2. DK Mountain (Double Dash)
A personal favourite of mine, DK Mountain was once voted the best Mario Kart track of all time, which is surprising as this is a map you either love or hate. Starting the race in a jungle, players must take a straight, before hitting a curve in the road which takes you to the base of the mountain - which is in fact an active volcano. After being fired by the DK Cannon to the top of the volcano, you have to drive downhill, all while dodging rocks that shoot through the air and boulders that roll behind you. When descending the volcano, players take a zigzagging path with more boulders rolling from the hills. The track has no barriers so it was always guaranteed that at least 2 racers would fall off before the last bend, meaning no race was ever over until it was over. The bridge at the end offered one last obstacle before the finish line and would often be the cause of losing a precious lead. I can still remember being planted by green shells at the last second, which in turn would see me go from first to last in a couple of seconds. The unforgiving nature of this track was quite harsh, but every race was exciting, and that's what Mario Kart is all about.