Barrel Cannon
Artwork of a Barrel Cannon fromDonkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
First appearance	Donkey Kong Country (1994)
Latest appearance	Donkey Kong Bananza (2025)
Variant of	Barrel
Variants Arrow Barrel Blast Barrel Booster Barrel Spinner Barrel Steerable Barrel Style Barrel Tracker Barrel
Comparable Spring Flower
Notable Yoo Who Cannon

“It's aBarrel Cannon! I wonder where it will take you...”

—Toad,Mario Party 9

Barrel Cannons (also spelledBarrel Kannons),^[1] also known ascannon barrels,^[2] are recurring objects in theDonkey Kong Country series, as well as in theSuper Mario franchise. Once entered, the barrel shoots the character in the direction indicated by its arrow. Barrel Cannons are most often used for crossing largeabysses.

History[edit]

Donkey Kong franchise[edit]

Donkey Kong Country series[edit]

All four types of Barrel Cannons appearing inDonkey Kong Country Returns

All four types of Barrel Cannons appearing inDonkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

Barrel Cannons appear in every game of theDonkey Kong Country series to date. In these games, if aKong goes into the barrel, it will either stay still (as is the case with barrels marked with arrows), move horizontally or vertically, or spin around (also referred to asSpin Barrels; these sorts of barrels have no markings on them).^[3] The player can usually blast out the Kongs by pressing the jump button. Barrel Cannons often appear in groups, which often includes their auto-fire variant, theBlast Barrel; an example of this is in theDonkey Kong Country levelBarrel Cannon Canyon, where Barrel Cannons are prominently featured for crossing wide pitfalls throughout.

Blasting from a Barrel Cannon often requires timing, as the player must take various things into account, including obstacles, enemies, or sometimes even other moving Barrel Cannons. This is to avoid crashing into an enemy or obstacle or falling down a long pit.

Barrel Cannons come in many varieties inDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest andDonkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! These includeArrow Barrels, Blast Barrels,Tracker Barrels,Rotatable Barrels,Steerable Barrels, andBooster Barrels. InDonkey Kong Country Returns,Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D,Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, and theirrespectiveports on Nintendo Switch, Barrel Cannons only come in four varieties: regular Barrel Cannons, Blast Barrels, and skull versions of both, which destroy themselves when they fire the Kongs. InTropical Freeze, Barrel Cannons gain a more rugged appearance, having chipped or faded paint in many places.

Donkey Kong 64[edit]

InDonkey Kong 64, Barrel Cannons take the appearance of red Blast Barrels, though most are not automatic. They are only used byDonkey Kong in theBaboon Blast courses, as well as during his part of the final battle withKing Krusha K. Rool.

Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast[edit]

A Launcher Barrel inDonkey Kong: Barrel Blast

Barrel Cannons also appear asLauncher Barrels^[4] inDonkey Kong: Barrel Blast,^[4] along with new varieties such asStyle Barrels and yellow versions. Launcher Barrels commonly appear in all race courses, shooting out racers at high speed. There are alsoSpinning Launcher Barrels, which spin around before shooting out a racer.

New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat[edit]

Barrel Cannons can be encountered inNew Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, replacingSpring Flowers from the originalGameCube game. They are completely stationary in this game, and once entered, they will only shoot Donkey Kong in one direction. In order to blast DK out of a Barrel Cannon, the player has to swing theWii Remote.

Donkey Kong Bananza[edit]

Artwork fromDonkey Kong Bananza

“Take off with a KABOOM!”

—Prospector Monkey,Donkey Kong Bananza

Barrel Cannons return inDonkey Kong Bananza, where they function the same as past games but are redesigned, now having a pink and cyan neon arrow rather than a white arrow painted on.

Super Smash Bros. series[edit]

SmashWiki article:Barrel Cannon

A Barrel Cannon from The Subspace Emissary inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl

Barrel Cannons appear in severalstages in theSuper Smash Bros. series, namelyKongo Jungle,Kongo Falls, andJungle Hijinxs. In Kongo Jungle and Kongo Falls, there is a single Barrel Cannon that moves back and forth underneath the stage, occasionally rotating. If a character falls into the cannon, they can press the A button to fire themselves out of the cannon in the direction of the arrow. If they wait too long, they will be shot out automatically. Since the cannon sometimes rotates, this action can sometimes save players from falling, or it can launch them directly into a KO. Only one character may occupy the Barrel Cannon at a time. The one in Kongo Falls can also be used byKlaptraps that fall into it; they inflict damage if the cannon is touched while they are inside it, or if they are fired towards the stage. In Jungle Hijinxs, several stationary Barrel Cannons appear, sometimes switching positions. These are used to travel between the foreground and background of the stage. After using one of these Barrel Cannons, flames will temporarily surround the fighter; attempting to enter another Barrel Cannon with these flames causes it to explode rather than launching the fighter between planes. There is also a Barrel Cannon that always explodes upon use, revealed when the middle part of the foreground collapses.

InSuper Smash Bros. Melee, Barrel Cannons also appear as a usable item. Aside from always rotating and destroying itself upon firing, it works like the stage variation. The item is heavy, with only Donkey Kong having access to unrestricted movement while holding it. When thrown, the barrel rolls until it touches a character or falls off the stage. If anyone else touches the barrel while it is occupied, they will take moderate damage. Barrel Cannons disappear much faster than any other item if left alone. Viewing the Barrel Cannontrophy from the bottom reveals the message "2L84ME" ("too late for me"), also seen on a crate inofficial artwork ofCranky's Cabin.

Barrel Cannons also appear inThe Subspace Emissary inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl andSmash Run inSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, and have a smooth, black appearance and a yellow arrow with a red outline. Characters use these to get shot up higher or breakBrick Blocks in their way.

Mario Kart series[edit]

Mario approaching the DK Cannon in DK Mountain inMario Kart Wii

Throughout theMario Kart series, somecannons take the form of barrels. InDK Mountain, a course inMario Kart: Double Dash!!, there is a giant Barrel Cannon called the Donkey Cannon (DK Cannon in itsMario Kart Wii reappearance) that blasts competitors to the top of the mountain. DK Mountain and the cannon return inMario Kart Wii,Mario Kart Tour, andMario Kart 8 Deluxe. A Barrel Cannon with the same function appears in theDK Summit course ofMario Kart Wii as well as inMaple Treeway from bothMario Kart Wii andMario Kart 7, but it does not include the "DK" initials in the latter course. Another Barrel Cannon is featured in theMario Kart 8 andMario Kart 8 Deluxe overhaul ofN64 Yoshi Valley, replacing the sixth route. A silver Barrel Cannon with blue hoops and supports appears on the planet section of3DS Rainbow Road R inMario Kart Tour, where it launches drivers off to a different portion of the track. A Blast Barrel can also be seen on theBarrel Hanafuda glider.

InMario Kart World, Barrel Cannons attached to vehicles can appear on certain roads. When entered, they launch racers a much shorter distance than the cannons in previousMario Kart games.^[5]

Mario Tennis series[edit]

In theMario Tennis series, a Barrel Cannon is utilized in a few of Donkey Kong's special moves. InMario Power Tennis andMario Tennis: Power Tour,Donkey Kong mounts and shoots from a Barrel Cannon as part of hisOffensive Power Shot, theBarrel Cannon Blast. InMario Tennis Aces, Donkey Kong launches himself from several Barrel Cannons to perform hisSpecial Shot.

Mario Super Sluggers[edit]

Barrel Cannons make a minor appearance inMario Super Sluggers in adventure mode. When the player travels toDK Jungle,Donkey Kong meets him and says that there is a waterfall too far for him to jump across. Nearby, in a bush, is a barrel cannon that will launch the player across this waterfall.

Mario & Luigi series[edit]

Mario and Luigi using the Yoo Who Cannon

InMario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, its3DS remake, andMario & Luigi: Brothership, Mario and Luigi obtain aBros. Attack calledYoo Who Cannon where the bros. jump into Barrel Cannons and are shot at enemies. This same attack was planned forMario & Luigi: Dream Team but was removed.

Mario Party series[edit]

The players using Barrel Cannons in Diddy's Banana Blast,Mario Party 9

DK Barrel Cannons appear inDK's Treetop Temple inMario Party 8. When a player passes one, they can choose to pay fivecoins to launch themselves towards a higher location on the board.

InMario Party 9, Barrel Cannons appear inDK's Jungle Ruins. If the player lands on aLucky Space, they will be launched to a floating island to increase their Bananas counter. Many Barrel Cannons appear in the boss minigamesDiddy's Banana Blast andDK's Banana Bonus, where the players use them to reach Bananas.

Only a single giant Barrel Cannon appears inMario Party 10, located at the top of theDonkey Kong Board. Whenever the player'samiibo comes across this cannon, they will be offered the possibility to enter the cannon and get launched to one of the spaces the other players are on.

Barrel Cannons return inMario Party: Star Rush, in the minigameLeafboard Hoard. The objective is for players to select a Barrel Cannon, and competing for one with the most coins, and then launch from that one.

A Barrel Cannon reappears inSuper Mario Party Jamboree. In this game, the Barrel Cannon only appears when a player has Donkey Kong as aJamboree Buddy. The player is given an option to move to a random space with the Barrel Cannon; this is optional and can be declined.

Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge[edit]

Many Barrel Cannons and Blast Barrels in the first level ofBarrel Blast Jungle inMini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge

Barrel Cannons appear inMini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge as the gimmick ofBarrel Blast Jungle. There are stationary Barrel Cannons, which spin around continuously, as well as Barrel Cannons that do not rotate but move from one side to the other on a line. Barrel Cannons display a light-emitting disc, which turns red whenMini Donkey Kong is inside the cannon. If the disc is tapped withGamePad while Mini Donkey Kong is inside, he gets launched from the barrel. Alongside Barrel Cannons, there are alsoBlast Barrels.

WarioWare Gold[edit]

In theDonkey Kong Country microgame fromWarioWare Gold, the player has to fire Donkey Kong from a Barrel Cannon onto a row ofbananas. The Barrel Cannon takes the form of aBlast Barrel, although it only fires the character at the player's command. In the first two difficulties, the Barrel Cannon moves up and down, while in the third difficulty, it rotates 90 degrees in one place.

Mario Strikers: Battle League[edit]

InMario Strikers: Battle League,Diddy Kong launches himself from a Barrel Cannon during hisHyper Strike animation.^[6]

Profiles[edit]

Donkey Kong Country series[edit]

Donkey Kong Country[edit]

• Instruction booklet bio:Barrel Cannons are usually suspended in the sky by some unknown force. Once you jump into one you can launch out of it, high in the sky or across great distances. There are two kinds: regular cannons which you press the B button to activate, and automatic cannons which will launch as soon as you jump in. Automatic barrels are marked with a white explosion.^{[page number needed]}
• Instruction booklet bio (Game Boy Advance version)Leap into a Barrel Cannon to get launched into the air. Those marked with an explosion symbol will fire automatically, while others will require a press of the A Button to launch. You'll also find some Barrel Cannons that move, so be sure to time your shots carefully.^{[page number needed]}

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest[edit]

• Instruction booklet bio (Game Boy Advance version):There are several types of Barrel Kannon. Arrow Barrels simply launch you in the direction of the arrow (use the + Control Pad to move left or right in the air). Blast Barrels will automatically launch you in a certain pre-programmed direction. Delayed Blast Barrels will allow you to aim them before they blast you out.^{[page number needed]}
• Wii U Virtual Console manual bio:If you jump into this barrel, you will be sent flying for a long distance. There are several types of these barrels.^{[page number needed]}

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble![edit]

• Instruction booklet bio (Game Boy Advance version):This barrel will automatically launch you to places that you'd never be able to reach otherwise.^{[page number needed]}

Super Smash Bros. Melee[edit]

Trophy Barrel Cannon
	Game/move: Donkey Kong Country 11/94
	How to unlock: Randomly obtainable from a single-player mode or theLottery
	The Barrel Cannons were used in Donkey Kong games as a vital means of transportation, and their explosive nature is used similarly in Super Smash Bros. Melee. On the Kongo Jungle stage, one can catch characters as they fall from the main platform. Careful! The Barrel Cannon rotation may accidentally send you flying off the screen.

Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge[edit]

• Play Nintendo:You can make your Mini hop into a cannon by marching up to it. Tap the red button to shoot your Mini out of the cannon and into enemies!^[7]

Gallery[edit]

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

• 

  Donkey Kong 64

• 

  Donkey Kong shooting between Barrel Cannons to prepare a Special Shot inMario Tennis Aces

• 

  Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey sprite

• 

  Super Nintendo World

Names in other languages[edit]

References[edit]

Barrel Cannon coverage on otherNIWA wikis:

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SmashWiki

• Barrels
• Cannons
• Barrel-Blastapalooza
• Donkey Kong 64 objects
• Donkey Kong Bananza objects
• Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast
• Donkey Kong Country objects
• Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest objects
• Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! objects
• Donkey Kong Land objects
• Donkey Kong Land 2 objects
• Donkey Kong Land III objects
• DK: King of Swing
• Mario Kart: Double Dash!! objects
• Mario Kart World objects
• Mario Power Tennis
• Mario Strikers: Battle League
• Mario Tennis Aces
• Mario Tennis: Power Tour
• Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge objects
• Super Smash Bros.
• Super Smash Bros. Brawl
• Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U
• Super Smash Bros. Melee
• Super Smash Bros. Melee items
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• Super Smash Bros. series objects

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