Banana

Bananas are common tropical fruit from the Super Mario, Yoshi, and mostly Donkey Kong series, based off of the nonfictional fruit of the same name. They have been used for a variety of purposes through the Mushroom World's history. They grow in many tropical islands of the planet, such as on Yoshi's Island and Isle Delfino. Bananas are widely used as food due to their restorative properties and Banana Peels are also used as an offensive weapon in sports competitions such as the Mario Kart series.

Donkey Kong series
The Banana is the most common item featured in the Donkey Kong series of games. This fruit appears in every single Donkey Kong Country and Donkey Kong Land title. They work similarly to the Coin from the Mario series. In these games, collecting one hundred bananas will give a Kong an Extra Life. It is possible for the Kong Family to collect every single banana that appears in the games. Additionally, bananas often point in the direction of secret areas, hidden items, and the end of a level. A Banana Bunch is worth ten regular bananas, and Donkey Kong can sometimes find one by ground pounding in particular spots.

In Donkey Kong 64, there are five colors of bananas - each color can only be collected by a specific Kong; yellow for Donkey Kong, red for Diddy Kong, purple for Tiny Kong, blue for Lanky Kong and green for Chunky Kong. Bananas are needed to feed Scoff in order to allow Troff to open the door to the level's boss. There are exactly five hundred bananas (one hundred for each of the five colors) in each of the game's seven levels, for a total of three thousand, five hundred bananas in the entire game. In this game, Banana Bunches are worth five bananas. Banana Balloons appear exclusively in this game, and are worth ten bananas. However, the Kongs must pop these balloons with their weapons in order to obtain their bananas.

Bananas in bunches called giant Banana Bunches appeared in Donkey Kong Jungle Beat at the end of each level in the Banana Kingdom. When Donkey Kong bites one of these Banana Bunches, juice will pour out, and the level will end. In DK: King of Swing, up to 300 bananas could be collected. Donkey Kong could then use the bananas to heal his health or become invincible.

Bananas appear in Donkey Kong Country Returns, reprising their role from the earlier Country games. In this game, Banana Bunches are worth five regular bananas instead of ten. There is also a bigger type of bunch that is fairly rare and worth twenty bananas. Additionally, there are winged bananas that float around in certain areas, which are worth five bananas. In the Golden Temple, there are enormous, floating bananas (amongst other fruit) that are large enough for Donkey and Diddy Kong to stand on.

Mario Kart series
The Banana (also known as the Banana Peel) is one of the most common items in the Mario Kart series. A Banana Peel causes a karts to spin-out if the vehicle touches the slippery item. Its only purpose is to make the other karts spin, causing them to slow down. Banana Peels can either be placed behind a kart, or be thrown forward down the track. It can also be held behind the kart as a defensive countermeasure against homing red shells and, to a lesser extent, green shells. Bananas can also come in threes, known as Triple Bananas. When used, 3 bananas automatically attach themselves to the back of the kart. Like many other items in the Mario series, the Banana has eyes.

Mario Kart 64
In Mario Kart 64, bananas appeared in fives instead of threes, and are known as Banana Bunches. Banana Bunches function the same as Bananas, except that when a racer runs into the center of the Banana Bunch line when another player is carrying it, a sound effect will play and the player will get considerably slowed down. Curiously, the icon for Banana Bunches displays only four bananas as opposed to five.

Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
There is also a larger variant exclusive to Mario Kart: Double Dash!! called the Giant Banana. When a driver hits a Giant Banana, the fruit will split into three normal Bananas spread on the track. This gigantic special item can only be used by Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong (as well as King Boo and Petey Piranha, who can use any special item). The Giant Banana is capable of blocking nearly every single item and it can even deflect a Bowser Shell (but the Bowser Shell destroys it). A Giant Banana also has a longer duration of the player spinning out than a normal banana. The Giant Banana later appeared as a piece of furniture in Animal Crossing: City Folk.

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.

Being the Kongs' favorite food, Bananas serve as the main victuals in the comic "Donkey Kong in: Banana Day 24" when Donkey and his friends travel to Outer Space in order to stop aliens from pulling Earth away from the sun. As it turns out, the culprits just erroneously took the planet for a huge coconut, a fruit their species adores. Diddy suggests to give Bananas to the extraterrestrials as a compensation to get Earth back. This plan works, and the aliens are enthusiastic about the Bananas' taste.

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.

Yoshi series
Bananas are the favorite fruit of Yellow Yoshis in Yoshi's Story, along with the universally loved Melons.

Banana bunches also appear in Yoshi Touch & Go. If a Yoshi eats one, it will get three more eggs.

WarioWare series
In WarioWare, Inc.: Minigame Mania, a banana appears in the Banana Munch microgame. The player has to tap the A button repeatedly to finish eating it.

Mario Party series
The Banana is a popular item that shows up in many mini-games in the Mario Party series. They are mainly featured in Donkey Kong mini-games, where bananas are worth one, two, or three coins depending on a random multiplayer. The banana also appears in many Mic Minigames. In Mario Party 5 and the other Mario Party games after, there is a kind of banana called Banana Bunches. Banana Bunches are worth five bananas. They were mainly found in Donkey Kong Mini-games.

''Luigi's Mansion
In Luigi's Mansion, Garbage Can Ghosts will throw Banana Peels on the floor. Luigi can slip on these peels, damaging the plumber with 5 HP taken away (10 HP in the Hidden Mansion).

Super Smash Bros. series
Bananas are one of many food items in Super Smash Bros. Melee. They restore 5% damage. The Banana Peel appeared as a new item in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Once thrown, anyone who walks over it will trip and fall onto their back. It is also used in Diddy Kong's down special move.

''Super Mario Sunshine
Isle Delfino's main economy is based off of tourism. Tourists have shown considerable attraction to the island's food, including its fruit. Bananas grow throughout the island 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.

The fruit are shipped and sold throughout Isle Delfino. In Ricco Harbor, a supply of Bananas and other fruit are stored in a gigantic vault. Hotel Delfino in Sirena Beach sell the fruit at fruit bars as well.

Bananas are enjoyed by all advanced species who inhabit the island, including Piantas, Nokis, and Yoshis. The Yoshis on the island turn into Pink Yoshis after eating them.

''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 raquet 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 green ghost in the Luigi's Mansion stage throws bananas that have the same function as the regular bananas as a stage gimmick.

Mario Strikers series
In Mario Strikers games, the Banana acts as an item that players can collect. Once used, the player will drop three or five banana peels behind him/her, which will proceed to knock over any player who runs into them. This includes both the opponent, and the user. If used near an edge, only a few banana's will stay on the field, as the other banana's will fall off the stadium. A similar item is the Giant Banana.

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 Strikers Charged Football
In Mario Strikers Charged Football, there is a version of the banana called the Giant Banana. The Giant Banana was one of the many items used by the players. When used, the player would drop a giant Banana behind them, which would hit anyone who runs into it. The Giant Banana has a larger range, and can hit more than one player. The Giant Banana is perfect to use when one is being chased. However, unlike the smaller bananas, the Giant Banana item only deploys one banana, not multiple bananas.

Mario Smash Football
Giant Bananas also appear in Mario Smash Football and they were used by Donkey Kong as a special power-up.

Mario Sports Mix
Banana Peels reappeared in Mario Sports Mix. They can either stop opponents for a short time, or power up the ball or puck. When used as an item shot, the ball will make a curved path, and can cause opposing players to slip if they touch it.

Biology
Bananas exclusively grow on trees in Banana Bunches of three or ten. Clusters of three grow on trees that grow multiple types of fruit, such as the Super Happy Tree or the fruit tree of Pianta Village. However, trees that exclusively grow bananas are capable of growing many more. These trees can only be found on Donkey Kong Island and the surrounding isles. The largest known crop of Bananas is the Banana Plantation on Donkey Kong Island.

In the Mushroom World species of fruit, color change throughout the ripening process is not evident. Rather, they stay yellow throughout their lifespan, although some develop brown spots.