Coconut Shooter
| Coconut Shooter | |
|---|---|
 Donkey Kong, wielding his Coconut Shooter, in artwork for Donkey Kong 64 | |
| First appearance | Donkey Kong 64 (1999) |
| Effect | Shoots out a refillable number of coconuts |
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 resembles a hollowed-out log with a twig sticking out of it, possibly the weapon's crosshair. Donkey Kong can purchase the Coconut Shooter at Funky's Store in Jungle Japes for three Banana Coins. The Coconut Shooter has a limited supply of coconut ammo, which Donkey Kong can use to shoot Banana Balloons, hit Coconut Switches, and snipe enemies from afar. By default, the Coconut Shooter's ammo is at half of its maximum capacity, but Donkey Kong can refill it from either Supply Crates (each providing five coconuts) or by visiting Funky's Store, where Funky Kong fully reloads the Coconut Shooter. Like the other weapons, the Coconut Shooter has a few upgrades that can be purchased at Funky's Store, including a larger ammo capacity, a sniper scope and homing ammo. One of the Coconut Shooter's first notable purposes is shooting the Coconut Switches near Diddy's cage in Jungle Japes to free him.
The Coconut Shooter is controlled just like the other Kongs' weapons. The player can have Donkey Kong take out his Coconut Shooter by pressing 
while holding 
. The player can have Donkey Kong enter first-person view by pressing the 
button. Pressing 
causes Donkey Kong to shoot out coconuts.
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[?] | Coco Spitter | |
| Italian | Cannone di Noci di Cocco[?] | Coconut Cannon | |
| Spanish | Escupecocos[?] | Coconut Spitter |
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
- ^ Nintendo (1999). Donkey Kong 64 instruction booklet. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 18.
- ^ Christmas 2010. Retro Gamer Issue 84. Page 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 June 2, 2024.
