Editing N64 Bowser's Castle

{{classic title}}
{{race course infobox
|title=Bowser's Castle
|image=[[File:Bowser's Castle MK64.png|300px]]
|appears_in=''[[Mario Kart 64]]'' ([[List of games by date#1996|1996]])<br>''[[Mario Kart Wii]]'' ([[List of games by date#2008|2008]])
|cups=[[Star Cup]] (''64'')<br>[[Lightning Cup]] (''Wii'')
|based_on=[[Bowser's Castle]]
|distance=777 m
|online_play=No longer available ([[Wii]])
|sample=''Mario Kart 64'' / ''Mario Kart Wii''<br>[[File:MK64-Music-Bowser'sCastle.oga]]
|map=''Mario Kart 64''<br>[[File:MK64 Bowser's Castle map.jpg|100x100px]][[File:MK64 Bowser's Castle minimap.png]]<br>
''Mario Kart Wii''<br>[[File:N64Bowser'sCastle.png|140px]]
|ghost={{ghost|Wii|Nin★GASK2|3:19.323|[[File:Bowser Jr MK Wii icon.png|32px|link=Bowser Jr.]][[File:Standard Kart M (Bowser Jr) Model.png|32px|link=Standard Kart M]]}}{{ghost|Wii <small>Expert</small>|Nin★Kentan|2:55.933|[[File:Bowser Jr MK Wii icon.png|32px|link=Bowser Jr.]][[File:Sneakster (Bowser Jr) Model.png|32px|link=Sneakster]]}}
}}
'''Bowser's Castle''' (transliterated to '''Koopa Castle''' on a few occasions<ref>{{cite|date=December 1996|title=''Nintendo Magazine System'' (UK) issue 51|page=28 and 29}}</ref><ref>{{cite|date=April 1997|title=''Nintendo Magazine System'' (Australia) issue 49|page=40}}</ref>) is the fourth and final course of the [[Star Cup]] in ''[[Mario Kart 64]]'' and is [[Bowser]]'s home track of the game. It reappears as a [[classic course]] in ''[[Mario Kart Wii]]'' as the fourth and final race of the [[Lightning Cup]], as well as the thirty-second and last course of this game overall.

==''Mario Kart 64''==
===Course layout===
The course is composed almost entirely of straightaways and 90° turns, and begins outside the castle with walls on both sides of the track. There is first a straightaway that takes racers over a wooden bridge and into the castle, where they first encounter a square courtyard. Here the track makes two 45° turns to the right, with the first set of [[Item Box]]es in between. While the courtyard is mostly covered in grass and shrubs, there is a Bowser statue that will breathe fire towards the part of the track with the aforementioned item set, though it cannot reach the track. Once racers leave the courtyard they enter a wide corridor with four [[Thwomp]]s; these Thwomps will move around in the air before falling onto the track. At the end of this corridor, there is an imprisoned Thwomp tinted green with yellow teeth due to the lighting, which shakes and laughs if racers go near it. Racers then take a left turn and briefly drive straight before taking a right turn into another corridor with more Thwomps. A pair will wait at the beginning of the corridor and then attempt to follow racers before falling and then returning to the beginning of the corridor. A row is also at the end of the corridor; the number of Thwomps in the row depends on the engine class (one for 50cc, two for 100cc, and three for 150cc), and they will always take turns falling.

After exiting the corridor, racers take a right turn followed by a straightaway and another right turn, then enter a room with two more Thwomps; these ones are always at ground level and move from side to side. There are also four small Bowser statues on the sides of the room that can breathe fire, of no consequence to racers. After this room there is a left turn and then racers must drive along a narrow bridge to cross a small room filled with lava. Afterwards there is a right turn into a short corridor with four pictures of Bowser on the walls. Here racers go down a staircase and reach another set of Item Boxes, and then they exit the corridor to reach another courtyard. This courtyard is much narrower and follows the shape of the track, with some more grass and shrubs on each side of the track. The track itself makes a sharp U-turn and then has a straightaway followed by a right turn. Here racers exit the castle and drive over another wooden bridge before reaching a circular tower. Between here and the end of the track, walls once again cover both sides of the track. Racers make a 270° loop counterclockwise around the tower as they gradually gain height, then they jump over a gap and land on a wide area with the last set of Item Boxes. On the left of the track next to the item set is the first of three small square towers with spires on top. At the end of this area, racers must cross another gap and go left or right around the second tower. They then take a right turn around the third tower and reach the finish line soon after.

On the last lap, or when the player gets too close to the Bowser statue at the start of the track, Bowser's laugh plays. The Thwomps throughout the course can also laugh, which is the same as the laugh of [[Wario]] but pitched down. Because Wario's voice changed for the international release, the Thwomps' voices changed with it.

===Shortcuts===
A notable shortcut can be found at the first courtyard. The player can use [[Dash Mushroom|Mushrooms]] or a [[Super Star|Star]] to drive through the grass, cutting off the first two turns.

==''Mario Kart Wii''==
Bowser's Castle makes its classic course debut as the fourth and last course of the [[Lightning Cup]] in ''[[Mario Kart Wii]]'', as well as the thirty-second and last course of the game overall. The castle has been redesigned to become more realistic and windows have been added outside. In the final section, [[Lava Geyser]]s spring out from the pits to cause the drivers to bowl over, especially when racers attempt to jump. Due to lighting improvements and Thwomps being gray instead of blue, the imprisoned Thwomp no longer appears green, but it still reacts when players drive near it. The evil laugh made by the sliding Thwomps in the original version is no longer heard; instead, they make angry expressions and rumbling noises. The large Bowser statue near the start can now harm racers with its fire breath, but the smaller flame-shooting statues are still harmless. Bowser's laugh is still heard on entry on the final lap, or when the player gets too close to the Bowser statue at the start of the track. It is the longest retro course in the game (as well as the longest course overall), taking around one minute per lap. The bridge that comes before the long circular turn before the end is now broken, with Lava Geysers on the sides. Additionally, the ramp after the spiral has a [[Dash Panel]] on it, making the jump easier. The Bowser portraits, which in the original used his artwork from ''[[Super Mario Bros. 3]]'', now resemble his artwork from ''[[Super Mario Galaxy]]''. Bowser's laugh that plays in the Wii version uses [[Kenny James]]'s voice, which is the current portrayal of Bowser. 

This is the only course in ''Mario Kart Wii''{{'}}s Lightning Cup to not appear in either ''[[Mario Kart Tour]]'' or ''[[Mario Kart 8 Deluxe]]''.
{{br|left}}

===Tournaments===
[[File:2009-TournamentMarch2.jpg|thumb|right|The {{classic|N64|Bowser's Castle}} tournament]]
[[List of Mario Kart Wii tournaments#March 2009 Tournament 2|March 2009's second tournament]] required players to complete a race on Bowser's Castle against [[Dry Bowser]], driving the [[Offroader]]. In addition to regular items, Dry Bowser is able to constantly use a [[Fireball]] attack not seen anywhere else in the game. Additionally, all Item Boxes will either contain a Mushroom, Star, Triple Bananas, or Triple Green Shells. Vehicles are restricted to karts only. The tournament was later repeated as the second tournament of June 2010, though without any vehicle restrictions, and the second tournament of March 2011.
{{br}}

==Profiles==
===''Mario Kart 64''===
{{multilang profile
|type=manual
|Eng=Surprisingly, Bowser's Castle has been transformed into a race ground! Because it's inside the building, most of the corners are tricky right angles. However, the most difficult part of the course is where the Thwomps are. They will block your path, and if you run into one, you will spin out. Should you be stepped by one, you'll find yourself squished flat as a pancake.<ref>{{cite|date=1998|title=Mario Kart 64 instruction booklet|publisher=[[Nintendo]]|page=31}}</ref>}}

{{multilang profile
|type=website
|Eng=Bowser's Castle can be one of the toughest courses in the game if you don't know the way through it.<ref>{{cite|deadlink=yes|archive=https://web.archive.org/web/19980205065201/http://www.nintendo.com:80/n64/mario_kart64/starcup.html|url=http://www.nintendo.com:80/n64/mario_kart64/starcup.html|publisher=Nintendo of America|accessdate=January 18, 2025|title=Mario Kart 64: Star Cup|language=en-us}}</ref>
}}

===''Mario Kart Wii''===
[[File:MKW N64 Bowser's Castle Trading Card.jpg|thumb|100px|Trading Card]]
{{multilang profile
|type=website
|EngE=Racing over the red carpets in Bowser's not-so-humble abode might make you think you're in for a warm welcome from the king of the Koopas. Well, if fire-breathing statues are your idea of a warm welcome...}}

*'''Trading Card bio:''' "''It's especially important to have great cornering skills for a track like N64 Bowser's Castle. Most of the corners are tight and if you cut them too close you'll run into a wall. Avoid the fire-breathing Bowser Statue in one of the courtyards by boosting through the grassy area. It's a nice shortcut."''
{{br}}

==Gallery==
===''Mario Kart 64''===
<gallery widths=150px>
MK64 Bowser's Castle art.jpg|Artwork
MK64 icon Bowser's Castle.png|The icon from the menu
MK64 Bowser Castle Icon.png|The icon from the official ''Mario Kart 64'' website
MK64 Bowser Castle website map.png|An overview of the map from the official ''Mario Kart 64'' website
MK64 BowserCastle.png|The beginning of the track with the Bowser statue
MK64 BowserCastle2.png|The laughing [[Thwomp]]s which slide across the room
MK64 BowserCastle3.png|The stairs found halfway through the level
MK64 BowserCastle4.png|The roof of the castle
Mk64 green thwomp.png|The caged Thwomp, which appears green due to the lighting
Bowser Painting MK64.png|The portrait of [[Bowser]]
</gallery>

===''Mario Kart Wii''===
<gallery widths=150px>
MKW N64 Bowser's Castle Banner.png|The course banner
MKW Bowser's Castle N64 Preview.gif|A preview of the course
N64BowserCastle-MKWii.png|Intro for the course
MKWii N64BowserCastle1.png|The giant Bowser statue
MKWii N64BowserCastle2.png|The caged Thwomp no longer appears discolored.
MKWii N64BowserCastle3.png|The Thwomps in this area no longer make sinister laughs, but they do shake when racers get close.
MKWii N64BowserCastle4.png|The stairway features newer portraits of Bowser.
MKWii N64BowserCastle5.png|At the castle exit, lava geysers can be seen when the player crosses the bridge.
MKWii N64BowserCastle6.png|Starting with the second lap, the first jump on the castle's roof will have one of two lava geysers spawning at the jump point.
Bowser Painting MKWii.png|The portrait of Bowser
</gallery>

==Additional names==
===Internal names===
{{internal names
|game1=''[[Mario Kart Wii]]''
|name1=<tt>old_koopa_64</tt>
|meaning1=Old Bowser 64
}}

===Names in other languages===
{{foreign names
|Jpn=クッパキャッスル
|JpnR=Kuppa Kyassuru
|JpnM=Bowser Castle
|Spa=Castillo de Bowser
|SpaM=Bowser's Castle
|Fre=Château de Bowser
|FreM=Bowser's Castle
|Ger=Bowsers Festung
|GerM=Bowser´s Fortress
|Ita=Castello di Bowser
|ItaM=Bowser's Castle
|Chi=酷霸王城堡
|ChiR=Kùbàwáng Chéngbǎo
|ChiM=Bowser Castle
|Kor=쿠파 성
|KorR=Kupa Seong
|KorM=Bowser Castle
}}

==Notes==
*In the ''Mario Kart 64'' instruction manual, there are triangles at the third bridge and between the jumps afterward telling the player(s) to watch for falling rocks, despite the fact that there are no falling rocks or any other obstacle in that area. This is actually a translation error; in the Japanese manual, this is merely a warning not to fall off the track, with the kanji used being similar to the ones used to describe the falling rocks in [[N64 Choco Mountain|Choco Mountain]].<ref>{{cite|format=PDF|url=m1.nintendo.net/docvc/NUS/JPN/NKTJ/NKTJ_J.pdf|title=マリオカート{{ruby|64|六十四}} (''Mario Kāto Rokujūyon'') instruction booklet|page=31|date=1996|language=ja|publisher=Nintendo}}</ref>
*A [[List of rumors and urban legends#Marty the Thwomp|rumor]] popularized by {{wp|YouTube}} videos in 2007 falsely suggests that the [[Thwomp]] locked behind a cage at the beginning of the course, nicknamed "Marty", can be unlocked as a playable character.
*This is the only course in ''Mario Kart Wii'''s [[Lightning Cup]] that does not appear in either ''[[Mario Kart Tour]]'' or ''[[Mario Kart 8 Deluxe]]''.

==References==
<references/>

{{MK race courses}}
{{MK64}}
{{MKW}}
[[Category:Bowser's castles]]
[[Category:Volcanic areas]]
[[Category:Classic courses]]
[[Category:Mario Kart 64 race courses]]
[[Category:Mario Kart Wii race courses]]
[[de:Bowsers Festung#Mario Kart 64]]
[[it:Castello di Bowser (N64)]]