Editing Dragon Driftway

{{race course infobox
|image=[[File:Dragon Driftway MK8 overview.png|300px]]
|appears_in=''[[Mario Kart 8]]'' ([[The Legend of Zelda x Mario Kart 8|DLC Pack 1]]) ([[List of games by date#2014|2014]])<br>''[[Mario Kart 8 Deluxe]]'' ([[List of games by date#2017|2017]])
|cups=[[Egg Cup]]
|ghost={{ghost|8|Nin★Kaori|2:05.487|[[File:MK8 Lakitu Icon.png|32px|link=Lakitu]][[File:VarmintBodyMK8.png|32px|link=Varmint]][[File:MonsterTiresMK8.png|32px|link=Monster (tire)|Monster]][[File:Cloud Glider.png|32px|link=Cloud Glider]]}}{{ghost|8DX <small>150cc<small>|Nin★Mitsu|2:05.957|[[File:MK8 Lakitu Icon.png|32px|link=Lakitu]][[File:VarmintBodyMK8.png|32px|link=Varmint]][[File:MonsterTiresMK8.png|32px|link=Monster (tire)|Monster]][[File:Cloud Glider.png|32px|link=Cloud Glider]]}}{{ghost|8DX <small>200cc<small>|Nin★Aracel|1:34.873|[[File:MK8D Purple Inkling Icon.png|32px|link=Inkling|Inkling Boy]][[File:SplatBuggyMK8D InklingBoyPurple.png|32px|link=Splat Buggy]][[File:Blue Standard.png|32px|link=Blue Standard]][[File:MK8DThumbInklingBoyPurpleSG.png|32px|link=Super Glider]]}}
|based_on=[[Gobblegut]]
|online_play={{hover|Available|Will no longer be available for the Wii U starting in early April 2024}} ([[Wii U]], [[Nintendo Switch|Switch]])
|sample=Atsuko Asahi<br>[[File:MK8-DLC-Music-DragonDriftway.oga]]<br>Frontrunning<br>[[File:WiiU_DragonDriftway_Frontrunning.oga]]
|map=''Mario Kart 8'' / ''Mario Kart 8 Deluxe''
<div style="white-space: nowrap;">[[File:MK8 Dragon Driftway Map.png|frameless|upright=0.65]][[File:MK8DX Dragon Driftway Map.png|frameless|upright=0.65]]</div>
}}
'''Dragon Driftway''' is a race course included with [[The Legend of Zelda x Mario Kart 8|''The Legend of Zelda'' × ''Mario Kart 8'']] downloadable content in ''[[Mario Kart 8]]'', as well as the base content of ''[[Mario Kart 8 Deluxe]]'', as the third course of the [[Egg Cup]]. The course is Chinese-themed, taking place in and around a statue of a dragon that is based on [[Gobblegut]], though it has legs. Throughout the course, various statues and murals of [[Lakitu]] appear. The dragon structure in this race course never actually ends with its tail, as it loops back to the start. This may be a reference to the ancient cultural symbol of the {{wp|ouroboros}}, depicting a snake eating its own tail.

Similar to [[Mario Circuit (Mario Kart 8)|Mario Circuit]], almost the entirety of the course is played in [[anti-gravity]], with only the beginning and end segments near the start/finish line having normal gravity. The music for this course is included in ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' as a track, and the ''Mario Kart 8 Deluxe'' battle course [[Dragon Palace]] uses a modified version of the music. The second part of the song has a melody that resembles the theme for the [[Chai Kingdom]] from ''[[Super Mario Land]]''. 

==Course layout==
[[File:MK8 Dragon Driftway Starting Line.jpg|thumb|240px|left|The course as seen from the starting line]]
At the beginning of the race, racers drive into the mouth of the dragon and go down a winding hall, modeled after Chinese temples. Throughout the tunnels, images from the original ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'' can be seen at the top of the walls. After a set of zigzagging turns, players exit the dragon, although they continue to drive on its exterior. Following this is another series of winding turns, though there are shortcuts placed between them (one acting as an offroad ramp and the other serving as a patch of offroad). After this is a bridge twisting racers fully upside-down, before a prolonged left turn followed by a right turn. There are some [[Spin Boost Pillar]]s found here, which have a unique design resembling hyōtan gourds. Then, racers are faced with a series of descending bumps in the road that function as [[ramp]]s, giving racers an opportunity to perform [[trick]]s. There is then one final turn with another patch of offroad taking up the track to the right (forcing racers without speed items to go to the left) before a final dropoff ramp, ending the anti-gravity section and leading towards the finish line.

The track features several references to Lakitus and Chinese culture. The starting line is a {{wp|paifang}}, a type of gate widely found in Chinese culture, with two golden [[Cheep Cheep]]s on top of it. This is also seen in the ''[[Super Mario 3D World]]'' stage [[Hands-On Hall]]. Three Chinese characters ("朱盖木 - ''Zhūgàimù''") referencing Lakitu's name in simplified Chinese can be found on the lanterns above the starting line or on the murals. One of the Lakitu images in the tunnel depicts one holding a staff and riding a cloud. This is similar to {{wp|Sun Wukong}}, a character who rides a cloud and uses a staff in the Chinese novel ''{{wp|Journey to the West}}''. Before a part with multiple Spin Boost Pillars, there are six unique lanterns with the design of the [[Lakitu]] Card from the [[Club Nintendo (rewards program)|Club Nintendo]] Hanafuda Cards reward.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20171018131809/https://d3esbfg30x759i.cloudfront.net/ss/zlCfzSphzd4ImTiEeM]</ref> 

{{br}}

==''[[Mario Kart 8 Original Soundtrack]]'' liner notes==
''"We used a Chinese stringed instrument known as an erhu for this track. The contrast between this instrument and the same melody played on an electric guitar works really well. Underpinning this, you have the slap bass and the four-to-the-floor beat. When you add that forceful melody, it somehow sounds like a shamisen."''

==Gallery==
<gallery widths=150px>
MK8 Dragon Driftway Course Icon.png|The track's icon.
DragonDriftwayRaceStart.jpg|[[Link]] at the starting line, waiting for the green light.
MK8-DLC-Course-DragonDriftway-section.jpg|An [[anti-gravity]] section of the track with hanging lanterns.
DragonDriftway1.png|[[Baby Luigi]] on a portion of the track.
DragonDriftway2.png|[[Baby Luigi]] about to drop a [[banana]] before the [[anti-gravity]] spinners.
DragonDriftway3.png|[[Baby Luigi]] performing a [[trick]] above the start/finish line.
DragonDriftway4.png|[[Baby Luigi]] performing a [[trick]] before crossing the finish line.
DragonDriftwayMouth.png|[[Baby Luigi]] about to enter the dragon's mouth.
DragonDriftwayKungFuLakitu.png|A [[Lakitu]] in a Kung Fu pose in the background.
DragonDriftwayLakituMural.png|A [[Lakitu]] mural in the background.
Lakitu Cloud stamp MK8.png|The stamp for this course.
</gallery>

==Names in other languages==
{{foreign names
|Jap=ドラゴンロード
|JapR=Doragon Rōdo
|JapM=Dragon Road
|ChiS=龙盘之路
|ChiSR=Lóngpán Zhī Lù
|ChiSM=Dragon Spiral Road
|ChiT=龍盤之路
|ChiTR=Lóngpán Zhī Lù
|ChiTM=Dragon Spiral Road
|Dut=Drakendreef
|DutM=Dragon Road
|Fra=Route du dragon
|FraM=Dragon Road
|Ger=Große Drachenmauer
|GerM=Great Dragonwall
|Ita=Muraglia del Drago
|ItaM=Dragon Wall
|Kor=드래곤 드리프트 로드
|KorR=Deuraegon Deuripeuteu Rodeu
|KorM=Dragon Drift Road
|Por=Estrada do Dragão
|PorM=Dragon's Road
|Rus=Дорога дракона
|RusR=Doroga drakona
|RusM=Dragon Road
|Spa=Ruta Dragón
|SpaM=Dragon Route
}}

==Trivia==
*The various poses of the Lakitu statues on this course match that on the ''[[List of sponsors in Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe#Kung Fu Lakitu|Kung Fu Lakitu]]'' poster seen in {{classic-link|GBA|Ribbon Road}}, which in turn, is a reference to ''{{wp|Kung Fu Panda}}''.
*The course has a unique sound effect during the opening sequence; high-pitched Chinese gongs can be heard after the introduction fanfare ends.
**This is one of three courses in ''Mario Kart 8 Deluxe'' to have a unique fanfare, alongside [[Ninja Hideaway]] and {{classic-link|DS|Waluigi Pinball}}.

==References==
<references/>

{{MK race courses}}
{{MK8}}
[[Category:Temples]]
[[Category:Downloadable content]]
[[Category:Mario Kart 8 race courses]]
[[it:Muraglia del Drago]]
[[de:Große Drachenmauer]]