GCN Luigi Circuit

This article is about the race course from Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and retro course in Mario Kart DS. For other race tracks with the same name, see Luigi Circuit.

Luigi Circuit is the first race track of the Mushroom Cup and All-Cup Tour in Mario Kart: Double Dash!!. The track is a stretched figure of eight with ramps on the curves. Because of this, racers can see other racers going up the track while they are going down. In any setting except for 50cc, the guard rail is removed, and the racers can even collide with each other. To avoid cheating in the course, the drivers must go through the Dash Panel on both ramps in order to complete a lap. A Chain Chomp is located in the entrance of the first curve that approaches to the road often to bowl the karts that are very near to it. This track shares its music with Mario Circuit and Yoshi Circuit.

The course returns in Mario Kart DS as the final course of the Shell Cup.

Course layout

The track starts off next to what looks like a building for box seats with a garage below. Players can go left on the main road, or right, where it is explained below. In the background, a rank "A" mansion from the end of Luigi's Mansion can be seen. After the turn, players once again enters the merged lane on their way back up to the start/finish line to start the cycle again on the next lap. On the right a lake can be seen, but no life is seen in it. After the last wide turn the lap is completed. The course somehow appears to be based on the layout of Luigi Raceway from Mario Kart 64.

Shortcuts

There are no shortcuts in the 50cc version of the track. If the difficulty is above 50cc, players can go far to the right side of the merged lanes to look up an alternate route with two Double Item Boxes. Players take this shortcut behind the Chain Chomp and reach quickly the slope with dash panels of the first corner. However, sometimes the shortcut may be blocked by the Chain Chomp. There is a similar path before the final turn.

Staff ghost

To unlock the staff ghost (using Luigi/Mario in the Red Fire kart), the player must achieve a time faster than 1:29.000.

Appearance in Mario Kart DS

Luigi Circuit returns in Mario Kart DS as the final course of the Shell Cup. This rendition of Luigi Circuit is almost identical to the original, although the long straightaways are notably wider and the shortcuts were removed. The barrier that was seen in 50cc in the original version has been removed completely. The blimp as seen in the GBA version of Luigi Circuit is also visible, but only in the demo version of the game. The background has also been reduced to a flat image instead of actual models. The course was playable over the game's Wi-Fi.

Staff ghost

1:29.759 using Luigi in the Poltergust 4000.

Official descriptions

Mario Kart: Double Dash!!

• Instruction booklet: “Though the Chain Chomp is a bit noisy, this is a relatively peaceful course. The front straight and back straight run parallel to each other, so you'll see your rivals coming and going. Whether you opt for the outside line and the dash panels or cut it close and stay on the inside track is up to you.”
• US website: “A great beginner’s course, Luigi Circuit has long straightaways and big, loping curves on either end.”
• European website: “Long and lanky, like Luigi himself, Luigi Circuit is also home to a Chain Chomp that snaps at any racers who dare to come close.”

Mario Kart DS

• European website: "Named after the taller of the two Mario brothers, Luigi Circuit aptly features two long straights where you can really put your foot down. These are topped and tailed by two banking curves covered with Dash Panels. But watch out for the hungry Chain Chomps!"

Sponsors

• Luigi Grand Prix (Trackside banners)
• Luigi Racing Team (Signs)
• Luigi Tires (Trackside banners)
• Mario Kart (Trackside banners)
• Mario Racing (Trackside banners)
• Nintendo (Signs)
• Shoot!! (Trackside banners)
• Super Mario (Trackside banners)

Gallery

GCN appearance

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  The track logo

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  Prototype logo

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  The track icon

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  The teams are lined up and ready to race

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  Mario and Princess Peach are ready for a Time Trial

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  The 50cc version of the track

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  The track when played on 100cc and 150cc

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  The track when played in Mirror Mode

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  The first shortcut

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  The second shortcut

• LuigiCircuitMKDD!!.png

  Lakitu, signaling the start of the Grand Prix race

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  Dash Panels

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  Yoshi and Donkey Kong going around a curve

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  Prototype screenshot of Mario and Koopa Troopa driving down the merged section

DS appearance

• MKDS-CourseIcon-GCN-LuigiCircuit.png

  The track icon

• LuigiCircuitDS.png

  The course as it appears in Mario Kart DS

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  Luigi races on the racetrack in an early build

• Mkdsluigicircuit2.jpg

  Bowser races on the racetrack in an early build

• Mariokds 004-large.jpg

  Bowser almost completes the second lap in an early build

• MKDS Luigi Circuit (GCN) First Turn.png

  Luigi racing in Grand Prix

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	ルイージサーキット[?] Ruīji sākitto	Luigi Circuit
German	Luigis Piste[?]	Luigi's Circuit
Italian	Circuito di Luigi[?]	Luigi's Circuit
Korean	루이지 서킷[?] Ruiji Seokit	Luigi Curcuit
Spanish	Circuito de Luigi[?]	Luigi's Circuit

Trivia

• An arrangement of the music for this course appears as one of the selectable songs in Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Nintendo DS version) and Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.
• In split-screen mode, the blimps that fly above the track and the flowers are missing.
• In Mario Kart DS, this course shares its introduction fanfare with Figure-8 Circuit, Waluigi Pinball, and Mario Circuit. It is the only retro course to have this theme.
• The layout of this track bears a resemblance to the layout of the AVUS circuit in Germany.