3DS DK Jungle
- This article is about the course from Mario Kart 7 and retro course in Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. For other uses, see DK Jungle.
| DK Jungle | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Appears in | Mario Kart 7 (2011) Mario Kart 8 (2014) Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (2017) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cup(s) | Special Cup (7) Banana Cup (8, 8 Deluxe) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Based on | Jungle Hijinxs (Donkey Kong Country Returns) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Online play | No longer available (3DS, Wii U) Available (Switch) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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DK Jungle is the first race course of the Special Cup in Mario Kart 7. It takes place on Donkey Kong Island while being based on Donkey Kong Country Returns. Some elements and enemies of the game thus appear in the course, like Tiki Goons, Screaming Pillars, Frogoons, and DK's Tree House. The course's music is a rearrangement of "DK Island Swing" from Donkey Kong Country.
DK Jungle reappears as a classic course in Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as the fourth and final course of the Banana Cup.
Mario Kart 7
Course layout
The track starts by passing through a thick jungle, where some DK Barrels appear. It curves right, then left, before forming a small split path around a tree. Each split path features a large root that allows drivers to perform tricks on. Exiting into a clearing, drivers approach a Dash Panel before bouncing on a large, red flower from Donkey Kong Country Returns, and land on a path near waterfalls and a lake. The track then makes a left hand turn that decreases in elevation, going past DK's Tree House, and some Tiki Goons that move across the track. After going across a wooden bridge, the track reenters the canopy, passing by multiple Frogoons and a few mud patches. The road turns right, then left, then right again, before a Dash Panel that sends drivers out of the canopy and onto a set of jumps with Dash Panels at the end that goes through a chasm, leading them to the entrance of the Golden Temple.
Once inside the Golden Temple, racers make a right turn and a left-hand U-turn, before approaching an incline leading to a split path that goes past the Golden Banana. Just before the temple's exit, there is a short Glide Ramp that sends drivers gliding over a lake flanked by several Screaming Pillars. These Pillars scream every once in a while, shooting out air to blow back hang-gliding players. The underwater route is slightly twisty. Occasionally appearing in the background of the course in this section is Tiki Pilot's airship-like craft from Donkey Kong Country Returns. Finally, racers land and make a left turn back to the finish line, with a split path available; the longer route has additional Coins and is higher in elevation.
Shortcuts
- Right before the jumps over the chasm, there is a secret Glide Ramp to the left side of the track.
- An extremely difficult glider shortcut can be performed after the temple section. By swooping down to gain speed, going back up, and then using a Mushroom, it is possible to skip the entire split paths section and land just before the finish line.[1]
- A respawn shortcut can be performed in the temple by using a speed boost (a Mushroom or a Super Mini-Turbo) to jump off the corner of the right turn and respawn in front of the Glide Ramp at the temple exit.[1]
Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
DK Jungle makes its classic course debut in Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as the fourth and last race of the Banana Cup. The track map is rotated 75 degrees clockwise. Some objects are changed and replaced; the Barrel at the right of the start is now on the left, and the Regular Screaming Pillars have been replaced by their big variant, which exhale smoke while they are screaming. The starting banner has also been replaced, and the Tiki Goons have had their movement speed severely reduced. A number of lit torches have been added inside the Golden Temple. The only changes made to the track layout are that the U-turn inside the Golden Temple is now slanted upward and acts as an anti-gravity section, consequently creating a drop-off at the Golden Banana allowing drivers to do an aerial trick; the first left turn before the finish line also has a trickable gap in it now. It is the only course in the Banana Cup to have anti-gravity. Like Wii Mushroom Gorge, Wii Grumble Volcano, and 3DS Neo Bowser City, the music is kept the same, but with slightly enhanced bit depth.
Notably, the course feature in the foreground of the course's icon (in this case, DK's Tree House) differs from the other courses in the base game as it is positioned on the left side (right side in Mirror Mode). When accounting for DLC courses, including those in the Booster Course Pass, it is still one of only five courses to do so, the others being GBA Cheese Land, Wild Woods, 3DS Neo Bowser City, and Ninja Hideaway (six if Animal Crossing is counted, as the Spring quarter of the icon depicts the foreground feature on the left as well).
Profiles
Mario Kart 8
Mario Kart Facebook page (United States): Ancient temples. Troublemaking tikis. And bananas galore! Come race on the DK Jungle course in Mario Kart 8 for Wii U to take in all the exotic and high-octane sights.[2]
Mario Kart 8 Original Soundtrack liner notes
"This is an arrangement of the main Donkey Kong theme music. I hope you can experience the atmosphere of listening to a big band number. This course also has really nice scenery - we've basically remastered the course from Mario Kart 7. It's more fun than a barrel of monkeys!"
Gallery
Mario Kart 7
Donkey Kong and Mario driving on the course
Mario and Bowser driving past DK's Tree House
Metal Mario, Yoshi, and Bowser driving through the jungle
The area after the jungle
Yoshi, past the jungle and entering the Golden Temple
Donkey Kong encountering a Frogoon
The Screaming Pillars near the end of the race
The path in the lake
Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
The course icon.
The course, as seen from the starting line
Mario, trying to avoid a Tiki Goon
Roy performs a trick before reaching the giant flower.
Rosalina approaches the temple.
Donkey Kong, racing in the temple
Baby Luigi and Baby Mario gliding past a Screaming Pillar
A released screenshot of the course, revealing the name of the course
Postcard image from Facebook
The stamp obtained for beating the staff ghost at this course
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | DKジャングル[?] DK Janguru |
DK Jungle | |
| Chinese (simplified) | DK丛林[?] DK Cónglín |
DK Jungle | |
| Chinese (traditional) | DK叢林[?] DK Cónglín |
DK Jungle | |
| Dutch | DK's Jungle[?] | DK's Jungle | |
| French (NOA) | Jungle DK[?] | DK Jungle | |
| French (NOE) | Forêt tropicale DK[?] | DK Rainforest | |
| German | DK Dschungel[?] | DK Jungle | |
| Italian | Giungla DK[?] | DK Jungle | |
| Korean | DK 정글[?] DK Jeonggeul |
DK Jungle | |
| Portuguese | Selva DK[?] | DK Jungle | |
| Russian | Джунгли ДК[?] Dzhungli DK |
DK Jungle | |
| Spanish | Jungla DK[?] | DK Jungle |
Trivia
- Excluding Mario Kart Tour, DK Jungle is one of only two courses since Mario Kart: Double Dash!! to have its final lap music raised by more than one semitone compared to the normal variant — in this case, it is raised by two semitones. The only other course with this distinction is Baby Park in all of its appearances except Mario Kart DS.
- It is also one of the only courses to use a different, shorter intro for its final lap music, with this distinction being shared with Rock Rock Mountain in Mario Kart 7 and Toad Harbor, Mute City, GBA Ribbon Road, and SNES Bowser Castle 3 in Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
- This course, along with Rock Rock Mountain and Cheep Cheep Lagoon, was playable in demo versions of Mario Kart 7.
- This is the only course in Mario Kart 7's Special Cup to not appear in Mario Kart Tour.
