 "Okay, I'll do the article for you! ... Naw! ... Only kidding!"
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 Creepy Castle 
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| World(s) | K. Rool's Mobile Island Fortress |
| Type | Castle |
| Music Theme(s) | Lobby, Theme, Tree Trunk, Caves, Greenhouse, Rubbish Bin, Museum, Library, Ballroom, Wind Tower, Dungeon 1, Dungeon 2, Dungeon 3, Dungeon 4, Mine Cart Race, Barrel Course |
| Requirement(s) | Using a Boss Key to open the fifth lock on K. Lumsy's cage, 80 Golden Bananas
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| Notable Feature(s) | The level introduces red Kong Switches. |
| Enemies Encountered | Kasplats, Kritters-in-a-Sheet, Krossbones, Koshas, Flip-Flaps, Puftups, Ghost Books, Kroc, King Kut Out (boss) |
| Game(s) | Donkey Kong 64 |
| First Appearance | Donkey Kong 64 (1999) |
| Latest Appearance | Donkey Kong 64 (1999)
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Creepy Castle is the seventh level in the game Donkey Kong 64. The entrance to it can be found in a stone room inside the K. Rool's Mobile Island Fortress. The location is only accessible by the player using a Boss Key to open the fifth lock on K. Lumsy's cage, revealing a large Barrel Cannon on an island nearby which shoots the Kongs at the room. The level can be entered if the player has collected at least eighty Golden Bananas.
The level is an enormous haunted castle floating high in the sky. Outside, it is constantly raining and dark, but the interior of the castle is not much better. Inside, there is almost no light, mist and a constant, gloomy atmosphere prevades the different rooms. Moaning and other noises can be heard while inside the haunted structure. This level introduces red Kong Switches, which can only be activated by the Super Duper Simian Slam move. The boss is King Kut Out, a hastily-made cardboard cut out of King K. Rool. It can be fought by all five playable Kongs, but only Lanky Kong is necessary to defeat it.
Overview
Although it is unknown who created the castle and why, the structure floats high above the ground can only be accessed via a gigantic barrel cannon outside of K.Lumsy's prison. Since the level is so high up, falling off of the edge while wandering the castle grounds will result in an immediate death. The castle and grounds house a number of challenges for the Kong Family to overcome, along with an array of King K. Rool's henchmen to make things even more challenging. In keeping with the haunted theme of the level, the Kremlings and enemies who prowl the castle grounds are generally based on the undead, particularly the Bone-Kritters and ghosts who still continue to serve the Kremling Krew even in death.
The level is divided into many different areas, both within the walls of the castle and outside them. A constant storm rages outside of the castle, and the grounds have a number of interesting locations, including a large tree and a mysterious greenhouse, both of which were used to hide Donkey Kong's golden bananas. The castle itself houses a number of rooms, including a haunted library, a regal ballroom, and a museum housing different works of art (among these are paintings of Kaptain K. Rool and stone statues of unknown origin). The lower levels of the structure are home to a series of labyrinth-like catacombs, which hide a Mine Cart track, haunted by the Resident Demon, who attacks anyone brave enough to intrude into its domain. Donkey Kong needs to collect at least twenty-five coins to beat the Ghost Train Ride.
Profiles
- "It’s a castle, and it’s creepy. Will that do? Mmm... apparently not. Alright, I’ll try my best to make this sound exciting. Ahem, steel your nerves as you hesitantly edge around the precarious exterior, desperately trying to find a way into the fortress’s foreboding walls. Once inside, the horrors of the creepy crypts, the haunted regal ballroom and the mad museum await, their hideous inhabitants eager to welcome unwanted guests. There, not bad, eh? Almost makes you want to play it."
- —Cranky Kong in Donkey Kong Country Instruction Booklet, page 21
- "The Kongs are one step away from K. Rool's lair, but before they can challenge the tyrant, they'll have to explore a spooky stone structure high atop the warship. Beware-a storm rages in the dark skies above and evil prowls the castle walls."
- —Donkey Kong 64 Player's Guide, page 97
Enemies
- Kasplat
- Krossbones
- Kritter-in-a-Sheet
- Kosha
- Flip-Flap
- Kroc
- Ghost Book
- Puftup (during the boss battle only)
- King Kut Out (boss)
Gallery
Names in Other Languages
| Language | Name | Meaning/Translation |
|---|---|---|
| French | Château-Chocotte | |
| German | Kamikaze Kastell | Kamikaze Castle |
| Italian | Il Castello Spettrale | The Spectral Castle |
| Japanese | ゾゾゾ～キャッスル Zozozo~ kyassuru |
Fearsome Castle; 「ゾゾゾ～」 zozozo~ and variants of it are onomatopoeic for unsettling, fearsome laughter. |
| Spanish | Castillo Canguelo | Fear Castle |
Trivia
- Candy's Music Shop is much larger in size than it appears in any other level it appears in. In fact, it is tall enough that it is impossible for the Kongs to reach the top of the entrance's canopy.
- The piano part of this level's music theme was composed by Grant Kirkhope[1] before he started at Rareware. It was included in the music for the level because Kirkhope found it fit the stage's theme.
- The main music theme of this level was also composed for the level Prickly Pear Isle which would appear in the canceled game Dream: Land of Giants/Project Dream, the predecessor of the game Banjo-Kazooie.[citation needed]
- The music theme for the Museum room of the level has a sample of Bach[2]'s Toccata and Fugue in D minor[3]. Inside the same room, there are some Kaptain K. Rool's portraits based off official artwork from the game Donkey Kong Country 2.
- The evil laugh sound which is contained in the main theme and ballroom music is called "Evil Sinister Laughing" from the album Warner Bros. Sound Effects Library.
- The flying books resemble Cheato from the game Banjo-Kazooie.
References
| Donkey Kong 64 Areas | |
|---|---|
| Main Areas | DK Island • K. Rool's Mobile Island Fortress • K. Lumsy's Island • Banana Fairy Island |
| Levels | Jungle Japes • Angry Aztec • Frantic Factory • Gloomy Galleon • Fungi Forest • Crystal Caves • Creepy Castle • Hideout Helm • King Kruiser II |