View source for Cannon (Mario Kart series)

{{italic title|Cannon (''Mario Kart'' series)}}
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{{about|the course element in the Mario Kart series|other uses of the term "cannon"|[[Cannon (disambiguation)]]}}
[[File:MKW Maple Treeway Overlook.png|thumb|A Cannon in [[Wii Maple Treeway|Maple Treeway]]]]
A '''cannon''' or '''Launch Cannon'''{{ref needed}} is a track feature seen in various tracks in the [[Mario Kart (series)|''Mario Kart'' series]]. It is a somewhat uncommon feature that appears in a few courses throughout the series. It launches racers at very high speeds to another section of the course. Cannons take on different forms, such as pipe cannons and the more common barrel cannons. In ''[[Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]]'', ''[[Mario Kart DS]]'', and ''[[Mario Kart Wii]]'', all cannons make racers immune to all items, including [[Lightning|Lightning Bolt]]s, [[Blooper]]s, [[Thunder Cloud]]s, [[POW Block]]s and [[Spiny Shell (blue)|Spiny Shells]], while in ''[[Mario Kart 7]]'' onwards, they no longer make players immune to any items. Since ''Mario Kart 7'', cannons start with a [[Glide Ramp]], whereas in previous games, they started with a [[Dash Panel]].

==History==
===''Mario Kart'' series===
====''Mario Kart 64''====
In ''[[Mario Kart 64]]'', Dash Zones serve as a predecessor to the cannon, as they function very similarly in the sense that they launch racers to another segment of the track, albeit to a lesser degree than cannons. They appear in two courses: [[N64 Royal Raceway|Royal Raceway]] and [[N64 DK's Jungle Parkway|D.K.'s Jungle Parkway]].

====''Mario Kart: Double Dash!!''====
Cannons make their first appearance in ''[[Mario Kart: Double Dash!!]]'' where they are featured on three courses: [[GCN Daisy Cruiser|Daisy Cruiser]], [[GCN DK Mountain|DK Mountain]], and [[Rainbow Road (Mario Kart: Double Dash!!)|Rainbow Road]]. In Daisy Cruiser, the cannon takes the form of an orange exhaust pipe. In DK Mountain, the cannon takes the form of a [[Barrel Cannon]], most likely to suit the Donkey Kong theme of the track. In Rainbow Road, the cannon takes the form of a long, vertical tube going straight upward.

====''Mario Kart DS''====
Cannons return in ''[[Mario Kart DS]]'', having two appearances; one in [[DS Waluigi Pinball|Waluigi Pinball]] and another in [[DS Airship Fortress|Airship Fortress]]. In Waluigi Pinball, the cannon takes the form similar to that of a pinball launcher. In Airship Fortress, the cannon takes the form of an actual cannon rather than a barrel cannon seen in many other courses.

====''Mario Kart Wii''====
In ''[[Mario Kart Wii]]'', cannons are a bit more commonplace, as they appear in three Wii courses ([[Wii DK Summit|DK Summit]], [[Wii Maple Treeway|Maple Treeway]], and [[Wii Rainbow Road|Rainbow Road]]) and one Retro course ({{classic|GCN|DK Mountain}}). Also, in the retro track {{classic|N64|DK's Jungle Parkway}}, the Dash Panel acts like a cannon. Both DK Summit and Maple Treeway use a barrel cannon, both of which are located near the beginning of the tracks, while Rainbow Road uses a [[Launch Star]] as its cannon, to fit the ''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]'' theme of the track. In DK Summit and {{classic|GCN|DK Mountain}}, the cannons have the initials "DK" on the sides, while in Maple Treeway, the cannon has no designs on the sides.

====''Mario Kart 7''====
In ''[[Mario Kart 7]]'', cannons do not appear in any of the new courses, though the returning {{classic|DS|Waluigi Pinball}}, {{classic|Wii|Maple Treeway}}, and {{classic|DS|Airship Fortress}} all retain their cannons, albeit now using [[Glide Ramp|glide ramp]]s. When a player goes through one of the cannons, they cannot steer while gliding. Players are also no longer immune to items in any of these cannons, so it is now possible to be hit and have to be rescued by [[Lakitu]]. 

The pipe in {{classic|GCN|Daisy Cruiser}} no longer works as a cannon but only as a simple trick ramp, making ''Mario Kart 7'' the first game in the series to remove a cannon from a retro track.

====''Mario Kart 8'' / ''Mario Kart 8 Deluxe''====
''[[Mario Kart 8]]'' and ''[[Mario Kart 8 Deluxe]]'' use cannons occasionally. ''Mario Kart 8'' is the first ''Mario Kart'' game to add a cannon to a retro track (in this case, replacing the long route in {{classic link|N64|Yoshi Valley}} with a Cannon). Aside from the aforementioned retro track, [[Sweet Sweet Canyon]] uses a doughnut themed cannon near the beginning of the track, while [[Cloudtop Cruise]] uses an actual cannon to launch racers into the clouds, similar to that of Airship Fortress. {{classic link|DS|Waluigi Pinball}}, {{classic link|Wii|Maple Treeway}}, {{classic link|Wii|DK Summit}}, {{classic link|Tour|Singapore Speedway}}, {{classic link|GCN|DK Mountain}}, and {{classic link|Wii|Rainbow Road}} also return in ''Mario Kart 8 Deluxe'', retaining their cannons. Like ''Mario Kart 7'', these are glider segments.

There are additional gliding segments that work like a cannon as they launch racers at a high speed and the gliders can barely be controlled: they include the first gliding section in [[Sunshine Airport]], which launches racers off the runway and onto an anti-gravity platform; the second gliding section in [[Rainbow Road (Mario Kart 8)|Rainbow Road]] that takes racers off the second satellite; and the second glider segment in [[Big Blue]] to transition from the second to the third segment.

The end of the long ramp of {{classic|N64|Royal Raceway}} no longer works like a cannon, and is now a regular glider ramp, following a couple of Dash Panels. {{classic link|Tour|Athens Dash}} and {{classic link|Tour|Vancouver Velocity}} have also had their cannons removed, being replaced with standard gliding sections. In addition, {{classic|GCN|Daisy Cruiser}} returns in ''Mario Kart 8 Deluxe'', retaining its removal of its cannon from ''Mario Kart 7''.

====''Mario Kart Tour''====
In ''[[Mario Kart Tour]]'', a silver barrel cannon is used on {{classic link|3DS|Rainbow Road|Rainbow Road R}} to launch drivers off the planet section. The aforementioned cannon returns in [[Tour Singapore Speedway|Singapore Speedway T]], where there are two present. Like the cannons in ''Mario Kart 7'' and onward, this cannon makes use of a gliding panel. In the normal and R variants of [[Tour Vancouver Velocity|Vancouver Velocity 2]], a red and yellow circus cannon with a lit fuse appears in {{wp|Rogers Arena}} and launches the player to the autumn section of the course in the normal variant and appears in the autumn area to launch players into Rogers Arena in the reverse variant. A similar blue circus cannon appears in Singapore Speedway and its reverse variant, launching players to the top of {{wp|Marina Bay Sands}}. The wooden cannon design is used in [[Athens Dash]] 1, 1R, 1T, and 2R.

Additionally, {{classic|N64|Yoshi Valley}}, {{classic|GCN|DK Mountain}}, {{classic|DS|Waluigi Pinball}}, {{classic|DS|Airship Fortress}}, {{classic|Wii|DK Summit}}, {{classic|Wii|Maple Treeway}}, and {{classic|Wii|Rainbow Road}} retain their cannons, complete with the Glide Ramps, although {{classic|GCN|DK Mountain}}, {{classic|Wii|DK Summit}}, and {{classic|Wii|Rainbow Road}} introduced the Glide Ramp in their ''Mario Kart Tour'' versions. Similarly, {{classic|N64|Royal Raceway}} and {{classic|GCN|Daisy Cruiser}} kept the removal of their respective cannon sections from their respective reintroductions in ''Mario Kart 8'' and ''Mario Kart 7''.

As drivers reach a certain distance while gliding from a cannon, any projectiles thrown forward, such as [[Green Shell]]s, [[Banana]]s, and [[Ice Ball]]s, move at a higher speed than usual. As well, cannons can launch drivers who are inside a [[Bubble]] at an abnormally high speed (particularly in Vancouver Velocity 2 and its R variant) which lasts even after landing, potentially helping them zoom past opponents who are driving normally.

====''Mario Kart World''====
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In ''[[Mario Kart World]]'', the cannon reappears in [[DS Airship Fortress|Airship Fortress]], where racers' karts now produce wings when using it due to the absence of [[glider]]s.

===''Mario & Sonic'' series===
====''Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games''====
In the [[Wii]] [[Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii)|version]] of ''Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games'', a cannon is included as part of the reworked layout for [[Mario Circuit (Mario Kart Wii)|Mario Circuit]] featured in the [[Dream Ski Cross (Individual)|individual]] and [[Dream Ski Cross (Team)|team]] versions of Dream Ski Cross. When characters are launched from the cannon, player are able to perform longer series of tricks that give them a speed boost upon landing.

====''Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games''====
In ''[[Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games]]'', a cannon appears to launch players to the top of the new [[GCN Mushroom Bridge|Mushroom Bridge]] layout in [[Groove Pipe Snowboard]].

==Gallery==
<gallery>
RainbowRoad6-TimeTrial-MKDD.png|The cannon in Rainbow Road from ''Mario Kart: Double Dash!!''
MKWii-DKSummit1.png|The Barrel Cannon in DK Summit
MKWii-RainbowRoad4.png|The Launch Star tunnel in Rainbow Road from ''Mario Kart Wii''
MKW GCN DK Mountain Entering The Cannon.png|The Barrel Cannon in DK Mountain
MapleTreewayMK7CannonFire.jpg|Peach being fired out of the cannon at Maple Treeway
AirshipFortressMK7Cannon.jpg|The cannon in Airship Fortress from ''Mario Kart 7''
MK8 N64 Yoshi Valley.png|Mario blasting out of the barrel cannon in Yoshi Valley
MKT Icon RainbowRoadR3DS.png|The icon for 3DS Rainbow Road R in ''Mario Kart Tour'' depicting the silver barrel cannon
MKT Icon VancouverVelocity2R.png|The icon for Vancouver Velocity 2R in ''Mario Kart Tour'' depicting the circus cannon
MKT Vancouver Velocity 2 Cannon.jpg|Yoshi (Reindeer) approaching the red circus cannon on [[Vancouver Velocity 2]] in ''Mario Kart Tour''
MKT Icon SingaporeSpeedwayT.png|The icon for Singapore Speedway T in ''Mario Kart Tour'' depicting two silver barrel cannons
MKT Singapore Speedway R Circus Cannon.jpg|Luigi and Monty Mole approaching the blue circus cannon on [[Singapore Speedway|Singapore Speedway R]] in ''Mario Kart Tour''
</gallery>

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[[Category:Mario Kart 64 objects]]
[[Category:Mario Kart 7 objects]]
[[Category:Mario Kart 8 objects]]
[[Category:Mario Kart: Double Dash!! objects]]
[[Category:Mario Kart DS objects]]
[[Category:Mario Kart Wii objects]]
[[Category:Mario Kart Tour objects]]
[[Category:Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games]]
[[Category:Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games]]