platform and land on 
the square diagonally across- you don't have to jump on the 
nearest square.  One excellent strategy is to purposefully 
not jump off the elevator until he starts his fireball 
attack-- just watch him as he impotently rages. This makes 
a tedious boss a little less hectic. Besides not having to 
dodge, you have the advantage of being able to see almost 
all of the board's squares-- that way you will know where 
the switches are.

After you zap him three times, he moves faster, and gains 
the ability to stay jumping on the same square.  When he 
stops, he shoots a laser that makes an entire square a 
danger zone, instead of a wimpy fireball. After you zap him 
a fourth time, he goes into stealth mode, visible only by 
his sparkly trail.  I suggest you stick with my strategy of
waiting on the elevator platform (even jumping off to the 
floor on purpose if you have to) until you hear him come out 
of his box, or you see the switches appear. Then run for the 
final switch to bring him to his well-deserved doom.  Good 
riddance for such an irritating boss!

**Gloomy Galleon - Puftoss**
I find this boss to be the most fun of the bunch.  You 
control Lanky in a speedboat- Z is the gas, A jumps (not 
very useful), and the shoulder-R button lets you have 
tighter turns (possibly useful when you overshoot your 
target.)

You have to collect a set of 5 DK stars to raise some 
electrodes to zap the pufferfish. (Just like that boss 
in Quake, he hangs around the one electrical element that 
can kill him... go figure.)  The first time, you have 30 
seconds for each star.  The second time you have 25 seconds,
(and he starts doing shockwave stomps, forcing you to stay 
to the outer edge of the pond), then 20, then 15, and finally
10.  Despite the tight time limits, this boss never felt like
much of a challenge- if you constantly circle him, you 
should always be able to find the DK star before the time 
expires. Try to position yourself so that you can see both 
the fish and the outer edge of the Pond.  If you miss a star,
turn and pick it up (using the R button if you have to) and 
then start circling that direction instead (no need to turn 
around twice.) This guy should be a piece of cake (his 
fireballs are just as lame as everyone else's) at least for 
a monkey who is as on the move as Lanky in his coconut boat!

**Fungi Forest - Return of Dogadon**
The dragonfly dragon returns.  (That's the trouble with this
game- it's huge, but half of the hugeness is a repeat of the
first half.) Dragadon's tougher than before, but no match for
a brave ape like Chunky.  Chunky has to be a good shot with 
the TNT barrel- and quick too, when dodging fireballs be sure
not to stray far from the center.  After a few traditional 
attacks, and some earthshakers, which definitely require 
quick doses of dynamite, and a firewall I don't know how to 
avoid, the dragon will start stomping the ground, slowly 
driving the ground closer and closer to the lava. There's 
not much room for error- he'll shoot a small number of 
fireballs, then go to rest, and you have to TNT him right 
away.  Make sure you're right at the center AFTER you throw 
the barrel, so that you can IMMEDIATELY jump into the barrel 
that shows up. Once you're huge, repeatedly primate punch to 
pummel the pyromaniac to a pulp. You should be able to get 
in 2 or 3 mighty swings per round, which seem to be more 
effect than the usual attack. (Some people disagree, 
preferring the regular puny punches.  Youse payse yer dime 
and youse takes yer chances.)  Take care to ensure that 
you're facing the dragon before each punch, no sense hitting 
the air (this isn't pro wrestling, you know.) If you miss too
many times (either with the TNT or with the Primate Punches) 
you'll meet a fiery doom in the lava.  So don't do that.  
Over all, this guy isn't too hard the second time either.

**Crystal Caves  - Return of Army Dillo**
The return of Army Dillo.  His first series of attacks are 
much like before, with the exception of a shockwave attack 
(looks like he's been taking some flying lessons from Diddy 
Kong)  The shockwave attack is pretty easy to avoid, you 
don't even have to backflip. His rolling action is a little 
more persistent- try running in tight circles, since his 
turning radius is lousy. After three TNT hits, he'll bring 
out the BIG gun.  The 5 or 6 fireballs are no major problem.  
The heat seeking missile on the other hand... well, it's a 
little tough to avoid. Just think of it as the bull and you 
as the matador.  And frankly, even if it hits you once or 
twice it doesn't matter, because almost no other attack with 
this Boss will, and by now you have a healthy 3 melons.  As 
with the fireball attack, stay near the TNT barrel as you 
dodge, because you won't have much time to pick it up, aim, 
and throw it as the Army Dillo stays vulnerable. One more 
hit after he starts with the homing missiles and you should 
be all set.

**Creepy Castle - King Kut Out**
I think the setup of this, the penultimate boss, is hilarious.
It reminds me of something out of the Muppet Movie. You need
to place yourself in the cannon and be launched at the K.Rool-
imposter.  As a rule, if the cutout is there when you are 
fired from the cannon, you are guaranteed a hit.  But you 
have to be careful, because the cutout can go away as your 
jump progresses.  And don't jump when the cutout is firing 
its Star Wars like laser beams, or you'll be swatted down 
faster than Porkins above the Death Star.

The first three hits are pretty easy.  The second three 
aren't much harder. The kremlings project a ghost image that 
can mean your doom if you launch at it, but if you're not 
blind (Hmm- DK64 in Braille?) you can see which one is real 
and which is the mirage.  The Ghost wandering around the 
island is actually your friend, by the way- hit him to 
recharge your melons if you start taking laser hits. (All the
Kongs share the same melon set, so recharging is crucial.)

The final three hits are the toughest.  I lost many primates
trying to hit the cutout just before it started firing its 
laser. As far as I know it can't be done, so make sure you 
follow the following strategy.  The cutout appears 6 times 
in rapid succession (with a shriek each time, and always 
going counter-clockwise) and then twice. The second two are 
when it fires its laser.  The secret (and I give thanks to 
Mojo [masterofyourdomain@yada-yada.com] and his Boss FAQ that 
suggested this alternate strategy) is that you need to hit 
him on one of the initial 6 hops.  You can do this as long 
as you are near a cannon that happens to be facing his first
or second appearance.  That way, you can be ready to hit him
on his fifth or sixth appearance, since it will be in the 
same direction.  Let's say you listen, and know you've just 
seen him on appearance #2. That means on #6 he'll show up in 
the same place.  Just after your hear appearance #5 (you HAVE 
to listen; in this case being deaf is almost as bad as being 
blind was earlier) jump into the cannon, and you will launch 
just as he makes his final quick hop appearance. (Similarly, 
jump after shriek #4 if you are facing where he showed up for
#1, and you'll hit him as he returns for #5.) Sorry this 
sounds so confusing, it's pretty obvious once you see it in 
action.

---KING K.ROOL---
So you've gotten through almost all of DK64, collected 
Bananas until you're at risk for potassium poisoning, fought 
past enemies innumerable, and now you just want the dang 
thing to END...

**Donkey Kong**
This round is probably the easiest of the lot.  After a few
seconds and about three K. Rool stomps, blast barrels will 
appear over the 4 turnbuckles.  Climb each in turn and jump 
into the barrels.  One useful trick is that to avoid the 
initial three stomps you can just climb the nearest corner 
immediately- that way you minimize risk to your precious 
melons, and only have to dodge a single shockwave as you run 
to each barrel. (Given the camera angle, you should probably 
let go of the stick once you've begin the jump to the corner,
waiting until you've safely landed ON the turnbuckle before 
climbing- otherwise you might accidentally start running 
right towards K.Rool.)

So now you're in the barrel facing the King.  The trick is 
to shoot the King as he's cheering himself on.  He'll look 
off to the side before cheering, which is helpful- make sure 
the barrel is just low enough so you don't fly over his head. 
The first two shots are a piece of cake, and can be safely 
taken the first time he lets his guard down.  He then gets 
tricky, dropping his guard and then immediately putting it 
back up a few times.  Usually you can take the third shot on
his second guard drop, and the final shot on the third. 
Sometimes the final shot is not really able to be taken 
until the fourth time he looks to the crowd, so you have 
to pay attention. For those final shots, fire as soon as the 
barrel is low enough to graze his head, otherwise you'll be 
too late. Over all, this battle's pretty easy.

**Diddy Kong**
This one was probably the most frustrating of the five, but 
after a while I got so I could beat it 4/5 of the time.  When
you're in the ring it's generally easiest to dodge the 
boomerang glove by running forwards or backwards, out of 
harm's way-- jumping will likely get you hit.  It might be 
possible to use Diddy's "double somersault" to get to the 
barrel when it finally appears, but you'll probably have to 
use the standard crouch jump (as you will with Tiny and 
Chunky.) When you finally get in the barrel- zoom out of 
there!  The targets will be on both sides of the lamp 
directly above K.Rool.  They're just a tad lower than the 
"maximum altitude" of the jetpack.

Since the targets are fairly big, probably the easiest thing 
to do is shoot a constant stream of peanuts as you're flying 
up or down past the target.  Unfortunately you can only have
a small number of shots on the screen at once, so you'll 
need a slow and steady pattern.  I find it easier to change 
my grip on the controller so that my pointer and middle 
fingers press A and B. (I never use Hover in this round, and 
kind of wish Z was mapped to thrust, not hover- it would make
it easier to set up that stream of peanuts.)

Make sure you don't land on a light or back on the canvas!  
Having to jump back into the barrel will make life difficult.  
Personally, I would usually get hit by the glove once or 
twice while trying to get in the barrel, and then about once
for every two targets- and that suited me fine, I had enough
melon, and wasn't seeking perfection anyway.


**Lanky Kong**
This round is pretty easy, almost as easy as DK's. Dodge the
stumbling K.Rool until the numbered switches show up.  
(Incidentally, the numbers don't matter, you can hit the 
switches in any order, but doing them numerically might make
it easier to keep track of what you've done.  Possibly not, 
given all the camera swerving that goes on.) Use your long 
punch at the edge of the squared circle to hit the switch- 
remember that you can change the angle of your arms even 
while you are punching.  Be careful not to be moving when you
punch, or else you'll do your spin attack- useless in this 
case.  You then use the exact same move to pick up the barrel
that will be raised to you- be sure to only tap the button 
once, or else you'll throw the barrel without aiming it. Turn
to the center of the ring, (Use the R-shoulder button to 
readjust your view if you need it) and throw the barrel to 
release a slippery banana peel. (Make sure K.Rool isn't about
to stomp on you as you do this- if the barrel busts on the 
side of the ring it's going to be more difficult.)

Now you need to anticipate when K.Rool will be on the 
opposite side of the banana from you and the trombone pad. 
Make sure to give yourself enough time to get to the pad- if 
you're going to be late, look to position yourself to catch 
the next corner. Play the trombone to attract the attention 
of K.Rool, who will charge at you.  If you've done everything
right, he'll run over the banana and fall on his butt. 
Hilarity ensues.  Do this 4 times and color it done- it some 
ways it's almost easier as use trombone pads go away, since 
you're forced to wait for K.Rool to get into position instead
of running around like a naughty monkey.

**Tiny Kong**
You know, I never noticed the hole in K.Rool's shoe until 
after this round- it's present throughout all the fights I 
believe.  You'll have to use Tiny's spin jump to avoid the 
delayed shockwaves.  Keep in mind that you need to be a fair 
distance above the floor as the shockwave passes, since each 
blast has a bit of height.  Also, make sure that his swinging 
fists don't hit you as he runs past.  Once your barrel 
appears crouch-jump into it and run into his shoe. Try not 
to think of what that must smell like.

At first dodging the "Toe Jams" seems difficult, but it's 
actually pretty easy.  Keep lose and keep moving and you 
should be fine- the Toes aren't quite random, and after a 
while you should get a feel for the patterns. (For example, 
the two middle toes striking will often be followed by the 
two outer toes.)  As you will soon learn, each attack toe 
shakes before it reaches out.  Eventually, the leftmost toe 
will raise up, becoming exposed (how convenient for you! My 
girlfriend asks so why doesn't K.Rool just use all his toes 
at once- just one of those game things I suppose) Shoot it 
with your feather weapon, which should be automatically armed
for you already- and don't spare the ammo, unlike with Diddy
it usually makes sense to quickly unload. Each toe needs one 
more shot to fully redden it than the one before, and the 
toes become vulnerable in left to right order. They squeak 
just Mario 64 ghosts when you hit 'em- figure that out.

**Chunky Kong**
After the relative ease of Lanky and Tiny, things get a bit 
tough again with the big guy. First use his jump/Z-stomp to 
hit the switch, and get the 4 pads. Use a pad to become 
invisible (and make K.Rool visible again- not that it 
matters all that much, his shadow is pretty obvious) and to 
make the barrel show up. It's nice that you don't have to 
kill time waiting for the barrel, like you do with Diddy and 
Tiny. Crouch-jump into the barrel as always- but be careful, 
he's slow to stop running, so it's easy to longjump when you 
mean to jump straight up. (His Z-stomp is easier (and looks 
cool, like a bad wrestling move,) but his Z-jump more 
difficult, than the others. Go figure.)

So the perspective will change, and you'll see K.Rool charge
at you. It's easiest just to stay crouched (the big sissy) 
and then hit B to primate punch.  The timing of the punch is 
the trickiest part, and took me a while to figure out. (And 
if you mess it up too often, you'll have to redo the math 
with all 5 Kongs- sheesh!)  You are trying to hit him in the 
split second AFTER he finishes his charge, but before he 
winds up and smacks you. You don't have to catch him in the 
charge directly.  Basically, wait until the last possible 
second, and then swing batta batta! (Man, didn't we go 
through this in Mike Tyson's Punch Out on the NES? Is this 
Bald Bull?)

By now you should find it pretty easy to hit the switch, 
touch the pad and get in the barrel.  The second charge is 
much the same, timing wise.  The third time, when he turns 
invisible, is different, because he runs much faster. You 
should primate punch just as he begins his charge.  The 
final time he'll run right and left, and that makes it the 
easiest to time of them all! He'll run right, left, right, 
left (from Chunky's perspective that is) and the last move 
of the game is to Primate Punch just as he runs to the left 
that final time.


---THE END---


Copyright 2000 By Kirk Israel <kisrael@alienbill.com>.
Not to be posted, published, or modified without explicit permission.