I got my hands on Mario Kart 8 recently and have been putting time into kart racing action. I haven't played one of these for a long while, so it's been really great all things considered. I haven't messed around with Online too much as I've been trying to clear the various Grand Prix with gold cups and three stars. On 150cc and Mirror mode, I've been getting really acquainted with the various tracks while I wait for the game to let me finish 1st four times in a row. Or rather, waiting for item spawns that don't completely screw me on the final lap.
Mushroom Cup
Mushroom Cup is where to start, obviously. For that reason I guess I don't have much to say. These tracks are okay, if missing a lot of dash and flash of later courses. The music in this cup isn't that great aside from the stadium course, so I count myself lucky I never had to play it more than once to get gold.
Mario Kart Stadium
The warm up course. Not bad. My favorite part is the hairpin curve right after the first batch of item pickups. You can drift through that whole thing and come out with red boost. Always feels smooth. Nice music too.
Water Park
Prettttyyyyy boring. It took me awhile to figure out you could get boosts off the gondola looking things that ride through the middle of the track. On the super rare occasion I get a mushroom, cutting through the underwater spinning tea cup looking ride is fun.
Sweet Sweet Canyon
This land of chocolate and gigantic cakes always makes me think of the killer cake boss from Merrymore in Super Mario RPG. The anti-grav portion of the course is probably the highlight, otherwise it's okay. Nothing really special, aside from the visuals.
Thwomp Ruins
The music in this course drives me crazy. I also always seem to get the cycle where the Thwomps are hitting the ground, causing me to detour up the wall and miss two easy coin pick ups. I also botch that quick little shortcut near the last jump all the time. Definitely closes out Mushroom Cup with a whimper.
Flower Cup
Flower Cup is hot trash. Probably my least favorite cup because I've had to wrestle gold (and three stars) from the computer's cold, unfeeling hands. Toad Harbor is probably the only course worth talking about, considering this cup closes on the nightmares that are Twisted Mansion and Shy Guy Falls.
Mario Circuit
I want to like this course because it's doing the Mobius strip thing and reminds me of F-Zero in a lot of ways. However, Mario already has a stadium, so racing the circuit bothers me for some reason. On the grounds of variety I mean. Besides racing upside down, not a lot going on here, with the exception of that optional long jump where you try to avoid the stacked goombas.
Toad Harbor
Yay! I love this course. The San Francisco of the Mario World? Anyway, you have jumps, high roads, low roads, shortcuts, big ass ramps, street cars, wall driving and more. Tons of fun. It's about the only highlight of Flower Cup, because it's nothing but downhill from here.
Twisted Mansion
What an annoying course. I really hate the ability to get boosts off the undulations in the moving hallway. The computer does that all the time and I can't get the rhythm down. Then there's the part right after the jump where if you land on the upper section, you're almost always going into the wall unless you drift as soon as you hit the ground.
Shy Guy Falls
Probably the hardest track in the game for me. You'd think it would be Bowser's Castle or Rainbow Road, but this track is a total disaster. I hate the zip pads on the waterfall, and I hate that jump where the computer can land on that upper section all day, while I'm stuck on the low road. I get blasted on this stage all the time. The 3 star dream usually dies here.
Star Cup
Star Cup is so sick. Easily my favorite group of races in the entire game. I mean it's not all good. Dolphin Shoals is pretty terrible, but everything else is fantastic. The airport keeps you moving, the dance club gets you grooving, and the downhill jam gets you... uh... pumped? Star Cup is super fun. Remember the name
Sunshine Airport
I really don't like the music in this stage, it sounds like it should be in a commercial for grocery shopping. But the track design is solid. I feel like I never stop boosting in this stage. Lots of great turns, ramps, and booster pads. Plus cutting through the baggage terminal right at the end never gets old.
Dolphin Shoals
Man... this track... It's not quite as bad as Shy Guy Falls, but I feel like I'm going 3 miles per hour. Riding on the back of that eel is super annoying too. Just about the only thing that's any fun in this course is cutting the anti-grav turn super tight with a good drift. Annoying music too. But it's sorta forgiven because the best track in the game is next...
Electrodrome
Electrodrome! What an amazing course. The music is so damn good. And the sections that modify the audio track as you drive over it reminds me of Amplitude kinda. Not to mention the laser light show and all the flashing colors. My favorite touch, is the neon piranha plants bumping to the music. I'd race Electrodrome any day.
Mount Wario
Only Wario could bring you such a hot downhill race. One parts SSX, one parts James Bond, all parts fun. Having a giant helicopter as the starting point was pretty amazing, and the rest of the course is too. My favorite part is the forest, where dodging all those trees makes for a very 007 experience. Well, at least as close as Mario can get to something like that.
Special Cup
I'd have to say that this Special Cup is probably one of my favorites in a long time compared to other Mario Kart games. Helping this is a great Bowser's Castle course, and a Rainbow Road that isn't so immediately crushing or annoying. The computer on 150cc still make it a real hassle, but not quite as much as usual.
Cloudtop Cruise
Any Mario Kart course that gets an airship in is fine by me. However the thundercloud that hits zip clouds with lightning is pretty annoying. I still haven't gotten down that shortcut where you ride over the vine leaves near the final turn of the course. I've been burned by the computer a few times with that one.
Bone Dry Ruins
I'm so terrible at this course, it's amazing. I don't know how the hell you land on the upper level after the gliding section, but I've tried up and down with no luck. Even boosting with a mushroom. I also hate those bone piranha plants hanging out on the corners. I must be magnetized to them or something.
Bowser's Castle
I feel like this is a pretty tame Bowser's Castle compared to other Mario Karts... but I also don't care because it's so much fun. Amazing guitar music, and lots of great drifting. Probably second favorite course behind Electrodrome. That Bowser statue fakes me out sometimes, but still a great time.
Rainbow Road
There's a missed opportunity to call this 'Space Station Rainbow Road' but I'll let it slide. There are some tight turns on this stage, with no railing of course, and bumping during the anti-grav parts are super dangerous. I got my drifts down, so it's pretty fun. Although I haven't gotten here on Mirror yet, so opinions may change.
Retro Courses
Since the Retro Courses are gussied up throwback tracks, I'll run through these a little faster. Really the only trouble I had here on 150cc was the Special Cup, mainly for the remixed N64 Rainbow Road, but I'll get to that later.
Shell Cup (It's Okay)
-Moo Moo Meadows (Wii)
I didn't play (or remember) much of the Wii Mario Kart, but this track is okay. Stupid cows in the road.
-Mario Circuit (GBA)
I didn't play the GBA Mario Kart at all, but this track is okay. Still kinda bothered it's another Mario Course. Where's the respect for Luigi? Maybe that's why he's so pissed in this game.
-Cheep Cheep Beach (DS)
DS Mario Kart was pretty good. I put some time into that one, so it's nice to see Cheep Cheep Beach. I think I would have preferred Waluigi Pinball, but they sorta cover that later I guess.
-Toad's Turnpike (N64)
I love Toad's Turnpike. But the biggest bummer and missed opportunity is that there's no oncoming traffic in Mirror mode. That's like the whole appeal of Mirror Toad's Turnpike. Lame.
Banana Cup (Super Garbage)
-Dry Dry Desert (CGN)
I wasn't a fan of this course in Double Dash, and revisiting it doesn't help it any. Not to mention I hate Banana Cup altogether. Getting 3 stars in this cup is a total nightmare.
-Donut Plains 3 (SNES)
I would have preferred Koopa Troopa Beach if only for a sick remix of that song. But Donut Plains is a small course and completely unforgiving since you can't escape the computer. One Red or Blue shell and like five people pass you. 3 star dream ends here too many times.
-Royal Raceway (N64)
This is another course that finishing 1st place is a complete nightmare. It's so wide and open that there's no way to escape whatever the game is throwing at you. Once you get passed, it's almost impossible to catch up. Assuming I survive Donut Plains, the 3 star dream dies here too.
-DK Jungle (3DS)
I never played the 3DS MK, but this DK track is okay. I like the shortcut right before the finish line. It's an easy cut to make if you drift into it. Too bad it's so hard to get here finishing 1st in Donut and Royal Raceway.
Leaf Cup (Pretty Strong)
-Wario Stadium (DS)
Wario Stadium is a funky mix of Wario's course and Waluigi Pinball's music. But I have no complaints. This track is super fun and I love the long string of boosting. Leaf Cup is pretty strong all things considered.
-Sherbert Land (GCN)
Yeah, this course is okay. I haven't bothered taking the routes under the ice because they seem slower. I haven't really tested it yet though.
-Music Park (3DS)
I love the piano turns. Slide through that shit all day. Love it.
-Yoshi Valley (N64)
I've always loved this mess of a course from the N64 MK. The nonsense of all the twists and turns trying to find the fastest route to the end appeals to me for some reason. I don't remember the fastest route, but still lots of fun. And the game is finally powerful enough to calculate your position, haha.
Lightning Cup (Revenge of Rainbow Road)
-Tick Tock Clock (DS)
This course is okay. I'm still too chicken to take the shortcut right before the finish line.
-Piranha Plant Slide (3DS)
Never played the 3DS one so this was a nice surprise. I like how staying on the water makes you move faster through the course. Neat music too.
-Grumble Volcano (Wii)
I can't believe they brought this one back from the Wii. I don't remember much about the Wii one, but I remember not liking this course. It's a cool idea, to have pieces fall apart through laps, but it is not fun. Blargh.
-Rainbow Road (N64)
This version of the N64 Rainbow Road is super garbage and totally kills this cup. 3 star dreams never get past this. If the computer passes you there's nothing to do because the game won't give you decent items in 2nd or 3rd place. You never catch up, and when you take out the endurance test behind the original, it's just a short confusing track where if you can't get out front, you lose. It's got some nice music, but that's about it. This Rainbow Road isn't even hard, it's just dumb.
Other Mario Kart Thoughts
It's so great to see the Koopa Kids get more work. You know, characters with actual character design instead of a smaller version of Bowser. Which reminds me, all the baby characters are completely terrible and take up slots that could have belonged to way more interesting characters. It's such a waste. Where's Magikoopa? That would have been a fantastic throwback to those old N64 screenshots with him on the character select screen. Where's Birdo or literally anyone who isn't just a child version of a character that is already in the game. It's so lazy. I'm with Alex, I totally love going out of my way to smash those guys. Ludwig and Roy for life.
But yeah, Mario Kart 8. Cool game and great to play. Electrodrome rules, Shy Guy Falls can go off the falls.
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