Popgun
 | It has been suggested that this article be split intoPopgun,Peanut Popgun.Reason: With "once and only once" removed from the Manual of Style, we can have an article on both Diddy Kong's specific recurring weapon and the trio of Diddy, Dixie, and Cranky's weapons inDonkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze at the same time. And we should, the Peanut Popguns deserve their own dedicated article due to being iconic and recurring. Think of it likeMini andMini-Mario, orYoshi (species) andYoshi. (discuss) |
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Apopgun is a pistol weapon used by theKongs in theDonkey Kong franchise. Popguns are small, ranged weapons that shoot various types of projectiles. SinceDonkey Kong 64, a pair of popguns has beenDiddy Kong's signature weapon, more specifically thePeanut Popguns, which shoot outpeanuts. The Peanut Popguns are two wooden pistols that appear to be hollowed-out logs.
History[edit]
Donkey Kong 64[edit]
- “With his pistols out, he's one tough Kong!”
- —DK Rap
InDonkey Kong 64, Diddy can buy the Peanut Popguns fromFunky's Store as early asJungle Japes for threeBanana Bunch Coins. Like the other Kongs' weapons, Diddy uses the Peanut Popguns for various reasons, such as shooting enemies,Peanut Switches, and redBanana Balloons. In Jungle Japes, Diddy must use the Peanut Popguns to shoot three Peanut Switches, each one opening a gate in a different part of the level.
When Diddy is using theRocketbarrel Boost move, he is always holding out his Peanut Popguns. When Diddy is on land, the player must simultaneously press
and
for him to take out the Peanut Popguns, or another time for Diddy to put them away.
Starting withFungi Forest, the Kongs can go to Funky's Store to buy an upgrade for five Banana Bunch Coins that enables every Kong's personal weapon, including the Peanut Popguns, to use homing ammo that they pick up from redSupply Crates.
Donkey Kong Country series[edit]
Donkey Kong Country Returns (3D /HD)[edit]
InDonkey Kong Country Returns and itsNintendo 3DS andNintendo Switch ports, Diddy uses the Peanut Popguns again. They were given a stubbier appearance and are each held together by two iron rings. Diddy can use them by default, although they are less effective than inDonkey Kong 64 and can only be used in 2-player mode, where Diddy is independently controlled by the second player. With the Peanut Popguns, Diddy can perform thePopgun Pound ability, where he shoots peanuts at the ground to replicate theGround Pound. They bounce forward after landing. Alternatively, Diddy can shoot peanuts forward if the second player shakes the Wii Remote while Diddy is in mid-air or if he is onDonkey Kong. Launched peanuts bounce on the ground quickly and break upon hitting a wall or an enemy; while Diddy can kill a select few enemies by shooting peanuts at them, most will only be temporarily stunned by this, causing them to become dizzy or confused.Dixie Kong'sGumball Popgun also appears alongside her addition in the Ver. 1.1.0 update toDonkey Kong Country Returns HD, functioning identically to Diddy's Peanut Popguns.
Although bosses and certain enemies such asTikis are not affected by the Peanut Popguns's projectiles, a couple of exceptions are found in the respective boss fights forMugly andThugly: when the boss opens its mouth, Diddy can optionally shoot peanuts into it. By shooting enough peanuts, the boss temporarily stops to chew on the peanuts, and its vulnerable spot is exposed. This is indicated by hearts surrounding their head. After taking a hit, the boss stops being distracted and continues with trying to attack Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze[edit]
The Peanut Popgun returns as Diddy Kong's weapon inDonkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze and itsNintendo Switch port, appearing alongside theGumball Popgun[1] and theDenture Popgun,[1] used by Dixie Kong andCranky Kong respectively. The new popguns have the same usage as the Peanut Popguns inDonkey Kong Country Returns. However, they have all been nerfed from the previous game, as now there are no enemies that can be outright killed by their ammo, and stunned enemies will recover more quickly. Only Diddy Kong can perform the Popgun Pound, with Dixie and Cranky having their versions of the ground pound.
The player can use popguns whenever Diddy, Dixie, or Cranky are controlled independently, which is possible in multiplayer sessions and inHard Mode. In order to shoot the weapon, the players that control these characters have to press the ground pound button while in mid-air or mounted on Donkey Kong. Like the previous game, Diddy can feed some bosses by shooting peanuts into their mouth.
Dixie Kong's popgun shoots bubblegum instead of peanuts, which is a reference to Dixie's idle animation inDonkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest andDonkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!, where she would blow bubblegum. Cranky Kong shootschattering dentures, alluding to his old age, although his alleged popgun is never shown and instead he appears to fire his dentures with his cane.
APlay Nintendo article interprets Cranky Kong's action as him throwing dentures.[2]
Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
Diddy Kong'sneutral special move inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl,Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS /Wii U, andSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate involves using a Peanut Popgun, and can be charged up. The popguns are fully charged when Diddy reaches up and grabs his hat. When charged up, the peanuts fired are much faster, and will have a better chance at hitting the opponents. If Diddy charges it for too long, the popgun explodes in his hands, briefly stunning him but otherwise not dealing any damage. Diddy Kong uses his Peanut Popguns during hisFinal Smash, theRocketbarrel Barrage.
InSuper Smash Bros. Brawl'sThe Subspace Emissary, Diddy uses the Peanut Popguns in two cutscenes to attack enemies. In one cutscene, when Donkey Kong and fight offBowser's Minions, Diddy blasts theBullet Bills with peanuts, posing with Donkey Kong as one of the defeated Bullet Bills explodes behind them. In a later cutscene, when Diddy is dropped out of the Arwing, he propels himself up to the Smash Skiff, blasting thePrimids with peanuts.
InSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS /Wii U, the explosion can also damage opponents. The Peanut Popguns occasionally releases peanuts that can be eaten asfood. If Diddy Kong's powers are copied byKirby, he will also be able to use Peanut Popgun. InSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS /Wii U, this move has two custom variants:Exploding Popgun, which does not fire peanuts and can only deal damage by exploding, doing it more quickly; andJumbo Peanuts, which fires larger peanuts that do not travel as far and deal more damage.
There is a collectibletrophy of a Peanut Popgun inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl as well as another inSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U. InSuper Smash Bros. Brawl, the trophy for the Popgun erroneously states that they can fire two peanuts at a time.
Dr. Mario World[edit]
InDr. Mario World, Dr. Diddy Kong skill uses a Peanut Popgun, which splits a number of the player's upcomingcapsules into their component half-capsules. Once a pair of half-capsules are moved into the stage and released, each half-capsule can be moved individually. To indicate the splitting, a peanut breaks in half when the ability is activated. Starting in version 2.3.0, the next capsule to be used turns into a pair of rainbow capsules, which move as per the skill's effect. The Peanut Popgun itself only appears on the screen in stage mode.
Profiles and statistics[edit]
Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
Super Smash Bros. Brawl[edit]
| Trophy Peanut Popgun | ||
 | ||
| Appears in: N64Donkey Kong 64 WiiDonkey Kong: Barrel Blast | ||
| How to unlock: Clear level 2 ofTarget Smash | ||
| A unique firearm that only Diddy Kong can use. It's made of a chunk of wood and shoots peanuts. In Donkey Kong 64, he carried two pistols and could fire two shots at a time. In Smash Bros., the peanut ammo bursts out of its shells when fired. The peanuts can be grabbed and eaten to reduce damage. The longer the gun is charged before firing, the faster the peanuts fly. | ||
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Super Smash Bros. for Wii U[edit]
| Trophy Peanut Popgun | ||
3DS: Wii U:  | ||
| Category: Fighter Related | ||
( )Appears in:N64 Donkey Kong 64 (11/1999) Wii Donkey Kong Country Returns (11/2010) | ||
| ()Trophy Box: 18: Animal Friends and Items | ||
| How to unlock: Random | ||
| Diddy Kong's special wooden gun, locked and loaded with peanut shots. Power up the peanuts by holding the button, but don't get carried away—an overcharged peanut can explode in the barrel! Charging will improve the range of your shot, so keep an eye on your target as you prepare to fire!(American English) | ||
| Diddy Kong's special wooden gun. Keep the trigger held to charge up the speed and power of the peanut ammo. Just don't get carried away or the gun might explode! How long you charge it for also affects the range of your projectile, so pay close attention to your intended target and make sure you time it just right!(British English) | ||
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze[edit]
- Instruction booklet description:
- English:
Each partner has their own ranged attack. Depending on the enemy, these attacks may have different effects. Dixie Kong and Cranky Kong can only use their ranged attacks while on Donkey Kong's back or in midair.
- English:
Gallery[edit]
Diddy's Peanut Popgun inDonkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Dixie's Gumball Popgun inDonkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Cranky's Denture Popgun inDonkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
The Peanut Popgun inSuper Smash Bros. Brawl
The Peanut Popgun inSuper Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS
The Peanut Popgun inSuper Smash Bros. for Wii U
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Names in other languages[edit]
Peanut Popgun[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ピーナッツ・ポップガン[3] Pīnattsu Poppugan | Peanuts Popgun | |
| Arabic | مسدس الفول السوداني[4] Musadas alful alsuwdanii | Peanut gun | |
| Dutch | Pindaschieter[?] | Peanut shooter | |
| French | Kawouetto-Flingue[?] | Peanut Gun | |
| Kawouetto-pétard[1][5] | |||
| German | Erdnusswerfer[?] | Peanut thrower | |
| Italian | Pistola a Noccioline[?] | Peanuts Pistol | DK64 |
| Nocciol-Pistola[?] | Peanut-pistol | fromDKCR onwards | |
| Korean | 땅콩 팝총[7] Ttangkong Pabchong | Peanut Pop Gun | Super Smash Bros. Brawl's Trophy |
| Portuguese | Dispara-Amendoins[?] | Peanut Shooter | |
| Russian | Арахисовый пугач[?] Arakhisovyy pugach | Peanut popgun | |
| Spanish | Cacahuetola Cacahuatola[1][6] | Portmanteau ofcacahuete /cacahuate ("peanut") andpistola ("gun") |
Gumball Popgun[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ガムボール・ポップガン[1] Gamubōru Poppugan | Gumball Popgun | |
| French(Canadian) | Pisto-gomme[1] | Pisto-gum | |
| Italian | Spara-gomme[?] | Gum-shooter | |
| Spanish(Latin American) | Gomatola[1] | Portmanteau ofgoma ("gum") andpistola ("gun") |
Denture Popgun[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | デンタル・ポップガン[1] Dentaru Poppugan | Dental Popgun | |
| French(Canadian) | Lancer de dentier[1] | A phrase describing the action of launching dentures | |
| Italian | Lancio della dentiera[?] | Denture trow | |
| Spanish(Latin American) | Lanzamuelas[1] | Potmanteau oflanzar ("to launch") andmuelas ("teeth") |
Notes[edit]
- Apre-release screenshot ofDonkey Kong 64 shows that the Peanut Popguns initially used the model of weapons similar to realistic pistols. This was a placeholder and was never intended to be in the final release according to the game's creative director, George Andreas.[8]
- Diddy Kong's association with the Peanut Popguns is referenced in his bio on theSuper Mario Party official website, where he is described as a "peanut-popping powerhouse."[9]
References[edit]
- ^abcdefghijDonkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze action guide, which comes packed with the game
- ^"He can also take out enemies by throwing his dentures at them!" –Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Playable Characters Quiz.Play Nintendo. Retrieved 6 Aug. 2025. (Archived December 23, 2024, 00:17:47 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^「ドンキーコング64任天堂公式ガイドブック」 (Donkey Kong 64 Nintendo Kōshiki Guidebook).Shogakukan (Japanese). Page 9.
- ^DONKEY KONG COUNTRY RETURNS HD متوفرة الآن على NINTENDO SWITCH.Nintendo Saudi Arabia (Arabic). Retrieved January 22, 2026.
- ^2010.Donkey Kong Country Returns instruction booklet.Nintendo (French). Page 38.
- ^2010.Donkey Kong Country Returns instruction booklet.Nintendo (European Spanish). Page 60.
- ^대난투 스매쉬 브라더스 X - 피규어 올 컬렉션 #1
- ^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+ (English). Retrieved July 4, 2024.
- ^Super Mario Party presentation page - "Look who’s coming to the party!" section.nintendo.com (American English). Archived August 5, 2019, 20:53:43 UTC from the original via Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 4, 2024.
