Dry Bones

History:

As Lord Bowser and his Major Domo, Kamek increasingly experimented with Dark Magic, they became obsessed with ideas of immortality. As Bowser encountered King Boo in the Boo Woods his interest turned not towards extending life but towards defeating Death. After countless Dark Magic trials on the innumerable Koopa Bodies robbed of life by Mario he perfected his skeletal fighting force - the Dry Bones. They aren't exactly zombified flesh-eaters but rather reanimated bones heavily resistant to heat and physical damage. In an effort to create a more loyal follower than Koopa or Paratroopa to race alongside him, Bowser invited the most worthy Dry Bones to race in the 2005 Grand Prix and he has been there ever since.

DS:

Dry Bones debuted as the only Lightweight Secret Character in DS. That game has an interesting system. Each Character slowly unlocks Three Signature Karts with varying stats - one average, one worse, but with a good Item Rating, and one that's excellent but with a low Item Rating. Eventually though, all Twelve Characters can access all 36 Karts, making for a crazy amount of combinations. Characters in different Karts don't change stats besides their initial Weight Class. Dry Bones adds nothing to the weight of any Kart, making him the Lightest in the game. Dry Bones' initial Kart Offerings are thus:

His Acceleration and Handling are among the best in the game. In fact, the Dry Bomber is the only Kart with a perfect 10 in both of those categories. His drift is slightly below average, but his speed is really awful. The Banisher has by far the Worst Speed in the Game. Still, the Dry Bomber is an excellent choice for anyone in Grand Prix.

Dry Bones' Ghosts in every game have only featured on Retro Tracks. features as a Staff Ghost on two Courses. He finishes the Donut Plains 1 with the Dry Bomber in 1:08:027, possibly alluding to his dryness. He's also in the 64 Banshee Boardwalk with the same ride in  2:14:403, a clear reference to his spookiness.

Wii:

Wii featured Three Size Classes who each had access to Six Karts and Six Bikes of varying stats. Each Individual Character also has his or her own Bonuses that add to certain stats. Dry Bones again has an Acceleration Bonus as well as a Drift Bonus but he really excels at Mini Turbo. His +6 is tied for the highest in the game and when using the Bullet Bike he ties with Koopa as the highest Mini Turbo Stat available. Here are his specific Stats:

The Bullet Bike is also the closet thing he has to a Signature Kart because its colour scheme fits Bullet Bill's actual colour scheme when Dry Bones uses it. You should use that Kart with Dry Bones for sure, it's one of the better Small Vehicles and Dry Bones makes it better. His Bonuses favour a very specific style of play, though, one that relies on managing tricky turns and corners with plenty of drifting and control. It can be advantages for complex courses in the hands of experienced racers.

His one Ghost appears in the Retro Desert Hills. Not only is it a course from his original Kart Game, DS, it's a very dry course. Dry Course? Dry Bones. It's all coming together. The Normal Ghost uses the Standard Bike S in 02:10.233, the Expert upgrades to the Tiny Titan in 01:52.686. That Kart only nominally takes advantage of Dry Bones' Bonuses. Switch to the Bullet Bike and take him down.

Yoshi Circuit

History:

As Yoshi's personal wealthy blossomed from his partnership with Mario he also sought to expand his investments. He sank a tremendous amount of money into an island off the shore from his own Yoshi's Island, converting it into a Racetrack. Not only that, he reshaped the Island to resemble his own silhouette, as well as imported asphalt to pave it like a Circuit Track. Even though it was popular the construction of Yoshi Circuit bankrupted Yoshi for a time. He was forced to sell Desert Hills to Waluigi and give up the rights to the Dry Dry Desert just to cover his losses. For his expenses though, Yoshi Circuit has just recently broken even for Yoshi and it remains his proudest possession.

Double Dash:

This is one of the more dangerous Circuit Tracks in the Mario Kart Games. It's a Circuit Track because it's basically pavement between grass around a relatively simple loop. It's just that this loop is shaped exactly like Yoshi, which is much harder than would appear. There are plenty of shortcuts straight through some of Yoshi's bumpier parts as well as some good drifting places around his tail and feet. All in all there is, like any other Circuit Track, a good amount of straightaways and tough turns. There's probably more of the former than the latter, especially late in the course, meaning a Heavier Kart may be more effective, particularly towards the end of the race. Of course there is always the notion that Blue Shells are always lurking, but that's going to screw you up anywhere. Your left side will almost always be rubbing against Ocean, but it's pretty easy to stay on dry land, even with Big Karts butting around.

Double Dash had Secret Staff Ghosts for every Course in Time Trials. The Ghost here is Yoshi, of course, driving Birdo around in the Turbo Yoshi with a time of 1:59:886. The track also reappeared in DS with some minor cosmetic differences. It's actually the Final Track in the game, coming at the end of the Retro Lightning Cup. The Ghost is Yoshi again, in the Standard YS at 1:48:793.

King Boo

History:

Centuries ago a Great King ruled over the Koopa Kingdom. He died in a Great War with the Mushroom Kingdom but his soul was unwilling to pass on. He became one of the Boos, and tho he forgot his past life he still contained great power within him and the other Boos tended to follow his lead. Now fearless and immortal, the King held up in Boo Woods eventually strengthening it as a Ghost Stronghold. He has a loose relationship with Lord Bowser, sometimes allying troops for a common cause but swearing no allegiance. He is also friendly with Petey Piranha, who seeks to become the King of All Piranha Plants like King Boo did with the Ghosts. Finally, he detests Luigi, mostly for his part in kidnapping the Boolossus, one of the King's loyal followers.

Double Dash:

King Boo first appeared in Luigi's Mansion and then made his first racing appearance in Double Dash a few years later. He's an Unlockable Character who partners up with Petey Piranha. The game focused more on Kart Differences rather than Driver Stats, although each Racer has his or her unique Special Item as well as a signature Kart. King Boo is a Heavyweight despite really being floaty and weightless, and drives the Boo Pipes, which is one of the Best Karts for Grand Prix in the game.

The Boo Pipes are the third heaviest Kart but otherwise act like a Light Vehicle. It has very fast Acceleration, 6th in the game overall and First by far for the Heavy Karts. It also has one of the Best Offroad Speeds in the game, again First among Heavies by far. It also has the Best Shocks in the game, meaning that it's not going to bounce around and lose speed on courses with tons of hills like DK Mountain or Waluigi Stadium. Its only faults is the relatively low top speed, at 56 mph it's the worst among Heavy Karts and fair inability to maintain speed through turns. In general though it's big and stable enough to catch a lot of speed early and not be completely wrecked while driving a Grand Prix. It has every feature of a Light Kart without the weight issues, which is far better than the Barrel Train, which is a Light Kart that acts Heavy.

Boo also has one of the best Specials - he gets a Random Item based on his position on the course. If you're in Last place you'll get Chain Chomps and Golden Mushrooms, First will get Giant Bananas and Bob-ombs and so on. This way Boo tends to be successful no matter where he is, meaning he's one of the better Racers for Grand Prix. He also takes up less screen space than Petey, meaning he's basically the Best Racer in the game. Pick Boo. As a Secret Character he has no Staff Ghosts.

Wii:

After a break and not appearing in DS, King Boo returns in Wii. This game featured Three different Size Classes of Eight Drivers each. All of these Racers then had access to Six Bikes and Six Karts each with varying stats. In addition each Character added certain Bonuses to each Stat, making for a dizzying number of possible combinations. King Boo is a Large Character again and gets a +5 Handling Bonus, which is beaten only by Baby Mario as well as a +3 Offroad Bonus. Here are King Boo's specific Stats:

King Boo doesn't really drive like a normal Large Character with High Speed or Mini Turbo. There are a few Vehicles that play to his strengths though. The Offroader and Wario Bike both offer high Handling and naturally, The Phantom works with him to take some sharp corners. He is also good with other Vehicles like the Flame Runner, though, because his high Handling counter-balances its originally awful Stat. In general though, King Boo is far from as dominantly awesome in Grand Prix as he was in Double Dash and there are some better choices out there.

He has a single Staff Ghost who calls the Retro Ghost Valley 2 from SMK home. The Normal Ghost goes 01:06.595 in the Standard Kart L while the Expert upgrades to the Spear in a blistering 00:58.907, which is the Fastest Ghost Time in the Game and the only one under Sixty Seconds.

Daisy Cruiser

History:

After spending a large amount of time in the Mushroom Kingdom Princess Daisy created a Cruise Line enterprise based from her Vacation Home on Isle Delfino. It originally launched from Peach Beach, a parcel of land owned by Princess Peach but after Daisy was able to build her own Circuit on the other side of the Island, complete with yachts and other watercraft, the Cruiser launched from there. Its general route takes it from the Daisy Circuit around the Isle Delfino to a brief stop to lounge on Peach Beach, then across the Sea to Dinosaur Land near Yoshi's Island and back again. During the Long Journey Daisy decided to outfit the boat as a Race Course, although the difficult logistics involved has prevented it from appearing in many subsequent Grand Prix.

Double Dash:

Daisy Cruiser appears in the Flower Cup in Double Dash and as such has some tough turns but not a whole lot of obstacles that are that dangerous. Its basic shape is a long oval, although straightaways are usually broken up by slight turns, although some are very sharp. The course is actually wide enough that the two most dramatic turns at both the bow and stern aren't all that difficult and actually pretty good spots for Drifting and Mini Turbos. There aren't any hills but there are some steps that can be lethal for bouncy Karts like the Waluigi Racer, although they're relatively brief. Even though the outside portions of the course are relatively wide there are some tight sections of interior corridors, perfect for nasty items like the Giant Banana, Bowser Shell or Bob-omb. I think any Heavyweight who has access to these items using the Piranha Pipes will finds some success here.

The Daisy Cruiser  can be seen floating around in the distance of many other levels near wide oceans. This includes Peach Beach in both its Double Dash and Wii incarnations, as well as the Yoshi Circuit and Daisy Circuit. The Secret Staff Ghost in the Time Trials here is Daisy driving Peach around in the Heart Coach, pulling a time of 1:52:207.

The course reappears in Mario Kart 7 with some major changes. There is now an alternate path after the start to the immediate left. With 7's new Sea Travel possibilities the big pool is no longer a danger and the cargo hold has been transformed into an aquarium, with just a boost jump afterwards, not a cannon. These are optional shortcuts, but if you take them you had better have someone who is effective underwater. The Ghost here is Daisy, naturally, who goes a 01:49.564 using the Pipe Frame, Sponge Wheels, and Peach Parasol. The Expert exchanges the Pipe Frame for the Tiny Tug and pulls a 01:43.341. The Sponge Wheels rob both of these Karts of their underwater advantage, attack.

Petey Piranha

History:

When he was just a small boy Bowser Jr. was strolling through the Bianco Hills on Isle Delfino on his way to plot against Mario. He stumbled upon a small Piranha Plant that seemed different than the rest. This one was ejected from the ground and covered his shame in a tiny Polka-Dot speedo. It whimpered and Bowser Jr. decided to breed it for his Army. Unlike the Piranha Plants that fed on just about anything though, this one, whom Bowser Jr. named Peter only fed on Blood, which Bowser Jr. supplied himself for a while before eventually sacrificing some of the hapless Piantas. Eventually Peter grew and grew and rebelled against his master. Petey wanted to make himself Lord of All Piranha Plants and as his power grew he refused to be subservient to Bowser Jr., although he was willing to work with him, if only because Bowser Jr. promised Mario to be a tasty treat.

Since those days Petey has grown into his own and although it's difficult to claim lordship over a Plant Army that can't move, Petey has still attempted to become the King of All Piranha Plants. He continues to work alongside Bowser, seeing that his is the true power in the Mushroom World, not his arrogant Son. Still, Petey's size, strength and appetite make him no pushover for the Koopa King to boss around. In this status as an ancillary opponent to the Mario Bros. he has also met King Boo and formed a close friendship with him over the years. After all, as a Mushroom Kingdom Plumber one of the Bros.' largest roles is to clean the thousands of Pipes that litter the land. Piranha Plants find these pipes to be a natural home, so the Bros. painfully clear them of Petey's own kind. This doesn't make the guy happy.

Double Dash:

Petey Piranha joins Paratroopa as the only Characters who appear only in Double Dash, where he's definitely a solid Driver. He's also the second Super Mario Sunshine character to appear here after Bowser Jr. Double Dash sorted its characters into three different Weight Classes although their individual stats didn't matter as much as their Karts did in determining Race Winners. Each character has his or her own Signature Kart and Special Item. Petey drives the Piranha Pipes.

The Pipes are solid. They are very fast, have great shocks, average turn speed and are the 2nd Heaviest Kart in the Game. It also has a very strong Offroad for its size, ranking 2nd among Heavy Karts. Its acceleration is its only lacking stat, 18th in the game overall, although it's 3rd among Heavy Karts. They're a good choice for a heavy vehicle that isn't as painfully slow to get going as the Koopa King or DK Jumbo. The Pipes were inspired by the more typical Piranha Plant that calls it home.

Petey partners with King Boo and they both have a random Item as their Special, which really is the best in the game. If they're falling behind they'll get a Chain Chomp or Golden Mushroom. If they're ahead they'll get a Giant Banana or Bob-omb. It's the best of every world. Once unlocked, Petey or King Boo often will win the 150 cc Grand Prix, and there's a good reason for that. The major drawback with using Petey is actually that the thing is so big, with a huge flower head that impairs visibility. You can literally miss a Green Shell heading straight for you because his head is in the way. The camera is noticeably farther back when using Petey though it doesn't really help that much. As a secret character he has no Secret Staff Ghosts.

Baby Park

History:

Once it became apparent that Baby Mario and Baby Luigi were trapped in the current time stream they found that they needed a place to live and figure things out. Yoshi, fondly remembering the two from his own youth, granted them a plot of land on Yoshi's Island. Being babies, they soon transformed the meager parcel into an Amusement park, dubbing it Baby Park. The Park features an extremely short track elevated over some of the other attractions that has become a popular spot both for Racing and Spectating.

Double Dash:

Baby Park is the third course in the Mushroom Cup and at first seems to be very welcoming and simple. It's the most basic and shortest of all Courses anywhere, the typical good lap should usually take around 11 seconds, 10 if you get a few Mushrooms. For this reason it's the only track ever to feature Seven Laps instead of the typical three. Its distraction-free nature quickly fades away in Grand Prix though once the Sixteen Drives start throwing Items all over the place. Its confined space is a lot more disheartening when there's three Giant Bowser Shells and fifteen Bananas in your path. It's also short enough that it's easy to fall behind if you screw up. The Secret Staff Ghost here is Baby Mario, with Baby Luigi riding shotgun in the Goo Goo Buggy at 1:11:108.

The Track returned in DS, although it only has five laps this time around. Since there are no babies in DS the Staff Ghost is the next best thing, Toad in the Mushmellow at 0:50:920.

Toadette

History:

Toadette is a ruthless provocateur who has slutted her way to the top of the Mushroom Kingdom through undeniable ambition and cunning political and personal tactics. She is very young but knew all the right people to sleep with to become a powerful influence on the rule of the Royal Family - namely, Toad. As a child she was a compulsive Musician and Softball Player. She practiced constantly, unhappy with being anything but the very best. She soon turned her whirling dynamo of motivation to the realm of politics and found it dominated by ineffective men like Toad and awkward rulers who had come into Power far before she was ready like Peach, who had no idea how to run a Kingdom. Toadette first flirted with Toad while he was seeking asylum in Yoshi's Island after a recent blunder that let Bowser enter the Kingdom and kidnap the Princess once again. Toad fell in love instantly and invited Toadette back to the castle to be his bride. She refused the wedding but accepted the Castle invite, and has been a Puppet Master ever since. Her guile and wits are matched only by her ability to sleep with anyone who she can't convince to change policy with her serpentine words. Through a systematic process of blackmail and deception she has managed to become more powerful in the Kingdom than Toad himself, whose own impotence politically and sexually has now long hindered his ability for real confidence of any kind.

Double Dash:

Toad is a very sweet girl in Double Dash, which is actually her first appearance ever. She partners with Toad automatically and was clearly shoe-horned into the game because no other Lightweight really meshed with the Mushroom Head. She's really identical to Toad in every way, Double Dash put more emphasis on Kart Selection than Drivers, who only determined the Weight Class of Karts available and Special Items. Each Character though, does have his or her own Signature Kart. Toadette, very creatively, drives the Toadette Kart.

The Toadette Kart is actually very similar to the Toad Kart, with some slight differences. Its real specialty is Acceleration, it reaches its Top Speed faster than any other Vehicle in the game, although the Toad Kart is only 4th. Despite this its speed is very slow, 55 mph, although it retains a good amount of Offroad Speed, one of the highest in the game. It's also the second-lightest in the game, so you've got to count on that Acceleration to get away fast. It handles very similar to the Toad Kart, it's not very bouncy and it loses an average amount of speed on its turns. In general it's pretty good but really with a low speed like that it's only good for Grand Prix, and with a weight like that it's going to get its ass kicked there.

Toadette shares the same Special Item as Toad, the Golden Mushroom, which gives you an infinite amount of Mushroom Boosts for a limited time. This seems awesome but really it can do more harm than good. It will only show up if you're near the back of the crowd, and if you get it on a course with plenty of turns or dangerous edges, it's basically useless as it makes the Kart nearly uncontrollable. On the simpler courses with lots of Offroad and no edges though, it can be handy...except for the fact that you shouldn't be in Last Place on these courses. She's really a better Character for beginners...except that she's a Secret Unlockable Character. Basically Toadette has no purpose in this game. Being a Secret Character she also appears as a Secret Staff Ghost on no tracks.

Wii:

Now here is where Toadette starts to really shine. Wii didn't base its stats on Individuals or on Karts. Instead all Eight Racers in each of the Three Size Classes has access to Six Bikes and Six Karts, all with varying stats. In addition each Racer adds certain Bonuses to each Stat, making for a dizzying number of possible combinations. Of course if you're Toadette, you're choosing the Magikruiser. Toadette gets a +6 Offroad Bonus, tied only with Dry Bowser as the best in the game, as well as a smaller Speed Bonus. When this combines with the Magikruiser, which already has the best Offroad of any Vehicle, you've got an unbeatable combination for taking the path less traveled. Take a look:

Power-hungry whore...

It's the only glaringly obvious choice in the game, so you had better go with it. She can make Moo Moo Meadows, Shy Guy Beach or Dry Dry Ruins the easiest courses you'll encounter. She only has one Staff Ghost though, and it's Mushroom Gorge, obviously a reference to her head. The Normal uses the Quacker in 02:16.110 and the Expert uses the Mini Beast in 02:01.011. Since she doesn't really have stats that support either of these Vehicles that well, it shouldn't be too difficult to beat either of these.

Ribbon Road

History:

All residents of the Mushroom Kingdom generally celebrate the birthdays of the Royal Family. Princess Peach was no different. She had literally mountains of presents stacked throughout the Kingdom and in an unprecedented move, decided to actually generate some public funds from the celebration. She used her Birthday Supplies to actually create a Grand Prix Race Course, the Ribbon Road. She used Star Magic to make the Ribbon suitable for motorists and then donated all proceeds of its exhibition to the State Department, which of course was mostly used to clear the land of all the garbage generated from her Birthday Celebration. Toad, speaking on behalf of the Mushroom Constituency, did not allow Peach to pull this kind of stunt again, as it was never that popular anyway.

Super Circuit:

Ribbon Road is another weird course, whose type only appears in Super Circuit, this time as the Second Track in the Star Cup. It is literally a big red ribbon with some somehow slower Ribbon Offroad that can bog Karts down on the twisty, turny track. There are lots of turns, jumps and boosts, one of which can lead to a massive shortcut. Toad is very good here because he won't lose a ton of speed on those edges. There is a long straightaway leading up to the starting point, but its really not worth a heavy weight who is going to get marred on the edges and lose everything on those turns. This is a strange course, it's never made an appearance outside of Super Circuit, it would be difficult to justify its existence geographically in a game of any higher amount of bits.

Waluigi

History:

Waluigi is one of the more vile humans in the Mushroom Kingdom. He abhors adventuring and so for many years while other graduates of the Mushroom Plumbing College like Wario and the Mario Bros. were out in the wilds unclogging the many Giant Warp Pipes throughout the land, Waluigi engaged many other pursuits. He founded a Motor Oil Company as well as an independent construction firm. Throughout the 90s he dabbled in Nazism until he met Princess Daisy, who he became obsessed with. His unrequited love of the Princess has both salvaged Waluigi's soul and separated him from his partner, Wario, who is obsessed with his own greed. It has also fueled much of his rage towards his nemesis and current Daisy beau Luigi. Since then he has still avoided adventures, but excelled in many Mushroom Sports Competitions 

I've looked into his eyes...he's pure evil.

Waluigi is much more rational than his only real friend in the Mushroom Kingdom, Wario. He was always fiercely independent and isn't motivated by greed or jealousy. Instead he gets his drive from lust, ambition and a distinct pleasure from causing harm in others. He's one to laugh at misery and exploit it using his own cunning mind. In addition to his Motor Oil Company he attemped and failed at the Waluigi Grand Prix, although the remnants remain on many courses throughout the Kingdom. Finally he has pioneered Waluigi Pinball, which began as a small string of Arcades and has now blossomed into enormous, dangerous Amusement Parks.

Double Dash:

Waluigi first appeared as a playable racer in Double Dash where he pairs with Wario. Double Dash placed emphasis on different Karts more than Characters, the Drivers only determined what Weight Class they could use and what Special Items became available. Individual Karts determined Racing Stats, and each Character has his or her own signature Vehicle.

Waluigi drives the Waluigi Racer, which he cannot use with his default partner, Wario because while Waluigi is a Middleweight, Wario is Heavy. The Waluigi Racer is a Kart of some extremes in some cases. It's on the faster end of Middle Karts, only slower than Luigi's Green Fire and also has the best Offroad Speed by far of any Middle Kart, in fact, it has the best in the game at 37 mph. Its turn speed isn't great among Middle Karts but pretty decent overall and it's smack int he middle of Acceleration (13th) and Weight (9th). All in all this seems great so far, but it also has the worst shocks in the game, making it the single bounciest Kart and most likely to lose speed on big hills. Therefore it's a great choice for maybe something generally flat but with lots of Offroad portions like Sherbert Land, Yoshi Circuit or Dino Dino Jungle.

The Wario/Waluigi partnership is the only Heavy/Middle partnership in the game, otherwise their Special Items are identical. Waluigi uses the Bob-omb, which is a better defensive than offensive weapon. When thrown behind it can be devastating for those on your tail, although be sure to be careful of it going off right behind you from a Red Shell or what not.The only problem is that it won't stay on the Track for long, exploding pretty soon after you drop it, so if you're very far ahead it's basically useless. When thrown ahead it is awful dangerous. There is a slim chance that you won't be involved in the explosion but it's difficult.

There are Secret Staff Ghosts to unlock in Time Trials here. Waluigi's personal course is Waluigi Stadium where he partners with Wario in the Wario Car at 1:59:658. For the later Wario Colosseum he rides behind his partner in the same Ride, this time pulling in at 2:21:106.

DS:

Only Waluigi and Daisy appear only in Double Dash, DS and Wii. Waluigi is still a Medium Weight Driver here, although by adding 2 to the weight of each Vehicle he is a bit heavier than Mario or Luigi. DS gave each Character three distinct Karts, each with specialized stats. Eventually every Character can use any Kart, with the only morphing stat being Weight. Generally Waluigi is one of the heavier Middleweights. Of the Three Karts initially available, there is basically a Standard, one with poorer stats but a better Item Rating and one with better stats but a poorer Item Rating. Here are Waluigi's Vehicles:

Waluigi generally has very good vehicles. The Zipper is clearly the precursor to the Bikes in Wii. None of his Rides have subpar stats. at worst his handling and drift are average with above average acceleration and pretty good speed. Waluigi also has a pair of Staff Ghosts in Time Trials. On his own Waluigi Pinball he goes 2:23:288 in the Gold Mantis. He also appears on the Retro Choco Island 2 from SMK. He uses the Zipper in 1:01:620. He's probably here as a reference to his Stadium Tracks as the Choco Islands are full of dirt.

Wii:

It's only a matter of time really.

In Wii Waluigi makes the upgrade to a Large Size Racer. Wii took its three different Size Classes and gave each Six Bikes and Six Karts to choose from, each with varying stats. In addition to this, each Character adds his or her own Bonuses to each Stat, making an incredible array of possible combinations. Waluigi is again a decent choice. His +6 Acceleration and +5 Drift are both at the Top among Large Racers and he adds a +3 Offroad as well. All of this makes him a good choice for those seeking Offroad Shortcuts or courses with tricky turns. Both is high acceleration and ability to use bigger vehicles also make him a nice choice for beginners. Here are Waluigi's Specific Stats, the maximum in any Category is 80:

Waluigi is most associated with the Offroader, it having comparable stats to the Wario Bike. It's also the Kart that best takes advantage of Waluigi's Stat Bonuses, likewise with the Wario Bike. These two Vehicles don't act much like typical Heavy Rides and since Waluigi doesn't really have typical Heavy Bonuses, he makes them work. It's also interesting that the default colour scheme on many of the Heavy Vehicles is Waluig's blue and gold, such as the Phantom and the Spear.

Waluigi only has one Staff Ghosts in this game. He drives on the Retro Waluigi Stadium with the Standard Bike L in 02:32.882. The Expert version, once unlocked, uses the very heavy Piranha Prowler in 02:12.367.

Cloud Tracks

History:

The Sky Garden course is one of the very few in Sarasaland, homeland of Princess Daisy. It floats on the skies high above the Capitol Kingdom of Chai. Using some of the Kingdom's own magical essence and the tall vines in the Kingdom the track is supported on the very clouds themselves. Its dangerous access and expensive upkeep led to no other tracks developing up here although this course has returned on a few subsequent Grand Prix under the administration of Daisy.

The blueprints of stable cloud and vine racing technology was eventually adapted in another location, off the Western Coast of the Dark Land, officially in neutral territory, but filled with many of Lord Bowser's Airships. Bowser and Baby Rosalina made a landmark deal to decommission a small portion of his fleet in the interests of the race course. It was one of Baby Rosalina's first moves upon entering the current timestream, and evidently Bowser held her Galactic Authority in high regard despite his attempts to upset her older counterpart.

Super Circuit:

This is the Second Track in the Lightning Cup, which appears only in Super Circuit. It's a bit difficult, almost Rainbow Road-esque with its lack of borders, although the course is wide enough with some cloudy Offroad meridians that slow Racers down. There are also plenty of boosts to avoid some close portions of track. It is basically a simple loop with a handful of tight turns. Control is very important here around the edges so someone like Peach or Yoshi would be valuable. In Grand Prix someone a bit heavier like Kong or Wario might be useful in order to avoid being knocked around.

This track returned in DS where the Staff Ghost is Daisy on one of her random appearances in this game. She utilises the Power Flower in 1:44:400. There is also a Luigi Blimp floating around, which suggests that it might be in the Mushroom Kingdom, but more likely it's Luigi staking his claim on Daisy's territory.

8:

It's great to see such the amalgamation here of two of Mario Kart's more bizarre courses - Super Circuit's Sky Garden and DS's Airship Fortress. Cloudtop Cruise has four major sections: Some curves on solid clouds, a brief overlay on to the deck of one of Bowser's Airships, an anti-grav section on a metal track inside of an active thunderstorm, and finally across a gargantuan vine growing out of a ? Box. It's pretty diverse but thematically sound. There aren't even a ton of spots to fall off of, unless you botch one of the two air jumps sandwiching the thundercloud or botch the supple slope of the vine.

The Staff Ghost is Baby Rosalina, in perhaps a nod to her other worldly or heavenly nature among the clouds. She uses the Biddybuggy, Standard Tires, and Super Glider, which means her speed is ridiculously low but she can handle like a dream. Handling isn't completely necessary here, the only really difficult turns would be on the Airship deck. Go with something crazy fast like the Mach 8 and Slick Tires and then adjust your handling needs by the Driver's weight class. All you need to beat is 2:26.347.

Bowser Jr.

History:

Bowser has sired children all over the Koopa Kingdom, very rarely with the same mother. He adores all his children however, and collectively the first seven, all born in the early-to-mid 80s are collectively known as the Koopalings. All of these youngsters, however, were generally spoiled, retarded, eccentric, lazy or generally just not how Bowser pictured his heir. Soon after the first Grand Prix though, Bowser sired an eighth child. Not seeking to see this one grow up spoiled and lazy in the castle, Bowser made him live on the Northern Fringes of Dark Land under the watch of the Silent Shy Guy Army and the ever-presence of Kamek, Bowser's most loyal Magician and Major Domo. Bowser Jr. grew to be ruthless and almost as adept at magic as his old man. When the time came on this Tenth Birthday, they struck against Mario together, with Bowser Jr. leading the charge. They failed but afterwards seeing his son coming in to his own, Bowser invited him into the Castle, eventually giving him the entire East Wing, or what remained of the Course from the 1997 Grand Prix.

Since then Bowser Jr. has always been at his father's side, although his influence has been largely laughable. He doesn't own any tracks wholly by himself, nor does he have much capital or political power to throw around. As long as Bowser lives, he will always exist in his shadow, but due to his Father's negligence for the first Decade of his life Bowser Jr. is always seeking to prove himself, creating one of Bowser's Most Loyal Servants. In his own twisted way Bowser created one of the more dangerous Weapons in his Army in his own son.

Double Dash:

After Bowser Jr. first appeared in Super Mario Sunshine he showed up here in Double Dash as a default partner for Bowser. It's interesting that although Bowser Jr. is certainly just a miniature version of Bowser, unlike Baby Mario or Baby Luigi he is a distinct Character, not just a baby version (although that exists as well). In fact, Bowser Jr. has much more in common than Baby Mario does with Mario. He is basically the Lightweight version of Bowser (as Diddy is to Donkey Kong). The major character distinction in Double Dash are only weight classes and Special Items. Differences in racing comes mostly from Karts, each character having his or her own Signature Ride.

Bowser Jr. drives the Bullet Blaster, which in general is awful. It acts very much like a Heavy Kart although it is in fact the Lightest Kart in the game, meaning it's going to get trashed. It has one of the highest Top Speeds at 58 mph, and as the 12th fastest Accelerating Kart it actually is the fastest to reach this speed, although only the Barrel Train accelerates slower among Light Karts. Despite this it has the worst Offroad, turn speed and shocks of any Light Kart, and is one of the worst overall in all these areas. I've never found a lot of use for this, but its decent Acceleration and excellent Speed should count for something even though it's severely lacking in every other area.

Bowser Jr. is one of three pairs to have the same item but exist in a different Weight Class (the others being Diddy and Donkey as well as Wario and Waluigi), which can be useful. His Item is the Bowser Shell, which shoots out just as large as his Father's. It's a dangerous Item to use. It's best on straightaways where it will decimate anyone ahead, but against a wall or on a curve there's a supremely good chance it will bounce back and hit you. It's also very effective when shot backwards, meaning it's a bit better to get while near the lead. It is avoidable though if misplaced, something like the Koopas' Triple Shells can be a bit more efficient.

Bowser Jr. is also the only character in the game not to have a personal track where he takes the lead during the Secret Staff Ghosts in Time Trials. He does ride behind Bowser on Bowser Castle though. Using the Koopa King they whip up a time of 2:44:690.

Wii:

In Wii, each Driver was separated into three different Size Classes and within those classes had access to Six Bikes and Six Karts, each with its own set of specific Stats. In addition, each Character added his or her own Bonuses to each Stat, creating a wide array of different possible Racing Styles. Bowser Jr., along with Diddy Kong, moved from a Lightweight to a Middle Class driver. He also has one of the poorest sets of Bonuses in the game, making him pretty useless. He gets +3 Mini Turbo that is met or beaten by Daisy, Diddy and Birdo in his Size Class as well as a +3 Offroad that is met or beaten by Birdo and Yoshi. Since Birdo gets superior Bonuses in the same categories as well as a +3 Weight Bonus she's basically a better version of Bowser Jr., meaning there is no reason to use him ever. Here are Bowser Jr.'s Specific Stats:

Bowser Jr. doesn't have any Karts explicitly associated with him. The closest may be the Super Blooper which changes to a different colour only when he rides it, or the Zip Zip, which has Stats similar to the Phantom, which is associated with Dry Bowser (I know, that might be stretching it, folks). Both of these Vehicles actually do well with his meager Bonuses. Other than that, he can succeed in the Dolphin Dasher, but in general he should just be avoided.

Bowser Jr. only appears as a Staff Ghost on one track in this game, but it's the Final Track, so that's something significant. He rides the Standard Kart M on the Retro N64 Bowser's Castle in 03:19.323. The Expert switches to the Sneakster and goes 02:55.933. Bowser Jr.'s logo also appears on Moonview Highway for some reason, although he doesn't really seem to have any connection with that track.

Cheese Land

History:

After he forcibly started advancing Koopa Kingdom technology in the late 90s, Lord Bowser developed Space Travel through the use of Dark Magic and a very focused use of resources. He first landed on the Mushroom World's Moon, which he found to be made entirely of Yellow Cheese. With a new Grand Prix looming he obviously saw an opportune moment to create the first track outside of the Mushroom World besides the Rainbow Road. He dubbed his new conquest Cheese Land, and despite its effectiveness as a course, the long journey and little popularity among racers or spectators caused Bowser to abandon it soon after the 2001 Cup. No one has claimed anything on the Moon since.

Super Circuit:

Cheese Land is a bizarre track that only appears in the Flower Cup in Super Circuit. The path seems to be all Cheese surrounded by some...staler browner cheese that slows Karts down. There are some moldy twists and gentle turns and one big jump over a portion of the course. Based on the fact that there is an Earth-like planet in the sky on this course as well as the notion that the Moon generally appears yellow (see Moonview Highway) has driven me to the idea that this place is on the Moon. Of course there are places like Cheese Bridge but there is no cheese there. This track has not returned since Super Circuit, nor has there ever been another incarnation of it. That's probably a good thing.

Diddy Kong

History:

Diddy is the nephew of Donkey Kong, though they aren't that different in age. Diddy's parents, Kong's brother and his wife, were killed by the Kremling Hordes shortly after Diddy was born. Therefore Diddy was raised mostly by Cranky and Wrinkly Kong along with Donkey, who matured a bit earlier. Diddy is still very much a young buck though and doesn't really own any tracks himself besides the Dino Dino Jungle, which due to its remote and dangerous location has never been very popular. He is still really a sidekick of Donkey Kong and hasn't really won that independence yet.

Double Dash:

Diddy appeared here as the default partner of Kong. Double Dash didn't place that much emphasis on Driver distinctions, more on Kart Differences. Characters only determined what Special Items they could use and ultimately what size Kart they could drive. Diddy is interesting because he's a Lightweight here while Kong is a Heavyweight, meaning that when partnered together they needed a Heavy Kart. In order for Diddy to drive his own Kart he needs to be paired with another Lightweight.

Diddy drives the Barrel Train, which stands out among Light Karts. It basically acts like a Heavy Kart, which is cool if you are in to that sort of thing. Unlike the Boo Pipes, though, which have the benefits of acting like a Light Kart while also being able to push people around, there is no real upside besides a greater ability to dodge hazards. In fact, the Barrel Train is the narrowest Vehicle in the game, which can be useful. It's also the heaviest Light Kart (12th Overall). Naturally it has the worst Acceleration of any Light Kart along with the Second-Highest Top Speed and a decent Offroad. It does have some of the best shocks and average turn speed. All in all it's okay if you're looking for a Light Kart with Speed, though it controls so stiffly you can't enjoy it that much.

Each Character in Double Dash has a personal Special Item. Diddy's is the same as Kong's - the Giant Banana. It's one of the better Items in the game for someone who likes to be in first, it creates a huge hazard for Racers coming from behind. Of course, if you're always the one in last place it's not going to help that much. Diddy is basically the Light Version of Donkey Kong, meaning he's great to be paired up with some other little guy with the Toad Kart, get in First Place early and dominate.

He is also the Secret Staff Ghost in two tracks. He leads on Dino Dino Jungle with DK in back in the Big Guy's DK Jumbo with a time of 2:00:908. For DK Mountain he switches with his Uncle in the same Kart with a time of 2:12:639.

Wii:

After missing DS Diddy returned in Wii. In this game each Character in three separate Size Classes each can drive up to Six Karts and Six Bikes. Naturally there are plenty of combinations. Diddy moved from a Lightweight to a Middleweight, although he's really not that much bigger physically. Each character also has their own Stat Bonuses to add to each Vehicle. Diddy gets a small Acceleration and Drift Bonus as well as a Mini Turbo Bonus tied with Birdo as the best among Middleweights. Therefore he's really pretty good for technical drivers on tricky courses that like to drift and boost a lot. Here are the Diddy-Specific stats:

The Classic Dragster best takes advantage of his bonuses, although he's also great in the Mach Bike. He's most associated with the Sugarscoot, which he can also be decent with. He only appears as a Staff Ghost in the Maple Treeway. It's actually a similar course to DK Mountain from Double Dash with the huge Barrel Cannon and it also takes place entirely on a system of trees. Diddy's Monkey Nature is perfectly suited for the association. The Normal Ghost pulls a 02:58.633 in the Classic Dragster, the Expert does 02:37.812 in the Sneakster.

Jungle Tracks

History:

There are many Jungles throughout the Mushroom Kingdom, many of which have seen the intrusion of Race Tracks, seemingly inescapable in any location. Riverside Park was developed by Wario during his many travels to the far reaches of the Kingdom. It exists through the Emerald Passage far beyond the Dry Dry Desert. Wario also sought to develop the Lakeside Park park track on DK Island, next to the Monkey Mountains. Eventually as tensions rose between him and Kong this track was shut down and no one has raced there in a decade.

Yoshi's Island is the location of Yoshi Falls and Dino Dino Jungle, both in the midst of lush water resources. Yoshi however, after overextending himself in numerous Desert Tracks was forced to sell the Dino Dino Jungle rights to Kong, who, with no interest in managing the course, gave it to his buddy Diddy.

Super Circuit:

There are two similar Jungle Tracks in Super Circuit that have never appeared in any other game. Riverside Park is as it sounds - a winding twisting track around and across a wide river. It is also possible to use some nasty shortcuts here. There are a few straightaways but nothing that dominates the course, and much more often there's tight turns with a lot of grassy off-road spots. Someone Lightweight is going to be the key here that can maintain speed while dealing with all that junk. For only being the third track in the Mushroom Cup it's a decently complex track, with jumps and twists and hazards.

Lakeside Park is the same kind of deal. It's a winding track around a bit wider water hazard, although it does have the distinction of transitioning from daylight to darkness after the huge volcano erupts. There is somehow both more of a straightaway and more sharp turns, making a clear-cut choice for who should race this more difficult. Since Toad and Peach by far the better Drivers in this game, they're always a safe choice. This course leads off the Special Cup, which is actually similar to D.K.'s Jungle Parkway leading off that Cup in MK64. It also features a big jump and lots of water danger, making it somewhat of a spiritual successor.

Double Dash:

Again in the Special Cup, Double Dash featured Dino Dino Jungle, which can be a very difficult course. It's a relatively simple Figure-8 but features an unstoppable gigantic Dinosaur over part of the course and then a dastardly wooden bridge without guardrails. There's also evil geysers that erupt from the ground but generally you can see them coming. There are a good amount of hills near the finish line that will decimate Kart without good shocks like the Waluigi Racer, probably at the time you need it most. This map actually does a nice job dividing the track into four quarter-sections: Jungle, Bridge, Cave and Mountain.

Double Dash had Secret Staff Ghosts for each track in Time Trials. The Ghost here is Diddy Kong taking the lead with his partner, Donkey Kong. They ride in the DK Jumbo because of Donkey's heavyweight status. Still, they put in a time of 2:00:908. I suppose they needed to give the Jungle Course to the Monkey since Donkey has DK Mountain.

This course returns in Mario Kart 7 where it is generally the same. There are some more Air boost panels and a few other small differences but other than that it hasn't changed a huge amount. The Staff Ghost here is Yoshi in a befitting way. The Normal Ghost goes 02:29.837 in the Egg 1 using Roller Wheels and the Parafoil. The Expert uses the Egg 1 again in Monster Wheels and Swoop Glider. He'll have decent speed and very good handling. The moderate amount of air travel doesn't make air speed a necessity, stick to something with good acceleration around those turns, such as sticking the Wood Wheels on the Soda Jet.

DS:

Yoshi Falls is one of the shortest courses in any Mario Kart game and is really a very simple loop. Therefore we see it in the Mushroom Cup, in fact, it's the Second Course of the game. The key here is getting the inside track, because the actual course is very wide. What makes this difficult is the occasional waterfall along the Inside Track that can be very hazardous for sloppy drivers. The first and third falls are the only ones that inexperienced drivers should attempt to cross, the middle is much steeper and more dangerous. Beyond that, plenty of gentle curves and nice straightaways, feel free to nab someone like Bowser who has some Speed.

DS also had Staff Ghosts. Here Yoshi clocks in at  0:57:677 driving the Egg 1. This course came back in Wii though with no major changes. That game had both Normal Ghosts and unlockable Expert Ghosts. The Ghost is Yoshi again, this time the Normal uses the Zip Zip in 01:16.461 and the Expert goes  01:09.175 in the Super Blooper. He uses the Super Blooper, really? It's the only Ghost use of that Kart in the game. It's easy now to switch to Funky, who tears through this thing.

8:

The Thwomp Ruins could be considered a Jungle Track but it was different enough that I considered it its own course. You can find more information about it here.

Koopa Paratroopa

History:

After Wario supplanted him in the mid-90s the loyal Koopa Troopa Bowser had chosen to race with him in the Grand Prix was looking for any chance to get back into the Races. When the Partner Rules of the 2003 Grand Prix were settled Koopa managed to wrangle another one of Bowser's forces, Koopa Paratroopa to ride with him. Paratroopa had seen heavy aerial combat in the many Wars against the Mushroom Kingdom, and although he would have rather been fighting Mario he agreed to race instead. Although Koopa has since found some stability, appearing in later races, Paratroopa disappeared after his only appearance. Koopa suspects that he used too many of his Red Shells on Lord Bowser, possibly sealing his fate after hours.

Double Dash:

Paratroopa only appears in Double Dash, as the default partner of Koopa Troopa, tho Koopa came back for Wii. I imagine in DS and Wii his role as a minor enemy has been taken by the more aesthetically interesting Dry Bones. Anyway, Individual Characters didn't matter in Double Dash as much as their Karts did. Characters determined Special Items and Kart Selection but not Stats. Each Character, though, has his or her own Vehicle. Paratroopa rode in the Para Wing.

The Para Wing is decent among Light Karts, but not the best. Its Acceleration is the 3rd Best in the game and its weight is 16th (both 3rd among Light Karts). It's relationship to the Koopa Dasher is similar to the Goo Goo Buggy's relationship to the Rattle Buggy. It has better turn speed but slower Top Speed and Acceleration as well as average shocks for those bouncy courses. It also somewhat inexplicably has one of the worst Offroad Speeds for a Light Kart, beaten only by the Bullet Blaster.

Paratroopa shares Koopa's Item with no changes at all, making that pair basically identical. The Triple Shell is one of the better Items in the game, although they no longer circle the Kart providing protection from aberrant objects. It's still a very good defensive and offensive item. Red Shells are especially useful in that Second or Third Place position to directly take down those ahead. Since you can't hold Items behind you it's a bit more difficult to deflect incoming objects but not impossible. They're pretty useful for climbing up a Grand Prix ladder.

There are Secret Staff Ghosts for each Track in Double Dash. Since no Secret Characters are used as Ghosts, the Koopas inherited the Mushroom Tracks from the Toads. Paratroopa leads on Mushroom City with Koopa in tow using the Koopa Dasher in 1:50:663. He also appears on Mushroom Bridge this time behind Koopa and goes a time of 1:31:458/

Yoshi Valley

History:

Yoshi never had a lot of money. It was cheap then to convert a large desolate valley in Dinosaur Land on the borders of the Donut Plains into a Race Course. Yoshi didn't specify an exact path however, and his course instead winds through the sun-baked valley as a huge maze, with little direction. It was never that profitable, though, and after years of low attendance and difficult viewing spots by spectators, as well as the angering fact that no one ever knew who was in first or last place, Yoshi   was forced to close it down in the late 90s.

Fates shifted and the young Dinosaur was able to re-open the Valley as a Nature Sanctuary for his own people in time for the 2014 Grand Prix. The Valley underwent some tremendous changes in the nearly twenty years in between exhibitions, but much of the maze was preserved.

64:

Yoshi Valley first appeared in MK64, and there's never really been another track like it before or since. Yoshi's had plenty of tracks but they've all been pretty different. Super Circuit featured Yoshi Desert, it became Yoshi Circuit in Double Dash and the Jungle Track Yoshi Falls in DS. It's interesting that Yoshi  is so adaptable to different course styles, but this was the original.

It mostly features a Giant Yoshi Egg which is the only overt connection to Yoshi himself. There's also tons of pesky porcupines, some dangerous cliff edges and finally, plenty of paths to choose from. Some of the variable paths are clearly better than the others but here are a couple of your best bets:

This path veers towards the left once the maze starts, which is tough because it goes through a porcupine-filled stretch as well as a narrow tricky path with no guardrails. If you can maintain a course without killing yourself though this is one of the straightest ways to go with only one major turn in the maze itself, although that one may be too out of the way.

This is the broadest, safest route, with not a porcupine in sight. It's also incredibly slow as it takes the driver on the most extreme route through the valley. This might be alright for Beginners or those racing in the 50 cc cup with terribly stupid computer players. Then again, you can get a long way by taking the shorter, more dangerous routes there.

This would be a nice route if not for the brutal 360° turn near the end with the threats of Porcupines, a drop and a lot of speed going into the Central Mountain. The first narrow bridge is also a tricky shoot to make. In all, not a great path to take.

This is going to be the fastest route, but it's also probably the most hazardous. Porcupines abound, but it's still very direct if you can avoid them. It's also the wider tunnel and it has no major turns or brushes with the edges or extremes of the course. Still, those Porcupines can be Satanic, so watch out. Just make it to the huge Center Mountain and you'll be fine. There are some other paths through the Valley but they're all derivative of these four main routes. Mostly the trade off is safety for slowness, but that's typical for Mario Kart. A good driver here is going to have good control, there isn't a whole lot of room to get some nasty speed going.

8:

This course returns as the Final Course of the Retro Leaf Cup in Mario Kart 8 with some of the greatest changes ever for a course remake. These are primarily cosmetic, as the course adds more mountains, rivers, water falls, and slight alterations in the hills and landscape to make the course feel very different. There are other more oblique alterations, though. That Red Route above now holds a Barrel Cannon to Air Blast players along the long distance. The Green Route also had its bridge replaced with a tunnel, which doesn't change too much but feels hella weird.

There are some other differences. The porcupines are now Goombas, and the Final Egg is significantly smaller. The Staff Ghost here is Yoshi, of course, who pulls a 2:28.814 using the Wild Wiggler, Standard Tires, and the Flower Glider. It's the only Ghost that features the Wild Wiggler as well as the Flower Glider. Considering that Air Travel is optional and not really the best route, you can bypass that entirely. The Wiggler is decent, not much Speed lost for heavy improvements in Handling. Throw on some Metal Tires to make it even more fearsome.

Baby Luigi

History:

Unlike his brother, Luigi has proven himself fairly useless as a child. Baby Luigi often found himself kidnapped out of his home in the Mushroom Kingdom to the Dark Land, often by the Wizard known as Kamek, the Major Domo to Lord Bowser. Kamek was the de facto ruler of the Dark Land during the 1950s and 60s as Bowser's Power increased until he was able to fully take over the lands and Castle for himself. After many defeats, Kamek finally transported both Baby Mario and Baby Luigi into the year 2003, where they have existed in flux, weaving in and out of timestreams in an effort to return back to their own time and grow up naturally. Baby Luigi has had to step up in this new role as one of not utter uselessness.

Double Dash:

Baby Luigi appeared here mostly as a partner for Baby Mario. Double Dash was all about individual Karts and less about specific Character Stats. Each Driver though, determines the Weight Class of the Vehicle that players choose, as well as the Item. Baby Luigi is a Lightweigth and like his brother, uses the Chain Chomp Item.

Each Character also had a Signature Kart, but they weren't limited to using them. Baby Luigi had the Rattle Buggy, which was a colour variant of Baby Mario's Goo Goo Buggy, but far superior. With about equal weight (17th overall, very easily knocked around), it maintained a high Offroad Speed, identical to the Goo Goo, but traded up both Top Speed and Acceleration. The Rattle Buggy accelerates 5th in the game, which would be great if not for the Top 4 all being better Lightweight Karts. Its Speed is on par with the majority of faster Light Karts besides the Barrel Train and Bullet Blaster, which have atypical stats anyway.

Baby Luigi and Baby Mario both use a maniacal Chain Chomp as their Special Item, which at seems better than it is. Once unleashed, the Chomp tows their Rides, knocking everything out of their path and haphazardly increasing speed. It's rough though because there's no telling when the Beast will let go which can be dangerous if it you're headed towards a cliff or pit of lava. You'll also only see it if you're far behind the pack, meaning it will only come up if you're doing awful, and sometimes it can do more harm than good. If you release it at a weird angle or behind you it's possible that the Chomp will actually smack right into your own Kart and then much on without you. It's probably more trouble than it's worth.

Double Dash had Secret Staff Ghosts. Baby Luigi always partners with Baby Mario in the Goo Goo Buggy and drives himself in Sherbet Land with a time of 1:25:904. I'm not sure why Sherbet Land belongs to Baby Luigi, but it is what it is. He follows Baby Luigi on the more appropriate Baby Park in 1:11:108.

Wii:

Baby Luigi returned for Wii and is actually pretty good. Wii offered Six Karts and Six Bikes for Eight Racers each in Three Size Classes. Each of the then Twenty-Four Drivers had their own Stat Bonuses to add to the very specific set of Stats for all these Vehicles. Baby Luigi has both the best Speed Bonus (+5, tied with Baby Daisy) and best Weight Bonus (+8, tied with Baby Mario) in the game. Of course, even with a +8 Weight Bonus his tiny Small Vehicles aren't really going anywhere. Only the Mini Beast and Tiny Titan get up enough to knock around the lightest Medium Bikes. And there are so many Small Vehicles with terrible Speeds already, he only really makes the Mini Beast and Blue Falcon competitive. That said, no other Small Character can beef up the two worst Small Stats like this, so if you're looking to cover some faults and make a Small Driver seem like a bigger one, Baby Luigi's your guy. Here are his specific stats:

Again, his best ride probably becomes the Mini Beast. By far it takes the most advantage of his Bonuses. Baby Luigi only has one Staff Ghost, the N64 Retro Sherbert Land, continuing his bizarre association with these Frosty Tracks. He uses the Quacker in 02:48.651. The Expert version pulls a 02:28.356 in the Blue Falcon.

DK Tracks

History:

After Kong raced in his first Grand Prix he had a very strong desire to create some tracks of his own outside the Mushroom Kingdom, however he lacked the capital. The currency on DK Island at the time was the Banana, and the population was small and friendly enough to engage in a simplistic bargaining system. Eventually coinage was introduced to the Island, possibly from contact with the Mushroom Kingdom, and it became a very capitalistic society. Kong was eventually able to raise enough to create D.K.'s Jungle Parkway that ran through the Heart of the Kongo Jungle, near where Kong made his home.  Nearby he was also eventually able to construct a track leading from the Kongo Jungle to the nearby Monkey Mountains, using his Barrel Cannon technology to traverse an otherwise impenetrable section of Mountain. This was more recent in the History of DK Island, as the once-chilly Gorilla Glacier had since given way to massive Volcanic Areas.

Kong eventually moved away from the Jungle Tracks on his own Island, perhaps he regretted the influx of Tourism and Mushroom Influence directly on his own land. He staked out the Northern Kremisphere, a huge continent located far North of DK Island, although with plenty of pleasant spots. Through his friend Dixie Kong, he was introduced to Blizzard Bear who had already been attempting to convert some stretches of the base of K3 into Race Courses. Here Kong was able to open up the DK Pass to the Grand Prix, as well as the DK Summit, which was soon infested by vacationing Shy Guys who seem to have an uncanny love for Winter Sports.

The most recent Kong Track innovation has been back to the Jungle, this time very close to DK's home, including a race around his actual house as well as the Holiest of Kong Lands, the Golden Temple, home of the Golden Banana Horde. Although this seems counter-intuitive to the best interests of Kong, it appears as if he has moved his most prized possessions elsewhere, suggesting that its whole presence in the latest Grand Prix is a red herring.

64:

Kong got his first track in MK64, and it's notable for featuring a huge jungle as well as a massive jump, the latter of which would define most DK Tracks in the future. This is also the first Jungle Track, but I decided that there were enough similarities between all of Kong's Personal Courses that the Jungle Tracks should be separate. There's actually plenty of tough turns here, mostly because any error puts drivers in the high grassy median, where they are assaulted by Coconuts until he or she spins out. The narrow bridge, easy shortcut up the dirt cave and the huge jump are the big features here. This track opens up the Special Cup and is difficult enough to deserve that.

This track came back in Wii where the Ghost is Kong himself. He uses the Phantom in 02:58.264 then the Expert comes back with a 02:37.782 in the Flame Flyer. This version is notably wider than the 64 version, and the Coconut Chuckers are also gone for some reason. In general the track is easier, although the Cave shortcut is much steeper and more difficult to pull off without a mushroom.

Double Dash:

DK Mountain in Double Dash is a lot like D.K.'s Jungle Parkway. It's a Jungle Trek with a huge jump, dangerous rocks and a narrow wooden bridge near its finale. There is, of course, a huge difference in its basic layout. It's the first Mario Kart track that was largely linear, with a huge automatic boost that takes most of the course. Wii would use this template plenty, but its inspiration was probably the big jump from 64 (in addition to Royal Raceway). This track closed the Star Cup and as such is similar in Grand Prix location as Jungle Parkway was. There is also a difficult shortcut, jumping over a section of twisty track that has disastrous results for failure. I try to pick someone who can turn and accelerate to nail it, as well as someone who isn't going to bounce and lose tons of speed on the ragged hills. The Boo Pipes seem a good fit.

Double Dash had a series of Secret Staff Ghosts. The Ghost here is Kong driving his own DK Jumbo with Diddy in tow at 2:12:639. This track was the second DK Track to return for Wii, where the Ghost this time is Funky Kong at 02:57.744 in the Wario Bike. The Expert goes 02:38.130 using the Flame Flyer, one of the faster Ghost Combos in the game. The Wii version again features a noticeably wider track and a few Boost Panels. There are so many Barrel Cannon-type levels in Wii that this course had to make an appearance.

DS:

DK Pass is the only Original Snow Course in DS and so shares some characteristics with the Frosty Tracks, like the Terrible Snowmen. It also opens up the Star Cup in DS, which Snow Land did in Super Circuit and Sherbert Land did in Double Dash, belaying the simple fact that every other Game besides Wii has also featured a Frosty Track somewhere in the Star Cup. It also features giant Snowballs, like the Rocks from DK Mountain.

Mostly though, it is a true Mountain course in its layout, with a huge uphill section and then a huge downhill section, which makes it more akin with DK Mountain and DK Summit than any other Frosty Track. In general it's nice to see the makers of Mario Kart realise that there are more locations in the Donkey Kong Games than jungles, and their use of snow, which should have been Gorilla Glacier until Donkey Kong Country Returns got rid of it. This is a tricky course with mostly a limited path of road then snow with some huge drop-offs without a lot of room for error. There are some snow patches to blow through on your way up though. Someone light with good Offroad is important then, otherwise you can speed through this. The Staff Ghost is Kong using the Wildlife in 2:14:607.

This course returns in Mario Kart 7 with more of its ramps offroad to be accessed by mushrooms and tricks and with some Gliding action near the big ending jump. The Ghost is Donkey Kong using the Barrel Train, Wood Wheels, and Super Glider in 02:35.045. This leaves his speed moderate, handling pretty good, and mini-turbo outstanding. The Expert goes 02:16.534 using the Bolt Buggy, Red Monster Wheels and Parafoil, which is a very good combo here. To beat it, something that handles well while succeeding off-road navigator is vital. Go for the Koopa Clown with Red Monster Tires.

Wii:

DK Summit is basically a combination of DK Pass and DK Mountain. It seems like it's a focal point for Winter Sports, including Ski Lifts and Lodges as well as plenty of pesky Snowboarding Shy Guys, who seem like a holdover from the Sherbert Land of Double Dash, which featured them Ice-skating. The Barrel Cannon appears again, this time even sooner than it did on DK Mountain, and the remainder of the Track is a long downward journey, at times turning into a half-pipe down to the bottom. It's a slippery track, I've actually had a whole lot of luck with Bowser driving the Honeycoupe. You don't need someone knocking you into the gaping abyss during Grand Prix. The Ghost here is Kong again, this time using the Standard Bike L in 02:34.693. The Expert uses the Flame Flyer in 02:17.546. This is also the only DK Track to appear in the Flower Cup, and only the second Frosty Track to do so.

It deserves mentioning that Wii's Maple Treeway also features a Barrel Cannon and uses Diddy as its ghost, proving some relation to the DK Tracks. It is such a weird track filled with many more Mushroom Kingdom references though, so we won't talk about it more here.

7:

DK Jungle takes an identical position to D.K.'s Jungle Parkway in MK64, opening up the Special Cup. It lakes a huge barrel jump but does reflect changes Donkey Kong has had within the Nintendo gaming world. It is heavily inspired by Donkey Kong Country Returns and includes many of those enemies as obstacles. There is a river and a big Flower Jump, along with a wood bridge, but none are as distinctive as in D.K.'s Jungle Parkway. Instead, the most distinctive element is the huge Golden Temple that really shifts gameplay in the middle of the track, giving some right angle turns, a series of boost jumps and treacherous falls. There are many tough turns, obstacles and a good amount of air time, anyone with fast air speed, good stability is key. Use the Roller Wheels and Ghastly Glider with whatever Kart fits your play style.

 The Normal Ghost here is Kong himself, using the Bolt Buggy with Red Monster Wheels and the Super Glider in 02:24.040. The Expert goes a 02:10.777 using the Wood Wheels with the Standard and Swoop Glider, which should hurt its air speed. Stick with the above-recommended customization.

DK Jungle returns in Mario Kart 8, in the Banana Cup. It's not tremendously unchanged from 7, especially due to the fact that 8 retained the air travel and jump elements that makes a pretty smooth transition. There is the addition of a large anti-gravity portion in the Golden Temple, which makes the already difficult right-angle turns a bit more complex. The Ghost here is DK once again, pulling a 2:26.900 using the Varmint, Monster Wheels, and Super Glider. The Varmint and the Monster's stats nearly cancel each other out but ends up with slight boosts in traction and min-turbo. There are enough straightaways to favor some pretty fast racers, Sport Bike will do with whatever level of handling you need from the driver.