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How to unlock the secret Cloud world in Donkey Kong Country Returns HD

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Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong in Donkey Kong Country Returns HD key art.
Nintendo

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD offers a nice visual upgrade for one of the most beloved platformers of the past couple of decades. And if you’ve played this Kong adventure, you probably already know it’s a challenging affair from beginning to end, offering some of the toughest platforming on the Nintendo Switch. Things only get harder in its secret World 9: Cloud, which features a collection of all-new, ultra-difficult levels for you to complete. If you want to unlock this special set of additional outings, though, you’ll first need to do quite a lot of collecting. Here’s how to unlock the secret Cloud world in Donkey Kong Country Returns HD.

How to unlock World 9: Cloud

After beating the base game, you’ll be treated to the standard ending. However, a post-credit sequence will reveal an all-new Golden Temple that you can visit. When you approach it, you will notice it requires eight spheres to unlock.

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So how do you get these spheres? Well, after collecting all of the K-O-N-G letters in any given world, you’ll gain access to a K-level exclusive to that world, which rewards you with a rare orb when completed. Completing every K-level in the first eight worlds earns you, well, eight rare orbs. That takes care of that!

With all eight rare orbs in your possession, you can return to The Golden Temple and place them in the slots to unlock World 9: Cloud and face some of the game’s most intense challenges. Don’t worry — we believe in you.

Billy Givens
Billy Givens is a freelance writer with over a decade of experience writing gaming, film, and tech content. He started as a…
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