TNT Barrel

TNT Barrels (originally called TNT Drums  ) are explosive barrels in the Donkey Kong franchise. They first appear in Donkey Kong Country. In most games, a TNT Barrel looks similar to a regular barrel, though it can be identified from its fuse and the abbreviation "" painted in white on the front.

Just like other barrels, the Kongs can pick up a TNT Barrel and throw it. It then explodes upon collision with an enemy, the ground, or a wall. The fiery explosion of a TNT Barrel defeats every enemy caught within the blast radius. TNT Barrels can defeat most enemies, including Zingers, which cannot be defeated by any of the Kongs' physical attacks.

Donkey Kong Country series
A TNT Drum appears for the first time in the opening scene of Donkey Kong Country. Cranky Kong uses it to wreck Donkey Kong's boom box, as retaliation for Donkey Kong knocking him out of the trees and ruining his phonograph. During gameplay, TNT Drums can be lifted, then tossed on the ground or a wall to explode, defeating any enemy standing in its explosion range. In Donkey Kong Country, many Bonus Levels can only be entered using a TNT Barrel. They can also be utilized this way in the sequels, as well as in the Donkey Kong Land games. In both the Donkey Kong Land series and Game Boy Color version of Donkey Kong Country, TNT Barrels have a smaller blast radius.

The Kongs do not get injured by running through a TNT Barrel's blast after they throw it. Contrarily, in Donkey Kong Country, if the Kongs lift a TNT Drum and then put it down, it shakes and then immediately explodes, causing the player to lose a Kong.

In Donkey Kong Land, there is another type of explosive barrel, which appears in a few levels. They have a one-time use to blow up a boulder on the world map.

Some Kremling enemies hide in TNT Barrels and act as suicide bombers, sacrificing themselves in an attempt to destroy the Kongs. These include Kabooms from Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, as well as Krackas and Klasps found in Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!. Other Kremlings, namely Bazukas, may shoot TNT Barrels out of their cannons, and the Kongs would have to avoid them.

Donkey Kong 64
In Donkey Kong 64, TNT Barrels are red and considerably smaller in size. Their main use in the game is to attack the bosses, Army Dillo and Dogadon. Kabooms from Donkey Kong Country 2 – here called "TNT Bombers" – return in this game, hiding inside TNT Barrels with no fuses.

DK: Jungle Climber
TNT Barrels also appear in DK: Jungle Climber. They can be used to destroy dense objects around them, and will explode if attacked.

Donkey Kong Country: Rumble in the Jungle
In Donkey Kong Country: Rumble in the Jungle, miniature TNT Barrels (stylized as mini-TNT Barrels) are used by Donkey Kong on several occasions throughout the novel. Before the Kongs leave their treehouse to travel to Big Ape City, Donkey Kong takes a backpack full of miniature barrels, including some that "could even explode". TNT Barrels are first used while the Kongs are battling some Kremlings and their barrel cannons in Tree Top Town. Donkey Kong launches several TNT Barrels by slinging back a tree branch, allowing the barrels to reach high above in the tree tops. Donkey Kong later uses one to break open Funky Kong's prison door within the Kremling's factory in Big Ape City, although the sound of the explosion attracts Kritter and a group of Kremlings.

Donkey Kong later uses a TNT Barrel to destroy the defense system's control room, and then again later to create a hole in the factory wall so that the Kongs are able to escape in Funky's barrel plane. While in the plane, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong decide to jump from the plane to infiltrate King K. Rool's zeppelin. They plant the zeppelin with many time-delayed TNT Barrels, and they escape to watch it fall on top of the Kremling's factory, which causes a powerful explosion.

An illustration shows that the TNT Barrels resembles their artwork for Donkey Kong Country, although lacking a fuse at the top. And despite the novel claiming to describe "miniature" TNT Barrels, their illustrated size in proportion to the prison door appears to be closer to a regular-sized barrel.

Donkey Kong Country television series
A barrel similar to TNT Barrels appears in the Donkey Kong Country animated series. Here they are referred to as Barrel Bombs or Exploding Barrels and bear a resemblance to Blast Barrels. They are seen during the first half of Booty and the Beast, where King K. Rool takes over Bluster’s Barrel Works and begins manufacturing exploding barrels. However, Donkey Kong chased off K. Rool and production was halted.

In Kong for a Day, K. Rool made a second attempt to seize control of the Barrel Works to manufacture more exploding barrels, but this time Donkey Kong foiled his plans before production could commence.

In Speak No Evil, Dude, it is revealed that Rool has an arsenal of exploding barrels large enough to destroy the entire island, as General Klump attempts to do just that after misinterpreting King K Rool (who was unable to communicate as he was mute from the Kongo Bongo Gone Wrongo disease).

While K. Rool possesses these barrels, he never directly uses them against the Kongs.

Super Mario-kun
The TNT Barrel makes an appearance in Super Mario-kun in volume 14. During a fight with Army, Diddy Kong gives Donkey Kong a TNT Barrel. Donkey Kong then hurls it, only to have it explode on Mario and Yoshi while defeating Army. Mario then yells at Donkey Kong.

Mario Golf: World Tour
In several places of the DK Jungle course from Mario Golf: World Tour, TNT Barrels lie on the ground. They explode when a golf ball bumps into them, sending the ball high up to the sky. TNT Barrels are found near Hole 3, Hole 4 and Hole 9.

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
TNT Barrels appear exclusively in the Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle Donkey Kong Adventure DLC, where they are used to defeat the health pool and Mega Rabbid Kong during his first boss fight.

Donkey Kong Country

 * SNES manual description: "This drum of trinitrotoluene (that's TNT) packs quite a whallop. The explosion from this barrel can can defeat almost any enemy, and can break open hidden doors. If you pick this barrel up and then put it down (press Down on the Control Pad as you release the Y Button), it will explode a few seconds later, like a time bomb!"
 * Nintendo Player's Guide: "This type of barrel will explode when thrown. They are excellent for helping you locate bonus areas. If Diddy holds a TNT Drum out in front of him, sooner or later he's going to blow open a door to a bonus area. Explosion on contact!"
 * GBC manual description: "Throw one of these powder kegs—the resulting explosion will harm any nearby baddies."
 * GBA manual description: "Throw one of these powder kegs and the resulting explosion will harm any nearby baddies."

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest

 * SNES manual description: (also used for Donkey Kong Land 2's manual) "TNT Barrels explode when they are thrown. Be careful, because some Kremlings actually like to live in TNT Barrels..."
 * Nintendo Player's Guide: "This barrel is loaded with high explosive, and will go off on impact. Use it as a weapon or to break through walls."
 * GBA manual description: "These, naturally, explode when thrown. Be careful, because some Kremlings actually live in TNT Barrels!"
 * Wii U Virtual Console manual bio: "It explodes when it is thrown at an enemy or an obstacle."

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!

 * SNES manual description: "TNT Barrels explode when they are thrown. The explosion from this barrel can open hidden areas."
 * Nintendo Player's Guide: "TNT Barrels explode when you toss them against the wall. The explosion can either open a hidden part of the level or allow you to escape from a tight spot. Watch out for enemies that shoot these at you."
 * GBA manual description: "As you might expect, these detonate when thrown. Use the explosion as a weapon or to open hidden areas!"