Time for a much requested Volcanoes in Videogames review: Mario Kart! We’ll be taking a a lap or two around the explosive tracks of Grumble Volcano and into the bowels of Bowser’s Castle, as we investigate the (in)accuracies of volcanology in Mario Kart 8 deluxe (Switch).

Let’s Get Ready to Grumble!!

The third track of the Lightning Cup, Grumble Volcano is by far the most volcanic track in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Originally released on the Nintendo Wii, it’s popularity saw it remastered for the Nintendo Switch! The intro video gives a fantastically enticing visual to many of the volcanic features that lie ahead: molten lava, lava tubes, explosive eruptions and even earthquakes!

Volcanoes

Lets start off with the most obvious volcanic feature, volcanoes. There are several conical stratovolcanoes throughout the map, all seemingly active with multiple lava streams flowing down their flanks. Most are off in the background, exploding at intervals, sending a burning lava bomb down onto the tracks (just one more thing to avoid along with the pesky red shells).

Stratovolcanoes (also known as composite volcanoes) form as a result of multiple eruptions producing successive layers of lava and ash. Within videogames, they are the most common style of volcano, and nearly always have lava flowing down them as seen here.

Whilst stratovolcanoes maybe one of the most common real-world volcanoes, shield volcanoes are equally as common and deserve a little more virtual love. Shields are much shallower volcanoes that primarily erupt runny lava and far less ash (e.g. Hawaii).

Lava

A nice realistic feature is the Brick and ?-Blocks partially stuck in the hardened lava. When flowing, lava is an unstoppable force, consuming all within its path. Such lava flows can reach several hundred degrees Celsius in temperature. Hot enough to melt down small objects. However, in cases where the objects (sort of) survive, they end up becoming stuck when the lava cools and hardens around them.

Lava Tubes

The final ‘on-volcano’ feature, or I should really say ‘in-volcano’ I want to cover is the lava tube. At the start of the race (and subsequent laps) you pass through a tunnel at the base of the volcano. Stone archways and torch stands throughout the tunnel suggest minor human terraforming. However, the numerous rocky pillars lead me to believe this is a genuine lava tube.

Lava tubes are conduits formed as the outside lava cools significantly faster than the interior due to coming in contact with the cold fresh air. The outer lava solidifies into a harden rock, helping to insulate the molten lava underneath. This can help some flows travel a great many miles from source.

Lava tubes can be found across the world, especially in areas which have low viscosity lava, where the runny lava flows quickly, like Hawaii. I do not know of a lava tube as big as this, nor one that goes straight through the middle of a volcano. However, they can become large enough to walk through and even fit a small vehicle (such as a go-kart).

Lava Bombs

Upon exiting the lava tube, one of the background stratovolcanoes can be seen spectacularly exploding. The eruption sends several fire balls, what we call ‘lava bombs’ hurtling towards the track. Lava bombs are molten chunks of volcanic material, blasted sky-high out of the volcano like a cannonball!

Lava bombs come in all shapes and sizes, including spindle bombs that twist into aerodynamic bullets as they fly through the air, or cow pat bombs that spatter on impact. They can be very deadly and are definitely one to avoid. Just imagine a semi-molten block of rock the size of a football falling from the sky… Not fun!

Earthquakes

The last volcanic feature I want to cover from Grumble Volcano is one that is rarely seen in video games (and so makes me very happy to see), which are earthquakes! Seen throughout the course, sections of track shake violently and slowly collapse into the lava below.

Volcanic earthquakes are extremely common and are created in a variety of ways. Small earthquakes occur usually because of the rising magma below the volcano. As pressure builds, the rocks above the magma crack, allowing it to rise further. The cracking is what forms the earthquakes and are monitored by seismometers to give us a pre-warning that things below are starting to stir!

Larger volcanic quakes, referred to as ‘volcano-tectonic’ earthquakes, are generated by faults slipping near the volcano. These can occur (but not limited to) magma being removed from the underlying magma chamber/reservoir. With the magma gone, a void is left under the ground and the rocky ceiling above becomes unstable. Collapsing in on itself, the stress and friction of moving rock causes earthquakes. This is also how caldera volcanoes form!

Mario Kart’s earthquakes look to be a slight variation of a caldera collapse, as sections of the track to collapse. However, it is not an empty void they are collapsing into, but a massive pool of molten lava. I suspect the collapse is due to the lava melting away at the rock underneath, similar to how river banks or cliffs at waterfalls are undercut until they become unstable.

Bowser’s Castle

Deep in the bowels of the infamous Browser’s Castle is what can only be described as an over the top boiler system for the monument’s central heating… an active lava pit with a lava monster Bowser! Health and Safety best not review this place.

There is limited volcanology in Bowser’s Castle. Beyond the molten lava, which doesn’t even have visible source (meaning I can’t confirm if its from a natural volcano or not). Therefore, it is really hard to write much about this track…

The one thing I do like is that this track has a mechanism to explain a volcanic video game trope that we even see in Grumble Volcano: overly-sized pools of molten lava! Many video games have massive areas covered in red hot molten lava (like in Grumble Volcano or Breath of the Wild). Unfortunately, unless there is a turbulent force underneath, like rising lava in an active crater, the lava pools would simply cool and turn into solid, black rock. In this case, the gigantic lava Bowser is acting as the turbulent force to keep the lava nice and molten!

Other than that, there is not much I can say (I’m purposely ignoring the science behind a giant lava monster). I would certainly not recommend warming your house up with an active lava system. The potential for things to all go wrong and have to call the fire brigade is very high! I suppose Bowser has Koopas for that…

Summary

Grumble Volcano is not only a fun track to lose friends on (blue shell in bound!), but is actually decent in terms of its volcanology. The track is full of a rich array of features, and most are not to inaccurate (ignoring the molten lava everywhere). I certainly wouldn’t recommend go-karting around an active volcano for a great number of reasons. A dormant or extinct volcano however, sounds like a great deal of fun.

Browser’s Castle is quite the opposite. Villains seem to love to build their lairs over the top of lava and it is certainly not something I would recommend! You are almost certainly guaranteeing your lair will be destroyed next time the volcano rumbles.

If you enjoyed this review and want to read more, check out more Volcanoes in Videogame fun here!