Ruins

Ruins
General information
Located	Kong Island
Levels	8 (7 regular, 1 boss)
Boss	Stu
Appearances
First appearance	Donkey Kong Country Returns (2010)
Latest appearance	Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D (2013)
Navigation
Previous	Beach
Next	Cave

The Ruins is the third world in Donkey Kong Country Returns and its Nintendo 3DS remake Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D. It was home to an ancient civilization, as evidenced by several of its ruins and monuments, and has still-running waterway and an artificial waterfall that travels into the sea. Stu is the boss of Ruins, and the Tiki Tak Tribe leader within the world is Gong-Oh. Ruins is accessed after clearing Beach, and is followed after by Cave.

Ruins has a similar theme to Monkey Mines, the second world of Donkey Kong Country. Kynan Pearson suggested that he approved the idea of the two being the same location.

Stilts, Tiki Bombers, and Tiki Tanks are some of the more common enemies in the Ruins.

Overview

Here DK & Diddy had to activate various mechanisms in the temples, destroy the rest of the Snaps ships, go through creatures that live in these ruins, devastate stone barriers and had the third battle against Gong-Oh to free Stu from his control.

Levels

Image	Level	Description	Enemies
	Wonky Waterway	In the level, there are several Rope Switches and then activate them. Puzzle Piece 1: Behind the start from stage. Puzzle Piece 2: First DK have to blow out the triple candles and then pull the rope switch. Puzzle Piece 3: In the lawn on the roof, a skull barrel is located behind. Puzzle Piece 4: Destroy the second Screaming Pillar. Puzzle Piece 5: Grab it before pulling the switch switch. Puzzle Piece 6: Inside the jar where the Tiki Bomber is. Puzzle Piece 7: Front the end from stage.	Tiki Goon Stilt Tiki Buzz Tiki Bomber Screaming Pillar Tiki Zing
	Button Bash	As the name implies, the level involves the duo having to activate buttons that change obstacles and open paths Puzzle Piece 1: At the beginning of the stage where duo must make an earthquake for the structure to fall. Puzzle Piece 2: Inside a big bud. Puzzle Piece 3: On a lawn in the back where the duo must climb down to the left. Puzzle Piece 4: It's in a bonus where the player must shoot down with the last barrel. Puzzle Piece 5: Inside a large bud located in the upper left corner of the climbing lawn. Puzzle Piece 6: On the climbing lawn. Puzzle Piece 7: Hidden in a cylindrical structure on the left side above.	Stilt Tiki Tank Humzee Tiki Goon Tiki Zing Tiki Torch
	Mast Blast	The duo go to the seaside at the bottom of the ruins to destroy the last three of the Snap ships that are shooting cannonballs and explosive crates toward them. Puzzle Piece 1: In the second dandelion behind Puzzle Piece 2: In one of the triple crates in an upright position at the back. Puzzle Piece 3: Underneath a rectangular crate. Puzzle Piece 4: Behind the second ship. Puzzle Piece 5: It's in a bonus below where it's blocked by double dynamite crates in an upright position. Puzzle Piece 6: In front of the second ship. Puzzle Piece 7: Hidden in a dynamite crate.	Tiki Torch Tiki Goon Snaps Pinchly
	Damp Dungeon	The duo has to go through platforms embedded in water wheels without falling into the water. It is unlocked by buying the Map Key from Cranky Kong's Shop for twenty Banana Coins (or ten coins in the remake's New Mode) Puzzle Piece 1: Inside a bag hanging high above. Puzzle Piece 2: Under the 4 palm trees where you have to destroy the ground. Puzzle Piece 3: Inside the room under the platform where there is a Screaming Pillar. Puzzle Piece 4: Inside the second Screaming Pillar. Puzzle Piece 5: In the dandelion. Puzzle Piece 6: It's in a bonus where the player must climb on a lawn under the walkway. Puzzle Piece 7: First the duo must blow on a weathervane below to respawn the structure. Puzzle Piece 8: Inside a hanging bag. Puzzle Piece 9: It's in a bonus below a platform below the G.	Rawk Snaggles Tiki Bomber Stilt Screaming Pillar
	Itty Bitty Biters	Toothberries and their variants infest most of this temple, so the duo must be careful not to be caught off guard by these critters that lurk everywhere. Puzzle Piece 1: It's in a bonus located above the start of the level. Puzzle Piece 2: On the left side above where there is the figure of a Toothberry. Puzzle Piece 3: It's in a bonus where you have a barrel above and you need to use a caged Toothberry as a springboard. Puzzle Piece 4: On the lower left side where there is the giant figure of a Toothberry in the center. Puzzle Piece 5: Blow out both candles. Puzzle Piece 6: In the left side above in the same place that blew out the two candles. Puzzle Piece 7: In the dandelion on the left above. First blow from the left side to spawn a mushroom.	Toothberry
	Temple Topple	At this stage is very important for the duo to go with Rambi without losing him. Because it's full of stone blocks and Rambi is the only one who can destroy them. Puzzle Piece 1: Behind the start from stage. Puzzle Piece 2: Climb up on two platforms behind and onto a skull barrel. Puzzle Piece 3: It's in a bonus below a floor located on the second stone with Rambi's face. Puzzle Piece 4: Inside a big bud. Puzzle Piece 5: In a vase at the stage end.	Tiki Tank Hopgoon Tiki Bomber
	Shifty Smashers	This is the third Key Temple where the objective is to go through the blocks and traps to get the orb. For that, the duo have to complete the letters KONG in all the stages of the place. Puzzle Piece 1: Left side down. Puzzle Piece 2: In the block above that moves along. Puzzle Piece 3: In the block below that moves slowly. Puzzle Piece 4: In the middle from blocks. Puzzle Piece 5: In the trap that moves when the duo step.	Tiki Tank
	Boss level: Ruined Roost	In this battle, the duo must drop any type of bomb on Stu. Stu will drop a series of bombs, for example: bombs with a skull picture, others with a fire picture that will create a fire wave if it explodes, aerial bombs that will destroy the rocks below and Tiki Pops to chase.	Tiki Pop

Profiles

Donkey Kong Country Returns

• Prima's Official Strategy Guide (page 19): The Ruins is the island's third world. These levels take place in the ruins of ancient civilizations that have been hidden away in a jungle. While you face several of the same enemies as you did in the previous worlds, you also face stilts, Toothberries, and Acks. As you travel though these ruins, look for hidden areas and pound on containers to get items. If you see a vine hanging from a statue head, jump up and grab it to pull on it. This will always cause something interesting to happen.

Trivia

• In Jungle, there are ancient civilization-inspired structures similar to those in the Ruins world.
• The look of the monuments and architecture are inspired by Aztec ruins. By extension, the serpent statues are likely based on the Aztec serpent God Quetzalcoatl.