Donkey Kong Country Barrel Maze

Donkey Kong Country Barrel Maze
Title screen
Developer	Skyworks Technologies, Inc.
Publisher	Candystand.com
Platform	Adobe Shockwave
Release date	November 2003[?]
Genre	Action platformer
Rating	ESRB: - Everyone[?]
Mode	Single player
Format	HTML
Input	Keyboard Mouse

Donkey Kong Country Barrel Maze, or Donkey Kong Barrel Maze, is a browser game licensed by Nintendo, developed by Skyworks Interactive (formerly Skyworks Technologies), and published on their website, Candystand.com. Available from November 2003 to sometime before December 2004, it required Adobe Shockwave to run. The game is based on elements from Donkey Kong Country, specifically the Game Boy Advance port it was made to advertise. It has similar, pre-rendered graphics and Donkey Kong in a quasi-starring role, with Diddy Kong and Cranky Kong only making cameo appearances on the title and loading screens. In every level of the game, the player controls a barrel loaded with bananas and has to roll it through an isometric course while avoiding obstacles to reach DK at the end.

Gameplay

The beginning of level 1

Donkey Kong Country Barrel Maze is an isometric platform game where the goal is to navigate a barrel through ten maze-like levels. In each level, the barrel has to be safely delivered to Donkey Kong. The barrel is maneuvered using the arrow keys or the number pad. Levels are composed of pathways, valleys, river streams, and high ledges strewn with items and obstacles. Although levels have a linear path to the goal, items may require diverting from the main course to collect them.

At the beginning of the game, the player is given 5 lives. Every level starts on a spot marked by a red cross, and the barrel initially has a full energy bar (taking the form of a banana, labeled "DAMAGE"). The player has a set amount of time to reach the finish, which varies from level to level. The barrel can take damage if it bumps into an enemy or falls from a height onto the ground, and will instantly lose all of its energy should it end up in a bottomless pit or a river stream. When the energy bar is completely drained, the barrel breaks open and loses a life, respawning at the starting point with the timer reset. The barrel also has perceptible weight, which makes movement more difficult on slanted paths or increases the amount of damage taken by the barrel in relation to the fall distance. Walls and ambient objects, such as shrubs, have no bearing on the barrel's condition, although some palm trees shake when bumped into, and, in level 5, such trees produce coconuts that can damage the barrel.

The end of a level is signaled by a checkerboarded section, where Donkey Kong awaits the barrel. Once there, the barrel turns upright and reveals its bananas in front of DK, who rejoices by beating his chest. This leads to a screen that prepares the player for the next level. If all lives are lost before completing all 10 levels, the player must restart the game. If level 10 is completed, the player is shown a screen saying "Congratulations! You Finished All The Levels".

Score and items

The game presents a score that increases with the items collected along the way. The amount of time remaining when a level is completed is converted into points and also added to the score. For every 25,000 points, the player earns an extra life.

Most of the time, items are optional to collect. However, bananas may be needed to replenish the energy bar after taking damage in an unavoidable situation, such as rolling off the cliffs in level 2 and level 10.

Image	Name	Description
	Silver Barrel	Awards the player 1,000 points.
	Gold Barrel	Awards the player 2,000 points.
	Hourglass	Adds 30 seconds to the timer. Awards the player 250 points.
	Bananas	Restores part of the energy bar. Awards the player 250 points.

Enemies and obstacles

Image	Name	Description	Level appearances
	Boulder	An initially stationary object that starts rolling in the direction of the barrel once it draws near. Boulders break if they run into a wall, a slope, or the barrel itself, in which case they damage it.	Level 3 Level 4 Level 6 Level 7 Level 8 Level 10
	TallCocoT	Bonking into this tree causes it to shake off a coconut, which can damage the barrel.	Level 5
	Buzzard	A soaring bird that attempts to damage the barrel by dropping coconuts on it.	Level 3 Level 8 Level 9
	Enemy Barrel	An automated object that tries to attack the controlled barrel by chasing it.	Level 2 Level 5 Level 7 Level 9 Level 10
	hippo	Pairs of hippos regularly come in and out of the water between banks, forming temporary bridges over streams to help the barrel pass them.	Level 2 Level 8
	Mud	A surface on the ground that constantly damages the barrel and slows it down.	Level 1 Level 4 Level 6 Level 7 Level 9
	Venus Fly Trap	An enemy that waits in one place to bite the barrel and take away a small wedge of its energy bar. Once it bites, the plant shrinks down and becomes invisible for a short period of time, after which it grows back and regains the ability to bite.	Level 5 Level 8

Level overviews

Level 1

Main article: Level 1 (Donkey Kong Country Barrel Maze)

Level 1

Starting time limit: 5:00

The level features a series of bridges, slants, and sharp turns.

Level 2

Main article: Level 2 (Donkey Kong Country Barrel Maze)

Level 2

Starting time limit: 4:30

The level features various ledges, in addition to streams that require hippos to pass.

Level 3

Main article: Level 3 (Donkey Kong Country Barrel Maze)

Level 3

Starting time limit: 4:00

The barrel has to travel on a snaking canyon, soared by Buzzards. The path features numerous denivelations, akin to half-pipes.

Level 4

Main article: Level 4 (Donkey Kong Country Barrel Maze)

Level 4

Starting time limit: 3:30

The level is made of a series of zig-zag paths filled with boulders and puddles of mud.

Level 5

Main article: Level 5 (Donkey Kong Country Barrel Maze)

Level 5

Starting time limit: 3:00

The level features a fortress populated with Enemy Barrels.

Level 6

Main article: Level 6 (Donkey Kong Country Barrel Maze)

Level 6

Starting time limit: 2:00

The level features multiple slopes and puddles of mud.

Level 7

Main article: Level 7 (Donkey Kong Country Barrel Maze)

Level 7

Starting time limit: 0:30

The level features a series of slants, in addition to Hourglasses to increase the time limit.

Level 8

Main article: Level 8 (Donkey Kong Country Barrel Maze)

Level 8

Starting time limit: 0:30

The level features multiple bridges, with a maze appearing near the end of the level.

Level 9

Main article: Level 9 (Donkey Kong Country Barrel Maze)

Level 9

Starting time limit: 1:00

Throughout the level, the barrel has to cross bridges over pits and consecutively pass through muddy puddles and fields patrolled by Enemy Barrels.

Level 10

Main article: Level 10 (Donkey Kong Country Barrel Maze)

Level 10

Starting time limit: 1:30 The level takes place on a mountain populated with boulders and Enemy Barrels.

Help / How to Play

Donkey Kong Country Barrel Maze's menu features a "Help" section, which outlines the objective, controls, pick-ups, lives, how to quit, and where to submit high scores to a leaderboard. Candystand.com also included a "How to Play" section beneath the game with the same content. However, only the first two paragraphs are visible by default. Players can click an orange MORE button to access the rest of the content, but that page has not been archived.

OBJECTIVE:
Safely deliver the barrel of bananas to Donkey Kong on each of the ten levels before the time runs out!

CONTROLS:
Use the arrow keys or the number pad to direct the barrel in the corresponding direction. Many of the paths are on an angle and require you to use a combination of arrows to get you moving in the correct direction.

PICK-UPS:
HOURGLASS: Adds 30 seconds to your time.
BANANAS: Repairs damage to your barrel.
GOLD BARREL: Awards 2000 points.
SILVER BARREL: Awards 1000 points.

LIVES:
You have 5 lives to complete all ten levels. Every 25,000 points you earn, you will be rewarded an extra life.

ENEMIES:
BUZZARD: Flies above and tries to cause damage by dropping coconuts on your barrel.
ENEMY BARREL: Chases your barrel and causes damage every time it hits you.
BOULDER: Pursues your barrel in a straight line and causes damage if it hits you.
VENUS FLY TRAP: Grows out of the ground and causes damage by biting your barrel.
CLIFFS: Falling off a cliff can cause damage, depending on the height of the drop. If the drop is too far, the barrel will break.

QUIT/SUBMIT:
Click the "Quit/Submit" button at the end of a game to submit the best score from your session to the leadboard.

References to other games

• Donkey Kong Country: One artwork render of Cranky Kong from this game is used; it appears on the title screen.
• Donkey Kong 64: Two of Diddy Kong's artwork renders from this game are used; the first one appears on the "Out Of Time" screen, while the other appears on the title, game over and congratulatory screens and also pops up when the player reaches the goal in a level. One artwork render of Donkey Kong from this game was also used on the loading screen.
• Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour: Donkey Kong's birdie and par animations from this game are used for his sprites.

Gallery

• 

  DK with his bananas

• 

  Level 2

• 

  Level 5

• 

  Loading screen

• 

  Out of time

• 

  Game Over

• 

  End of the game

Notes

• The same year as Donkey Kong Country Barrel Maze's release, the game was altered and released on the defunct website Postopia as a The Flintstones–themed promotional game for the Cocoa Pebbles cereal titled Cocoa Pebbles Boulder Dash!
• Candystand.com included a leaderboard of the game, accessible via a white button with blue text labeled "View the Leaderboard." However, the page hosting this content has not been archived.

External links

• Archive of Candystand.com. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
• DK Vine entry with download link. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
• Gameplay video on YouTube. Retrieved December 29, 2017.