History:
Deep within the Koopa Kingdom, otherwise known as Dark Land the Castle of the Great Lord Bowser looms over all else. While the sky is in a permanent thunderstorm and the land is full of ash, dead trees and lava, the Keep is where Bowser extends his dominion. The Castle itself was erected in the Dark Ages, sometime around 600 CE. No one knows exactly when Bowser inherited it, it's actually more likely that he wrested control of it from its previous occupant sometime in the early 1970s and quickly slapped his name on it as well as plenty of statues and other signifiers of his Cult of Personality. although Bowser has continually modernized it, filling it with mechanical versions of himself and other fusions of technology and magic to make alive plenty of Danger. When Mario obtained the Mario Circuit in the late 1980s, Bowser was not to be undone. The first Circuit retrofitted throughout the Keep was completed in 1991 and with the massive Koopa Troop backing its construction and filling the venue it has never been unpopular, regardless of their actual opinions.
Super:
Bowser's Castle has the most incarnations of any Course in Mario Kart History, a nod to the excess and insanity of Bowser Himself. SMK has three versions of the track, all of which are the penultimate tracks in the first three Cups. Each Bowser Castle precedes a Mario Circuit. Each one features a stone raceway lying in a pit of lava. Not unlike the Ghost Tracks, there is no Offroading here. Even for the Mushroom Cup there are plenty of twists and turns, usually 90° and there are gaps in the track that necessitate a jump over lava in every Course. These tracks seem to be in the belly of the Castle, perhaps in the Deepest Pit so that the denizens of the Mushroom Kingdom couldn't see what he was plotting upstairs. There are also attacking Thwomps. Ouch. All of these had another run in Super Circuit, although they were reformatted from the 5-Track/4-Cup system into a 4-Track/5-Cup one. All these tracks feature basically a series of linked straightaways connected by hairpin turns, which would favour the driving styles of Koopa or Toad.
64:
Bowser's Castle (note the changing possessive as we go along here) is the final Race in the Star Cup of 64. This time we're out of the basement and zooming all over the Castle, from the courtyard to a...Thwomp Prison of some kind, to a rickety Lava Bridge, a grand hall, another courtyard and finally the Castle Roof. Bowser seems to have infused his presence throughout the grounds, perhaps by some Dark Magic. His laugh may be heard echoing throughout the walls during the last lap or when a Drive gets a bit too close to his Statue.
This is a great course, it's a no brainer that it comes back in Wii as the Final Retro Course. It's actually the longest Retro Course, 64 was notorious for its long Races. The Normal Staff Ghost is Bowser, Jr who clocks in at 03:19.323 using the Standard Kart M. The Expert version uses the Nitrocycle in 02:55.933. This is a difficult course, there aren't many obvious straightaways to pick up speed, and there's enough danger around the 90° turns that handling is vital. Pick someone who has both Handling and Drift bonuses. And that would be...Mario? That works.
Super Circuit:
Super Circuit features even more Bowser Castles, one for every Cup but the Lightning Cup. This time Bowser Castle serves as the Final Race in Each except for the Special Cup wherein it's the penultimate track again. This has actually set a nice little trend - a Bowser Castle track has preceded Rainbow Road in each following game. The Thwomps return for all these tracks. Bowser Castle 1 seems to take place in the Bowels of the Keep again. Bowser Castle 2 is in some Great Hall with a massive statue of the Koopa King looming over the Racers. Bowser Castle 3 takes place on the roof, which is still across a giant lake of lava. It's possible that Bowser Castle 3 is some separate Courtyard on the Grounds in the Valley of Bowser. The Fourth and Final Bowser Castle in this game goes back into the Underground with some strange background that suggests some...Giant Fire Octopus or something. This is possibly the most complicated Bowser Castle Track up to this point. They usually actually tend to be relatively simple, just filled with tons of danger.
Bowser Castle 2 made a reappearance as a Retro Track in DS. The Staff Ghost is Bowser, obviously, in the Standard BW with a time of 1:52:258. Bowser Castle 3 came back for Wii, where the Normal Ghost is Dry Bowser in the Standard Kart L at 02:58.304, the Expert uses the Bowser Bike in 02:39.391. Finally and fittingly, Bowser Castle 1 came back in Mario Kart 7 with very little changes, and is also the only track from Super Circuit in the game. The Ghost here is back to Bowser where the Normal goes 01:31.030 using the Pipe Frame, Standard Wheels, and the Ghastly Glider, leaving much to be desired. The Expert goes 01:22.221 using the Koopa Clown, Roller Tires, and Super Glider, a far better combination, although for once Bowser is excelling at handling, not speed. It's interesting that these Super Circuit Tracks have been remade but nothing from SMK has made a subsequent appearance, outside of the Super Circuit redo.
Double Dash:
The Double Dash Bowser Castle is a doozy. It's again the penultimate course in the game and features racing through a Grand Hallway, Thwomp Danger, down to the deepest parts of the Castle and then up to the highest roof. Not content with a Statue of himself that breathed fire but didn't pose a threat to Racers in 64, the Giant Bowser Statue near the end of the course belches a constant stream of Fireballs at any slow-witted Driver here. There is also a vast moat of eery purple water, probably full of excess pollutants from the industrial sections of Dark Land as well as a continuous thunderstorm, tho no rain falls. It's most likely heat lightning due to all the industry and lava everywhere.
Double Dash had Secret Staff Ghosts for every track, one for each Initial Character as Lead Driver...except Bowser Jr. Shame. Anyway the Ghost here is Bowser/Bowser Jr in the Koopa King at 2:44:690. Like all the Castle courses, acceleration and handling are the keys to avoiding obstacles. I'd pick Boo Pipes, any lighter Kart is just going to get destroyed.
DS:
This game might get the prize for most ridiculous Bowser Castle. It is actually a basic loop with only a few smaller loops but there are some alternative paths, high and low, left and right as well as hardly any solid land at all. It has its drivers zooming across rotating metal cylinders, huge moving platforms and spinning rooms. Roughly the first half of the Race is indoors through another Thwomp Hallway and up some stairs. We don't see any dungeons here, most of the track flows through rooftops, courtyards and a gargantuan lake of lava outdoors. Find a Kart with weight enough not to doesn't bounce around and can get some speed to handle both all the jumps and the many straightaways. Perhaps Bowser himself in the Hurricane or DK in the Wildlife is the way to go. The Time Trial Staff Ghost here actually is Bowser again, this time in the Hurricane at 2:19:661.
Wii:
Bowser's Castle (are you paying attention to the possessive, yet?) for Wii is deceptively simple if one looks at the map alone. It seems like just two long corridors connected by some light turns, right? Neither straightaway can be properly taken advantage of - the first is a huge half-pipe with boosts and a giant fireball-breathing mechanical Bowser at the end of it. The second, which includes the starting point is full of lava geysers that swell and erupt at random. There's really an epic feel to this one, though. The hallways are massive and literally bend and shake as the Drivers fly through them. Most of it seems unlike the Bowels of Super Circuit or the Open Air of DS. It's very much directly the spiritual successor of the 64 Version. Actually only this and the 64 Version are called Bowser's Castle, hinting that these are the only ones he lives at. The rest are Bowser Castles, implying the name Bowser is a descriptor rather than a signifier of ownership. This is the only track that runs through a character's house, there has never been a Peach Circuit within Peach's Castle. I guess she just doesn't want tons of crazy Racers and Fans in her house. Bowser doesn't really care. This is definitely a Wii-influenced track, there is way too much craziness going on for this to be replicated on any other system the way, say, Moo Moo Meadows could have been. The carpet is also very nice.
The Normal Staff Ghost here is the Big Man, Bowser himself. He set a time of 03:04.836 in the Piranha Prowler, then the Expert did a 02:42.098 in the Bowser Bike. As such it's the second longest Original Track in the game (Rainbow Road's Ghost takes two seconds longer). There is one longer Retro Track though - the 64 Bowser's Castle.
These guys are brutal.
7:
Bowser's Castle returns as the penultimate course in Mario Kart 7. It uses much of the land, sea, and air travel that characterizes the game. It begins with a journey into the Dark Lord's mouth and then the paths split like they usually do, but this time both vertically and horizontally. There are plenty of Thwomps again, but this may be the most organic of any Bowser Castle. There are less hard angular turns and more caverns and wide paths, although bordered by lava. There aren't any courtyards or trees this time around, but there remains the enormous lava moat towards the end of the course as well as more mountainous terrain than has been seen previously. There's also a spinning tunnel reminiscent of the DS version. As far as length, it's the second-longest original track in the game to Rock Rock Mountain.
The Normal Time Trial Ghost here is again Bowser, who goes 02:34.815 using the Standard, Monster Tires, and Super Glider. The Expert switches to the Blue Seven, Red Monster Tires, and the Ghastly Glider in 02:15.244. This is a well-balanced option but still lacks Sea Speed. The same Kart with Roller Wheels can counter this without losing the high land speed he has.
8:
In 8 the version of Bowser's Castle is similar to the Wii version but everything is amped up. Everything is maxed out. Just look at the façade. There is this progression of the Bowser statue, too - in 64 there was a stationary statue in the first courtyard blowing fire that couldn't really hit you. In Double Dash there was a giant statue that moved left to right spitting fireballs during the last section of track. Wii had an enormous mechanical Bowser that would also spit fireballs, this time during a long half-pipe that eventually split. 8 features a fully animated half-stone / half-lava Bowser that punches the split anti-gravity track, causing it to wobble and yes, annihilate any forlorn racer caught in the way.
The entry way is also very similar to Wii, although it forgoes a split path (see: Twisted Mansion) but has many right angle turns down stairs that are really familiar. On the second lap it adds lasers though, you know, to stay on your toes. There are also tremendous vertical anti-gravity portions with jumps and fireballs and swinging pendulums. It ends with a bit of a cliffside portion that is really similar to any post-Double Dash Bowser's Castle, but also includes a significant air jump across a hazardous, lava-spewing lake. Good luck.
The Ghost here is Bowser, in the Badwagon with Standard Tires and the Super Glider, pulling in at 2:23.872. This is kind of a bizarre pick, not only does he avoid the Bowser Kite, which seems fitting, but the Badwagon is most useful as an underwater vehicle with decent traction. Bowser himself has always been designed around Speed without use for much else and something like the Sports Coupe and Monster Tires would seem more up his alley. Anyway, you can target these or plenty of other Karts to get a speedy edge on the Dark Lord.
Deep within the Koopa Kingdom, otherwise known as Dark Land the Castle of the Great Lord Bowser looms over all else. While the sky is in a permanent thunderstorm and the land is full of ash, dead trees and lava, the Keep is where Bowser extends his dominion. The Castle itself was erected in the Dark Ages, sometime around 600 CE. No one knows exactly when Bowser inherited it, it's actually more likely that he wrested control of it from its previous occupant sometime in the early 1970s and quickly slapped his name on it as well as plenty of statues and other signifiers of his Cult of Personality. although Bowser has continually modernized it, filling it with mechanical versions of himself and other fusions of technology and magic to make alive plenty of Danger. When Mario obtained the Mario Circuit in the late 1980s, Bowser was not to be undone. The first Circuit retrofitted throughout the Keep was completed in 1991 and with the massive Koopa Troop backing its construction and filling the venue it has never been unpopular, regardless of their actual opinions.
Super:
 |
| Bowser Castle 3, Pit of Despair |
64:
This is a great course, it's a no brainer that it comes back in Wii as the Final Retro Course. It's actually the longest Retro Course, 64 was notorious for its long Races. The Normal Staff Ghost is Bowser, Jr who clocks in at 03:19.323 using the Standard Kart M. The Expert version uses the Nitrocycle in 02:55.933. This is a difficult course, there aren't many obvious straightaways to pick up speed, and there's enough danger around the 90° turns that handling is vital. Pick someone who has both Handling and Drift bonuses. And that would be...Mario? That works.
Super Circuit:
Bowser Castle 2 made a reappearance as a Retro Track in DS. The Staff Ghost is Bowser, obviously, in the Standard BW with a time of 1:52:258. Bowser Castle 3 came back for Wii, where the Normal Ghost is Dry Bowser in the Standard Kart L at 02:58.304, the Expert uses the Bowser Bike in 02:39.391. Finally and fittingly, Bowser Castle 1 came back in Mario Kart 7 with very little changes, and is also the only track from Super Circuit in the game. The Ghost here is back to Bowser where the Normal goes 01:31.030 using the Pipe Frame, Standard Wheels, and the Ghastly Glider, leaving much to be desired. The Expert goes 01:22.221 using the Koopa Clown, Roller Tires, and Super Glider, a far better combination, although for once Bowser is excelling at handling, not speed. It's interesting that these Super Circuit Tracks have been remade but nothing from SMK has made a subsequent appearance, outside of the Super Circuit redo.
Double Dash:
Double Dash had Secret Staff Ghosts for every track, one for each Initial Character as Lead Driver...except Bowser Jr. Shame. Anyway the Ghost here is Bowser/Bowser Jr in the Koopa King at 2:44:690. Like all the Castle courses, acceleration and handling are the keys to avoiding obstacles. I'd pick Boo Pipes, any lighter Kart is just going to get destroyed.
DS:
Wii:
Bowser's Castle (are you paying attention to the possessive, yet?) for Wii is deceptively simple if one looks at the map alone. It seems like just two long corridors connected by some light turns, right? Neither straightaway can be properly taken advantage of - the first is a huge half-pipe with boosts and a giant fireball-breathing mechanical Bowser at the end of it. The second, which includes the starting point is full of lava geysers that swell and erupt at random. There's really an epic feel to this one, though. The hallways are massive and literally bend and shake as the Drivers fly through them. Most of it seems unlike the Bowels of Super Circuit or the Open Air of DS. It's very much directly the spiritual successor of the 64 Version. Actually only this and the 64 Version are called Bowser's Castle, hinting that these are the only ones he lives at. The rest are Bowser Castles, implying the name Bowser is a descriptor rather than a signifier of ownership. This is the only track that runs through a character's house, there has never been a Peach Circuit within Peach's Castle. I guess she just doesn't want tons of crazy Racers and Fans in her house. Bowser doesn't really care. This is definitely a Wii-influenced track, there is way too much craziness going on for this to be replicated on any other system the way, say, Moo Moo Meadows could have been. The carpet is also very nice.The Normal Staff Ghost here is the Big Man, Bowser himself. He set a time of 03:04.836 in the Piranha Prowler, then the Expert did a 02:42.098 in the Bowser Bike. As such it's the second longest Original Track in the game (Rainbow Road's Ghost takes two seconds longer). There is one longer Retro Track though - the 64 Bowser's Castle.
These guys are brutal.
7:
The Normal Time Trial Ghost here is again Bowser, who goes 02:34.815 using the Standard, Monster Tires, and Super Glider. The Expert switches to the Blue Seven, Red Monster Tires, and the Ghastly Glider in 02:15.244. This is a well-balanced option but still lacks Sea Speed. The same Kart with Roller Wheels can counter this without losing the high land speed he has.
8:
The entry way is also very similar to Wii, although it forgoes a split path (see: Twisted Mansion) but has many right angle turns down stairs that are really familiar. On the second lap it adds lasers though, you know, to stay on your toes. There are also tremendous vertical anti-gravity portions with jumps and fireballs and swinging pendulums. It ends with a bit of a cliffside portion that is really similar to any post-Double Dash Bowser's Castle, but also includes a significant air jump across a hazardous, lava-spewing lake. Good luck.
The Ghost here is Bowser, in the Badwagon with Standard Tires and the Super Glider, pulling in at 2:23.872. This is kind of a bizarre pick, not only does he avoid the Bowser Kite, which seems fitting, but the Badwagon is most useful as an underwater vehicle with decent traction. Bowser himself has always been designed around Speed without use for much else and something like the Sports Coupe and Monster Tires would seem more up his alley. Anyway, you can target these or plenty of other Karts to get a speedy edge on the Dark Lord.
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