History VideoGame / DonkeyKongCountryTropicalFreeze

* SpringsSpringsEverywhere: Various objects bounce the player upwards such as flowers and balloons.

* KingKoopaCopy: The main villain, Lord Frederik, is a powerful warlord who leads the vikings known as Snowmads. Like K. Rool, he too is pretty tubby, but still able to put up a fight. Interestingly, he's AnIcePerson, while Bowser is PlayingWithFire.

* TheHerosBirthday: The Snowmad attack happens on Donkey Kong's birthday. May count as a SignificantReferenceDate, as the game was released in 2014, and that year marked the 20th anniversary of the ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry'' series.

* RoaringRapids: 4-6, Current Capers. In it, Donkey Kong and his frienda have to activate certain mechanical gizmos to open their path to the exit while dealing with both the underwater currents and the harmful objects that move due to them. A few other water levels have currents on occasion, but they are the main feature of this one.

Veteran ''Donkey Kong Country'' series composer Creator/DavidWise returned to the series to compose the soundtrack for the game, replacing Minako Hamano from ''Returns''.

* BattleThemeMusic: Following the trend of ''Returns'', the bosses all have their own battle themes to stand out from the style of the SNES trilogy. In particular, Pompy, Bashmaster and Lord Fredrik employ AutobotsRockOut for their themes, whereas Skowl uses OminousLatinChanting that has been noted to bear a considerable similarity with the famous theme of Sephiroth's OneWingedAngel form in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'', Ba-Boom uses a fast-paced tribalcomposition to go along with his mischievous nature, and Fugu uses a track that borrows the musical style of the tense tracks played in ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry2DiddysKongQuest (both games were composed by David Wise, so this makes sense).

* SpikesOfDoom: Many levels feature spiky hazards that must be avoided, though Rambi can destroy them in the levels where he appears. Cranky Kong can tackle them easily by jumping onto them harmlessly with his cane.

** Autumn Heights is a YodelLand take on GreenHillZone, with the hills gradually ascending into a full-on DeathMountain. Horn Top Hop mixes in some BandLand setpieces, Mountain Mania features some LethalLavaLand elements via an erupting volcano, and Sawmill Thrill gives a MinecartMadness ride through an EndlessEngine. Finally, the Rodent Ruckus level mixes MinecartMadness, BlackoutBasement, TempleOfDoom, and LevelAte, via a cheese factory. The Kongs, riding a rocket barrel, must escape a giant rolling cheese wheel (a parody of the famous boulder scene from ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'').

** The Lost Mangroves world is a mix of BubblegloopSwamp, PalmtreePanic and DerelictGraveyard, with many decaying planes and ships.
** Rodent Ruckus mixes MinecartMadness, BlackoutBasement, TempleOfDoom, and a cheese factory. The Kongs, riding a rocket barrel, must escape a giant rolling cheese wheel (a parody of the famous boulder scene from ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'').
** One level, Scorch and Torch, is set amid a brush fire, combining GreenHillZone and LethalLavaLand.

** Donkey Kong Island's levels mixes SlippySlideyIceWorld with the settings seen in ''Returns'' (namely, and in order of appearance, JungleJapes, PalmTreePanic, TempleOfDoom, UndergroundLevel, TheLostWoods, {{Prehistoria}}, EternalEngine and LethalLavaLand).

** The Switch version allows you to access your entire inventory in the middle of a stage, meaning you no longer have to decide in advance what items to bring with you into a stage or worry about having the wrong (or no) support Kong for certain collectibles or route puzzles.

** The Switch version allows you to access your entire inventory in the middle of a stage, meaning you no longer have to decide what items to bring with you into a stage or worry about using up the items you've brought with you.

* DeadlyDustStorm: Level 3-3, "Frantic Fields". It takes place in a savannah hit by a huge dust storm that evolves into a tornado. There are dust devils that will launch the Kongs away at very high speeds, the wind grows strong enough to blow [[{{Mooks}} Snomads]] and even a full-grown Cape buffalo around (and the Kongs eventually, to the point where you can only move forward by rolling or sprinting against the wind) and ligtning begins raining down, dealing damage and destroying platforms.

* EdibleAmmunition: The game has the [[EverythingsBetterWithPenguins Penguin]] [[HornyVikings Snomads]] use fish as ammo against the Kongs. Dixie Kong also uses a gun similar to Diddy's that fires bubblegum (a reference to her gum-chewing IdleAnimation in ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry2DiddysKongQuest'' and ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry3DixieKongsDoubleTrouble'').

* EverythingsBetterWithPenguins: Tucks, Tuff Tucks, and Painguins. They make up the bulk of the Snowmad army, so maybe things ''aren't'' really better.

* GivenNameReveal: The tutorial pig from the last game has been given the name "Professor Chops".

* ThrowTheMookAtThem: Certain enemies can be stunned after being hit, and the grabbed to be thrown at other enemies. The game was inspired by ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'' in this regard, so it makes sense. During the FinalBoss battle, Lord Fredrik spends part of the final battle against him as a BackgroundBoss. He sends his minions to attack you, but you can toss them back at him, prompting him to jump into the foreground for a proper battle.

* ThrowTheMooksAtThem: Certain enemies can be stunned after being hit, and the grabbed to be thrown at other enemies. The game was inspired by ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros2'' in this regard, so it makes sense. During the FinalBoss battle, Lord Fredrik spends part of the final battle against him as a BackgroundBoss. He sends his minions to attack you, but you can toss them back at him, prompting him to jump into the foreground for a proper battle.

* BigBad: The leader of the Snowmads, Lord Fredrik.

* TheHedgeOfThorns: Bramble Scramble, now featuring toothy plants as well.

* TheHerosBirthday: The Snowmad attack happens on Donkey Kong's birthday. May count as a SignificantReferenceDate, as 2014 marks the 20th anniversary of the ''Donkey Kong Country'' series.

* LethalLavaLand: The level "Scorch & Torch" in the Savannah. Additionally there is the Volcano on Donkey Kong Island returning from the first game.

** 2-4, Sawmill Thrill, has [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zxjyleke4rs a track]] that only plays when you respawn from the second checkpoint. It lasts about a minute before looping, but unless you stop to listen to it instead of jumping into the minecart right away (which changes the music back to the main level music), you won't hear more than the first 5 seconds.

* RhinoRampage: Rambi, of course.

* TempleOfDoom: The {{Brutal Bonus Level}}s you unlock for collecting all of the KONG letters in a given world, just like in ''Returns''.
* TentacledTerror: The Squiddicus is one big octopus. It actively tries to harm the Kongs in Irate Eight.

* UnderTheSea: Sea Breeze Cove, the fourth island. Underwater levels make a comeback after ''Returns'' opted for SuperDrowningSkills instead.

* AgelessBirthday: The game starts with one for DK, before the bad guys crash the party.

* CompanyCrossReference: Funky Kong's description of the Crash Guard is "Vehicle Trouble? [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaI It's dangerous to go alone]] -- take one of these!" Cranky Kong had previously referenced the phrase in ''Returns''.

* JungleJapes: Juicy Jungle is a mixture between this and Level Ate, due to the fruit motif. Note that this is the ''fifth'' island (most DK games usually has a jungle level in the first world). Lost Mangroves also mixes this with PalmtreePanic.

* KaizoTrap: Indeed, a few of the levels will pull this on you if you don't jump for the barrel quick enough.

* LevelAte: World 5, in a fruit fashion. Overlaps with EternalEngine for one level. The last level and BossBattle also overlap with SlippySlideyIceWorld, featuring a mix between regular ice, frozen fruits, and popsicles (with that last one [[LostFoodGrievance becoming important for setting up the boss fight]]).

* MinecartMadness: Minecart stages return in this game but are now played in a TwoAndAHalfD perspective.

** The final level before Frederik has an eerie laughter in the background. Said laughter belongs to Tiki Tong.

* OneHitPointWonder: Now [[AvertedTrope averted]] with the Rocket Barrel and Minecart, which now take ''two'' hits (three if you bought a Crash Guard), and can also be healed if you pick up a heart. Played straight in Hard Mode, as the vehicles and your Kong do become a OneHitPointWonder.

* OxygenatedUnderwaterBubbles: How could the Kongs refill their OxygenMeter without those?

* AirborneMook: Hootz and its fiery brethren.

%%* AquaticMook: Various fish and sharks.

* CheckPointStarvation: The K levels, as per usual. 4-B also qualifies, being the only regular level without checkpoints. [[spoiler:The three levels in World 7, Secret Seclusion, also fit. Every level in Hard Mode also becomes this.]]

* DerelictGraveyard: Lost Mangroves, the first island. A swampy island filled with shipwrecks and crashed planes.

* EternalEngine: Most of Juicy Jungle is a factory where large fruits are being mashed into juice..

* GreenHillZone: Bright Savannah, in an African-flavored style. Notably, it's not the first world in the game but the ''third''.

* GustyGlade: A particularly extreme example in the third level of Bright Savannah, where you have to escape a giant tornado.

** Donkey Kong Island's levels mixes SlippySlideyIceWorld with the settings seen in ''Returns'' (namely, and in order of appearance, JungleJapes, PalmTreePanic, TempleOfDoom, UndergroundLevel, TheLostWoods, DeathMountain, EternalEngine and LethalLavaLand).

* HardLevelsEasyBosses: The bosses are no pushovers and are quite challenging, especially the last one. However, you will lose far more lives in the levels.

* HornetHole: The level Beehive Brawl in Juicy Jungle is a bee colony set within a gigantic beehive. There are numerous nectar waterfalls with falling platforms, smaller beehives camouflaged with a grass layer, and bees transporting grass and dirt.
* HornyVikings: The Snowmads.

* TwinkleInTheSky: Like last game, the Kongs deliver a beatdown to bosses before sending them flying.

* BalefulPolymorph: The [[LimitBreak Kong POW]] move turns all onscreen enemies into either Extra Life Balloons, Gold Hearts, or Banana Coins (depending on which partner DK has).

* SizableSnowflakes: UpToEleven in ''Forest Folly'', where there are some eight-branched snowflakes are ''bigger than Donkey Kong'' and are hazardous to the touch. Near the end of the level, '''even bigger''' ones are seen falling from the sky and can actually ''destroy any platform''.

* AbsenteeActor: Much like the previous game, King K. Rool and the Kremlings are nowhere to be seen here.

** Donkey Kong Island's levels mixes SlippySlideyIceWorld with the settings seen in ''Returns'' (namely, and in order of appearance, JungleJapes, PalmTreePanic, TempleOfDoom, UndergroundLevel, LostWoods, DeathMountain, EternalEngine and LethalLavaLand).

!! Spoilers for all ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry'' entries preceding this one, specifically ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryReturns'', will be left unmarked. [[{{Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned}} You Have Been Warned!]]

* EverythingsBetterWithMonkeys: The third world boss is a [[NinjaPirateZombieRobot ninja baboon that can split into three and throw bombs.]]