Stop & Go Barrel

Stop & Go Barrels, also named GO barrels, are a type of barrel that appears in Donkey Kong Country, and are exclusive to the level, Stop & Go Station. They are a dark barrel either reading either "Stop" or "Go" on it, respectively in red and green text, and are similar to ON/OFF Switches. The stage lighting corresponds to the Stop & Go Barrels' current setting (red for "Stop" and green for "Go").

In Stop & Go Station, most of the paths are occupied by the invulnerable Rock Krocs, whose movements can oddly be manipulated from the numerous Stop & Go Barrels appearing throughout the level. By default, each Stop & Go Barrel is set to "Go", which permits the Rock Krocs to move around. If Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong jump at a Stop & Go Barrel, it and the other barrels of its type temporarily read "Stop", causing the Rock Krocs to curl into a ball and cease movement. This allows the Kongs to safely pass the Rock Krocs. After a while, the Stop & Go Barrels revert to "Go", and the Rock Krocs resume movement. The duration in which the barrels are set to "Stop" is based on the distance from that Stop & Go Barrel to the next one.

The level Loopy Lights features its own series of barrels with a similar functionality, On & Off Barrels, which temporarily turn on the lights throughout the stage.