| Rocket Barrel | |
 Figurine of the Rocket Barrel randomly purchased from the Funky's Fly 'N' Buy shop, as seen in the game Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. | |
| User(s) | Kong Family, Dixie Kong, Kiddy Kong, Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Cranky Kong, Funky Kong |
| Purpose(s) | Serving as aerial transportation for traversing vertical or horizontal levels |
| Game(s) | Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze |
| First Appearance | Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! (for SFC/SNES) (1996) |
| Latest Appearance | Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (for Switch) (2018) |
The Rocket Barrel is a type of flying barrel vehicle used by the Kongs as means of transportation through levels in the games of the Donkey Kong Country series.
Overview[]
Donkey Kong Country 3[]
The Rocket Barrel is first found in the game Donkey Kong Country 3, inside the Krematoa stage Rocket Rush. It is a barrel that can fly throughout the air to help Dixie and Kiddy Kong to progress. Upon entering the Rocket Barrel, a fuel gauge will appear at the right side of the screen. During the first half of the stage, the vehicle will just fall down. The player must collect Fuel Barrels in order to kept the rocket thrusters functional. The "Up", "Left" and "Right" directional buttons are used to control the thrusters. They can move the Rocket Barrel left, right or slow it down. However, any maneuvers deplete the fuel gauge faster. In the Super Family Computer/Super Nintendo Entertainment System version, the "Left" and "Right" directional controls for thrusters are inverted, and if the rocket falls too fast and hits any surface below, it breaks apart, defeating both heroes on the spot. Colliding against and burning red Buzzes can help the vehicle to slow down during the descent in this game version. However, in the Game Boy Advance version, the "Left" and "Right" directional controls for thrusters are no longer inverted. The thrusters can harm only green Buzzes, and upon direct contact with any enemies, each Kong will be harmed per time, forcing the player to avoid red Buzzes entirely in the GBA version.
The Rocket Barrel ascending during the second half of the Krematoa stage Rocket Rush, as seen in the game Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! for SFC/SNES.
At the end of the descent section (soon after reaching the Star Barrel of the stage present only in the SFC/SNES version), the Rocket Barrel will fall into a narrow chasm and collect the Ignition Barrel. The barrel ignites the main engine of vehicle making it to blast upwards. At the second half of the stage, the player must maneuver the vehicle around the cliff terrain. The "Left" and "Right" directional buttons must be used to activate each lateral thruster in order to move the rocket towards the left and right directions, according to the respective game versions. In the SFC/SNES version, colliding against surfaces above does not destroy the Rocket Barrel. However, the fuel supply is limited, urging the player to traverse the section quickly while avoiding to expend the entire supply. In that case, the vehicle will fall down and break apart upon touching the ground, harming both Kongs. In the GBA version, each collision against surfaces above depletes portions of the fuel gauge. There are also additional Fuel Barrels to collect through the section in the same game version.
Eventually, the Rocket Barrel will land on a wooden platform at the end of the stage, next to a Koin and the Stage Flag, blasting both primates out.
Donkey Kong Country Returns and Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D[]
Donkey and Diddy Kong flying horizontally on a Rocket Barrel while avoiding some Purple Squeeklies, as seen in the game Donkey Kong Country Returns for Wii.
In the games Donkey Kong Country Returns and Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, the Rocket Barrel's function is slightly different. It is used only in a few levels. Upon the Kongs entering the barrel by landing into it, the player must press the "Jump" button multiple times in order to blast off, and, afterwards, the primates ride outside of the vehicle. During the flight, if the rocket is hit once, the player will lose an extra life, similar to mine carts. There are two types of Rocket Barrel sections inside levels: horizontal or vertical. During horizontal sections, the vehicle will usually move towards the right direction, or the left one in the Mirror Mode. Without the player's inputs, the rocket will also descend. The player must press the "Jump" button in order to make the vehicle to ascend. For longer the button is pressed, more it will ascend. In some levels, good input timing is required by the player in order to traverse narrow passages while avoiding collisions against environments or enemies. In vertical sections, being more rare than the horizontal ones, the Rocket Barrel will always blast off upwards. The player can maneuver the vehicle left or right in order to avoid obstacles. As long as the "Jump" button is hold, the vehicle will accelerate, allowing to reach the top of the screen and also avoiding hazards coming from below of it. Usually, upon reaching the end of levels, the player will lose control of the Rocket Barrel, and it will start to break. The vehicle will eventually hit the ground and explode just before the Slot Machine Barrels. Despite the crash, the main characters suffer no harm during these sequences. In both games, Rocket Barrels appear inside the following levels: Peaceful Pier (Beach), Mole Patrol (Cave), Crowded Cavern (Cave), Gear Getaway (Factory), Lift-off Launch (Factory), Hot Rocket (Volcano), and the beginning of final boss level, Tiki Tong Terror (Volcano).
By entering the Cranky Kong's Shop during the New Mode of Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, the player can purchase one unit of the Crash Guard for ten Banana Coins. The item provides an extra hit of durability for the Rocket Barrel. The Crash Guard can only be used inside levels with vehicle sections, and it must be first equipped by the player via the Inventory menu after selecting a level in the world maps of the game.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze[]
Donkey and Diddy Kong on a Rocket Barrel moving horizontally and avoiding some enemies and obstacles, as seen in the game Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze for Wii U.
The Rocket Barrel acts in the same way in the game Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze as it did in the horizontal sections of Donkey Kong Country Returns and Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D: after entering the barrel, the player ignites it by pressing the "Jump" button multiple times, the rocket usually flies towards the right direction while descending, and holding the "Jump" button during the flight makes it to ascend. However, the vehicle can sustain two hits before the player losing an extra life. Rocket Barrels appear in the following levels: Rodent Ruckus (Autumn Heights), Twilight Terror (Bright Savannah), Reckless Ride (Juicy Jungle), Blurry Flurry (Donkey Kong Island) and Rocket Rails (Secret Seclusion).
By visiting the Funky Kong's Fly 'N' Buy shop located in most of the world maps of the game, it is possible for the player to purchase one unit of the Crash Guard for ten Banana Coins. Similar to the New Mode of Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, the item gives an extra hit of durability to the Rocket Barrel. The Crash Guard must also be equipped in the Inventory menu after the player selecting a level. Each player can equip until three units of the item for level. There are no restrictions on which levels the Crash Guard can be used, however, the item only works during vehicle sections.
Also in the Funky's Fly 'N' Buy shop, the player can expend Banana Coins and purchase random figurines of characters, enemies and some objects from a capsule toy machine. They are three-dimensional spinnable models which the player can visualize by accessing the Figurines option in the Extras menu. One of these random figurines is the Rocket Barrel.
Donkey Kong Country animated series[]
A large Rocket Barrel blasting off into the sky as seen in the first season of the Donkey Kong Country animated series.
A large Rocket Barrel also appears in the Donkey Kong Country animated series based on the game of the same name. The rocket is usually seen on a launch pad of the Bluster Kong's Barrelworks factory. The vehicle is used for delivering barrels made in the factory around the Kongo Bongo Island.
Gallery[]
Artwork[]
Screenshots[]
Sprites[]
See Also[]
 Barrels 
| |
|---|---|
| Transportation | Biplane • Bonus • Boo/Ghost • Booster • Cannon • Diddy & Dixie • Funky/Jumbo • Golden • Rocket • Rotatable • Steerable • Style • Tracker • Warp • Yellow Launcher |
| Projectiles | DK/Buddy • Steel Keg • TNT • Vine • Wooden/Regular |
| Enemies | Belcha • Dumb Drum • Kaboom • Klasp • Klobber • Knocka • Kracka • Kuchuka • Oil Drum |
| Player Status | Animal • Invincibility • Kong • Plus and Minus • Star • Tag |
| Other Status | Check and X • Krochead/Krockhead • Light • On & Off • Stop & Go • Switch |
| Fuel | Fuel • Ignition • Oil |
| Miscellaneous | ? • Button • Cranky's Training Barrel • Mega TNT • Shield |
