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.

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.

Thunderbolt

History:

It was Bowser's Dark Magic that first harnessed the power of Lightning. Lying under the constantly stormy skies of the Dark Land, Bowser was able to capture the daggers from the sky and confine it to an Item Box. Known more often as the Thunderbolt, this item was seen as counter to the Benefits of the Star. It would destroy all other players and allow its user to race ahead.

The Thunderbolt appears in:

64
Super Circuit
Double Dash
DS
Wii
7

The use of the Thunderbolt is similar in every game. Usually players have to be pretty far bac64 and Super Circuit, where the effects lasted longer and players were squished if run over (this returned in 7). From Double Dash on, Players are merely knocked around more easily, and from DS on players in a lower place would be affected for a shorter period of time.
k to get it from an Item Box. Once activated, every other player on the course is struck by Lightning and shrinks down to a miniature size. This makes them much slower, as well as more vulnerable to hazards on the course, including other racers. It was arguably a more fearsome weapon in

The only thing that can counter Thunderbolts are Stars, or in later games, Bullet Bills. If a Racer in Wii is using a Mega Mushroom, he or she will be reduced to normal size. Mistimed Lightning is perhaps the most dangerous - if it strikes when going over a jump players will be punished into the Abyss. The only exception for many years was barrel cannons or other jumps that prevented the ill effects. When these kinds of jumps became conduits for Air Travel in 7 this protection was negated. This makes 7 a much more dangerous game, and indeed, with the squishing effect back in force, the Thunderbolt has some teeth again.

There's no telling when Lightning will strike. It's the number one reason not to hold on to items very long and is a great interrupter of strategy. From DS on, the Thunderbolt can cause players struck to lose their items, which was absent from 64 and Super Circuit. Generally this seems to happen whenever you've been holding a Red Shell for just the perfect moment to strike. It promotes a healthy turnover in gameplay.

Super Circuit Battle Course 4

History:

Yoshi's Battle Stages were few and far between but in the wake of Mario and Bowser's advancements, he transformed a section of his newly purchased Yoshi Desert into a unique Battle Stage. While Yoshi had difficulty maintaining many of his tracks, this barren patch of land stayed in his possession although it became vacant for decades.

Super Circuit:

This is an interesting stage. It has a relatively simple layout although it's punctuated by five water hazard patches. Trying to traverse these will lead to certain doom. It's also one of only two Desert Battle Stages (the other being Wii's Thwomp Desert). It's clearly modeled after Yoshi Desert and is also the only Battle Stage obliquely associated with the Dinosaur. All of this means it's a very unique course that has never really been revisited.

Super Circuit Battle Course 3

History:

Princess Peach would later be a great Battle Stage innovator through her massive cake baking, but in her earlier years she mostly just ripped off Mario. Her Battle Course 3 is based on many of the plumber's technical designs with almost no originality of her own. Still, she built it on the Royal Grounds next to the Peach Circuit.

Super Circuit:

There isn't a ton to go on here. It is basically a version of Battle Course 1 although there's a bit more sand in a rounded patch and four barriers rather than eight. Still, its simplicity is beneficial and there isn't a ton of room to hide.

The Stage returned as a Retro Course in Wii with basically no changes, except it's on a bit larger scale. It's well suited for a higher number of players that can create more hazards in the open terrain. The slow sand patch in the middle is a certain deathtrap and should be avoided. The rest of the stage tends to be filled with bananas, bombs, fake item boxes, and shells, and players ought to be on guard.

Super Circuit Battle Course 2

History:

Bowser always sought to get the jump on Mario's innovations and develop his own sinister counters. He submitted a great chamber in one of his Castle's Dungeons for a Battle Stage. This would prove to be the last Battle Stage that Bowser developed, as his focus turned to Racetracks, as his were always some of the most complex and intricate.

Super Circuit:

This Stage is a combination of Bowser Castle 2 and Bowser Castle 3 from Super Circuit. Like Bowser Castle 2 it is deep in the interior of the Castle, but it seems to have the same blue track layout from Bowser Castle 3. Most of the action takes place around the outer rim as the inner square is difficult to get to because of borders on the North and South ends, although there are jumps that provide access by the East and West. Any edge can be used to escape, though. This makes for less chaos in the middle because less Battlers and objects end up there. Still, the course is small enough for Battlers to be ruthless around the perimeter.

Super Circuit Battle Course 1

History:

Mario always overextended himself, attempting to be a pioneer in Battle Stages as well as Racetrack Ownership. He retooled his Battle Course 4 from the Original Kart Games into Battle Course 1, largely simplifying it in the interest of accelerating the mayhem. It worked and this has been one of the more successful Battle Stages yet.

Super Circuit:

This track is really similar to Battle Course 4 from SMK, but drastically shrunk and simplified. Instead of twenty coloured barriers there are only eight. The course keeps its sandy pit in the middle to slow down wandering battlers and make them more susceptible to chaos. Other than that it's awfully simple, which means it has great potential to let Battlers be Battlers.

The Stage returned in 7 as a Retro Battle Course. Not much changed besides the addition of Rocky Wrenches to assault players. There isn't much of a reason for this other than to spice up an otherwise uninteresting course. Still, courses like this that fill themselves with the hectic mania of Battle tend to be the better ones.

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.

Bananas

History:

There is nothing more valuable on the DK Isle than Bananas. In a land rich with currency, Kong holds nothing above his precious Golden Banana Collection. During the Original Grand Prix when the Council deemed that every competing civilisation give up something substantial to contribute to the Item Panels, Kong let go of a few thousand Bananas. Ever since then, they have been a staple of the Tournament.

The Banana Peel Appears in:


SMK
64
Super Circuit
Double Dash
DS
Wii
7

The Banana Peel has appeared in every game since Mario Kart's inception. It is the primary defensive weapon and the most common weapon dropped behind players rather than in front. It can be used offensively by throwing it forward, but this is difficult to pull off with precision. Different games handled the Banana in different ways. In every game besides Double Dash players can hold the banana behind their cart as a defense against Shells and shell-like items, although if the Shell comes in by the Front or Side of the Kart this is useless.

In Mario Kart 64 players could also recover from crossing a banana if they didn't immediately peel out. In other games, Bananas lead to certain doom. It's always an Item more commonly encountered in Higher Places during the race and careful placement on the track will ensure it remains that way.

The Banana Bunch Appears in:


64

Mario Kart 64 also boasts the only appearance of the Banana Bunch. A version would return as the Triple Banana in later games, but 64 is the only one to feature the succession of five peels dragging behind a Kart. Not only did this allow players to leave longer trails of hazards, but they would have more dangers dangling behind their vehicles for players who travel too close to run into.

The Giant Banana Appears in:


Double Dash

This is an Special Item reserved for Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong. The Giant Banana is as it sounds - a monstrous frowny banana that takes up most of the track. it is one of the better defensive options and great for players ahead in Grand Prix because it will come up often and block everyone coming up the rear.

Once players strike the Giant Banana it will break up into Three smaller Bananas. The same effect will happen when a Bowser Shell hits it or a Chain-Chomp munches through it.

The Triple Banana Appears in:


DS
Wii
7

Ever since DS multiple Bananas have come in groups of three, not five like the Banana bunch. Besides limiting the amount of obstacles drivers can leave on the course there is no real difference here.

Mushrooms

History:

While the Mushroom People covet neither coins, nor bananas, nor stars, their main love is Mushrooms. Such huge Mushrooms are plentiful in the Mushroom Kingdom and shared by all. The love of Mushroom Breeding takes the interest of many Mushroom People and there have been developed many different varieties. When deciding the Items to be included in the Initial Grand Prix, the Council argued for hours over what resources the different lands should give up. It was eventually decided that the Dark Land would supply thousands of Green Shells while the Mushroom Kingdom would give up many of their own Mushrooms for the success of the Games.

The Mushroom Appears in:


SMK
64
Super Circuit
Double Dash
DS
Wii
7

The Mushroom works similarly in every game and has made an appearance in everything since SMK. It provides Drivers with a sudden, temporary burst of speed that allows them to cut through offroad patches, knock around other players, or just gain some ground. It does not, however, render players invincible, and as such they are still vulnerable to any hazard the Course has to offer. If during this speed boost, players hit other drivers they will steal an opposing item. In Battle Mode this means that players will steal a balloon.

There are other ways to get Mushrooms on a course. Sometimes they are hidden in boxes or under piles of leaves, and if Goombas are struck by Lightning they will revert to their once-innocent Mushroom status.

The Triple Mushroom Appears In:

64
Super Circuit
Double Dash
DS
Wii
7

This item has is identical to the Mushroom but players receive three at a time. Since it was introduced in 64, it has been included in every game to date.


The Super/Golden Mushroom Appears In:


64
Double Dash*
DS
Wii
7

Known as either the Super Mushroom or the Golden Mushroom, this has appeared in every game since 64 with the exception of Super Circuit. Once activated, it grants players the effect of a Mushroom for an unlimited amount of times within a limited time period. This is another item that players will often receive when they are hanging out towards the back of the pack, and can be dangerous if they are activated on a complex course with many edges leading to the Abyss.

*In Double Dash this item was not available to everyone, but rather it existed as Toad and Toadette's Special Item. It is not that useful because it will not appear if players are in a High Position already. Therefore it is more well-suited for novices.

The Mega Mushroom Appears In:


Wii

The Mega Mushroom gives players the effect of what Mushrooms typically do to Mario in mainstream games: Make Huge. Once huge, players will get a speed boost as well as the ability to crush other players and obstacles. Nigh omnipotent, Mega Mushrooms still fall prey to the Star.

Star

History:

Stars are the source of the most ancient power in the Galaxy. The combined power of the Stars fuels Rosalina's godlike abilities, and when twisted, most of the Dark Lord Bowser's as well. It can sustain entire Galaxies or Kingdoms in power and the limitations of their use are determined solely by the mortals using them. In the hands of someone pure, like Mario, the Stars are used to rejuvenate and replenish decimated Kingdoms and Peoples. In the hands of Bowser they are used only to torment and destroy.

Their use in Mario Kart was controversial. They are so powerful that when setting the Items many racers had reservations, which come up whenever the Council decides what to include in the next Grand Prix. It was determined in the initial Tournament that the effects of a Starman be temporary, but during that time, very substantial indeed.

The Star Appears in:


SMK
64
Super Circuit
Double Dash
DS
Wii
7

The Star is the end-all of all items. It supersedes every other Item and ability. When using it players are invincible, their speed becomes comparable to the use of a continuous Mushroom, and they don't lose anything by traveling over rough terrain. If you are lucky enough to get one, usually when closer to the bottom of the pack, there is nothing better for making your own shortcut.

The Star beats Bowser Shells, Giant Bananas, Chain Chomps, Bob-Ombs, and Fireballs in Double Dash. In Wii it takes precedence over players activating either Bullet Bills or Mega Mushrooms. In all games players will be invulnerable to Lighting as well as Blooper Attacks. The only thing that can halt the Power of the Stars is a plummet into the Abyss.

Rainbow Road

History:

The original Grand Prix Racers struggled to come up with a culmination of their collective efforts. They eventually found a solution in the Sky - using their combined powers and the almost unlimited potential of Stars, they created the first Rainbow Road. They continued to operate in tandem for years, creating a truly non-partisan final course. After the turn of the Century though, this became unwieldy. With the growing popularity of Racers' personal tracks and investments it became difficult for them to join together to create the Rainbow Road. Still using Star Power, they decided to delegate its construction to a smaller committee.

SMK Rainbow Road in Mario Kart 7

In 2001 Bowser's presence was felt in Rainbow Road and he oversaw construction closely from his Floating Castle. In 2003 this fell to Mario and Peach who worked together using their formidable resources to construct the track floating over Mushroom City. Other parties, notably Bowser, resented this and in the next Tournament it fell to R.O.B. who had less of a bias. As R.O.B. did not participate in any other Grand Prix, Rosalina used her vast Galactic Powers to construct the next track in the fringes of the Mushroom World's Atmosphere. Finally, the latest track was overseen by the Honey Queen, who stepped in and used her wide sphere of influence to construct a track across the planets themselves. Lakitu, after decades of his species officiating the races also stepped in to revive the Original Rainbow Road course.

SMK:

Rainbow Road has been one of the most consistent conventions of the Mario Kart series. It always concludes the Special Cup and serves as the Final Course in the game and usually one of the more difficult. No Rainbow Road has any Offroad and they are always suspended in space or the sky, which means that there is a constant danger of falling into the abyss. SMK's Rainbow Road doesn't have the most difficult turns in the game and is completely flat, but its trickiness is precisely that: It is full of 90° turns that come right after long straightaways and with exactly zero guardrails the course is perilous indeed. There are also thwomps that smash players and a few narrower portions where it's easy to get knocked around (and off). Its rainbow portions make up a sort of tile on the track.

Like every course from SMK, this was re-made in Super Circuit. The course also returned in Mario Kart 7 to conclude the Lightning Cup, the Final Retro Cup. It is largely similar although now when the thwomps pound the shockwave makes the track bouncy. It is also one of only two courses (the other being N64 Luigi's Raceway) to have no Air or Sea portions. The Ghost is Lakitu. Using the Pipe Frame, Slim Wheels, and Super Glider, the Normal Staff Ghost goes 01:34.459. This could be advantageous, as his Drift, Mini-Turbo, and Handling are top-notch at the expense of speed.The Expert Ghost goes 01:21.994 using the Cloud 9, Roller Wheels, and Paraglider. The Roller Wheels play into both the Cloud 9's strengths and weaknesses. Still, neither Ghost has all that much speed. If you can get going and not fall off, it should be a cinch.

64:

I consider 64's incarnation of Rainbow Road to be the grandest of them all. It is by far the longest course in Mario Kart history, usually taking around six minutes to complete. It is the only Rainbow Road completely surrounded by guardrails but there is danger both from errant shells bouncing around forever on the course as well as from the hungry chain chomps that roll by to ruin a Driver's day. More than that though, with its grand hills, long straightaways, and extremely tight turns, the course offers a bit for every playing style. Without a tremendous amount of interruptions, it allows these playing styles to play out. That is, whoever wins Rainbow Road a true driving champion. It is also so extravagantly long that players have time to catch up if they get the right items, or conversely based on skill, time to create an impressive lead.

The track is in the reaches of space, like the version from SMK. There are neon images hovering above the track of each Racer, as well as some items like Boo and the Mushroom. The track itself is much smoother than SMK, comprised of horizontal bands of every major colour in the Rainbow.

This course returned to close out the Lightning Cup in Mario Kart 8. There are some other major differences, including the presence of air jumps near the start and finish as well as large portions of the track now transformed into anti-gravity sections. It's really a bastardized version, though, because it has been transformed from taking three laps to only one, similar to Mount Wario, the Wuhu Tracks, or the Rainbow Road from 7. This makes the course much easier, although there are now spots lacking guardrails, which makes things slightly tougher. The Chain Chomps also no longer roam like maniacs but merely bounce up and down, shaking up the course. The only other major geographical difference is that it now takes place over a city, similar to Double Dash, instead of in the middle of space. The rainbow itself is also tiled more similar to SMK than the clean strips we saw in 64. All in all, despite the anti-gravity sections being pretty awesome, it's a big step down.

The Ghost this time around is Metal Mario, a signifier of his other-worldly nature, but also very in line with both Mario and ROB being previous Ghosts of these tracks. He uses the Standard ATV for some insane reason, with Monster Tires and Super Glider. There's no reason to need that level of traction and almost anything is going to get you going faster. Handling is an issue here, use lighter weights sparingly.

Super Circuit:

The Super Circuit incarnation combines some elements from both SMK and 64. Its pattern is similar to 64 but with a brighter tone and it shares a large amount of tight turns, but the whole course is flat. There is also a fair amount of both guardrails and gaps to endanger Racers. There are boost panels for the first time, which tend to hinder novices but excite veterans. Some of these, as well as Mushrooms, can provide some significant shortcuts to blast through this course.

For the first time, too, the track is not in space but clearly in the night sky. Players drive by clouds, which can land on players, shrinking them down. Bowser's Castle is also a constant presence in the background.

Double Dash:

Rainbow Road started getting really crazy in Double Dash, living up to its status as the Ultimate Test of a Mario Karter's Mettle. Like Super Circuit it contains both stretches with guardrails and very dangerous unguarded portions that can lead to certain doom. It also brings back Dash Panels, the course is full of them, which can be dangerous or a benefit depending on a Player's skill level. While looking down on the course from above it may not seem like much but there are extreme changes in elevation that can make the course very difficult as it is full of spiral turns that require excellent driving to get through. There is also an enormous vertical boost, the only one of its kind.

The Track itself is suspended over Mushroom City, making it another course that is in the Sky and not Space. The course is almost panel like, and it glistens in faded Rainbow Colours that merge, blend, and reflect with each other. The track is also very bumpy, and green shells are virtually useless. There is the occasional Star that lands, however. Still, items like the Star or Golden Mushroom can prove more fatal than beneficial. Like 64 there are objects suspended across the course, this time each characters' Special Item. They are more three-dimensional than the 2-D Neon Glow of 64, though.

Double Dash only had one set of Staff Ghosts. The pair here are Mario and Peach, the only such Ghost Team of unnatural pairs. Using Mario's Red Fire they pull a 3:16:476. This makes it the longest course in the game. It is again a course that can fit many playing styles and mastering drifting while staying on the middle of the track will lead to success.

DS:

What appears as a simple Figure-8 is much more. The DS version of Rainbow Road features the only full Loop in Mario Kart History, as well as a difficult Spiral Track. In the vein of recent Rainbow Roads this track is full of Dash Panels and mixes guarded sections with difficult sharp turns that offer no protection. The key here though, is both the Loop and the Spiral and players must be cautious about being hit with Blue Shells or Thunderbolts as they'll plummet to their doom.

The Track is back in Space although it has a blue rather than black hue, suggesting it may still be somewhere in the Upper Atmosphere. The course itself has vertical rather than horizontal bands of Rainbow Colours and looks more similar in tone to SMK than the brighter, faded hues of Double Dash or Super Circuit.

The Ghost here is R.O.B. in the R.O.B.-BLS who goes 2:16:246. R.O.B. is a weird robot and so fits the weirdness or the ultimateness of this course. This version requires good drifting ability as most of the straightaways are full of dash panels anyway, and the toughest parts in Time Trials are surely the turns and not the Loop. Many of DK's Karts such as the Wildlife and Rambi Rider have both high speed and drift and may be a good option. It is actually by a good margin not the longest track in the game, that distinction goes to Waluigi Pinball.

Wii:

This perhaps the craziest Rainbow Road, almost an unbelievable judgment. Like the courses from 64 and Double Dash it begins with a steep drop, although in this incarnation the drop is no hill but a sheer cliff. There are Boost Panels everywhere, along with spots to pull some tricks and many unguarded sections besides a few turns and the starting point. Its most distinctive feature may be the wavy section that drops down into a wide section of track punctured by two massive holes that lead to oblivion. Following this is a Star Warp that sends the players high above and across a great distance to the final third. It's similar to the Vertical Boost from Double Dash, but it travels horizontally a great deal as well.

The Course finds a median between Sky and Space and is clearly positioned very high in the Earth's Atmosphere. Players who fall off will begin to burn up in re-entry. Visible though, are moons, planets, bits of debris, and star bits floating around the cosmos. The track itself is similar to Double Dash, a reflective shimmering rainbow, although it is not as opaque or bleached out.

The Ghost here is Rosalina, reflective of her Galactic Status. The Normal Ghost appropriately uses the Shooting Star in 03:05.895 while the Expert switches to the Jetsetter in 02:44.734. Both do well in the hands of Rosalina. Karts are a bit more stable and perform better than Bikes here. Funky's speed applied to the Flame Flyer is a great option, but again, the course has bits to fit any playing style. In terms of length, the course barely beats Bowser's Castle to be the longest Original Track in the game but it is actually still shorter than the N64 version of Bowser's Castle, which closes out the Retro Tracks.

7:

The Final Rainbow Road to date is truly Galactic. 7 introduced the idea that courses could be only one lap, albeit a very long one. After Wuhu Loop and Maka Wuhu the last one-Lap track is this game's installment of Rainbow Road.  There are not as many drastic elevation changes, but there are extended Air Portions, multiple path choices, and a wavy road full of holes reminiscent of the Wii version. This time, however, players drop down to the surface of a Moon. Dash panels abound again, and one of the course's more distinct features may be a long Rainbow Tube that doesn't quite do what the Spiral in DS did.

The Course is truly in space. For the first time Players can drive not only on bits of Rainbow but the rings of a Saturn-like Planet as well as what appears to be the surface of a moon. There a a few places to catch some Air, the longer of which is full of Asteroids to dodge and Star Boosts to hit to keep up Air Travel. Failing to hit these can lead a Driver to either the course below or death. The track itself is a swirl of colours that evokes the vertical pattern of DS but gives it a greater swirl like Wii.

The Ghost here is the Honey Queen, perhaps due to her status as Intergalactic Royalty. The Normal uses the Birthday Girl, Slim Wheels, and Peach Parasol in 02:10.090 . This is a pretty good choice, but the Peach Parasol is egregiously slow in the air. The Expert switches to her own Bumble V, Standard Wheels, and Flower Glider in 01:52.077. This is again solid, although the Glider can definitely be upgraded. There are more turns, gaps, and last-minute decisions to be made her than a need for raw speed. The greatest straightaways are through the air, so pick someone with good handling and drift that maintains velocity in the Air. Something like the Bumble V, Cloud 9, or Pipe Frame, along with the Sponge or Wood Tires ought to do the job.

8:

The Rainbow Road here returns to much of what made the Wii Rainbow Road great - set high in space with the Earth down below, with insane, impossible turns, split sections, and a massive air boost. Like 7, though, there is also some significant sections where no rainbow is traveled on, instead there exists a massive orbiting space station with shifting directional paths. It's also notable for being the only Rainbow Road with a small patch of Off-Road, though. It's completely allergic to barriers, and very easy to fall off when zooming along with anti-gravity. Anti-gravity, by the way, was made for this course, and it employs them perhaps better, or at least more extensively than any other course in 8.

Depending on your comfortability with that, you'll surely want someone with proper handling that won't fall into the abyss. The Ghost here is Pink Gold Peach, who uses the Comet, Slim Tires, and Super Glider. That's a damn fast combination but you can use the Slick Tires to get that anti-gravity speed up and perhaps someone with less weight for better handling during those deadly turns. The use of Peach in her Pink Gold diecast here may be a reference to her Ghost from Double Dash, along with the use of Metal Mario in the 64 Rainbow Road.

In-Depth Course Data

Selecting a racer to fit a track is one of the most important features of any Mario Kart game. Why select someone with great offroad abilities if the track has no offroad portions? In Mario Kart 7 this becomes even more important when courses offer extensive travel by Air and Sea. The following charts distinguish some different course aspects:

For the following post observe this key:

Super Mario Kart

Mario Kart 64

Mario Kart Super Circuit

Mario Kart Double Dash!!

Mario Kart DS

Mario Kart Wii

Mario Kart 7

Terrain:

Terrain doesn't really matter, but it's interesting. The most common kind of Terrain is pavement, followed by Dirt. There are much more Combinations of Terrain, though, more often in the later games such as DS, Wii, and 7. The most varied terrain often come in Beach or Water courses. Cheep Cheep Beach from DS has long stretches of sandy beaches, wooden piers, and a dirt track jungle section. Both Pipe Tracks, Koopa Cape and Piranha Plant Slide have four different varieties of terrain.

Koopa Cape is also the only course with glass sections in its long pipe portions. Other unique terrain include the Keyboards in 7's Music Park and Carpet Sections in that game's version of Mario Circuit and Bowser's Castle, as well as DS's Luigi's Mansion. There are also the three bizarre unique tracks from Super Circuit, Cheese Land, Ribbon Road, and Sky Garden. Of course, in every game there is a Rainbow Road track made out of Rainbow. 7 has the unique feature of splitting its Rainbow Road between Rainbow and a Planet's Surface, though.

Other interesting tidbits include the sand tracks making up Deserts and Beaches, the decline of Ice Tracks and surge of Metal Tracks, as well as Wood. There are many small wooden bridges in different courses (Riverside Park, Peach Gardens, etc), but we tried to include predominant Terrain, mostly material that took up at least a quarter of a track. Every pure Wood course was a Ghost Track until Daisy Cruser in Double Dash.

Edges:

We have four categories for the amount of Edges a course can have. Continuous Edges include tracks that have a constant danger, surrounded by the Abyss, as in Ghost Tracks, Lava, as in Bowser Castles, as well as Sky and Space in the Rainbow Roads and Sky Garden. As noted, Sky Garden lacks edges, although there are plenty of offroad buffers, Rainbow Road 64 is the only Rainbow Road with a continuous guardrail, and Rainbow Road SMK is the only course with no guardrail at all.

Limited Edges are by far the most populous kind of courses. These are courses where racers can fall off at some point. This includes small gaps such as in Coconut Mall or Shy Guy Bazaar, cliff edges for limited sections of track such as Moonview Highway or Wario Colosseum or even long stretches such as Yoshi Valley or DK Mountain. Finally, this also includes tracks that are landlocked but still have kart-destroying hazards such as the water in the SMK Donut Plains Tracks, Toad's Factory, and Desert Hills.

The Shore courses are mostly Beach and Desert Tracks. They involve the gradual destruction of karts tho not a hard edge. The best example is Koopa Troopa Beach, where you can certainly die in the water, but you're not falling off anything. The same goes for Dry Dry Desert, and even Frappe Snowland, where you can drive off into oblivion. These courses do not have walls limiting the driver's exploration.

Finally, we have true Landlocked Tracks, where there is no way without severe glitching that racers can fall off. This includes many of the easier Circuit Courses, but also some surprises like DK Pass, Sunset Wilds, and Cheep Cheep Cape.

Offroad:

This is the most important course feature to understand and memorize. We have developed Five Different Standards of Offroad that are found in Mario Kart. The first is unavoidable sections, Offroad that is Essential to Course. This is whenever you must travel over Offroad with no option to go around. These are the most important to consider when picking a driver. The best examples are Shy Guy Beach and Luigi's Mansion.

The second are All-Encompassing. The tracks on these courses are surrounded or mostly surrounded by Offroad and usually they can be used for shortcuts to skimp across sections of track. Many courses are like this, from Grumble Volcano to most Mario Circuits. Also included are tracks with small but important Offroad portions that are essential for shortcuts, such as Waluigi Stadium and Mushroom Bridge.

Next we have courses where Offroad is existent but cannot really be used for any gain. Basically, while it's there, there's no reason it should be traversed and it's much less important to pick a Driver who has good Offroad. Basically the only advantage of using one of these characters here would to have less catastrophic consequences after a screw-up. These include many Luigi Circuits, but also much more complex courses filled with other dangers, such as Dino Dino Jungle and Mushroom Gorge.

There are also courses that have very limited Offroad sections that could affect gameplay but only in very isolated portions. Unlike Waluigi Stadium, for instance, though, they can't really be used for shortcuts. While the Existent Courses are essentially all-encompasing but do not affect gameplay, the tracks with limited offroad offer only small chunks. A lot of Bowser's Castle are like this, but there's also weird little bits in tracks like Music Park and Toad's Factory.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, there are courses that completely lack any Offroad at all. There are actually more of these courses than any other, which is a substantial fact (although there are certainly more Offroad Tracks combined). These include every Rainbow Road, most Bowser Castles, and most Ghost Tracks. There are also city courses like Toad's Turnpike and Mushroom City as well as some surprises like Sherbert Land 64 and Maple Treeway.

Mario Kart 7:

Mario Kart 7 presents the interesting issue of combining Air and Sea travel with the standard Land Travel. Air and Sea speed and handling significantly change based on Driver, Kart, Wheel, and Glider selection, but that shouldn't matter depending on what course is chosen. Many tracks have some kind of Air Travel (23/32), but sometimes this can be avoided. A smaller number involve Sea travel (8/32), and some have both, especially later courses. Only the retro Luigi's Raceway and Rainbow Road lack any kind of either Air or Sea, so you need to prepare for something in most cases. Also depending on your skills, you may be able to avoid Sea Travel (in Koopa Troopa Beach, Daisy Cruiser, and Rosalina's Ice World), although this may not be the most direct option.

Ribbon Road

History:

All residents of the Mushroom Kingdom generally celebrate the birthdays of the Royal Family. Princess Peach was no different. She had literally mountains of presents stacked throughout the Kingdom and in an unprecedented move, decided to actually generate some public funds from the celebration. She used her Birthday Supplies to actually create a Grand Prix Race Course, the Ribbon Road. She used Star Magic to make the Ribbon suitable for motorists and then donated all proceeds of its exhibition to the State Department, which of course was mostly used to clear the land of all the garbage generated from her Birthday Celebration. Toad, speaking on behalf of the Mushroom Constituency, did not allow Peach to pull this kind of stunt again, as it was never that popular anyway.

Super Circuit:

Ribbon Road is another weird course, whose type only appears in Super Circuit, this time as the Second Track in the Star Cup. It is literally a big red ribbon with some somehow slower Ribbon Offroad that can bog Karts down on the twisty, turny track. There are lots of turns, jumps and boosts, one of which can lead to a massive shortcut. Toad is very good here because he won't lose a ton of speed on those edges. There is a long straightaway leading up to the starting point, but its really not worth a heavy weight who is going to get marred on the edges and lose everything on those turns. This is a strange course, it's never made an appearance outside of Super Circuit, it would be difficult to justify its existence geographically in a game of any higher amount of bits.

Cloud Tracks

History:

The Sky Garden course is one of the very few in Sarasaland, homeland of Princess Daisy. It floats on the skies high above the Capitol Kingdom of Chai. Using some of the Kingdom's own magical essence and the tall vines in the Kingdom the track is supported on the very clouds themselves. Its dangerous access and expensive upkeep led to no other tracks developing up here although this course has returned on a few subsequent Grand Prix under the administration of Daisy.

The blueprints of stable cloud and vine racing technology was eventually adapted in another location, off the Western Coast of the Dark Land, officially in neutral territory, but filled with many of Lord Bowser's Airships. Bowser and Baby Rosalina made a landmark deal to decommission a small portion of his fleet in the interests of the race course. It was one of Baby Rosalina's first moves upon entering the current timestream, and evidently Bowser held her Galactic Authority in high regard despite his attempts to upset her older counterpart.

Super Circuit:

This is the Second Track in the Lightning Cup, which appears only in Super Circuit. It's a bit difficult, almost Rainbow Road-esque with its lack of borders, although the course is wide enough with some cloudy Offroad meridians that slow Racers down. There are also plenty of boosts to avoid some close portions of track. It is basically a simple loop with a handful of tight turns. Control is very important here around the edges so someone like Peach or Yoshi would be valuable. In Grand Prix someone a bit heavier like Kong or Wario might be useful in order to avoid being knocked around.

This track returned in DS where the Staff Ghost is Daisy on one of her random appearances in this game. She utilises the Power Flower in 1:44:400. There is also a Luigi Blimp floating around, which suggests that it might be in the Mushroom Kingdom, but more likely it's Luigi staking his claim on Daisy's territory.

8:

It's great to see such the amalgamation here of two of Mario Kart's more bizarre courses - Super Circuit's Sky Garden and DS's Airship Fortress. Cloudtop Cruise has four major sections: Some curves on solid clouds, a brief overlay on to the deck of one of Bowser's Airships, an anti-grav section on a metal track inside of an active thunderstorm, and finally across a gargantuan vine growing out of a ? Box. It's pretty diverse but thematically sound. There aren't even a ton of spots to fall off of, unless you botch one of the two air jumps sandwiching the thundercloud or botch the supple slope of the vine.

The Staff Ghost is Baby Rosalina, in perhaps a nod to her other worldly or heavenly nature among the clouds. She uses the Biddybuggy, Standard Tires, and Super Glider, which means her speed is ridiculously low but she can handle like a dream. Handling isn't completely necessary here, the only really difficult turns would be on the Airship deck. Go with something crazy fast like the Mach 8 and Slick Tires and then adjust your handling needs by the Driver's weight class. All you need to beat is 2:26.347.

Cheese Land

History:

After he forcibly started advancing Koopa Kingdom technology in the late 90s, Lord Bowser developed Space Travel through the use of Dark Magic and a very focused use of resources. He first landed on the Mushroom World's Moon, which he found to be made entirely of Yellow Cheese. With a new Grand Prix looming he obviously saw an opportune moment to create the first track outside of the Mushroom World besides the Rainbow Road. He dubbed his new conquest Cheese Land, and despite its effectiveness as a course, the long journey and little popularity among racers or spectators caused Bowser to abandon it soon after the 2001 Cup. No one has claimed anything on the Moon since.

Super Circuit:

Cheese Land is a bizarre track that only appears in the Flower Cup in Super Circuit. The path seems to be all Cheese surrounded by some...staler browner cheese that slows Karts down. There are some moldy twists and gentle turns and one big jump over a portion of the course. Based on the fact that there is an Earth-like planet in the sky on this course as well as the notion that the Moon generally appears yellow (see Moonview Highway) has driven me to the idea that this place is on the Moon. Of course there are places like Cheese Bridge but there is no cheese there. This track has not returned since Super Circuit, nor has there ever been another incarnation of it. That's probably a good thing.

Jungle Tracks

History:

There are many Jungles throughout the Mushroom Kingdom, many of which have seen the intrusion of Race Tracks, seemingly inescapable in any location. Riverside Park was developed by Wario during his many travels to the far reaches of the Kingdom. It exists through the Emerald Passage far beyond the Dry Dry Desert. Wario also sought to develop the Lakeside Park park track on DK Island, next to the Monkey Mountains. Eventually as tensions rose between him and Kong this track was shut down and no one has raced there in a decade.

Yoshi's Island is the location of Yoshi Falls and Dino Dino Jungle, both in the midst of lush water resources. Yoshi however, after overextending himself in numerous Desert Tracks was forced to sell the Dino Dino Jungle rights to Kong, who, with no interest in managing the course, gave it to his buddy Diddy.

Super Circuit:

There are two similar Jungle Tracks in Super Circuit that have never appeared in any other game. Riverside Park is as it sounds - a winding twisting track around and across a wide river. It is also possible to use some nasty shortcuts here. There are a few straightaways but nothing that dominates the course, and much more often there's tight turns with a lot of grassy off-road spots. Someone Lightweight is going to be the key here that can maintain speed while dealing with all that junk. For only being the third track in the Mushroom Cup it's a decently complex track, with jumps and twists and hazards.

Lakeside Park is the same kind of deal. It's a winding track around a bit wider water hazard, although it does have the distinction of transitioning from daylight to darkness after the huge volcano erupts. There is somehow both more of a straightaway and more sharp turns, making a clear-cut choice for who should race this more difficult. Since Toad and Peach by far the better Drivers in this game, they're always a safe choice. This course leads off the Special Cup, which is actually similar to D.K.'s Jungle Parkway leading off that Cup in MK64. It also features a big jump and lots of water danger, making it somewhat of a spiritual successor.

Double Dash:

Again in the Special Cup, Double Dash featured Dino Dino Jungle, which can be a very difficult course. It's a relatively simple Figure-8 but features an unstoppable gigantic Dinosaur over part of the course and then a dastardly wooden bridge without guardrails. There's also evil geysers that erupt from the ground but generally you can see them coming. There are a good amount of hills near the finish line that will decimate Kart without good shocks like the Waluigi Racer, probably at the time you need it most. This map actually does a nice job dividing the track into four quarter-sections: Jungle, Bridge, Cave and Mountain.

Double Dash had Secret Staff Ghosts for each track in Time Trials. The Ghost here is Diddy Kong taking the lead with his partner, Donkey Kong. They ride in the DK Jumbo because of Donkey's heavyweight status. Still, they put in a time of 2:00:908. I suppose they needed to give the Jungle Course to the Monkey since Donkey has DK Mountain.

This course returns in Mario Kart 7 where it is generally the same. There are some more Air boost panels and a few other small differences but other than that it hasn't changed a huge amount. The Staff Ghost here is Yoshi in a befitting way. The Normal Ghost goes 02:29.837 in the Egg 1 using Roller Wheels and the Parafoil. The Expert uses the Egg 1 again in Monster Wheels and Swoop Glider. He'll have decent speed and very good handling. The moderate amount of air travel doesn't make air speed a necessity, stick to something with good acceleration around those turns, such as sticking the Wood Wheels on the Soda Jet.

DS:

Yoshi Falls is one of the shortest courses in any Mario Kart game and is really a very simple loop. Therefore we see it in the Mushroom Cup, in fact, it's the Second Course of the game. The key here is getting the inside track, because the actual course is very wide. What makes this difficult is the occasional waterfall along the Inside Track that can be very hazardous for sloppy drivers. The first and third falls are the only ones that inexperienced drivers should attempt to cross, the middle is much steeper and more dangerous. Beyond that, plenty of gentle curves and nice straightaways, feel free to nab someone like Bowser who has some Speed.

DS also had Staff Ghosts. Here Yoshi clocks in at  0:57:677 driving the Egg 1. This course came back in Wii though with no major changes. That game had both Normal Ghosts and unlockable Expert Ghosts. The Ghost is Yoshi again, this time the Normal uses the Zip Zip in 01:16.461 and the Expert goes  01:09.175 in the Super Blooper. He uses the Super Blooper, really? It's the only Ghost use of that Kart in the game. It's easy now to switch to Funky, who tears through this thing.

8:

The Thwomp Ruins could be considered a Jungle Track but it was different enough that I considered it its own course. You can find more information about it here.

Royal Tracks

History:

Soon after the young Princess Peach was thrust into the Rule of the Mushroom Kingdom in 1983 after the death of her Father, the Kingdom fell into Financial Ruin. Since the Mushroom People are not naturally capitalistic they remained mostly ignorant however, and their simple farming and trading ways were hardly affected. Some of the larger Banks of Mushroom City and beyond were launched into Crisis though, and many foreclosed. It wasn't until the Racing Grand Prix that began in the early 90s did the economy get a shot in the arm. Not only did more people pay huge sums of cash to see the races, many different parties developed Tracks across the Kingdom, which led to massive Population Movements. It wasn't long then, until with the advice of Toad, her Consigliere, that Peach developed the Royal Raceway on what used to be her Personal Grounds. While later her suitor Mario would develop his own tracks on Private Royal land, Peach also founded the Peach Circuit immediately South of her Official Lands as well as her expansive Private Gardens, the Peach Gardens, which were full of tamed Chain Chomps.

In addition to all this, Daisy, Princess and Ruler of Sarasaland also recently developed a course on the Isle of Delfino, which has proved incredibly popular with both the native Piantas and residents of the Mushroom Kingdom on vacation. We've included it here as the only other Circuit Track sponsored by a Royal Princess.

64:

The Royal Raceway is mostly known for two things: 1) The Enormous Jump and 2) Access to Peach's Castle. This was an early direct link to a previous Mario Adventure Game, in this case, Super Mario 64, where the Castle is identical and that game's primary setting. It's fitting that the final Award Ceremony also takes place here, giving some Center to the Races in the Mushroom Kingdom. Peach's course is also the center for the Award Ceremony in Double Dash, at Peach Beach.

As the third course in the Star Cup, it's one of the more-advanced Circuit tracks, and it proves it. This course has tons of deceptively dangerous turns, taking any too wide on the slopes towards the lake results in instantaneous failure. If the Big Jump is misjudged it may also lead to a crash into the Mountains. Some grassy sections actually prove nice cut-through spots if you have a Mushroom or Star, but ultimately you need trustworthy handling here to succeed.

Super Circuit:

Super Circuit broke tradition by making Peach Circuit the First Course in the Mushroom Cup.Every game since has featured a Luigi Circuit or something very similar. That said, this isn't a whole lot like Royal Raceway. The Castle is close but inaccessible and there is a ton of grassy corners to cut. There isn't really a character who is poor here. It's very straightforward. This track came back in DS along with the first track from SMK, Mario Circuit 1 and the first track from Double Dash, Luigi Circuit to make up the Shell Cup. It was all a conspiracy to not have an all-Luigi Circuit Cup, for sure. The Ghost here is Peach driving the Royale with a time of 1:12:011.

DS:

Peach Gardens is a unique course with lots of possible turns and paths along with some of the nicest Chain Chomps to be found in a Mario Kart game. It's also in the Special Cup, which is extremely tame in DS. There are some hills that aren't too difficult and not a whole lot of danger outside of some moles, a water hazard that is very easy to avoid and the aforementioned Chomps, who don't chase you but rather stay on their own path. There are plenty of right-angle turns, but the path is actually so wide in these places that it's never that difficult. The same goes for weaving between the large Southern Hedge. Go for someone like Bowser with speed here with impunity. The Ghost is Peach in the Royale again with a time of 1:52:989.

This track also came back in Wii without a whole lot of difference. The Ghost here is Baby Peach this time, clearly loving playing in her Big-Ass Garden. The Normal does a 02:34.894 in the Magikruiser, the Expert pulls a 02:16.777 in the Mini Beast. Again, you can take speed here, Funky in the Spear is perfect.

Wii:

Like I said, I've lumped the Daisy Circuit in here because it's one of the only Circuit Tracks in Wii (actually every Original Cup except for the Special opens with a Circuit Track) and it's more similar to be lumped in here than any place else. It does have some unique elements though. Its seaside village aspects may make it more similar to Delfino Plaza and its Sunset Time recalls Waluigi Stadium. It's a Royal Road, though so it ends up here. It opens up the Star Cup here and is pretty straightforward besides some city twists and gentle curves. Actually the more I look at it the more I realise this is a hodge-podge track. The "8" midway through comes back in Wii's Rainbow Road, and the two sections of track right next to each other looks like an Early Luigi Circuit. Like the other recent Royal Tracks though, someone with tons of Speed can make it through here. It's pretty well suited to Daisy herself in the Mach Bike.

The Ghost is exactly that. Daisy goes a 01:56.822 in the Royal Racer, then the Expert does a 01:41.362 in the Mach Bike.

Wario

History:

As a boy, Wario idolized his contemporary Mario. He dressed just like him and attempted to have a similar lifestyle, tho Wario's innate dementia took everything Mario did to the extreme. Whereas Mario collected coins and went on some questionable adventures against the forces of Bowser, Wario's greed knows no limits at all and his adventures across the Mushroom World may exceed even that of Mario himself. He's also gluttonous and vain although this has increased his strength to much greater than Mario. Wario could probably takeover the Mushroom Kingdom if only he wasn't a dick to everyone so he doesn't really have any allies, nor popular support of any kind. Not even Bowser particularly enjoys his company.

He hails from Diamond City on an Island somewhere off the West Coast of the Mushroom Kingdom where founded WarioWare, Inc, which specialises in producing Mini-Games. This along with the treasures from his adventures have made Wario quite wealthy, although his greed is insatiable. In addition to WarioWare, Inc, Wario manages a large Stadium in the Mushroom Kingdom, which he outfitted for Kart Racing on his first outing. He also opened up a huge Gold Mine and now has his hand in the production of some of the Coins that litter the Mushroom Kingdom, despite the Mushroom People's indifference to capitalism. It's possible that Wario's wealth rivals even the Toadstool Family's right now, although it will never be enough, and he isn't as willing to spend it developing courses and regions as Mario is.

64:

In order to gain entrance into the MK64 Grand Prix Wario stole Koopa's Kart and painted it in his own colour, purple. He has pretty terrible speed and acceleration and low steering but as a Heavyweight his girth is what lets him push other Karts around with ease. He's generally more on par with Kong than Bowser, as fat but not THAT fat. This really is just the first of many games in which Wario is useless.

Super Circuit:

Wario was similar in Super Circuit and pretty equal to Kong. His speed is only slightly worse than Mario and Luigi and slightly better than Bowser. Likewise he's not as heavy as the Koopa Lord but can still push anyone else around. Despite Super Circuit's Twenty Original Tracks Wario doesn't own a single one.

Double Dash:

Double Dash began to elevate the differences not between separate Racers, but individual Karts. Wario is in the Heavy Class, meaning whoever he is paired with will have to use a Heavy Kart. Each Kart therefore has its own stats while the Drivers mean little beyond selecting the Weight Class. Wario's Ride is the Wario Car, the only preexisting Vehicle in the game, as Wario is seen driving his Car everywhere. Actually that's probably how he's able to travel so much further than Mario. It helps to have a license, bud.

Xzibit can't improve a thing.

The Wario Car is basically a Heavyweight Compromise Car, which is terrible. It's one of the lighter, slower and better accelerating Heavy Karts though its Weight is till 6th and its Acceleration still ranks 17th. Thus it's like a training bra version of some of the Heavy Karts like the Piranha Pipes and the Koopa King that just go for it all. It has alright shocks though and surprisingly one of the best Turn Speeds in the game, though if you're drifting a lot this isn't a huge factor.

In this game each Character has a specific Item, the only thing that makes distinct characters really separate (although this rarely matters). Wario and his partner, Waluigi are one of only three pairs of disparate Weight Classes, Waluigi is a medium version of Wario. Their Item is the Bob-omb, which is one of the most effective defensive weapons, dropping it behind and nailing a lower place is deadly. It can be used offensively, though this rarely hits the intended target and more than likely will utterly destroy your own Kart. What is tricky is dropping it behind only to have it hit a Red Shell or Racer who was directly behind you and subsequently be engulfed in the explosion as well. It's a tough item but can be effective.

There are Secret Staff Ghosts for each track. Wario first shows up behind Waluigi in Waluigi Stadium with a time of 1:59:658. He later switches with his Evil Partner for Wario Colosseum for a time of 2:21:106. Both use the Wario Car.

DS:

Whereas Double Dash introduced the idea of customizable characters with different combinations and different cars, DS featured even more Kart Selections with the possibility of three Karts initially available to each Character. The only major difference between characters is their weight, and Wario adds 3 to each of his Vehicles, meaning he is a bit heavier than DK but lighter than Bowser and R.O.B. Generally there would be a Standard Kart which mimicked stats from earlier games, a weaker Kart with a higher Item Ranking that was useful for Grand Prix if you're prone to Last Place, and a better ride with great stats and a weak Item Ranking if you're prone to First Place. Wario's selection are as follows:

He actually generally has fair stats with a pretty nice Top Speed. This might be Wario's Best Game in fact. The model of the Brute looks somewhat like the Wario Car while the Dragonfly is a Tractor for some reason. Perhaps Wario has some connection to the Donut Tracks? DS also had Staff Ghosts, and Wario is featured on three courses. The first is the DS incarnation of Wario Stadium where he goes 2:14:868 in the Brute. He also uses the Brute on the retro Frappe Snowland, which is strange considering the statues of Mario present. Anyway, his time is 2:08:781. Finally he uses the Dragonfly on the Retro Choco Mountain in 2:15:571. Perhaps it's fitting that he's featured on two courses that debuted with him on 64, although when you think about the dirt of Choco Mountain there is some connection to the Stadium Tracks.

Wii:

This game went nuts with the stats, which includes a specific stat for each of the Six Bikes and Six Karts available to every character in a certain Size Class, as well as specific Bonuses for each character. Wario gets some of the weaker Bonuses in the game. His +3 Weight is matched or surpassed by both Bowser and DK among the Large Class and his +3 Offroad is matched or surpassed by Waluigi, King Boo, Funky Kong and Dry Bowser. Dry Bowser is the only one to match his +6 mini-turbo however. So basically Wario is the same as Dry Bowser except with a bit less Offroad and more Weight. He has nothing that leads the pack. Here are Wario's Vehicle-Specific Stats, Bonuses included:

Wario's most distinctive Ride here is the Wario Bike, which again is a preexisting vehicle. It's actually a very un-Heavy like Vehicle, with low Top Speed and high Handling and Acceleration. With his great Mini-Turbo Bonus though, Wario may be better suited to either the Honeycoupe or Shooting Star. Wario has two Ghosts in the game. The first is Wario's Gold Mine in the Wario Bike at 02:19.585, the Expert of which goes 02:04.800 in the Flame Flyer. He's also in Retro Delfino Square for some reason where he uses his Wario Bike again in 02:41.807, although the Expert blisters across the Finish in 02:24.169 driving the Honeycoupe.