Star Barrel

A Star Barrel (also known as a Check-Point Barrel and a Continue Barrel  ) is a wooden Barrel with white stars painted on it. This type of barrel first appeared in Donkey Kong Country and can be found in every title of the original Donkey Kong Country trilogy, as well as in the latter two Donkey Kong Land games. The Star Barrel acts as the checkpoint of a level. These barrels always float in mid-air and will break upon contact. Upon being broken, a shower of colorful sparkles rains upon the Kongs, indicating the barrel is activated. If the heroes happen to lose an extra life before completing the level, they will restart the level at the mid-way point where the Star Barrel was activated (instead of at the beginning of the level like normal). However, if the Kongs lose all of their extra lives and get a game over, the heroes must start over from the last place they saved the game.

Additionally, there is a Continue Barrel to be found at every Candy's Save Point, only this variety saves the player's data and is unbreakable.

In Donkey Kong Land, the Continue Barrels were replaced with Continue Points, which act in the same way. In Donkey Kong Country Returns and onward, Professor Chops takes this role.

In the code of Donkey Kong Country, there is an unused sprite for the Continue Barrel with its top open.