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.

Toad Circuit

History:

After years of dominating the intro to the Grand Prix, Luigi was unable to maintain the distinction for the 2011 installment. He lost the bidding of a new Circuit Track to Toad, whose Factory allowed him the resources to construct a course that wasn't preexisting, unlike some of his other Highway Tracks. Luigi was busy enough renovating some of his other courses for the Retro Prix to really be bothered anyway.

7:

The Toad Circuit kicks off the Mushroom Cup in Mario Kart 7, and tho Luigi-themed courses have led off the games three times, this is the first time that a Toad-themed course has led off. There are aspects of some of these courses, such as the sand patches that players can boost across to hit a jump, exactly like the Wii Luigi Circuit. There are also giant Toad Balloons, perhaps a callback both to the Balloon in 64's Luigi Raceway and the Giant Luigi Statue in Wii. The course is more of a Figure-8 than a loop, obviously more similar to the Figure-8 Circuit that led off DS than other intros. It is also the first course with some Aerial components, tho it's not essential to the course.

The track is very wide and even with a good amount of turns, none are particularly sharp and there's a fair amount of straightaways as well. The Normal Staff Ghost is Toad, who goes 01:35.135 in the Standard Kart with Standard Wheels and the Super Glider. This is about as basic as you're going to get - feel free to switch it up to fit whatever style of play you like. The Expert is the same except uses Monster Wheels in 01:26.632, which does help some of Toad's weak spots in land speed and weight, but weight isn't important in Time Trials and higher speeds can be achieved here fairly easily.

Toad's Factory

History:

It was rare that Toad sought employment or ventures outside of his role in the Royal Court. He was, however, able to find success after years of Grand Prix, making Items for use both in races and battle. He constructed a huge factory in the Mushroom Kingdom dedicated to this production. Eventually he opened it up to racing as well.

Wii:

Toad's Factory is actually less complicated than it looks. In essence it's a simple loop, although there are plenty of difficult parts. As a closer for the Mushroom Cup it has a good balance between challenge and simplicity. The trickiest parts involve moving pathways that shift and can either greatly help or impede speed. It's essential during the final stretch to time the race correctly to boost over the oil, otherwise you're in for a very slow finish at a critical moment. Immediately prior to this is a dangerous jump that gives you a ton of speed going into a sharp turn. No straightaway is really straightfoward then, there is plenty of weaving to be done in between boxes, crushers, or giant bulldozers.

Toad's only Staff Ghost appears on this track. He goes a 02:22.480 with the Bubble Bike while the Expert goes 02:05.593 in the Blue Falcon. Considering how deceptive this course is and the need for a fast reaction time along with a small profile I would suggest a Medium-Sized Racer using either the Mach Bike or Dolphin Dasher. Daisy with both her speed and handling makes a fine choice.

Mountain Tracks

History:

In the vast Northwest of the Mushroom Kingdom lay the Tall Tall Mountains, a place rarely traveled by the Mushroom Folk. It is full of dangerous enemies, steep cliffs, and enormous bouncy mushrooms that grow thousands of feet tall. Naturally as the stakes of the Grand Prix increased and more racers vied for their own signature tracks, newcomers were forced to stretch out into this harsh dominion.

Toadette, the power-hungry manipulator that she is, had long hidden in these mountains. It was no surprise then that she owned vast amounts of land to construct the Mushroom Gorge track, which she ran with an evil fungi fist. Lower in the Valley, Daisy established the Daisy Hills track with her own Mitt Romney-like personal wealth. Finally, higher in the mountains Wiggler, piecing together a rudimentary system of nerve impulses he used for a mind, converted his personal home into the Rock Rock Mountain. Along the same chain lay the Shy Guy Metal Mines, which these mysterious people had turned into a profitable business. With anti-gravity technology developed in 2014, the Shy Guys were able to convert this mine into another course, traveling up a previously inaccessible water fall

Wii:

Mushroom Gorge is a fairly simple loop. There are plenty of turns though none of them are that sharp. The greatest hazard here is the boost ramps and Bouncy Mushrooms, which without proper timing can disrupt even experienced drivers. The road also forks into two different paths on two different occasions, although in both cases sticking to the right is a faster option.

The staff ghost is Toadette with a time of 02:16.110 in the Quacker, while her expert goes 02:01.011 in the Mini-Beast. Neither of these vehicles takes advantage of Toadette's greatest strength, her offroad ability, so using just about anyone with good speed and moderate handling like Daisy or Rosalina can beat the pink toadie without a huge issue.

This track returns in 7, where the Ghost this time is Toad. The normal goes a 02:02.292 using the Cloud 9, Mushroom Wheels, and Parafoil, meaning that he'll have a decent mini-turbo and handling, although most of his other stats end up pretty average, especially his speed and acceleration, which is where you can beat him easily on this simple track. The Expert, though, pulls a 01:50.526 using the Pipe Frame, Monster Wheels, and Super Glider. This means Toad will have great offroad (useless here) and above average speed, but terrible handling. Counter that with some Roller or Wood wheels on something fast and you should succeed.

7:

There are two courses in 7 that seem to carry on this Mountain Theme that many Mario Kart Tracks have exhibited, mostly in DK Tracks. Daisy Hills is very reminiscent of Mushroom Gorge, from its steep inclines, wooden dock paths and large gaps.It's also in the Mushroom Cup again and provides the game's first big jump and introduction to the aerial driving that helps to define this game. Other than that, the course is wide, probably with more curves and boosts than a typical Mushroom Cup Track, but nothing intensely difficult.

The Staff Ghost here is Daisy on her eponymous course. She goes a 02:06.351 using the Royal Ribbon, Roller Wheels, and Peach Parasol, which gives her substantial boosts in just about everything except for both land and air speed. Those two crucial components are what can be used to beat her, because there isn't a great need for anything else on this course. The expert uses the same ride with the Sponge Wheels and Super Glider, which means she no longer has a disadvantage in the air and her mini-turbo becomes very good. Sticking with a strong land speed and moderate handling should be fine.

There is also Rock Rock Mountain in 7, which seems to lift directly some parts from Super Mario 64's Tall Tall Mountain. It is actually a relatively simple track with many straightaways, although some tough curves near the start. Rock Rock Mountain is actually the longest original track in the game, which is surprising for a track that closes the Flower Cup. It's also one of the most reliant on air speed. There are multiple big jumps, one of which is deadly - it is greatly beneficial if you survive, but getting hit will lead you to tumble to the path below while others whiz by. There is also a tough vertical track with boosts and rocks that is difficult to avoid, but mostly a straightaway.

The staff ghost is Wiggler at a 02:35.105 using the Standard with Red Monster Wheels and the Super Glider. It's a tough match but the speed can be beat easily by using something like the B Dasher or Bumble V with Wood Wheels and the same Glider. The expert isn't all that better, but he goes a 02:19.149 using the same combination but with the Flower Glider, which increases his air handling at the expense of speed. Stick with a Glider that doesn't slow down that big jump and you'll be fine.

8:

Shy Guy Falls closes out the Flower Cup and contains one of the more relentless vertical sections in the game. There are many tight turns where errors can lead to perilous cliff edges and of course, the eponymous water fall. Going up the falls is difficult if you miss the boost pads, but going down offers a speed increase like the river in Koopa Cape. After that there is an average-sized air section.

The Staff Ghost here is Shy Guy, of course, who goes 2:19.528 using the Flame Rider, Retro Off-Road Wheels, and the Super Glider. The Flame Rider is an excellent choice, but something with more anti-gravity handling such as the Sport Bike may be a good option. Shy Guy may be here because of his strong previous association with desert tracks, and Shy Guy Falls, despite its huge waterfall, seems like it's in some craggy desert canyon.

Toadette

History:

Toadette is a ruthless provocateur who has slutted her way to the top of the Mushroom Kingdom through undeniable ambition and cunning political and personal tactics. She is very young but knew all the right people to sleep with to become a powerful influence on the rule of the Royal Family - namely, Toad. As a child she was a compulsive Musician and Softball Player. She practiced constantly, unhappy with being anything but the very best. She soon turned her whirling dynamo of motivation to the realm of politics and found it dominated by ineffective men like Toad and awkward rulers who had come into Power far before she was ready like Peach, who had no idea how to run a Kingdom. Toadette first flirted with Toad while he was seeking asylum in Yoshi's Island after a recent blunder that let Bowser enter the Kingdom and kidnap the Princess once again. Toad fell in love instantly and invited Toadette back to the castle to be his bride. She refused the wedding but accepted the Castle invite, and has been a Puppet Master ever since. Her guile and wits are matched only by her ability to sleep with anyone who she can't convince to change policy with her serpentine words. Through a systematic process of blackmail and deception she has managed to become more powerful in the Kingdom than Toad himself, whose own impotence politically and sexually has now long hindered his ability for real confidence of any kind.

Double Dash:

Toad is a very sweet girl in Double Dash, which is actually her first appearance ever. She partners with Toad automatically and was clearly shoe-horned into the game because no other Lightweight really meshed with the Mushroom Head. She's really identical to Toad in every way, Double Dash put more emphasis on Kart Selection than Drivers, who only determined the Weight Class of Karts available and Special Items. Each Character though, does have his or her own Signature Kart. Toadette, very creatively, drives the Toadette Kart.

The Toadette Kart is actually very similar to the Toad Kart, with some slight differences. Its real specialty is Acceleration, it reaches its Top Speed faster than any other Vehicle in the game, although the Toad Kart is only 4th. Despite this its speed is very slow, 55 mph, although it retains a good amount of Offroad Speed, one of the highest in the game. It's also the second-lightest in the game, so you've got to count on that Acceleration to get away fast. It handles very similar to the Toad Kart, it's not very bouncy and it loses an average amount of speed on its turns. In general it's pretty good but really with a low speed like that it's only good for Grand Prix, and with a weight like that it's going to get its ass kicked there.

Toadette shares the same Special Item as Toad, the Golden Mushroom, which gives you an infinite amount of Mushroom Boosts for a limited time. This seems awesome but really it can do more harm than good. It will only show up if you're near the back of the crowd, and if you get it on a course with plenty of turns or dangerous edges, it's basically useless as it makes the Kart nearly uncontrollable. On the simpler courses with lots of Offroad and no edges though, it can be handy...except for the fact that you shouldn't be in Last Place on these courses. She's really a better Character for beginners...except that she's a Secret Unlockable Character. Basically Toadette has no purpose in this game. Being a Secret Character she also appears as a Secret Staff Ghost on no tracks.

Wii:

Now here is where Toadette starts to really shine. Wii didn't base its stats on Individuals or on Karts. Instead all Eight Racers in each of the Three Size Classes has access to Six Bikes and Six Karts, all with varying stats. In addition each Racer adds certain Bonuses to each Stat, making for a dizzying number of possible combinations. Of course if you're Toadette, you're choosing the Magikruiser. Toadette gets a +6 Offroad Bonus, tied only with Dry Bowser as the best in the game, as well as a smaller Speed Bonus. When this combines with the Magikruiser, which already has the best Offroad of any Vehicle, you've got an unbeatable combination for taking the path less traveled. Take a look:

Power-hungry whore...

It's the only glaringly obvious choice in the game, so you had better go with it. She can make Moo Moo Meadows, Shy Guy Beach or Dry Dry Ruins the easiest courses you'll encounter. She only has one Staff Ghost though, and it's Mushroom Gorge, obviously a reference to her head. The Normal uses the Quacker in 02:16.110 and the Expert uses the Mini Beast in 02:01.011. Since she doesn't really have stats that support either of these Vehicles that well, it shouldn't be too difficult to beat either of these.

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.

Toad

History:

Toad is known as Consigliere to Princess Peach Toadstool in the Mushroom Kingdom. As such, he wields immense political power but as a good nature Shroomhead is known for being nigh incorruptible. Still, as one of the few High-Ranking Mushroom People in a Royal Family otherwise full of Minorities he wields considerable influence. Some of his acquisitions include the Kingdom's large Highway System as well as a large Factory that produces Item Boxes for the Races themselves. Toad has thus been able to parlay the success of the Cups into an industry in of itself. Outside of these properties in Transportation and Industry Toad has extended a deep political influence over more of the Road System of the Kingdom, including the byways of Mushroom City from the glamourous Entertainment District to some of the Seedier Underpass Neighborhoods.

Super:

In SMK Toad's stats are radically different than they would be in later games. He's ranked along with Koopa Troopa as The Small Guys and only has an outstanding Handling Stat. His Weight is low and Top Speed and Acceleration Medium. There is no course he is explicitly associated with but in general he's considered a good driver, mostly due to his Handling. With the Rival System opponents will finish in the order Peach, DK Jr, Mario, Yoshi, Luigi, Koopa, then Bowser. This may hint at some antagonism between Servant and Master.

64:

Toad was ridiculous in MK 64. This began his era of being universally the Best Racer in the Game. While he gets knocked around easily by the bigger drivers and handles a bit looser and slipperier, he makes up for all by having the best Acceleration and Top Speed. It's insane. 64 also introduced Toad's Turnpike, which has no real reference to the Shroom himself but provided the template for many more Traffic-addled courses to come, usually all with some Toad reference. His Kart is blue.

Super Circuit:

Super Circuit finally differentiated slightly between the Lightweights. While Toad and Peach still had similar stats, including very high Top Speed and very low weight, Yoshi had a bit less speed in exchange for a bit more weight. Toad is still awesome here though and his acceleration is Top Notch. He has no track explicitly associated with him.

Double Dash:

Toad by himself in Double Dash is nothing special. Every light character in Double Dash is identical save for their Special Items. It's the Toad Kart that really shines though. It has the 4th Fastest Acceleration in the game and at a Top Speed of 56 mph. While plenty of Karts are faster, it also has some of the Best Shocks, which gives it great power against the many hilly courses and big jumps. While its handling is only average and it's the 19th lightest Kart out of 21 total it also has one of the best Offroad Speeds in the game. The positives far outweigh the negatives here.

The major drawback to using Toad in particular though is his item. The Golden Mushroom seems like an excellent one, it provides an infinite amount of Mushroom Boosts in a short span of time. However if you're in a High Position in the Race you'll never see it, so it doesn't offer much help. There are also dangerous courses like Wario Colosseum and Rainbow Road which offer enough tight turns that boosting through will leave you rammed into a wall instead of at the head of the pack. It's excellent for the Mushroom and Flower Cups but not much else.

DS:

DS is the first game since 64 where Toad isn't absolutely awesome. The only major difference between characters in this game is weight and Toad is one of the lightest, adding about 0.2 to the weight of all his Vehicles. All of his Kart Options offer very high Acceleration and decent Handling and Drift but their Speed is awful. His fastest, the Mushmellow tops off at a measly 4.3 in exchange for a paltry 3.3 Item ranking. This is still probably his best Kart, count on using it to get ahead and racing well instead of acquiring the good Items. Here's a chart:

He has Staff Ghosts on Shroom Ridge in 2:05:123 as well as the Double Dash Retro Courses Baby Park in 0:50:920  and Mushroom Bridge in 1:30:600. For all of these he uses the Mushmellow. It's interesting that they had to fit him into Baby Park because he's the most innocent, baby-like character in the game.

Wii:

Each Wii character may choose between six Karts and six Bikes in his or her Size Class, each with widely varying statistics. In addition each Driver adds certain bonuses to each Vehicle. Toad again has acceleration as his staple, adding a whopping 6-pts to any Karts' Acceleration Stat. He also adds 6-pts to Drift speed, which basically means that even if he's driving pretty slowly he'll never really lose speed, and if he does he reclaims it very fast. Here are all the Vehicle Stats specific to Toad:

As you can see, some of these stats get real good. It's hard to resist using either the Cheep Charger or the Quacker, as ridiculous as these vehicles are. He also makes the Blue Falcon and Bullet Bike pretty usable, but let's face it, at this point you haven't chosen a Light Racer for Speed. I think acceleration is much more useful in Grand Prix Mode when you're constantly being assaulted with all kinds of dangerous Items, while in Time Trial Mode it is all about speed. Thus Toad has a single Staff Ghost Track, his eponymous Factory. The Normal Staff time is 02:22.480 in the Bubble Bike and the Expert is 02:05.593 in the Blue Falcon. These are also probably the two vehicles he can be most associated with, if any.