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.

Shells

History:

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

The Green Shell Appears in:


SMK
64
Super Circuit
Double Dash
DS
Wii
7

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

The Triple Green Shell Appears in:

64
Super Circuit
Double Dash*
DS
Wii
7

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

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

The Red Shell Appears in:

64
Super Circuit
Double Dash
DS
Wii
7

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




The Triple Red Shell Appears in:

64
Super Circuit
Double Dash*
DS
Wii
7

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

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

The Blue Spiny Shell Appears in:

64
Super Circuit
Double Dash
DS
Wii
7

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

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

The Bowser Shell Appears in:


Double Dash

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

The Yoshi Egg Appears in:


Double Dash

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

Pipe Tracks

History:

After gaining credibility with their Beach Tracks the Koopa Troop set out to carve one of the most ambitious tracks in Mario Kart History out of their cliffside isles. Announcing that they have truly arrived on the Racing Scene, Koopa Cape uses all of their resources, from jumps to pipes and perilous cliffs.

The Piranha Plant Slide was crafted by Lakitu using much of the Koopa Pipe Technology as well as a partnership with Petey Piranha who had been attempting to become King of All Piranha Plants. Both of these Pipe Tracks were able to bring a fresh spin and new eyes to a Grand Prix that had become tired and predictable by the time of their construction.

Wii:

Koopa Cape is the second course in the Star Cup and it's an incredible track. It clearly has origins with something like Koopa Troopa Beach from 64, but much more. It has a little bit of everything. Alongside a gorgeous water vista there are cliffs, forests, rivers, pipes, sheer drops, twists, straightaways and off-road to be had. It's therefore compatible with many kinds of playing styles. There are many jumps, boosts, and half-pipes although generally unless you're desperate for an Item they take longer to get through. Its many different yet linked kinds of terrain makes it one of the most diverse and unique tracks of any Mario Kart game.

More importantly is the subtle multiple pathways to be taken. The river is substantially faster than dry land and it should be taken whenever possible. There are some good Off-Road cut-throughs to be had around the first riverbend if you have a Mushroom or Star. After the waterfall drops you in the pipe over the starting line the most dangerous hazard is the electrical bolts that are tough to avoid and can really ruin your day. Staying on the water to get a boost whenever possible is vital and the turn is also fairly ridiculous. Someone with handy drifting skills and good acceleration out of those turns like Dry Bones or Waluigi would do well here.

The Ghost though, is Koopa Troopa. He goes 03:03.022 using the Cheep Charger, which does have good drift and the Expert uses the Bubble Bike in 02:41.370. It's one of the longest courses in the game, third only to Bowser's Castle and Rainbow Road among Original Tracks and the N64 Bowser's Castle is the only track longer than any of those.

The Course comes back in Mario Kart 7, where there are a few change that significantly affect gameplay, most notably that the long Pipe Section is now completely underwater, necessitating a craft that can sustain a good aquatic speed. The electrical bolts are replaced with Cheep Cheeps, which is somewhat easier to deal with. Tho shorter than Wii, it is again very long, second in the game only to Maple Treeway, which wasn't shortened as much in comparison to its original. The Ghost is again Koopa in 02:49.046 using the Standard, Monster Tires, and Super Glider, which should really suffer underwater. The Expert uses the Cact-X, Standard Tires, and Flower Glider in 02:28.585, which has no real advantages but has moderate submarine capabilities.

7:

Although the locales of these two tracks are very different, they share enough similar game play to group them together here. The Piranha Plant Slide is also in the Star Cup, this time as its first track. It also features long rivers to drive down and significant underwater travel. It's interesting that it's almost as if the Off-Road portions here are the normal driving surfaces that slow racers down.

The big obstacle here are the handful of Giant Piranha Plants that attack nearby racers. Avoid them and stick on the running water. The course is generally flat with some deviations and its core layout isn't nearly as complex as Koopa Cape. Still, there is river travel, land travel, underwater travel, a brief but perilous air travel where making a wrong move around the waterfalls or getting hit by an item can mean doom, as well as a fairly straightforward patch near the end that has some classic Off-Road rough.The turns are sharp here, but the course is wide enough that anyone with plenty of speed and poor handling can deal with it.

The Ghost here is Lakitu for some reason. As it's a course primarily associated with Mario Enemies but not really the dark and evil kind associated with Bowser, it makes sense for an enemy to call this home, and with Koopa and Wiggler attached to more obvious tracks, Lakitu ends up here. The Normal Staff Ghosts uses the Standard Kart, Monster Tires, and Super Glider, actually exactly the same as Koopa did on Koopa Cape, in 02:20.186. The Expert switches to Lakitu's signature Cloud 9, with Sponge Tires, and Paraglider in 02:06.540. While the Cloud 9 is a good Sea Kart, the Sponge Tires negates its usefulness. Either the Wood or Roller Tires are a better choice. With the actual need for Aerial Navigation around the water spouts, the Flower Glider or Peach Parasol may actually be a good choice as well.

Koopa Paratroopa

History:

After Wario supplanted him in the mid-90s the loyal Koopa Troopa Bowser had chosen to race with him in the Grand Prix was looking for any chance to get back into the Races. When the Partner Rules of the 2003 Grand Prix were settled Koopa managed to wrangle another one of Bowser's forces, Koopa Paratroopa to ride with him. Paratroopa had seen heavy aerial combat in the many Wars against the Mushroom Kingdom, and although he would have rather been fighting Mario he agreed to race instead. Although Koopa has since found some stability, appearing in later races, Paratroopa disappeared after his only appearance. Koopa suspects that he used too many of his Red Shells on Lord Bowser, possibly sealing his fate after hours.

Double Dash:

Paratroopa only appears in Double Dash, as the default partner of Koopa Troopa, tho Koopa came back for Wii. I imagine in DS and Wii his role as a minor enemy has been taken by the more aesthetically interesting Dry Bones. Anyway, Individual Characters didn't matter in Double Dash as much as their Karts did. Characters determined Special Items and Kart Selection but not Stats. Each Character, though, has his or her own Vehicle. Paratroopa rode in the Para Wing.

The Para Wing is decent among Light Karts, but not the best. Its Acceleration is the 3rd Best in the game and its weight is 16th (both 3rd among Light Karts). It's relationship to the Koopa Dasher is similar to the Goo Goo Buggy's relationship to the Rattle Buggy. It has better turn speed but slower Top Speed and Acceleration as well as average shocks for those bouncy courses. It also somewhat inexplicably has one of the worst Offroad Speeds for a Light Kart, beaten only by the Bullet Blaster.

Paratroopa shares Koopa's Item with no changes at all, making that pair basically identical. The Triple Shell is one of the better Items in the game, although they no longer circle the Kart providing protection from aberrant objects. It's still a very good defensive and offensive item. Red Shells are especially useful in that Second or Third Place position to directly take down those ahead. Since you can't hold Items behind you it's a bit more difficult to deflect incoming objects but not impossible. They're pretty useful for climbing up a Grand Prix ladder.

There are Secret Staff Ghosts for each Track in Double Dash. Since no Secret Characters are used as Ghosts, the Koopas inherited the Mushroom Tracks from the Toads. Paratroopa leads on Mushroom City with Koopa in tow using the Koopa Dasher in 1:50:663. He also appears on Mushroom Bridge this time behind Koopa and goes a time of 1:31:458/

Highway Tracks

History:

The Mushroom Innerkingdom Highway System was completed in 1954, which finally linked the many distant parts of the Kingdom together and allowed for both the many Adventures of Mario and Luigi as well as opportunities for Competition. Unlike ever before residents could travel across the lands and get to new places, most of which had new Race Tracks springing up as the Sport grew in popularity. As such, many of the power players from around the Mushroom World bought up land to make a Course or two, that is, except for Toad.

Toad was Consigliere to the Toadstool Royal Family and as such was forbidden to put his own money down to purchase land for commercial purposes. It was simply a conflict of interest. In order to get in on the Racing Action though, Toad was able to use certain portions of Public Roads as Race Tracks. It was a dangerous move, as he didn't shut the Highways down while doing this. In order to properly manage the tracks, many are close to his home of Mushroom City, tho some are also near his workplace, Peach's Castle.

64:

64 was again the initiator of this Track Trend. Toad's Turnpike opened up the Flower Cup which would be a common place for these kinds of tracks. It's virtually just a figure 8 with some hills that gently slope up and down along with some heavy traffic. The cars are a killer but it's really the big trucks that are very tricky to pass, especially when they pull up next to each other. The meridians are safe, but with 64's steering it's tough to stay there. There aren't any tough turns and plenty of straightaways, but you're never really going straight because there's a constant need to dodge other vehicles. Acceleration and handling are the absolute keys to all the Highway Tracks. In terms of geography, all of these are pretty close together, Toad's Turnpike is likely a highway leading into Mushroom City

Double Dash:

Super Circuit didn't have any Highway Tracks but Double Dash added two in Mushroom Bridge and Mushroom City. Mushroom Bridge is the rare Highway Track that takes place during the day. It's a bit more suburban than the hustle and bustle of the city and includes a huge bridge that has some nasty boosts but is cool if successful. Atop the bridge you can see Peach's Castle off in the distance, indicating that it's somewhat closer to the Heart of the Mushroom Kingdom. Mushroom Bridge again leads off the Flower Cup and is a pretty simple course, mostly a big loop with some curves through some tunnels, but again, the traffic, including a couple Bomb Karts makes it tricky, although this may be the most mildly dangerous one. Since no unlockable Character has a Secret Staff Ghost, the Ghost on this track is Koopa with Paratroopa in tow riding the Koopa Dasher in 1:31:458. It does return in DS however with Toad in the Mushmellow driving a  1:30:600.

From the Bridge we move on to the City, which is the only Highway Track to ever be in the Star Cup. It's actually pretty similar in construction to Toad's Turnpike, tho the overpass is a bit longer and there are multiple paths to take, although only the Secret Cut-Through Route is the smart one. It's also the only course that's featured in another course as Double Dash's Rainbow Road takes place in the skies above this City. For the Secret Staff Ghost, Paratroopa switches places with Koopa but stays in the Koopa Dasher with a time of 1:50:663. Again, the traffic here really isn't terrible to deal with (except for the Final On-Ramp) and the turns aren't really awful. If you drive on the edge of the wall you can avoid most of the Bigger Vehicles, I think you can go for Speed on this one, using something like the Piranha Pipes.

DS:

Shroom Ridge exists on the outskirts of Mushroom City and definitely contains the most complex course layout of the Highway Tracks. It has some brutal turns as well as oncoming traffic for the first time. The cars drive on the left-hand side, coming straight at the Player, in prior installments the Drivers always went with the flow. There is also a deadly drop-off for the first time. See, the gimmick of Highway Tracks used to only be that there were other Vehicles on the road. Shroom Ridge would be a fairly dangerous difficult track on its own (although maybe not concluding the Flower Cup), but the added Traffic makes it even tougher. You need to be able to react very fast here, so someone with expert Handling and Acceleration is key. Yoshi in the Egg 1 sounds good. The Ghost here is Toad in the Mushmellow again at 2:05:123.

Wii:

Half-Ridge...Half-City

Moonview Highway is really interesting. It's actually simply a big mash-up of Mushroom City and Shroom Ridge, with even a bit of Mushroom Bridge in there for good measure. Still, it's the only Highway Track in the Special Cup and it deserves to be there as one of the most difficult tracks in the game. There are huge cars and trucks that come barreling down the road, the most tricky parts are the blind turns that spell instant doom. There are also Vehicles that will actually swerve and change direction on the straightaways, meaning you go down one path to try to avoid something and it instead veers straight at you. If you're real sloppy you'll also fall off that bridge into the Unforgiving Abyss Below. There are two keys to this course: 1) Stay either in the middle of the road across the dividing lines where Cars are less likely to cross or on the left-hand side where you'll at least be going with traffic and 2) Hit the Double-X Boost while in the city. There are a series of boosts that go from left to right then right to left, do it while avoiding traffic and you'll get far ahead. Finally, there are Bomb Karts but no Mushroom Karts. Unfair.

Funky in the Spear is really good here although it's a bit uncontrollable and too slow to accelerate for effective Grand Prix Play. I prefer Daisy in the Mach Bike or Dolphin Dasher. The Staff Ghost is Peach, who has some Association with this track, there being a Giant Picture of her in Downtown and all. She's just a City Nightlife kind of Girl. She does a 02:16.802 in the Standard Kart M and then the Expert goes 02:04.163 in the Mach Bike.

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.