Mount Wario

History:

Years ago Wario had thoroughly explored the Shivering Mountains, and so, seeking to capitalize on recent trends in extreme sports, purchased some land on one of the Peaks, re-named it after himself, and created a ski resort. This naturally devolved into a full racetrack, even though there was no practical loop to be seen. Another proprietor may have failed, but Wario was persistent and threatening enough to push through his insane new track idea. He eventually handed operation of the track over to his pal, Waluigi, who fell on pretty hard times after his Pinball and Stadium projects fell apart with no real adventuring background to fall back on.

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Wario was an interesting choice to take over a track like this, especially since it owes so much to DK Pass and DK Summit, being a long sloping snowy mountain track. In particular it's a lot like DK Summit with its Winter Sport theme. But really it goes beyond that, being the only track in Mario Kart history that doesn't loop and one of only a handful of courses that are broken up into sections rather than laps (the others being both Wuhu Tracks, the 7 Rainbow Road and 8's remake of 64 Rainbow Road). Only Mount Wario, though, has different music playing for each section.

The first section is very typical to DK Pass, consisting of a helicopter jump (okay, not that part), but then a twisty wind down the peak of the mountain into a rocky valley. Next we have a large anti-gravity ice cave as well as a large Damn in section two. Finally, the last section primarily comprises a downhill ski slope that's a lot like the final section of DK Summit, but of course, that one had snowboarders. There are other sections such as a treacherous snow forest that allows for plenty of multiple paths along with both underwater and the Wario Dam processing plant, which makes for some really diverse racing. It's a definite Frosty Track, but gets its own section here for just how extensive and weird it is, as well as how much more it has in common with DK Tracks and Wuhu Tracks.

The Ghost here is Waluigi, who uses the Duke, in its only Time Trial appearance, with Monster Tires and the Wario Wing in 2:06.283. The Duke doesn't really add any special stats, but the traction of the Monster Tires is pretty helpful here. You may not actually get a better combo that preserves land and anti-gravity speed while retaining traction, but you can go another route, using a lightweight that has a higher base traction to begin with. Then add some wheels for pure speed that sacrifice a little traction in this slippery course.

Electrodome

History:

Not all of Bowser's fake children were as dumb as they seemed. Well, they were all pretty dumb, but when some happened to stumble upon good fortune, they were exceptional at exploiting it rather than let it fall by the wayside. Such was the case when Larry Koopa found himself trapped in an investment in a little known nightclub on the fringes of the Dark Land. Be it ignorance or be it his actual ability to read trends, he eventually transformed the joint into the hottest disco in the Mushroom World. Naturally when Bowser began ordering his fake children to get some race courses to their name, Larry turned his only source of capital, the Electrodome, into an insane race course. It's now populated with all sorts of residents of the Dark Land, such as Shy Guys, Koopa Troopas, and Piranha Plants, who jam and throb to the ever present beat as much as they like to beat on plumbers. This of course has led to all sorts of moral and legal problems, but since the high authority is Lord Bowser himself, Larry is able to keep things running just fine.

8:

The Electrodome is a wild track. It's theme is similar to 7's Music Park, in that it's a relatively enclosed course (also a rare, nearly all-indoors track) that's more impossible than practical. It's also definitively based around music and at some points Karts can play notes by driving over special areas. What really makes the Electodome stand out though, is its insane use of anti-gravity that makes looking at a map of the course give you a headache. There are some insane turns and multiple paths here that go upside-down, loop around, and culminate in a massive air jump. There's no water here, but be wary of pools of static that can just as easily drown a hapless racer.

The Staff Ghost here is Larry Koopa for reasons that completely escape me and instead seem like a solid space filler. Larry is explicitly the youngest Koopaling, maybe it was an attempt to capitalize on his fleeting youth spent all night in a dance club. Anyway, he uses the Sport Bike with Monster Wheels and Super Glider in 2:24.747 which is a really fast combination. Handling between the Bike and the Wheels cancels out though, meaning he doesn't get much of a boost there beyond his already impressive Lightweight handling. The same combo with a heavier racer and perhaps some Slim Wheels to improve both handling and ground / anti-gravity speed will be beneficial.

Dolphin Shoals

History:

As soon as the Koopalings got into the 2014 Grand Prix, Bowser set about finding them courses to suit their strengths and interests. Off one of the Koopa Troop Islands, near the Koopa Cape and now derelict Chain Chomp Wheel, lay a shallow shoal near a constantly spinning maelstrom that he thought perfect for his daughter, Wendy O. Koopa. He set about securing the rights to race there, but Wendy, in her haste, was able to push aside the meager Koopas who had a controlling interest in the shoal, and doing her father proud, proceeded to create a mind-numbing track, unfinished to the extent that a live Unagi was still settled there, complacent with being raced upon. Bowser hardly had the heart to tell her he was not her real father, but of course, being a maniacal Dark Lord, did so anyway.

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Dolphin Shoals is most similar to 7's Cheep Cheep Lagoon, which was the first track to feature significant underwater sections. That was just a brief taste, though, and a lot of that track is still either on a dry path or in a partially submerged cave with dryland route options. I strongly considered lumping this in with the Beach Tracks, but there's really no beach here, and it should be its own entity. Dolphin Shoals is entirely underwater save for an anti-gravity portion that emits from the eye of the malestrom into one of the most wicked vertical turns in the game, which leads to a brief air portion. There are also crazy parts with pipes blowing racers up and forward and the aforementioned Mega Unagi, perhaps one of the strangest materials to race on, who can spill you out if you hit its tail incorrectly.

The Staff Ghost here is Wendy O. Koopa, who clocks in at 2:19.160 using the Landship, Wood Wheels, and Bowser Kite, which is a thoroughly Bowser-like combination. Wendy was likely chosen here because of her appearance in the Beach World, making the aquatic realm of Dolphin Shoals a natural choice. The Landship is a great pick for her here, only the Steel Driver may do a little better in the brief ground and air portions, as well as giving some much needed traction in this difficult terrain. The Wood Wheels should be easily improved upon, though, the Roller family or Button Tires should give a little better submarine speed.

Sunshine Airport

History:

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

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

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

Toad Harbor

History:

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

8:

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

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

Thwomp Ruins

History:

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

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

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

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

Sweet Sweet Canyon

History:

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

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

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

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

Mario Kart Stadium

History:

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

8:

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

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

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

Water Park

History:

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

8:

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

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

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.

Neo Bowser City

History:

On the fringes of the Dark Land lay Neo Bowser City. Bowser built it to house the many Koopas and other citizens of the Dark Land who were either unfit for Military Service or who had more to offer. With the extensive economic growth of parts of the Mushroom Kingdom, such as Mushroom City, Lord Bowser realised that he needed to extend his sphere of influence as well beyond Military Might. To show off his new-found prowess, he build a Race Track through the high-rises.

His domination, however, would not last. Metal Mario, having already battled Bowser for his Airship Fortress, intimidated the Dark Lord into giving him the rights to Neo Bowser City as well. This was a shock across the Mushroom World, but it would appear that Bowser feared an incarnation of Mario that lacked a soul and seemed nigh invulnerable. Metal Mario, for his part feeling no resentment or propriety, didn't change any of the Enormous Bowser Billboards or even the name of the course. Also having no desire for financial gain himself, has offered the use of the course free of charge. This is unprecedented in the Grand Prix and flies in the face of every reason Bowser built the city. This would appear to further crush the ego of the Koopa King, and his vengeance, it would seem, should be swift.

7:

Neo Bowser City, one of the more awkwardly named courses, appears in the Star Cup in 7. It remains just the second track in Mario Kart History, after the Super Circuit incarnation of the Luigi Circuit to feature rain. It has a fair amount of turns and is a basic Figure-8 in layout. There are some perilous edges, but nothing truly substantial. There is also an Air Boost towards the end, but it, too, is not at all that significant. All in all, although this course looks pretty cool threading through the Upper City Levels after courses like Mushroom City from Double Dash explored the city floor, there isn't a tremendous amount of challenge here.

The Ghost is Metal Mario, which is kind of bizarre for a course named after Bowser. Bowser is featured on both hsi New and Retro Castle incarnations and the course's cold, metallic nature suits Metal Mario's persona. The Normal Ghost uses both the Standard Kart and Wheels, as well as the Super Glider in 02:11.032. There isn't anything special here and there's plenty of room for improvement. The Expert goes 01:58.996 using the Blue 7, Monster Wheels, and Paraglider, which should be substantially faster and plays to his strengths, although simultaneously emphasizing his weaknesses, part of which is a hideous drift. Using the Soda Jet and Slick Wheels can rectify this.

Wario's Shipyard

History:

During his many renowned travels around the Mushroom World, Wario found Kitchen Island and its inhabitants, Captain Syrup and the Brown Sugar Pirates. Seeking their gold, Wario decimated the Island and robbed it of its bounty. In his greed, he plundered Syrup's flagship vessel, the SS Tea Cup and left it to rot in the cove south of Kitchen Island. Syrup was devastated but she had little choice but to pay tribute to the marauder and gave up many stretches of the Southern Coast, including Rice Beach. Wario, in his unending greed, decided to build a Race Course through the devastation he caused, thereby further exploiting the once-fertile land. Reflecting his greed, the skies above Wario's Shipyard constantly crackle with thunderstrikes and Syrup is no where to be found.

7:

Wario's Shipyard is the second track in the Star Cup, and is a fairly crazy track for its position. It is one of the few courses with substantial mandatory Underwater Sections, as well as some Air Sections and a fair dose of alternate pathways. There are plenty of curves as well as some gaps into the abyss, although none are that deadly. The trickier parts are just managing the underwater sections, avoiding the occasional swinging anchor and dealing with pipes that want to blow racers all over the place.

The Ghost here is Wario, and this sort of a strange track for him. There are metal grate elements reminiscent of Wario's Colosseum, but the whole landscape is a left turn from his usual Roller Coaster or Extreme Dirtbike-like tracks. The whole thing is likely a reference to Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 which had a bit of a pirate theme. Anyway, the Ghost uses the Bolt Buggy, Monster Wheels, and Super Glider in 02:26.268. The Expert Ghost switches to the Growlster, Slim Wheels, and Ghastly Glider in 02:12.313. None of these expressly handles well underwater. Something like Egg 1, Pipe Frame, or Tiny Tug with either the Wood or Roller Wheels will better take advantage of this course. The Wood may be a better choice because it won't slow down as drastically on Land.

Music Park

History:

The inspiration for Music Park derives from Toadette's Music Room. As conniving as she is, Toadette sought to extrapolate her interests into an entire Course and exploit its profits as part of her own bid for power within the Mushroom Kingdom. She contacted Rosalina, the only figure she knew with Galaxy and Reality-Warping powers. Rosalina and her Army of Lumas constructed the Music Park in the stars above the Mushroom World, but once she found out Toadette's true corrupt intentions she retained control of the Park and raced it herself rather than give it up to the machinations of evil.

7:

Music Park is a bizarre track. It comes in as the Third Course in the Flower Cup and has a lot going on. It seems like a closed-in track, but it has patches of offroad that pop up here and there, some big drums that act as trampolines (similar to the Big Mushrooms on Wii's Mushroom Gorge), and a long Air portion. What's more is that while there are no especially difficult curves, many of the winding turns are driven over keyboards that play notes as racers drive over them. The air portion is also full of big bouncy animated notes that threaten to upset any careless players.

The Ghost here is Rosalina, which may be a nod to the course's mystical yet positive nature. The Normal version uses the Birthday Girl, Roller Wheels, and Super Glider in 02:19.336. The Expert switches completely, to the Soda Jet, Slim Wheels, and Paraglider in 02:07.551. With the amount of Air dodging one needs to do along the Air Section the Paraglider or Swoop Glider are probably the best option. The Birthday Girl / Roller Wheel combo pushes handling to the extreme at the total expense of speed, you can find a better balance. The Soda Jet and Slim wheels are a really good option here, but the Mushroom Wheels may be a better option that doesn't lose so much Speed on land, yet maintains handling.

Wuhu Tracks

History:

In the late 2000s Wuhu Island grew in popularity as a Sports Resort. As more and more residents of the Mushroom Kingdom became interested in visiting the Island, it became obvious that it would be a perfect spot for a couple of Courses. Princess Peach was the first to wield her vast power and influence to negotiate the rights to a Track with the King of Wuhu. Thus she created the Wuhu Loop, a long, expansive track that is completed in a single lap.

After Peach laid claim to the Island's rights she enacted a bidding war for another track, Maka Wuhu. Surprisingly, Yoshi emerged victorious over Mario, who, Like Luigi, had become more preoccupied with the upkeep of his own Circuit Tracks which held popularity through the Retro Cup.

7:

Both Wuhu Tracks present a unique concept for Mario Kart 7 - they are completed in a single lap. That single lap is enormous however, with three clearly distinct sections. They join Baby Park (7), Wario Colosseum (2), and 7's Rainbow Road (1) as the only tracks that aren't completed in three laps (Besides all the courses in SMK, which were done in 5 laps). Wuhu Loop opens the Flower Cup, and as such it is of moderate difficulty. There is an overriding circuit aspect, with mostly pavement and stretches of grassy offroad fields. There are also some mountainous aspects, though, winding through perilous edges before heading back to the town you start in. Additionally there is a bit of Traffic to deal with, but none nearly as severe as the Highway Tracks.

The Staff Ghost here is Peach, for some reason, who goes 01:44.287 using the Standard Kart, Sponge Tires, and Peach Parasol.The Expert Ghost switches to the Pipe Frame and Slick Tires, keeping the same Glider in 01:32.854. There isn't really any significant Air portions here and the Sponge Tires' boost of drifting is helpful here but there's better options that don't sacrifice so much speed (The Slick Tires for one), but there are better Kart options to emphasize this style. Try the Bumble V or Soda Jet with either Sponge or Slick and Peach is going down.

The Maka Wuhu Course concludes the Star Cup and earns this distinction by being one of the more complex courses in the game. Like the Wuhu Loop it is only one lap long, divided into three distinct sections. There are many alternate paths throughout the course, starting with options of dirt and pavement that weave through the first section's vast fields. The incredibly wide offroad sections are perfect for boosting over. There are also tunnel portions, an option for a quick underwater portion, a huge castle with a quasi-drivable section, and it all leads to a monster Air Jump down to an Island Finish. There are also some steep uphill parts with tremendous boulders crashing down on hapless drivers.

The Ghost here is Yoshi, which is possibly a reference to Double Dash's Yoshi Circuit that has some similar elements being an Island Track, but otherwise it seems fairly random. The Normal Staff Ghost pulls a 01:50.607 using the Bumble V, Sponge Wheels, and Paraglider. The Paraglider is a nice choice here, and there's certainly nothing wrong with the Bumble V / Sponge combo - it doesn't detract too much and adds boosts in some nice areas. The speed is fairly lacking though, the Gold or Slick Tires would be a better option. The Expert does just that and goes for speed, using the Standard Kart with Monster Tires and Super Glider. The Monster Tires have their own problems with acceleration and handling that the Standard doesn't absolve, so it can be countered.

Shy Guy Bazaar

History:

By 2011 the popularity of the Grand Prix had spread to nearly every corner of the Mushroom World. The Shy Guys, long spectators of the Races entered a Track they created in one of their towns on the Reaches of Dinosaurland, the Shy Guy Bazaar. The extensiveness of the track attests to the strong capital of the Shy Guy race and their ability to pool and share resources.

7:

Shy Guy Bazaar closes the Mushroom Cup as a Course with Desert elements reminiscent of Kalimari Desert from 64 or Double Dash's Dry Dry Desert, although it is significantly different from typical Desert Tracks. It is really a free-flowing track with many alternate paths, including wide portions with some singular obstacles, as in the image below. There is also some wide offroad sections along with some unforgiving gaps, and an air boost.

The Ghost here is Shy Guy, who does 02:31.167 using the Standard Kart, Roller Wheels, and Super Glider, which is a fairly basic combination, even though those wheels give him the handling required to dodge around this track. Still, there are other Karts such as the Cloud 9, Koopa Clown, or Royal Ribbon that can boost handling even further, and for all that his speed is terrible. The Expert on the same track uses the Pipe Frame, Monster Wheels, and Parafoil in 02:14.714, none of which really enhances any bonuses and a little more concise planning towards a racer's strength will give you the edge.

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.

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.

Grumble Volcano

History:

In the far North of the Dark Land, a newly formed Dry Bowser set about crafting his own lair. The lava bath that burned away its soul made the heavily volcanic region the perfect location for his diabolical home. Dry Bowser used his Dark Willpower to carve a track out of the Great Mountain, but it was unstable. It wouldn't hold together very long, and sections were always shifting as the great Lava Lake tried to reclaim the unnatural Rock that Dry Bowser had upheaved. Needless to say, this remains one of the most dangerous Grand Prix Circuits ever created.

Wii:

Grumble Volcano finishes off the Star Cup in Wii, and is one of the more difficult tracks. There are many split paths, dangerous falls, tight organic turns, and entire sections of the course that break off and fall into the surrounding lava. Like many of the tracks in Wii that have a lot going on, such as Dry Dry Ruins or Bowser's Castle, it's actually a fairly obvious loop. That said, there are tons of things going on here and constant danger. There are four places to take alternative paths, almost all of them have some elevation difference. I tend to always stay on the outside so the turning is less harsh.

There is also the eponymous volcano that continually spurts out flaming rock that is most hazardous on the Southernmost Turn. There are also Fire Snakes that bounce around and destroy racers. What's interesting is that this course has a little bit of everything. There are offroad bits that Toadette, Yoshi, or Dry Bowser can take advantage of to cut corners. There are also straightaways, although the one in the middle is filled with moving platforms and the one leading to the finish is filled with jumps. And of course there are some really difficult twisting turns. The course itself rubs up against both offroad, edges, and solid walls, and it's one of a handful to offer all three.

The Staff Ghost for this course is Dry Bowser. It's a sinister track with tons of lava and fits the guy pretty well. He uses the Offroader to go 02:28.237, which is a solid choice that takes advantage of Dry Bowser's Stat Bonuses and can handle the turns. It's speed is lacking though. The Expert Staff Ghost trades in that ride for the Spear and drops down to 02:11.852. The Spear is a better choice for speed on the long straightaways but it compromises how well it can take the turns, and Dry Bowser's Stats do not suit its strengths, anyway. This is a solid Funky / Flame Runner choice.

Maple Treeway

History:

Deep in the Gold Leaf Galaxy on one of its largest planets lay the Maple Treeway. The Gold Leaf Galaxy exists in a perpetual Autumn and its people live in tree towns in the giant trees. Diddy Kong, having seen this and felt at home decided to convert it into a Racetrack for the 2008 Grand Prix. Using some of the natural Wiggler Holes in creating a twisting complex natural structure, Diddy really outdid himself. Later the native Wigglers overtook the Young Kong and kicked him out of his own course.

Wii:

Maple Treeway is a thoroughly original course and first appears as the third course in the Star Cup in Wii. It starts with some sloping curves of moderate difficulty, then a Barrel Cannon launches the racers to the main tree where the fun starts. The course loops in and around itself in a complex fashion, going out on bare branches and then across the treetop through some Giant Wigglers, who will not cause Vehicles to spin out but will stop them in their tracks. It goes out on to the branches again, through a tunnel and then one of the longest straightaways in the game, tho it's not that straightforward. There is an enormous net that blows in the wind and multiple paths, all of which can be exploited by bouncing and doing tricks all the way to the bottom.

The Staff Ghost is Diddy Kong, who gets the nod from being a monkey, as well as the conspicuous Barrel Cannon the course that makes it similar to a DK Track. The Normal Ghost uses the Classic Dragster in 02:58.633, while the Expert uses the Sneakster in 02:37.812. The extremely high amount of sharp turns and winding paths, along with a deceptive straightaway make a proper choice here difficult. Something like the Shooting Star is good middle ground, as is the Mach Bike, Dolphin Dasher, or Bullet Bike. I take Bikes over Karts here, their smaller profile allows them to weave a little cleaner.

This track returns in Mario Kart 7 as the longest course in the game for some reason. There are some changes like a connected path between branches leading from the Wiggler Top and into the half-pipe, making for a bit of an easier track. The Barrel Cannon is also now an Air Jump, tho you can't steer. This increases danger, as now lightning or putting away your glider will lead to certain doom. The net bridge has also been replaced with an Air Jump, where you can maneuver around. The Staff Ghost is Wiggler, who goes 02:53.560 using the Standard Kart, Wood Tires, and Super Glider. The Wood Tires are a given here, and tho they help with handling, their underwater advantage is not useful. The Expert goes 02:34.877 in the Egg 1, Sponge Tires, and Flower Glider, which means his drifting becomes decent as well as his Air Handling, but nothing else is spectacular. Stick with Wood Tires but grab the B Dasher, Blue Seven, or Zucchini instead.

Pipe Tracks

History:

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

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

Wii:

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

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

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

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

7:

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

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

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