Roll Attack
- “Here's a tip from my days as a beloved hero: Try rolling off a ledge and jumping in midair. That'll get your blood movin'!”
- —Cranky Kong, Donkey Kong Country Returns manual
The Roll Attack[1], previously known as barrel roll[2], is Donkey Kong's signature move in the Donkey Kong Country series and Donkey Kong Land series. It involves him curling up and performing a roll, gaining momentum, and can be used to attack enemies.
History
Donkey Kong Country series
The barrel roll was first introduced in Donkey Kong Country, where Donkey Kong can perform the move by pressing 
. Donkey Kong can use this move on land to attack most enemies, except for Krushas and Zingers. By using the barrel roll on a row of enemies, this can prolong the move if done properly and therefore scatter the entire row. Donkey Kong can also use a barrel roll to gain some momentum while jumping, usually to cross over gaps. Donkey Kong can also perform the move in Donkey Kong Land if the player presses 
.
As Donkey Kong is captured in subsequent games, the move is instead used by Kiddy Kong in Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!, where it is known as a Roll[3]. When performing a roll near an edge with water, Kiddy can hop across water by rolling off an edge and bouncing on it; it is sometimes required to reach a Bonus Area, such as in Tidal Trouble and Riverside Race. If Dixie carries Kiddy via Team-up, she can throw Kiddy, who automatically performs a roll. When thrown onto a wall, Kiddy bounces off and rolls back to Dixie. Dixie can jump onto Kiddy while he is rolling, like a Steel Keg. By doing so, Dixie can perpetuate the roll by running onto Kiddy. This way, they would eliminate various enemies with ease throughout their path. In Donkey Kong Land III, since only one Kong appears on screen at a time, Kiddy can only perform rolls by himself without Dixie's assistance.
In Donkey Kong 64, the roll attack is one of Donkey Kong's basic moves. To use the move, the player must press 
and 
while he is moving.
The roll attack is Donkey Kong's signature move yet again in Donkey Kong Country Returns, Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, and its Nintendo Switch port. It can be utilized by shaking the 
or 
or by pressing 
/
or 
/
// (depending on the game and/or control setup) while moving on the ground. Unlike in previous games, the Roll Attack is faster, but does not gain or retain momentum upon defeating an enemy, making it so that Donkey Kong can only beat two enemies in a row without any help. The attack technique involving rolling on the stronger character, which had been used in Donkey Kong Country 3, returns as well, and it was given a name: the Kong Roll. A partner, be it Diddy, Dixie, or Cranky, rolls on Donkey Kong, should the player continuously swing the remote or repeatedly press the button on the respective controller. The water skip ability makes a comeback, but it is exclusive to Tropical Freeze.
Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games
In Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games, Donkey Kong does a rolling move similar to the roll attack from the Donkey Kong Country series whenever he uses his Special Dash in Athletics events.
Super Smash Bros. series
In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Donkey Kong uses the Roll Attack as his dash attack.
Gallery
Donkey Kong 64
