Heart Coach

History:

When Peach set out to design her own Kart for the 2003 Grand Prix she poured a tremendous amount of resources into its construction. She modeled its design after the Royal Coaches her family had used for years roaming around the Mushroom Countryside.

Double Dash:

The Heart Coach is a Middleweight Kart, meaning that it may only be used by Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Waluigi, Yoshi, or Birdo, or any of the preceding with a Lightweight Racer.

It is ultimately a fairly average Kart, although its stats are good for a Middle Kart, including possession of the second-highest Acceleration and Offroad. The Kart has one of the slower speeds for a Middle Kart, but it is still superior to many Light Karts. It's one of the narrowest and least bouncy Middle Karts as well, and eighth in both overall. It also has the single greatest Turn Speed in the game. All in all it's a pretty decent vehicle.

The Kart appears as the Staff Ghost driven by Peach on Peach Beach and Daisy on Daisy Cruiser.

Koopa King

History:

Bowser devised his personal Kart for the 2003 Grand Prix based on his own face. He poured many resources including salvaging old tank parts from his Dark Army into creating one of the fastest and heaviest Karts on the track, a true reflection of his big bruising personality. Naturally, he named it after himself.

Double Dash:

Being a Heavy Kart, the Koopa King may only be used by any of the following drivers while paired with another racer of equal or lesser weight: Bowser, Wario, Kong, Petey Piranha, or King Boo.

The Koopa King has great speed at the expense of acceleration and Offroad, which are among the worst in the game. It is also the widest Kart, meaning it is a huge target for errant Shells, and it's difficult to dodge dropped Bananas and Fake Item Boxes. It actually has moderate Turn Speed, though, and has one of the better suspensions, due to its massive weight. It's a dastardly Kart - there are other Karts that match its impressive high speed without being absolutely terrible at everything else, such as the Green Fire or Piranha Pipes.

Bowser uses the Kart along with Bowser, Jr. in the Secret Staff Ghost Time Trials only on Bowser's Castle, because Bowser, Jr. has no Staff Ghost.

Green Fire

History:

Upon the edict that every racer would submit their own individual Kart into the 2003 Grand Prix, Luigi felt tremendous pressure to emulate the Kart of his brother, Mario. Luigi did so on the surface, but he overemphasized all of the Red Fire's specifications, nearly creating a Heavy Kart in the process. Whether or not this was a subconscious effort to side with the enemies of Mario, who were all heavyweights, is up for speculation.

Double Dash

The Green Fire is a Middle Kart, meaning that it may only be used by Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Waluigi, Yoshi, or Birdo, or by any Lightweight Driver paired with any of the above.

The Green Fire does act like a Heavy Kart, though. It has very high top speed and low acceleration, although its bounciness lies with other Middle Karts, and is actually a little lower than some like the Waluigi Racer. It has some pretty rough Turn Speed, but actually some moderately good Offroad for either a Middle or Heavy Kart. Its size is about average, meaning that while its profile won't take up the whole track, it's still not in the best shape to dodge incoming objects.

The Kart makes no appearances in any Time Trails, instead Luigi drives the Red Fire with Mario in his appearances. The Green Fire is a decent choice for anyone looking for a Middle Kart with some speed that acts like a Heavy Kart, but in general it has many flaws that prevent it from becoming an outstanding choice.

Red Fire

History:

When it was decreed that each character would be able to provide his or her own personal Vehicle for the 2003 Grand Prix, Mario quickly developed the Red Fire. Reflecting his inherent conservatism and predilection for moderation, he intended the Kart to contain neither a major advantage or disadvantage.

Double Dash:

The Red Fire is a Middle Kart, meaning that it must be used by at least one of the following racers paired with either another Middleweight or a Lightweight: Mario, Luigi, Peach, Daisy, Waluigi, Yoshi, or Birdo.

As far as Middle Karts go, its stats do generally lie in the middle. It has average speed and acceleration, although atrocious Offroad and turn speed. Its suspension and width aren't great, but again are actually pretty average for Middle Karts. In relation to every available Kart, its bounciness, turn speed, Offroad, and acceleration are on the lower end while its Speed is generally good. It's really a better Kart for beginners on nice, simple tracks without a lot of craziness, Offroad, or difficult turns.

The Red Fire appears as a Secret Staff Ghost on three tracks, the most of any Kart. Mario and Luigi drive it on both the Mario Circuit and the Luigi Circuit (where Luigi takes the lead), and then Mario teams up with Peach in the Red Fire for Rainbow Road.

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.

Lucky 7

History:

In honor of the Seventh Grand Prix, the committee elected to field a brand new item, the Lucky 7. The Lucky 7 used rotating Shell Technology to cause seven Items that could both help and hinder Racers to orbit an activating Driver.

7:

The Lucky 7 is simultaneously one of the better and one of the more dangerous items in the game. Once activated, your Kart will be surrounded with a Green Shell, Red Shell, Bob-omb, Star, Mushroom, Blooper, and Banana. Each Item when orbiting, acts like any other Item in play. They form a wide diameter around a Racer, so those used to the smaller Triple Shell scheme may need to adjust their tactics. Securing a Lucky 7 essentially sets a Racer up with everything he or she needs, but it requires some careful strategy.

The Racer will fire or use whichever Item is closest to the front of the Kart, so keep that in mind when deploying. The big key here is that Bob-omb. Be very careful that you don't accidentally set that thing off, or get sniped by someone else with a shell. I'd recommend getting rid of that thing as soon as possible, especially considering that once it goes off and you're caught in the blast, you'll lose everything else. After that the next Item to use is the Blooper to blind everyone ahead of you. It's notable that when an opponent runs into the Blooper as it circles you, only his or her screen will go black. Once everyone is blinded, go for the Star and wipe them out on the way to the top of the pile. After that, use your shells to take out any stragglers left, and then the Mushroom to boost away from the chaos. Finally, drop a Banana to secure your lead.

It's a dangerous item, though, because anyone who runs into the Star or Mushroom will ride away with it, and there is a high margin for error. Still, in the hands of a careful skilled racer who fins themselves screwed in last place, the Lucky 7 can deliver.

Heart / Super Leaf

History:

The Heart was first crafted by Princess Peach, who, being generally against the violence inherent in the male-dominated Grand Prix, sought to develop a more peaceful, defensive item for the 2003 rendition. Using the Power of Love, she formed the Heart, which would circle a Kart, deflecting most small-scale warfare. It was never that popular outside of herself and Daisy, who claimed it as their special item.

Some of that deflection technology was mimicked, however, in adapting the Super Leaf to the Grand Prix. Millennia ago, the Ancient Tanookis infused their magic onto certain brown leaves. When consumed, people would forcibly be transformed into Half-man / half-raccoon creatures. The effect was temporary, although in stronger doses, this "Super Leaf" would encase the consumer in a suit that resembled the Tanooki itself. Like all raccoons, users gained the power to smash things with their tails, as well as use them to slow their falls through rapid rotation. Like all Tanooki Raccoons, the suit also granted some limited powers of flight. With some ingenuity, the powers of the Super Leaf were adapted to affect the Karts themselves, which granted them similar effects.

Double Dash:

The Super Leaf are lumped as a deflecting successor to the Heart here. In Double Dash, each Racer had a Special Item shared with his or her partner. Peach and Daisy used the Heart, along with King Boo and Petey Piranha, who used every Special Item. The Heart is a unique Item in that it is purely defensive. When activated, two Hearts encircle the Kart, picking up any Item the Driver runs over. This includes Stars and Mushrooms left on the track, which essentially wastes a Heart, although there is some benefit in picking them up and then finding an optimal time to use these Items rather than an immediate activation (into say, a cliff). The pick-up also only works if neither Racer is already holding another Item. In this case, though, it will be used and prevent a spin-out at least.

The Heart overrules Bowser Shells, Giant Bananas, and Fireballs, although when the latter is re-issued, only a single flame, not five are sent out. It is powerless against Chain Chomps and Blue Shells, though, and the Hearts will be destroyed if struck by a Thunderbolt. They also may pick up sitting Bob-ombs, but cannot protect against Bob-omb explosions.

7:

Like the Fire Flower, once activated, the Tanooki Tail lasts for either ten seconds or ten swipes. It can bat away many items, from shells to bananas, but this requires careful timing. If an item strikes the tail while it is not swiping, it will be destroyed. Also like the Heart, it offers no protection against Blue Shells. It may also be used offensively, and works as a melee similar to the partner-attack from Double Dash, with a bit more potency.

It is also a rare item in that it actually affects the sea and air properties of the kart - becoming a propeller underwater, and gifting a little more speed and lift to flight when activated in the air.

Fireball / Fire Flower

History:

The Fire Flower was indigenous to the Mushroom Kingdom, and its thorough study by Mushroom Scientists transformed it into one of the more potent weapons of use against the Koopa Hordes. They found, however, that it was a wildly unwieldy weapon, which in untrained hands often led to catastrophic friendly fire incidents. Mario and later, Luigi, were among the first to suitably master the Firebrand, and through their expertise, eventually the power of the Fire Flower was adapted for use as an Item in the Grand Prix.

Double Dash:

Each Racer has his or her own Special Item in Double Dash, and both Mario and Luigi use the Fireball, Mario's being Orange and Luigi's Green. They may be released either forwards or backwards, thus used offensively or defensively, and cover a wide portion of the track. All these racing balls don't last that long, though, and they tend to be bigger, slower, and bouncier than shells, which makes them easy to doge. Still, they are deadly in tight corridors. Since King Boo and Petey Pirhania use every character's Special Item, they too have access to these Fireballs, but they only use the Orange Variety.

7:

The Fireball returns, in a sense, through the Fire Flower in 7. When a Racer activates the Flower, he or she has either ten seconds or ten fireballs to shoot. Again they may be thrown forwards or backwards. While they have the same disadvantages as the Double Dash Fireballs in that they are slow and bouncy, it's the most effective assault weapon in this game, as you may fire off ten rapid shots to make up for any errors, making them a bit more valuable than shells.They also bounce off walls like shells and form an assault most effective in tight corridors with many other hapless Racers around.

Wuhu Town

History:

The new rising popularity of the Wuhu Island Sports Resort was not limited to new exciting tracks. The Battle Committee within the Grand Prix ruling body desperately wanted to cash in on the area to also construct a Battle Course. Peach had a controlling interest in the Island using her vast wealth and influence, but the Committee was hesitant to hand over to her two of the three new Battle Stages, considering she had also pushed through Sherbet Rink. In another one of his more eccentric purchases, Yoshi bought a controlling interest in the development after he was on site overseeing Maka Wuhu. Considering his failure with Thwomp Desert, Yoshi didn't have much else on his hands, and desperately needed a win

7:

Wuhu Town is a complex course more suited for Call of Duty than Mario Kart.There is a central plaza with a fountain, some ramps leading to a ledge that oversees this area, and then many rows of buildings, alleys, and a road along the edge of a harbor. There's really no other Battle Stage like it. It's set in a more realistic world than other pipe or block-themed stages. It favors sneaky play, hiding and sniping over random banana dropping and shell-wall clunking domination. It's one of the greater Battle Stages for this reason. There are wide open stretches, and the center is a common Mario Kart Killbox, with the High Ground being essential to drive the slaughter and not be a victim of it.

Sherbet Rink

History:

Years after Peach's disastrous foray into creating a Grand Prix Stage out of her great Birthday Present Mountains, Peach had the bright idea to morph the region into a Battle Stage. A strange departure from her usual, desert flavored Battle Stages, the Sherbet Rink was crafted out of the Ice from Sherbet Land, which of course doubled as a lovely Ice Rink.

7:

Sherbet Rink is an amalgamation of many different former stages. Its background full of presents sort of resemble Ribbon Road, and the name and frosty terrain obviously recall parts of both Sherbet Lands from Double Dash and 64, the latter a bit moreso, although it could be most reminiscent of the Shy Guy Skating Section from Double Dash. The only other snow-themed Battle Stage goes all the way back to SMK's Battle Course 3, which is based on the Vanilla Lake stages from that game. The actual course structure is most similar to other Peach Desert Courses such as Tart Top and in particular, Cookie Land.

Still, the gameplay here ends up being unique. It is a very large, open course, but nonetheless there are many places to hide. Giant objects like stars and arches are scattered everywhere and the outer rim contains a circular road as its perimeter that's a decent hideout / getaway spot. Still, all the action converges in the middle here, like most SMK and Super Circuit Battle Courses. The perimeter may recall Skyscraper, but that was much wider and longer, and it really works more like the Wii Cookie Land.

Honeybee Hive

History:

The Honeybee Queen, upon her inclusion in the 2011 Grand Prix lobbied hard for a race course located in her own Honeyhive Galaxy. Due to her inexperience, her requests were denied, but she was allowed to submit a Battle Stage. She transformed one of her grandest Honeybee Hives into the uh...Honeybee Hive.

7:

The Honeybee Hive is made up of a series of seven connected honeycomb chambers that offers gameplay most reminiscent of Twilight House, which first made an appearance in DS. Drivers may traverse any of these chambers through openings of various heights and widths, presenting some variable gameplay. Some of the chambers are nestled inside and others present a perilous edge to the abyss below. The whole course is also plagued by a small swarm of balloon-popping Zingers Stingbies that fly through each chamber. Now, step to the Wu and Enter the Seven Chambers:

Center Chamber (Enclosed): There is an air vent in the center that blasts players up and into another random chamber. It's a good getaway chamber, although landing in a random chamber where some heavy action is doing down can be risky. This Chamber also holds most of the Item Boxes.

Honey Chamber (Enclosed): As this is the most distinctive secondary chamber, we'll start here. There are three Honey Puddles that have formed from the sticky stuff dripping down from the ceiling. These puddles slow racers down, but also contain Item Boxes, making them similar to the sand pits in Funky Stadium.

Grass Chamber (Open): Moving clockwise from the Honey Chamber we next see this little place, which is open air and contains a large raised patch of Grass in its center, which acts as Offroad Terrain. There aren't any Items on it though, so stay away.

Double-Door Chamber (Enclosed): Moving along clockwise, there is um...nothing in here. But there are two openings to get into it. So you can be sneaky.

Item Chamber (Open): This isn't the only chamber with Item Boxes, but the only thing in this chamber is...Item Boxes. It's also very sunny. This does not affect gameplay. It may be the best chamber to get Items in, because the Honey Chamber contains so much sticky honey and the Center Chamber sends you flying. Still, there won't really be a moment when you have the time to pick and choose, especially if you're between the Dead Zone and Grass Chambers.

Jungle Chamber (Enclosed): The floor here is similar to the Grass Chamber, except that the patch is not raised. It's a target for people flying out of the air vent boost, which means a bit of a slowdown if that's the Chamber you end up in. The entrances here are pretty wide. There are also a ton of vines in here, which makes it pretty cool but doesn't affect gameplay.

Dead Zone Chamber (Open): This is THE END OF THE LINE. The desperation chamber. There is nothing in here - nothing but doom. Multiple entry ways, including one that leads to the ABYSS means that death can come at any angle. Be wary, dear reader, if you dare traverse this road to Hell. Actually, not much goes on in here.

Thwomp Desert

History:

Thwomps one of the oldest races in the Mushroom World. They were born out of volcanic rock and then hammered and smoothed by some Dark Evil Magic that even Bowser does not fully understand. They are nigh impossible to full destroy, and their own capacity for smashing is unparalleled. Yoshi came to own this parcel of land through his dealings in the Dry Dry Desert. An enormous Thwomp, however, was not pleased. See, Yoshi built the course on an Ancient Thwomp Burial Ground. The large central Thwomp, therefore, saw to it that anyone who ventured too close to the corpses of his fallen brethren would meet a certain vengeful doom.

Wii:

This is one of only two Desert Battle Courses, the other being Super Circuit Battle Course 4. It is a relatively simple course at first, but it ends up being a general hassle to play on. There is an abyss-filled pit in middle where the Giant Thwomp smashes every so often, so it's fairly awful to ever go near the center. When the Thwomp lands the ground also shakes, which leads any racer vying for a coherent strategy into utter turmoil. The spots of Dead Thwomps, though, are actually safe when this happens.

In general, your best bet may be hanging around the perimeter and picking other people off, but that cactus ring is also dangerous. This ends up being a tight, cramped course, but with a lot going on at any time, it can be hectic, especially with a lack of barriers to deter battlers around bananas or fake item boxes. Bob-ombs, actually, are particularly effective here because it's difficult to react in the mass chaos that goes down.

POW Block

History:

For many years Item Factories within the Mushroom Kingdom had manufactured their only superweapon against the Koopa Troop - the POW Block. Soon the POW Corporation was established as an LLC distinct from the Mushroom People, and it grew to create other products, including Cars sold along the Moonview Highway. Once activated, the POW would magically stun anything connected to the ground. Through some controversy, the POW Corporation was able to petition their Block into the 2008 Grand Prix, but it as many of the racers, namely the Koopa Troop, found that such cavalier use of the weapon made light of the damaging effect it had had on their people over the decades, it has not been seen since.

The POW Block appears in:

Wii


The POW Block works similar to the Blooper in that it affects all of the racers ahead of the activating driver. Once activated, it will appear above the heads of all the other drivers and countdown to a devastating spin-out effect. True to its use in the mainstream platforming Mario Games, though, it can only affect the racer if he or she is on solid ground. Thus it is negated by jumps, cannons, tricks, and even well-timed hops. It is therefore not as effective an item when competing against seasoned racers, although the timing can be difficult during complex crowded race scenarios or tricky portions of the course. Therefore, the POW is most effective if it is activated just prior to a crowd of racers, a particularly hazardous section of course, or right before a jump, but not during it, which would cause competitors to lose momentum going up a ramp.

The POW does not affect racers who have activated a Star, Bullet Bill, or Mega Mushroom.

Chain Chomp Wheel

History:

While typically the Koopa Troop had invested in small-scale Battle Courses simply integrated onto their many Island Beach Properties, such as Battle Course 2 and Palm Shore, they went all-out for the Epic Construction of the Chain Chomp Wheel. Off the cliffs of Koopa Cape the Troop experimented with more Pipe Technology, eventually building a giant underwater dome that housed an enormous yet docile Chomp. Bowser, with ever the controlling interest in the investments of the Koopa Troop, nevertheless named the Arena, Chain Chomp Wheel to apply the terror commonly associated with the ravenous Chain Chomps. Also despite its resemblance to a roulette, it has no officially sanctioned gambling use, although Bowser has been known to take bets on where the Chomp may chomp a Racer.

Wii:

Chain Chomp Wheel is very much the spiritual successor of Tart Top, itself a successor of both Cookie Land and Big Donut, so this may be seen as a slicker departure altogether from the pastry theme. Essentially though, all these courses have a large circular battleground around a smaller, non-traversable center. In Chain Chomp Wheel, this center area is actually reachable with some difficulty, but is essentially a large circle surrounded by boost ramps that shoots the player through a large rotating star. The great thing about hitting the Item Box in the Star's Center is that it always contains a Star.

This arena is massive. The ring around the center that contains the majority of the Item Boxes as well as the semi-eponymous Chomp is the Kill Box for sure and a great spot to leave a ton of Defensive Items like Bananas or Fake Item Boxes. Around the fringes are some panels that can boost players to other Item Boxes on high, which is good area to collect and fire Offensive Items like Shells or Bob-ombs. There is a bit of trickiness when the rotating plates aren't moving in the same direction you are, which can lead to some slow or shifted racing, but none of that is mandatory. The biggest danger is the Chomp, but that moves slow enough to be avoided easily, as long as you're paying attention.

The high number of Dash Panels present also make it easy to both escape harm and undo any obnoxious Blooper effects. Like Funky Stadium, this course finds a nice balance between being big enough to avoid overwhelming players and also being open and intimate enough to ramp up the action. It's also a groovy place to drive by and try to spy the Unagis swimming by the window. And as mentioned earlier, if we're getting technical about things, there is no actual Chain Chomp present in this course.

Thundercloud

History:

While Bowser had years ago harnessed the power of the Thunderbolt to work contrary to the Star, it was only recently that he developed a more personal variation of the Magic Lightning. As the Purity of Star Power, or even Mushroom Technology, continually eluded his grasps, he again attempted to use his knowledge of Dark Magic to work through alternative speed boosts. He struggled mightily to come up with a means to use Lightning Power to achieve the same ends. Using Lakitu Cloud Technology, he isolated the Thunderbolt to only strike a single player at a time, which at small doses, would charge them with incredible force and speed. Prolonged exposure, however, led to a similar effect as the course-wide Thunderbolt calamity, except isolated to one driver. Bowser, ever the gambler and delighted that his new weapon could be used defensively and offensively, decided to go ahead and submit his imperfect technology, although it was only accepted to a single Grand Prix.

The Thundercloud appears in:

Wii

The Thundercloud is an intriguing item because of its aforementioned defensive and offensive nature. Once activated, the personal storm cloud boosts the user with Lightning, which provides a sustained speed nearly equivalent to a Mushroom Boost and negates Offroad Conditions. Once the Lightning runs out, however, the user is struck similar to a Thunderbolt effect, except he or she is the only shrunken player. The catch is, that at any time the Thundercloud may be transferred to another racer through physical kart-to-kart contact. If your timing is correct, this means that you can get all the benefits of a speed boost, and then ram into someone and pass off the ill effects. However, this means that the Thundercloud virtually cannot be used to get into First Place, because when there is no longer anyone around, you will shrink, wither, and fall behind.

There are other plays to be made, however. It is risky, but if there is a crowded pack of racers you may attempt to grab the Cloud from someone else, boost forward, and then keep passing it. This is dangerous, though, if you do not know how long the first person has had the Cloud activated. Another decent strategy if you get ahead is to actually slow down in a narrow stretch and try to let someone from behind run into you. This will give them an advantage momentarily, but when they shrink you can surge ahead.

Like Mushrooms, while the Thundercloud grants a boost, it does not grant Immortality like Stars do. This means that while speed is increased, the potential for hazards also increases. Thunderclouds are negated by Stars, Mega Mushrooms, and Bullet Bills. In general this an Item to avoid because of the high amount of advanced strategy required to effectively deploy, as well as the risk that often is higher than the reward, especially when compared to other Speed-granting Items. Any good effect is essentially negated by the time it runs out if there are no other drivers nearby. It requires timing more complex than perhaps any other Mario Kart Item.

Funky Stadium

History:

While Donkey Kong had always invested a great deal of time and effort into constructing courses and participating in the Grand Prix, his bro Funky Kong had a far more laid back approach. Funky had amassed a sizable fortune through the transportation, mechanical repair, and arms dealing industries, and eventually turned this into an expression of his true love - extreme sports. Funky Stadium was designed to exhibit motocross, skateboarding, and monster trucks, but when approached by the Battle Stage Planning committee, Funky was easily able to adapt it to Kart use. It proved immensely popular, if only because it had one of the largest capacities of any venue affiliated with the Grand Prix.

Wii:

Funky Stadium is massive, but it never feels that way. It's the best Mario Kart can do towards emulating Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, and uses the trick feature of the Wii to an extent better than any other Race Track or Battle Course. There are half-pipes and ramps and hills and all other kinds of crazy props. It is a huge course, but it is also relatively open despite the high number of walls and jumps. This makes it a very fast course, although at the same time there are many nooks to explore and hide in.

There's a Humong-O-Tron at center court to keep track of the score along with the occasional sand patch that will slow players down. Since those patches also contain an Item Box, it's not a bad spot to nail a hapless opponent, namely because if they're foolhardy enough to be charging there, they likely don't have an Item already. Although an abundance of dash panels nearly make Bloopers obsolete, the wide open spaces make for great Banana Mine Fields, whose treachery would be aided by obscured vision.

This is really one of the funnest Battle Courses in all of Mario Kart. Maybe it's just the funkadelic energy in the air or the chance to cut loose with plenty of trick to occupy yourself in between the mayhem, but this is always a must-land on the Battle Stage Roulette.

Delfino Pier

History:

Off the coast of Delfino Plaza, adjacent to Delfino Square on the Isle Delfino lies the Delfino Pier. Yeah, they aren't very creative at naming things. With both Princess Peach and Princess Daisy making significant investments in race courses throughout the Isle, Mario felt slighted. He was unable to push through another Racing Course, but did secure a large tract of land to create a Battle Course. The result was more exploitation of the Piantas people, but they were just honored to have the presence of the Hero Mario on their Isle.

Wii:

The Delfino Pier is a unique Battle Course in that the fighting area shifts as time progresses throughout the battle. There is no way to alter these shifts. The battle begins atop this giant roof surrounded by water that rolls in and out with the tide. There are some hidden sneaky areas but they are rarely traversed by the enemy and not worth exploring. There are some dash panels to pull of some sick jumps that will also get rid of any Blooper Ink. As time goes on though, new areas open up, including a large indoor area that also gradually fills with water, becoming a certain way to die. Finally, the drawbridge drops and battlers finish the fight atop a higher, pyramidal roof. This usually is a decently high-scoring match, although it is actually large enough and contains enough obscure areas that players can easily hide and regroup. What's the fun in that, though?

For strategy, try to maintain the high ground and be aware when things start to change on the course, signified by the donging of bells. The course is simultaneously expansive, yet enclosed by tight corners and isolated confined spaces. Avoid the corners and dash when you can to soar to other parts of the course. Also pay attention to when players fully diffuse to other areas. Oftentimes someplace new will open up but battlers won't journey there. Stick where the action is and rack up those points.

Bullet Bill / Chain Chomp

History:

Thousands of years ago, a young Rosalina, new in her job as Guardian Mother of the Galaxy, began to experiment with some of her new-found star power. She did not believe that any harm would come from using her star power on meteors to bring them to life, but instead in her inexperience she created a ravenous new species that sought only to consume. Horrified at what she had done, she sent the meteors away throughout the Galaxy. Eventually they wound up in Mushroom Space, where they would continue to devour everything, even Rainbow Road.
Some fell to the Mushroom Kingdom and were worshiped as gods by the early peoples of the Dry Dry Desert. Soon tribute was not enough to satiate their horrendous chomping appetite, and they were chained in tombs. Still, eventually there grew a group of professional Chomp Wranglers who would capture the beasts and train them up as sleepless, ever-vigilant and ever-hungry guard dogs. Mario was just one of these Wranglers, and he installed Chomps to guard his lover, Peach's castle. His younger self from an earlier timeline, though, Baby Mario, eventually found a way to use them in the Grand Prix, but in the rash judgment of youth, the results were imperfect. Still, this experience likely led the present-day Mario to become so familiar with the Chain Chomps.

After the disastrous introduction of Chain Chomps to the Grand Prix it was decided to use an Item that was similar, but far less risky for the activating driver. Bowser submitted his own Grand Stockpile of Bullet Bills, the Mushroom Kingdom equivalent to WMDs. Bullet Bills are created in Massive Factories in the Dark Land, and although sentient, are aware that they exist only for kamikaze missions. This combination of destructive power, spacial awareness, conscious decision-making, and unwavering loyalty makes them one of the most powerful forces in the entire Mushroom World. Being chosen to be an Item in the Grand Prix spares a Bullet Bill from its usually suicide mission, but such is actually against the Code of the Bills, which dictates that they die in battle. Thus, while being picked for life would seem like a huge relief, it is one of the deepest shames a Bill can suffer.

Chain Chomp appears in:

Double Dash!

The Chain Chomp only appears as a Special Item used by Baby Mario and Baby Luigi, as well as King Boo and Petey Piranha, who have access to all Special Items. It is dangerous and unwieldy and awesome and powerful at the same time. The Chomp will pull the racer at a rapid speed while knocking everyone else out of the way. The Driver himself though, is not invulnerable, and still susceptible to dangers on the course. It is also uncontrollable, the Chomp will tug the racer straight into danger, or suddenly leave before a cliff or turn that may pull the racer into oblivion. Still, the Chomp takes up nearly the entire track, and avoiding one coming up from behind is very difficult.

Bullet Bill appears in:

DS
Wii
7

The Bullet Bill in later games is very much a refined version of the Chain Chomp. It pulls the player ahead and destroys all other obstacles in its path. The key difference is that it encapsulates the racer, rendering him or her invulnerable to any disaster on the track. The Bullet Bill can supersede any danger besides a Star. It conquers Mega Mushrooms, and is unaffected by Thunder, POW Blocks, or Bloopers. There is still some danger of it wearing off and leaving racers flying headfirst over a cliff, but the benefits far outweight this mild risk. It's arguably better than a Star, especially on difficult tracks where it will take over the driving and launch the racer ahead. There isn't the danger of screwing up or junking turns because of high speed handling. Bullet Bills are game over, man - they only appear for players who have fallen far behind, but they offer a great advantage.

Blooper

History:

The Bloopers peacefully control large swaths of the Mushroom Seas, only acting out when their waters are intruded upon. Their commander is King Calamari, a giant squid-like creature. As contact grew between the Land and Sea societies, the King brokered a deal to let his denizens take part in the Grand Prix, as items. The Bloopers only contain a rudimentary understanding of their role in the races, though, and are mostly eager to return to their more familiar undersea existence.

Bloopers appear in:

DS
Wii
7

Bloopers function similarly in every game in which they appear. They are typically an item that appears to players towards the back of the pack. Once activated, the blooper soars out to every racer ahead of the one who used it and covers their screens in ink. It's one of the only items that breaks the fourth wall in Mario Kart, not actually affecting the driver, but rather the ability for real-life human players to perceive their video game avatar. It creates a visual disruption between the user and the proxy of game play.

This can be deadly, but again, it doesn't actually affect the potential of the actual avatar, just the ability of the player to see the screen. It can therefore be dealt with by either carefully memorization of the course, errant item placement, and predictable patterns (Thwomps for example); anticipation of incoming objects via auditory cues and the portions of the screen that do remain visible; and finally, prayer. If the Blooper is used while the racer is in first place, it will only attack the Kart that used it, namely, you. So, don't do that.

Any boosting object can get ride of the Bloop Ink. That is, any dash panel, trick, star, bullet bill, cannon, mushroom, or mega mushroom will do the trick. For this reason, Bloopers are actually less deadly on more complex tracks where you'll hit this stuff all the time. Of course, on simpler tracks, the screen obfuscaton is not nearly as terrible with much less danger. Therefore, there are only a couple courses where the Bloopers are actually effective, mostly those with lots of danger, crowded spaces, and a lack of boosting opportunities. It's also really a catch-all item. Unless you can see the racers ahead of you to time it so you ink up their screen right before they hit a tricky part of the course, there's no real timing or strategy involved. Just let the little squid do its thing and hope for the best.

Tart Top

History:

Some said that Princess Peach's obsession with Baking bordered on mania. After she grew bored with her excessive Giant Cookie Stage, she again devoted a great deal of the Mushroom Kingdom's resources into financing the creation of a gigantic Tart for Racers to do battle upon. She set this deep within an enchanted room of her own castle, with the secret intention of eating it later as a "midnight snack." Once her plot to dramatically raise her blood sugar level broke, it became a huge scandal with the media of the Mushroom Kingdom. Eventually her plot fell apart and she was ordered to dismantle the Tart. This task was handled by hired Shy Guys, who had a notorious love of eating Tarts.

DS:

Tart Top is very much a continuation of Double Dash's Cookie Land, which itself was a continuation of 64's Big Donut. It is a basic ring around a centralized, non-drivable area. The center area here is a mountain of dash panels that send Racers to the only Item Boxes in the course, which is also a curious facet of this course. The Giant Pastries can smother your screen if you run into them, and the Giant Strawberries can also cost you a balloon if struck. It is unclear why Peach built into her Giant Tart such hazards. The track itself is much wider than in Cookie Land, which allows for more open mayhem and less obscurity than the dividers. Unlike Big Donut, though, it's not too large that it becomes difficult to seek and destroy opponents. It's in general a solid, if not wacky course that, like many DS Battle Stages is a proper size to both have high interactions with opponents but not be constantly annihilated.

Palm Shore

History:

After years of inactivity, the Koopa Troop successfully fielded another Battle Stage to take place on one of their many islands in the paradise just south of the Dark Land. Like the SMK Battle Course 2, the Palm Shore, although constructed and operated by the Koopa Troop, was exploited by Bowser and much of the profits of its use went back to the Castle.

DS:

This is a notable course in that it is one of very few courses that allow Drivers to race through water (the other being Wii's Delfino Pier), and it's also the second Beach Battle Stage after the aforementioned Battle Course 2 from SNES' Super Mario Kart. It's a relatively small course with a lot of varied terrain, from beach to grass, and water that ebbs and flows over the shallower sections. It thus forms both a shortcut and a nasty trap if you mistime your journey across the great moat. Its borders are also deadly - journey too far and you'll be drowned. It's not unlike the many Beach Tracks that have long been commonplace in Mario Kart Games.

This course returned in Mario Kart 7 almost identical, but with the added underwater gameplay made possible by propellers, a new wrinkle is added. It's the only Battle Stage to have this feature, so when selecting it you may keep in mind the advantages or disadvantages different karts and wheels may give you during the battle. Karts such as the Birthday Girl, Tiny Tug, Cloud 9, and Pipe Frame, along with the Roller and Wood Wheels would be solid choices to truly rule this small Battle Stage.

Nintendo DS

History:

Like the Nintendo GameCube stage, every driver felt some extraneous metaphysical force that compelled them to put forth the joint funds that constructed this massive object floating high in space. In doing so they built it in the same night sky as that Grand Prix's Rainbow Road. No racer individually understood the purpose of the Grand Station, and it was abandoned soon after the completion of the 2005 Grand Prix.

DS:

This is actually a brutal course. The top screen is tilted at a slight angle, giving any Driver on that half a great High Ground Advantage in surveying the rest of the course. There are no guardrails, unlike Double Dash's GameCube stage, and falling off with a mistimed mushroom boost is perilous. It's also very open and expansive, allowing plenty of room for Shell and Bob-omb damage. The only safe areas are the hinges along either side where the flat half bumps up against the tilted half. Racers may hide from both view and slaughter by the merciless killers of the Tilted Half. The trade-off here, of course, is that they may also be cornered more easily. This course can accommodate many forms of gameplay because it's so open and inviting. You can sit atop and pick people off or dart around the whole course planting traps. As far as gimmicky shameless self-promoting stages, this is one of the best.

Bob-omb

History:

The Bob-ombs are an Ancient Race that has inhabited the heart of the Mushroom Kingdom for centuries. Eons ago a Dark Lord sought to create a race of sentient living weapons and so placed his Dark Power into hundreds of his bombs to use against his enemies. They were to be the perfect weapon - a walking, thinking, chasing explosion on legs. They eventually broke free of the Lord's control, though, and settled far away in the Mushroom Kingdom. Eventually though, Bowser gained their Allegiance through his puppet, the Big Bob-omb. Since then, the populace has fractured and battled, with the Pink Bob-omb Buddies continually at strife with the Black Followers of Big Bob-omb. Their Kingdom has turned into a Battlefield, and remains the closest intrusion of Bowser's Dark Influence within the Mushroom Kingdom.

Bob-ombs appear in:

Double Dash
DS
Wii
7

Bob-ombs began as the Special Item for Wario and Waluigi in Double Dash. Their use was equally sinister and retarded enough to suit the Stupid Evil of those two goons. In every game since then, though, Bob-ombs have returned as Items available for everyone's use. And that use is always deadly.

Bob-ombs are extremely volatile. They'll pop with the slightest touch of just about anything. They may be placed behind or thrown forward and thus their use is similar to Bananas or Fake Item Boxes. While those items will either hit players and disappear or remain idle and small on the track, Bob-ombs are far more deadly. They will erupt in an explosion similar to a Blue Shell if struck, or just on their own after a few seconds. The thing is, those seconds tend to be exactly how long it takes to catch up them when thrown forward. Therefore, unless you've got a great clear shot at hitting someone immediately when going forward, I would always toss it behind. The huge size blast radius is extremely difficult to avoid, especially in Double Dash where only the Heavy-Kart Wario or Medium-Kart Waluigi can wield the Item.

They are also dangerous to drop behind, though. If you drop it directly on someone sneaking up from behind or it gets hit with a Shell or something, you're donezo. It's not a bad strategy to try to peg a Bob-omb if you see someone ahead of you drop it and you're lucky enough to be equipped with something that can ignite it. Otherwise, that's not good news for you coming up behind. These things are generally a disaster in every way. They're only good in DS where they may be stolen by someone with a nearby Boo.

Fake Item Box

History:

Races underwent many changes during the Second Grand Prix. For the first time, Item Boxes were created rather than panels. During the first wave of their production though, many proved faulty. Instead of giving an item, they would explode and crash the racer. Soon after the technique for Item Box creation was perfected though, competing companies made knockoffs that were still faulty and sold them to individual courses, much to the danger of competing racers. Eventually the Grand Prix Governing Body reconciled the safety of racers with the concerns of the many new and growing factories that had sprung up to support the Races. The faulty Item Boxes were slapped with an inverse Question Mark and progressively labelled "Fake." They would, however, be accessible by true Item Boxes and used by drivers during the course of a race.

The Fake Item Box appears in:

64
Double Dash
DS
Wii
7

There have been some variations of the Fake Item Box throughout the years, but the purpose has always generally been the same. It is another, more deceptive means than Bananas for Lead Drivers to knock around those racing behind them. Indeed in 64 while running over a Banana was salvageable, Fake Item Boxes meant certain doom. 64 was also the game where the boxes where most similar to genuine Item Boxes, the only difference being the position of the Question Mark. In later games the boxes were red, or as in DS, lack a Question Mark at all. These make the boxes a tad easier to avoid.

Another major progression of the Fake Item Boxes throughout the history of Mario Kart is their physical properties. In 64 they acted very similar to Bananas - they could be dragged behind a Kart in order to prevent a Shell from crashing into the back. They could also be destroyed by shells moments before running into them. Their only real difference from Bananas is again, its greater deception, larger size, and an inability to throw them forward.

Most of this changed in Double Dash. Shells and other character-specific projectiles such as Fireballs and Chain Chomps would now pass through Fake Item Boxes, both when dragged behind a Kart or laid on a track. When Karts are hit while dragging, the Item is not lost, though. The Fake Item Box can be launched forward, however, making it an offensive weapon as well, as tricky as it is to peg a moving Kart from far away.

There are many strategies to both using Fake Item Boxes and avoiding them. Careful racers who can memorize True Item Box locations on courses will not be deceived, even in 64. Still, they can be used effectively to block ramps or shortcuts, or at least narrow track sections where running into one is inevitable. Another good drop spot is in a cluster of True Item Boxes, possibly sitting directly on top of a True One, even though timing this can be difficult. Still, limiting the amount of Item Boxes accessible to the competition is a good thing. Their offensive use can still work in rare circumstances, although it's rare that they will appear in positions deep in the pack. If there is a situation where you receive a Fake Item Box and are then passed, it's best to try to chuck it into a crowd, or a particularly deadly maneuver is to launch it into a True Item Box cluster that another racer is about to pass through. It's tough to react to things falling out of the sky, and the CPU will rarely be able to anyway.

Boo

History:

Throughout the Course of Time there have been many deaths in the Mushroom World. When both Koopas and the Mushroom People fall victim to an unnatural death their souls may be unable to move on. This causes them to anchor to the World of the Living as ethereal Ghosts named Boos. They eventually forget their past lives and exist only to terrorize the living, from some instinctual urge to spread as the fear of moving on that has consumed them. As such they serve no living master and flit in and out of the races as they please. Their Commander, King Boo has taken part in the Grand Prix and many courses have been constructed over their lands. At times they have also found their way into Item Boxes, where their mischief leaks onto the races themselves. Their presence is not sanctioned by any Governing Body of the Grand Prix and they are not welcome, although they tend to be helpful to racers.

Boos appear in:

64
Super Circuit
DS

The Boo notably only appears in games similar to the 64 mold - games with a limited number of core characters but slightly advanced in course selection. It does appear in SMK, but only in multiplayer modes. Once activated, the Boo causes a few things to happen. Offensively it causes the racer and his or her Kart to turn incorporeal, allowing him or her to pass through garbage like Bananas and Shells strewn across the track, as well as to pass through other drivers. While this is happening the racer also vanishes from the course map and the screen of opponents, allowing for some very sneaky play.

In Super Circuit, the Boo also slows down the lead racer and causes him or her to lose coins. This feature vanishes from DS, but it also negates the slowdown caused by Offroad travel, allowing drivers to snip some shortcuts or at least not be hampered by mistakes or sloppy driving.

The other ability that Boos bestow is the theft of another item. Once activated, the Boo will travel to another nearby racer and steal his or her item and then bring it back to the activating racer. This is a handy defensive measure in that it takes away another driver's advantage and gives it to you. There's no telling what this Item may be though, and no real strategy to select it. Still, a free Item is always helpful. If no one around you has an Item, then this function is not activated.