N64 Yoshi Valley
| Yoshi Valley | |||||||||||||||
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| Information | |||||||||||||||
| Appears in | Mario Kart 64 (1996) Mario Kart 8 (2014) Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (2017) Mario Kart Tour (2022) | ||||||||||||||
| Cup(s) | Special Cup (64) Leaf Cup (8, 8 Deluxe) Battle Mode (8) | ||||||||||||||
| Tour(s) | |||||||||||||||
| Distance | 772 m | ||||||||||||||
| Online play | No longer available (Wii U) Available (Switch) | ||||||||||||||
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Yoshi Valley is the second course of the Special Cup in Mario Kart 64. It is Yoshi's home track of the game. It takes place over a canyon, and there are many twists and turns. The map modes that show the player icons making circuits around the screen relative to their positions seem to work fine; however, due to how complicated the maze is, the players' mugshots are just replaced with question marks regardless of what HUD mode is used. Their positions are revealed only at the end of the race. There are also several porcupines that can disable turning and slow racers down for 1.5 seconds. Near the end of the course, there is a rotating Giant Egg that can easily flatten any player, disabling their movement for about five seconds. It shares its music with Moo Moo Farm.
Yoshi Valley reappears in Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as the fourth and last course of the Leaf Cup, and in Mario Kart Tour starting with the 2022 Yoshi Tour. It is also used as a battle course in Mario Kart 8.
Mario Kart 64[edit]
Course layout[edit]
The race starts in a grassy field. After a brief straightaway, racers turn left into the valley proper. The valley is a maze structured such that the path in splits once, each path splits again, and then the inner two of the resulting four paths splits for a third time, creating routes 1 through 6, from left to right.
- Route 1 is a narrow path taken by choosing the left option twice. It has no railings, meaning racers are at risk of falling off. Aside from that, it is the simplest option, almost immediately merging with the end of route 6.
- Route 2 is taken by going left, right, then left. It passes through a tunnel underneath route 6 before turning right and reaching the point where all the routes converge.
- Route 3 is taken by going left, right, then right again. It is a brief straightaway that quickly merges with route 5.
- Route 4 is taken by going right, then left twice. It is a brief straightaway that quickly merges with route 2.
- Route 5 is taken by going right, left, then right. It is merged into by route 3 as it dips into a bridge through a tunnel below route 6. Afterward, it takes a steep 270° left turn full of porcupines before a drop that merges it with route 2 (and by extension, the other routes).
- Route 6 is the longest route, taken by going right at every opportunity. It curves around a mountain, then travels over routes 2 and 5 before being merged into by route 1. After, a U-turn leads it to jump onto route 2 just before route 5 does, merging all the routes.
Once all the routes have converged, racers take a winding road with few railings that leads to a large circular area with a rotating, hazardous Giant Egg. A rope bridge leads them past the area and takes them out of the valley to the grassy area they began in, where they cross the finish line.
Shortcuts[edit]
When all the routes have merged into one, it is possible to use a mushroom and jump to the left, thus skipping a curve.
Glitches[edit]
In the starting area, if the player positions themselves facing left and uses a mushroom, it is possible to jump over the fence and fall into the void. If this is done in a very specific place, it is possible to have Lakitu position the player at the finish line and count a lap.[citation needed]
Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]
Yoshi Valley makes its classic course debut in Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as the fourth and final course of the Leaf Cup. The valley now features a waterfall and river, and is now known as the Wild Yoshi Sanctuary, a nature reserve for the Yoshis, and there are now trees, flowers and bushes with Fruits and lanterns hanging from them. Water is also added there. The starting banner is now a wooden sign with a nested green Yoshi Egg placed on top of it. There are also multicolored Yoshis throughout the track waving and jumping as spectators. Some are behind the wooden fence, with two of them on crates, and others are on the cliff tops. There is a rock structure with moss forming the head of a Green Yoshi, and there are various colored eggs within the valley. In addition, the game now properly displays current player positions, apart from a couple of minor glitches on route 5.
All of the original paths remain intact, though have been given slight changes to even out the lengths of them; the most significant being that route 6 has been turned into a Barrel Cannon with a glider segment. It is the only route to have Item Boxes. Other changes include the bridge being moved from route 5 to route 1. The left turn at the end of route 5 is more flat and runs through a cave where Swoops appear. Taking the first left upon entering the maze and then the first right now leads to route 5 instead of route 2, and route 1 is now a typical shortcut over a wooden bridge. Route 2 can only be accessed by going right, then left twice at the start of the maze, and thus is much more easily missed. The track has toned down in difficulty, and is slightly easier than the original, with the addition of guard-rails and the fact that the game now tells the players which place they are in. The giant Yoshi Egg is smaller, spins around counterclockwise instead of clockwise, has Coins trailing behind it, and will instead knock over racers rather than flattening them. The porcupines have also been replaced with Goombas. The Yoshis seen on the course are always in the same spots, though they sometimes change color every time the course is restarted.
Shortcuts[edit]
- After the giant Yoshi Egg, there is a ramp on the grass area that can be accessed by using a Mushroom.
Mario Kart Tour[edit]
Yoshi Valley returns in Mario Kart Tour starting from the 2022 Yoshi Tour. It is the first N64 course to be included in the game since N64 Choco Mountain in the 2020 Exploration Tour forty-five tours prior. Like GCN Yoshi Circuit, N64 Royal Raceway, and GCN Baby Park, it mostly takes on the appearance of its Mario Kart 8 iteration. The course features a different starting line design compared to Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and the nest on the starting line now features some leaves on it. A cliff and some more Yoshi spectators have been added near the starting line. The time of day has also been changed from evening to early morning (also applies to GBA Yoshi Desert and DS Airship Fortress). Route 1 was made much wider and now has guardrails. Two logs have been added to route 6. Two half-pipes have been added at the loop after racers pass through the split paths, making this the first classic course in the game that is not present in Mario Kart Wii to have half-pipes. The fence at the area with the big egg is now colored white, and bushes appear under it. Hot-air balloons themed after Yoshi are also added above the track as decorations. The Wild Yoshi Sanctuary signs present on the course now use 2D artwork of Yoshi instead of 3D artwork. Despite using its Mario Kart 8 appearance, this course uses the original version of its music from Mario Kart 64. The minimap also now matches its orientation from 64, as opposed to the 8 version.
This course also appears as Yoshi Valley R (reversed), Yoshi Valley T (with ramps), and Yoshi Valley R/T (reversed with ramps). The former two were introduced alongside the normal variant in the 2022 Yoshi Tour, while the latter was introduced in the 2023 Yoshi Tour. In the T variant, racers drive across several mushroom trampolines, including a blue one, and are only able to take one route. In the R/T variant, racers drive along multiple of the maze's routes on each lap, extending the length of the course.
Appearances[edit]
For this course's tour appearances, see List of N64 Yoshi Valley tour appearances in Mario Kart Tour.
Top-tier and middle-tier items[edit]
Select "show" to reveal the drivers, karts, and gliders for which N64 Yoshi Valley and its variants are always favored or favorite courses. For instances in which additional drivers, karts, and gliders temporarily had this course and its variants as favored or favorite courses, see List of N64 Yoshi Valley tour appearances in Mario Kart Tour.
| Course | Three-item drivers | Bonus points ×2 karts | Combo bonus ×3 gliders | Two-item drivers | Bonus points ×1.5 karts | Combo bonus ×2 gliders |
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 Normal variant |
               
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  ** ***          **
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 R variant |
    
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     **** ** ***
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** ** ** *** *** **   * **
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    ***   
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 T variant |
   
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 *** ******* 
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** *******   
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 R/T variant |
       
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| * indicates a favored course upgraded to a favorite course after reaching level 3. ** indicates a favored course upgraded to a favorite course after reaching level 6. *** indicates a favored course upgraded to a favorite course after reaching level 8 for High-End items. | ||||||
Bonus challenges[edit]
| Break Item Boxes | |||||||||
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| Icon | Course variant | Chosen driver |
Chosen kart |
Chosen glider |
Item Box type found |
Number of item slots | Grand Star scores | Tour appearances | Cup |
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Regular |  Daisy |
 Pipe Frame |
 Super Glider |
 Mega Mushroom  Coin |
2 |
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Yoshi Tour (2022) |  Mario Cup |
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Yoshi Tour (2023) |  Ludwig Cup | |||||||
| Time Trial | |||||||
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| Icon | Course variant | Chosen driver |
Chosen kart |
Chosen glider |
Grand Star scores | Tour appearances | Cup |
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Regular |  Red Yoshi |
 Pipe Frame |
 Super Glider |
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Cat Tour (2022) |  Pink Gold Peach Cup |
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R |  Boomerang Bro |
 Pipe Frame |
 Super Glider |
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Animal Tour |  Nabbit Cup |
| Combo Attack | |||||||
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| Icon | Course variant | Chosen driver |
Chosen kart |
Chosen glider |
Highest combo counts | Tour appearances | Cup |
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T | Red Yoshi |
Pipe Frame |
Super Glider |
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Yoshi Tour (2023) |  Monty Mole Cup |
Profiles[edit]
Mario Kart 64[edit]
- Instruction manual bio: Steep canyons and a very large egg... Hmm... How does this course relate to Yoshi? To make one lap, you can take any route you like through the complicated maze, but without keeping a careful eye on the course radar, you might drive the wrong way and end up returning to where you started. Of course, leaving the course is forbidden.
- Website bio: The track in Yoshi Valley meanders through a twisting maze high above a mountain valley.
Mario Kart 8[edit]
- Mario Kart Facebook page (United States): Ah, the majestic Yoshi Valley from Mario Kart 8. So beautiful. So sprawling. So eggs-quisite. Make a pit stop today![1]
Mario Kart 8 Original Soundtrack liner notes[edit]
I was a bit concerned that the violin part was going to be very difficult, but thanks to Hitoshi Konno's superb technique, we were able to reproduce the original part in a live performance. I think with the perfectly-pitched swing tone, we even managed to convey the feel of the adorable eggs towards the end of the course.
Gallery[edit]
Mario Kart 64[edit]
Artwork
The icon from the menu
The icon from the official Mario Kart 64 website
An overview of the map from the official Mario Kart 64 website
The first left upon entering the maze
Approaching some porcupines on route 2
The Giant Egg
Image of Yoshi used on the flags
Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]
The course icon
Results screen
Overview of the track
Yoshi, Bowser, Mario, and Koopa Troopa racing on the course
Mario, going through route 6
Rosalina driving ahead of Metal Mario while approaching the Giant Egg area
The giant Yoshi Egg, at the end of the course, with coins following it
As a battle course
A released screenshot of the course
Postcard image from Facebook
The stamp obtained for beating the staff ghost at this course
Mario Kart Tour[edit]
Course icons[edit]
- For this subject's image gallery, see Gallery:Mario Kart Tour race course icons (N64 courses) § Yoshi Valley.
The course icon
The course icon of the R variant
The course icon of the T variant
The course icon of the R/T variant
Screenshots[edit]
Alternate view of the starting line
An overhead view of the track
View of the Yoshi head
Alternate view of the Yoshi head
View of the entrance to the tunnel
View of the first half-pipe
View of the second Half-pipe
View of the waterfall
View of the big egg
View of a shortcut ramp
Yoshi (Egg Hunt) and Yoshi (Gold Egg) tricking on the course
Various characters racing on the T variant
Cat Luigi and Baby Peach (Cherub) racing on the course
Ice Mario, Rosalina (Aurora), Penguin Mario, and Penguin Luigi gliding on the course
Names in other languages[edit]
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ヨッシーバレー[?] Yosshī Barē |
Yoshi Valley | |
| Chinese | 耀西谷[?] Yàoxī Gǔ |
Yoshi Valley | |
| Dutch | Yoshi's Vallei[?] | Yoshi's Valley | |
| French | Vallée Yoshi[?] | Yoshi Valley | |
| German | Yoshi-Tal[?] | Yoshi Valley | |
| Italian | Valle di Yoshi[?] | Yoshi's Valley | |
| Korean | 요시 밸리[?] Yosi Baelli |
Yoshi Valley | |
| Portuguese (NOA) | Vale Yoshi[?] | Yoshi Valley | |
| Portuguese (NOE) | Vale do Yoshi[?] | Yoshi's Valley | |
| Russian | Долина йоши[?] Dolina yoshi |
Yoshi Valley | |
| Spanish | Valle de Yoshi[?] | Yoshi's Valley |
Trivia[edit]
- The trees bearing Fruits in the Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart Tour versions look similar in shape to that of a baobab tree.
- One of the Yoshis near the starting line will occasionally hum Totaka's Song.[2] This also occurs in other courses featuring Yoshis in the audience.
References[edit]
- ^ MarioKartEN (August 14, 2014). Facebook. Retrieved June 29, 2023. (Archived June 29, 2023, 19:14:40 UTC via Wayback Machine.)
- ^ GameXplain. (January 12, 2015). Totaka's Song in Mario Kart 8 (Secret). YouTube. Retrieved September 10, 2017.
