Wii Grumble Volcano

Grumble Volcano is the last course in the Star Cup of Mario Kart Wii. It takes place in a volcanic area covered with lava. Drivers will have to jump over gaps in the track with lava beneath using the ramps, avoid Fire Snakes and dodge fireballs coming from the erupting volcano. The track's theme is very similar to World 8 of New Super Mario Bros.. It also appeared as a retro track in Mario Kart 8.

Description
The course takes place in an area riddled with lava. It can take place outside a volcano. The first parts of the track take place inside a volcano with crumbling rocks that break and fall into the lava from time to time. Outside, the volcano may throw out balls of fire, which slide in the ground from side to side. This course obstacle appears after the race part taken inside the volcano, just outside past the moving platforms in the lava. After the fire on the ground part, there are Fire Snakes that come out of pipes that jump around and can spin out the player if the player makes contact with them. ? Blocks and Brick Blocks are found dislodged in the volcano as scenery for the course.

Course layout
At the beginning of the race, there is a straightaway. At the first lap, the road is completely intact, no signs of crumbling land. Then, as time passes on and the player advances to the second lap, the sections of this will crumble, leaving lava and lava pillars spilling out of the disintegrated section of the road. After that part is a small, curvy tunnel that leads into the interior of the volcano. This part also has crumbling sections of the road, just like the beginning parts of the race. After the player turns left, the player would then hop onto moving platforms on the lava that move left and right and onto the road again, with more sections of the road that will crumble and fall down from time to time.

After the small section is a tunnel with hexagons for walls. There are two paths to take, though both will lead to the same area with little or no time difference if one disregards any items and mess-ups the player may have. Both paths first curve right, then left. Both are filled with the exact same locations of the item boxes. The only difference is that one is greater in height than the other, and this is the left path that has such.

After the paths and the tunnel is a place with more platforms that move left and right, now outside the volcano. The player has to manage to go through the platforms because they move at different times. After the platform part is two roads. One is greater in height than the other and can only be reached by the platform, on the right. It has a ramp with a boost pad on and can be used to dodge incoming flames. The other path, the left one, can be reached by any means and item boxes can be found below.

After the two paths merge again, there it the danger that the player can run into incoming fireballs, released by the volcano in the background of the course. The path splits again, after a right turn and functions exactly the same as the last except the boost pad is on the right ramp and vice versa, plus the lack of item boxes. After that curve, there are more fireballs to avoid, with a ramp that can give the ability for the player to perform tricks on.

Two paths split again and eventually merge later on. The path on the left leads to a turn on the left, uphill, eventually leading into a ramp with a boost pad on it that can grant the player a large boost and a trick. The other path, on the right leads to a sharp turn on the left, with a ramp and another turn to the right. After that is the area where the two paths meet, the area very near to the finish line. Past the finish line is the next lap of the race.

Official description

 * Official European website: "With deep lava awaiting anyone who strays off the track and flaming fireballs littering your path, Grumble Volcano will undo all your previous hard work in the Star Cup if you aren't at the top of your game."

Tournaments
The first tournament of June 2009 took place at this course. Players competed in a time trial race, but they had to race the track backwards. To start the time trial, players received a set of Triple Mushrooms. This tournament was later repeated as the second tournament of May 2011, the second tournament of August 2012, and the first tournament of November 2013, though with a "Karts only" restriction.

Mario Kart 8
Grumble Volcano returns as a retro course in Mario Kart 8 as the third track in the Lightning Cup. It appears with higher graphics and better shading. The volcano that the players drive through in the cave now has lava running down it. The first platform after the cave and the jump from the uphill left path, now have gliding pads. The effect of eruption got longer and fireball falls more slowly than the original. Aside from that, the track is virtually unchanged.

Trivia

 * This is the only course with lava in the series that is not named after Bowser.