Icicle Pyramid

Icicle Pyramid is the battle stage for Snowflake Mountain in Diddy Kong Racing and its remake. In the original this game can be played after obtaining the key hidden in Snowball Valley, but in the DS version it is only playable in multiplayer mode.

Description
''If it's a straightforward all-out battle you're looking for, this course might be more your style. Race around the frosty corridors of the pyramid, seeking out your three rivals and letting loose with any power-ups you can find! Everybody begins the game with eight bananas, losing two for each hit they take; your only aim is to be the last one standing...''

– Description from the Diddy Kong Racing Instruction Booklet

Course Layout
As the name suggests, this battle stage takes place within a large pyramid of ice, comprised of three stories. The bottom floor is made up of narrow tunnels with occasional alcoves with balloons, the tunnels run along the square borders of the pyramid, but there are four connecting tunnels leading to a large open area in the center if the level. The large open area has icy ramps leading up to the next floor. The second floor is where the players begin the stage, and like the bottom floor has tunnels running the perimeter of the pyramid. Again, there each tunnel connects to the central area of the level which in this case is an ice platform containing balloons directly over the central area of the bottom floor. This platform contains no barriers so if a player runs over the edge of the platform they will be dropped down to the bottom floor. Two of the tunnels on the second floor lead to large, curved snow ramps that lead up to the third floor. The third floor is quite small and empty compared to the other two, having only a few balloons and a small road around the perimeter of the pyramid again. There is no central area on this level only a large hole which, should the player run off the road, will drop them down to either the second or first floor.

Objective
At the start of this stage all players begin with a counter of 8 bananas under their character icon, whoever can hold onto their own bananas while knocking other players out be removing their bananas wins. Each hit a player suffers will remove two of the bananas from their counter so the player can only take four hits before they are eliminated. Bananas can be removed by targeting other players using the power-ups granted by the various balloons around the level (ie. the rockets from the red balloon or the spikes from the green balloons).