Golden Balloon
Template:Item-infobox Golden Balloons are shiny balloons that appear in Diddy Kong Racing and its Nintendo DS remake, Diddy Kong Racing DS. These items are the game's equivalent to Power Stars from Super Mario 64. Golden Balloons are required to access all five worlds and their race courses. Each of them has its own minimum requirement for entry, which increases for the later courses and worlds.
The game features 47 Golden Balloons, 43 of which are awarded by Taj for either winning at a race, its Silver Coin Challenge (or Balloon Touch Challenge in the DS version), and the three vehicle races against him, either involving a Car, Hovercraft, or Plane.
Timber's Island locations
The remaining four Golden Balloons are scattered in specific locations of Timber's Island. They can be collected in no specific order, and usually require a specific vehicle to reach. The Plane can reach every Golden Balloon.
| Image | Location | Vehicle(s) |
|---|---|---|
|
Located on the bridge that leads to the Dino Domain hub. | Car, Hovercraft, Plane |
|
On a grassy ledge to the left of the stone Wizpig's head. | Plane |
|
Hidden in the far left end of the ocean surrounding Sherbet Island's entrance. | Car, Hovercraft, Plane |
|
Located between two pine trees behind the log bridge. It is reachable from the river connecting Snowflake Mountain and Sherbet Island. | Hovercraft, Plane |
Race Courses
| World | Course | Unlock Requirement | Vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dino Domain | |||
| Ancient Lake | 1 (first race) 6 (challenge) |
Car, Hovercraft, Plane | |
| Fossil Canyon | 2 (first race) 7 (challenge) |
Car, Hovercraft, Plane | |
| Jungle Falls | 3 (first race) 8 (challenge) |
Car, Hovercraft, Plane | |
| Hot Top Volcano | 5 (first race) 10 (challenge) |
Hovercraft, Plane | |
| Snowflake Mountain | |||
| Everfrost Peak | 2 (first race) 10 (challenge) |
Car (N64 only), Hovercraft, Plane | |
| Walrus Cove | 3 (first race) 11 (challenge) |
Car, Hovercraft | |
| Snowball Valley | 6 (first race) 14 (challenge) |
Car, Hovercraft, Plane | |
| Frosty Village | 9 (first race) 16 (challenge) |
Car, Hovercraft, Plane | |
| Sherbet Island | |||
| Whale Bay | 10 (first race) 17 (challenge) |
Hovercraft | |
| Crescent Island | 11 (first race) 18 (challenge) |
Car, Hovercraft | |
| Pirate Lagoon | 13 (first race) 20 (challenge) |
Hovercraft | |
| Treasure Caves | 16 (first race) 22 (challenge) |
Car, Hovercraft, Plane |
Gallery
Diddy Kong Racing sprite
Diddy Kong Racing artwork of Conker reaching for a Golden Balloon
Taj gives a Golden Balloon to Conker
