A Rocket Barrel is a type of barrel originally found in the third Donkey Kong Country Game, Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! in the level: Rocket Rush. It is a barrel that can fly throughout the air to help Dixie and Kiddy throughout the level. Fuel Barrels kept the rocket flying and the Ignition Barrel ignites the main engine of Rocket Barrel.
In Donkey Kong Country Returns, The Rocket Barrel is different. You will be riding it through certain levels, and if you are hit once, your rocket explodes and you die. (This is like the Mine Carts.) List of Rocket Levels: DKCR: Peaceful Pier (Beach), Mole Patrol (Cave), Crowded Cavern (Cave), Gear Getaway (Factory), Lift Off Launch (Factory/R level), Hot Rocket (Volcano), and a portion of Tiki Tong Terror (Volcano). And in DKC3, you have Rocket Rush.
The Rocket Barrel acts the same in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze as it did in Returns; however you can now get hit two times before exploding. The Rocket Barrel appears in: Rodent Ruckus (Autumn Heights), Twilight Terror (Bright Savannah), Reckless Ride (Juicy Jungle), Blurry Flurry (Donkey Kong Island), and Rocket Rails (Secret Seclusion).
Sprites
 Barrels 
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| Transportation | Biplane • Bonus • Boo/Ghost • Booster • Cannon • Diddy & Dixie • Funky/Jumbo • Golden • Rocket • Rotatable • Steerable • Style • Tracker • Warp • Yellow Launcher |
| Projectiles | DK/Buddy • Steel Keg • TNT • Vine • Wooden/Regular |
| Enemies | Belcha • Dumb Drum • Kaboom • Klasp • Klobber • Knocka • Kracka • Kuchuka • Oil Drum |
| Player Status | Animal • Invincibility • Kong • Plus and Minus • Star • Tag |
| Other Status | Check and X • Krochead/Krockhead • Light • On & Off • Stop & Go • Switch |
| Fuel | Fuel • Ignition • Oil |
| Miscellaneous | ? • Button • Cranky's Training Barrel • Mega TNT • Shield |