Donkey Kong and his extended family are taking a vacation on Sun Sun Island. All of a sudden, they spot a gigantic banana at the top of the island's mountain. DK, begins to head up to the top of the mountain to find out just what's happening up there...

DK: Jungle Climber is an indirect sequel to the GBA game, DK: King of Swing. As in that game, players control DK by climbing with his left and right hands. The L-button makes DK grab with his left hand, and the R-button makes him grab with his right. Holding onto an object with one hand will make DK swing around it either clockwise or anti-clockwise, while pressing down L and R simultaneously will make him stop in place. DK can also attack enemies by pressing the A-button spin at them, and can even fly around if he has collected enough gems scattered around the levels.