Slot Machine Barrel
Slot Machine Barrel | |
---|---|
![]() A Slot Machine Barrel in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze | |
First appearance | Donkey Kong Country Returns (2010) |
Latest appearance | Donkey Kong Country Returns HD (2025) |
Effect | Ends the level; rewards a Red Balloon, Banana Bunch, or Banana Coin; may start a short punching sequence where the player earns up to fifteen of one of the aforementioned items instead |
Slot Machine Barrels[1][2] are objects in Donkey Kong Country Returns (as well as its Nintendo 3DS port and its Nintendo Switch port) and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze (as well as its Nintendo Switch port). These golden hooped barrels are the ends of all levels that are not boss levels or Key Temples, succeeding End of Level Targets and Level Flags from earlier games of the Donkey Kong Country series.
Slot Machine Barrels float in the air. At first, a Slot Machine Barrel is idle. An opening in its center facing the screen displays a yellow star on a red background. When the Kongs go near a Slot Machine Barrel for the first time in each playthrough of a level, the display in the opening spins like a roulette, displaying icons for prizes. They include a banana (which represents a Banana Bunch and therefore five bananas), a Red Balloon, a Banana Coin, and a DK symbol. By touching the barrel, traditionally by jumping into it, the player character punches it open to win the item being displayed and end the level. Unlike with End of Level Targets, the prizes for Slot Machine Barrels are consistent in every level. Sometimes, the player can reach a Slot Machine Barrel only via a Barrel Cannon, meaning that the player has to account for the travel time to ensure Donkey Kong or Diddy Kong arrives at the Slot Machine Barrel at the right time to win a specific prize. In silhouette levels, the Slot Machine Barrel's center is displayed with color.
If the Kongs hit a Slot Machine Barrel just as it displays the DK logo, the player can shake (and
, if one is used) in Donkey Kong Country Returns or press
/
or
/
(depending on the control scheme) in Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D to hit the Slot Machine Barrel several times within a limited time window, similar to various objects and enemies from Donkey Kong Jungle Beat. At the end of this, the barrel breaks and the Kongs get one of the three items, but the quantity is multiplied by the number of hits. The maximum number of hits is 15.
In Time Attack mode, a Slot Machine Barrel displays a checkered flag and does not spin. When the Kongs hit the barrel, tutorial pig waves the checkered flag to stop the timer, and the Kongs finish the level.
In Donkey Kong Country Returns, the level Tidal Terror ends with a giant treasure chest containing the Slot Machine Barrel. The final platform of the level Golden Temple lacks a Slot Machine Barrel. Instead, the player must repeatedly shoot between three Barrel Cannons to turn a gear that causes a giant monkey statue and several items to rise out of the clouds in the background. Once the statue is in place, the Barrel Cannons vanish and the gear explodes. The statue then dispenses the Slot Machine Barrel. When the level is played in any mode except for Time Attack, this Slot Machine Barrel displays a Mirror Trophy and does not spin. When the player hits the Slot Machine Barrel, they unlock Mirror Mode.
In Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, some levels contain more than one Slot Machine Barrel. These additional barrels mark a secret exit, much like secret Goal Poles from the New Super Mario Bros. subseries, and they unlock a hidden, alternate path on the world map.
Gallery
Donkey Kong Country Returns
Donkey Kong hitting a Slot Machine Barrel when the DK logo is displayed
Names in other languages
Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Japanese | ゴールバレル[?] Gōru Bareru |
Goal Barrel | |
French | Tonneau-tombola[3] | Raffle Barrel | |
Italian | Barile sorpresa[4][5] | Surprise barrel | |
Spanish (NOA) | Barril sorpresa[6] | Surprise Barrel | |
Spanish (NOE) | Barril tragaperras[7] | Slot Machine Barrel |
Notes
- The jingle that plays just before the barrel spins is the same sound effect that plays when a Gōrumondo or Mini Panda is defeated in Donkey Kong Jungle Beat.
References
- ^ 2010. Donkey Kong Country Returns instruction booklet. Nintendo of America (American English). Page 18.
- ^ 2010. Donkey Kong Country Returns instruction booklet. Nintendo of Europe (British English). Page 23.
- ^ Donkey Kong Country Returns instruction booklet. Page 40.
- ^ Donkey Kong Country Returns Italian manual. Page 23.
- ^ Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Italian electronic manual, section 9
- ^ Donkey Kong Country Returns instruction booklet. Page 62.
- ^ Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D Spanish electronic manual, section 25