May 2, 2014 by

With all the news about Mario Kart that has recently been revealed, especially through their latest Nintendo Direct, what other topic could I think of other than something that has to do with this amazingly fun video game? I bet we're all excited to see what new and creative tracks Mario Kart 8 has to offer, especially when they're now defying gravity. But let's take a loot at my top 10 favorite tracks from the earlier games, and see what great tracks they made before this.

What makes a track fun for me? Well, there's a lot of things. The environments, the terrain you're driving on, the length, how unique it is, and of course how fun it is to me. I have played all Mario Kart games, but I don't have favorites from every game. So, the reason why you won't see any picks from Super Mario Kart or Super Circuit, it's because there's no room for the tracks I liked from those games. Also, I tried to keep the entries "original", so I only picked one Bowser's Castle and one Rainbow Road. Let's-a-go!






10. Wuhu Island Loop (7)

Wuhu LoopIt's sad to say that Mario Kart 7 is one of my...lesser favorites in the series. It's really hard to explain, but I wasn't completely satisfied with it, and I didn't have as much fun with it as other MK games. Maybe it had something to do with it being on a handheld, since I like the consoles better? Well, I thought Mario Kart DS was a blast, and absolutely loved that one, so I'm not really sure. Anyway, this game had some interesting tracks, at least, and I really liked the new tracks that had you going for one big lap around the track, or just driving from point A to point B. One of these tracks were Wuhu Loop, and I really liked this one. It was long, it was fun, and the environments were lovely. I haven't played Pilotwings or anything, but I liked this track anyway. I always go for this one when I'm playing online.






9. Baby Park (Double Dash!!)

BabyparkmkddBaby Park is such a simple track, yet so fun. It's just a little oval circuit with the highest amount of laps on any Mario Kart track with seven. Since there is no wall in the middle, it gets crazy when you can send shells, bombs, banana peels or anything else across to the other side at whoever's in the lead or left behind. Even if you're far behind, it's still not over, because you're almost able to hinder your opponents wherever you are. It's a really simple course, but it's definitely a blast to me.






8. Koopa Cape (Wii)

2115471-koopa_cape__mario_kart_7_I liked this track because it was pretty long, and that's something I don't mind every now and then. But in addition to that, there are some areas where the water flows and will give you a little boost if you drive in it. Not the mention that big drop into the tube that goes underwater, and seeing all of those eels that made me terrified of Jolly Roger Bay when I was little. It's a fun track and great track, and it seems to be a pretty popular one. Not only was it included as a retro track already in Mario Kart 7, but it's a popular pick online as well. It has been for both version.






7. Royal Raceway (64)

projec14This is a pretty long and fun track. It takes you around in Super Mario 64's Mushroom Kingdom, as you pass by Peach's Castle towards the end of the track. I really like that, and it was always fun to just drive off the road in check out the castle with a closer look, and you get to see that it's damn similar. Other than that, I like the length, I like the huge jump, and there's always a chance you or someone else will f*** up around the second to last curve and fall into the lake. I think this is an exciting and fun tracks to race on.






6. Yoshi Cicruit (Double Dash!!)

Yoshi_Circuit_MKDDFirst of all, it's shaped like Yoshi, which is awesome. Second of all, this really is a fun track. It has shortcuts (that I don't find unfair), it has some challenging curves, it's out in the ocean, a Yoshi's Island helicopter is there, and I love the tunnel there. It's personal, because when I was younger and played Formula 1 games we had for the N64 and PS1, I loved driving in Monaco, which is a track in the middle of the city. One of things I liked about that, was a certain tunnel with a view out into the ocean, and Yoshi Circuit has just that. It felt kinda nostalgic, and I find it to be a great and fun race track.






5. Mario Raceway (64)

MK64_MarioRacewayThis is also a race track I really enjoy. It's not long, it's not anything special, it's just a simple race track, which is really nice once in a while in a Mario Kart game. It's all about the crazy stuff with Piranha Plants, Bowser statues that breathe fire, Chain Chomps, pits to fall in etc. in MK courses, but I'm glad there are still tracks don't have all that crazy stuff. The items are already crazy enough, so sometimes, it's not necessary with all that, and that's why I like this track. I also always found this one to be a fair course to have as the last one in the Flower Cup in Mario Kart 64.






4. Bowser's Castle (Double Dash!!)

bsulpher_mkdd13I really enjoy the the version in N64, but I'm gonna pass on it for now, since I find those Thwomps to be a real pain, sometimes xD Even though I also found it interesting that they had a green one locked up behind some prison cell bars. Still, the Gamecube version had a really good track too. It has great music, fireballs every where, lava all around, Bowser statues here and there. It's just like it should be. It also has a daring shortcut at the end, which is a chance you can take, but I usually end up in the lava, so I usually play it safe. It's a great track, both with the environments and the evil atmosphere, and with the challenge it brings. There are a lot of obstacles, narrow paths and several places you end up in lava. It's fun and enjoyable!






3. Rainbow Road (Wii)

Rainbow_Road_MKWiiIt was between this and Double Dash!!, and I went with this one. Many people prefer the N64 track, and while I agree that it's a special one, and probably has my favorite Rainbow Road music in it, it's a really boring track at times. Wii and Double Dash's Rainbow Roads were more challenging as they both don't have a fence all the way. But I went with the Wii version, because I thought it was a really fun track. It was difficult, it had forked roads, and "halfpipes" with huge holes in the middle. I also liked the speed bosts (though, DD had that too), but it had you making a difficult choice - do I risk the chance of falling off by this boost, or should I play it safe and keep off of it? It's a really challenging track, I enjoyed it.






2. Wario Stadium (64)

Wario_Stadium_MK64This track can be real bitch if you play this with friends, and that's especially because of the jump towards the end. But the Lightning and that jump can be your best friend, since you make your opponents slower as they're about to jump across, only to land in the part of the track below that takes you back a tad. There are other ways to exploit this track, but luckily, none of my friends know about it :P This is a long track, which is enjoyable. It's really compact, which I find awesome, and it's all packed inside this huge stadium. With Wario's face ALL OVER THE WALLS! Wario's been my favorite character in Mario's multiplayer games since this particular game, and his track is awesome. This is also one of the few tracks that has a big screen where you can see yourself. It doesn't do anything, but adds to the environment. This track is fun by its own, but with friends, this tracks is a prime example of what crazy fun you can have with a multiplayer game on a Nintendo console.






1. Yoshi Valley (64)

Yoshi_ValleyI've already ranted a lot about why this track hasn't been included as a retro in the later Mario Kart games, and I even included it in my 10 things I hope to see in Mario Kart 8, but I won't do it here. Instead, I'll just explain why I love this track. ALL THOSE FORKED ROADS! There are multiple paths to take, and you never know who ends up on first place when all the paths are joined again. That's, of course, because you can't pay attention to where everyone's driving, but it's mainly because the game doesn't let you know! All the frames where the character's faces should be are filled with question marks, which makes it all the more interesting. Well, the map marks out the human players, so you can't get some information from that, but you never know with the CPU characters. If this game gets a retro remake, it could be an opportunity to actually let people know who's in the lead, but for me, I wouldn't mind if the question marks stayed, because it makes it all the more interesting to me. But it's not only this, because there are porcupines around, a lot of places to fall down, one or two risky shortcuts, and that giant Yoshi egg you have to avoid, and the music is really fun to listen to. Yoshi Valley is, to me, the most unique track in the whole series, and I think it's so much fun. I think this track is the best one to represent the Mario Kart series. MK is not about realistic racing on asphalt where the best racer wins. It's about having fun, racing in environments you didn't think was possible, get items to hinder everyone else's chances to win, push other players down pits and just use the dirties tricks you can think of. With all this, in addition to Yoshi Valley's several pathways, question marked character frames and all the other obstacles there are in this tracks, I find this to be my favorite Mario Kart track of all time.


What tracks do you like best in the series? What tracks do you want to see as retro tracks in Mario Kart 8? What tracks are you excited for from what we've already seen? Please let me know in the comments! :)



Check out my other Weekly Top 10s!

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