by
Evan Norris
, posted 1 hour ago / 196 Views
This article series is dedicated to Nikena, my Mario Kart rival.
With a new Mario Kart only days away, it’s a perfect time to revisit Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, perhaps for the final time. Mario Kart 8 has been with us, in some form or another, for over a decade, believe it or not. In that time the track count went from 32 to 48, before ballooning to 96 with the Booster Course Pass DLC. It’s doubtful we’ll ever see a game from the series with so many courses again. To celebrate all 96 tracks, and to bid a fond farewell to what I consider the finest Mario Kart (not to mention the best racing game ever made), I’ve ranked each and every course, from 96 to 1. So buckle up; this is going to take a while.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
#48
Mario Circuit (DS)
The DS version of Mario Circuit won’t blow you away visually, but it’s a lot of fun to drive through, thanks to several snaking curves and multiple shortcut opportunities. It also has at least one major surprise for players familiar only with its original handheld incarnation: a wooded area after the Fire Piranha Plants with a sleeping Wiggler who wakes up and crosses the road during lap three.
#47
Sydney Sprint
There are so many things to like about this track: a healthy mix of straightaways and curves; three unique laps based on the three Tour variants; and, last but not least, the music. Indeed, the theme music ranks among the greats in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, which is a huge compliment. Overall, Sydney Sprint is a well-balanced, lengthy, and enjoyable romp through the landmarks of one of Australia’s largest cities.
#46
Wario Stadium
Wario Stadium has a lot going on, especially in this Mario Kart 8 remake. Racers will leap through flaming rings, drive upward on a raised anti-gravity platform, submerge themselves in a new underwater section, and then take to the sky via glide ramp. As a result, it’s a very exciting track that keeps you constantly on your toes.
#45
Neo Bowser City
Neo Bowser City is dripping — literally — in atmosphere. The rainy, neon-lit environment, with its skyscrapers, glass tunnels, elevators, LED screens, and inky black sky, sends you to another place and time. It’s essentially the Mario Kart version of Blade Runner, in the best way possible. As for the course layout, it remains great, due to tricky turns and a new anti-gravity section with several spin boost pillars.
#44
Donut Plains 3
I feel like Donut Plains 3 often gets lost in the shuffle. It shouldn’t. For starters, the track has great curves and lines, carried over from the Super Mario Kart days. The layout is tight and compact, and allows for lots of cut corners. For another, the visuals are exceptional, particularly the shiny puddles on the dirt track toward the end of the track. Lastly, it includes a few key changes over the SNES original, including the ability to drive underwater and Monty Moles that burrow underground, in the style of Moo Moo Meadows.
#43
Merry Mountain
With its candy canes, wreathes, decorated trees, and wrapped gifts, Merry Mountain evokes the winter holidays in a big way. Apart from its lovely trappings, the track succeeds thanks to an early branching path over an elevated train track, a half-pipe with double item boxes at the apex of the mountain, and an exciting snowy downhill section.
#42
Yoshi’s Island
If I ranked these courses by production design alone, then Yoshi’s Island would be a top 10 contender. This is a true love letter to the SNES platforming classic, with locations, enemies, and items pulled straight from the game. The programmers at Nintendo went above and beyond here, adding unique intro & outro music, and even coins with Yoshi’s face on them. Unfortunately, the track design can’t live up to the stellar art direction. There aren’t many twists or surprises here, apart from an inspired mid-air shortcut right before the finish line.
41
Waluigi Stadium
Thanks to its raucous crowd, tall grandstands, bright stadium lights, and wet muddy track — a big upgrade over the dusty original, mind you — Waluigi Stadium transports players convincingly into the world of motocross. Mechanically, it offers a lot to explore: big banking turns, a handy shortcut about a quarter of the way in, and a lengthy middle section that’s essentially one huge half-pipe. If there’s a downside to Waluigi Stadium, it’s that Nintendo has nerfed this middle section by mitigating many of the hazards. At the same time, however, the company added two new alternative paths that improve this remake considerably. If you perform a half-pipe trick at the right time and angle, you can access two elevated sections, the second of which includes an anti-gravity area with spin boost pillars and glide ramp. It’s a game-changer.
#40
Moonview Highway
Moonview Highway is one of the most thrilling courses in the game. I don’t know if it’s the oncoming traffic, the bright city lights, or the multitude of dash panels, but driving along the track, bathed in the soft white glow of the full moon, is invigorating. There are a few important changes here from the most recent Tour version of the track: a major visual refresh with deeper blacks and less saturation; a new ramp section on the left after the starting line; and, coolest of all, randomized dash panel placement on each subsequent play. This final tweak introduces a layer of unpredictability to the track, which only adds to the excitement.
#39
Kalimari Desert
I carry a lot of nostalgic fondness for Kalimari Desert, mostly because I played it so many times with friends in high school, but recognize it’s not the most interesting or challenging course. Consequently, I was pleasantly surprised to see some big changes to the dusty track, including short-cuts and hang-glider sections from the Mario Kart 7 incarnation and, most impressively, a ramp in lap two borrowed from Mario Kart Tour that diverts drivers onto the train tracks and into a tunnel with a steaming locomotive bearing down on them. It makes for a much more dynamic experience.
#38
Wild Wild Woods
Wild Wild Woods has one of the most remarkable starting lines in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. You start in a completely vertical position, clinging to the trunk of a tree in anti-gravity. It only gets more interesting from there: split paths that end in ramps, followed by a glide ramp over a large void, followed by the most memorable stretch in the track — a stream of water running spiraling downward, which boosts everyone’s speed. The stream deposits you into a shallow pool before a steep climb back up to the starting line. It’s quite the adventure.
#37
Squeaky Clean Sprint
Squeaky Clean Sprint embraces a Honey, I Shrunk the Kids approach where drivers race in a giant bathroom with bath bombs the size of wrecking balls. Not only is the setting spectacular, due to colossal sponges, shower curtains, and bath towels, but the driving experience is super creative. The best section, by far, is an underwater stretch that starts in a bathtub and continues into the pipes underneath. The track also benefits from a couple of branching paths, one after the toilet and another on the right side of the sink.
Stay tuned for Part 6!
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