Kaboom
- This article is about the enemy in the Donkey Kong franchise. For the home video distribution company that released several DVDs of the Donkey Kong Country television series, see Kaboom! Entertainment.
- Not to be confused with Baboom.
| Kaboom | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Artwork from Donkey Kong Bananza | |||
| First appearance | Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (1995) | ||
| Latest appearance | Donkey Kong Bananza (2025) | ||
| Variant of | Klobber | ||
| |||
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Kabooms are enemies introduced in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. They are Kremlings and a variant of Klobber that disguise themselves as ordinary TNT Barrels and pop out when a character gets close.
Kabooms were originally planned to have successors named Krackas in Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!, but went unused, and the rope-climbing Klasps are the only successor, though Krackas do appear in the remake.
History[edit]
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest[edit]
Kabooms are enemies in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. They first appear in Ghostly Grove and commonly appear in levels of the later worlds, especially the Lost World and K. Rool's Keep. Like Klobbers, a Kaboom hides in its barrel and pops out whenever Diddy and Dixie get close before running their way, attempting to harm them. Kabooms can be told apart from TNT Barrels because the "N" of "TNT" is flipped, until the Kaboom is jumped on; this is a side-effect of most enemy graphics being rendered to face right, rather than left as they generally start in gameplay. If a Kaboom crashes into the player character, it explodes, defeating it and damaging the Kong. Alternatively, a Kaboom can be defeated without taking damage by using either a barrel or a kannonball at it, or by stomping the Kaboom and throwing it (before it re-emerges after a few seconds). Kabooms are defeated in the same manner as Klobbers if they touch spikes in Klobber Karnage, which does not cause them to explode. Kabooms are one of the few entities absent from the end credits, but the remake changes this by listing one with a Klobber.
- Level appearances
Donkey Kong 64[edit]
Kabooms, also named TNT Bombers[1] or "TNT Barrels",[2] return in Donkey Kong 64. Besides a larger redesign lacking earrings, and wearing the top lid of the barrel on their head, TNT Bombers are otherwise similar as before, disguising themselves as TNT Barrels (which lack fuses, unlike real ones) and damaging a Kong on contact.
TNT Bombers have received a few changes from their previous appearances. They are defeated from either an orange, a musical instrument move, a projectile from a Kong's weapon, or a Super Slam, which also damages the player character. TNT Bombers now self-destruct if they run for long enough without damaging a Kong. They also receive voice acting and say "C'mon!" in a high-pitched voice while pursuing a Kong and "Uh-oh!" before self-destructing. After exploding, only a pile of ash with their blinking eyes on top remains of them before they vanish.
TNT Bombers are first shown during Diddy's segment of the DK Rap, where Diddy simultaneously defeats three of them by throwing an orange at them. During the game itself, TNT Bombers first appear in the later segment of Diddy's Mine Cart Ride, where they jump out of edges at random as an attempt to crash into him. If a TNT Bomber successfully hits into Diddy, he loses a few DK Coins. Angry Aztec and Gloomy Galleon are the only two levels where TNT Bombers appear.
Donkey Kong Bananza[edit]
Kabooms return in Donkey Kong Bananza, appearing in the Planet Core after King K. Rool is freed. They replace Squeeloids and behave the same way as them, with their designs being virtually unchanged aside from possessing spiked rings on their barrels that damage Donkey Kong upon contact. Their fingers also now have visible claws, rather than smooth fingertips, and their unharmed left eyes now have eyelids on the back. They are the only Kremling Krew members in the game to not originate from the original Donkey Kong Country.
In the DK Island & Emerald Rush DLC, a statue of a Kaboom can be collected and placed on the deck of Gangplank Galleon.
Profiles and statistics[edit]
- Instruction booklet description:
- English:
This sly Kremling loves explosive surprises. Watch out for TNT Barrels-Kaboom may pop out just before you reach them.[3]
- English:
- Instruction booklet (Game Boy Advance): This sly Kremling loves explosive surprises. Be careful with TNT Barrel—he might pop out as you try to grab them.[4]
- Game Boy Advance version-exclusive data
- Scrapbook page: 5
- Photograph location/unlock condition: In the second part of Klobber Karnage
Gallery[edit]
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest sprite
Donkey Kong Country 2 (Game Boy Advance) sprite
Donkey Kong 64 render
Naming[edit]
"Kaboom" is an onomatopoeia for explosions.
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Note(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | カブーン Kabūn | Kaboom | [5] | |
| ボムクロバー Bomu Kurobā | Bomb Klobber | Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest | [?] | |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 卡碰 Kǎpèng (Mandarin) Kāpung (Cantonese) | Kaboom | [?] | |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 卡碰 Kǎpèng (Mandarin) Kāpung (Cantonese) | [6] | ||
| German | Kaboom | - | [7] | |
| Italian | Coccoboom | From coccodrillo ("crocodile") and "kaboom" | [?] | |
| Korean | 카붐 Kabum | Kaboom | [8] | |
| Polish | Kaboom | - | [6] | |
| Spanish | Kaboom | - | [?] | |
| Thai | คาบูม Kaabuum | Kaboom | [9] |
References[edit]
- ^ "TNT Bombers will leap onto the cart. Speed under them to stay safe." – Barton, Jeff, Mario De Govia, and Donato Tica (December 1, 1999). Donkey Kong 64 Prima's Official Strategy Guide. Prima Games (American English). ISBN 0-7615-2279-4. Page 41.
- ^ Barton, et al.. Donkey Kong 64 Prima's Official Strategy Guide. Page 16.
- ^ 1995. Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest instruction booklet. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 30.
- ^ 2004. Donkey Kong Country 2 (Game Boy Advance) instruction booklet. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 22.
- ^ February 20, 2000. 「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). ISBN 4-09-102831-4. Page 12.
- ^ a b In-game name of the Kaboom statue from Donkey Kong Bananza: DK Island & Emerald Rush.
- ^ Domtendo (September 19, 2025). 🔴 DONKEY KONG BANANZA (DK-Insel & Smaragdrausch DLC) 🍌 #3: Secret Void Boss & 100% Statuen [ENDE]. German. Retrieved from YouTube.
- ^ 자유 is Liberty (November 5, 2025). 동키콩 바난자 DLC 에메랄드 러시 엔딩 보기 (DLC엔딩~히든퍼즐) (1:10:01). Korean. Retrieved from YouTube.
- ^ "รูปปั้น "คาบูม" ปรากฏขึ้นแล้ว!" – Statue obtaining text (22 Dec. 2025). Donkey Kong Bananza: DK Island & Emerald Rush by Nintendo EPD Tokyo et al.. Nintendo (Thai).
| Kremlings | |
|---|---|
| Characters | Congazuma • Cranky K. Rool • Draglinger • General Klump • Giant Viking Kremling • Green Kroc • Jr. Klap Trap • Junklomp • K. Lumsy • Kalypso • Kaptain Skurvy • Kass • Kerozene • King K. Rool (K. Rool, King of Rot) • King Kut Out • Kip • Klubba • Kleever • Kludge • Krunch • Krusha • Krushy • Kudgel • Kutlass • Mama • Mega Amp • Okusan • Quint Skurvy • Resident demon |
| Variants | Bazuka • Ghost • Kaboing • Kaboom • Kackle • Kannon • Kasplat • Klampon • Klank • Klaptrap • Klasp • Klinger • Kloak • Klobber • Klomp • Klump • Knocka • Kobble • Koin • Koindozer • Kopter • Kosha • Kracka • Krash • Kremling (boater) • Kremling cop • Krimp • Kritter • Kroc • Krockhead • Krook • Krumple • Kruncha • Krusha • Kuchuka • Kuff 'n' Klout • Kutlass • Re-Koil • Robokremling • Rock Kroc • Shroom • Skeleton Kremling • Skidda • Super Team goalie |
