Weapon Balloon

A Weapon Balloon, also referred to as simply Balloon  is a type of balloon in Diddy Kong Racing and its Nintendo DS remake, Diddy Kong Racing DS. As their name suggests, Weapon Balloons, when touched, grant the racers with items to attack their opponents or improve the racers' performance. Many Weapon Balloons appear in every course in the game. When touched, the balloons break and disappear for a short amount of time, but appear soon after for another player to grab.

Weapon Balloons come in five different colors: red, blue, yellow, green, and rainbow, and the type of item given by them depends on their color. For example, Green Balloons give the player an oil slick, while Blue Balloons give them a speed boost. When a racer picks up a second balloon of the same color, their item is upgraded. A third balloon of the same color upgrades the item again to its maximum level. Battle stages only allow up to the first upgrade.

If a differently colored Weapon Balloon is hit, its weapon replaces the previous item, downgrading it. In the Nintendo DS version, the Weapon Balloon only breaks without replacing the item.