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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

Sunshine Airport

History:

In the aftermath of Bowser Jr's invasion of Isle Delfino, tourism surged, so much so that the meager Delfino Airstrip could no longer handle the passenger load. The Piantas sought to craft a new, larger, more modern airport, and naturally Mario wanted in on the deal. Seeing that this vested interest could destabilize the industry, though, what with his heavy bias towards the Mushroom Kingdom as well as there existing an already corrupt monopoly on transportation in the Mushroom World exemplified by Toad, the one being who could out-finance Mario bought the rights to build the airport: Rosalina. Rosalina remains a co-owner while letting most of the profits go directly to the people of Isle Delfino, to Mario's chagrin.

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To me Sunshine Airport reeks of Coconut Mall: a race course through a heavily domestic institution, bright colors, multiple paths, and large air portions. But these similarities are really only cosmetic. Sunshine Airport is a pretty original track, consisting of what should be a simple loop that's complicated by subtle turns, navigating around and at times inside of a functioning airplane, as well as steep anti-gravity sections sandwiched by Air Jumps. For a Star Cup course it's not all that difficult, though it looks imposing. A careful hand to dodge the tires and boxes that get in the way along with an eye for those turns will bring success.

The Staff Ghost here is Rosalina with the Circuit Special, Standard Wheels, and Super Glider in 2:24.429. Rosalina is an interesting pick here, I suppose with Music Park going to Baby Daisy, both Rainbow Road courses going to Metal characters, and no signature track, this course with its fantastic air travel was the best fit. The Circuit Special, in its only Time Trials appearance, is going to be tough to beat, especially because Rosalina is naturally pretty fast. If you throw on some Slick tires though, you don't have to worry about any Water hazards here, you can get both the Ground and Air speed necessary to come out in first.

Toad Harbor

History:

Toad was always heavily involved in the Mushroom Kingdom's Highway System, and it was only natural that he eventually pulled some of these connections in the transportation department to get into the Trolley business. He installed the Trolleys in a small Harbor town, which he named after himself. Once he had a firm footing in the region he erected a giant Statue dedicated to Princess Peach, though some believe it was given to him by the French. The next step of course was to build a race track through the town. At this point Toad gave complete control of both the course and the Trolley system over to his lover, Toadette, who ran the show with such ruthless cunning and expertise it became immediately clear that it had been her plan all along.

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Toad Harbor is this real amalgamation of DS's Delfino Square, Wii's Daisy Circuit, 64's Toad's Turnpike, and 7's Shy Guy Bazaar. The course is cosmetically similar to Delfino Square with its tight, building-locked paths and steep hills and geographically similar to Daisy Circuit by the bay, particularly the starting line. The Trolleys replace the traffic from Toad's Turnpike but they function the same way. Finally the multiple routes and canvassed paths are reminiscent of Shy Guy Bazaar. These multiple paths make the course pretty interesting, like a streamlined Yoshi Valley but with paths taking up multiple levels vertically instead of a crisscrossed maze.

The course is also notable for being the only course without air and water sections, as well as anti-gravity sections that aren't mandatory. So it's really old school, pure Mario Kart racing. You know, like the first six installments. The Staff Ghost is Toadette in the Cat Cruiser, with the Retro Off-Road Wheels, and Plane Glider in 2:31.066. It's kind of strange that Toadette is the Ghost for a course named after Toad, but he's tied up on the Retro edition of his eponymous Turnpike. It's also the only Ghost appearance of the Cat Cruiser. This combo actually adds nothing beyond the standard stats, so there is plenty of room to customize here. The track is decently twisty, but the terrain is pretty stable, so someone with great handling is going to be solid at the expense of traction. Bikes in the Sport Bike vein with some slick tires make a good combo.

Thwomp Ruins

History:

An ancient civilization thrived millennia ago on DK Island, leaving scores of ruins across the country. Even though Thwomps aren't native to the Island, they were introduced as travel between the realms increased as Donkey, Diddy, and even Kremlings like Kritter and K. Rool found themselves more often hanging out in the Mushroom Kingdom. The Thwomps found a natural home in the Monkey Mines and took over the ruins deep within the jungle. Obviously off put by this foreign influence, Kong sought to fund a Race Course through the ruins, to both expel the Thwomps, and to bring attention away from his Jungle Home.

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It is unclear whether or not the ruins were caused by the Thwomp presence, the ruins of the actual Thwomp civilization, or if they simply intruded upon the wreckage after whatever incident doomed the people living there. Considering the course's similarity to Millstone Mayhem, and obscure Donkey Kong Country level, I suggest the latter. I'd say this is also why Kong is the Ghost here, although it being a pretty jungly track also supports this idea.

The layout is simple enough, although the addition of deadly Thwomps, millstone wheels, and a wide section with multiple paths complicates things. There are nice anti-gravity sections along the walls to avoid a lot of this junk, as well as underwater portions that could be avoided if your Kart / Wheel combination can't handle it. It's therefore a course well-suited to many different playing styles, and with a wide track and lots of off-road portions to boost over and other secrets to find, there's a lot to open up here.

The Ghost, as mentioned, is Kong in the Varmint, using Monster Wheels and the Super Glider in 2:11.157 . There's a lot of speed there as long as he stays on the ground, but everything else almost counters each other, with handling suffering a bit while the traction stays up. Speed, speed, speed here, and with a lot more anti-gravity sections than water sections, wheels that favor that like the Slim, Slick, or Metal families will be great. Then again, if you just stay on the road, that's probably going to be a faster path.

Sweet Sweet Canyon

History:

While Peach had dealt with large baked structures before in Battle Courses, she was always interested in developing a full-length race course. She finally found her destiny in the depths of the Sweet Sweet Galaxy, where, with Rosalina and Bowser pioneering mainstream intergalactic travel, became practical as a popular race course. By 2014, though, Peach was stretched a little too thin, but luckily she was able to be at too places at once, and so handed over control of the course to her time-displaced counterpart, Baby Peach.

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Sweet Sweet Canyon exists as the third course int he Mushroom Cup, and it's a fun track. It at once seems like an extension of Battle Stages like Cookie Land and Tart Top as well as a throwback to some of the crazier tracks from Super Circuit, like Cheese Land and Ribbon Road. These tracks were made of ridiculous materials that seems reflected in the candy-coated road here that's given a big, extensive, loopy treatment.

This course has a bit of everything. A short water section, an anti-gravity section that's a bit more intense than anything seen up to this point, and a significant air section. It's a basic figure-8 that's made a little more complicated by the presence of that big air section and the split anti-gravity sections.

The staff ghost is Baby Peach, likely because of Peach's constant association with sweet candy. She does 2:12.107 in the Teddy Buggy, Wood Wheels, and Peach Parasol, making it the longest of the Mushroom Cup tracks. It's the only ghost that uses the Teddy. Wood is rough in water, but decent in air, and has nice mini-turbo and traction ratings to get through this course. Still, the Teddy doesn't add anything beyond the Standard Kart and the Peach Parasol cuts some air speed. A variant of the Slim or Slick Wheels that favors the longer anti-gravity sections would work well.

Mario Kart Stadium

History:

After anti-gravity technology was developed, the core Grand Prix Committee sought to create some kind of flagship course to debut this, their crowning achievement. It was Mario that spearheaded the Mario Kart Stadium project, and despite protests from his brother, Luigi, who had often been granted the opening track, he created this course. Located in the heart of the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario placed himself as the primary beneficiary of Mario Kart Stadium promotions and profits, although since the Grand Prix's name is on the course, there is some heavy revenue sharing involved with its operation.

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Mario Kart Stadium is a tremendous break in tradition for many reasons. Of the previous seven opening tracks in the Mushroom Cup, three had been named for Luigi, and DS's Figure-8 Circuit was very aesthetically similar. Even though Mario Kart Stadium is by definition a Circuit track, it's the only opener not to be called so, besides 64's Luigi Raceway. It's also the only opening track to take place at night.

As far as the layout goes, it's fairly basic, even though it introduces players to the antri-gravity element in 8 with a huge vertical section leading to an air jump near the finale of the race. Much of the other parts of the race are reminiscent of Wii's Luigi Circuit, from the sandy patches near the curves to the large stadium seating sections full of cheering crowds.

The Ghost here is Mario in the Sports Coupe with Standard Wheels and Super Glider in 1:59.781. It's a fast car, but if you can match that with some faster tires like the Slick Wheels you can surpass him.

Water Park

History:

Baby Luigi's ownership of several Frosty Tracks over the years by 2014 had been considered an abject failure. His older counterpart, Luigi saw this with some concern, so he helped to arrange an expansion near Baby Park, which had success with Baby Mario's leadership, creating the Water Park. Costs were kept low by subsidizing rides to other prominent members of the Mushroom Kingdom, such as the Wario-sponsored Wario Wheel, which once served as the flagship attraction. Under Baby Luigi's management, though, the Park's infrastructure was never developed enough to curb the encroaching sea wall, and the Park flooded permanently, rendering most of the rides useless. Still, Luigi saw an opportunity to create a new race course out of it, and with Baby Luigi's supervision, the team actually created a decent track.

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This course isn't quite as similar to Baby Park as it may seem, even though they are thematically similar and occur at similar parts of the Mushroom Cup. The starting point feels a lot like Coconut Mall, but similarities with that track end after those first step. Most importantly, this track contains extensive underwater sections, so consideration ought to be given to Karts and Wheels that are adept at submarine travel. The turns aren't too crazy, so give preference to speed over handling. There are also mild anti-gravity and air sections, nothing to worry about in the Mushroom Cup.

The Staff Ghost here is Baby Luigi in Mr. Scooty using Roller Wheels and the Super Glider in 2:02.954. It's the only Ghost that uses Mr. Scooty as well as the Roller Wheels. It'll sacrifice a lot of speed for excellent acceleration and handling, especially underwater. I'd like something like the Pipe Frame and Button Wheels to preserve the most under water speed as possible while still getting some decent handling. Wario, Bowser, and Morton are going to have the fastest speed and any of them will get across the finish first on this one.

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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.