Mario Coin
A Mario Coin is a special type of coin that is found in Mario Kart Arcade GP 2 and Mario Kart Arcade GP DX.
Mario Kart Arcade GP 2
Mario Coins take the place of regular coins for players using a Mario Card. There are 25 Mario Coins located in each course, except in Challenge games. In Time Attack, this is reduced to 10 if in 150cc (this does not apply to 100cc). If a player collects a certain number of Mario Coins, they will gain a special private kart for the character or a character-exclusive special item. Even if the player loses coins by bumping into a wall or taking damage, it will still count towards the player's Mario Coin total at the end of the race (lost coins that regenerate on later laps are instead normal coins). Bonus Mario Coins are awarded for the player's finishing position (finishing time in Time Attack) and their performance in the Challenge game if one is played.
Collecting 4,000 Mario Coins unlocks the ability to change to a first-person perspective akin to that of Mario Kart 7. This is done by pressing the VS Cancel button during a race.
Distribution
The following list shows the three ways Mario Coins are distributed at the end of a race:
| Type | Condition |
|---|---|
| MARIO COIN received | The number of MARIO COIN the player collects in the race. Collecting all 25 MARIO COIN in the race (10 in 150cc Time Attack) will give a Perfect!, awarding a bonus of 5 MARIO COIN. |
| Ranking bonus | The number of MARIO COIN earned based on the player's finishing position, regardless of if the player finished or timed out. Grand Prix awards 10 for 1st, 8 for 2nd, 6 for 3rd and 5 for 4th or lower; in VS Race, it is instead 20 for 1st, 15 for 2nd, 12 for 3rd and 10 for 4th. Not given out in Time Attack games. |
| Time bonus | Only awarded in Time Attack games (100cc or 150cc), this is the number of MARIO COIN earned based on how fast the player finishes a Time Attack race, up to a maximum of 20. |
| Challenge game bonus | If the player plays a Challenge Game, the number of MARIO COIN earned for the player's performance. |
This means that the maximum number of Mario Coins that can be collected in one race is 55 in Grand Prix (assuming 15 MARIO COIN earned in Challenge game), 35 in 150cc Time Attack, and 50 in VS Race/100cc Time Attack.
Challenge game bonus
The player can also earn Mario Coins through Challenge Games. A player can play a Challenge Game by clearing all courses within a cup in 1st place (this will also happen if the player selects a cup they have already completed and finishes 1st on the round that they selected to race on). Regardless of the Challenge Game, the maximum Mario Coins the player can earn is 15. The table is as follows:
| Cup | Condition |
|---|---|
| Yoshi Cup | 5 Coins equals 1 MARIO COIN. |
| Mario Cup | Six sections. Clearing awards 15 MARIO COIN. Failing awards 2 MARIO COIN per passed section. |
| Waluigi Cup | 70 meters or more earns 15 MARIO COIN. Otherwise a maximum of 10 MARIO COIN depending on distance. |
| DK Cup | 1 MARIO COIN for each Koopa knocked out. |
| Wario Cup | Based on how fast the player clears the stage. A Time Up is worth 0 MARIO COIN. |
| Pac-Man Cup | Based on how fast the player clears the stage. A Time Up is worth 0 MARIO COIN. |
| Bowser Cup | Four poles. Clearing awards 15 MARIO COIN. Failing awards 3 MARIO COIN per knocked down pole. |
| Rainbow Cup | 15 MARIO COIN for winning the battle. Losing or getting a Time Up awards 0 MARIO COIN. |
Mario Kart Arcade GP DX
The Mario Coin reappears in Mario Kart Arcade GP DX, the sequel to Mario Kart Arcade GP 2. Unlike the previous game, Mario Coin appears on all game versions except v1.06 of the international version whether the player is using save data or not. In international versions on versions before v1.06, it serves no purpose. There are now 35 Mario Coins laid out on each track. For every 50 Mario Coins collected, the player gets a Slot Chance where the player can unlock an item, special kart, or an extra character.
Distribution
There are three ways Mario Coins are distributed:
| Type | Condition |
|---|---|
| Collected | Number of Mario Coins the player collected in the track, out of 35. |
| Perfect Bonus | This will be 15 if the player collected all 35 Mario Coins on the course, otherwise, this will be 0. |
| Rank Bonus | Awarded based off the player's finishing position (1st = 25, 2nd = 22, 3rd = 20, 4th = 18, 5th = 16, 6th = 15). |
This means that the maximum number of Mario Coins that can be collected in one race is 75.
While playing races is one way to earn Mario Coins, there are also other ways to earn Mario Coins, depending on the current game version and the events that are taking place.
Trivia
- Team Mario's team tokens from Mario Kart Tour resemble Mario Coins.
