Bananas

History:

There is nothing more valuable on the DK Isle than Bananas. In a land rich with currency, Kong holds nothing above his precious Golden Banana Collection. During the Original Grand Prix when the Council deemed that every competing civilisation give up something substantial to contribute to the Item Panels, Kong let go of a few thousand Bananas. Ever since then, they have been a staple of the Tournament.

The Banana Peel Appears in:


SMK
64
Super Circuit
Double Dash
DS
Wii
7

The Banana Peel has appeared in every game since Mario Kart's inception. It is the primary defensive weapon and the most common weapon dropped behind players rather than in front. It can be used offensively by throwing it forward, but this is difficult to pull off with precision. Different games handled the Banana in different ways. In every game besides Double Dash players can hold the banana behind their cart as a defense against Shells and shell-like items, although if the Shell comes in by the Front or Side of the Kart this is useless.

In Mario Kart 64 players could also recover from crossing a banana if they didn't immediately peel out. In other games, Bananas lead to certain doom. It's always an Item more commonly encountered in Higher Places during the race and careful placement on the track will ensure it remains that way.

The Banana Bunch Appears in:


64

Mario Kart 64 also boasts the only appearance of the Banana Bunch. A version would return as the Triple Banana in later games, but 64 is the only one to feature the succession of five peels dragging behind a Kart. Not only did this allow players to leave longer trails of hazards, but they would have more dangers dangling behind their vehicles for players who travel too close to run into.

The Giant Banana Appears in:


Double Dash

This is an Special Item reserved for Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong. The Giant Banana is as it sounds - a monstrous frowny banana that takes up most of the track. it is one of the better defensive options and great for players ahead in Grand Prix because it will come up often and block everyone coming up the rear.

Once players strike the Giant Banana it will break up into Three smaller Bananas. The same effect will happen when a Bowser Shell hits it or a Chain-Chomp munches through it.

The Triple Banana Appears in:


DS
Wii
7

Ever since DS multiple Bananas have come in groups of three, not five like the Banana bunch. Besides limiting the amount of obstacles drivers can leave on the course there is no real difference here.

Maple Treeway

History:

Deep in the Gold Leaf Galaxy on one of its largest planets lay the Maple Treeway. The Gold Leaf Galaxy exists in a perpetual Autumn and its people live in tree towns in the giant trees. Diddy Kong, having seen this and felt at home decided to convert it into a Racetrack for the 2008 Grand Prix. Using some of the natural Wiggler Holes in creating a twisting complex natural structure, Diddy really outdid himself. Later the native Wigglers overtook the Young Kong and kicked him out of his own course.

Wii:

Maple Treeway is a thoroughly original course and first appears as the third course in the Star Cup in Wii. It starts with some sloping curves of moderate difficulty, then a Barrel Cannon launches the racers to the main tree where the fun starts. The course loops in and around itself in a complex fashion, going out on bare branches and then across the treetop through some Giant Wigglers, who will not cause Vehicles to spin out but will stop them in their tracks. It goes out on to the branches again, through a tunnel and then one of the longest straightaways in the game, tho it's not that straightforward. There is an enormous net that blows in the wind and multiple paths, all of which can be exploited by bouncing and doing tricks all the way to the bottom.

The Staff Ghost is Diddy Kong, who gets the nod from being a monkey, as well as the conspicuous Barrel Cannon the course that makes it similar to a DK Track. The Normal Ghost uses the Classic Dragster in 02:58.633, while the Expert uses the Sneakster in 02:37.812. The extremely high amount of sharp turns and winding paths, along with a deceptive straightaway make a proper choice here difficult. Something like the Shooting Star is good middle ground, as is the Mach Bike, Dolphin Dasher, or Bullet Bike. I take Bikes over Karts here, their smaller profile allows them to weave a little cleaner.

This track returns in Mario Kart 7 as the longest course in the game for some reason. There are some changes like a connected path between branches leading from the Wiggler Top and into the half-pipe, making for a bit of an easier track. The Barrel Cannon is also now an Air Jump, tho you can't steer. This increases danger, as now lightning or putting away your glider will lead to certain doom. The net bridge has also been replaced with an Air Jump, where you can maneuver around. The Staff Ghost is Wiggler, who goes 02:53.560 using the Standard Kart, Wood Tires, and Super Glider. The Wood Tires are a given here, and tho they help with handling, their underwater advantage is not useful. The Expert goes 02:34.877 in the Egg 1, Sponge Tires, and Flower Glider, which means his drifting becomes decent as well as his Air Handling, but nothing else is spectacular. Stick with Wood Tires but grab the B Dasher, Blue Seven, or Zucchini instead.

Diddy Kong

History:

Diddy is the nephew of Donkey Kong, though they aren't that different in age. Diddy's parents, Kong's brother and his wife, were killed by the Kremling Hordes shortly after Diddy was born. Therefore Diddy was raised mostly by Cranky and Wrinkly Kong along with Donkey, who matured a bit earlier. Diddy is still very much a young buck though and doesn't really own any tracks himself besides the Dino Dino Jungle, which due to its remote and dangerous location has never been very popular. He is still really a sidekick of Donkey Kong and hasn't really won that independence yet.

Double Dash:

Diddy appeared here as the default partner of Kong. Double Dash didn't place that much emphasis on Driver distinctions, more on Kart Differences. Characters only determined what Special Items they could use and ultimately what size Kart they could drive. Diddy is interesting because he's a Lightweight here while Kong is a Heavyweight, meaning that when partnered together they needed a Heavy Kart. In order for Diddy to drive his own Kart he needs to be paired with another Lightweight.

Diddy drives the Barrel Train, which stands out among Light Karts. It basically acts like a Heavy Kart, which is cool if you are in to that sort of thing. Unlike the Boo Pipes, though, which have the benefits of acting like a Light Kart while also being able to push people around, there is no real upside besides a greater ability to dodge hazards. In fact, the Barrel Train is the narrowest Vehicle in the game, which can be useful. It's also the heaviest Light Kart (12th Overall). Naturally it has the worst Acceleration of any Light Kart along with the Second-Highest Top Speed and a decent Offroad. It does have some of the best shocks and average turn speed. All in all it's okay if you're looking for a Light Kart with Speed, though it controls so stiffly you can't enjoy it that much.

Each Character in Double Dash has a personal Special Item. Diddy's is the same as Kong's - the Giant Banana. It's one of the better Items in the game for someone who likes to be in first, it creates a huge hazard for Racers coming from behind. Of course, if you're always the one in last place it's not going to help that much. Diddy is basically the Light Version of Donkey Kong, meaning he's great to be paired up with some other little guy with the Toad Kart, get in First Place early and dominate.

He is also the Secret Staff Ghost in two tracks. He leads on Dino Dino Jungle with DK in back in the Big Guy's DK Jumbo with a time of 2:00:908. For DK Mountain he switches with his Uncle in the same Kart with a time of 2:12:639.

Wii:

After missing DS Diddy returned in Wii. In this game each Character in three separate Size Classes each can drive up to Six Karts and Six Bikes. Naturally there are plenty of combinations. Diddy moved from a Lightweight to a Middleweight, although he's really not that much bigger physically. Each character also has their own Stat Bonuses to add to each Vehicle. Diddy gets a small Acceleration and Drift Bonus as well as a Mini Turbo Bonus tied with Birdo as the best among Middleweights. Therefore he's really pretty good for technical drivers on tricky courses that like to drift and boost a lot. Here are the Diddy-Specific stats:

The Classic Dragster best takes advantage of his bonuses, although he's also great in the Mach Bike. He's most associated with the Sugarscoot, which he can also be decent with. He only appears as a Staff Ghost in the Maple Treeway. It's actually a similar course to DK Mountain from Double Dash with the huge Barrel Cannon and it also takes place entirely on a system of trees. Diddy's Monkey Nature is perfectly suited for the association. The Normal Ghost pulls a 02:58.633 in the Classic Dragster, the Expert does 02:37.812 in the Sneakster.

Jungle Tracks

History:

There are many Jungles throughout the Mushroom Kingdom, many of which have seen the intrusion of Race Tracks, seemingly inescapable in any location. Riverside Park was developed by Wario during his many travels to the far reaches of the Kingdom. It exists through the Emerald Passage far beyond the Dry Dry Desert. Wario also sought to develop the Lakeside Park park track on DK Island, next to the Monkey Mountains. Eventually as tensions rose between him and Kong this track was shut down and no one has raced there in a decade.

Yoshi's Island is the location of Yoshi Falls and Dino Dino Jungle, both in the midst of lush water resources. Yoshi however, after overextending himself in numerous Desert Tracks was forced to sell the Dino Dino Jungle rights to Kong, who, with no interest in managing the course, gave it to his buddy Diddy.

Super Circuit:

There are two similar Jungle Tracks in Super Circuit that have never appeared in any other game. Riverside Park is as it sounds - a winding twisting track around and across a wide river. It is also possible to use some nasty shortcuts here. There are a few straightaways but nothing that dominates the course, and much more often there's tight turns with a lot of grassy off-road spots. Someone Lightweight is going to be the key here that can maintain speed while dealing with all that junk. For only being the third track in the Mushroom Cup it's a decently complex track, with jumps and twists and hazards.

Lakeside Park is the same kind of deal. It's a winding track around a bit wider water hazard, although it does have the distinction of transitioning from daylight to darkness after the huge volcano erupts. There is somehow both more of a straightaway and more sharp turns, making a clear-cut choice for who should race this more difficult. Since Toad and Peach by far the better Drivers in this game, they're always a safe choice. This course leads off the Special Cup, which is actually similar to D.K.'s Jungle Parkway leading off that Cup in MK64. It also features a big jump and lots of water danger, making it somewhat of a spiritual successor.

Double Dash:

Again in the Special Cup, Double Dash featured Dino Dino Jungle, which can be a very difficult course. It's a relatively simple Figure-8 but features an unstoppable gigantic Dinosaur over part of the course and then a dastardly wooden bridge without guardrails. There's also evil geysers that erupt from the ground but generally you can see them coming. There are a good amount of hills near the finish line that will decimate Kart without good shocks like the Waluigi Racer, probably at the time you need it most. This map actually does a nice job dividing the track into four quarter-sections: Jungle, Bridge, Cave and Mountain.

Double Dash had Secret Staff Ghosts for each track in Time Trials. The Ghost here is Diddy Kong taking the lead with his partner, Donkey Kong. They ride in the DK Jumbo because of Donkey's heavyweight status. Still, they put in a time of 2:00:908. I suppose they needed to give the Jungle Course to the Monkey since Donkey has DK Mountain.

This course returns in Mario Kart 7 where it is generally the same. There are some more Air boost panels and a few other small differences but other than that it hasn't changed a huge amount. The Staff Ghost here is Yoshi in a befitting way. The Normal Ghost goes 02:29.837 in the Egg 1 using Roller Wheels and the Parafoil. The Expert uses the Egg 1 again in Monster Wheels and Swoop Glider. He'll have decent speed and very good handling. The moderate amount of air travel doesn't make air speed a necessity, stick to something with good acceleration around those turns, such as sticking the Wood Wheels on the Soda Jet.

DS:

Yoshi Falls is one of the shortest courses in any Mario Kart game and is really a very simple loop. Therefore we see it in the Mushroom Cup, in fact, it's the Second Course of the game. The key here is getting the inside track, because the actual course is very wide. What makes this difficult is the occasional waterfall along the Inside Track that can be very hazardous for sloppy drivers. The first and third falls are the only ones that inexperienced drivers should attempt to cross, the middle is much steeper and more dangerous. Beyond that, plenty of gentle curves and nice straightaways, feel free to nab someone like Bowser who has some Speed.

DS also had Staff Ghosts. Here Yoshi clocks in at  0:57:677 driving the Egg 1. This course came back in Wii though with no major changes. That game had both Normal Ghosts and unlockable Expert Ghosts. The Ghost is Yoshi again, this time the Normal uses the Zip Zip in 01:16.461 and the Expert goes  01:09.175 in the Super Blooper. He uses the Super Blooper, really? It's the only Ghost use of that Kart in the game. It's easy now to switch to Funky, who tears through this thing.

8:

The Thwomp Ruins could be considered a Jungle Track but it was different enough that I considered it its own course. You can find more information about it here.

DK Tracks

History:

After Kong raced in his first Grand Prix he had a very strong desire to create some tracks of his own outside the Mushroom Kingdom, however he lacked the capital. The currency on DK Island at the time was the Banana, and the population was small and friendly enough to engage in a simplistic bargaining system. Eventually coinage was introduced to the Island, possibly from contact with the Mushroom Kingdom, and it became a very capitalistic society. Kong was eventually able to raise enough to create D.K.'s Jungle Parkway that ran through the Heart of the Kongo Jungle, near where Kong made his home.  Nearby he was also eventually able to construct a track leading from the Kongo Jungle to the nearby Monkey Mountains, using his Barrel Cannon technology to traverse an otherwise impenetrable section of Mountain. This was more recent in the History of DK Island, as the once-chilly Gorilla Glacier had since given way to massive Volcanic Areas.

Kong eventually moved away from the Jungle Tracks on his own Island, perhaps he regretted the influx of Tourism and Mushroom Influence directly on his own land. He staked out the Northern Kremisphere, a huge continent located far North of DK Island, although with plenty of pleasant spots. Through his friend Dixie Kong, he was introduced to Blizzard Bear who had already been attempting to convert some stretches of the base of K3 into Race Courses. Here Kong was able to open up the DK Pass to the Grand Prix, as well as the DK Summit, which was soon infested by vacationing Shy Guys who seem to have an uncanny love for Winter Sports.

The most recent Kong Track innovation has been back to the Jungle, this time very close to DK's home, including a race around his actual house as well as the Holiest of Kong Lands, the Golden Temple, home of the Golden Banana Horde. Although this seems counter-intuitive to the best interests of Kong, it appears as if he has moved his most prized possessions elsewhere, suggesting that its whole presence in the latest Grand Prix is a red herring.

64:

Kong got his first track in MK64, and it's notable for featuring a huge jungle as well as a massive jump, the latter of which would define most DK Tracks in the future. This is also the first Jungle Track, but I decided that there were enough similarities between all of Kong's Personal Courses that the Jungle Tracks should be separate. There's actually plenty of tough turns here, mostly because any error puts drivers in the high grassy median, where they are assaulted by Coconuts until he or she spins out. The narrow bridge, easy shortcut up the dirt cave and the huge jump are the big features here. This track opens up the Special Cup and is difficult enough to deserve that.

This track came back in Wii where the Ghost is Kong himself. He uses the Phantom in 02:58.264 then the Expert comes back with a 02:37.782 in the Flame Flyer. This version is notably wider than the 64 version, and the Coconut Chuckers are also gone for some reason. In general the track is easier, although the Cave shortcut is much steeper and more difficult to pull off without a mushroom.

Double Dash:

DK Mountain in Double Dash is a lot like D.K.'s Jungle Parkway. It's a Jungle Trek with a huge jump, dangerous rocks and a narrow wooden bridge near its finale. There is, of course, a huge difference in its basic layout. It's the first Mario Kart track that was largely linear, with a huge automatic boost that takes most of the course. Wii would use this template plenty, but its inspiration was probably the big jump from 64 (in addition to Royal Raceway). This track closed the Star Cup and as such is similar in Grand Prix location as Jungle Parkway was. There is also a difficult shortcut, jumping over a section of twisty track that has disastrous results for failure. I try to pick someone who can turn and accelerate to nail it, as well as someone who isn't going to bounce and lose tons of speed on the ragged hills. The Boo Pipes seem a good fit.

Double Dash had a series of Secret Staff Ghosts. The Ghost here is Kong driving his own DK Jumbo with Diddy in tow at 2:12:639. This track was the second DK Track to return for Wii, where the Ghost this time is Funky Kong at 02:57.744 in the Wario Bike. The Expert goes 02:38.130 using the Flame Flyer, one of the faster Ghost Combos in the game. The Wii version again features a noticeably wider track and a few Boost Panels. There are so many Barrel Cannon-type levels in Wii that this course had to make an appearance.

DS:

DK Pass is the only Original Snow Course in DS and so shares some characteristics with the Frosty Tracks, like the Terrible Snowmen. It also opens up the Star Cup in DS, which Snow Land did in Super Circuit and Sherbert Land did in Double Dash, belaying the simple fact that every other Game besides Wii has also featured a Frosty Track somewhere in the Star Cup. It also features giant Snowballs, like the Rocks from DK Mountain.

Mostly though, it is a true Mountain course in its layout, with a huge uphill section and then a huge downhill section, which makes it more akin with DK Mountain and DK Summit than any other Frosty Track. In general it's nice to see the makers of Mario Kart realise that there are more locations in the Donkey Kong Games than jungles, and their use of snow, which should have been Gorilla Glacier until Donkey Kong Country Returns got rid of it. This is a tricky course with mostly a limited path of road then snow with some huge drop-offs without a lot of room for error. There are some snow patches to blow through on your way up though. Someone light with good Offroad is important then, otherwise you can speed through this. The Staff Ghost is Kong using the Wildlife in 2:14:607.

This course returns in Mario Kart 7 with more of its ramps offroad to be accessed by mushrooms and tricks and with some Gliding action near the big ending jump. The Ghost is Donkey Kong using the Barrel Train, Wood Wheels, and Super Glider in 02:35.045. This leaves his speed moderate, handling pretty good, and mini-turbo outstanding. The Expert goes 02:16.534 using the Bolt Buggy, Red Monster Wheels and Parafoil, which is a very good combo here. To beat it, something that handles well while succeeding off-road navigator is vital. Go for the Koopa Clown with Red Monster Tires.

Wii:

DK Summit is basically a combination of DK Pass and DK Mountain. It seems like it's a focal point for Winter Sports, including Ski Lifts and Lodges as well as plenty of pesky Snowboarding Shy Guys, who seem like a holdover from the Sherbert Land of Double Dash, which featured them Ice-skating. The Barrel Cannon appears again, this time even sooner than it did on DK Mountain, and the remainder of the Track is a long downward journey, at times turning into a half-pipe down to the bottom. It's a slippery track, I've actually had a whole lot of luck with Bowser driving the Honeycoupe. You don't need someone knocking you into the gaping abyss during Grand Prix. The Ghost here is Kong again, this time using the Standard Bike L in 02:34.693. The Expert uses the Flame Flyer in 02:17.546. This is also the only DK Track to appear in the Flower Cup, and only the second Frosty Track to do so.

It deserves mentioning that Wii's Maple Treeway also features a Barrel Cannon and uses Diddy as its ghost, proving some relation to the DK Tracks. It is such a weird track filled with many more Mushroom Kingdom references though, so we won't talk about it more here.

7:

DK Jungle takes an identical position to D.K.'s Jungle Parkway in MK64, opening up the Special Cup. It lakes a huge barrel jump but does reflect changes Donkey Kong has had within the Nintendo gaming world. It is heavily inspired by Donkey Kong Country Returns and includes many of those enemies as obstacles. There is a river and a big Flower Jump, along with a wood bridge, but none are as distinctive as in D.K.'s Jungle Parkway. Instead, the most distinctive element is the huge Golden Temple that really shifts gameplay in the middle of the track, giving some right angle turns, a series of boost jumps and treacherous falls. There are many tough turns, obstacles and a good amount of air time, anyone with fast air speed, good stability is key. Use the Roller Wheels and Ghastly Glider with whatever Kart fits your play style.

 The Normal Ghost here is Kong himself, using the Bolt Buggy with Red Monster Wheels and the Super Glider in 02:24.040. The Expert goes a 02:10.777 using the Wood Wheels with the Standard and Swoop Glider, which should hurt its air speed. Stick with the above-recommended customization.

DK Jungle returns in Mario Kart 8, in the Banana Cup. It's not tremendously unchanged from 7, especially due to the fact that 8 retained the air travel and jump elements that makes a pretty smooth transition. There is the addition of a large anti-gravity portion in the Golden Temple, which makes the already difficult right-angle turns a bit more complex. The Ghost here is DK once again, pulling a 2:26.900 using the Varmint, Monster Wheels, and Super Glider. The Varmint and the Monster's stats nearly cancel each other out but ends up with slight boosts in traction and min-turbo. There are enough straightaways to favor some pretty fast racers, Sport Bike will do with whatever level of handling you need from the driver.