Four barrels of death

[naujoks]

Is there any strategy that enables you to deal with (or avoid) 3 or even 4 unjumpable barrels on girder 4? I imagine past Level 5 this is easier to do with directing the barrels, but what about the lower levels?

[homerwannabee]

There are two ways.  First is the going up the broken ladder to avoid them.  The other way is the chance of doing a wall jump if you have the ability to.

[naujoks]

Almost invariably, when I'm waiting on a broken ladder for the barrels to pass, another one will drop down the ladder on my head.
I will consider the wall jump option.
How come I never see those 3 or 4 barrels situations occurring when I watch the master play? Even during live sessions it never seems to happen.

[dollopuss]

How come I never see those 3 or 4 barrels situations occurring when I watch the master play? Even during live sessions it never seems to happen.

Oh it happens once in a while when barrels don't steer down the ladders you want them to go down. Which is the main key: usually steering barrels down ladders, with good timing, to tightly group barrels together for 300 and 500 point jumps. Instead of having them group loosely making for much harder timed jumps over them. Like homerwannabee suggested, going up the broken ladder, wall jumping, or even going down a ladder to try to steer oncoming barrels down the middle ladder can save you.

[TheSunshineFund]

Or you can install a Zoo Keeper jump button on your Donkey Kong control panel.

[SithOfSpades]

Almost invariably, when I'm waiting on a broken ladder for the barrels to pass, another one will drop down the ladder on my head.
I will consider the wall jump option.
How come I never see those 3 or 4 barrels situations occurring when I watch the master play? Even during live sessions it never seems to happen.

You see them, but they are probably more rare because the master is actively adopting strategies to have them not come up. I am by no means a master, but when it happens to me, it is usually a series of multiple failed steers followed by 1 or more undesired auto-steers. Being ready for those combinations is why better players often linger right when they get to the 4th girder. Only once they get some clearer looking stuff up above them (usually by grouping some of the barrels and getting a steer down the broken ladder between 4 and 5) do they proceed left toward the ladders you can climb. This is because having one of those combos form on the 4th girder when you are near the ladders to the 5th girder is going to kill you for sure.

[dnickolas]

5 replies and no mention of a staal loop? Not typically ideal, or even good, but it’s definitely another available tactic.

[naujoks]

Staal loop?

[ChrisP]

Staal Loop: climbing down to the third girder to avoid a nasty setup coming your way on the fourth girder. (It's called that because Allen uses it more than anybody).

It can also be employed at totally unnecessary times after you hit 500K and start nervously burping.