Blast Barrel

An 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 Auto-Fire 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.

Auto-Fire 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 Auto-Fire 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, Auto-Fire 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.