Giraffe
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- This article is about the real-world species from Mario Kart World. For the figurine from WarioWare: Twisted!, see Figurines (WarioWare: Twisted!) § Giraffe.
| Giraffe | |
|---|---|
 Screenshot from Mario Kart World | |
| First appearance | The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 ("7 Continents for 7 Koopas") (1990) |
| Latest appearance | Mario Kart World (2025) |
Giraffes[1] are real-world giraffids that have appeared multiple times in the Super Mario franchise.
History[edit]
The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
The first appearance of a giraffe was during The Adventures of Super Mario Bros. 3 episode "7 Continents for 7 Koopas". The giraffe, along with several other African animals, is transformed into a stuffed version of itself by Kooky von Koopa until Luigi steals Kooky's wand and uses it to turn the animals back to normal, which in turn began to chase after Kooky.
Donkey Kong Country series[edit]
Donkey Kong Country Returns (3D / HD)[edit]
In Donkey Kong Country Returns and its enhanced Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo Switch ports, the Tiki Tak Tribe hypnotize several giraffes on Donkey Kong Island, amongst other animals, to steal the island's bananas. The opening cutscene depicts Wacky Pipes hypnotizing a giraffe and a squirrel that climbs onto its back. The tribe has the animals load leaves with bananas and haul them away, with a pair of a elephant and a giraffe pulling each leaf. Both Gong Oh and Wacky Pipes are seen leading such groups, with one group of animals led by the latter seen carting away the banana hoard from DK's Tree House.
Another giraffe is seen in the intro of the level Canopy Cannons. In the level Blowhole Bound, an elephant and a zebra, as well as a giraffe, stand on a boat in the background. In both of the aforementioned situations, Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong cannot interact with the mammal. The various animals of the opening cutscene share a single piece of concept art in the Image Gallery, titled "Animal Friends". Postbattle, the ending cutscene, has a shot depicting a giraffe and a squirrel on its back being freed from the hypnosis.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze[edit]
In Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze and its Nintendo Switch port, giraffe-shaped wooden figures, alongside zebras, appear in the level Grassland Groove, where the Kongs can use the vines that are attached to hang on them while it moves back and fourth. A huge, segmented version of the wooden figure of a giraffe appears in the level also, and is destroyed by the Kongs with a Barrel Cannon to progress the level.
Mario Kart World[edit]
In Mario Kart World, giraffes are found in Faraway Oasis and the savanna region that the track surrounds. They wander around slowly, and making contact with one causes the player to spin out.
Missions[edit]
Giraffes are featured in the following missions:
| Image | In-game text | Location | Time limit (seconds) | Description | Sticker |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Collect blue coins around geyser field! | Faraway Oasis | 20.00 | The player must collect eight blue coins by driving around a field of Water Geysers with several animals wandering around. | 
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Rush from rock to rock through a busy savanna! | Faraway Oasis | 10.00 | The player must reach the goal ring at the end of the course before the time limit expires by driving through four rings located on top of rocks which add 3 seconds to the timer. The start contains a set of Double Item Boxes and a Star Ring, while each ring contains one Item Box. Item Boxes will always give a Mushroom. | 
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Mind the giraffes as you rocket toward blue coins! | Faraway Oasis | 20.00 | The player must run over boxes of Dash Mushrooms to collect eight Blue Coins while avoiding various giraffes along the way. | 
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Join the endurance race in the savanna! | Faraway Oasis | 20.00 | The player must complete three laps around a road near Faraway Oasis in the time limit, with other racers participating, Item Boxes scattered throughout, and ostriches as obstacles. Each lap has five rings that each add 4 seconds to the timer when driven through, while the one marking the end of the lap adds 10 seconds to the timer. | 
|
Donkey Kong Bananza[edit]
- “We met some creatures here unlike any we have seen before… They had long necks, with a distinctive dappled pattern. Their bodies were flexible and fur covered. We observed them experimenting on Banandium Gems to process them as an energy source. They hope to build the Underground World's greatest refinery someday. They have great ambition. They dream of a day in which their long necks rise above the crowded throngs of history. It is time for us to head to the next sinkhole. What sort of creatures will we meet farther down?”
- —Saga of Exploritone, Verse 3, Donkey Kong Bananza
While giraffes do not physically appear in Donkey Kong Bananza, some Fractones in the Canyon Layer take the shape of giraffes; with the layer itself themed after the aforementioned mammal. In one of the stone tablets written by Exploritone in the Canyon Layer, they had encountered the giraffes of the Underground World. After answering the first of Quiztone's questions in sublayer 1606 of the Planet Core, it is suggested that the giraffes of the surface world, alongside lions, originally came from the Underground World.
Unused appearances[edit]
Donkey Kong Country[edit]
During development of Donkey Kong Country, a giraffe was considered as one of the Animal Friend concepts, where its long neck would have been used to reach high places.[2]
References[edit]
- ^ In-game mission "Mind the giraffes as you rocket toward blue coins!"
- ^ "Some animal helpers that didn’t make the final cut included a dolphin, an owl that would give players information, a fox that would reveal secrets, snakes that could be used as vines, a giraffe whose long neck would help the Kongs reach high areas, and a flying pig." - Playing With Super Power: Nintendo Super NES Classics eGuide, Donkey Kong Country Animal Buddies Tab.
