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.

SMK Battle Course 2

History:

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

SMK

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

Koopa Troopa

History:

The Koopas lived for centuries in the Koopa Kingdom in relative peace with the Mushroom Kingdom but with underlying problems. The Koopa Kingdom was vastly inferior economically, with little arable land or developed areas. While it scuffled with the Mushroom Kingdom it could never sustain a war or supplant any of the Royal Family's deep-seeded interests in the Region. This all changed with the introduction of Bowser.

Lord Bowser arrived, although it's possible he had laid in wait in the area and considering his species it is likely he originated from somewhere in the depths of the Koopa Kingdom. He reformed the Region into Dark Land and suddenly the Koopas became a military powerhouse, if not still saddled with mounting economic problems. Military service is compulsory for all male Koopas ages 12 - 34.

When Mario offered an Olive Branch to Bowser through the Grand Prix Bowser was keen to bring an ally. He managed to convince one his best and speediest troopers to come along, and the reliable but nameless Koopa Troopa was eager to prove his worth. In 1995 Wario stole his Kart though, and it took Bowser years to put up the funds to field another. Eventually he came back but has only raced in the most Prestigious of Grand Prix.

Super:

Koopa is one of the best Racers of SMK. Along with Toad they are known as "The Small Guys," which have excellent handling along with average speed and acceleration at the cost of low weight. He can steer his way around the trickiest of courses with ease, including his namesake Koopa Beaches. As a computer player he'll often throw his own shell at the other players. In SMK's Rivalry System, if he finishes first the other Drivers will finish in the order Luigi, Yoshi, Peach, Mario, Bowser, DK Jr then Toad. I have no idea why Luigi is his biggest rival here, perhaps they're battling over the colour Green.

Double Dash:

Wario replaced Koopa in Super Circuit and 64 but he was back with the ensemble Double Dash. Double Dash featured less emphasis on individual Divers and more on Kart Selection. The Driver Choice is really just to determine weight class along with a Special Item specific to each Driver. Koopa paired with Paratroopa, the two are statistically identical in every way.

Their item is the Triple Shell returned from 64. Unlike 64 though the shells don't rotate around the Kart so it's still dangerous to run into things. The one advantage is that the shells will launch directly ahead instead of timing it on one of the rotations, which can get hairy. It's definitely one of the better Special Items in the game, especially because it's possible to get both Triple Green Shells which are beneficial defensive and offensive Items as well as the Triple Red Shell, which is one of the best Items to get while in the Top 4 of the Grand Prix, as it definitively seeks out and destroys those ahead. There's also three of them, making it superior in that sense to a Yoshi Egg. There is a weird chance sometimes if you get ahead of your own Red Shell it will actually hit you.

Koopa's Ride is the Koopa Dasher, which is a solid Light Kart. It's got the second best Acceleration in the game as well as pretty good speed and weight for a Light Kart. It has terrible turn speed though and is one of the bouncier Vehicles available to the Lightweights. It's Offroad is also average.

He also has a few Secret Ghosts in this game. Due to the fact that no Secret Characters are given Ghosts, Koopa and Paratroopa inherit the Mushroom Tracks, likely from their similar statuses going back to SMK. Both using the Koopa Dasher, Koopa leads on Mushroom Bridge with a time of 1:31:458. Paratroopa leads on Mushroom City with a time of 1:50:663.

Wii:

Koopa was left out of Double Dash but returned for Wii. Wii gave the Three Different Size Classes of Eight Drivers each Six Karts and Six Bikes to choose from, all of varying stats. In addition to this Vehicle difference, each Driver added his or her own Bonuses to certain stat areas. Koopa adds a slight handling bonus and a substantial Mini-Turbo Bonus, meaning that he's the kind of Racer that is good on difficult courses that require a lot of sliding and Turbos. Here are the Koopa-Specific Wii Stats:

His best Ride is probably the Nano Bike, which is the closest he gets to an Association. There are also Staff Ghosts in Wii during Time Trials. The Normal Ghost uses a Cheep Charger on Koopa Cape in 03:03.022. Koopa Cape is his signature course here and is one of the longest in the Game. It's clearly an extension of Koopa Beach but to such an extent that it can't really be considered a Beach Track anymore. The Expert Ghost pulls a 02:41.370 in the Bubble Bike. Koopa Troopa also has a Ghost on the Retro Shy Guy Beach, a more clear reference to his former Beach-owning status (even in games he wasn't a Driver in). The Normal uses the Cheep Charger again in 01:45.568, the Expert goes 01:32.867 in the Magikruiser, which has such a good Offroad stat that it's use on the shortcuts here is infamous. Toadette can take it down though.

Beach Tracks

History:

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

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

Super:

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

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

64:

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

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

Super Circuit:

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

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

Double Dash:

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

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

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

DS:

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

7:

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

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