Editing Rocket Barrel

{{about|the large vehicle|[[Diddy Kong]]'s small jetpack|[[Barrel Jet]]|a move performed with the jetpack|[[Rocketbarrel Boost]]}}
{{item infobox
|image=[[File:Rocket_Barrel_DKCTF.png]]<br>A Rocket Barrel from ''[[Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze]]''
|first_appearance=''[[Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!]]'' ([[List of games by date#1996|1996]])
|latest_appearance=''[[Donkey Kong Country Returns HD]]'' ([[List of games by date#2025|2025]])
}}
{{quote|Rocket what? In my day, we had to walk uphill both ways to get around the island!|[[Cranky Kong]]| ''[[Donkey Kong Country Returns]]'' instruction booklet}}
A '''Rocket Barrel''' is a flying [[barrel]] based vehicle. They have had a number of roles, such as being ridden by characters, as obstacles, and as a projectile.

==History==
===''Donkey Kong Country'' series===
====''Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!''====
[[File:Rocket Barrel - DKC3 GBA.png|thumb|Screenshot from the remake of ''Donkey Kong Country 3'']]
A Rocket Barrel is used throughout [[Rocket Rush (level)|Rocket Rush]] in ''[[Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!]]''. The Rocket Barrel has a limited fuel supply that can be filled by [[Fuel Barrel]]s only.<ref>{{cite|quote=You'll have to collect all of the Fuel Drums as you drop or your flight will be a bust.|title=''Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!'' Player's Guide|page=116|date=1996|publisher=Nintendo of America|language=en-us|author=Munson, Terry, and Paul Shinoda}}</ref> The Rocket Barrel descends slowly for a third of the level.<ref>{{cite|title=''[[Nintendo Power]]'' Volume 92|page=71|date=January 1997|language=en-us|publisher=Nintendo of America|author=Tilden, Gail, et al.|quote=In the first third of the stage you'll maneuver your descending rocket between narrow cliff walls to the canyon floor.}}</ref> The Rocket Barrel can be moved either left or right, pressing {{button|snes|A}} releases exhaust fuel from the Rocket Barrel, but this causes the Rocket Barrel to run out of fuel quicker.<ref>{{cite|quote=You'll also burn less fuel if you limit the burn time on your retro rockets.|author=Munson, et al.|title=''Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!'' Player's Guide|page=116}}</ref> The Rocket Barrel also loses fuel faster from hitting obstacles.<ref>{{cite|author=Tilden, et al.|title=''Nintendo Power'' Volume 92|page=71|quote=Hitting obstacles slows your progress and wastes fuel.}}</ref> The [[Ignition Barrel]], which comes after the [[Star Barrel]],<ref name=ignition>{{cite|timestamp=0:45|url=youtu.be/o66r6uHevmU?feature=shared&t=45|title=Donkey Kong Country 3 (SNES) - Krematoa - Rocket Rush|author=[[User:VideoGamePhenomHD|VideoGamePhenom]]|date=June 12, 2020|publisher=YouTube|language=en|accessdate=December 12, 2024}}</ref> causes the Rocket Barrel to rapidly blast upward.<ref name=ignition/> The player characters eventually exit the Rocket Barrel and enter the final area with the [[Level Flag]].<ref>{{cite|timestamp=01:19|url=youtu.be/o66r6uHevmU?feature=shared&t=79|title=Donkey Kong Country 3 (SNES) - Krematoa - Rocket Rush|publisher=YouTube}}</ref>

In the [[Donkey Kong Country 3 (Game Boy Advance)|remake]], only green Buzzes can be defeated from exhaust flames, not red Buzzes. If the Rocket Barrel hits either type of Buzz, the player loses a Kong.

====''Donkey Kong Country Returns'' (''3D'' / ''HD'')====
[[File:Gear Getaway.png|260px|thumb|Donkey Kong moving a Rocket Barrel between pistons in [[Gear Getaway]]]]
Rocket Barrels reappear in ''[[Donkey Kong Country Returns]]'', its [[Nintendo 3DS]] [[Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D|port]], and its [[Nintendo Switch]] [[Donkey Kong Country Returns HD|port]]. They have been dramatically reinterpreted, now serving as an aerial equivalent to a [[Mine Cart]].  Initially, a Rocket Barrel resembles a [[Barrel Cannon]] but with red hoops and no symbol on the front. When the player hops inside, they have to mash the {{button|wii|A}} button to power it up. Each press sends out a loud blast of exhaust, and if the player does not press the button again soon enough, the Rocket Barrel resets back to its initial state. The Rocket Barrel launches after the button is pressed three times. It gains a rocket-like pointy top and reveals red fins. The [[Kong]]s are brought out of the craft and have to hold on from outside. Unlike ''Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!'', Rocket Barrels do not have a fuel supply in a gameplay-relevant sense. They move automatically across the entire level in autoscrolling scenarios, with the player steering to collect items and avoid hazards. The controls for a Rocket Barrel vary based on the level. Much like a Mine Cart, a Rocket Barrel explodes on contact with anything that is not an item or a balloon of a [[Mole Guard]]. This instantly defeats the player. In the New Mode of ''Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D'' and the Modern Mode of ''Donkey Kong Country Returns HD'', an equipped [[Crash Guard]] can protect the Rocket Barrel from two hits. Mercy invincibility is provided as normal, but like [[Banana Juice]] the protection of a Crash Guard is not replenished if Donkey Kong dies after using them. 

In side-scrolling levels, the player holds the {{button|wii|A}} button or {{button|wii|2}} button to rise up, and lets go of {{button|wii|A}} to let the Rocket Barrel descend. At the top edge of the screen, the Rocket Barrel enters a holding pattern instead of leaving the screen. The bottom of the screen is a [[pit]]. Once the player approaches the final platform of the level, the Rocket Barrel sputters and drops to the ground. While it explodes, this is an cutscene safely delivering the player to the area with the [[Slot Machine Barrel]]. In vertical-scrolling levels, the player can use {{button|wii|Stick}} or {{button|wii|padleftright}} to move left or right, though the controls are more slippery compared to when on on foot. Holding the {{button|wii|A}} or {{button|wii|2}} button makes the Rocket Barrel boost higher on the screen. If the button for boosting is not held, the Rocket Barrel descends back to the bottom of the screen. The player cannot leave the screen, being held up by the bottom edge and repelled by all other edges. The bottom edge and top edge prevent the Rocket Barrel from getting as close to them. There are only two vertically-scrolling Rocket Barrel levels: [[Lift-off Launch]] and [[Tiki Tong Terror]]. Both of them end arbitrarily: the first has the player rise into the clouds, while the second ends on a cutscene leading to the next part of the level. Lift-off Launch starts with the player entering a giant rocket that reacts to input like it is a Rocket Barrel, but the final input has the top half of the rocket open up to allow a Rocket Barrel to fly out.

There are two themes associated with the Rocket Barrel. "[[Mine Menace]]" is used for most horizontally scrolling levels. [[Hot Rocket]] plays a different arrangement of "Mine Menace". "Mole Patrol" is used for [[Mole Patrol]] and Lift-off Launch. The latter has a variation, titled "Red Rockin'", which only plays in Tiki Tong Terror. This second composition associates "Mole Patrol" ever so slightly more with the vertically-scrolling levels. These themes only start when the Rocket Barrel launches, and have a lower intensity version that plays once the player lands.

;Levels
*[[Peaceful Pier]]
*[[Mole Patrol]]
*[[Crowded Cavern]]
*[[Gear Getaway]]
*[[Lift-off Launch]]
*[[Hot Rocket]]
*[[Tiki Tong Terror]] (first part)

====''Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze''====
[[File:Flying snowballs.png|260px|thumb|The Kongs on the Rocket Barrel in [[Blurry Flurry]]]]
The Rocket Barrel also appears in ''[[Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze]]'' and its Nintendo Switch [[Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (Nintendo Switch)|port]]. It is mostly the same as in ''Donkey Kong Country Returns'' but can take up to two hits before exploding (three in the [[Nintendo Switch]] port's Funky Mode), which can once again be further extended by means of the returning Crash Guard. Likewise, the player can collect [[Heart (item)|Heart]]s on the way to restore part of the vehicle's hit points. In Hard Mode, the Rocket Barrel explodes from taking one hit, just like in ''Donkey Kong Country Returns''.

"Mine Menace" is once again utilized as the main music track in the Rocket Barrel stages, but this time the theme's instrument composition varies between each level.

;Levels
*[[Rodent Ruckus]]
*[[Twilight Terror]]
*[[Reckless Ride]]
*[[Blurry Flurry]]
*[[Rocket Rails]]

===''Donkey Kong Country'' television series===
The [[Donkey Kong Country (television series)|''Donkey Kong Country'' television series]] also features a rocket-like barrel referred to as the [[Barrel Rocket]]. In the episode "[[Barrel, Barrel... Who's Got the Barrel]]", it is used by [[Bluster Barrelworks]] to deliver barrels. In the later episode "[[To the Moon Baboon]]", the Rocket Barrel is used to transport several items to the moon as a time capsule.

===''Donkey Kong Barrel Blast''===
In ''[[Donkey Kong Barrel Blast]]'', a fleet of Rocket Barrels appear in the background in [[Cosmic Highway]], where they attempt to fire homing missiles at the racers and slow them. The Rocket Barrels cannot be destroyed. During one section of the course, the racers enter a giant Rocket Barrel through one side and exit the other.

===''The Super Mario Bros. Movie''===
[[File:DK's Rocket Barrel launches toward the 'dozer - TSMBM.png|thumb|left|Donkey Kong firing one of his kart's Rocket Barrels at the Koopa General's bulldozer in ''The Super Mario Bros. Movie'']]
[[File:TSMBM Rocket Barrel.jpg|thumb|right|Donkey Kong and Mario riding the other Rocket Barrel]]
In ''[[The Super Mario Bros. Movie]]'', a pair of Rocket Barrels, retaining their design from ''Donkey Kong Country Returns'' and ''Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze'' (with the addition of a stylized depiction of [[Donkey Kong]]'s face charred on the sides), appear as part of Donkey Kong's [[kart]]. Donkey Kong uses one to destroy the [[Koopa General]]'s kart on [[Rainbow Road]], and [[Mario]] and Donkey Kong later use the other Rocket Barrel to escape from a [[Maw-Ray]].
{{br}}

==Gallery==
<gallery>
RocketBarrel.png|''Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!'' sprite
Rocket Barrel - DKC3 GBA Sprite.png|''Donkey Kong Country 3'' (Game Boy Advance) sprite
DKBB RocketBarrel.png|''Donkey Kong Barrel Blast''
Rocket Barrel Returns.png|''Donkey Kong Country Returns''
Rocket Barrel DKCR.png|''Donkey Kong Country Returns''
RocketBarrelToy.jpg|''Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze''
The Super Mario Bros. Movie Rainbow Road Group poster.jpg|''[[The Super Mario Bros. Movie]]''
DKCRHD Rocket Barrel.png|''[[Donkey Kong Country Returns HD]]''
</gallery>

==Names in other languages==
{{foreign names
|Jpn=ロケットバレル
|JpnR=Roketto Bareru
|JpnM=Rocket Barrel
|Chi=火箭木桶
|ChiR=Huǒjiàn Mùtǒng
|ChiM=Rocket Barrel
|FreE=Tonneau-fusée
|FreEM=Rocket barrel
|Ita=Razzo barile
|ItaM=Rocket barrel
|Spa=Barril cohete
|SpaM=Rocket barrel
}}

==References==
<references/>
{{Barrels}}
{{DKC3}}
{{DKC TV}}
{{DKCR}}
{{DKCTF}}
{{TSMBM}}
[[Category:Barrels]]
[[Category:Aircraft]]
[[Category:Explosives]]
[[Category:Projectiles]]
[[Category:Spacecraft]]
[[Category:Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! objects]]
[[Category:Donkey Kong Country Returns objects]]
[[Category:Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze objects]]
[[Category:The Super Mario Bros. Movie objects]]
[[de:Raketenfass]]