Hot Air Balloon

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This article is about a form of transportation in the Donkey Kong games. For the recurring object in the Mario Kart series, see hot-air balloon. For the Yoshi transformation, see Hot-Air Balloon Yoshi.
Hot Air Balloon
Artwork of a Hot Air Balloon from Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
Artwork of a Hot Air Balloon for Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest
First appearance Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest (1995)
Latest appearance Donkey Kong Country 2 (Game Boy Advance) (2004)

Hot Air Balloons[1] (also parsed Hot-Air Balloons[2]) are objects that are used for crossing large portions of lava in both Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest and Donkey Kong Land 2. They are large, blue hot air balloons that are about the size of Diddy Kong and Dixie Kong.

History

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest

Red-Hot Ride
The Kongs riding on a Hot Air Balloon in Red-Hot Ride in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest

In Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, Hot Air Balloons only appear in the level, 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 only leave a Hot Air Balloon by jumping off of 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 only be defeated from either a team up throw or by having an object thrown at it, 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 only appear in 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 it back into midair.

Profiles

Donkey Kong Land 2

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

Gallery

Names in other languages

Language Name Meaning
Japanese 熱気球[3]
Netsukikyū
Hot Air Balloon

References

  1. ^ Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest SNES instruction booklet, page 16.
  2. ^ Donkey Kong Country 2 GBA instruction booklet, page 15.
  3. ^ Super Donkey Kong 2: Dixie & Diddy instruction booklet, page 20.