|tours='''Piranha Plant Cove:'''<br>[[Exploration Tour (2023)]]<br>[[Pipe Tour]]<br>'''Piranha Plant Cove 2:'''<br>[[Exploration Tour (2023)]]<br>[[Pipe Tour]]<br>'''Piranha Plant Cove 3:'''<br>[[Mii Tour (2023)]]<br>[[Summer Tour (2023)]]
|tours='''Piranha Plant Cove:'''<br>[[Exploration Tour (2023)]]<br>[[Pipe Tour]]<br>'''Piranha Plant Cove 2:'''<br>[[Exploration Tour (2023)]]<br>[[Pipe Tour]]<br>'''Piranha Plant Cove 3:'''<br>[[Mii Tour (2023)]]<br>[[Summer Tour (2023)]]
|sample='''''Mario Kart Tour'''''<br>[[File:MKT Piranha Plant Cove Theme.oga]]
|sample='''''Mario Kart Tour'''''<br>[[File:MKT Piranha Plant Cove Theme.oga]]
'''Piranha Plant Cove''' is a race course from ''[[Mario Kart Tour]]''. It debuted in the [[Exploration Tour (2023)|2023 Exploration Tour]] as its featured course. It is set on an archipelago containing underwater ruins with a [[Piranha Plant]] motif. Along the course are various hieroglyphs depicting 8-bit Piranha Plant sprites from ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'', and various engravings on [[Falling Pillar]]s are seen glowing bright turquoise. [[Thwomp]]s, [[Maw-Ray]]s, [[Clampy]]s, [[Cheep Cheep]]s, [[Jellybeam]]s, and [[Bulber]]s are featured as course and background elements. The underwater ruins of this course bear similarities to the {{wp|Temple of the Feathered Serpent, Teotihuacan|Temple of the Feathered Serpent}} of {{wp|Teotihuacan}}, while also seemingly being based on {{wp|Atlantis}}. The music for this course is in a 6/4 time signature.
'''Piranha Plant Cove''' is a race course from ''[[Mario Kart Tour]]''. It debuted in the [[Exploration Tour (2023)|2023 Exploration Tour]] as its featured course. It is set on an archipelago containing underwater ruins with a [[Piranha Plant]] motif. Along the course are various hieroglyphs depicting 8-bit Piranha Plant sprites from ''[[Super Mario Bros.]]'', and various engravings on [[Falling Pillar]]s are seen glowing bright turquoise. [[Thwomp]]s, [[Maw-Ray]]s, [[Clampy]]s, [[Cheep Cheep]]s, [[Jellybeam]]s, and [[Bulber]]s are featured as course and background elements. The underwater ruins of this course bear similarities to the {{wp|Temple of the Feathered Serpent, Teotihuacan|Temple of the Feathered Serpent}} of {{wp|Teotihuacan}}, while also seemingly being based on {{wp|Atlantis}}. The music for this course is in a 6/4 time signature.
It has three routes: Piranha Plant Cove, Piranha Plant Cove 2, and Piranha Plant Cove 3, making it the second course in Mario Kart Tour to have numbered re-routes without being a city course, after N64 Kalimari Desert; it is the only new course with this distinction. The first two routes debuted together in the 2023 Exploration Tour, while the third route debuted later in the 2023 Mii Tour. All three routes are vastly different regarding the environments racers drive through; the first route focuses on the ruins, the second route takes racers on a nearby island, and the third route takes racers into a cave, passing shipwrecks. It is the third new course in Mario Kart Tour to have a re-route with a different starting line placement, after Los Angeles Laps and Berlin Byways, although unlike said courses, the starting line has a completely different appearance between variants. Piranha Plant Cove 3 is the first course in the Mario Kart series to take place entirely underwater.
Similar to Dolphin Shoals from Mario Kart 8, this course's starting line is located underwater. When the race begins, racers are immediately met with a brief fork in the road; here, there are pillars that, throughout the race, may fall on to the road, similar to Dry Dry Ruins from Mario Kart Wii and GCN Dry Dry Desert in Mario Kart 8. When the two branches are connected again, racers drive up a large staircase with currents, decorated with stone Petey Piranha heads, that takes them up to the surface. Afterwards, racers drive along the ruins, beneath stone arches with the option to drive on top of one of them, taking 90-degree bends before diving back into the water, and driving down a straightaway and into a cavern featuring Thwomps to be avoided, with dash panels placed in front of them. This section has raised portions of the road with slanted sides, allowing for multiple tricks to be performed depending on the lines being taken. Racers take a few more turns before reaching the finishing line.
The course also appears as Piranha Plant Cove R (reversed), Piranha Plant Cove T (with ramps), and Piranha Plant Cove R/T (reversed with ramps). In the R variant, the first Thwomp is gone. In the T and R/T variants, racers drive on Kanaami Road outside of the ruins for a while, with both Thwomps having been moved to this section; in the T variant, racers use a glide ramp to return to the ruins.
This route is the first instance of a course starting completely underwater in Mario Kart Tour, and the second course in the Mario Kart series overall after Mario Kart 8's Dolphin Shoals.
* 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.
The second variant begins in a part of the course completely separate from the first variant, at the edge of an island overlooking the ruins. Racers are promptly launched off a glider ramp into the water below, which features Jellybeams that can be hit for points, before making a tight turn followed by a slight S-bend towards the starting area of the first variant, where racers encounter two Clampys and the currents now appear before the split path. After driving along a brief portion of the ruins from the first variant, which now has water geysers and an Unagi, racers keep heading straight and then make a gradual right up the bank of the island. Here, the path splits into two wooden paths around a small pier, before meeting up and making another sandy S-bend to the finish line past a biting Piranha Plant.
The course also appears as Piranha Plant Cove 2R (reversed), Piranha Plant Cove 2T (with ramps), and Piranha Plant Cove 2R/T (reversed with ramps). In all three variants, the Piranha Plant that can bite racers on the island is gone. In the R variant, there are Sidesteppers where racers first enter the water. In the T and R/T variants, the gliding section and Unagi are gone. In the R/T variant, there are several Piranha Plants in pipes that bite at players as they drive on Kanaami Road over the water.
Piranha Plant Cove 2's map includes a road only accessible in the course's R and R/T variants, making it the third course to include a road from an alternate variant on its map, after Berlin Byways 2 and GBA Boo Lake.
* 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.
Racers start at the exact same place they start in the first route. When the race begins, racers follow a group of Fish Bones and take a sudden sharp left turn to enter a crystal cave before serpentining round numerous shipwrecks. A large left turn is taken following the wreckages, taking racers through a rocky section decorated with numerous glowing corals. Here, racers can drive over water geysers and avoid Clampys containing coins. Taking another left turn, racers go underground beneath Piranha Plant Cove 2 to enter a sunken ruin filled with dilapidated sculptures of Petey Piranha after avoiding a giant Unagi that lunges out and attempts to bite any nearby racers. Underground, there are many ramps players may use for jump boosts; however, it isn't long until a final right turn is taken, taking racers back to the finish line. On the first lap, racers are accompanied by a giant, fast Maw-Ray when they reach the starting line again. Racers follow this Maw-Ray into the cave during the opening of the second lap.
The course also appears as Piranha Plant Cove 3R (reversed), Piranha Plant Cove 3T (with ramps), and Piranha Plant Cove 3R/T (reversed with ramps). In the R and R/T variants, the Unagi that lunges at racers is gone. In the R/T variant, racers drive along numerous conveyor belts.
This is the only course in the Mario Kart series (not counting Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit) to take place underwater entirely, although players can briefly jump above the water in the T variant.
* 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.
This section is referring to a subject in an upcoming or recently released DLC wave. When the DLC wave is released, or more information about this subject is found, this section may need major rewriting. This notice should be removed after a month has passed since the DLC wave was first released.
Piranha Plant Cove in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Piranha Plant Cove returns in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as part of the sixth and final wave of the Booster Course Pass DLC, where it appears as the fourth and final course of the Acorn Cup. Like with the city courses from Mario Kart Tour, this iteration of the course combines the three different routes from Tour together in one course, being the only non-city track from Tour with this distinction. Lap 1 follows the route of Piranha Plant Cove 2, lap 2 follows Piranha Plant Cove, and lap 3 follows Piranha Plant Cove 3. The starting line for Piranha Plant Cove 2 is absent from this iteration of the course. The course has seen significant visual upgrades compared to its original appearance.[1] The underwater sections of the course are notably brighter compared to how they appeared in Tour. The logo on the course's starting line is now beige instead of purple. A Clampy has been added to the shipwreck section. The sand blocking the Piranha Plant Cove 3 route in Piranha Plant Cove 2 was removed, though a new wooden ramp descends into that section.
Like Ninja Hideaway and Merry Mountain, this course lacks a "Tour" prefix.[2] In some promotional media, however, it uses a prefix.[3] Piranha Plant Cove is one of three Mario Kart Tour courses present in the sixth wave, alongside Tour Rome Avanti and Tour Madrid Drive. It is the first non-city course that was introduced to Mario Kart Tour before Mario Kart 8 Deluxe to be in the pass since Merry Mountain was introduced in the third wave.
Gallery
Mario Kart Tour
Piranha Plant Cove
Course icons
The course icon with Peach (Explorer)
The course icon of the R variant with Petey Piranha
The course icon of the T variant with Captain Toad
The course icon of the T variant with Wario (Cowboy)
The course icon of the R/T variant with Light-blue Shy Guy (Explorer)
The course icon of the R/T variant with the Goomba Mii Racing Suit
Screenshots
View of the starting banner
Alternate view of the starting banner
View of the ruins
An image of racers on the course.
Another image of racers on the course. This and the previous image were used on the official Mario Kart Tour social media accounts as a spot the difference.[4][5]
View of the section with Thwomps
Piranha Plant Cove 2
Course icons
The course icon with Petey Piranha
The course icon of the R variant with Peach (Happi)
The course icon of the R variant with Luigi (Knight)
The course icon of the T variant with Birdo (White)
The course icon of the R/T variant with Light-blue Shy Guy (Explorer)
The course icon of the R/T variant with White Tanooki Mario
Screenshots
View of the starting banner
View after the starting line
Areial view of the ruins
View of the section with currents
View of a pier
Piranha Plant Cove 3
Course icons
The course icon with the Morton Mii Racing Suit
The course icon of the R variant with Petey Piranha
The course icon of the T variant with Penguin Toadette
The course icon of the T variant with Mario (Golf)
The course icon of the R/T variant with the Peach Mii Racing Suit
The course icon of the R/T variant with Light-blue Shy Guy (Explorer)
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![Another image of racers on the course. This and the previous image were used on the official Mario Kart Tour social media accounts as a spot the difference.[4][5]](/File:PiranhaPlantCove.jpg)
