DK Mountain
- This article is about the race course fromMario Kart: Double Dash!! For its musical theme, seeGCN DK Mountain (theme).
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| Appears in | Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (2003) Mario Kart Wii (2008) Mario Kart Tour (2022) Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Booster Course Pass, Wave 6) (2023) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cups | Star Cup (Double Dash!!) Lightning Cup (Wii) Acorn Cup (8 Deluxe) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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DK Mountain is the fourth and final race course of theStar Cup inMario Kart: Double Dash!! and isDonkey Kong's home track of the game. The course takes place along twovolcanoes in the middle of the jungle. The center of the track is a giantBarrel Cannon that shoots racers to the upper part of an active volcano. The course itself is complex, containing several curly paths, dangerous, tight turns and an uneven ground wheredrifting is difficult to control.
DK Mountain reappears inMario Kart Wii as the third course of theLightning Cup, inMario Kart Tour debuting in theAnimal Tour, and inMario Kart 8 Deluxe – Booster Course Pass as the second course of theAcorn Cup.
Mario Kart: Double Dash!![edit]
Course layout[edit]
The players start the race in the jungle. As they start the race, the players go to the base of an inactive volcano and take a curved path surrounded by the crater of this volcano. Racers are soon fired by the DK Cannon, onto an active volcano. While airborne, racers are invulnerable to items. After landing near the top of the volcano, drivers now have to drive downhill on bumpy terrain. Almost at the base of the active volcano, racers happen on a road prone to falling boulders. Reentering the jungle, players take a zigzagging path where more boulders roll down hills. During the first turn, racers should avoid falling off the cliff while swerving around. A second turn surrounds a deep ravine where players may fall. Lastly, the third tight turn leads racers to a swaying, windy rope bridge high above a deep canyon. This leads racers to the finish line.
DK Mountain is in the background ofBaby Park andDino Dino Jungle.
In the overview image of the course, the wooden bridge is missing. This is likely due to the fact that it is its own object and not part of the level geometry, allowing it to be capable of swaying, and therefore would not have been loaded in-game when the screenshot was taken.
Shortcuts[edit]
- At the very start, there are two small patches of deep grass next to the first set of Item Boxes. These can be cut across with aMushroom orStar.
- During the descent of the zigzagging portion, just after the first tight curve, players can instantly jump across the ravine to reach the other end of the second turn. This saves them a few seconds in the race.
Mario Kart Wii[edit]
DK Mountain makes its classic course debut inMario Kart Wii as the third course of theLightning Cup. Some elements were added, such as ramps and mud to replace deep grass. Also, the sign that says "Donkey Cannon" inDouble Dash!! now says "DK Cannon", in line withDK Summit. The straight line denoting players being fired out of the cannon was removed from the minimap, likely to match the three new courses in the game with cannons (DK Summit,Maple Treeway, andRainbow Road). The straightaway down from the top of the mountain now has wooden ramps for the purpose of aerialtricks. Racers can also either stay on track or go off-road without losing speed, granting an advantage to avoid other racers and hazards set in the slope.
In the switchbacks with the falling boulders, only giant boulders flip racers, whereas the smaller ones disintegrate and slightly decelerate the kart.Half-pipes have also been added on the first switchback.
Shortcuts[edit]
- Both the mud and ravine shortcuts return in this rendition of the track.
- An extremely difficult glitch shortcut can be pulled off by using aMushroom and aiming between thehalf-pipe and the fence near the end of the rock section of the mountain. If done correctly the player can glitch through the wall and end up just before the ravine shortcut.
Tournaments[edit]
January 2010's second tournament required players to pass through 20 gates on a slightly modified version of DK Mountain: Players would begin at the top of the mountain, descending until they reach the finish line, however the bridge at the end of the track is replaced with a pair ofmushroom trampolines and the path to the cannon has been blocked off by barriers. The control scheme was restricted to Wii Wheel users. The tournament was later repeated as the second tournament of September 2011, the first tournament of December 2012, though without any control restrictions, and the second tournament of February 2014, with the Wii Wheel restriction kept.
Mario Kart Tour[edit]
DK Mountain makes its handheld debut inMario Kart Tour starting from theAnimal Tour. The course retains its appearance fromMario Kart Wii, albeit with updated graphics. The "DK" letters on the left side of the cannon have been removed, and aglide ramp has been added before the cannon. Whereas in previous games where racers would land slightly to the left of the head of the volcano, racers now land slightly more to the right of it instead. After the road was previously widened inMario Kart Wii at the chasm section of the course, it has now been widened out further to remove the broken portion entirely. The wooden bridge now has strings on both sides and shakes periodically providing tricks, similar to the road onSNES Rainbow Road, and many trees are now decorated with large bananas. Like withGCN Yoshi Circuit,GBA Cheese Land, andGBA Ribbon Road inMario Kart 8 andMario Kart 8 Deluxe, thefinish line banner uses the modernMario Kart logo, rather than the classic logo; it is the only classic course inMario Kart Tour from the first fourMario Kart games to not use the classic logo.
The course also appears asDK Mountain R (reversed),DK Mountain T (with ramps), andDK Mountain R/T (reversed with ramps). In the T and R/T variants, the bridge is gone. In the R/T variant, it is replaced with a large bluemushroom trampoline. Additionally, racers drive across several more mushroom trampolines andmushroom platforms just before reaching the cannon.
Appearances[edit]
For this course's tour appearances, seeList ofGCN DK Mountain tour appearances inMario Kart Tour.
Top-tier and middle-tier items[edit]
Select "show" to reveal the drivers, karts, and gliders for whichGCN DK Mountain and its variants are alwaysfavored or favorite courses. For instances in which additional drivers, karts, and gliders temporarily had this course and its variants as favored or favorite courses, seeList ofGCN DK Mountain tour appearances inMario Kart Tour.
| Course | Three-item drivers | Bonus points ×2 karts | Combo bonus ×3 gliders | Two-item drivers | Bonus points ×1.5 karts | Combo bonus ×2 gliders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Normal variant |            |              |           |          |                |        ***       |
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 R variant |       |      |      |     ***    |          ***  |           |
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 T variant |    |  |    |    |  *** **  ***  |        |
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 R/T variant |  | |  |     |  | |
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| * indicates a favored course upgraded to a favorite course after reaching level 3. ** indicates a favored course upgraded to a favorite course after reaching level 6. *** indicates a favored course upgraded to a favorite course after reaching level 8 for High-End items. | ||||||
Bonus challenges[edit]
| Ring Race | |||||||
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| Icon | Course variant | Chosen driver | Chosen kart | Chosen glider | Grand Star scores | Tour appearances | Cup |
 | Regular |  Diddy Kong |  Pipe Frame |  Super Glider |
| Animal Tour |  Kamek Cup |
| Big Reverse Race | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Icon | Course variant | Opponents | Tour appearances | Cup | ||||||||
| 7th | 6th | 5th | 4th | 3rd | 2nd | 1st | Extra | |||||
 | Regular | Driver |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | Doctor Tour (2023) |  Nabbit Cup |
| Kart |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||
| Glider |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | ||||
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]
DK Mountain also reappears inMario Kart 8 Deluxe, as part of the sixth and final wave of theBooster Course Pass DLC. It was the final GCN course added to the pass. It appears as the second course of theAcorn Cup. The course is based on its appearance fromMario Kart Tour, with graphical enhancements - most notably, the land surrounding the track has quite a bit more detail, with distant jungle canopies added.DK Barrels have been added throughout the course. The cannon regains the "DK" letters on its side, as well as the wooden support beams holding it up. A Condor nest was added on a small cliff to the right of the head of the volcano. The wooden ramps were replaced by stone ramps included directly in the road; the third now has some DK Barrels scattered along it, and if tricked off properly, can lead racers to driving on the elevated mountain rock briefly, which in turn can also lead to a small shortcut. The volcano now has a flame-like appearance on its face. A wall now extends along a small part of the final chasm, weakening the shortcut possible there inDouble Dash!! andWii; however, the gap can still be jumped further down. The ropes along the sides of the bridge added inMario Kart Tour have been removed, though it retains its waving trickable properties. The final two switchbacks before the bridge have been remodeled to raise up slightly, akin to the final turn ofGBA Sunset Wilds.
Internally, the course is referred to as "Cnsw_56", implying it may have originally been intended to be the second course of theCherry Cup.
Shortcuts[edit]
- If the player tricks off of the first ramp at the top of the mountain and soft-drift and trick off of the final ramp, they can get on top of an indent in the mountain and trick, which will gain them a little speed. Alternatively, they can use a Mushroom and trick off of the last ramp to get the same effect.
Profiles[edit]
Mario Kart: Double Dash!![edit]
- North American website bio: "Go off-roading on DK Mountain as you fly with reckless abandon down a volcano, through ridiculous curves, and across a twisting log bridge. Oh, and you get shot out of a cannon too."
- European website bio: "Dense jungles, rickety bridges, slippery slopes, rolling boulders and, erm, a sulking volcano... It can only be DK Mountain."
Mario Kart Wii[edit]
- European website bio: "If getting fired to the top of a huge volcano isn't dangerous enough for you, the cliff-side drops and ramshackle bridges might increase the fear factor as you race around DK Mountain."
Mario Kart Tour[edit]
- Mario Kart Tour Twitter: "The Autumn Tour is wrapping up in #MarioKartTour. Next up is the Animal Tour, the stage for which is the new GCN DK Mountain course! It'll be a super thrilling ride full of natural attractions!"
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]
- Nintendo Switch News app (UK):What comes up must come down on DK Mountain
Today we'd like to present another course released as part of the sixth wave, which is available now:DK Mountain.
This course, first introduced in the Nintendo GameCube gameMario Kart: Double Dash!!, will take you all the way to the top of its eponymous peak, then all the way back down again. If you think getting shot out of an enormous barrel cannon is exciting enough, just wait until you've experienced the precarious, precipitous downhill portion of the track, complete with hairpin turns and giant rolling boulders! On DK Mountain, you'll need to keep track of the curves to stay ahead of the curve! - Nintendo Switch News app (US):
- This course first appeared in the Mario Kart: Double Dash!! game for Nintendo GameCube™.
- Racers get launched to the top of the mountain with DK Barrels, and then race down from there. What an efficient way to climb a mountain!
- Keep your eyes peeled for multiple obstacles like falling rocks and hairpin turns.
Brands[edit]
Mario Kart: Double Dash!! /Mario Kart Wii[edit]
- Donkey Cannon (Mario Kart: Double Dash!!) / DK Cannon (Mario Kart Wii) (signs)
- Super Mario (trackside banners)
- Wario Racing (trackside banners)
Mario Kart Tour /Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]
- DK Cannon (signs)
- Burning DK (trackside banners)
- BaNaNa Boy (trackside banners)
Gallery[edit]
Mario Kart: Double Dash!![edit]
The course logo
The course icon
The road to the cannon
Racers get fired from the cannon.
Going downhill
Boulders pop up around the sharp turns.
Going around the ravine
The moving bridge
Boulders are much less common in a split-screen race.
Mario Kart Wii[edit]
The course banner
A preview of the course
The road to the cannon
Racers get fired from the cannon.
Vertical dash panels have been added at spots.
The sharp turns have more room to work with.
The circular turn with the ravine
The moving bridge
Mario Kart Tour[edit]
Course icons[edit]
- For this subject's image gallery, seeGallery:Mario Kart Tour race course icons (GCN courses) § DK Mountain.
The course icon
The course icon of the R variant
The course icon of the T variant
The course icon of the R/T variant
Screenshots[edit]
View of the starting line
Alternate view of the staring line
View of the "DK CANNON" sign
View of the face of the volcano
Aerial view of the course
View of aRolling Rock rolling down the volcano
View of the course
Alternate view of the course
View of the wavy bridge
View of the volcano from the bridge
Various racers on the course
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]
The course icon
The full course icon
Results screen
View of the downhill section
View of the volcano
Donkey Kong andKing Boo on the course
View of the cannon
Donkey Kong using the cannon
Donkey Kong on the course
Miis on the course
Naming[edit]
Internal names[edit]
| Game | File | Name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mario Kart: Double Dash!! | Donkey.arc | Donkey | |
| Mario Kart Wii | old_donkey_gc | Old DonkeyGameCube | |
| Mario Kart Tour | Ggc_DKMountain | Grand Prix GameCube DK Mountain | |
| Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | Cnsw_56 | Charger[2]Nintendo Switch Wave 5 Course 6 |
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | DKマウンテン[?] DK Maunten | DK Mountain | |
| Chinese | DK山[?] DK Shān | DK Mountain | |
| DK高山[3] DK Gāo Shān | DK Tall Mountain | Mario Kart Wii | |
| Dutch | DK-Gebergte[?] | DK Mountain | |
| French | Montagne DK[?] | DK Mountain | |
| German | DK Bergland[?] | DK Mountain Land | |
| Italian | Montagne di DK[?] | DK’s Mountains | |
| Korean | DK 마운틴[?] DK Mauntin | DK Mountain | |
| Portuguese | Montanha DK[?] | DK Mountain | |
| Russian | Гора ДК[?] Gora DK | DK Mountain | |
| Spanish | Montaña DK[?] | DK Mountain |
References[edit]
- ^Mario Kart: Double Dash!! § Staff Ghost Initials.The Cutting Room Floor. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
- ^The Cutting Room Floor:Project Names/Nintendo.The Cutting Room Floor. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
- ^chinesenintendo (August 3, 2018).It's official-- NVIDIA SHIELD's weibo account officially announced the release of Mario Kart Wii on NVIDIA SHIELD in China..Twitter. Retrieved August 3, 2018. (Archived September 13, 2021, 17:21:16 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
