Invincibility Barrel

An Invincibility Barrel is a rare type of Barrel that has appeared in the Donkey Kong Country series. These wooden barrels instantly break when they are touched. Upon being broken, the barrel grants the Kongs temporary invincibility for a few seconds. While invincible, the heroes are not only invulnerable, but can also defeat most enemies just by touching them. Invincibility Barrels appear infrequently throughout the games that feature them, as they are so powerful. The symbol of the barrel is an exclamation point (“!”), signifying the excitement and urgency of gaining temporary invincibility.

Invincibility Barrels first appeared in the game Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, and later appeared in Donkey Kong Land 2. They also appeared in a few levels of Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!. Strangely, they do not appear at all in Donkey Kong Land III.

Trivia

 * The Invincibility Barrel is analogous to the Starman from the Super Mario Bros. series. The exclamation point on the side of the barrel has also appeared on many Mario items, including ! Blocks and ! Switches.