In Donkey Kong Country 2, the player can also use the 'Team-Up' ability to throw the secondary Kong while riding on Hot Air Balloons in order to reach collectables or another vacant balloons. In both versions of the same game, some barrels appear sitting on the balloons, and the player can grab these objects or even place them safely on these platforms. At that occasions, the primates must defeat the enemies first before taking control of the same Hot Air Balloons.

In Donkey Kong Country 2, enemies, such as Neeks and Krunchas, can be found walking back and forward over the balloons, but they cannot control these platforms. After the Kongs have found Rambi the Rhinoceros or being turned into the Animal Buddy, he is also capable of travelling on Hot Air Balloons. It is also possible for the heroes to ride on the balloons while carrying objects. If the player falls off or misplaces a Hot Air Balloon, they just need to leave and return to the screen where the mobile platform was present initially, making a new balloon to appear at the same location. The primates can leave the Hot Air Balloons by reaching solid ground or jumping between platforms and another balloons. While gliding, the player must also avoid harm from aerial enemies, such as Zingers and Flitters, flying on the way of the balloons. As soon as the Kongs ride on the Hot Air Balloons in the same game, they will just descend. However, in Donkey Kong Land 2, there are no steam streams, being impossible to elevate these balloons again. Also in Donkey Kong Country 2, if another steam streams are found, the same balloons can be elevated again by the player using the streams to float upwards. But these balloons will descend slowly when outside the steam range, forcing the player to advance quickly before the platforms sink in the lava pits, taking down the heroes too. As soon as the primates land on a Hot Air Balloon, the player can control the platform movement by using the 'Left' and 'Right' buttons. In Donkey Kong Country 2, they are blue balloons and will usually stay right above the steam streams over lava pits.

Hot Air Balloons only appear floating in the air inside lava stages of both games. In Donkey Kong Land 2, Hot Air Balloons are found in the stages Redhot Ride of the world Krem Cauldron, and Fiery Furnace of the Lost World. In Donkey Kong Country 2, they only appear in the stage Red-Hot Ride of the world Crocodile Cauldron. In the stages of both games where they are found, Hot Air Balloons are the only means of transportation over lava pits, and the player usually must use multiple balloons to traverse these sections between solid ground. Hot Air Balloons are mobile platforms used by the Kongs to traverse pits in the games Donkey Kong Country 2 and Donkey Kong Land 2. Serving as transportation for traversing over lava pitsДonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest,Дonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (for SNES) (1995) Artwork of a Hot Air Balloon from the game Donkey Kong Country 2.

Hot air bloon games