Animal crate

This Animal Crate has Ellie the Elephant inside.

An Animal Crate is a box that Animal Friends are stored in before being released by the Kongs, although some come in Animal Barrels. When leaped on, the box breaks, exposing the animal. The friend inside can be identified by the image on the side of the box.

While Animal Crates appear in Donkey Kong Land, they do not appear at all in Donkey Kong Land 2 or Donkey Kong Land III. This is most likely because in the latter two games, most Animal Friends have special moves that they didn't have in Donkey Kong Land (for example, Rambi can charge), which requires an extra button (Select). Due to the limited amount of buttons on the Game Boy, this would leave no buttons to dismount from an animal.

In Donkey Kong 64, Animal Crates act more like Animal Barrels, transforming a Kong into an Animal Friend instead of just allowing them to ride one.

Animal Crates are seen again in Donkey Kong Country Returns and Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D. This time, they only display a rhinoceros emblem, symbolizing Rambi, the only rideable Animal Friend in the game. The boxes are rather solid and must be pounded in order to break them open and free the animal inside. These crates return in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, where they are renamed Rambi the Rhinoceros Boxes.

Gallery

Donkey Kong Country

• RambiCrate.png

  Rambi's crate.

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  Enguarde's crate.

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  Winky's crate.

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  Squawks' crate.

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  Expresso's crate.

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy Kong's Quest

• Rambi's Animal Crate DKC2.png

  Rambi's crate in Donkey Kong Country 2.

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  Enguarde's crate in Donkey Kong Country 2.

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  Rattly's crate.

• Squawks' Animal Crate DKC2.png

  Squawks' crate in Donkey Kong Country 2.

• Squitter's Animal Crate.png

  Squitter's crate.

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble

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  Ellie's crate.

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  Parry's crate.

Donkey Kong Barrel Blast

• RambiCrateDKBB.png

  Rambi's crate in Donkey Kong Barrel Blast.

• EnguardeCrateDKBB.png

  Enguarde's crate in Donkey Kong Barrel Blast.

Trivia

• In Donkey Kong Country, when the Kongs open a crate, it lies unfolded on the ground until the Kongs move away and come back, point at which the crate despawns. However, in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest and Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!!, the crate vanishes right after the Animal Friend appears.