Mount Wario

History:

Years ago Wario had thoroughly explored the Shivering Mountains, and so, seeking to capitalize on recent trends in extreme sports, purchased some land on one of the Peaks, re-named it after himself, and created a ski resort. This naturally devolved into a full racetrack, even though there was no practical loop to be seen. Another proprietor may have failed, but Wario was persistent and threatening enough to push through his insane new track idea. He eventually handed operation of the track over to his pal, Waluigi, who fell on pretty hard times after his Pinball and Stadium projects fell apart with no real adventuring background to fall back on.

8:

Wario was an interesting choice to take over a track like this, especially since it owes so much to DK Pass and DK Summit, being a long sloping snowy mountain track. In particular it's a lot like DK Summit with its Winter Sport theme. But really it goes beyond that, being the only track in Mario Kart history that doesn't loop and one of only a handful of courses that are broken up into sections rather than laps (the others being both Wuhu Tracks, the 7 Rainbow Road and 8's remake of 64 Rainbow Road). Only Mount Wario, though, has different music playing for each section.

The first section is very typical to DK Pass, consisting of a helicopter jump (okay, not that part), but then a twisty wind down the peak of the mountain into a rocky valley. Next we have a large anti-gravity ice cave as well as a large Damn in section two. Finally, the last section primarily comprises a downhill ski slope that's a lot like the final section of DK Summit, but of course, that one had snowboarders. There are other sections such as a treacherous snow forest that allows for plenty of multiple paths along with both underwater and the Wario Dam processing plant, which makes for some really diverse racing. It's a definite Frosty Track, but gets its own section here for just how extensive and weird it is, as well as how much more it has in common with DK Tracks and Wuhu Tracks.

The Ghost here is Waluigi, who uses the Duke, in its only Time Trial appearance, with Monster Tires and the Wario Wing in 2:06.283. The Duke doesn't really add any special stats, but the traction of the Monster Tires is pretty helpful here. You may not actually get a better combo that preserves land and anti-gravity speed while retaining traction, but you can go another route, using a lightweight that has a higher base traction to begin with. Then add some wheels for pure speed that sacrifice a little traction in this slippery course.

Electrodome

History:

Not all of Bowser's fake children were as dumb as they seemed. Well, they were all pretty dumb, but when some happened to stumble upon good fortune, they were exceptional at exploiting it rather than let it fall by the wayside. Such was the case when Larry Koopa found himself trapped in an investment in a little known nightclub on the fringes of the Dark Land. Be it ignorance or be it his actual ability to read trends, he eventually transformed the joint into the hottest disco in the Mushroom World. Naturally when Bowser began ordering his fake children to get some race courses to their name, Larry turned his only source of capital, the Electrodome, into an insane race course. It's now populated with all sorts of residents of the Dark Land, such as Shy Guys, Koopa Troopas, and Piranha Plants, who jam and throb to the ever present beat as much as they like to beat on plumbers. This of course has led to all sorts of moral and legal problems, but since the high authority is Lord Bowser himself, Larry is able to keep things running just fine.

8:

The Electrodome is a wild track. It's theme is similar to 7's Music Park, in that it's a relatively enclosed course (also a rare, nearly all-indoors track) that's more impossible than practical. It's also definitively based around music and at some points Karts can play notes by driving over special areas. What really makes the Electodome stand out though, is its insane use of anti-gravity that makes looking at a map of the course give you a headache. There are some insane turns and multiple paths here that go upside-down, loop around, and culminate in a massive air jump. There's no water here, but be wary of pools of static that can just as easily drown a hapless racer.

The Staff Ghost here is Larry Koopa for reasons that completely escape me and instead seem like a solid space filler. Larry is explicitly the youngest Koopaling, maybe it was an attempt to capitalize on his fleeting youth spent all night in a dance club. Anyway, he uses the Sport Bike with Monster Wheels and Super Glider in 2:24.747 which is a really fast combination. Handling between the Bike and the Wheels cancels out though, meaning he doesn't get much of a boost there beyond his already impressive Lightweight handling. The same combo with a heavier racer and perhaps some Slim Wheels to improve both handling and ground / anti-gravity speed will be beneficial.

Dolphin Shoals

History:

As soon as the Koopalings got into the 2014 Grand Prix, Bowser set about finding them courses to suit their strengths and interests. Off one of the Koopa Troop Islands, near the Koopa Cape and now derelict Chain Chomp Wheel, lay a shallow shoal near a constantly spinning maelstrom that he thought perfect for his daughter, Wendy O. Koopa. He set about securing the rights to race there, but Wendy, in her haste, was able to push aside the meager Koopas who had a controlling interest in the shoal, and doing her father proud, proceeded to create a mind-numbing track, unfinished to the extent that a live Unagi was still settled there, complacent with being raced upon. Bowser hardly had the heart to tell her he was not her real father, but of course, being a maniacal Dark Lord, did so anyway.

8:

Dolphin Shoals is most similar to 7's Cheep Cheep Lagoon, which was the first track to feature significant underwater sections. That was just a brief taste, though, and a lot of that track is still either on a dry path or in a partially submerged cave with dryland route options. I strongly considered lumping this in with the Beach Tracks, but there's really no beach here, and it should be its own entity. Dolphin Shoals is entirely underwater save for an anti-gravity portion that emits from the eye of the malestrom into one of the most wicked vertical turns in the game, which leads to a brief air portion. There are also crazy parts with pipes blowing racers up and forward and the aforementioned Mega Unagi, perhaps one of the strangest materials to race on, who can spill you out if you hit its tail incorrectly.

The Staff Ghost here is Wendy O. Koopa, who clocks in at 2:19.160 using the Landship, Wood Wheels, and Bowser Kite, which is a thoroughly Bowser-like combination. Wendy was likely chosen here because of her appearance in the Beach World, making the aquatic realm of Dolphin Shoals a natural choice. The Landship is a great pick for her here, only the Steel Driver may do a little better in the brief ground and air portions, as well as giving some much needed traction in this difficult terrain. The Wood Wheels should be easily improved upon, though, the Roller family or Button Tires should give a little better submarine speed.