Mario Circuit
- This article is about the race courses throughout the Mario Kart series. For other uses, see Mario Circuit (disambiguation).
- “It’s a race to the finish line! Start your engines!”
- —Mario, Fortune Street
Mario Circuit is the name given to various race courses in the Mario Kart series. These courses generally contain features associated with Mario, such as his red cap, Mushrooms, Peach's Castle, Warp Pipes, Goombas, Chain Chomps, and Piranha Plants. Various banners bearing his name can also be seen along some of these tracks. Mario Circuit is usually featured in the Flower Cup. Outside Mario Kart, Mario Circuit also has iterations in other games such as Itadaki Street DS and the Super Smash Bros. series.
History[edit]
Mario Kart series[edit]
Mario Circuit is a recurring name first given to four tracks in Super Mario Kart. In the original Japanese versions, it goes on to be used for one track in every mainline game. It is one of four track names that are reused in more than two courses and consistently appear in many Mario Kart games, alongside Luigi Circuit, Bowser's Castle, and Rainbow Road.
In Mario Kart 64, all circuit courses are known as raceways in English. Thus, its Mario Circuit is named Mario Raceway instead.
| Course | Games | Description |
|---|---|---|
 Mario Circuit 1 |
Super Mario Kart Mario Kart: Super Circuit Mario Kart DS Mario Kart Tour |
A simple course that first appeared in Super Mario Kart as the first course of the Mushroom Cup and Mario Kart series overall. The course features several bends and Warp Pipes as obstacles. |
 Mario Circuit 2 |
Super Mario Kart Mario Kart: Super Circuit Mario Kart 7 Mario Kart Tour |
The second Mario Circuit course in Super Mario Kart acting as the final course of the game's Mushroom Cup. Unlike Mario Circuit 1, this course features more bends, oil slicks and Warp Pipes, and a big ramp at the end. The ramp became a Glide Ramp in Mario Kart 7. |
 Mario Circuit 3 |
Super Mario Kart Mario Kart: Super Circuit Mario Kart Wii Mario Kart Tour Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Booster Course Pass) |
The third Mario Circuit course in Super Mario Kart appearing as the final course of the Flower Cup. This course features the same obstacles as previous Mario Circuit courses and has sharper bends and a Dash Panel at the end. |
 Mario Circuit 4 |
Super Mario Kart Mario Kart: Super Circuit |
The fourth and final Mario Circuit in Super Mario Kart. It is the final course of the Star Cup. The course features many barriers and bends, and is similar to Mario Circuit 3. |
 Mario Raceway |
Mario Kart 64 Mario Kart Wii Mario Kart Tour |
The Mario Circuit course of Mario Kart 64 and the last course of the game's Flower Cup. The second shortest course of the game, Mario Raceway features some turns, lots of grass with Piranha Plants for shortcuts, a Warp Pipe tunnel, a course terrace with a Mario Cap, and a big toadstool. |
 Mario Circuit |
Mario Kart: Super Circuit Mario Kart 8 Mario Kart 8 Deluxe |
Mario Kart: Super Circuit's Mario Circuit is the first course of the game's Flower Cup. It is a plain course with a u-turn and some small bends. In Mario Kart 8, the u-turn is turned into a slanted part of the road with anti-gravity and held up by Ultra Arms. |
 Mario Circuit |
Mario Kart: Double Dash!! Mario Kart Wii |
The second course of the Flower Cup in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!. This iteration of Mario Circuit features many elements from past Mario Circuits such as Warp Pipes and Piranha Plants while introducing others that would appear in many Mario Circuits in the future, like Peach's Castle and Goombas. |
 Mario Circuit |
Mario Kart DS Mario Kart Tour Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Booster Course Pass) |
The third course of the Star Cup in Mario Kart DS. This Mario Circuit features many bends and ideas from previous Mario Circuits such as a Warp Pipe tunnel and Peach's Castle, while adding new mechanics such as utilizing Fire Piranha Plants as obstacles. |
 Mario Circuit |
Mario Kart Wii | A basic circuit course that acts as the first course of Mario Kart Wii's Flower Cup. The course starts out in Toad Town before entering the main road with enemies such as Goombas and Chain Chomps. |
 Mario Circuit |
Mario Kart 7 Mario Kart Tour |
Mario Kart 7's Mario Circuit appears as the second course of the Flower Cup. It features a cherry blossom road at the start leading to a Mushroom Trampoline bringing the player to the entrance of Peach's Castle. Unlike previous iterations, the player can drive into the castle and exit via Glide Ramp. The course also features a Warp Pipe tunnel at the end. |
 Mario Circuit |
Mario Kart 8 Mario Kart 8 Deluxe |
Serving as Mario Kart 8's first course for the Flower Cup, this iteration of Mario Circuit is designed after the Möbius strip and is played in mostly anti-gravity. The course features bridges, Goombas and Goomba Towers, Peach's Castle and is surrounded by lots of greenery. |
 RMX Mario Circuit 1 |
Mario Kart Tour | A remix course based on the SNES Mario Circuits. The course features many ramps, oil slicks, Warp Pipes, and Goombas. The main feature of this course is the usage of Empty Blocks and ? Blocks on the road and around the course. |
While Mario Kart Arcade GP, Mario Kart Arcade GP 2, and Mario Kart Arcade GP DX do not feature any courses with the Mario Circuit name, similar courses that may be inspired by Mario Circuit do appear in each game's Mario Cup. Mario Kart Arcade GP and Mario Kart Arcade GP 2 include Mario Highway and Mario Beach, which are named after Mario and feature a circuit-like road design with a coastal theme. The similarly themed Splash Circuit from Mario Kart Arcade GP DX also appears to be associated with Mario, as is its sister course, Tropical Coast. Moreover, the finish line banner for both Splash Circuit and Tropical Coast features the name "Mario Circuit", strengthening this connection.
Fortune Street series[edit]
- Main article: Mario Circuit (board)
Mario Circuit is a playable game board in Itadaki Street DS and Fortune Street. The board’s design in the former is based on Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, while its design in the latter is based on Mario Kart Wii, though the route of the track is identical to its appearance in both games.
Super Smash Bros. series[edit]
Super Smash Bros. Brawl[edit]
- Main article: Figure-8 Circuit (stage)
A Mario Circuit stage similar to the layout of the Figure-8 Circuit appears in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. The stage has two platforms resembling a jump platform and a road pavement in the center. Shy Guy racers will appear and damage players from both the jump and the central road. However, they themselves can be damaged, causing them to spin out and be harmless.
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U[edit]
- Main article: Mario Circuit (Super Smash Bros. for Wii U)
Another Mario Circuit appears in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, based on the course featured in Mario Kart 8. The stage is a moving stage in which a platform carries the fighters around the track and stopping at various points. Shy Guys are also racing on the track and can damage the fighters if they are hit by them, similar to the Mario Circuit in the previous game.
The Mario Circuit from Super Smash Bros. Brawl also returns in this game, under the name "Mario Circuit (Brawl)".
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate[edit]
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, both of the Mario Circuit stages from previous games return. However, the one from Super Smash Bros. Brawl is renamed "Figure-8 Circuit".
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games[edit]
Mario Circuit appears in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games which is heavily based on the version in Mario Kart Wii and is used for the individual and team versions Dream Ski Cross with the road now being covered entirely with snow and more ramps being carved out of the snow on the track itself. While the general layout of the first half of the course is identical to it is in the aforementioned game albeit with a much steeper descent, the second half of the track is entirely different, where they are linked by two Warp Pipes which split the track into two, the path on the left has a more wavy shape while the path on the right is filled with Coins but a Goomba and Piranha Plant serve as obstacles. Once the paths join back up together there a few tight downhill turns and Piranha Plants until the racers reach a DK Cannon taking them back to the starting line for a second lap.
Super Mario 3D World / Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury[edit]
The level Mount Must Dash in Super Mario 3D World and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury is based on the Mario Circuit courses from Super Mario Kart. The level also uses an arrangement of the courses' music from that game.
Profiles[edit]
Fortune Street[edit]
- Website description:
- English (American):
A race track built within the Mushroom Kingdom. There's a never-ending drone of white-hot engines whizzing around the track.
- English (American):
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | マリオサーキット[?] Mario Sākitto |
Mario Circuit | |
| Chinese (simplified) | 马力欧赛道[?] Mǎlìōu Sàidào |
Mario Speedway | |
| Chinese (traditional) | 瑪利歐賽道[?] Mǎlìōu Sàidào |
Mario Speedway | |
| Dutch | Mario's Circuit[?] | Mario's Circuit | |
| French | Circuit Mario[?] | Mario Circuit | |
| Circuit de Mario (Super Mario Kart)[1] | Mario's Circuit | ||
| German | Marios Piste[?] | Mario's Track | |
| Italian | Circuito di Mario[?] | Mario's Circuit | |
| Korean | 마리오 서킷[?] Mario Seokit |
Mario Circuit | |
| Portuguese (NOA) | Circuito Mario[?] | Mario Circuit | |
| Portuguese (NOE) | Circuito do Mario[?] | Mario's Circuit | |
| Russian | Трасса Марио[?] Trassa Mario |
Mario's Track | |
| Spanish | Circuito Mario[?] | Mario Circuit | |
| Pista Mario[?] | Mario Track | N64 Mario Raceway |
References[edit]
- ^ Super Mario Kart French instruction manual. Page 27.
