Each lap has you racing on a different part of the course, like Tokyo Blur and Paris Promenade.
But the parts that are are great!įor me, the best feature by far is the varying laps. Not much of Sydney Sprint is really a sprint. With its bright atmosphere, energetic music, and diverse surroundings, Sydney Sprint is a blast to race through. Sydney Sprint (Tour)īefore playing these brand new tracks, I caught myself saying that “remade Tour tracks are always fun.” Despite this blatant generalization, Nintendo thus far hasn’t really managed to prove me wrong.
I’d even say it outdoes other snow tracks in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, like Sherbet Land and Ice Ice Outpost. This course definitely lives up to my wildest expectations. With ramps to trick off and plenty of shortcuts, Snow Land feels exciting and dynamic. That means the roads are slippery! I love when race themes aren’t just some skin, but have a profound impact on the gameplay itself. The central gimmick of this track is – as the name kind of implies – snow. It works in the way that Nintendo has remade this course. The course also really doesn’t have to go crazy. With penguins, falling item blocks, and cute music, Snow Land is infinitely better than its Gameboy Advance counterpart without having to go crazy.Īlso, the penguins in this course finally have the decency to stay away from my kart. Fortunately, Nintendo took this fairly bland Mario Kart: Super Circuit course and turned it into an adorable winter wonderland. This course could turn out to be really mediocre, or something crazy would happen to it. Seeing the DLC courses for the first time, Snow Land was the large question mark. Nonetheless, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe‘s Mushroom Gorge is a very solid remake, although more of a remaster. I would’ve loved to see the track explore some anti-gravity, maybe with mushrooms on walls and ceilings that racers can jump over, similar to walls like in Bone-Dry Dunes or Toad Harbor. It kept the glider mushroom that Mario Kart 7 introduced, but aside from that, there are only minor changes. Although the original circuit is already great, I’m always fond of retro tracks adding something to make it stand out from the original.
If this track is so great, then why is it only sixth? I don’t think Mario Kart 8 Deluxe realized this course’s full potential. The cave with its bright pink and blue gems and mushrooms, the grassy cliffs, and the many spectators cheering for you greatly adds to the experience. What’s more, the enhanced graphics really shine in this course. Jumps, tricks, and cliffs galore! Mario Kart 8 Deluxe kept Mushroom Gorge’s magical appeal with all its crazy jumps. As the third track of the first cup, this was the first track where the crazy Mario Kart physics truly came into play. Mushroom Gorge has a special place in my heart.
Mario Kart Wii was the second Mario Kart game I played. Still, all around a fine finisher to the Propeller Cup, but not its sweet spot. Especially the first time racing, I could barely tell where I was supposed to go and where I’d find Lakitu waiting for me. It’s also challenging to see depth with some of the candy panels. Although I’m always up for some anti-gravity, the slow falling effect it causes makes this track feel somewhat awkward to race on. I love doing tricks, but this course takes it pretty far – you’re airborne for almost more time than not. For the amount of time you get to ride, that is. Racing between the cones, chocolate, cake, and candy makes this track a pretty sweet ride. You wouldn’t tell, but this course somehow doesn’t quite hit the sweet spot. The thing that clearly sets it apart for me is its appealing atmosphere. Its course layout isn’t much different from a course like Baby Park. For all its seeming chaos, Sky-High Sundae is a pretty simple track. So from 7 to 1, I’d describe all tracks as good, great, or at least deserving to be there. Mario Circuit 3 is the only one I really didn’t care for. It’s a pretty indication of what I think of this course. It kind of pains me to put this brand new course second-to-last. Even other SNES courses like Ghost Valley 3 could’ve filled this spot better. Still, I can name plenty of circuits I would’ve preferred seeing over SNES Mario Circuit 3. For a standard Mario circuit, it serves its purpose.
Nothing that makes this course stand out. However, there are no underwater segments or glider ramps either. There are no anti-gravity zones (which is a bit of a pattern in the Booster Courses). Maybe a little too much so.Ĭontrary to the other Mario Circuit retro track, the one from Super Circuit, this track does very little to make it interesting.