Pipe Frame

History:

The normal pipe frame was the standard for many renditions of the Grand Prix. It was developed as a neutral platform for every racer, with no imbalanced properties. For this reason, the aspects of the racers themselves influenced the outcomes of the first few races. Eventually the Pipe Frame gave way to increased specialization and different Karts and their parts proliferated. Upon his entry to the seventh Grand Prix, Metal Mario stole an old Pipe Frame and retrofitted it himself in an effort to mimic the past of his namesake.

Appears in:

SMK
64
Super Circuit
7

The Pipe Frame was the only available Kart until everything started getting crazy in Double Dash. For years, Mario used Red, Luigi Green, Peach Pink, Toad Blue, Bowser Orange, DK Yellow, Yoshi Light Green, Koopa Light Blue, and Wario Purple. In 7, we've associated the Kart with Metal Mario for its metallic nature. It may be used by any racer, however. It's generally a good Kart, with boosts in every stat except for Land Speed and Weight, with nothing added or subtracted from Land Handling or Stability. It works exceptionally underwater, and would be a nice pairing with the Roller or Wood tires in heavy underwater courses. For non-aquatic adventures, slap on the Slick tires to compensate for that low Land Speed.

The Pipe Frame is a popular Kart used by Staff Ghosts, appearing nine times in time trials. As far as Normals go, it's used by Bowser on GBA Bowser Castle 1, Koopa Troopa in N64 Koopa Troopa Beach, Mario in SNES Mario Circuit 2, Daisy in GCN Daisy Cruiser, and Lakitu in SNES Rainbow Road. Notably, these are all Retro Courses, fitting for this Retro Kart. On the Expert side, it's used by Shy Guy in the Shy Guy Bazaar, Peach in Wuhu Loop, Luigi in N64 Luigi Raceway, and Toad in Wii Mushroom Gorge. No other Kart besides the Standard appears so often in Time Trials.

Because the Pipe Frame is slower and lighter than the Standard, it's a little better in the hands of heavier characters rather than lighter ones. Some of these issues may be mitigated by wheels, though, and the general enhancement of nearly every other stat makes it a pretty viable option.

Shells

History:

When the first Grand Prix Council got together to determine what Items would be used, Bowser proudly volunteered an offensive options: The Koopa Shell. At first he only supplied standard Green Shells, but eventually his Shell Technology grew more sophisticated. He added homing powers with Red Shells from Paratroopas and finally, the Blue Spiny Shell, one of the most rare and deadly of any of the Mario Kart Items. For the 2003 Tournament he added his own Bowser Shell, the most monstrous and gigantic of all Shells.

The Green Shell Appears in:


SMK
64
Super Circuit
Double Dash
DS
Wii
7

The Green Shell is one of the most basic, stalwart offensive options in Mario Kart. It has hardly changed since its earliest days in Mario Kart History. Once fired it travels in a straight line, bouncing off any solid wall until it crashes into a racer or falls off an edge. It can also be used defensively, being held behind a Kart similar to a Banana, where it will absorb the hit of any other Shell or shell-like item (This option was unavailable in Double Dash). It can be fired behind the racer when held here, which is helpful in some instances, for instance if a player is far ahead and there is a higher danger of firing it forward.

The Triple Green Shell Appears in:

64
Super Circuit
Double Dash*
DS
Wii
7

The Triple Green Shell in practice acts exactly like a Green Shell,  a straightforward projectile. It is also a very able defensive weapon, though, because once activated, all three shells will encircle a player. If drivers run into anyone else, the result will be as if the opponent had hit a Green Shell. Players are still susceptible to damage, though, if an Item penetrates the Shell Guard players will still flail out. This is less an issue when all three are activated but when only one or two shells are circling around players are more vulnerable. Of course, they are no more vulnerable than if they had nothing at all.

*In Double Dash this was a Special Item reserved for Koopa Troopa and Paratroopa. The Shells did not encircle the players, making them less useful defensively, but still a great offensive option.

The Red Shell Appears in:

64
Super Circuit
Double Dash
DS
Wii
7

The Red Shell has been a staple of Mario Kart games from 64 on. It fires forward like a Green Shell, but instead of traveling in a straight line and then bouncing off walls it homes in on the closest player ahead in the race. It will become defunct if it strikes a wall though, necessitating a degree of precision during Battle Matches with many walls, such as SMK's Battle Course 4.




The Triple Red Shell Appears in:

64
Super Circuit
Double Dash*
DS
Wii
7

The Triple Red Shell once activated acts exactly like the Triple Green Shell, encircling and protecting players. Once fired they act exactly like Single Red Shells, homing in on enemy players.

*In Double Dash this was a Special Item that only Koopa Troopa and Paratroopa could use. They did not circle around the Kart, making them less useful defensively, but they are very valuable to use to specifically attack a wide number of opponents.

The Blue Spiny Shell Appears in:

64
Super Circuit
Double Dash
DS
Wii
7

This is another fairly rare and legendary Item. It often comes up while racers are near the back of the herd and is one of the only such weapons that his used offensively from back there. Using the shell's wings, it flies and seeks out whoever is in First Place and messes up their day. From Double Dash on the disaster has become more significant, causing a great Blue Explosion that will also engulf any players driving around the Blue Shell.

It is possible to avoid the Shell, but this is tricky and lucky to do. The key is that the Shell doesn't pick its victim until that final plunge, which is where you can escape. Still, there are dangerous parts of the track where getting hit is not only inescapable, it proves disastrous. This includes over any gap and particularly in Mario Kart 7 in many Air Portions.

The Bowser Shell Appears in:


Double Dash

The Bowser Shell is the Special Item of Bowser and Bowser, Jr. in Double Dash and is a pretty useful item. The enormity of the shell takes up most of any track and it will clobber anyone in its path. There is some caution when throwing it forward though, as the thrower may become a victim as well. It's best on straightaways shot directly behind to annihilate anyone who is considering challenging you. It can be disrupted by Giant Bananas, although it will destroy the Banana, as well as Hearts, which can pick it up to be used by either Peach or Daisy.

The Yoshi Egg Appears in:


Double Dash

The Yoshi Egg has properties very similar to Shells, so it is included here. Technically the Yoshi Egg is the Special Item of Yoshi (as well as Boo and Petey Piranha) and a pink version, the Birdo Egg is the Special Item of Birdo. Both have exactly the same function and operate basically like a Red Shell, seeking out and destroying whoever the next in line is. The key though, is that once struck, the Egg will crack open with Items such as Stars, Mushrooms, Bananas, or Stationary Green Shells. It could also pop open a Bob-Omb. All this means that the Egg could either be very beneficial to the user, or it could be hazardous. It's even possible that the enemy struck will come away with a star. It's not that useful.

Bananas

History:

There is nothing more valuable on the DK Isle than Bananas. In a land rich with currency, Kong holds nothing above his precious Golden Banana Collection. During the Original Grand Prix when the Council deemed that every competing civilisation give up something substantial to contribute to the Item Panels, Kong let go of a few thousand Bananas. Ever since then, they have been a staple of the Tournament.

The Banana Peel Appears in:


SMK
64
Super Circuit
Double Dash
DS
Wii
7

The Banana Peel has appeared in every game since Mario Kart's inception. It is the primary defensive weapon and the most common weapon dropped behind players rather than in front. It can be used offensively by throwing it forward, but this is difficult to pull off with precision. Different games handled the Banana in different ways. In every game besides Double Dash players can hold the banana behind their cart as a defense against Shells and shell-like items, although if the Shell comes in by the Front or Side of the Kart this is useless.

In Mario Kart 64 players could also recover from crossing a banana if they didn't immediately peel out. In other games, Bananas lead to certain doom. It's always an Item more commonly encountered in Higher Places during the race and careful placement on the track will ensure it remains that way.

The Banana Bunch Appears in:


64

Mario Kart 64 also boasts the only appearance of the Banana Bunch. A version would return as the Triple Banana in later games, but 64 is the only one to feature the succession of five peels dragging behind a Kart. Not only did this allow players to leave longer trails of hazards, but they would have more dangers dangling behind their vehicles for players who travel too close to run into.

The Giant Banana Appears in:


Double Dash

This is an Special Item reserved for Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong. The Giant Banana is as it sounds - a monstrous frowny banana that takes up most of the track. it is one of the better defensive options and great for players ahead in Grand Prix because it will come up often and block everyone coming up the rear.

Once players strike the Giant Banana it will break up into Three smaller Bananas. The same effect will happen when a Bowser Shell hits it or a Chain-Chomp munches through it.

The Triple Banana Appears in:


DS
Wii
7

Ever since DS multiple Bananas have come in groups of three, not five like the Banana bunch. Besides limiting the amount of obstacles drivers can leave on the course there is no real difference here.

Mushrooms

History:

While the Mushroom People covet neither coins, nor bananas, nor stars, their main love is Mushrooms. Such huge Mushrooms are plentiful in the Mushroom Kingdom and shared by all. The love of Mushroom Breeding takes the interest of many Mushroom People and there have been developed many different varieties. When deciding the Items to be included in the Initial Grand Prix, the Council argued for hours over what resources the different lands should give up. It was eventually decided that the Dark Land would supply thousands of Green Shells while the Mushroom Kingdom would give up many of their own Mushrooms for the success of the Games.

The Mushroom Appears in:


SMK
64
Super Circuit
Double Dash
DS
Wii
7

The Mushroom works similarly in every game and has made an appearance in everything since SMK. It provides Drivers with a sudden, temporary burst of speed that allows them to cut through offroad patches, knock around other players, or just gain some ground. It does not, however, render players invincible, and as such they are still vulnerable to any hazard the Course has to offer. If during this speed boost, players hit other drivers they will steal an opposing item. In Battle Mode this means that players will steal a balloon.

There are other ways to get Mushrooms on a course. Sometimes they are hidden in boxes or under piles of leaves, and if Goombas are struck by Lightning they will revert to their once-innocent Mushroom status.

The Triple Mushroom Appears In:

64
Super Circuit
Double Dash
DS
Wii
7

This item has is identical to the Mushroom but players receive three at a time. Since it was introduced in 64, it has been included in every game to date.


The Super/Golden Mushroom Appears In:


64
Double Dash*
DS
Wii
7

Known as either the Super Mushroom or the Golden Mushroom, this has appeared in every game since 64 with the exception of Super Circuit. Once activated, it grants players the effect of a Mushroom for an unlimited amount of times within a limited time period. This is another item that players will often receive when they are hanging out towards the back of the pack, and can be dangerous if they are activated on a complex course with many edges leading to the Abyss.

*In Double Dash this item was not available to everyone, but rather it existed as Toad and Toadette's Special Item. It is not that useful because it will not appear if players are in a High Position already. Therefore it is more well-suited for novices.

The Mega Mushroom Appears In:


Wii

The Mega Mushroom gives players the effect of what Mushrooms typically do to Mario in mainstream games: Make Huge. Once huge, players will get a speed boost as well as the ability to crush other players and obstacles. Nigh omnipotent, Mega Mushrooms still fall prey to the Star.

Star

History:

Stars are the source of the most ancient power in the Galaxy. The combined power of the Stars fuels Rosalina's godlike abilities, and when twisted, most of the Dark Lord Bowser's as well. It can sustain entire Galaxies or Kingdoms in power and the limitations of their use are determined solely by the mortals using them. In the hands of someone pure, like Mario, the Stars are used to rejuvenate and replenish decimated Kingdoms and Peoples. In the hands of Bowser they are used only to torment and destroy.

Their use in Mario Kart was controversial. They are so powerful that when setting the Items many racers had reservations, which come up whenever the Council decides what to include in the next Grand Prix. It was determined in the initial Tournament that the effects of a Starman be temporary, but during that time, very substantial indeed.

The Star Appears in:


SMK
64
Super Circuit
Double Dash
DS
Wii
7

The Star is the end-all of all items. It supersedes every other Item and ability. When using it players are invincible, their speed becomes comparable to the use of a continuous Mushroom, and they don't lose anything by traveling over rough terrain. If you are lucky enough to get one, usually when closer to the bottom of the pack, there is nothing better for making your own shortcut.

The Star beats Bowser Shells, Giant Bananas, Chain Chomps, Bob-Ombs, and Fireballs in Double Dash. In Wii it takes precedence over players activating either Bullet Bills or Mega Mushrooms. In all games players will be invulnerable to Lighting as well as Blooper Attacks. The only thing that can halt the Power of the Stars is a plummet into the Abyss.

Feather

History:

The Majestic Mushroom Eagle used to soar over the Mushroom Kingdom, preying on Mushroom People and Koopas alike from its high perches in the mountains. Rarely a Cape Feather would fall from their 18-ft wings and these became valuable Items. Using a Cape Feather would give its bearer the ability to fly temporarily. When determining Items for the first Grand Prix, Mario insisted that Feathers make an appearance, although due to their rarity, they have no returned since.

SMK:

Every Item in SMK has appeared in every successive game to date besides the Feather, which is strange, because it was a distinctive, helpful Item. When activated, the Feather would allow a racer to jump high in the air. This could be used to avoid obstacles, or more often the case, allow access to shortcuts and other pathways otherwise inaccessible. It has not appeared outside of the Original game though

SMK Battle Course 4

History:

In addition to his Circuit courses, Mario was one of the first innovators to develop Battle Stages. In the throes of the Mushroom Kingdom he put together Battle Course 4 as the high standard for Battle Stages for years to come.

SMK

Battle Course 4 resembles the Mario Circuit tracks in SMK. It is notable for its complexity. The open center, which is fair game in many of the other Battle Stages in SMK, is filled with sand here, making Battlers perilously slow down if they traverse it. There are also many more barriers than any other Battle Stage, making it more difficult to find and attack other players.

This course returned in Wii as a Retro Battle Stage. It's largely similar but the greater amount of Items change gameplay a bit. The middle is still dangerous, as is the outer rim, although to avoid these areas are to avoid getting hits as well as getting hit. Generally scores are fairly low here, but the pathways are narrow enough that fake item boxes, bananas, and especially well-timed Bob-ombs can be effective. Red Shells must be used with precision because there are many places they can be cut off.

SMK Battle Course 3

History:

In the northern reaches of the Mushroom Kingdom like the Vanilla Lakes, a harsh, frosty zone where few but the great Penguin Clans settle. The land is property of the Royal Kingdom, but many of the courses were developed by Mario. Battle Course 3 though, was actually designed by Peach, one of her first efforts and contributing to the Kart Games.

SMK

Battle Course 3 is similar to the Vanilla Lake tracks in SMK. The coloured boundaries are a bit wider than in other Battle Courses, leaving more room for destruction. Preventing this though, are plenty of breakable Ice Blocks that can be hazardous to both offensive and defensive maneuvering. It is also an excessively slipper course, the only such Battle Course until 7's Sherbert Rink.

SMK Battle Course 2

History:

Battle Course 2 lies in the Ocean Fringes of the Dark Land, owned and operated by the Koopa Troop, although its meager profits are really subsidized by Lord Bowser. Still, the Koopas were proud of this track in its heyday.

SMK

Each Battle Course in SMK is similar to one of the track sets, and this one recalls Koopa Beach. Like most of the early Battle Stages, the middle area is pretty clear and dangerous as well. The watery boundaries make this stage more maze-like than others and it can be difficult to get a line of sight to fire off green shells.

SMK Battle Course 1

History:

In the borders of the Donut Plains, DK Jr. managed to build the first Battle Course for the Kart Games. At the time, DK Jr. did not have the resources to create an entire track, but he threw his hat in the ring through the smaller venue here.

SMK

Each Battle Course in SMK strongly resembled a parallel Grand Prix course, a pattern repeated in Super Circuit. Battle Course 1 is modeled after the Donut Plains tracks and is basically a big dirt square with a few barriers. It's notable for having some oblique portions that interrupt the square, giving places for Battlers to hide or conversely, to be cornered and eliminated.

Rainbow Road

History:

The original Grand Prix Racers struggled to come up with a culmination of their collective efforts. They eventually found a solution in the Sky - using their combined powers and the almost unlimited potential of Stars, they created the first Rainbow Road. They continued to operate in tandem for years, creating a truly non-partisan final course. After the turn of the Century though, this became unwieldy. With the growing popularity of Racers' personal tracks and investments it became difficult for them to join together to create the Rainbow Road. Still using Star Power, they decided to delegate its construction to a smaller committee.

SMK Rainbow Road in Mario Kart 7

In 2001 Bowser's presence was felt in Rainbow Road and he oversaw construction closely from his Floating Castle. In 2003 this fell to Mario and Peach who worked together using their formidable resources to construct the track floating over Mushroom City. Other parties, notably Bowser, resented this and in the next Tournament it fell to R.O.B. who had less of a bias. As R.O.B. did not participate in any other Grand Prix, Rosalina used her vast Galactic Powers to construct the next track in the fringes of the Mushroom World's Atmosphere. Finally, the latest track was overseen by the Honey Queen, who stepped in and used her wide sphere of influence to construct a track across the planets themselves. Lakitu, after decades of his species officiating the races also stepped in to revive the Original Rainbow Road course.

SMK:

Rainbow Road has been one of the most consistent conventions of the Mario Kart series. It always concludes the Special Cup and serves as the Final Course in the game and usually one of the more difficult. No Rainbow Road has any Offroad and they are always suspended in space or the sky, which means that there is a constant danger of falling into the abyss. SMK's Rainbow Road doesn't have the most difficult turns in the game and is completely flat, but its trickiness is precisely that: It is full of 90° turns that come right after long straightaways and with exactly zero guardrails the course is perilous indeed. There are also thwomps that smash players and a few narrower portions where it's easy to get knocked around (and off). Its rainbow portions make up a sort of tile on the track.

Like every course from SMK, this was re-made in Super Circuit. The course also returned in Mario Kart 7 to conclude the Lightning Cup, the Final Retro Cup. It is largely similar although now when the thwomps pound the shockwave makes the track bouncy. It is also one of only two courses (the other being N64 Luigi's Raceway) to have no Air or Sea portions. The Ghost is Lakitu. Using the Pipe Frame, Slim Wheels, and Super Glider, the Normal Staff Ghost goes 01:34.459. This could be advantageous, as his Drift, Mini-Turbo, and Handling are top-notch at the expense of speed.The Expert Ghost goes 01:21.994 using the Cloud 9, Roller Wheels, and Paraglider. The Roller Wheels play into both the Cloud 9's strengths and weaknesses. Still, neither Ghost has all that much speed. If you can get going and not fall off, it should be a cinch.

64:

I consider 64's incarnation of Rainbow Road to be the grandest of them all. It is by far the longest course in Mario Kart history, usually taking around six minutes to complete. It is the only Rainbow Road completely surrounded by guardrails but there is danger both from errant shells bouncing around forever on the course as well as from the hungry chain chomps that roll by to ruin a Driver's day. More than that though, with its grand hills, long straightaways, and extremely tight turns, the course offers a bit for every playing style. Without a tremendous amount of interruptions, it allows these playing styles to play out. That is, whoever wins Rainbow Road a true driving champion. It is also so extravagantly long that players have time to catch up if they get the right items, or conversely based on skill, time to create an impressive lead.

The track is in the reaches of space, like the version from SMK. There are neon images hovering above the track of each Racer, as well as some items like Boo and the Mushroom. The track itself is much smoother than SMK, comprised of horizontal bands of every major colour in the Rainbow.

This course returned to close out the Lightning Cup in Mario Kart 8. There are some other major differences, including the presence of air jumps near the start and finish as well as large portions of the track now transformed into anti-gravity sections. It's really a bastardized version, though, because it has been transformed from taking three laps to only one, similar to Mount Wario, the Wuhu Tracks, or the Rainbow Road from 7. This makes the course much easier, although there are now spots lacking guardrails, which makes things slightly tougher. The Chain Chomps also no longer roam like maniacs but merely bounce up and down, shaking up the course. The only other major geographical difference is that it now takes place over a city, similar to Double Dash, instead of in the middle of space. The rainbow itself is also tiled more similar to SMK than the clean strips we saw in 64. All in all, despite the anti-gravity sections being pretty awesome, it's a big step down.

The Ghost this time around is Metal Mario, a signifier of his other-worldly nature, but also very in line with both Mario and ROB being previous Ghosts of these tracks. He uses the Standard ATV for some insane reason, with Monster Tires and Super Glider. There's no reason to need that level of traction and almost anything is going to get you going faster. Handling is an issue here, use lighter weights sparingly.

Super Circuit:

The Super Circuit incarnation combines some elements from both SMK and 64. Its pattern is similar to 64 but with a brighter tone and it shares a large amount of tight turns, but the whole course is flat. There is also a fair amount of both guardrails and gaps to endanger Racers. There are boost panels for the first time, which tend to hinder novices but excite veterans. Some of these, as well as Mushrooms, can provide some significant shortcuts to blast through this course.

For the first time, too, the track is not in space but clearly in the night sky. Players drive by clouds, which can land on players, shrinking them down. Bowser's Castle is also a constant presence in the background.

Double Dash:

Rainbow Road started getting really crazy in Double Dash, living up to its status as the Ultimate Test of a Mario Karter's Mettle. Like Super Circuit it contains both stretches with guardrails and very dangerous unguarded portions that can lead to certain doom. It also brings back Dash Panels, the course is full of them, which can be dangerous or a benefit depending on a Player's skill level. While looking down on the course from above it may not seem like much but there are extreme changes in elevation that can make the course very difficult as it is full of spiral turns that require excellent driving to get through. There is also an enormous vertical boost, the only one of its kind.

The Track itself is suspended over Mushroom City, making it another course that is in the Sky and not Space. The course is almost panel like, and it glistens in faded Rainbow Colours that merge, blend, and reflect with each other. The track is also very bumpy, and green shells are virtually useless. There is the occasional Star that lands, however. Still, items like the Star or Golden Mushroom can prove more fatal than beneficial. Like 64 there are objects suspended across the course, this time each characters' Special Item. They are more three-dimensional than the 2-D Neon Glow of 64, though.

Double Dash only had one set of Staff Ghosts. The pair here are Mario and Peach, the only such Ghost Team of unnatural pairs. Using Mario's Red Fire they pull a 3:16:476. This makes it the longest course in the game. It is again a course that can fit many playing styles and mastering drifting while staying on the middle of the track will lead to success.

DS:

What appears as a simple Figure-8 is much more. The DS version of Rainbow Road features the only full Loop in Mario Kart History, as well as a difficult Spiral Track. In the vein of recent Rainbow Roads this track is full of Dash Panels and mixes guarded sections with difficult sharp turns that offer no protection. The key here though, is both the Loop and the Spiral and players must be cautious about being hit with Blue Shells or Thunderbolts as they'll plummet to their doom.

The Track is back in Space although it has a blue rather than black hue, suggesting it may still be somewhere in the Upper Atmosphere. The course itself has vertical rather than horizontal bands of Rainbow Colours and looks more similar in tone to SMK than the brighter, faded hues of Double Dash or Super Circuit.

The Ghost here is R.O.B. in the R.O.B.-BLS who goes 2:16:246. R.O.B. is a weird robot and so fits the weirdness or the ultimateness of this course. This version requires good drifting ability as most of the straightaways are full of dash panels anyway, and the toughest parts in Time Trials are surely the turns and not the Loop. Many of DK's Karts such as the Wildlife and Rambi Rider have both high speed and drift and may be a good option. It is actually by a good margin not the longest track in the game, that distinction goes to Waluigi Pinball.

Wii:

This perhaps the craziest Rainbow Road, almost an unbelievable judgment. Like the courses from 64 and Double Dash it begins with a steep drop, although in this incarnation the drop is no hill but a sheer cliff. There are Boost Panels everywhere, along with spots to pull some tricks and many unguarded sections besides a few turns and the starting point. Its most distinctive feature may be the wavy section that drops down into a wide section of track punctured by two massive holes that lead to oblivion. Following this is a Star Warp that sends the players high above and across a great distance to the final third. It's similar to the Vertical Boost from Double Dash, but it travels horizontally a great deal as well.

The Course finds a median between Sky and Space and is clearly positioned very high in the Earth's Atmosphere. Players who fall off will begin to burn up in re-entry. Visible though, are moons, planets, bits of debris, and star bits floating around the cosmos. The track itself is similar to Double Dash, a reflective shimmering rainbow, although it is not as opaque or bleached out.

The Ghost here is Rosalina, reflective of her Galactic Status. The Normal Ghost appropriately uses the Shooting Star in 03:05.895 while the Expert switches to the Jetsetter in 02:44.734. Both do well in the hands of Rosalina. Karts are a bit more stable and perform better than Bikes here. Funky's speed applied to the Flame Flyer is a great option, but again, the course has bits to fit any playing style. In terms of length, the course barely beats Bowser's Castle to be the longest Original Track in the game but it is actually still shorter than the N64 version of Bowser's Castle, which closes out the Retro Tracks.

7:

The Final Rainbow Road to date is truly Galactic. 7 introduced the idea that courses could be only one lap, albeit a very long one. After Wuhu Loop and Maka Wuhu the last one-Lap track is this game's installment of Rainbow Road.  There are not as many drastic elevation changes, but there are extended Air Portions, multiple path choices, and a wavy road full of holes reminiscent of the Wii version. This time, however, players drop down to the surface of a Moon. Dash panels abound again, and one of the course's more distinct features may be a long Rainbow Tube that doesn't quite do what the Spiral in DS did.

The Course is truly in space. For the first time Players can drive not only on bits of Rainbow but the rings of a Saturn-like Planet as well as what appears to be the surface of a moon. There a a few places to catch some Air, the longer of which is full of Asteroids to dodge and Star Boosts to hit to keep up Air Travel. Failing to hit these can lead a Driver to either the course below or death. The track itself is a swirl of colours that evokes the vertical pattern of DS but gives it a greater swirl like Wii.

The Ghost here is the Honey Queen, perhaps due to her status as Intergalactic Royalty. The Normal uses the Birthday Girl, Slim Wheels, and Peach Parasol in 02:10.090 . This is a pretty good choice, but the Peach Parasol is egregiously slow in the air. The Expert switches to her own Bumble V, Standard Wheels, and Flower Glider in 01:52.077. This is again solid, although the Glider can definitely be upgraded. There are more turns, gaps, and last-minute decisions to be made her than a need for raw speed. The greatest straightaways are through the air, so pick someone with good handling and drift that maintains velocity in the Air. Something like the Bumble V, Cloud 9, or Pipe Frame, along with the Sponge or Wood Tires ought to do the job.

8:

The Rainbow Road here returns to much of what made the Wii Rainbow Road great - set high in space with the Earth down below, with insane, impossible turns, split sections, and a massive air boost. Like 7, though, there is also some significant sections where no rainbow is traveled on, instead there exists a massive orbiting space station with shifting directional paths. It's also notable for being the only Rainbow Road with a small patch of Off-Road, though. It's completely allergic to barriers, and very easy to fall off when zooming along with anti-gravity. Anti-gravity, by the way, was made for this course, and it employs them perhaps better, or at least more extensively than any other course in 8.

Depending on your comfortability with that, you'll surely want someone with proper handling that won't fall into the abyss. The Ghost here is Pink Gold Peach, who uses the Comet, Slim Tires, and Super Glider. That's a damn fast combination but you can use the Slick Tires to get that anti-gravity speed up and perhaps someone with less weight for better handling during those deadly turns. The use of Peach in her Pink Gold diecast here may be a reference to her Ghost from Double Dash, along with the use of Metal Mario in the 64 Rainbow Road.

In-Depth Course Data

Selecting a racer to fit a track is one of the most important features of any Mario Kart game. Why select someone with great offroad abilities if the track has no offroad portions? In Mario Kart 7 this becomes even more important when courses offer extensive travel by Air and Sea. The following charts distinguish some different course aspects:

For the following post observe this key:

Super Mario Kart

Mario Kart 64

Mario Kart Super Circuit

Mario Kart Double Dash!!

Mario Kart DS

Mario Kart Wii

Mario Kart 7

Terrain:

Terrain doesn't really matter, but it's interesting. The most common kind of Terrain is pavement, followed by Dirt. There are much more Combinations of Terrain, though, more often in the later games such as DS, Wii, and 7. The most varied terrain often come in Beach or Water courses. Cheep Cheep Beach from DS has long stretches of sandy beaches, wooden piers, and a dirt track jungle section. Both Pipe Tracks, Koopa Cape and Piranha Plant Slide have four different varieties of terrain.

Koopa Cape is also the only course with glass sections in its long pipe portions. Other unique terrain include the Keyboards in 7's Music Park and Carpet Sections in that game's version of Mario Circuit and Bowser's Castle, as well as DS's Luigi's Mansion. There are also the three bizarre unique tracks from Super Circuit, Cheese Land, Ribbon Road, and Sky Garden. Of course, in every game there is a Rainbow Road track made out of Rainbow. 7 has the unique feature of splitting its Rainbow Road between Rainbow and a Planet's Surface, though.

Other interesting tidbits include the sand tracks making up Deserts and Beaches, the decline of Ice Tracks and surge of Metal Tracks, as well as Wood. There are many small wooden bridges in different courses (Riverside Park, Peach Gardens, etc), but we tried to include predominant Terrain, mostly material that took up at least a quarter of a track. Every pure Wood course was a Ghost Track until Daisy Cruser in Double Dash.

Edges:

We have four categories for the amount of Edges a course can have. Continuous Edges include tracks that have a constant danger, surrounded by the Abyss, as in Ghost Tracks, Lava, as in Bowser Castles, as well as Sky and Space in the Rainbow Roads and Sky Garden. As noted, Sky Garden lacks edges, although there are plenty of offroad buffers, Rainbow Road 64 is the only Rainbow Road with a continuous guardrail, and Rainbow Road SMK is the only course with no guardrail at all.

Limited Edges are by far the most populous kind of courses. These are courses where racers can fall off at some point. This includes small gaps such as in Coconut Mall or Shy Guy Bazaar, cliff edges for limited sections of track such as Moonview Highway or Wario Colosseum or even long stretches such as Yoshi Valley or DK Mountain. Finally, this also includes tracks that are landlocked but still have kart-destroying hazards such as the water in the SMK Donut Plains Tracks, Toad's Factory, and Desert Hills.

The Shore courses are mostly Beach and Desert Tracks. They involve the gradual destruction of karts tho not a hard edge. The best example is Koopa Troopa Beach, where you can certainly die in the water, but you're not falling off anything. The same goes for Dry Dry Desert, and even Frappe Snowland, where you can drive off into oblivion. These courses do not have walls limiting the driver's exploration.

Finally, we have true Landlocked Tracks, where there is no way without severe glitching that racers can fall off. This includes many of the easier Circuit Courses, but also some surprises like DK Pass, Sunset Wilds, and Cheep Cheep Cape.

Offroad:

This is the most important course feature to understand and memorize. We have developed Five Different Standards of Offroad that are found in Mario Kart. The first is unavoidable sections, Offroad that is Essential to Course. This is whenever you must travel over Offroad with no option to go around. These are the most important to consider when picking a driver. The best examples are Shy Guy Beach and Luigi's Mansion.

The second are All-Encompassing. The tracks on these courses are surrounded or mostly surrounded by Offroad and usually they can be used for shortcuts to skimp across sections of track. Many courses are like this, from Grumble Volcano to most Mario Circuits. Also included are tracks with small but important Offroad portions that are essential for shortcuts, such as Waluigi Stadium and Mushroom Bridge.

Next we have courses where Offroad is existent but cannot really be used for any gain. Basically, while it's there, there's no reason it should be traversed and it's much less important to pick a Driver who has good Offroad. Basically the only advantage of using one of these characters here would to have less catastrophic consequences after a screw-up. These include many Luigi Circuits, but also much more complex courses filled with other dangers, such as Dino Dino Jungle and Mushroom Gorge.

There are also courses that have very limited Offroad sections that could affect gameplay but only in very isolated portions. Unlike Waluigi Stadium, for instance, though, they can't really be used for shortcuts. While the Existent Courses are essentially all-encompasing but do not affect gameplay, the tracks with limited offroad offer only small chunks. A lot of Bowser's Castle are like this, but there's also weird little bits in tracks like Music Park and Toad's Factory.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, there are courses that completely lack any Offroad at all. There are actually more of these courses than any other, which is a substantial fact (although there are certainly more Offroad Tracks combined). These include every Rainbow Road, most Bowser Castles, and most Ghost Tracks. There are also city courses like Toad's Turnpike and Mushroom City as well as some surprises like Sherbert Land 64 and Maple Treeway.

Mario Kart 7:

Mario Kart 7 presents the interesting issue of combining Air and Sea travel with the standard Land Travel. Air and Sea speed and handling significantly change based on Driver, Kart, Wheel, and Glider selection, but that shouldn't matter depending on what course is chosen. Many tracks have some kind of Air Travel (23/32), but sometimes this can be avoided. A smaller number involve Sea travel (8/32), and some have both, especially later courses. Only the retro Luigi's Raceway and Rainbow Road lack any kind of either Air or Sea, so you need to prepare for something in most cases. Also depending on your skills, you may be able to avoid Sea Travel (in Koopa Troopa Beach, Daisy Cruiser, and Rosalina's Ice World), although this may not be the most direct option.

Frosty Tracks

History:

Like the Beach Tracks, there is no one owner of the Frosty Tracks, but they all have some similar veins running through them. The Vanilla Lakes are on Property owned by the Toadstool Royal Family far North of the Mushroom Kingdom. There was minimal effort done to adjust them into Racecourses, but they are officially maintained now by Mario but owned by Peach. Frappe Snowland was another course in the North, although not as far as the Arctic areas of Vanilla Lake established by a joint venture between Mario and Yoshi in 1994. Ultimately the two disputed ownership and were forced to put it to bid in 2004 wherein it was purchased by Wario. Sherbet Land (64) was also christened in 1994 by Luigi in an effort to also maintain a racing presence, tho his Brood has maintained ownership.

Snow Land is also maintained by the Royal Family. Finally, Sherbert Land (Double Dash) is a recreational spot for Shy Guys and tho they do not typically field a driver, still hold ownership and profits from Races on their grounds.

Deep in the Cosmic Cove Galaxy Rosalina furbished her first track, naming it Rosalina's Ice World. Tho she is relatively inexperienced in racing or managing tracks, the power and influence of Rosalina far outweight most of the mortal men and women who have pursued such a venture. Rosalina's choice to use the Cosmic Cove Galaxy was one of both safety and on the insistence of her Penguin Allies there.

Super: 

Vanilla Lake 2

Vanilla Lake 1 and 2 are courses that seem the inverse of each other. One races around a giant snowy pile with the occasional cracks in the ice that can be dangerous. The other races around an enormous hole in the ice, which would provide inspiration for many Frosty Tracks to come. The track itself is very slippery and The Small Guys, Koopa and Toad have a tough time with it. Vanilla Lake 1 appears in the Star Cup but Vanilla Lake 2 is the penultimate course in the game. It feature many jagged, dangerous turns as well as some ice blocks, pipes and big patches of slowy snow to drive through. It's an intense experience. These tracks never showed up again, besides in Super Circuit, which recreated SMK verbatim (with the exception of changing the format from 5-Tracks in 4-Cups to 4-Tracks in 5-Cups), but provided a lot of inspiration for those to come in the future.

64: 

Frappe Snowland is a snowy track rather than an icy one. There are a couple jumps so someone who can maintain their speed like Toad is of good use. There are again some wicked turns and power sliding opportunities as well as tons of Bomb-filled Snowmen who are deadly. This is also the only Frosty Track besides Vanilla Lake 2 that is not in the Star Cup, it calls the Flower Cup home. Despite featuring giant Yoshi and Mario statues this track returned for DS with a Wario Staff Ghost for some reason. I guess Wario is a better association with the Frigid Wastes than a cheery Tropical Yoshi, and there's plenty of Mario Circuits to take up the Red Plumber's time. Wario clocks in a 2:08:781 in the Brute.

Sherbet Land is one of only a handful of names that appears in different tracks in different games (the others being Bowser Castle, Mario Circuit, Luigi Circuit and Wario Stadium) and is the only name that reappears without attachment to a Racer. It's the clear successor to Vanilla Lake 2, although there is no snow to drive over, there are some tough turns and a giant icy lake in the middle to drive around. The Penguins here are nasty and navigating the Cave is very difficult. This track returned as a Retro Course in Wii where the Staff Ghost inexplicably is Baby Luigi. He goes a 02:48.651 in the Quacker and the expert is 02:28.356 in the Blue Falcon. I suppose there aren't really any other good Luigi-themed courses so they had to stick him somewhere.

Super Circuit

Super Circuit features Snow Land, a fairly unremarkable course for the Star Cup. It does feature some penguins and Snowmen again who block Drivers but don't explode. There are also some puddles that can trap players but they don't seem like Ice Cracks as this course features a snow raceway. There is also a constant Snowstorm, making it the second Mario Kart Course with a weather pattern, but it's never too much to be distracting. Its basic shape does actually recall Frappe Snowland a little bit but with a few more groovy turns. Anyone with good handling who can stay in the middle of the path is going to do well here, which might be someone heavier who won't slip out uncontrollably.

Double Dash:

The Second Sherbet Land appears in Double Dash, leading off the Star Cup, just as Snow Land did for Super Circuit and DK Pass would do for DS. I did decide that the two other snowy courses, DK Pass and DK Summit were more like other DK Courses than these Frosty Tracks, so head over there to see their info. All the Frosty Tracks are basically flat, with ice water hazards and usually some kind of moving or stationary (and exploding) object. This incarnation of Sherbet Land is no different.

The enormous Skating Shy Guys here are basically a recreation of the Penguins from 64 Sherbet Land. There is also a tunnel, tho it's far less dangerous and some snow to slow Racers down, but it's never exactly on the track they should be racing on. The biggest danger here might be the Freezies, which will temporarily chill a player and can destroy good laps right at the last second.

The Secret Ghost here is Baby Luigi/Baby Mario in the Goo-Goo Buggy at 1:25:904. This was probably the inspiration for giving Baby Luigi the 64 Sherbet Land recreated in Wii, but still...what the hell? There aren't any recreations of this course anywhere, and for sure the 64 Sherbet Land is a bit more iconic. It is surprising that there hasn't been a later incarnation of these tracks, but to be sure Original Tracks in DS and Wii are as a rule much crazier than these guys.

7:

Rosalina's Ice World is fairly different from any other Frosty Track that has come before it. The half-pipe sections echo parts of DK Summit from Wii and there are large stretches of a broken ice lake that has been repeated plenty of times, but it is a generally darker track than some of the others here and has a lot more ice than snow portions. It also has a substantial underwater section, so that should be sure to come into your Kart and Wheel selection, although there is not many spots for Air time.

The Staff Ghost naturally then is Rosalina, who goes a 02:25.784 using the Standard with Sponge Wheels and the Parafoil. Neither Rosalina's Cruiser class nor the Sponge Wheels are very good underwater, so that may be where you can strike. The expert though, uses the Gherkin, Red Monster Wheels and Super Glider in 02:13.091. This combo is pretty awful at everything but Land Speed, so either take advantage of the water again or try to match it with something that loses less, such as the B Dasher and Gold Tires, or even the same combo with a Light or Featherweight.

Bowser

History:

No one is exactly sure where Bowser came from or how long he has been around, or even if the Bowser from the Past is the same as the Bowser of today. It is widely thought that the Darkening of the Koopa Kingdom in the mid-19th Century had something to do with the Dark Magic of Lord Bowser but there is no Historical Documentation to back this up. Due to Bowser's Turtle Nature as well as his proficiency in Dark Magic it is possible that he is hundreds of years old.

What is known is that Bowser started reworking the Giant Castle of the Koopa Kingdom in the early 1970s. Suddenly his images were everywhere and he and his offspring have definitively controlled every aspect of life in the Kingdom ever since. It is now colloquially known as Dark Land and residents face compulsory military service, little arable land and Loyalty Oaths to Lord Bowser with severe consequences. He has launched numerous campaigns to conquer the peaceful nearby Mushroom Kingdom but to no avail.

In order to shelter most of Dark Land from the intrusion of Outsiders but still wanting to field a track to compete with his enemy Mario in the Cups, Bowser outfitted his own Home, Bowser's Castle into a course, completed in 1991. He has tried in vain to win the affections of Princess Peach and is known for some of the most excessive Karts and Racing Styles in All the Cups. While he maintains a temporary truce with his enemies he hates losing.

Super:

In SMK Bowser is one of the only Heavyweights, statistically equal to DK Jr. They make up a class called "The Showdown," one of Four Classes between the Eight Characters. He has very High Weight and Speed but terrible acceleration and handling. As a computer some of his Fire Power comes into play and he will throw Balls of Lava at other players. Under the SMK Rival Order, which would rank how all the other Karts would finish if Bowser was in first, the computers in Grand Prix finish Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, DK Jr, Toad, then Koopa. You can see that Bowser is most friendly to Koopa and has the worst time with Mario. All the Bowser Castle stages are his namesake.

64:

Bowser is pretty awful in 64. He's a monster on the course but his acceleration is so terrible, if anything knocks him around he's history. He's still big enough though that no other Racer will be able to bump him out. Once he gets going his steering can be stiff, which is beneficial in that he's not going to slip and spin out uncontrollably on the course. He's definitely planted where he is. He's also not bouncing around but will lose a ton of speed off his jumps.

Super Circuit:

Bowser intimidates foes by driving backwards.

Super Circuit differentiated a bit between Bowser and the other Heavyweights, Kong and Wario. While they were a little lighter and faster, Bowser had his weight stat completely maxed out at the expense of terrible speed. He thus rules over all other Karts. Conceivably he could knock everyone out at the start and then coast the rest of the way, but the game is far too unpredictable for that to happen. Stay away from Bowser in these two games.

Double Dash:

In Double Dash the Individual Racers didn't matter as much as the Karts. Each of the Twenty Drivers had a Specific Kart and Item (there was also the Parade Kart, making 21 total Vehicles) that anyone of the same Weight Class could use. Bowser's Ride is the Koopa King, which is a monstrously big Kart that hits everything in its path, be it Star or Banana. It's also got some insane stats. It's tied for 1st with many of the other Heavy Karts (along with Luigi's Green Fire and Bowser Jr.'s Bullet Blaster) in speed at 58 mph as well as 1st in weight. Bowser is almost always unknockable, no one is pushing the Koopa King around.

Hail, Lord Bowser

All this sounds great until you see its Acceleration which ranks 19th, taking 3.214 to go from 0 to 40 mph. It is also the single worst Offroad Kart in the game, barely revving it to 27 mph on the slightest patch of grass. Note that for its size it actually doesn't have the worst Acceleration and its handling while trademarked stiff, its not bouncy at all and loses only a moderate amount of speed on turns. In this sense it is probably one of the better Heavy Karts around, or at least gives the most for your money.

Each Driver also has a Special Item that only they receive. Bowser is identical to Donkey Kong in that they both have a partner with the same Item who is a Lightweight. There are only three such pairs in the game, the other being the Third Heavyweight from 64 (Heavy Wario is paired with Middleweight Waluigi). Thus Bowser Jr. also uses Bowser's Item, making him a good option for anyone seeking a Bowser-like character in anything lighter than the Heavy Class. Their Item is the Bowser Shell, a monstrously huge Shell that looks like it came from one of his Giant Incarnations that races across the Track and destroys everyone. It is notoriously dangerous to throw it in front because it can bounce backwards fast and take you out but on straightaways or behind it is pretty useful. It's only issue is that you can't control it once released and as such will damage you as much as anyone else. Baby Park is a deadly place to drop these.

Bowser and Bowser Jr. are the only Double Dash characters to only have a single Secret Staff Ghost. Their track is Bowser Castle at 2:44:690 with the Koopa King. They missed out on another signature track because Mario and Peach took Rainbow Road. What a shame for Lord Bowser, but could you really see Rainbow Road being the Track for Bowser Jr? Hell no.

DS:

For the DS each of the Twelve Main Characters had three Karts to use initially. Basically everyone has a Standard Kart with average stats, one with slightly worse stats but an excellent Item Rating that is useful for getting good Items in Grand Prix or Mushrooms in Time Trials and finally one Kart with pretty awesome stats except for Items that is useful if you can get ahead and win by Racing. The only stat that Racers really affect Karts is their weight, in this case, Bowser adds 3.5 to the weight of all his rides, tied with R.O.B. as the heaviest in the game. Bowser's Karts are as follows:

There's a few notable things here. Bowser's Hurricane is one of only two Karts to get a perfect 10 Speed rating, the other being ROB's ROB-BLS. His Drift is decent as his is weight (unranked here), but his acceleration and handling are terrible. In essence, Bowser has very similar stats to his SMK appearance. He also has three Staff Ghosts in the game. His two from the Nitro Grand Prix both use the Hurricane. He completes Airship Fortress in a 2:07:748 and Bowser Castle in 2:19:661, the longest of any track in this game. The Ariship Fortress association like comes from the fact that many of Bowser's schemes have involved Mobile Oppression Palaces, such as the Koopa Clown Car. He also has a Ghost on the Retro Bowser Castle 2 from Super Circuit, using the Standard BW in 1:52:258.

Wii:

Wii merged the Double Dash and DS idea of Kart-specific racing with with the earlier idea of Character-specific racing. The Twenty-Four characters are sorted into Three different Size Classes, each of which may choose between Six Karts and Six Bikes. Each Vehicle has slightly different stats and in addition each Character adds Bonuses to different stats in different areas. The combinations are mindboggling. Bowser gets a Weight Bonus, of course, along with a small Speed and Drift Bonus. Here are the Bowser-Specific Stats for Every Kart he can use in Wii:

Bowser has strong associations with both the Flame Flyer Kart and the Flame Runner Bike, the later of which bears his mug. Both are Fiery Vehicles that are exceptionally fast with decent Drift but no Acceleration, Handling or Offroad. That's Bowser exactly. He's also got some association with the Piranha Prowler, maybe because it's modeled after one of his underlings, but also because when he sits in it he becomes the Heaviest Combo in the Game. Bowser only has one Ghost in the game, on the longest Original Track, Bowser's Castle, he uses the Piranha Prowler in 03:04.836. The Expert on the same track switches to the Flame Runner and a burns a blisteringly fast 02:42.098.

Beach Tracks

History:

There is no one Beach Owner to all these tracks, but they're all pretty similar. Most of these are owned by the lesser underlings of the Koopa Kingdom. The Koopa Beaches are technically Bowser's property and exist on the fringes of Dark Land, out in the Ocean. They serve as relaxation homes for the Koopa Troop, a spot to get away as well as a small way to boost morale after countless defeats at the hands of the Mario Bros. The Koopas in their lone attempt at seeking some political power in Bowser's Harsh Regime have fully funded the construction of Race Courses out of these Islands, although the track construction is minimal.

Shy Guy Beach exists off the Coast of Yoshi's Island and as such are under a constant barrage from the Pirate Guys seeking to plunder the region's rich natural resources. The course was funded by Yoshi although recently sold to the Koopas, though the Pirate Guys have the same desire for booty. Cheep-Cheep Island also exists in Dinosaur Land, although this was constructed and maintained by the Koopas. Likewise with Cheep Cheep Cape. Peach Beach is on Isle Delfino in the Seas South of the Mushroom Kingdom, transformed into a course by the Princess herself. Cheep Cheep Beach is on the Southern Shores of the Mushroom Kingdom itself, originally on land owned by Peach again but sold to Kong in 2004 after she favoured her Isle Delfino Vacation Home. Kong used the Tropical Region as a hang-out from him and his Brood during their extended stays in the Mushroom Kingdom before eventually crafting a Course out of the grounds.

Super:

The idea for Koopa's Courses being beaches may have come from the Beach Koopa, which was the appearance of any Koopa without a shell. Koopa Beach 1 and 2 feature as early tracks in the Star and Special Cup. This is the latest any Beach Track would get and these are both more difficult in proportion to SMK's other tracks when compared to later Beach Courses. Beach 1 is nothing more than a string of Islands connected by water and a few grassy patches. It's possible to drive over shallow water and that can open up some extensive shortcuts. Koopa himself is really the best option here, although with sliding and hopping some of the bigger Drivers are usable. Koopa Beach 2 is the inverse of 1, instead of a string of islands around a big water interior it's simply one Massive Landmass with an inner full of slowy grass. There are also Cheep-Cheeps that pop up and wreck your Kart.

Both of these tracks reappeared in Super Circuit though it reshuffled the courses. Instead of 4 Cups of 5 Tracks each Super Circuit contained 5 Cups of 4 Tracks each. Koopa Beach 2 also came back in DS as a Retro Track. The Ghost is Yoshi in the Egg 1 at 0:54:847. Yoshi is here because DS didn't have a Koopa, tho it did have Dry Bones (he was associated with Creepy Tracks). Yoshi has always been in Tropical Island games, it's not a stretch to have him here.

64:

64 introduced the idea for the Mushroom Cup to have a Beach Circuit, which was followed all the way to Wii, which has no Beach Track in the vein of any of these (Koopa Cape is the closest, though with the underwater piping and waterfalls is really nothing like any other Course). Koopa Troopa Beach has a very infamous shortcut but is mostly a race around a giant rock, making it more similar to Koopa Beach 2 than later incarnations. It also adds the crabs, the underpass and palm trees that would appear many times later on. The only Koopa reference is the Giant Rocky Outcrop which is distinctive enough. There are tons of ramps on this course for some reason, but it's not really necessary or speedy to go over any of them unless you're taking a shortcut. Someone with lose handling who can handle the wide muddy track for shortcuts would be excellent, possibly Mario or Luigi besides the obvious Peach or Yoshi.

This track returns in Mario Kart 7 although it's almost unrecognizable. The ramps have all shifted and the major shortcut is now dependent on water level for Drivers to hit the ramp. There is heavy use of Air Travel to cover this shortcut and the other ramps, but the biggest change is the use of Sea Travel across previously unnavigable areas. If you have a strong desire to cut corners use someone with great Air and Sea speed such as the Egg 1 with Roller Wheels. The Ghost is Koopa Troopa using the Pipe Frame, Standard Wheels, and Super Glider in 01:54.274, which is a solid combo, but doesn't fully take advantage of water traveling shortcuts. The Expert uses the Soda Jet, Sponge Wheels, and Parafoil in 01:42.909, which hurts its underwater capabilities even more, and would seem a solid air option but the Parafoil kills that. Pick a means of transport and go after it.

Super Circuit:

Shy Guy Beach is a lot like Koopa Beach 1, it's a chain of islands connected by shallow water, which again means that there are plenty of shortcuts if you pick someone with good off-road. It also takes the Koopa Troopa Beach Route by appearing in the Mushroom Cup. The only real danger here are the Crabs again as well as the Pirate Guy Cannonade. It wasn't a stretch to move from Koopas to Shy Guys, the Pirate Guys are equally tropical. This course reappeared in Wii where the Normal Staff Ghost is Koopa in the Cheep Charger at 01:45.568. That's really the perfect merging of Beach tropes - Koopa, Cheep-Cheep and Shy Guy all in one. The expert goes 01:32.867 in the Magikruiser, which with its ridiculous Offroad is one of the best Vehicles to use here. I would pick Toadette, though.

Cheep-Cheep Island is also in Super Circuit, in the Lightning Cup. It's again natural that after the Cheep-Cheeps appeared in tons of these Beach Tracks they would get their own. It's almost the same kind of layout as Shy Guy Beach but the sandy paths are connected by boardwalks instead of shallow water. This makes Offroading less vital. Lots of straightaways with some subtle turns and hazards. Also, Giant Cheep-Cheeps.

Double Dash:

Peach Beach was put in just for the rhyming. It is more like Koopa Troopa Beach with its Big Rocky Arches and shallow pool of water that can become a nifty shortcut if you cut across the sandbar or the low tide. There are tons of Satanic Ducks on this course as well as a weird warp pipe after the start that wastes tons of time but gives you a Double Item.

Actually hitting this thing off the start and getting 8th Place Stars and Mushrooms isn't that bad in Grand Prix. Daisy's Cruiser is visible here as well as another Sunshine Cruiser, both of which are viewable on Yoshi Circuit later on the Star Cup. It's likely that both load somewhere off Delfino and then cruise around the Mushroom Seas. If you time this right and get Mushrooms across the shallow pool the course is basically two straightaways connected by some meandering turns. High Offroad is key, tho if the water is shallow enough the Bigger Karts are actually less affected than some of the smaller guys that just drown. I've done very well here using DK/Bowser/Boo Pipe somehow.

This came back in Wii where the Ghost is Peach who clocks in at 01:34.233 in the Royal Racer. The expert version goes 01:23.140 in the Dolphin Dasher. Isle Delfino? Dolphin Dasher? It's all coming together. This course actually broke some Beach Tradition, there's no Crabs and no Cheep-Cheeps but the Shallow Water and Arches are there.

DS:

The DS Beach Track is Cheep Cheep Beach (again, note the shifting punctuation). This thing has a bit of everything. The Crabs are back along with some big patches of shallow water connecting parts of the track and some tidal shortcuts. There is also the third Beach Arch after Koopa Troopa Beach and Peach Beach as well as a Boardwalk slightly reminiscent of Cheep-Cheep Island. Also for the first time ever there is an actual track that runs through a bit of Jungle during the last quarter. Kong is the Ghost here, in the Standard DK he pulls a 1:43:654. Again, this must just be the Tropical reference and the fact that this game lacks a Koopa and Shy Guy is Download Play Only. Since all the Beach Courses feature some water it's always good to have a light guy who won't sink but depending on the depth of shortcut you may also want a big guy who won't drown. They all also have very ill-defined tracks, which makes the Boardwalks here and on Cheep-Cheep Island stand out. Either way, Offroad is vital for shortcuts here.

7:

Mario Kart 7 adds Cheep Cheep Cape which mostly goes back to basics. It's the third course in the Mushroom Cup, holding an identical position as Koopa Troopa Beach and Cheep Cheep Beach. It's a pretty simple loop although this is mostly because it's the first track to show off the new gameplay in 7, with large underwater elements. There are portions of the track where drivers can go through either the air or sea, meaning that a Kart with decent stats through every medium is necessary. These would include the Cloud 9, Egg 1, Pipe Frame, and Royal Ribbon.

The benefits the Staff Ghost, Peach, perhaps a callback to Peach Beach. She goes a 01:53.758 in the Royal Ribbon with Roller Wheels and the Peach Parasol. The expert keeps the identical accessories but switches to the Tiny Tug in 01:42.011, which is a great combo. Using the Wood Wheels instead may give you a slight advantage on land and the chance to beat her.

DK Jr. / Donkey Kong

History:

There have been a few Donkey Kongs over the years. The Original Donkey Kong lived peacfully on his eponymous Island until a young Adventurer, Mario found him, kidnapped him and then kept him as a pet. After years of abuse the Ape broke free, kidnapped Mario's then-beau Pauline and held her for ransom atop Mushroom City, only for Mario to knock him out. As they grew older the Original Donkey Kong eventually retired and soon became more widely known by his nickname, Cranky Kong due to his ornery temperament. His sour attitude likely came from being defeated by Mario all those years ago, tho what the Ape was planning to do with Pauline is questionable. His son, known as DK, Jr. has become an unsteady ally of the Plumber. He was bashful yet powerful, and entered into an early Mario Kart Cup. Since that time though, he has grown up and  successfully taken the mantle of Donkey Kong for himself, forgoing the Junior Suffix.

Kong hails from Donkey Kong Island, which is likely located somewhere on Mushroom World, likely very distant as his path has not crossed with the other Mushroom Folk outside of Great Sports Competitions. When Kong grew up he opened some of his land to Racing, seeing not an opportunity for profit but rather and opportunity to showcase his luscious jungles and give everyone a cool place to party. It's just the Kong way. This greatly displeased the reactionary Cranky Kong.

Super:

Considering DK Jr. and Donkey Kong to be the same character is dangerous - they have never been fully disclosed as such. Either way, they're close enough. SMK ranked all eight of its drivers in four categories, as such DK Jr. was paired with Bowser in "The Showdown" as statistical equals. Each racer had four categories they ranked in, which would all average to equal stats. The Showdown Heavyweights were the only characters whose stats were all extreme - DK Jr. had low acceleration and terrible handling, but very high speed and weight, allowing him to knock other characters around. As a computer he also threw Bananas around. If he was in first according to the SMK Rival System, the other drivers would finish in order of Toad, Bowser, Koopa, Luigi, Peach, Mario and Yoshi. I don't know why his biggest rival is Toad, maybe it's just a Big vs. Small thing. He had no signature course in SMK but would have plenty more in the future.

64:

64 introduced the Re-Designed Kong pioneered by Rareware in Donkey Kong Country. Heavyweights in 64 had low speed, steering and acceleration. This doesn't sound great, but they tended not to slip around like the other Drivers, which was handy on some tight dangerous courses with the use of power sliding. Kong's weight also prevented him from being jostled around by other drivers in Grand Prix Mode. His Kart is yellow.

Super Circuit:

Kong was equal to Wario in Super Circuit. They were both Heavy Drivers, but not as much as Bowser. They also didn't have the lowest speed in the game, merely a few mph behind Mario and Luigi. Still, his acceleration is terrible. They key to using him is to get ahead early and avoid being destroyed by tons of items. Abandon hope in Time Trials however.

Double Dash:

Kong's Ride in Double Dash is the DK Jumbo, a truly, truly terrible Kart. Double Dash emphasized Karts over drivers, the characters determined only Weight Class and whatever Special Item you could get. Each of the 10 Duos had only one special item between them, and since most were of the same Weight Class it wouldn't make much of a difference say, to pick between Toad and Toadette. Kong, a Heavyweight, however, partnered with the Lightweight Diddy, making Diddy basically a version of Donkey Kong that could actually be put into a speedy Kart. That discussion is for the Diddy Page, though, let's talk about the Jumbo:

The Jumbo's acceleration at 3.363 seconds to get from 0 to 40 mph is the worst of any Kart in the Game. That means you'll hardly ever see it get up to 58 mph, which is one of the fastest Top Speeds of the Game. It also loses the most speed on turns, speed that it cannot recover because it's acceleration is terrible. It's also lighter for a Heavy Kart and has absolutely terrible Offroad stats, which is bizarre because its wheels are made out of wood. It belongs in the Jungle!

Kong himself is actually useful, if you plan on being and staying in 1st or 2nd Place for most of the Grand Prix the Giant Banana has a defensive Item is hard to beat. No other Item stays stationary on the track behind you for that long. It's also rare that you'll mess up and hit it yourself. It takes a good shot but it can also be used offensively if you throw it forward and nail someone directly, but more often Kong is made to get into 1st Place and then destroy the competition behind him. Getting into 1st with the Jumbo, though? Not happening.

Kong also has a few Secret Ghosts in this game. He leads with Diddy in the backseat on his own DK Mountain with a time of 2:12:639. Continuing the Jungle Theme for the Primates here, he follows Diddy on Dino Dino Jungle at 2:00:908. Both utilise the DK Jumbo.

DS:

Kong is a decent driver in DS. His speed and drifting abilities are pretty good, meaning he'll never lose all that much once he gets going. The acceleration isn't as poor as in some other games, he's one of the best accelerating Heavyweights, although this still leaves all the Middle and Lightweights ahead of him. In general Kong is always that lighter Heavyweight, he's the compromise between wanting a bigger driver but not all the terrible stats they usually bring. In that regard he can be pretty good. Here are his DS Stats for the three Karts specific to him, the model for all DS Racers:

His best ride at the sacrifice of a good Item stat is the Wildlife. The Rambi Rider is a nice touch though, it took Mario Kart so long to start incorporating greater elements from the Donkey Kong Country Series. His handling is pretty poor with all of these, you need to be a good Drift Artist to master the Kong. He adds about 2.8 to the weight of all his Karts, putting him somewhere between the Middleweights and the Heavier Wario, Bowser, and R.O.B. He has three Staff Ghosts in this game, the first is on Cheep Cheep Beach for some reason, perhaps a nod to Kong's Tropical Nature as well as the Oceanline and Beaches that have been present in plenty of his games. He clocks in at 1:43:654 using the Standard DK. He also comes back in DK Pass at 2:14:607 in the Wildlife and the Retro Moo Moo Farm with a 1:17:751 in the same vehicle. As for the Moo Moo Farm association, the connection between Cows and Apes should be obvious...

Wii:

It's weird that Kong doesn't really have any vehicles in Wii associated with him, although his pal Funky Kong does. Wii featured six Bikes and six Karts of varying stats for each Driver in three separate Size Classes. In addition to this each individual driver adds his or her own personal stats to each Vehicle. The most in any category is 80. Kong, like Mario added +2 in Acceleration and Handling (for once DK has good handling! And Acceleration!) as well as +3 for weight and +3 for Mini-Turbo. He requires an advanced Driver to use him properly, with lots of boosts, these are probably the best Stats he's ever seen. All the Kongs are fantastic in this game, actually, there must be some Rare Fan on Staff. Here are the Kong-Specific Stats for Wii:

His best Bike may be the Phantom, and as far as Karts go the Offroader is decent for Grand Prix Play. Kong has a couple Staff Ghosts as well on his two eponymous Tracks in the game. It's actually interesting that his Normal Staff Ghosts use Bikes and his Experts use Karts. On the DK Summit he pulls a 02:34.693 in the Standard Bike L. On the Retro D.K.'s Jungle Parkway (we can talk about the varying punctuation later) he goes 02:58.264. His Experts are 02:17.546 and 02:37.782 respectively, both with the Flame Flyer.