The game was shown at the E3 convention in May 2006 for the GameCube under the title of DK: Bongo Blast, but this version was ultimately cancelled in favor of a Wii release.

[3] Donkey Kong Barrel Blast is a racing game where the player can handle the selected character using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, replacing the DK Bongos that initially were to be used.

To accelerate, the player must shake the Wii Remote and Nunchuk alternatively, lift them simultaneously to jump and use the motion sensor to beat rivals and obstacles using items, while the character will be guided by the route of the tracks, including automatically travelling around curves.

Also, like Mario Kart Arcade GP, more than one track will take place in a given area with three courses in DK Jungle, three of the sea, three from the mountain, two of the Desert, two from the snow, two of the Temple of Heaven, and one in outer space.

Additional Donkey Kong series characters, such as Rambi the Rhino, Enguarde the Swordfish, Zinger, and Necky, make cameo appearances as items.

[24] Based on 34 reviews, Barrel Blast garnered a metascore of 46 out of 100 according to Metacritic,[9] making it the lowest-rated Donkey Kong game on the site.