Editing DK Barrel

|image=[[File:PN DK Father's Day card DK Barrel.png|250px]]<br>Artwork from the [[Play Nintendo]] website

'''DK Barrels'''<ref>{{cite|date=1994|publisher=Nintendo of America|language=en-us|title=''Donkey Kong Country'' instruction booklet|page=17}}</ref><ref>{{cite|title=''Donkey Kong Country'' [[Nintendo Power|Player's Guide]]|language=en-us|date=1994|page={{file link|DKC Guide 20-21.jpg|21}}|publisher=Nintendo of America}}</ref> (alternatively spelled '''DK barrels'''),<ref>{{cite|title=''Nintendo Official Magazine'' (UK) issue 54|date=March 1997|page=46 and 52}}</ref> also named '''Buddy Barrels'''<ref>{{cite|language=en-us|date=1995|publisher=Nintendo of America|title=''Donkey Kong Land'' instruction booklet|page=10}}</ref><ref>{{cite|language=en-us|date=2000|publisher=Nintendo of America|title=''Donkey Kong Country'' Game Boy Color instruction booklet|page=11}}</ref> or '''Kong Barrels''',<ref>{{cite|language=en-gb|format=PDF|url=cdn02.nintendo-europe.com/media/downloads/games_8/emanuals/wii_u_6/donkey_kong_country__tropical_freeze/ElectronicManual_WiiU_DonkeyKongCountryTropicalFreeze_EN.pdf|title=''Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze'' electronic manual. Tab 16: "Barrels".|publisher=nintendo-europe.com|accessdate=July 4, 2024|archive=web.archive.org/web/20250114013213/https://www.nintendo.com/eu/media/downloads/games_8/emanuals/wii_u_6/donkey_kong_country__tropical_freeze/ElectronicManual_WiiU_DonkeyKongCountryTropicalFreeze_EN.pdf}}</ref> are a type of [[barrel]] appearing in nearly every [[level]] of the [[Donkey Kong Country (series)|''Donkey Kong Country'' series]] and [[Donkey Kong Land (series)|''Donkey Kong Land'' series]]. They are identifiable from the red-and-yellow "[[Donkey Kong|DK]]" letters on their sides. In these games, the playable [[Kong]]s additionally serve as the player's health. If the player only has one Kong in play, breaking open a DK Barrel reveals another Kong to join them. Most games have a restriction of two Kongs at once, so breaking more DK Barrels does not reveal more Kongs.

====''Donkey Kong Country Returns'' (''3D'' / ''HD'')====

DK Barrels return in ''[[Donkey Kong Country Returns]]'', its [[Nintendo 3DS]] [[Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D|port]], and its [[Nintendo Switch]] [[Donkey Kong Country Returns HD|port]]. Their mechanics are slightly different in nature because these games have a different health system. In single player, Donkey Kong is the primary playable character, with Diddy Kong only riding on his back and providing additional support. If they take damage, Diddy Kong loses his [[Heart (item)|heart]]s before Donkey Kong does, and falls away from the screen when all of his hearts are lost. Therefore, a DK Barrel can only ever contain Diddy Kong, and he warps onto Donkey Kong's back as an orange arrow after being released. If Donkey Kong is defeated while Diddy Kong is warping, Diddy Kong appears in full and is defeated on the spot. Unlike prior games, DK Barrels are always found on the ground and normally must thrown or dropped to break them. If a DK Barrel is thrown or dropped into an edge of the screen, it breaks as well. If a DK Barrel is being carried, thrown, or dropped as the player enters a cutscene for a boss battle, the barrel breaks. [[Rambi]] breaks DK Barrels on contact, which may be because Donkey Kong cannot [[Grab]] while riding Rambi. When broken, DK Barrels additionally restore Donkey Kong's hearts to their maximum. The same happens for Diddy Kong's hearts if he is already present. In the game's silhouette levels, the "DK" of a DK Barrel is not rendered in silhouette. Boss levels always have a DK Barrel available in the area before the boss battle starts. Temple levels lack DK Barrels.

If Diddy Kong warps onto Donkey Kong's back right as he starts a [[Roll Attack|Barrel Roll]], such as if Donkey Kong drops the DK Barrel by performing a Barrel Roll, Diddy Kong's presence immediately upgrades it to a [[Kong Roll]].

 

 

 

''Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D'' and ''Donkey Kong Country Returns HD'' allow the player to purchase DK Barrels (referred to as '''Portable DK Barrels''' in the former game's manual and promotional material)<ref>{{cite|date=2013|title=''Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D'' digital instruction manual|publisher=Nintendo|language=en|page=12}}</ref><ref>{{cite|author=Nintendo of America|date=May, 17, 2013|title=Nintendo 3DS - Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D Trailer|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KVX82n2UzY|timestamp="0:21"|publisher=Youtube|accessdate=Feb 2, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite|author=Nintendo of America|date=April 17, 2013|title=Nintendo Direct 4.17.2013|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSXyo0z6LKA|timestamp="12:12"|publisher=Youtube|accessdate=Jan 29, 2025}}</ref> from [[Cranky Kong's Shop]] in New/Modern Mode for five [[Banana Coin]]s each. When one of these barrels is equipped, and Diddy Kong is not present, it can be thrown (not carried) at any point where Donkey Kong can hold a barrel to the same listed effects. Equipped DK Barrels are thrown by tapping the Touch Screen in the 3DS version and pressing {{button|switch|leftstickbutton}} in the Switch version. States where Donkey Kong cannot hold Barrels (and thus cannot use a DK Barrel) include while in [[Mine Cart]]s, in [[Rocket Barrel]]s, in and shooting out of [[Barrel Cannon]]s, and on [[Rambi]]. Mirror Mode does not allow Donkey Kong to equip items.

DK Barrels return in ''[[Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze]]'' and its Nintendo Switch [[Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Nintendo Switch)|port]], functioning just like they did in ''Donkey Kong Country Returns''. With the addition of [[Dixie Kong]] and [[Cranky Kong]] as characters who stay on Donkey Kong's back, the barrels come in four new variations — a '''Diddy Kong Barrel''' marked with a blue "DD" instead of the usual red "DK", a '''Dixie Kong Barrel''' marked with a pink "DX", a '''Cranky Kong Barrel''' with a yellow "CK", and another one that contains all three spinning in a roulette-like manner. The first three rarely appear in levels but can be purchased at [[Funky's Fly 'n' Buy]] for 15 Banana Coins each, while the last is far more common. With it, Donkey Kong is able to choose his partner, by picking it up at the moment the desired Kong's insignia appears (or by [[Corkscrew (Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze)|corkscrewing]] into it, if it is underwater). Alternatively, he can ground pound in front of it in order to temporarily stop it in place.

Unlike in ''Donkey Kong Country Returns'', DK Barrels in the player's inventory are not thrown by command and are instead used automatically as soon as Donkey Kong enters the level, if he is alone. If he has another Kong with him, the DK Barrel is only used after that Kong is lost, even if the barrel is for a different Kong.

Normal DK Barrels only appear during co-op and [[Hard Mode]], the latter case being due to Donkey Kong only having one heart and not being assisted by the other Kongs. However, he can still use the DK Barrel as a weapon. In multiplayer mode, the second player can choose which of the partner Kongs to play as (Diddy, Dixie, or Cranky).

 

In the Switch version, a fifth variety of a DK Barrel based on [[Funky Kong]], marked with a purple "FK", appears exclusively in Funky Mode, where he is playable. As partners cannot be used while playing as Funky, it replaces all other DK Barrels in levels, and can only be used to restore health and defeat enemies; in addition, Funky cannot equip DK Barrels to his inventory.

In ''[[Mario Party 8]]'', when a character steps on a [[DK Space]] on [[DK's Treetop Temple]] or [[Goomba's Booty Boardwalk]] (or reaches a cannon on the former), Donkey Kong will appear before them by bursting out of a DK Barrel.

In ''[[Dr. Mario World]]'', Dr. Donkey Kong's skill in stage mode is to throw a DK Barrel at a 3x3 portion of the stage. This is done by tapping the screen when the automatically moving cursor is over the center of the area the player wants to hit. This eliminates [[Virus]]es and other objects in the area.