Editing Rocket Barrel

{{about|the large vehicle|[[Diddy Kong]]'s small jetpack|[[Barrel Jet]]|a move performed with the jetpack|[[Rocketbarrel Boost]]}}

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.

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.