Iron Barrel

File:K.RoolDonkeyKonga.jpg

King K. Rool getting hit in the head with a Steel Barrel in Donkey Konga.

A Steel Barrel (also known as a Steel Keg) is a type of Barrel seen in the Donkey Kong series. They first appeared in Donkey Kong Country, and have been a staple barrel in the series (although they did not appear in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest). This metal barrel is one of the most powerful weapons used by members of the Kong Family. The Steel Barrel can be picked up and thrown in the same manner as a normal wooden Barrel; however, the Steel Barrel does not break upon contact with an enemy or a wall (as it is made of steel, not wood). Instead, the metal barrel will keep on rolling, bounce off walls, and continue to roll on the ground until it falls into a gap or hits a powerful baddie. The Steel Barrel will destroy most any enemy it rolls into; as such, it can be used to take on entire chains of baddies. The Kongs can even jump on top of the barrel and ride with the weapon as it plows through enemies. Steel Barrels are also reusable, as a Kong can pick up a thrown barrel as it rolls by (and thus carry the barrel to a new location and throw it again). Steel Barrels are found scattered throughout Donkey Kong Island and the Northern Kremisphere.

An artwork of a Steel Barrel.

Steel Barrels are needed to defeat Koins in the game Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble and Donkey Kong Land III. The Kremling's DK Coin shield would deflect any weapon thrown at it. As such, a Koin could only be attacked from behind; however, it would always hold its shield between itself and the Kongs. Since the Steel Barrel did not break upon hitting a wall, the Kongs could bounce the metal weapon off a wall behind a Koin to destroy it and claim its DK Coin.

The Kremlings known as Bazukas are the only known enemies that use Steel Barrels in combat. Some Bazukas would fire Steel Kegs out of their bazooka-like weapons. A Kong hit by a fired Steel Barrel would run away from its partner (or lose an extra life if alone). However, the Kongs could jump on top of the metal barrels and not be injured. In fact, the Kongs often needed to hop from barrel to barrel to cross large gaps and pools of lava.

In the game Donkey Kong 64, three Steel Barrels appeared in a mill in Fungi Forest. Chunky Kong needed to destroy these three barrels using a grinder (within a time limit) to obtain a Golden Banana. Steel Barrels also appear in the game Donkey Konga, where, in a certain mini-game, the player uses a Steel Keg to bash King K. Rool in the head.

Steel Barrels appear in DK: Jungle Climber, as obstacles instead of items. Found floating in the air, these Steel Barrels can block passages and can only be destroyed by using Diddy Kong's hammer, detonating a TNT Barrel near it, or throwing a Bomb at it. Steel Barrels appear in the racing game Donkey Kong Barrel Blast. They appear, once again, as obstacles, though renamed Iron Barrels, mainly to trick the player into thinking they are regular barrels.