Hot Air Balloon

Hot Air Balloons (also parsed as Hot-Air Balloons) are objects that are used for crossing large portions of lava in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest and Donkey Kong Land 2. They are large blue balloons that are about the size of Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong.

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
In Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, Hot Air Balloons appear only in Red-Hot Ride, where they are featured throughout. Diddy and Dixie can stand on a Hot Air Balloon and control the direction that it moves in by leaning either left or right. If the Kongs stand at the edge of a Hot Air Balloon, the animation of them about to fall off is shown, even though they cannot walk off a Hot Air Balloon. They can leave a Hot Air Balloon only by jumping off it.

By default, a Hot Air Balloon slowly descends into the lava, but it can be suspended in midair if it is floating at the top of a thermal column. The thermal columns are at varying heights, and the Hot Air Balloon stops rising when it reaches the top of a thermal column. Most Hot Air Balloons start off at the top of a thermal column.

Throughout Red-Hot Ride, the Kongs must maneuver the Hot Air Balloon past a series of enemies, especially Zingers, until they reach the next Hot Air Balloon or land. This usually occurs a few times before the Kongs reach the land. Some of the Hot Air Balloons have a DK Barrel or an enemy such as a Kruncha or Neek on them. Although the enemies walk back and forth on a Hot Air Balloon, this does not affect the direction of the Hot Air Balloon. Krunchas can be defeated by either doing a team up throw or having an object thrown at them, as Diddy and Dixie cannot get onto the Hot Air Balloon otherwise.

Donkey Kong Land 2
In their second appearance, Donkey Kong Land 2, Hot Air Balloons have the same purpose as in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, although they have a slightly wider appearance. They appear in only two levels, both of which take place in a volcanic area: Redhot Ride and Fiery Furnace. There are no thermal columns, so Diddy or Dixie cannot suspend a Hot Air Balloon back in midair.

Donkey Kong Land 2

 * Virtual Console manual bio: "Jump on these to cross perilous gaps. Press to move left or right. The balloons will gradually start to descend after you jump on them."