Animal crate



An Animal Crate is a box that Animal Friends are stored in before being released by the Kongs, although some come in Animal Barrels. When leaped on, the box breaks, exposing the animal. The friend inside can be identified by the image on the side of the box.

While Animal Crates appear in Donkey Kong Land, they do not appear at all in Donkey Kong Land 2 or Donkey Kong Land III. This is most likely because in the latter two games, most Animal Friends have special moves that they didn't have in Donkey Kong Land (for example, Rambi can charge), which requires an extra button (Select). Due to the limited amount of buttons on the Game Boy, this would leave no buttons to dismount from an animal.

In Donkey Kong 64, Animal Crates act more like Animal Barrels, transforming a Kong into an Animal Friend instead of just allowing them to ride one.

Animal Crates are seen again in Donkey Kong Country Returns and Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, although only Rambi crates appear, since he is the only Animal Friend available to ride. The boxes are rather solid and cannot be destroyed by simply jumping on one as in past games, instead requiring a Ground Pound action, done either next to the crate or on top of it. These crates return in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, where they are renamed Rambi the Rhinoceros Boxes. This time, they must first be hopped on and then pounded.

Trivia

 * In Donkey Kong Country, when the Kongs open a crate, it lies unfolded on the ground until the Kongs move away and come back, point at which the crate despawns. However, in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest and Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!!, the crate vanishes right after the Animal Friend appears.