Tag Barrel
| Tag Barrel | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Appears in | Donkey Kong 64 (1999) |
- “I'll just go and wait in the Tag Barrel untilyou need me.”
- —Diddy Kong,Donkey Kong 64
Tag Barrels are objects inDonkey Kong 64. Thesebarrels are used by the player character to toggle between whichKong is their current player character, being eitherDonkey Kong,Diddy Kong,Lanky Kong,Tiny Kong, orChunky Kong. Tag Barrels depict the heads of all five aforementioned Kongs on the side, though any Kongs that have yet to be rescued cannot be selected and are represented by a question mark of their trademark color on both the selection and the side of the Tag Barrel. Tag Barrels appear in everylevel and the hub,DK Isles, where there are usually five or seven, but DK Isles has ten of them (one in each of the eight lobbies, one in the main area, and one nearSnide's H.Q.). If a Kongjumps into a Tag Barrel, the game shifts to a black character-selection screen with the selected Kong beneath a spotlight. The Kongs all act as if they want to be selected and show disappointment if they are not. While Chunky does so, by shouting, "Yoo hoo!" he acts cowardly and unwilling if the player highlights him, and he points to Tiny for the player to select. When the player highlights another Kong, Chunky expresses relief. When used, Tag Barrels fully restore the Kongs' health, even if the player selects the same Kong. Much likeDiddy Kong Racing, the instrument in the background music changes depending on the highlighted character: muted horns for DK, an electric guitar for Diddy, a trombone for Lanky, a saxophone for Tiny, and a timpani for Chunky.
A similar type of barrel appears inDonkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, where it spins between the DD, DX, & CK emblems (this barrel appears only in single-player mode, as all DD, DX, & CK Barrels are replaced by the normalDK Barrel).
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | タッグバレル[1] Taggu Bareru | Tag Barrel | |
| French | Tonneau Équipe[?] | Team Barrel | |
| Italian | Barile di Scambio[2] | Exchange Barrel | |
| Spanish | Barriles Kong[3] | Kong Barrels |
Notes[edit]
- When Donkey Kong or Chunky is highlighted, the instruments playing in the background are from theDK Rap (muted trumpets for Donkey Kong, timpani for Chunky), instead of the musical instrument each Kong gets fromCandy Kong.
- When Tiny is selected, the saxophone plays the theme of Ticker's Tower fromBanjo-Kazooie. Also titled "Jungle" by the composer of bothBanjo-Kazooie andDonkey Kong 64,Grant Kirkhope, this theme was originally composed for Mumbo's Mountain with Ticker's Tower being an area within the level, still keeping its original theme after the level's theme changed.[citation needed]
- Under normal circumstances, it is not possible to see the yellow question mark within a Tag Barrel, because once Donkey Kong presses the switch and leaves the training area, he is considered freed by the game and thus is selectable. However, with the aid ofglitches, it is possible to see the Tag Barrel with all five question marks.
References[edit]
- ^December 10, 1999.「ドンキーコング64 取扱説明書」(Donkey Kong 64 Toriatsukai Setsumeisho) (PDF).Nintendo (Japanese). Page 21.
- ^Donkey Kong 64 English-Italian manual. Page 38.
- ^1999.Donkey Kong 64 German/Spanish instruction booklet.Nintendo España S.A. (European Spanish). Page 42.
