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.

Wario's Gold Mine

History:

After years of searching for Gold, Coins, and Treasure, Wario finally hit the mother lode. Searching deep in the Mushroom Kingdom he found a resource untapped by its people, who cared little for the accumulation of riches. He uncovered a great mine in a chasm of the earth where he stole Gold from the earth to make into coins directly. This made him an extremely powerful figure in Mushroom Banking. The many Mushroom Folk he employed were forced to live on sight, in stuffy, smokey houses built into the cliffside. It was only a matter of time before he employed the track already in place for the Grand Prix.

Wii:

Wario's Grand Prix closes the Flower Cup and is one of the more difficult courses in the game. While many courses in the game are wide to accommodate the increased number of Drivers, the trickiest parts of this course are also the narrowest and lack guardrails. The wooden mine track-style and many hills and drops are like a roller coaster reminiscent of Wario Colosseum or even Waluigi Pinball. Also like Waluigi Stadium it is near sunset. They are all stylistically distinct enough though, to warrant separate entries.

The layout may seem simple, as it may be simplified to a common loop, but really it is a twisting, treacherous course with unforgiving turns, jumps, and obstacles like Swoops and Minecarts that can be deadly. It is more organic, with constant turns instead of straightaways to take advantage of any speed. Indeed, falling behind and getting only mushrooms or stars can be extremely hazardous. While there aren't horizontal complications, there are also many vertical complications that make it more difficult.

Each course in Wii has Normal and Expert Staff Ghosts in Time Trials. The Normal is Wario in his own Bike at 02:19.585 while the Expert upgrades to the Flame Flyer in 02:04.800. I find Bikes exceedingly unstable and difficult to control here, Karts are an easier option. Speed here is hairy, someone with more control and drift, such as Mario would work well. Grand Prix can be more perilous with Karts jostling, Bowser is able to knock others around while getting a small drift bonus himself and would be a good fit.

Waluigi Pinball

History:

Waluigi always attempted to push the danger in new tracks. His massive Waluigi Pinball course treated Drivers as the balls in a Pinball Machine, based off a successful venture in Arcade games. Although dangerous, it has remained one of the more popular later tracks and Waluigi has gladly added it to his growing empire. It is both a testament to his ego and his continual push for technology ahead of the homelier values of most of the Mushroom Kingdom.

DS:

Waluigi Pinball is the longest course in DS, strangely inappropriate for the Flower Cup. It has plenty of turns although most of them are curved gently on a wide track, meaning that there is less of a need for precise handling than would appear. It has plenty of hazards though and it's generally not the greatest track for a Heavyweight who may be slow on the stick. Its length and metallic structure echo Double Dash's Wario Colosseum although its track structure is actually much less complex. The Ghost here is Waluigi driving the Gold Mantis in 2:23:288. Something like Mario's Shooting Star may do well here.

The course reappears in Mario Kart 7 where there is an increased number of jumps and some more added dangers, including a big Air Jump where the initial pinball boost used to be. Since Waluigi is not in the game, Wario takes over as the Staff Ghost. He goes 02:44.372 using the Standard Kart, Slick Wheels, and Swoop Glider. This smartly caters to Land Speed and drift at the expense of Off-Road, which is the key here, but a Kart more like the Growlster will play to his strengths better, although the Koopa Clown or Cloud 9 might be a better choice for handling. The Expert goes 02:27.574 with the badass combo of Growlster, Slim Wheels, and Ghastly Glider. It's a tough combo, but again, using Slick Wheels instead with a Kart that makes up for handling will prevail.

Delfino Square

History:

After the intrusion of Princess Peach and Daisy on the Isle of Delfino the popularity of Kart Racing soared with the Piantas. Through the guidance of Peach the Piantas built the Delfino Square track around Delfino Plaza. It has managed to be a popular track, mostly because the experienced Driver Peach was able to manage its construction. It is now operated independently of the Royal Family, making it one of the few publicly-owned courses.

DS:

Delfino Square is a moderately simple course in the Flower Cup of DS. It is basically a contiguous loop although it does have some alternate paths as well as a massive drawbridge which is either a huge jump or a great straightaway, depending on whether or not it is lifted. It's not a very forgiving course, either. There are plenty of right-angle turns boxed in by buildings, meaning that high handling and acceleration are a necessity. Because of this it's a course that tends to give Heavyweights some trouble. Other than that there are some patches with Offroad possibilities, but nothing to give up a huge shortcut.

The DS Staff Ghost here is Peach in the Royale with a time of 1:54:601. This track returned in Wii where the Staff Ghost is Wario for some reason. The Normal Ghost turns in 2:41.807 using the Wario Bike while the Expert Staff Ghost switches to the Honeycoupe in 2:24.169.

Wario Colosseum

History: 

The construction and use of Wario Colosseum in the Grand Prix has been controversial. In the days of Ancient Mushroom Kingdom, the Colosseum was the site of grand games surveyed over by the King, but in the centuries since its popularity it has feel into ruin and disrepair. Wario was able to use his cash and influence to outfit the Ruins to fit a contemporary sport - Kart Racing. Similar to his insistence on Stadium Tracks where he can sell more tickets for a bigger profit, his Colosseum was meant to house a great number of spectators. This has come as an ire to preservationists in the Kingdom who did not want to see their heralded ruins damaged. Wario also built a track so long and complex that it was decreed by the Grand Prix organizers to be set at two laps rather than three. This is the only track in Mario Kart History to be so adjusted, which Wario always viewed as a slight to his entrepreneurship. This track has not appeared again due to this handful of issues.

Double Dash:

There is a lot to this course. It's similar in theme to Wario Stadium in that it has many twists and turns and curves and is also extremely long. It could actually be interpreted as a three-dimensional version of that course. There are many straightaways, boost pads and a wide collection of 90° turns. It's a jumbled mess and a difficult track to come back on if you fall behind. Someone maneuverable is vital but it is also a pain to lose a close photo finish on that final straightaway.


There are also Secret Staff Ghosts on every track in Double Dash. For Wario Colosseum the Staff Ghost is Wario with Waluigi in tow cruising around in the Wario Car. They finish with a time of 2:21:106.

Waluigi

History:

Waluigi is one of the more vile humans in the Mushroom Kingdom. He abhors adventuring and so for many years while other graduates of the Mushroom Plumbing College like Wario and the Mario Bros. were out in the wilds unclogging the many Giant Warp Pipes throughout the land, Waluigi engaged many other pursuits. He founded a Motor Oil Company as well as an independent construction firm. Throughout the 90s he dabbled in Nazism until he met Princess Daisy, who he became obsessed with. His unrequited love of the Princess has both salvaged Waluigi's soul and separated him from his partner, Wario, who is obsessed with his own greed. It has also fueled much of his rage towards his nemesis and current Daisy beau Luigi. Since then he has still avoided adventures, but excelled in many Mushroom Sports Competitions 

I've looked into his eyes...he's pure evil.

Waluigi is much more rational than his only real friend in the Mushroom Kingdom, Wario. He was always fiercely independent and isn't motivated by greed or jealousy. Instead he gets his drive from lust, ambition and a distinct pleasure from causing harm in others. He's one to laugh at misery and exploit it using his own cunning mind. In addition to his Motor Oil Company he attemped and failed at the Waluigi Grand Prix, although the remnants remain on many courses throughout the Kingdom. Finally he has pioneered Waluigi Pinball, which began as a small string of Arcades and has now blossomed into enormous, dangerous Amusement Parks.

Double Dash:

Waluigi first appeared as a playable racer in Double Dash where he pairs with Wario. Double Dash placed emphasis on different Karts more than Characters, the Drivers only determined what Weight Class they could use and what Special Items became available. Individual Karts determined Racing Stats, and each Character has his or her own signature Vehicle.

Waluigi drives the Waluigi Racer, which he cannot use with his default partner, Wario because while Waluigi is a Middleweight, Wario is Heavy. The Waluigi Racer is a Kart of some extremes in some cases. It's on the faster end of Middle Karts, only slower than Luigi's Green Fire and also has the best Offroad Speed by far of any Middle Kart, in fact, it has the best in the game at 37 mph. Its turn speed isn't great among Middle Karts but pretty decent overall and it's smack int he middle of Acceleration (13th) and Weight (9th). All in all this seems great so far, but it also has the worst shocks in the game, making it the single bounciest Kart and most likely to lose speed on big hills. Therefore it's a great choice for maybe something generally flat but with lots of Offroad portions like Sherbert Land, Yoshi Circuit or Dino Dino Jungle.

The Wario/Waluigi partnership is the only Heavy/Middle partnership in the game, otherwise their Special Items are identical. Waluigi uses the Bob-omb, which is a better defensive than offensive weapon. When thrown behind it can be devastating for those on your tail, although be sure to be careful of it going off right behind you from a Red Shell or what not.The only problem is that it won't stay on the Track for long, exploding pretty soon after you drop it, so if you're very far ahead it's basically useless. When thrown ahead it is awful dangerous. There is a slim chance that you won't be involved in the explosion but it's difficult.

There are Secret Staff Ghosts to unlock in Time Trials here. Waluigi's personal course is Waluigi Stadium where he partners with Wario in the Wario Car at 1:59:658. For the later Wario Colosseum he rides behind his partner in the same Ride, this time pulling in at 2:21:106.

DS:

Only Waluigi and Daisy appear only in Double Dash, DS and Wii. Waluigi is still a Medium Weight Driver here, although by adding 2 to the weight of each Vehicle he is a bit heavier than Mario or Luigi. DS gave each Character three distinct Karts, each with specialized stats. Eventually every Character can use any Kart, with the only morphing stat being Weight. Generally Waluigi is one of the heavier Middleweights. Of the Three Karts initially available, there is basically a Standard, one with poorer stats but a better Item Rating and one with better stats but a poorer Item Rating. Here are Waluigi's Vehicles:

Waluigi generally has very good vehicles. The Zipper is clearly the precursor to the Bikes in Wii. None of his Rides have subpar stats. at worst his handling and drift are average with above average acceleration and pretty good speed. Waluigi also has a pair of Staff Ghosts in Time Trials. On his own Waluigi Pinball he goes 2:23:288 in the Gold Mantis. He also appears on the Retro Choco Island 2 from SMK. He uses the Zipper in 1:01:620. He's probably here as a reference to his Stadium Tracks as the Choco Islands are full of dirt.

Wii:

It's only a matter of time really.

In Wii Waluigi makes the upgrade to a Large Size Racer. Wii took its three different Size Classes and gave each Six Bikes and Six Karts to choose from, each with varying stats. In addition to this, each Character adds his or her own Bonuses to each Stat, making an incredible array of possible combinations. Waluigi is again a decent choice. His +6 Acceleration and +5 Drift are both at the Top among Large Racers and he adds a +3 Offroad as well. All of this makes him a good choice for those seeking Offroad Shortcuts or courses with tricky turns. Both is high acceleration and ability to use bigger vehicles also make him a nice choice for beginners. Here are Waluigi's Specific Stats, the maximum in any Category is 80:

Waluigi is most associated with the Offroader, it having comparable stats to the Wario Bike. It's also the Kart that best takes advantage of Waluigi's Stat Bonuses, likewise with the Wario Bike. These two Vehicles don't act much like typical Heavy Rides and since Waluigi doesn't really have typical Heavy Bonuses, he makes them work. It's also interesting that the default colour scheme on many of the Heavy Vehicles is Waluig's blue and gold, such as the Phantom and the Spear.

Waluigi only has one Staff Ghosts in this game. He drives on the Retro Waluigi Stadium with the Standard Bike L in 02:32.882. The Expert version, once unlocked, uses the very heavy Piranha Prowler in 02:12.367.

Stadium Tracks

History:

The first Wario Stadium opened up in 1995 in the Mushroom Kingdom. Wario used the dirt track for all kinds of extreme sports and then adapted it to Kart Racing, designing the course himself. In typical fashion it's huge, long and twisted. He later changed it once again for another Grand Prix Competition. When Wario met Waluigi they soon saw eye to eye on numerous endeavours, and Waluigi also started building Stadiums, mostly with Wario's money. Thus Wario was the backer for many of Waluigi's projects until he started making some coin of his own through his Sports Appearances and his Waluigi Pinball enterprise. Despite neither hailing from the Mushroom Kingdom all their Stadiums are located there, the local government sees their presence as intrusions, but the populace that actually gets a chance to watch races in a large venue for once instead of sitting on a fence rail has been very supportive. This has further lined Wario and Waluigi's pockets.

64:

This is another trend that started with MK64. Though there had been plenty of Dirt Tracks before, and the Choco Tracks are their forerunner, no other Tracks are in confined Stadiums like this. This is what we're narrowing down to. Even though Wario Colosseum may be the natural extension (and from there Waluigi Pinball and Wario's Gold Mine), we're talking about limited, dirt-road, confined courses. Wario Stadium 64 is an incredibly long course full of huge jumps, tight turns and some deadly drops that set you back rather than require Lakitu's Help. There are also some very wide portions here which allow for perfect drifting. This is one course that may favour a heavyweight you can drift well and not bounce all over the place, like DK or Wario himself. Each Stadium Track appears in a different cup, this one opens up the Star Cup.

Double Dash:

Waluigi carried on the spirit in Double Dash. The Track itself is simpler and much less lengthy but still has the requisite number of jumps, twists and tough angles. There are Boost Pads for the first time along with a deceptive straightaway filled with giant wooden moving Piranha Plants and Spinning Firebars. The course shows its greater simplicity by closing out the Flower Cup this edition. It's also one of the only Sunset Tracks. Waluigi drives the Wario Car with Wario in the backseat for the Secret Staff Ghost. He goes a 1:59:658, noticeably shorter than the first Wario Stadium.

This course came back in Wii and it's the only Stadium Track to appear in that game. There are some notable additions, including Dash Panels in the Piranha Plant half-pipe and a reverse order of the Plants appearing. Waluigi Stadium is actually distinct from the Wario Stadiums in that its edges slope up to the sidewalls, allowing for some perfect boost turning and tricks (a likely reason it was included in Wii). The Normal Ghost here is Waluigi in the Standard Bike L at 02:32.882, the Expert uses the Piranha Prowler in 02:12.367.

DS:

A different Wario Stadium appears in DS, joining Mario Circuit, Luigi Circuit, Bowser's Castle and Sherbert Land as the only different signature tracks to appear in different games. This time it contains a much simpler in layout despite its appearance in the Special Cup.The DS Special Cup also included Peach Gardens, though, so it's not out of the ordinary that it's not that crazy of a course. It's not an egregiously long course but does feature a bit more mud than other Stadium Tracks, though Waluigi Stadium had a good amount, just not directly on the Kart Path. Thus there's actually some nasty Offroad here for the first time, though it can't really be used for Shortcuts. There are also Boost Panels and Firebars reminiscent of Waluigi Stadium. The walls are steep though, which makes for some tougher turns. Every Stadium Track has some overloop and the same goes for this one. Wario, using the Brute clocks in as the Staff Ghost in h 2:14:868. I think you can get away with Speed and Handling, pick Luigi's Poltergust 4000 or Waluigi's Gold Mantis.

Wario

History:

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

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

64:

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

Super Circuit:

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

Double Dash:

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

Xzibit can't improve a thing.

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

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

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

DS:

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

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

Wii:

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

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