Banana (Mario franchise)

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It has been requested that this article be rewritten and expanded to include more information. Reason: some distinction between Banana and Banana Peel may not have been done precisely

"Bananas" redirects here. For information about the microgame in the Gamer minigame in Game & Wario, see Bananas (microgame).
Not to be confused with Banana Peel.
Banana

Artwork of a Banana Bunch, consisting of individual Bananas, from Super Mario Party
Appearances
First appearance Club Nintendo - "Super Mario Klemp-Won-Do: Muskeln sind nicht alles!" (1992, overall)
Mario Kart 64 (1997, video games)
Latest appearance Mario Strikers: Battle League (2022)

Bananas are tropical fruit featured in the Mario franchise. They are mostly featured in the form of Banana Peels, a recurring item in the Mario Kart series.

In the overall Mario franchise, Bananas most commonly appear within the spinoff Donkey Kong franchise. Even within the main Mario franchise, particularly the spinoffs, Bananas are often associated with Donkey Kong. In the Mario Party series, Bananas most prominently appear in Donkey Kong minigames, where bananas are worth one, two, or three coins depending on a random multiplier determined by whoever has landed on a DK Space before the minigame starts.

History

Mario Kart series

In Mario Kart 64, Bananas,[1] or Banana Skins,[2] are featured as an item as well as Banana Bunches, which consist of five Bananas. They are the same item as the Banana Peels from Super Mario Kart, although Mario Kart 64's artwork and icon shows a Banana.

In Mario Kart: Super Circuit, Bananas return as an item, although Banana Bunches do not. Like in Mario Kart 64, the artwork and icon shows a Banana, but the item is used as a Banana Peel.

The Banana Cup, introduced in Mario Kart DS, is one of the cups consisting of Retro Courses, although the cup icon depicts a Banana Peel.

Yoshi's Story

Bananas are the favorite fruit of Yellow Yoshis in Yoshi's Story, along with Melons, which are loved by all types of Yoshis.

Mario Party series

Mario Party 4

In Mario Party 4, various types of Bananas are featured in the minigame Tree Stomp. Banana peels serves as obstacles while golden bananas speed up the player.

Mario Party 5

In Mario Party 5 and subsequent Mario Party titles, there are also Banana Bunches, which are worth five bananas each, and are mainly found in Donkey Kong minigames. In Mass A-peel, the goal is to collect Bananas while avoiding Banana Peels.

Mario Party 9

In Mario Party 9, Bananas replace Mini Stars in the unlockable board DK's Jungle Ruins. On this board, the players' goal is to collect the most Bananas. They can be won on this board in all the same ways that Mini Stars can be won on other boards. Z-Bananas also appear on this board as a counterpart to Mini Ztars.

Super Mario series

Super Mario Sunshine

A banana as it appears in Super Mario Sunshine

In Super Mario Sunshine, Bananas grow throughout the Isle Delfino in the form of Banana Bunches, and are sold in Delfino Plaza's market sector by a street vendor. A local woman took enough interest in them to request Mario's help in gathering them. In Ricco Harbor, a supply of bananas and other fruit are stored in a gigantic tank used in the episode Yoshi's Fruit Adventure. Hotel Delfino in Sirena Beach sell the fruit at fruit bars as well. The Yoshis on the island turn pink after eating them, allowing them to spit Juice of the same color that turns enemies into pink ascending platforms. They also fall faster and have more friction than other fruits.

Super Mario Maker

In Super Mario Maker, a peeled banana appears in the Diddy Kong costume's pose when the player presses +Control Pad up.

Mario Tennis series

Mario Power Tennis

In Mario Power Tennis, in the mode where players can hit the balls through Item Boxes, the banana tends to appear, known as "Slippery Danger" within the game. The player has to hit the ball with the racquet in order to use the item. When used, the banana will be attached with the ball until it stays still on the ground in the case the ball bounces. Also, the Garbage Can Ghost in the Luigi's Mansion stage throws bananas that have the same function as the regular bananas as a stage gimmick.

Mario Tennis Open

In Mario Tennis Open, plenty of bananas are seen on the DK Jungle court. The banana is the emblem for the Banana Cup, and it is shown on its trophy. Tennis gear for Miis are designed based on this item.

Mario Golf series

Mario Golf: World Tour / Mario Sports Superstars

In Mario Golf: World Tour, bananas are seen in food bowls on some tables of the Castle Club's Royal Room, as well as inside barrels, which are the tee markers of the DK Jungle course. Golf gear is designed based on this item and available for use by Miis. In Diddy Kong's Bogey animation, he eats a banana while lying down and throws it on the ground. He does the same when he gets a Double Bogey or worse, but then he tries to get up and walk, only to slip on the banana. This animation is reused in Mario Sports Superstars.

Mario Golf: Super Rush

In Mario Golf: Super Rush, bananas appear as obstacles. They only appear in the Battle Golf mode inside clear spheres. If a player steps on one, they lose coins. There are also multiple bananas inside the spheres which surround the player with bananas.

Mario Strikers series

In the Mario Strikers games, during Diddy Kong's ground entrance, he pulls out a banana, and whacks it on his hand, which is used to say that he is going to crush his opponent.

Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story / Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey

In Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story and its remake, bananas are used by Crawfuls as part of one of their attacks. The Crawful throws the banana in front of it and slips towards the character currently being used, who must punch it away or hammer it respectively.

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle

Bananas reappear as currency exclusively in the Donkey Kong Adventure mode of Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, replacing coins from the main game.

Profiles

Club Nintendo comics

In the Club Nintendo comic "Super Mario Klemp-Won-Do: Muskeln sind nicht alles!", Mario used some bananas to make his opponent Blanka slip and fall.

Their use as weapons in the Mario Kart series was referenced in the comic "Die Jagd nach dem Nintendo 64: Krawall im All," when Mario and Luigi dropped some Banana Peels in front of Wario and Bowser, as they were competing to find a Nintendo 64-like spaceship.

Names in other languages

Language Name Meaning
Japanese バナナ
Banana
Banana
Chinese 香蕉
Xiāngjiāo
Banana
Dutch Banaan Banana
French Banane Banana
German Banane Banana
Italian Banana Banana
Korean 바나나
Banana
Banana
Portuguese Banana Banana
Russian Банан
Banan
Banana
Spanish Plátano Banana
Spanish (Americas) Banana[3] Banana
Beat
Language Name Meaning
Japanese ビート (Donkey Kong Jungle Beat)
Bīto
バナナポイント[4] (New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat)
Banana Pointo
Beat

Banana Point

References

  1. ^ Mario Kart 64 instruction booklet, page 13.
  2. ^ Nintendo Magazine System (AU) Issue #49. Page 39Media:NMS Australia 49 MK64 drivers and items.jpg.
  3. ^ Club Nintendo (Chile) La Jungla de Donkey Kong: Edición Especial. Page 45. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  4. ^ Wii de Asobu Donkey Kong Jungle Beat instruction booklet. Page 14. m1.nintendo.net. Retrieved April 27, 2022.