As with all the Donkey Kong Land games, this one is based on its equivalent Donkey Kong Country game (in this case, DKC3), but with different levels. In this game the cooperation between the two characters has been removed, relying instead on their individual skills to get you through. You are faced with a whole new map to navigate, but the same aim - find Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong who have gone missing. King K. Rool and KAOS are once again suspected to be behind the abduction. Various items provide a special ending, such as the DK Coins being held by a Kremling called Koin on each stage. There is a boss at the end of each world to defeat that lets you move on to the next world.
The US and European version was released for the Game Boy in 1997, but Japan didn't receive the game until 2000, and it received a lick of paint courtesy of the Game Boy Color.