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Walkthrough & guides

Radiance Layer

Donkey Kong Bananza guide hub

The Radiance Layer spans SL1200–SL1204 and introduces Snake Bananza. Its 76 numbered Banandium entries include story rewards, hidden caves, challenge courses and the Snake Elder’s postgame rehearsal. Fossils are tracked separately: there are 72 in this layer.

Light, Shadow and Snake Bananza

Follow Shedlight Cave into Glowboa Grotto and meet the Snake Elder. Use charged Snake jumps for vertical routes and Glare to control moving hazards. Continue through the Sculptors’ Studio and Solar Control Tower, restore the light, and search Serpent Sands before entering the Crystal-Cobra Den. Revisit dark rooms after changing their lighting: doors and routes can become accessible.

Postgame requirement: Entries 21–29 belong to the Snake Elder’s rehearsal. Finish the main story and bring at least 600 Banandium Gems before attempting it.

SL1200 — Landing and Shedlight Cave

1. Beneath the White-Sand Landing

At the SL1200 landing, excavate directly beneath the white sand.

2. Alighted in the Radiance Layer!

Collect the three-gem story reward when you arrive in the layer.

3. Deep Down in Shedlight Cave

In Shedlight Cave, dig below the floor and use Kong Bananza to breach the concrete underneath.

SL1201 — Glowboa Grotto and the Snake Elder

4. Ssslithered Past Shedlight Cave!

This three-gem bundle follows the story route out of Shedlight Cave.

5. Shifty Smash: A Thorny Situation

Start the Shifty Smash and clear every marked wall. Elephant Bananza removes large sections quickly; check the upper edges for anything left.

6. A Light Snack

At the SL1201 entrance, break through the wall to the opposite side and inspect the opening.

7. Revealed by the Light

Place a Glow Stone in the empty coil. The illuminated mechanism opens the gem’s door.

8. Glowing Fruit in the Darkness

Enter Dim Lights in the Darkness and collect the gem on its main route.

9. Sharp Eye for a Banana

On the broad Crockoid platform, illuminate the loose coil to the left. Cross the platforms that appear.

10. Guided by Glowing Fruit

Finish Dim Lights in the Darkness and collect the reward at its exit.

11. Adrift in Glowboa Grotto

Dig into the hill in Glowboa Grotto rather than searching only its outer surface.

12. Battle: Some Light Smashing

Below Constrictor Corridor, find the cave entrance facing the next sublayer’s shaft. Pay the entry fee and clear the battle.

13. Sitting on a Snake's Head

Climb onto Constrictor Corridor’s roof on the side facing the Snake Elder.

14. Over the Elder's Head

After gaining Snake Bananza, spring onto the platform above the Snake Elder.

15. Bathing in the Essence of the Sun

In the lava chamber with a Trapantuloid, use Elephant Bananza to remove the lava and expose the buried gem.

16. Atop an Unlit Landing

On the zipline toward the Ancient Record, dismount to the right and land on the pillar.

17. Sneaky Room under Sand

In Snake Bananza: Charged Climb, dig through the square sand patch to reach the concealed room below.

18. Springing off Sandy Steps

Follow Charged Climb’s main route and collect its intermediate gem.

19. Swift and Shocking Ascent

Complete Charged Climb to reach the final reward.

20. The View beyond Glowboa Grotto

From Constrictor Corridor’s roof, use Ostrich Bananza to reach the doorway on the right-hand wall.

Snake Elder’s Rehearsal — Postgame

21. Ran the First Scale!

Postgame rehearsal: charge-jump up the First Scale to the first Coda.

22. Summited the Snaking Path

At the First Scale Coda, take the left cannon. Climb the winding stone platforms to their summit.

23. Ran the Second Scale!

Complete the Second Scale; Boom Rocks open the concrete barrier on its route.

24. Floated Aloft with Laser Precision

From the Second Scale Coda’s left cannon, carry Liftoff Ore and use Glare to ascend safely through the spinning lasers.

25. Ran the Third Scale!

Climb the Third Scale’s dark terrain and operate the blue switch to advance the moving platform.

26. Snaked by without Going Boom

Take the Third Scale’s side route. Use Glare to keep the Boom Rock hazards under control while climbing toward the ceiling.

27. Ran the Fourth Scale!

On the Fourth Scale, charge-jump through the moving block. Use Glare for the electrified section before the Coda.

28. Sink like a Crock

In the Fourth Scale detour, break the concrete floor beneath the three invulnerable Crockoids. Drop them into the water to clear the encounter.

29. Ran the Final Scale!

At the Final Scale, combine Glare and charge jumps to climb the falling walls. Reach the Snake Elder’s Throne for three gems.

SL1201 — Chip Exchange

30. Radiance Chip Exchange

Make one Banandium Chip exchange in this layer. Further purchases do not create additional collection entries.

SL1202 — Sculptors’ Studio and Control Tower

31. Unveiled in the Sculptors' Studio!

Collect the three-gem story reward on reaching the Sculptors’ Studio.

32. Battle: Shining Through

After restoring the artificial sun, revisit the two doors near the sublayer entrance. Clear the battle behind one of them.

33. Ceiling Swingin' Snack

Drop through the hidden opening into the lava-gap room. Snake Bananza can reach the ceiling mesh; traverse it to the gem.

34. Staying Fresh in the Storeroom

With the sun operating again, search the other entrance-side doorway for the storeroom reward.

35. Battle: Dive-Bombing Run

Use Snake Bananza to reach the elevated battle portal. Defeat the three Trapantuloids.

36. Perfectly Preserved in Crystal

Break the crystal enclosing the gem rather than looking for a separate entrance.

37. Shifty Smash: A Dark Climb

Start the climbing Shifty Smash and use charged Snake jumps to reach and destroy the targets before time runs out.

38. Soaking in the Essence of the Sun

On the Central Control Tower’s lowest floor, remove the lava with Elephant Bananza.

39. Warmed by Flaming Barrels

Check the ceiling in the flaming-barrel section and climb high enough to break the hanging gem.

40. Safe in the Barrel-Free Zone

Time a crossing between falling barrels, then go behind the wall separating their two lanes.

41. Summited the Solar Control Tower

In the tower’s Crockoid room, break upward through the ceiling and enter the neighbouring chamber.

42. Hidden in the Girders

In Arcade Country, inspect the gold route above the main path. A charged Snake jump to the upper-right reveals the bonus gem.

43. Jumpin' like Jumpman

Collect the gem along Arcade Country’s platforming route.

44. Climbing to a High Score

Finish Arcade Country for the course’s last gem.

45. Wishing on a Synthetic Sun

Exit the tower’s top room onto its balcony. Spring onto the roof and walk around to its rear edge.

SL1203 — Serpent Sands and Window Viper

46. Settled upon Serpent Sands!

This three-gem bundle is awarded along the story route into Serpent Sands.

47. Balloons under the Dunes

At Serpent Sands, break the nearby crystal and drop into the cave. Clear the five Trapantuloids and pop the balloons to reveal the bottom-floor reward.

48. Obssscured in a Dune Cave Nook

On the dune cave’s second floor, climb the snowy wall to the highest corridor.

49. Deep in a Dune Cave Hallway

In the second-floor passage with ceiling thorns, get past the Trapantuloid and excavate the sand patch. Search the corridor below.

50. Bloomed in the Radiance Layer

Return for Bloomintone and use Kong Bananza to remove the concrete shielding the flower from the light.

51. Battle: Shadow and Sunlight

Dig into the Void Kong ice-head sculpture and enter its manhole. Clear the Gloominoid and Illuminoid battle.

52. Shifty Smash: Timing Is Everything

Stand on the circular platform mark. When the targets are farthest away, use Glare and a charged jump to destroy the whole formation.

53. Radiance Fragmentone Recovery

Excavate the snowy circle inside the open-mouthed snake ice sculpture. Take a Glow Stone and escort one Fragment across before the moving wall sweeps it away.

54. Radiance Fragmentone Restoration

Return all three Fragments to Fragmentone for the restoration reward.

55. Battle: Vaulting Virtuoso

Excavate the Grumpy Kong ice-head sculpture and clear the two-Molevoloid battle underneath.

56. Radiance Smashin' Stats

Destroy 70,000 cubic metres of crystal, then speak to Smashintone in the concealed snowy room. Constrictor Corridor and Window Viper are useful crystal-rich areas.

57. Lit-Path Switchback

In Surfing in Shadow, drop below the rest-stop platform and take an Illuminoid shell. Turf Surf back across the narrow sunlit branch to the right.

58. Shadow-Path Rest Stop

Collect the intermediate gem on Surfing in Shadow’s route.

59. Shadow-Path Finish Line

Finish Surfing in Shadow for its exit reward.

60. Tip o' the Stone Snake's Tongue

Enter the snake sculpture and break the switch that removes the Voided Terrain. Return to the tongue to collect the gem.

61. Hanging Out beneath the Oasis

Below the ceiling gem, clear the lava with Elephant Bananza. Switch to Snake Bananza and spring upward.

62. The Radiance Growtone

Feed the Radiance Growtone 400 gold for the first reward.

63. The Hungry Radiance Growtone

Continue feeding Growtone; the next stage requires another 1,700 gold.

64. The Sated Radiance Growtone

The final feeding stage costs a further 1,900 gold.

65. Grown beneath the Growtone

Inspect the space beneath Growtone and use Snake Bananza to spring up to the concealed gem.

66. Cranky's Radiance Rant

Find Cranky on the snake ice sculpture and speak to him.

67. Under the Viper's Chinny-Chin-Chin

At Window Viper, climb the side opposite the ladder. Traverse the overhead mesh to reach the ceiling gem.

68. Battle: Open the Window

Exit through the window and climb around the outside to the manhole. Defeat the five Crockoids inside.

69. Head in the Shade Clouds

In the three-pillar cloud section, charge-jump to the top of the first pillar.

70. Pillaged from a Shade-Cloud Pillar

Climb the middle pillar in two stages, then dig into its summit to reach the inner chamber.

71. Walkin' on Shade Clouds

Follow the cloud walkway. Activate the distant light mechanism with a thrown piece of terrain to extend the final section.

SL1204 — Crystal-Cobra Den

72. Crashed the Crystal-Cobra Den!

Collect the three-gem story reward at the Crystal-Cobra Den.

73. Hidden in the Moving Wall

In Strong, Shady Clouds, inspect the thorn-covered wall across the starting gap. Break it to expose the hidden gem.

74. Sticking to the Shadows

Follow Strong, Shady Clouds’ route for its intermediate gem.

75. Through Shadows and Thorns

Finish Strong, Shady Clouds to reach the last course reward.

76. Swallowed by the Snake

Break into the snake-shaped crystal arch to expose the final numbered gem.

Fossils and the Final Collection Check

Use Hand Slap sonar while clearing the layer’s destructible terrain, then compare the fossil total in the map menu with 72. Buy missing fossil maps when available and check ceilings, buried rooms and the walls along side routes. Keep fossils separate from the 76 numbered Banandium entries when checking your completion totals.