Lesser known game knowledge
This wiki article highlights elements of Donkey Kong 64 which aren't as well known which might help you with your seeds
There is a dirt patch that is hiding under a section of grass near the mill in Fungi Forest that is very well hidden. This is raised with a quality of life option, however, this is optional so it might be in the lower position if you have this option disabled.
The Wind Tower at the top of Creepy Castle has 3 switches which are intended to be shot using Sniper Scope. However, these can be shot using homing ammo instead.
Diddy's Lower Cabin in Caves (where you have to defeat an enemy gauntlet) is intended to require Rocketbarrel. That being said, the ledges of the platforms around the room are low enough that Diddy can backflip up and grab a ledge, completely skipping Rocketbarrel.
Loading Zone Randomizer only: There is a switch inside the mountain in Jungle Japes which spawns a bridge segment. However, the gap that is filled by this bridge is small enough that you can jump across it. This is only ever relevant in Loading Zone Randomizer given that you require Peanut to enter the mountain anyway.
Tiny Kong has a bonus barrel inside the giant mushroom which is accessible by slamming a switch at the bottom of the Giant Mushroom. It's a common myth that it also requires twirl to access this barrel. However, the gaps that you have to cross are well within reach of using Tiny's regular moves.
With Kasplat Location Rando, some Kasplats may appear underwater. Whilst you cannot kill them with anything whilst swimming, you can shoot them from the surface or play your instrument to kill them, then swim down to obtain the reward once killed.
There are a couple mazes in the game (Greenhouse maze in Creepy Castle, and a bonus minigame maze) which provide you with Orangstand sprint. However, the timers with these mazes are sufficiently long enough to where they can be beaten without using Orangstand Sprint and with any kong.
The switches in the lava room in Llama Temple are intended to get a Golden Banana for Tiny Kong. By slamming the switches, platforms are raised from the lava. However, this is easily skippable by using twirl or taking some damage in the lava to make it across.
Lanky and Tiny both have an item at the top of Production Room in Frantic Factory that they need to obtain (with Tiny's being locked behind a bonus barrel). However, unlike Chunky's and Diddy's items in Production Room, you don't need to slam Tiny or Lanky's switches at the bottom of the production room to get them to spawn. Slamming the switches is in logic though.
The rematch against Dogadon which includes him sinking the platform does not require Primate Punch to beat, only Hunky Chunky.
The easiest way to beat Jetpac is by avoiding moving to future levels. Sticking to level 1 will provide you with easier enemies with enough point drops to get the required points quickly.
Kongs have varying speeds in various mediums. As such, you will find certain timed challenges easier by using certain kongs and certain movement options
Ordered from fastest to slowest
DK: Rolling
Krusha: Skating *
Diddy: Cartwheel Jumping
Lanky: Long Jumping **
Chunky: Long Jumping
Tiny: Long Jumping
(*) Krusha being second fastest is a rando change for balancing. If you are playing vanilla, he's roughly the same speed as Tiny/Chunky
(**) Lanky has a faster movement style with repeatedly entering Orangstand and jumping as soon as possible. This isn't very friendly for newcomers or on hands in general, so I wouldn't recommend doing it
Ordered from fastest to slowest. All kongs use the "hold A" swimming as their fastest, so this is purely a list of who is the fastest kong underwater.
Diddy
Lanky (Difference to Diddy is 0.0005%, so don't focus too much on Lanky being second)
Chunky
DK
Tiny
Krusha *
(*) Krusha's speed underwater varies with the kong he replaces. In general though, he's pretty bad.
The projectiles that kongs shoot from their guns has differing damage values:
Coconuts: 2 dmg
Peanuts: 2 dmg
Grapes: 1 dmg
Feathers: 1 dmg
Pineapples: 3 dmg
Limes (Krusha): 3 dmg
The Baboon Blast courses across the game require Baboon Blast to enter. However, it's worth noting that the cannon barrels in DK's Helm Target minigame and in DK Phase of K. Rool are dependent on the "Balanced Phases" setting. If that setting is enabled, those cannon barrels DO require Baboon Blast.
Despite the name and the similarities to another move ("Orangstand"), usage of Orangstand Sprint does NOT require having regular Orangstand.
Tiny Phase is intended (and logically required) to be beaten with Feather Bow. However, firing oranges at K. Rool's toes also works as opposed to feathers
There is a stone door which blocks a few checks in Japes with Rambi's face on it. This normally requires Rambi's Z+B attack in order to destroy. There is a setting (Misc Changes > Vanilla fixes) which also allow's Rambi's B attack to work on this, however this is worthwhile knowledge for those who have this setting off.
The game normally expects you to use Diddy's Rocketbarrel, nighttime or the night door on the interior portion of the Giant Mushroom in Fungi to access the platforms below the top platform on the Giant Mushroom exterior. However, these are all accessible without glitches just by jumping off in the right locations.
The switches to change the time of day in Fungi Forest normally require guns to activate the switches. However, these switches can also be activated with oranges. However, this is not in logic due to it's obscurity.
Taking damage to obtain something is never in logic. As such, being able to get past the first patch of harmful quicksand in Aztec requires either vine swinging or twirl to logically bypass. As a result, you will find one of those moves before being required to get anything in Aztec.
There is a gap on the climb up the interior of Giant Mushroom with a singular vine in the middle. Whilst this implies that this vine is required, it is entirely possible to cross this gap without it
Due to how the moving K. Rool ship in Galleon is constructed, the switch on the top of this ship is not affected by Progressive Switch Strength.
Red Klaptraps are unused enemies in the vanilla game aside from being present in one cutscene in the game. Red Klaptraps, unlike their purple cousins, are weak to ammo.
Robo-Kremlings that normally reside in Frantic Factory can be defeated with a primate punch or an orange throw
Specific to DK64 Randomizer, if a Kop is found outside of the "Stealthy Snoop" minigame, it has a series of distraction mechanics which will temporarily hinder it's ability to spot a player:
- A kop will be classed as distracted when it is Idle. The kop will have varying levels of distraction based on what it's doing:
- When the kop is idle but not doing it's extended animation where it's walkie-talkie fails (and it proceeds to bash it to get it to work), it will only be able to see in front of it, and will have a reduced range of vision. This allows the player to sneak behind it and kill it using conventional attacks.
- When the kop is idle and doing it's extended animation, the kop will not see you at all regardless of position relative to the kop.
- Setting up DK64 Randomizer
- Logic, Hints and Game Information
- Logic Tips & Tricks
- All about Hints
- Lesser Known Game Knowledge
- General Strategies
- Vanilla Coin Locations
- Vanilla Item Locations
- Vanilla CB Requirements
- Custom Locations
- Distributions
- Random Settings Distributions
- Racing and Sharing Seeds
- Custom Music