Bonus Barrel
| Bonus Barrel | |
|---|---|
 Artwork of a Bonus Barrel from Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest | |
| First appearance | Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (1995) |
| Latest appearance | WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase (2009) |
| Effect | Transports the player to a Bonus Area |
A Bonus Barrel,[1] also formatted as Bonus barrel[2] or bonus barrel,[3] is a recurring barrel that takes the Kongs to a Bonus Level. It first appears in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest as a replacement for the Blast Barrels from Donkey Kong Country that carry the Kongs up into a Bonus Level. In most of their appearances, Bonus Barrels are identifiable from their large B symbol in the center, on a yellow explosion with a red border, and a white-rimmed opening on top.
History[edit]
Donkey Kong Country / Donkey Kong Land series[edit]
In Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, its sequel Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! and their respective Game Boy counterparts, Donkey Kong Land 2 and Donkey Kong Land III, there is usually at least one Bonus Barrel hidden in almost every level. Bonus Barrels have the same function as the Blast Barrels that take the Kongs to a bonus room in both Donkey Kong Country and Donkey Kong Land. When the Kongs jump into a Bonus Barrel, it automatically launches or warps them to a bonus room (the former effect is in the original versions, and the latter, which has the explosive "B" design fade out in a swirl-type effect, is in Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! and the Game Boy Advance remakes). In the bonus room, the Kongs can complete a challenge to win either a Kremkoin or a Bonus Coin, which are necessary for unlocking levels of the Lost World and adding to the completion percentage. If the Kongs lose the challenge, they are redirected back into a specific point of the main level; usually they are able to re-enter the Bonus Barrel and reattempt the challenge.
Bonus Barrels also appear in the Game Boy Advance remake of Donkey Kong Country, replacing the Blast Barrels that send Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong to a bonus room. The player can add to their completion score by simply entering a Bonus Barrel, more specifically the bonus room, in all three versions of the game.
Bonus Barrels do not appear in Donkey Kong Country Returns and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, as Blast Barrels once again launch the Kongs to bonus rooms, while other bonus rooms are accessed by entering into secret passages.
Donkey Kong 64[edit]
In Donkey Kong 64, the design for Bonus Barrels was altered to show its prize, a Golden Banana, on a normal barrel. When the active Kong approaches a Bonus Barrel, purple sparkles appear around it. When the Kong jumps into a Bonus Barrel, it rapidly shrinks, and the Kong is warped into a Bonus Stage. By completing the challenge, the Kong is sent out of the Bonus Barrel, which shakes and breaks open, revealing a Golden Banana. The Training Barrels from the start of the game function similarly to Bonus Barrels. In Hideout Helm, there are five rooms connected to the main room with the Blast-o-Matic. Each room has two Bonus Barrels with a unique steel barrel-like design with King K. Rool's face. The Kongs are rewarded with a Banana Medal for each pair of challenges completed. These are also the only mandatory Bonus Barrels in the game, as they are needed to deactivate the machine.
DK series[edit]
In DK: King of Swing and DK: Jungle Climber, Bonus Barrels are larger than in the Donkey Kong Country and Donkey Kong Land games. In the former game, Bonus Barrels retain their usual function of taking the player character to a Bonus Level, while in the latter game, a Bonus Barrel redirects the player character into the bonus game, Banana Bonanza, redirecting them back into the main level after they complete the minigame.
WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase[edit]
In DK Country, one of 18-Volt's microgames from WarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase, the player must tap a moving Bonus Barrel to shoot Diddy Kong into the air while avoiding a Zinger.
Profiles[edit]
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest[edit]
- Wii U Virtual Console manual bio: "Jump into one of these to go to a bonus level."
Gallery[edit]
Donkey Kong 64 (Hideout Helm)
Donkey Kong Land 2 sprite
Donkey Kong Country (Game Boy Advance) artwork
Donkey Kong Country (Game Boy Advance) sprite
DK: King of Swing sprite
DK: Jungle Climber sprite
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Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ボーナスバレル[4] Bōnasu Bareru |
Bonus Barrel |
| Italian | Barile Bonus[5] Barile di bonus[6] Barile bonus |
Bonus barrel Bonus barrel Bonus barrel |
References[edit]
- ^ Nintendo (1995). Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest instruction booklet. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 18.
- ^ "There's at least two Bonus barrels secreted somewhere within each level, and you'll need to find and complete them all (thus earning a Bonus Coin) to see the game's full ending." – (December 1996). Nintendo Magazine System (UK) issue 51. Page 15.
- ^ "The bonus barrel in this level is actually invisible, but it's located directly above the Star barrel." – (February 1997). Nintendo Magazine System (Australia) issue 47. Page 47.
- ^ Nintendo (1995). Super Donkey Kong 2: Dixie & Diddy instruction booklet. Nintendo (Japanese). Page 25.
- ^ Nintendo (1996). Donkey Kong Land 2 Italian manual. Nintendo of Europe (Italian). Page 17.
- ^ Nintendo (1997). Donkey Kong Land III, Spanish-Italian manual. Nintendo of Europe (Italian). Page 48.
