Blast Barrel

A Blast Barrel, previously known as Auto-Fire Barrel, is a common type of Barrel that has appeared in the Donkey Kong Country series. When a member of the Kong Family jumps into this barrel, the barrel automatically launches the ape in a predetermined direction. The Blast Barrel can launch the Kongs great distances and often allows the family members to reach a location that cannot be reached by other means. As its name suggests, the Kongs cannot control when or in what direction they are fired – the launch is purely automatic. The symbol on the side of the barrel is a white outline of an explosion, signifying the ability of the barrel to blast the Kongs in many different directions and distances.

Blast Barrels first appear in the game Donkey Kong Country and are a staple barrel featured in the series.

The barrels return in the latest games of the Donkey Kong Country series, Donkey Kong Country Returns and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, where they function the same as in the predecessor games. These games also contain Blast Barrels with skull heads printed on them - this indicates that the barrels will instantly self-destruct after they launch the players.

For the first time in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong games, Blast Barrels show up in Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge. Specifically, they are present in Mini Donkey Kong's levels, where they function just like in the past games, as they automatically fire the character to other areas.

Trivia

 * In the Donkey Kong Country television series, there are Exploding Barrels that bear a resemblance to the Auto-Fire Barrels.