This article is about the object. For theminigame inMario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, seeBarrel (minigame).

Barrel
Artwork fromDonkey Kong Country Returns HD
First appearance	Donkey Kong (1981)
Latest appearance	Mario Tennis Fever (2026)
Variants See below

Barrels (also calledPlain Barrels,^[1]Wooden Barrels,^[2]Normal Barrels,^[3][4] orRegular Barrels^[5][6]) in theSuper Mario franchise are objects most commonly used as projectiles for attacking other characters. In their original appearance,Donkey Kong, Barrels were used as such by the titularDonkey Kong againstMario, with the mechanic returning inDonkey Kong Country and subsequent games to aid Donkey Kong in defeating enemies. However, there are many exceptions from this mechanic, since in some games, barrels function as platforms or as simple item containers. Their physical appearance might change slightly between appearances, such as the number of hoops rimming the barrels, their tints and coloration, and their size.

Many variations of the normal barrel appear in the games, and a list where each of them is mentioned can be foundbelow. Largely due to its iconic role in the original arcade game and its use in theDonkey Kong Country series, the barrel has often been associated with Donkey Kong in his appearances, much likebananas.

History[edit]

Donkey Kong franchise[edit]

Donkey Kong[edit]

Artwork of a barrel fromDonkey Kong.

Barrels inDonkey Kong are obstacles encountered only in the first level,25m. The first obstacle faced byMario is a blue barrel thrown byDonkey Kong. When blue barrels roll into theoil drum, they spawnFireballs. If there are five Fireballs onscreen at the same time, Donkey Kong stops rolling blue barrels, and any remaining blue barrels do not create a Fireball unless Mario thins their number. Donkey Kong mostly rolls brown barrels at Mario which he can thenjump over. By jumping over a barrel, Mario is granted 100 points. However, barrels can sometimes roll downladders. Occasionally, Donkey Kong throws a brown barrel directly at Mario which goes through severalgirders. The very first blue barrel is also thrown like this but no other blue barrel behaves in this manner. By using ahammer, he can smash the barrels, awarding him 300 points for brown ones. Smashing blue barrels gives a random score of either 300, 500, or 800 points. If Mario comes in contact with a barrel, he loses a life.

Barrels in theGame & Watch version and its remakes within theGame & Watch Gallery series are thrown by Donkey Kong like before, but Mario cannot destroy them like before.

Barrels in theGame Boy version are nearly an exact imitation of their appearance in the original arcade game, meaning that barrels appear once again in the 25m stage. When Mario jumps over one, he is awarded 100 points, just like in the original game. Nevertheless, the player only earns 300 points upon destroying a barrel with a hammer, unlike in the arcadeDonkey Kong. Later in the game, Donkey Kong still uses barrels as attacks occasionally. When a rolling barrel encounters an edge and falls down to the platform underneath, Mario needs to perform ahandstand right under the falling barrel and stop it with his feet. The barrel then lands upright, and it can be picked up so Mario can throw the barrel back at Donkey Kong in order to damage him. This is the only game where barrels can actually crush Mario, via falling on him or running him over. When destroyed in certain levels, barrels can also releasePoison Mushrooms that cause Mario to shrink upon contact.

Donkey Kong Circus[edit]

A barrel inDonkey Kong Circus has to be balanced on by Donkey Kong in the manner of a circus ball while being watched by Mario. Donkey Kong has to dodgefireballs that fall from the oil drums above, and jugglepineapples, all while riding the barrel.

Donkey Kong Country andDonkey Kong Land series[edit]

Artwork of Donkey Kong getting set to throw a barrel

Donkey Kong Country introduces several types of barrels that theKongs can use to attack enemies. Regular barrels appear frequently in many levels throughout the game and can be picked up and carried by pressing the button on theSNES controller while the playable character is in front of the barrel. Donkey Kong lifts the barrel above his head, whileDiddy Kong carries it in front of his body. The barrel can then be tossed by releasing the button, after which it rolls on the ground ahead until it hits a wall or goes off-camera. Barrels can also phase through enemies and defeat them, although touching an enemy with a barrel while carrying it will result in the barrel breaking as well as the enemy being taken out. InDonkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!, barrels can break if they collide with an enemy while rolling. Regular barrels are needed to defeat tough or well-protected enemies, includingZingers andKrushas, and are sometimes needed to take down bosses, such asQueen B.,Kreepy Krow orBaron K. Roolenstein. During boss battles, there are specific methods of acquiring barrels: they can either spawn repeatedly without the player's input, appear after defeating a livingMini-Necky, or fall from the ceiling after the player pulls some pipes.

Some enemies also use barrels themselves.Manky Kongs toss them at the Kongs, similar to Donkey Kong in the original arcade game. WhenRambi bumps into a barrel thrown by a Manky Kong, the barrel does not break, but instead simply falls off-screen.

Diddy Kong and aKrusha standing next to a lone barrel inDonkey Kong Land.

AfterDonkey Kong Country, barrels retain the same functions they had in the aforementioned game. Despite being common inDonkey Kong Land 2 andDonkey Kong Land III, the firstDonkey Kong Land features only three barrels, each inJungle Jaunt,Freezing Fun, andTricky Temple. In this game, barrels are smaller and take the form of wooden kegs.

InDonkey Kong Country 2 andDonkey Kong Country 3,Dixie Kong can lift barrels over her head with her ponytail. InDonkey Kong Country 3,Kiddy Kong's method of holding barrels is the same as Diddy Kong's.

Kiddy bouncing on some barrels that drop down a waterfall

Other enemies are shown to use barrels as well. As stated above, Manky Kongs use barrels from an unlimited supply as weapons and always toss them towards the Kongs.Kannons fromDonkey Kong Country 2 shoot barrels that can be destroyed with a jump attack or by hitting a wall.Klobbers, also fromDonkey Kong Country 2, hide inside barrels that look identical to normal barrels. When the Kongs approach the barrel, the Klobber inside will start ramming into them. If they are stomped on the head, the barrel can be carried around and thrown like a normal barrel. InDonkey Kong Country 3, very similar foes calledKnockas use barrels in the same manner, only that now these are painted green with a grin.Belcha, the first boss ofDonkey Kong Country 3, is a large, animated barrel. It emits barrels from a hole that serves as a mouth. When these barrels are jumped on, they will break and yellowKnik-Knaks will come out.

In some instances, barrels also act as platforms. This is shown inDonkey Kong Country 2 andDonkey Kong Land 2, where they stay either aligned or stacked on top of each other on the ship deck levels, such asGangplank Galley andRattle Battle. They technically function as terrain not only for the players, but also for enemies and other objects. However, barrels that aren't just foreground elements, as the player and/or the environment can interact with them, are mainly featured inDonkey Kong Country 3.Ellie the Elephant is able to suck up and transport barrels with her trunk, and then throw them in the water; if done correctly, the barrels come to the surface of the river, and thus Ellie can use them as pseudo-bridges to pass the dangerous water guarded byNibblas. This can be seen inBobbing Barrel Brawl. In the stageBarrel Drop Bounce, many barrels fall down the waterfall here. The cause of their appearance is not shown, but they break upon hitting ground. While they are still falling, the Kongs can hop on them and quickly jump again on solid platforms; rows of barrels dropping down can also be encountered and stepped on in order to reach further platforms.

Barrels reappear inDonkey Kong Country Returns and itsNintendo 3DS version. While using barrels as items are about the same as the previous games, it does not retain the ability to defeat enemies while holding the barrel; rather the Kong holding the barrel will drop it when taking damage. Also, instead of throwing it overhead, the Kong holding it will throw it straight forward.Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze andits Nintendo Switch port keeps these changes, but brings back the throwing barrel animation to an overhead throw.

Donkey Kong 64[edit]

Barrels inDonkey Kong 64 have a few purposes. One of them is being a design patterns for many constructions, such asCranky's Lab and the slot machine of theBatty Barrel Bandit!. Barrels are still worn byKlobbers, which return as enemies. Although a Barrel is in the main menu, being lifted by Donkey Kong while he waits for the player to select an option, Barrels are seldomly used as objects during the main game itself. Barrels are first used in one ofCranky Kong's training minigames, then much later on in Diddy Kong's igloo fromCrystal Caves, and lastly byLanky Kong in the final boss fight againstKing K. Rool. The barrels in the boss fight each depict a small banana peel on the side and must be thrown by Lanky onto the ground to reveal a large banana peel, which Lanky can trick K. Rool into running on by playingTrombone Tremor, depending on where K. Rool is at. Least notably, relatively big barrels serve only for decorative purposes inside the main sunken ship ofGloomy Galleon and inside the barn with the club-wieldingKosha inFungi Forest.

Donkey Kong Jungle Beat[edit]

Sequence of a level inDonkey Kong Jungle Beat. Notice the barrel at the upper left of the screen, which already contains 66 bananas.

Barrels inDonkey Kong Jungle Beat are used to transportDonkey Kong to different kingdoms. These barrels all have a letter in front of them, with each letter spelling out the initials ofDonkey Kong Jungle Beat. The D Barrel links to theBanana Kingdom,Orange Kingdom,Watermelon Kingdom, andApple Kingdom. The K Barrel warps the player to theStrawberry Kingdom,Pineapple Kingdom,Lemon Kingdom, andGrape Kingdom. The J Barrel goes to theCherry Kingdom,Peach Kingdom,Melon Kingdom, andDurian Kingdom. The B Barrel introduces the player into thePear Kingdom,Lychee Kingdom,Chili Pepper Kingdom, andStar Fruit Kingdom. Completing all the kingdoms in each barrel allows Donkey Kong access to the next barrel.

A large barrel is also the heads-up display at the upper left corner of the screen, displaying the number ofbananas that Donkey Kong has collected in the level he is currently in. This very barrel is used by Donkey Kong to transport the bananas.

DK: King of Swing /DK: Jungle Climber[edit]

Barrels inDK: King of Swing andDK: Jungle Climber are merely harmless obstacles appearing in most levels, and can be broken if the player charges into them. Upon destruction, they reveal bonuses, such asbananas andmedals. Before getting destroyed, barrels can be stood on, just like on ground. InDK: King of Swing only, the player can store the first 50 bananas collected throughout the game inside a barrel, which is shown on the bottom right corner of the screen as an icon. The bananas can be consumed by the Kong to gain invincibility, and if the player has less than fifty bananas left afterwards, the barrel disappears and make room for four or less bunches of ten bananas.

Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast[edit]

Barrels inDonkey Kong: Barrel Blast appear as obstacles. If a character flies into a barrel, they will break it and severely decelerate. They can be avoided by jumping over them. Characters can also charge into them with aWild Move and destroy them successfully without slowing down; breaking a barrel this way awards the player fivebananas. A while after a barrel gets destroyed, another one spawns in its place. Along with normal barrels,Iron Barrels can be found throughout the courses.

Donkey Kong Bananza[edit]

A barrel inDonkey Kong Bananza

Green-colored barrels with a depiction of a symbol on them appear inDonkey Kong Bananza. Donkey Kong is able to break a barrel with apunch, which may containgold,Banandium Chips, anapple, anApple Juice, aMelon Juice, or aRed Balloon. Donkey Kong is also able to pick up a barrel and throw it.Crates function similarly to barrels. Standard-looking barrels also appear and are used as decoration around theUnderground World.

Donkey Kong (coloring/activity books)[edit]

In the first book of theDonkey Kong Strikes Again! series, Donkey Kong throws a barrel down at Mario while he is enjoying coffee, so he rushes towardPauline while she is doing her rehearsal. When they return to the construction site, Donkey Kong throws down a second barrel.

In the second book of the same series, which continues from the first book, Donkey Kong uses barrels to destroy the elevator button so Mario could not join Pauline at the top of the construction site and continues to throw barrels until Pauline tells them that she has a surprise for them.

Super Mario series[edit]

Super Mario Bros. Special[edit]

Barrels inSuper Mario Bros. Special are uncommon obstacles credited asTarusar. They are introduced inWorld 3-4 and continue to appear occasionally throughout the game. Tarusars retain their physics fromDonkey Kong, in that they roll continuously towards Mario. Their source is not seen, but they always fall from a certain height onto the ground before they start rolling.Mario cannot destroy Tarusars with astomp or fireballs, but he can use aHummer to destroy them in World 3-4. They can also be beaten by punching them from beneath abrick.

Super Mario Sunshine[edit]

Barrels, referred to as "Water Barrels" in thePrima Games guidebook,^[7] are throwable items inSuper Mario Sunshine that are filled withwater. They break when the collide with the ground, causing them to release large amounts of water that damages nearby enemies and washes awaygoop. Using barrels to wash away goop is significantly faster than it would be withFLUDD. Barrels can also beground-pounded to refill FLUDD's tank. These barrels are especially useful inEpisode 6 ofSirena Beach, where Mario must clean goop covering a large portion of the beach very quickly. InEpisode 4 ofPianta Village, a single barrel can be used to cool down the overheatedChain Chomp instantly.

Super Mario Galaxy[edit]

Barrels inSuper Mario Galaxy are inhabited byRoctos, which shoot projectiles at Mario or Luigi. The barrels can be destroyed and the enemies consequently defeated byspinning onto one of their projectiles to send it back.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii[edit]

Barrels inNew Super Mario Bros. Wii appear as objects that can be picked up and thrown. As projectiles, upon touching the ground, barrels will start rolling continuously in a direction until they crash into a wall or aspiked ball, and can be used to attack enemies or even other players. Barrels inWorld 7-Ghost House can be punched byBroozers to start rolling toward the player.

Super Mario Galaxy 2[edit]

Barrels inSuper Mario Galaxy 2 have the same role as inSuper Mario Galaxy, acting as cover for Roctos. They are encountered inShiverburn Galaxy andGrandmaster Galaxy. A boss character namedPrince Pikante also drives a small tank which is composed of an armored barrel.

Super Mario 3D Land[edit]

Bowser throws barrels in a similar manner to Donkey Kong

Barrels inSuper Mario 3D Land appear at one point during the final boss battle withBowser, who throws large barrels at Mario or Luigi, possibly in reference to the originalDonkey Kong arcade game. The only way to destroy these barrels is by having the characters touch them inWhite Tanooki form.

New Super Mario Bros. U /New Super Luigi U /New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe[edit]

Barrels inNew Super Mario Bros. U andits Nintendo Switch port return as projectiles inGhost Houses withBroozers. Barrels inNew Super Luigi U appear only in the levelBroozers and Barrels.

Super Mario Odyssey[edit]

Mario encountering Barrels inSuper Mario Odyssey

Barrels inSuper Mario Odyssey are encountered as obstacles in 8-bit segments ofMetro Kingdom and theDarker Side, taking on their sprite design fromDonkey Kong. Most of the time, they come out ofGirders and roll on the ground until they fall into anoil drum. Donkey Kong also throws barrels just like in the original arcade game. Mario must jump over barrels to dodge them, otherwise he loses one wedge of his health meter. Stationary, harmless barrels appear as platforms in some areas of the Metro Kingdom and theSeaside Kingdom, outside the 8-bit sections, and while they cannot be destroyed, hitting one withCappy or with aGround Pound grants onecoin.

Mario & Wario[edit]

A barrel inMario & Wario is used byWario to cover Mario's sight inKumotori Yama.

Wario Land series[edit]

Large barrels inWario Land: Super Mario Land 3 andWario Land II are present as platforms in mostly maritime areas, like theRice Beach or theSS Tea Cup.

Barrels inWario Land 3 have a small, keg-like shape and can be carried byWario. They are functionally similar toice blocks fromWario Land II in that they can be picked up and hurled at enemies or blocks to destroy them. Barrels break instantly when they are thrown to the ground or if attacked with aSmash Attack or a shoulder charge. However, they respawn in their default location after Wario goes off-screen from where a barrel initially appears and returns to that position after that. In addition, barrels can be stood on, serving as platforms. Barrels appear inDesert Ruins,The Volcano's Base,The West Crater,The Grasslands,The Big Bridge,The Warped Void, andThe East Crater.

Donkey Kong Country: Rumble in the Jungle[edit]

Illustration showingDiddy Kong lodging a barrel inside the mouth of aKlap Trap.

Barrels inDonkey Kong Country: Rumble in the Jungle are used by the novel's characters on several occasions. Before theKongs leave theirtreehouse to travel toBig Ape City,Donkey Kong fills his backpack with "miniature barrels", including some that "could even explode" (referring toTNT barrels). InTree Top Town, theKremlings use barrel cannons from high up in the trees, which fire "dangerous barrels". The Kongs overcome them by slinging TNT Barrels at them using a tree branch. After rescuingFunky Kong from his prison cell in Big Ape City's factory, Donkey Kong hands Funky and Diddy Kong some barrels to use against a group of Kremlings. Diddy manages to hang from the ceiling, and drop barrels from above.

Later, Donkey Kong tricks Krusha into thinking that he has a list of the locations of all the Kongs onDonkey Kong Island within his backpack. Krusha allows Donkey Kong to reach into his backpack for the list, but he pulls out a barrel instead and uses it to knock Krusha out. Within the Kremling's supply room, Diddy Kong lodges a barrel in the jaws ofKlap Trap, which allows time for Diddy to retrieve a spareplane part for Funky Kong. WithinKing K. Rool's zeppelin, Donkey Kong and Diddy confront several Kremling guards with "double jumps, cartwheel attacks, and barrels left and right". They later plant time-delayed TNT barrels throughout the zeppelin, causing it to fall on to the Kremling's factory and explode.

Despite the novel describing the use of "miniature barrels", their illustrated size in proportion to Diddy Kong and Klap Trap appears to be closer to a regular-sized barrel.

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars[edit]

Barrels inSuper Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars are grouped into piles in theSunken Ship, usually functioning as stairs for Mario to reach a higher floor. Later in the game, one of the puzzles hosted byDr. Topper insideBowser's Keep has the player guess how many barrels are stacked up in a large heap seen from the usual in-game perspective. In another area of Bowser's Keep, Mario confronts aChained Kong that stands atop a high place in a lofty room and hurls barrels down several stairs. The barrels push Mario down the stairs if they hit him, making him lose somecoins in the process.

Super Smash Bros. series[edit]

Artwork of a wooden barrel fromSuper Smash Bros. Brawl

Barrels in theSuper Smash Bros. series are container items in every installment. They contain one to four items and can roll along inclines, similarly tocrates. They also sometimes explode when broken. Starting withSuper Smash Bros. Brawl, barrels have three different appearances, being either wooden, futuristic and made of stone, or wrapped like a present, with the one used depending on thestage in which they appear; they all function identically, however.

In theirtrophy descriptions throughout the series, Barrels are associated with theSuper Smash Bros. series, not theSuper Mario franchise. This distinction is further present from theSuper Smash Bros. logo on top of the barrel.

Barrels can be picked up by pressing on theNintendo 64 Controller and thrown by pressing the same button again, upon which the barrel rolls continuously until hitting a wall.

Mario Party series[edit]

Barrels in theRoll Out the Barrels minigame fromMario Party 2

Barrels in theMario Party: The Top 100 version of Jump, Man

Barrels in theMario Party series appear mostly inminigames. InMario Party 2, they are used to hide items in ashell game,Roll Out the Barrels. A barrel inMario Party 3 is the object that the solo player is stuck inside of during the minigameCoconut Conk, and if they are hit by acoconut dropped by one of the other three characters, they lose. Barrels inMario Party 5 have to be punched by players to collect bananas during theBanana Punch minigame. Barrels inMario Party 6 are among the objects drawn toward a giantBlooper by awhirlpool in the minigameBlooper Scooper, and will break from crashing into the Blooper or the players; if a player is hit by a barrel, they will be knocked towards the Blooper. A barrel inMario Party Advance is worn by the playable character during the minigameBarrel Peril, and they can hide inside the barrel to protect themselves fromChain Chomps guarding the area. Barrels inMario Party 7 are obstacles that roll down the slopes in the minigameJump, Man, slowing either the player or Donkey Kong if they are hit. Barrels inMario Party 8 appear in the minigameBlazing Lassos, where the player must lasso barrels with point values marked on each one while spinning on a wheel. Barrels inMario Party: The Top 100 appear only in the returning minigame Jump, Man, andMario Party Superstars similarly only includes Barrels in two returning minigames: Roll Out the Barrels fromMario Party 2 (herein unnamed) and Coconut Conk fromMario Party 3.

Barrels inMario Party 8 also appear on a board,DK's Treetop Temple, where they are involved in twoGreen Spaces: one of the Green Spaces involves threeUkikis chasing characters away by rolling on barrels, also referred to asMonkey Barrels,^[8] while the other involves theDK Barrel Cannon.

WarioWare series[edit]

Barrels in theWarioWare series appear in theDonkey Kong microgame ofWarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! andWarioWare, Inc.: Mega Party Game$!, where Barrels are being rolled down at Mario from Donkey Kong, and the former must jump over them. Barrels inWarioWare: D.I.Y. Showcase andWarioWare Gold appear in asimilar microgame where the player must destroy barrels that come towards Mario as he moves automatically on the beams.

Wario World[edit]

Barrels inWario World are throwable objects that sometimes containcoins orgarlic. They appear during the battle withCaptain Skull, and can be destroyed from either being thrown or any ofWario and Captain Skull's attacks. Barrels can knock out Captain Skull if thrown at him, and either a barrel or Captain Skull's bombs must be thrown at him during second half of the battle, when he becomes immune to Wario'spunches.

Mario Golf series[edit]

Barrels in theMario Golf series make a minor appearance as tee markers inCongo Canopy ofMario Golf: Toadstool Tour and inDK Jungle ofMario Golf: World Tour. A Barrel inMario Golf: Toadstool Tour is also used by Donkey Kong during his animation for getting aDouble Bogey or lower, where he throws a barrel angrily, then he pounds his arms up and down.

Mario Kart series[edit]

A trophy for theBanana Cup depicting abanana peel atop a miniature barrel

Mario Kart: Double Dash!![edit]

Although barrels do not appear inMario Kart: Double Dash!!, theBarrel Train kart is designed after a barrel.

Mario Kart Arcade GP subseries[edit]

A Barrel inMario Kart Arcade GP,Mario Kart Arcade GP 2, andMario Kart Arcade GP DX is one of Donkey Kong's special items, and it can be sent rolling forward or backward to attack opponents.

Mario Kart 7[edit]

Barrels inMario Kart 7 appear as obstacles inWario Shipyard, greatly slowing down any character who crashes into them. However, Barrels will also break and potentially drop an object such as aMushroom or aBanana Peel in regular races. InDK Jungle, there areDK Barrels for obstacles, but they function identically to Barrels. Barrels inTime Trial are shielded by metallic bars, so they cannot be destroyed.

Mario Kart 8 /Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]

Barrels inMario Kart 8 andMario Kart 8 Deluxe appear as obstacles and as noninteractive background elements. As obstacles, barrels appear on theairship section ofCloudtop Cruise, the boardwalk part ofWild Woods, inToad Harbor, and on the main route inN64 Yoshi Valley. As background elements, barrels that are decorated with flowers appear on the sidelines, but the Barrel obstacles of Toad Harbor also have this design, andBone-Dry Dunes has some barrels stacked up together and placed under the tents surrounding thefinish line.

Mario Kart Tour[edit]

A barrel inMario Kart Tour

Barrels inMario Kart Tour are obstacles onLondon Loop,London Loop 2,London Loop 3,Singapore Speedway 3,Rome Avanti 2,DS Airship Fortress,3DS Cheep Cheep Lagoon'sBreak Item Boxes challenge, and3DS Wario Shipyard, functioning like they do in previous games.

Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit[edit]

A barrel and a golden barrel in Barrel Temple's course icon

Barrels in theversion 1.1.0 update forMario Kart Live: Home Circuit appear in the courseBarrel Temple, being thrown in various areas. Regular barrels block the player's kart while a golden variety yields rewards.

Mario Kart World[edit]

InMario Kart World, barrels are thrown byRobo DK inDK Spaceport in a similar manner to Donkey Kong in the original arcade game. Barrels also appear in the form of containers: one appears floating in the waters ofWario Shipyard, and can release aDash Mushroom when broken.^[9]

Mario & Luigi series[edit]

Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga /Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions[edit]

Barrels inMario & Luigi: Superstar Saga and itsremake have a few minor roles. They are part ofBink'sidentically named minigame, where the player has to arrange rows of barrels of the same color. In several locations, such asChucklehuck Woods andWoohoo Hooniversity, there are barrels thatLuigi can enter from underneath after going underground withLuigi Dunk to solve puzzles. In the latter location, there is a segment whereMario has to jump over rolling barrels in a similar manner to the originalDonkey Kong game. InBowser's Castle, Luigi is trapped inside a barrel byLarry, and must bounce a fireball back at Larry a number of times before he can continue.

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam[edit]

Barrels inMario & Luigi: Paper Jam appear only in battles. They are dropped byBowser Jr. andPaper Bowser Jr. at the trio, forcing the brothers to run while the bosses shoot fireballs at them. Barrels are also utilized byBroozers andPaper Broozers to attack, by dropping a barrel in front of themselves and ramming it into the trio, and the resulting effect depends on which type of barrel was hit by which type of Broozer.

Mario & Luigi: Brothership[edit]

InMario & Luigi: Brothership, the boss of the Great Lighthouse Island in Color-Full Sea,Sharpcask, is an anthropomorphic barrel who can attack by throwing normal barrels. He also has a stronger form calledGlohm Sharpcask that can be fought later in the game.

There are also segments whereLuigi can stuff himself in a barrel with hisLuigi Logic skill. This can be used as cover forMario as well as to distract enemies.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong series[edit]

Mario vs. Donkey Kong[edit]

Donkey Kong carries a barrel, in an artwork forMario vs. Donkey Kong.

Barrels inMario vs. Donkey Kong are relatively common objects, especially inDonkey Kong Jungle, that be picked up and thrown by Mario, like in the Game Boy remake ofDonkey Kong. A barrel can be carried by Mario to any accessible place and either tossed at enemies, or placed as a platform for Mario to reach higher places. Barrels can similarly be placed onspikes to get across them. The only boss battles where Donkey Kong uses barrels against Mario areLevel 3-DK,Level 3-DK+, andDonkey Kong Plus, the final battle. Barrels thrown by Donkey Kong can be deflected with ahandstand and then used as normal. A giant barrel is brought by the threeToads in theDonkey Kong boss level to knock Donkey Kong down a floor with each hit. There is also a variant that only appears in the final battle (and, in theremake, in theMerry Mini-Land andSlippery Summit fights against Donkey Kong) that has spikes covering it, hurting Mario on contact regardless of whether it was blocked with a handstand or not.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis[edit]

Barrels inMario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis are obstacles that fall from above, amongst other debris, when Donkey Kong shakes the screen in the boss level ofMushroom Mayhem. A barrel can destroy a Mini on contact.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again![edit]

Barrels inMario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again! are obstacles functionally identical to the previous game. They appear inFloor G Donkey Kong, which plays out almost identically to the Mushroom Mayhem boss battle fromMario vs. Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem![edit]

Barrels inMario vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem! are frequently used by Donkey Kong in his battles to attack theMinis, where he often slams his fists on the ground, causing a barrel to drop from the pile. Like before, a barrel can destroy a Mini upon contact. However, barrels break when they reach the ground or any other platform. Shortly after a barrel is used, another one spawns in its place.

Super Mario Stadium series[edit]

Barrels are the focus of the minigameBarrel Batter inMario Superstar Baseball

Barrels appear in bothMario Superstar Baseball andMario Super Sluggers within theDonkey Kong Jungle andDK Jungle stadiums, respectively. Both featureBarrel Cannons out of their bounds, which shoot large barrels. These roll on the stadiums' fields and hinder the baseball players from getting the ball if they stand before them. Barrels roll continuously until they slam into a wall, in which case they crumble and despawn.

In theMario Superstar Baseball version of the stadium, a minigame calledBarrel Batter takes place. In this minigame, the batter has to launch the ball with his bat into rows of colored barrels that stay right in the front of the player. The more barrels of the same color hit consequently, the more points the player gains.

TheMario Super Sluggers version of the stadium hosts another minigame, titledBarrel Basher. The batter is given a small wall in front of him/her which serves as a shield against the many rapid barrels (and also powerfulBob-ombs) that come from several Barrel Cannons. Despite the protection granted by the shield, the safety of the player is still precarious, as the barrels can damage the shield upon bumping into it. The target in the minigame is to destroy as many barrels as the player can and prevent the wall from falling apart. If not broken in time, the barrels may successfully uncover the player by destroying the wall, breaking the player's combo streak, and leaving them exposed to other dangerous barrel. It takes three barrels, but one Bob-omb to break part of the shield. If the player gets hit, the game does the same animation as when hit by the ball in-game, and regardless of the player's score, they instantly lose the minigame. Upon breaking a barrel, the score of the player increases; some of the barrels are shiny and are more worthy than regular barrels. There is also a red giant barrel in the special level. If the player does not break the barrel completely before it reaches the barrier, the entire shield will be destroyed and the minigame will automatically end.

Paper Mario series[edit]

Paper Mario: Sticker Star[edit]

A barrel sticker fromPaper Mario: Sticker Star.

Barrels inPaper Mario: Sticker Star appear as rarestickers, two of which may appear if the player defeats theBroozers onBowser Jr.'s Flotilla. During any battle, the barrel sticker provides an actual wooden barrel, which Mario can use to defeat a single enemy, with an attack power of three to five points. The Barrel may also be placed into theSticker Museum as #90, alongside other enemy-based stickers.

Paper Mario: Color Splash[edit]

A barrel inPaper Mario: Color Splash

Barrels inPaper Mario: Color Splash are environmental objects that can broken from Mario'shammer to release paint, similarly tocrates. Barrels appear in areas such asPort Prisma. Bigger, unbreakable barrels also appear as obstacles in levels likeViolet Passage,Mustard Café, andSunset Express, and platforms floating in the waters ofLighthouse Island andFortune Island. A metal barrel drum and and some floating barrels in Sunset Express, Lighthouse Island, and Fortune Island respectively must beunfurled to progress. TheWringer performs his business from inside a horizontal barrel.

Paper Mario: The Origami King[edit]

Barrels inPaper Mario: The Origami King are objects that can be broken by Mario's hammer, like in the previous game. Barrels now usually contain coins orconfetti, but they occasionally trap Toads needing to be rescued. There is a Toad trapped inside a large barrel onSpade Island. Mario must locate the four other Toads on the island, who wedge themselves into the barrel to burst it open, freeing their friend.

NES Remix series[edit]

Barrels inNES Remix andUltimate NES Remix are obstacles in many challenges taking place in25m ofDonkey Kong, and most of these challenges require the hero to jump over one or even more rolling barrels at once, or to jump over a set number of them. Like inDonkey Kong, 100 points are earned once Mario jumps over a barrel.

Mario Tennis Aces[edit]

Stacks of barrels inMario Tennis Aces

Barrels inMario Tennis Aces are objects that can be destroyed for threecoins in theShy Guy Train Tussle challenge, requiring two hits with a regular ball or one hit with a ball under the effect of aSuper Mushroom or aBob-omb. When a barrel is hit with a regular ball the first time, it will appear chipped.

Dr. Mario World[edit]

A barrel inDr. Mario World

Barrels inDr. Mario World appear as stage objects, starting fromWorld 11. Other objects such asviruses are usually, but not always, hidden within barrels, and said objects do not react to items until the barrel is destroyed. Barrels at full health hide the objects within them. A barrel takes up to two hits to be destroyed, and they take damage from effects such as making acapsule match next to them. A barrel's health is indicated by its appearance: when a fully intact barrel takes damage it cracks open and reveals the object inside it if applicable. A cracked open barrel that takes damage is destroyed.Dr. Lemmy's skill involves barrels. In stage mode he throws abomb that explodes to destroy a number of barrels regardless of their health, which also destroys the objects within the barrels. In versus mode, while the bomb is not seen, its explosion encases a number of viruses on the opponent's stage in barrels.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie[edit]

Barrels inThe Super Mario Bros. Movie appear in the scene where Mario and Donkey Kong duel in theGreat Ring of Kong, serving as a reference to the gameDonkey Kong. Donkey Kong also holds one in hischaracter posterMedia:TSMBM poster DK.jpg.

InPrincess Peach: Showtime!

Princess Peach: Showtime![edit]

Barrels inPrincess Peach: Showtime! are objects appearing only in theCowgirl Peach stages, where Peach can lasso them up and toss them at enemies and objects. She can also freeTheets trapped inside barrels.

Skylanders series[edit]

Turbo Charge Donkey Kong holding a Barrel

Though barrels have generally been featured throughout theSkylanders series as destructible objects to gain treasure from, the Nintendo versions ofSkylanders: SuperChargers andSkylanders: Imaginators featureTurbo Charge Donkey Kong and his dark variant using a plethora of different barrels from theDonkey Kong Country series as their primary weapons of choice. Before upgrading, it is a generic tan wooden barrel with silver metal hoops. Purchasing the Bongo Barrel upgrade will allow Donkey Kong to utilize a barrel as a bongo drum that causes harming shockwaves to enemies, while purchasing the Barrels of Fun upgrade will allow him to useBarrel Cannons to practically teleport around the arena. After purchasing the Super Donkey Kong upgrade, Donkey Kong uses two halves of a barrel on both hands as boxing gloves, while also being able to perform a barrel roll in a giant barrel. After purchasing the first upgrade on the Pointy Preparations path, Spikey Barrels, the aforementioned barrels used (aside from the Barrels of Fun) will turn intoSpiked Barrels. However, when purchasing upgrades from the Powder Keg Power path, the barrels thrown and used as bongos turn intoTNT Barrels.

The Barrel Blaster and Dark Barrel Blaster inSkylanders: SuperChargers.

Along with his regular attacks, Donkey Kong's signature vehicle is the Barrel Blaster, a Tech elemental vehicle made from gears and large barrels. While two red barrels act as the wheels, two orange, yellow, and white halves of a barrel act as the chassis, with the back part having red DK initials. It also possesses a little Barrel Cannon sidecar that's used for attacking vehicle-bound enemies, which when the vehicle is supercharged by either version of Donkey Kong,Diddy Kong sits in the sidecar alongside him. The ammunition used for the Barrel Blaster, when not using Villain Traps, are also barrels. One attack simply fires barrels, while another attack uses a circular shield of spiked barrels. Like its owner, it also possesses a dark variant called the Dark Barrel Blaster, with most previous colors used being changed to black and dark blue.

Unused appearances[edit]

Wario Land: Shake It![edit]

Barrels were intended to appear inWario Land: Shake It!, but wentunused.

Types of barrels[edit]

Many games of theSuper Mario franchise feature a handful of variations derived from generic barrels. Each fulfills a unique function that may or may not help the heroes. In theDonkey Kong Country series,DK Barrels,Blast Barrels, andBarrel Cannons are encountered more often than regular barrels. The different barrels in theSuper Mario franchise are listed in a table below.

Barrel	First appearance	Description
Animal Barrel	Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest	A barrel containing anAnimal Friend. Jumping into one will transform theKong into the animal shown on the barrel.
Backward Barrel	Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast	A barrel that can be placed as an obstacle for the other racers.
Banana Barrels	Mario Kart Tour	Diddy Kong andFunky Kong'sspecial item; they function as cannons that spreadbanana peels on the track.
Barrel 007	Donkey Kong Country (television series)	A barrel used for deliveries in the episodes "Barrel, Barrel... Who's Got the Barrel" and "Bluster's Sale Ape-Stravaganza."
Barrel Bolt	Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle	Explosive barrels with a colored ball in the center used as ammunition forRabbid Cranky'sBoombow. He can throw them separately as grenades. There are many kinds of Barrel Bolts to equip, each with different appearances and stats.
Barrel Bomb	Mario Kart Tour	A barrel withBowser's emblem on it that explodes upon collision, which can be used to defeatGoombas around it.
Barrel Cannon	Donkey Kong Country	A barrel that will send the Kongs flying in the direction of the arrow with the press of a button.
Barrel Shield	Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!	A rare type of barrel that moves up and down on one side ofropes. They are used to protect the Kongs from enemy attacks.
Barrel Train	Mario Kart: Double Dash!!	Diddy Kong'skart inMario Kart: Double Dash!!, a kart piece inMario Kart 7 and a selectable kart inMario Kart Tour.
Belcha	Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!	A living barrel that acts as the boss ofLake Orangatanga.
Biplane Barrel	Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest	Funky Kong's vehicle the Kongs use to fly aroundCrocodile Isle.
Blast Barrel	Donkey Kong Country	A barrel that will launch the Kongs in a set direction automatically.
Bomb barrel	Princess Peach: Showtime!	Explodes on impact ifCowgirl Peach throws her lasso at it and damages her, ending theCowgirl Rehearsal run early
Bonus Barrel	Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest	A special barrel that will send the Kongs into aBonus Area to play a minigame.
Boo Barrel	Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!	Rare barrels that act like Barrel Cannons, but repeatedly appear and disappear.
Booster Barrel	Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!	A barrel that will launch into the air before firing out the Kongs when they enter it.
Button Barrel	Donkey Kong Land	Blast Barrels that can have their direction changed by pressing a nearby button.
Check and X Barrels	Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest	Barrels that act as switches in certain levels. The Check Barrel helps the Kongs whereas the X Barrel will hinder them.
Cranky's Kong Barrel	Donkey Kong 64	Special barrels that give a power-up unique to the pictured Kong when entered.
Dance Barrel	Donkey Kong Country (GBA port)	A special barrel that shows up inCandy's Dance Studio. When entered, it will take the Kongs to Candy's dancing minigame.
Diddy & Dixie Barrels	Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest	Barrels that only allow the specified Kong to use it. If the other Kong tries to use it, they will pass right through it.
DK Barrel	Donkey Kong Country	Common barrels that reveal an additional Kong if they are broken while only one Kong is in play. Since Kongs inDonkey Kong Country series games are health, this heals the player. In games where each Kong has their own health, these barrels additionally heal the user to full health.Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D introduces an inventory variant that can be equipped and used during a level without needing to find a DK Barrel. As ofDonkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze for the Nintendo Switch, there are six different types of DK Barrels, which vary by which character(s)'s initials are on the barrel.
Dumb Drum	Donkey Kong Country	An animatedblack drum that acts as the boss ofKremkroc Industries, Inc.
Fishing Barrel	Donkey Kong Country (GBA port)	A special barrel that will let the Kongs playFunky's Fishing if the barrel is entered inFunky's Flights.
Fuel Drum	Donkey Kong Country	Rare barrels that are meant to power certain level-specific events.
Golden Barrel	Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest	Special barrels that will allow the Kongs to reach theLost World if they are entered inKlubba's Kiosk.
Ignition Barrel	Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!	A single barrel that helps the Kongs finish theRocket Rush level.
Invincibility Barrel	Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest	Rare barrels that make the Kongs invincible and able to defeat enemies by touching them.
Iron Barrel	Donkey Kong Country	Heavy steel kegs that can be used as a thrown unbreakable projectile.
Jumbo Barrel	Donkey Kong Country	Funky Kong's airplane that the Kongs can use to get aroundDonkey Kong Island.
Krockhead Barrel	Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest	Barrels that will summon severalKrockheads when touched, which can help the Kongs get across gaps.
Mega TNT Barrel	Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast	A largeTNT Barrel that can cause racers to have their controls reversed and be unable to use items andWild Moves.
Merfle Barrel	Wario Land: Shake It!	A cage theShake King uses to trap theMerfles.
Oil barrel	DK: Jungle Climber	Barrels that act as fuel for Funky Kong's airplane.
Oil drum	Donkey Kong	A flaming oil barrel that acts as an obstacle.
On & Off Barrel	Donkey Kong Country	Barrels that determine whether a level's lights are on or off.
Plus and Minus Barrels	Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest	Barrels that add or decrease the amount of time remaining in the levelHaunted Hall.
Question Barrel	DK: King of Swing	Special barrels that will reveal newpegs to use when touched.
Rocket Barrel	Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!	Uncommon fragile barrels that the Kongs can ride in/on to progress through levels.
Sharpcask	Mario & Luigi: Brothership	A living barrel that acts as the boss of theGreat Lighthouse Island in Color-Full Sea.
Shortfuse	Wario Land: Shake It!	A barrel-shaped enemy that shoots spiked balls at Wario.
Shrinkbarrel	Wario Land: Shake It!	A barrel that can transformWario intoMini Wario and vice versa.
Slot Machine Barrel	Donkey Kong Country Returns	Barrels that act as the level goals, with rewards in them that are determined by when the Kongs jump at it.
Spiked Barrel	Mario vs. Donkey Kong	Barrels with spiked rims that hurt Mario on contact regardless of whether it was blocked with a handstand or not.
Spinner Barrel	Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest	Barrel Cannons that can be manually rotated before firing.
Star Barrel	Donkey Kong Country	Barrels that act as level checkpoints, which will be activated when the Kongs jump at one.
Steerable Barrel	Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest	Barrel Cannons only found inFiery Furnace that can be moved manually for a set period of time.
Stop & Go Barrel	Donkey Kong Country	Barrels in theStop & Go Station level that determines when theRock Kroc enemies can move.
Style Barrel	Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast	Special barrels that allow the racers to play a short game in order to winBananas.
Switch Barrel	Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!	Rare barrels that will change other barrels into a different type of barrel when touched.
Tag Barrel	Donkey Kong 64	Common barrels that can be used to switch between the Kongs.
TNT Barrel	Donkey Kong Country	Explosive barrels that can be used to find secret passages or defeat enemies.
Tracker Barrel	Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!	Special barrels that launch the Kongs into the air and then follow them laterally as they move back down.
Training Barrel	Donkey Kong 64	A type of barrel withCranky Kong's face on it that will send Donkey Kong to a Training Area.
Trigger Barrel	Donkey Kong Country (television series)	A type of barrel use to activate traps outside ofCranky's Cabin.
Vine Barrel	Donkey Kong Country	Fragile barrels that break on contact with anything once thrown.
Warp Barrel	Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest	Rare and hidden barrels that will send the Kongs to the level's end goal.
Yoo Who Cannon	Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story	ABros. Attack that fires severalMarios andLuigis at their enemies.

Profiles and statistics[edit]

Donkey Kong Country[edit]

• Instruction booklet description:
  • English (United States):
    These common barrels make a great projectile weapon against enemies.^[10]

DK: King of Swing[edit]

• Instruction booklet description:
  • English (United Kingdom):
    Use an attack to smash them open. These barrels contain bananas and medals, so give it a try.
  • Other languages:
    • French:
      Utilise une attaque pour les faire exploser. Ils contiennent des bananes ou un médaille. Alors n'hésite pas.
    • German:
      Verwende einen Angriff, um sie zu zerbrechen. Diese Fässer enthalten Bananen und Münzen, also versuche sie zu zertrümmern.
    • Italian:
      Questi barili, che possono essere sfasciati con un attacco, nascondono banane e medaglie. Rompine più che puoi!
    • Spanish:
      ¡Rómpelos con el ataque! Los barriles pueden contener plátanos o medallas.

Wario Land 3[edit]

• Website description:
  • English (United States):
    Tote those barrels and heave 'em through the hard pink blocks.^[11]

Super Smash Bros. series[edit]

Super Smash Bros. Melee[edit]

Trophy Barrel
	Game/move: Super Smash Bros. 04/99
	How to unlock: Randomly obtainable in one of the single-player modes or theLottery
	Like Crates, Barrels are often filled with items and occasionally explosive. Thrown Barrels may break on contact or go rolling along the ground to smash into characters. Like the Crate, the Barrel is heavy, so it will restrict the speed at which the character carrying it can move. This speed differs between characters.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl[edit]

Trophy Barrels
	Appears in: N64Super Smash Bros. WiiSuper Smash Bros. Brawl
	How to unlock: Random
	Item holders similar to crates--their appearance will also change to fit the area. When you throw a barrel, it won't shatter, but rather roll across the stage. When a rolling barrel hits a character, that character gets sent sailing. Barrels are heavy, so you'll need two hands to pick them up, and your foot speed will decrease too

Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS /Wii U[edit]

Trophy Barrels

3DS: Wii U:

Game(s): Both

Category: Item

()Appears in: N64 Super Smash Bros. (04/1999) Wii U Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

()Trophy Box: 4: Items and Rewards

How to unlock: 3DS: Random Wii U: Exclusively obtained inTrophy Rush

These barrels are crammed full of items, but they're also incredibly tough to break. No baby hits here—attacking too lightly will just send the barrel rolling away, making it a dangerous obstacle for both you and your foes. And if others break the barrel, they'll get the items you wanted!(American English)

Barrels have all sorts of items inside, but they're tough! Hitting them lightly or throwing them might not be enough to get these things open. In fact, you might just end up sending them rolling, and just so you know, rolling barrels are a force to be reckoned with! They can send you flying off the stage!(British English)

Mario Party 9[edit]

Barrel Barrel
	A constellation that calls to mind a mysterious barrel. Some say barrels shoot people into the sky. Others say barrels store things. Could be both.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star[edit]

• Item description:
  • English:
    Sometimes dropped by Broozers. Provides a barrel that can be hurled at a single foe.

• Sticker Museum:
  • English:
    A wooden barrel thrown by a Broozer. This thing is heavy, so be careful when tossing it.

Gallery[edit]

For this subject's image gallery, seeGallery:Barrel.

• 

  The original Donkey Kong prepares to throw a barrel. Artwork forDonkey Kong on theGame Boy

• 

  Dixie Kong heaves a barrel with her ponytail. Artwork forDonkey Kong Country 2

• 

  Diddy Kong wearing barrel bongo jets. Artwork forDonkey Kong: Barrel Blast

• 

  Artwork forDonkey Kong Country Returns

• 

  Artwork of a barrel fromMario Kart Arcade GP DX

• 

  Donkey Kong holding two barrels inThe Super Mario Bros. Movie

Names in other languages[edit]

References[edit]

Barrel coverage on otherNIWA wikis:

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SmashWiki

Starfy Wiki

WiKirby

Zelda Wiki