Rainbow Coaster
| Rainbow Coaster | |||
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| Information | |||
| Appears in | Mario Kart Arcade GP (2005) Mario Kart Arcade GP 2 (2007) | ||
| Cup(s) | Rainbow Cup | ||
| Based on | Rainbow Road | ||
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Rainbow Coaster is the first and third course of the Rainbow Cup in Mario Kart Arcade GP and Mario Kart Arcade GP 2, akin to and inspired by the many incarnations of Rainbow Road. As such, the course takes place in outer space. The course features a teleporter near the middle of the stage, warping players to a new environment; a cloudy area with beanstalks in broad daylight, similar in vein to GBA Sky Garden. This portion is curved and give a very rollercoaster-like experience, much like the Mario Kart DS Rainbow Road. Its sister course, Rainbow Downhill, starts off the same, but the segment after the teleporter is shaped very differently.
In subsequent rounds, the cloudy beanstalk environment in the second portion is changed into something completely different: in Round 3 of the Rainbow Cup, the environment is instead underwater, featuring a variety of deep sea creatures. In Round 1 of the Special Rainbow Cup this environment is replaced by a sanctuary above the clouds in the night sky. Round 3 of the Special Rainbow Cup takes place inside an underwater temple that is a mixture of the other two environments.
In Mario Kart Arcade GP 2, the underwater environment and the night sanctuary have swapped, so the night sanctuary is encountered in Round 3 of the regular Rainbow Cup instead, while the underwater environment is in Round 1 of the Special Rainbow Cup. The version of Rainbow Coaster used in the Challenge against Robo Mario makes use of the underwater environment in the second segment, regardless of game or cup.
Layout[edit]
Racers begin this course inside a space station. As the race begins, they drive outside onto a rainbow-colored, tiled road, to meet the environment of outer space, with rainbow-colored items floating around. Racers then drive into a tunnel labeled "Rainbow Tunnel", which appears to be narrowed down due to a nearby spire. After exiting the tunnel, they make a hairpin turn around a satellite. Racers the follow a road that's been curved due a low platform making an indent in the layout; drivers can take a shortcut by hopping on the low platform. This platform also has a row of Coins in Mario Kart Arcade GP, but these coins are absent in Mario Kart Arcade GP 2. Afterwards, racers drive up a slope and are instructed to drive into a gate with Dash Panels, warping them into a different area.
Upon exiting the gate, racers find themselves in a cloudy area with many beanstalks, Toads, floating islands and rainbow-colored bubbles, while still driving on a rainbow-colored road. They make a hairpin turn to the right around one beanstalk, then go on a short downhill slope to make a hairpin turn to the left around another beanstalk. They then turn right and go straight through a wiggly road past many floating islands, flowers and rainbows, where each curve is sloped upwards. Afterwards, they drive up on a steep slope, then take a long curve to the left downwards, where they encounter another gate with Dash Panels, which warps them back to the first area.
Back in space, racers drive forwards while more rainbow-colored items float above the track, encountering another curved road with a low platform. Like the first one, racers can take a shortcut by hopping on the low platform; this one has no Coins, regardless of which game is being played. They then take another hairpin turn and enter the space station, where they will pass through the finish line.
The revisit of this course in Round 3 of the Rainbow Cup in Mario Kart Arcade GP is relatively the same, but changes the environment of the second area completely. Instead of clouds, floating islands and beanstalks in the high sky, the second portion now takes place entirely underwater, featuring coral reefs, underwater cliffs and seaweed. The wiggly path is now surrounded by giant oyster clams. This is then followed by a gate labeled "Rainbow Sea", leading racers into an underwater tunnel for the big curve. Racers then find themselves on the seabed before they warp back to space. This environment is used again when racing Robo Mario in the Rainbow Cup's Challenge Game.
This second area is changed yet again when the course is revisited in Round 1 of the Special Rainbow Cup in Mario Kart Arcade GP, outside of being raced in reverse. Instead of either a cloudy area with beanstalks or an underwater area, the environment now takes place in a sanctuary above the clouds at night, with various rainbow-colored temples, fountains, and structures. The wiggly path is now surrounded by trees with teal bark and purple foliage, which also appear throughout the big curve following this area. Afterwards, racers drive under a ribcage-like tunnel before they warp back to space. In Mario Kart Arcade GP 2, the night sanctuary became the second area's environment for Round 3 of the Rainbow Cup instead, while the underwater segment is now visited in that game's first round of the Special Rainbow Cup; however, the underwater segment is still used when racing Robo Mario in the Rainbow Cup's Challenge Game regardless.
When the course is revisited in Round 3 of the Special Rainbow Cup, the second area is different yet again, now taking place inside an underwater temple, an amalgamation of the previous underwater area and the night sanctuary, where the course is surrounded by old structures, pipes, oysters bearing pearls, seaweed, and treasure chests surrounded by piles of gold coins. The wiggly path is surrounded by spires, and when taking the big curve following this path, racers will drive around a wrecked ship.
Gallery[edit]
It has been requested that more images be uploaded for this article. Remove this notice only after the additional images have been added. Specific(s): Screenshots from the first Mario Kart Arcade GP, particularly from the Round 3 version with the underwater environment
The first bumps
The first curve
A curvy stretch
The boost to another part of the course
The first part of the other part of the course
A hairpin curve
The second hairpin curve
A curvy stretch of this area
A long turn
The boost back to the starting point
The last stretch of the course
The final curve before the finish line
The starting line
Rainbow Coaster in Round 3 of Rainbow Cup
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | レインボーコースター[?] Reinbō Kōsutā |
Rainbow Coaster |
