Coconut Shooter
- “His Coconut Gun can fire in spurts. If he shoots ya, it's gonna hurt!”
- —DK Rap
The Coconut Shooter (also known as the Coconut Cannon[1], and called the Coconut Gun in the DK Rap) is the personal weapon of Donkey Kong in Donkey Kong 64. It serves the same general purpose as the other Kongs' weapons.
Description
The Coconut Shooter resembles a hollowed-out log with a twig sticking out of it; the twig is possibly the weapon's crosshair. As the name implies, the Coconut Shooter shoots out coconuts.
The Coconut Shooter can be purchased at Funky's Store in Jungle Japes for three Banana Coins. This weapon allows Donkey Kong to shoot Banana Balloons, hit Coconut Switches, and snipe enemies from afar. The Coconut Shooter is an essential item because it is required for firing at Coconut Switches, the first time being to free Diddy Kong from his cage.
By default, the Coconut Shooter's ammo is at half of its maximum capacity. Donkey Kong can replenish the amount from either Supply Crates (each provides five coconuts) or by visiting Funky's Store, where Funky Kong fully reloads the Coconut Shooter.
As with the other weapons, the Coconut Shooter has a few upgrades that the Kongs can purchase at Funky's Store. This includes a larger ammo capacity, a sniper scope and homing ammo.
Controls
Just like the other Kongs' weapons, the player can have Donkey Kong take out his Coconut Shooter by holding 
then pressing 
. The player can have Donkey Kong enter first-person view by pressing the 
button. Like the other weapons, the player must press 
to make Donkey Kong fire out ammo.
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ココナッツ・キャノン[?] Kokonattsu Kyanon |
Coconut Cannon | |
| French | Crache-Coco[?] | ? |
Trivia
- In the game's official artwork, Donkey Kong is shown holding the Coconut Shooter only with his right hand and about to trigger it. In the game, he holds it with both hands and uses his left hand to trigger it, but holds it only in his right hand after he runs out of melon slices.
- A pre-release screenshot and video of Donkey Kong 64 shows that the Coconut Shooter used the model of a weapon similar to a realistic double-barrel shotgun as a placeholder before the developers figured out what to make the weapon. According to interviews with Donkey Kong 64 creative director George Andreas, the design of the Coconut Shooter came about when Shigeru Miyamoto was present during a test session of the game and, after the initial shock of the placeholder model, drew up a replacement.[2][3]
References
- ^ Donkey Kong 64 instruction booklet, page 18.
- ^ Retro Gamer #84, pg. 36
- ^ Power, Tom (December 6, 2019). As Donkey Kong 64 turns 20, the devs reflect on its design, the infamous DK Rap, and how a shocked Shigeru Miyamoto created the Coconut Shooter. GamesRadar+. Retrieved December 6, 2019
