The Freezer Layer is the fifth level of Donkey Kong Bananza and where the game starts to really get challenging. From this point on, you’ll really have to fight for your bananas and unlocking every corner of the map requires playing further through the game — you’ll need more than just the Zebra Bananza power to cross ice bridges, you’ll also need to fly if you want to grab every banana. Check out the full guide below for help collecting all the bananas on sub-layer 500.
Banana Locations | Freezer Layer SL500
Chillin’ in the Freezer Layer – The first banana you’ll find is right at the start of SL500, in the snow straight ahead after you land.
Across Crumbly Bridge – After crossing the Crumbly Bridge and reaching the Sherbert Village, you’ll earn this banana. It’s right in your primary path, you can’t miss it.
Cracking Open Coolstripe Cavern – At the Sherbert Village, DK will learn he needs to transform into a zebra. Go to Coolstripe Cavern entrance to find it blocked with voided turf. Follow the purple path to the house on the right and destroy the core, then use Dive Punch on the pad to split open the cave entrance. There’s a banana straight ahead.
Deep in the Cavern – Moving through Coolstripe Cavern, you’ll find this banana buried in gold turf about halfway through the passage. You’ll find it after DK learns to knock down icicles to create platforms.
A Snowy-Cliffside Secret – From Cold-Colt Crest, slide down the first snowy slide and reach a small igloo building. Dig into the turf to the right to find a secret banana in a cave chamber.
A View of Crumbly Bridge – Down the second snowy slide, there’s an entrance to a cave at the base of the Cold-Colt Crest mountain. Go inside and climb up to find a banana. Check the location on the map above for more help.
Battle: Snowball Rollin’ – At the bottom of both snowy slides at Cold-Colt Crest, there’s a small house with a battle arena portal. Open it and defeat the three snow-covered roller enemies to earn a banana gem.
Slumbering in the Snow – At the base of Cold-Colt Crest, circle around to the back to find a cave entrance with a Zebra NPC. Talk to him to get a banana location — in the cave you’ll find a Getaway and a mound of snow. Dig into the snow for another collectible.
Turned Up Under Turnips – To the left of the Zebra NPC, punch through the turf to find a banana. You can also find it by pulling up the turnips in the dirt directly above the location marked on the map.
Under the Cliff-Edge Scoop Hut – At the base of Cold-Colt Crest, there’s a large three-scop tall hut. Dig through the floor of the hut to find a banana.
Enshrined atop the Pillar – Past the scoop hut, there’s a slippery metal pillar in the field. Throw snow turf and mud onto the pillar to create a path DK can climb or jump up to the top.
Over the Freezing River – Go to the thin ice bridge connected Cold-Colt Crest to the Snowy Crossroads village. Beneath the bridge there’s a river. Look on the tall rock to the right. You can reach this area with the Zebra transformation.
Clearing A Red-Hot Path – Beneath the entrance to the Snowy Crossroads Village, beneath the ice bridge, there’s a Challenge Course with three banana collectibles. Reach the mid-point of this lava-filled challenge course to get this gem.
Behind the Red-Hot Paths – Moving toward the top cylinder, DK needs to punch a roller enemy to clear lava then climb on the cylinder exterior, following the spinning layer of lava. This lava will continue past the metal barrier — keep climbing right and follow the clear spot to find a hidden alcove.
Climbing A Red-Hot Path – Reach the top of the challenge course to earn the third banana.
Hidden Behind the Waterfall – Back at the cold river under the ice bridge between Cold-Colt Crest and the village. Climb behind the waterfall to find a cave path filled with snow.
The Freezer Growtone – To the right as you enter the Snowy Crossroads village, there’s a shop hut. Behind the hut, there’s a tree Fractone that wants to eat gold. Feed it enough gold to grow its first branch.
The Hungry Freezer Growtone – Keep feeding the Fractone gold until it grows a second branch.
The Sated Freezer Growtone – Feed the Fractone gold until it is fully grown and won’t eat anymore. The third banana will appear on the top branch.
Battle: Quick Quake Quarrel – To the left of Coolstripe Cavern, there’s a battle arena in the snow. To win, sprint to the end of the ice platform and hit the quake pad with a Dive Punch.
Un-Voiding the Scoop Hut – To the right of Coolstripe Cavern, there’s a void-covered snow sculpture of a zebra head. Once you clear the void material, punch into the snow head to get a banana.
Freezer Hide-And-Seek – On the right side of the village at the Snowy Crossroads marker, there’s a simple NPC between two huts. The Fractone challenges DK to find four missing rock creatures. Find four identical shapes nearby.
Heavily Protected Produce – Past the hide-and-seek banana challenge, there’s a bunch of Voided material — follow it to the core and break it to free the banana.
Edge of a Cool Pool – Inside Coolstripe Cavern, reach a giant icicle DK needs to knock down to cross cold water. After it falls, look to the right to spot a banana gem. Dig to the banana to reach it.
Beware Falling Icicles – Continue into Coolstripe Cavern until you reach a Getaway. In this chamber, there’s a buried gem on the right side of the main path.
Battle: Barely Skating By – In the same chamber, go to the back-right wall to find an alcove with a battle arena portal. For this challenge, skate on the narrow path and defeat all the enemies before the time limit runs out.
Sitting on the Snow – Continue from the ice chamber up a hill and into a hallway in the Coolstripe Cavern. To the left in the hallway, there’s a passage that leads up to an exterior ledge. There’s a banana in the snow near a getaway and a thin ice bridge.
Gazing at the Cooling Tower – Pushing on through the caves of Coolstripe Cavern, there’s another exterior ledge to the left after climbing the ice wall.
Shifty Smash: Above the Caverns – Above Coolstripe Cavern there’s a plateau that’s reachable by an ice bridge. Use the Zebra transformation to reach the top, which is unlocked later in the Freezer Layer, and activate the Shifty Smash mini game at the top. Like before, this one requires the Zebra Bananza to complete.
Kept in a Coolstripe Cubby – At Coolstripe Cavern Exit checkpoint, before dropping into the large chamber with the stake pit that leads to SL501, there’s a banana hidden directly below the ledge you enter the chamber from.
Shifty Smash: Ice-Cold Lakeside – At the base of the Cooling Tower, there’s a Getaway DK can build. Nearby there’s a circular-shaped island in the frozen water. Activate the triangle and complete the Shifty Smash challenge here.
Crumbly Road Run – On the back of the giant Zebra head cooling tower, there’s a challenge course portal on the exterior about halfway up. For this challenge, you’ll need to use the Zebra Bananza to collect five bananas on the ice road. Get all five and a gem will spawn at the start.
U-Turn on a Crumbly Road – To get this hidden banana, immediately turn around after landing on the ice road and check behind the pillar.
A Crusty Trust Fall – The final banana is right underneath the start of the ice road, beneath the barrel cannon. Let the ice bridge crumble to reveal another floor below.
Cranky’s Freezer Rant – This time Cranky is found at the very top of the Cooling Tower. Reach the top room where DK fought a boss, then exit through the left window to an exterior walkway. There’s a wall out here DK can climb to reach the hut at the top.
Scoop Hut In the Sky – This tricky banana is on a floating island above the village. To reach it, go from the top of the Cooling Tower where Cranky was located and reach the nostrils of the tower. You’ll need to unlock the Ostrich Bananza from Forest Layer, then use the Ostrich Form to glide on the wind currents to reach this gem.
Coolstripe Cavern’s Lost Treasure – At Coolstripe Cavern Exit, look to the left of the pit. There’s a thin ice wall here DK can smash to reveal a well-hidden banana.
Behind the Cooling Tower’s Eyes – From Cranky’s Hut at the top of the cooling tower, drop down onto the nose of the giant Zebra head. Turn around and punch through the eyes to find a hidden catwalk entrance.
Freezer Chip Exchange – The last banana for SL500 is actually on SL501. Drop down to the Canter Creamery village in SL501 and use the Banana Chip Exchange. Trade 40 chips and 160 gold to the shop to earn a banana.
