Porcupal
- Not to be confused with Porcupo.
Porcupals[1] are short porcupine-like enemies in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze and its Nintendo Switch port. They have long, pointed red bristles on their back (similar to Bristles enemy from Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!). Porcupals have long, turned-up snouts with small tusks and have a frowned face. Porcupals only appear in the Bright Savannah levels.
Like most enemies, Porcupals start out walking back and forth in an area. Upon noticing the Kongs, Porcupal's bristles go on fire and turn darker and sharper. In this state, Porcupals can only be defeated by water sacks, barrels or other throwable objects. A Porcupal's flames eventually die out, allowing the Kongs to defeat it by a Roll Attack or by stomping on it. Donkey Kong can Ground Pound near a Porcupal to extinguish it. Rambi the Rhino can defeat a Porcupal when its flames are put out, though if Rambi gets hit by a Porcupal's fire, the Kongs lose him.
Porcupals appear in two fire-themed levels, Frantic Fields and Scorch 'n' Torch. They also appear in Rickety Rafters and Bramble Scramble. In Frantic Fields, there are curled up, flaming Porcupals carried around by the wind; they cannot be defeated and must be avoided by the Kongs.
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | バーニンポーキュ[2] Bāninpōkyu |
Burnin' Porcu |
