Mario Kart Wii / Mario Kart 7 / Mario Kart Tour Asuka Ohta, Ryo Nagamatsu
Mario Kart 7 (frontrunning)
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (frontrunning)
Course map
Mario Kart Wii Mario Kart 7 Mario Kart Tour Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Staff ghost(s)
Wii
Nin★pico
2:58.633
Wii Expert
Nin★MUGI★
2:37.812
7
Nin★Asakaw
2:53.560
7 Expert
Ret★Bill
2:34.877
8DX 150cc
Nin★Pavel
2:36.581
8DX 200cc
Nin★Sho
1:58.543
Maple Treeway is the third race course of the Star Cup in Mario Kart Wii. It takes place in a large forest during autumn. The track consists of racing on tree branches, on the treetops and even within the trees themselves. Big Wigglers appear on the treetops, and driving into them will hinder any racer. Leaf piles flank various parts of the track, and driving through them reveals Mushrooms, Bananas, and rarely, Stars. The course's name may be a portmanteau of the words "tree" and "freeway."
The course starts out with a slight downhill curve approaching the first set of Item Boxes. After the set of Item Boxes, there is a curve to the left which leads to a Barrel Cannon that blasts players into a giant tree, directly through its leaves and branches.
After the player lands, the player turns right and through some leaf piles. The player will then exit the insides of the tree and make a left U-turn on a large branch. The turn on the branch is very tight and the player can fall off both sides if they happen to drift incorrectly. It leads into a large circular area on the top of the tree with two Big Wigglers on it who move about as obstacles. There are also some more leaf piles for the player to drive through. The Wigglers will bounce back the player if the player crashes into them.
After the Wiggler area, there is a right turn that slightly dips on a branch, which has two Dash Panels on it. The player may also fall off both sides in this area, so the player must be careful about using the Dash Panels lest they boost off the track. Also, if the player is very slow, they will fall off before the curve with a half-pipe ramp, since there is a small gap in-between the Dash Panel sections and the section with the half-pipe ramp. Similarly, the curve following the half-pipe leads right towards a small crevice that it is possible to fall into. On the ramp are Item Boxes that the player can use. After these turns, the track straightens out, with some more leaf piles strewn about. Along this straightaway, the player will drive across a narrow bridge, which makes it easy for heavier players to knock lighter players off.
After the bridge is a ramp with a Dash Panel on it. The player then lands on one more thick branch. After a very slight turn to the left, there is a rope bridge shifting up and down, which the player may perform tricks on. The A.I. tends to fall off in this area of the course, and the wavy bridge may also throw the player off course when performing stunts, sending them off the track. After the bridge is a wide straightaway with two side routes that go up into the trees, with two tree roots obscuring the main path. The player may perform a trick if they manage to drive off them like a ramp. The side routes feature an additional Item Box each, and end with a ramp with a Dash Panel. After the routes converge, the player will reach the finish line.
Shortcuts
After the player starts the race, they will see a small opening to the right of the track. Once the player swerves into the opening, they may use a Mushroom to boost over the slow overgrowth, and then they will drive across a small wooden bridge. On the bridge is a Dash Panel and two item boxes. After they exit the bridge, the driver will be a short distance away from the large cannon. Despite having a large off-road portion at the start, it can be considered more optimal to take the cut without a Mushroom since that grants racers better items due to being in a lower place, and the route shaves off enough after that it allows them to quickly take said items into a high position.
A very difficult shortcut can be performed just after the Big Wiggler section. By driving near the left edge of the tree branch before the U-turn and using a Mushroom while aiming right, it is possible to skip the turn entirely and land on the subsequent straightaway. This can also be performed without a Mushroom, though it is even more difficult.[1]
Glitches
A glitch can be performed on the curve of the final tree branch before the finish line section. If the player falls slowly enough by repeatedly and simultaneously accelerating and braking, instead of being picked up by Lakitu, they will land on the ground beneath the track and be able to explore it, as most of the ground is solid.
The player can use the left Dash Panel at the end and end up out of bounds, where they must use a mushroom or more to get back on track just before the first hairpin. They then must use the cannon and, upon landing, turn around and use another mushroom to get to the branch before the bridge. If the glitch is done correctly, the lap will count.[2]
Tournaments
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The first tournament of November 2008 took place at Maple Treeway. Players had to collect all fifteen coins that were hidden in the leaves in the least time possible. Four Big Wigglers were roaming around the area as well. The tournament was later repeated as the first tournament of November 2010 and later the first tournament of March 2012. It was also repeated as the second tournament of May 2013, but with a "karts only" restriction.
Mario Kart 7
Maple Treeway in Mario Kart 7
Maple Treeway makes its classic course debut in Mario Kart 7 as the fourth and last course of the Leaf Cup.
The launch after the start/finish line (which has the classic Mario Kart logo recolored from lilac/light brown to orange/yellow) now encompasses a Glide Ramp. Players cannot aim their flight and they are also no longer immune to items while in the launcher, and being hit by anything (or intentionally stowing their glider) will result in having to be rescued by Lakitu.
After the Big Wiggler area, the branch with two Dash Panels is now flat. The half-pipe after the branch with two Dash Panels was also removed. After the final turn of this track, instead of a waving metal net off which racers can perform tricks, a Glide Ramp allows them to cross the large gap. Additionally, the leaf piles may also now release coins and Green Shells. Despite the course being slightly shortened, it is the longest classic course in the game, now being longer than Wii Koopa Cape, unlike in Mario Kart Wii. It also includes a falling leaves effect.
Shortcuts
A glitch exists on this course that can be used by taking the path with the bridge to the cannon. By hopping on the right of the tunnel's side, the player will enter the cannon with elevated height and by aiming the glider upward the player will land on the section on top of the tree with the Big Wigglers.[3]
The U-turn before the bridge can be skipped by drifting, using a Mushroom and hopping precisely. This can also be done with a Super Mini-Turbo and 10 coins.
Using the final Glide Ramp, time can be saved by swooping down to pick up speed, near the cliff edge ahead, and returning to a safe height before being counted out of bounds.
Mario Kart Tour
Maple Treeway in Mario Kart Tour
Maple Treeway reappears in Mario Kart Tour, starting with the 2020 Halloween Tour. It is the first course originally from Mario Kart Wii to reappear in the game. The track plays akin to its Mario Kart 7 iteration, but with a few subtle changes, such as the removal of the Dash Panel on the bridge at the beginning, the leaves on the course being made a more solid orange, the section after the treetop being widened, and the halfpipe ramp from Mario Kart Wii being reimplemented in the same location. The track was visually overhauled, with a more fantasy-like feel and the section up to the top of the tree being redesigned to be more open, showing the landscape. The Big Wigglers on the treetop now spin racers out instead of pushing them back and they now walk around the treetop clockwise instead of counterclockwise. The Mario Kart logo on the starting banner has also changed to the modern logo and recolored to white/dark brown. It is the first course in Mario Kart Tour to include half-pipe ramps from Mario Kart Wii. Maple Treeway is the third course after DS DK Pass and DS Airship Fortress to be the signature course of two tours (the 2020 Halloween Tour and the 2021 Autumn Tour).
The course also appears as Maple Treeway R (reversed), Maple Treeway T (with ramps), and Maple Treeway R/T (reversed with ramps), respectively; the R and T variants were introduced alongside the normal variant in the 2020 Halloween Tour, while the R/T variant was introduced in the 2021 Autumn Tour. In the R/T variant, the gliding sections are replaced with some ramps and Mushroom Trampolines.
* 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.
Maple Treeway returns in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe as part of the Booster Course Pass downloadable content. It is the fourth and last course of the Rock Cup, and was added in the third wave of the DLC. It has received significant visual upgrades compared to its appearance in Mario Kart Tour.[4] The halfpipe from the Mario Kart Tour version of the course is maintained, making it one of two courses in the third wave to reintroduce the mechanic to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the other being Merry Mountain. Also like in Merry Mountain, the halfpipe also has the appearance and effect of an Antigravity Panel. The Dash Panels along the shortcut that were removed in Mario Kart Tour were restored. The Big Wigglers also now move around differently and will spin out any player that collides with it at a high rate of speed. Like Mario Kart 7, the mini map now has shaded areas signifying roads normally covered by the large maple tree section, specifically for the road directly after the first gliding section and the bridge leading to the tree's exit. This course is the longest three-lap course in the game, superseding DS Waluigi Pinball from the previous wave of the Booster Course Pass.
Excluding Mario Kart 8's Rainbow Road theme, which is used in all trailers for the Booster Course Pass, Wii Maple Treeway was one of two courses whose music was used for the second trailer for Wave 3, alongside 3DS Rainbow Road.
Internally, Wii Maple Treeway is referred to as "Cnsw_62", implying it may have originally been intended to be the second course of the Acorn Cup. A video released by Nintendo of America lists this course as the second course of the Moon Cup, implying it was originally changed to that placement first.[5]
Profiles
Mario Kart Wii
Trading Card
European website bio:Wind in and out of the trees and dash across huge branches as the autumn leaves fall on this spectacular forest track.
Trading Card bio:Maple Treeway is a track that offers a vast array of terrain. There are tricky turns and a plethora of pesky obstacles and baddies for you and your rivals to navigate and avoid. Watch out for the piles of leaves as they will make your race miserable if you make contact with one of them.
Mario Kart Tour
Mario Kart Tour Twitter:
Maple Treeway from Mario Kart Wii is here! Be extra cautious of the big Wigglers! It's time for the Halloween Tour![6]
The newly added Maple Treeway will feature the reds and oranges of fall, and a bunch of jack-o'-lanterns! You'll even get points for hitting jack-o'-lantern[sic] with items![7]
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Nintendo Magazine 2022 Winter: A course set among beautiful autumn foliage. You might find an item if you charge into the piles of fallen leaves.[8]
Nintendo Switch News app (US):
This course first appeared in the Mario Kart™ Wii game.
Take in the scenic surroundings of trees with beautiful foliage. You may even catch a peek at a large Wiggler!
There are many narrow roads and sharp turns, so the key is to utilize your drift throughout the course.
If you see a pile of leaves, you may want to try to steer into them. You may end up finding useful items!
Nintendo Switch News app (UK): Welcome to crunchy leaf paradise - it's Maple Treeway! Ever since its first appearance in Mario Kart Wii, this course has been charming racers with its beautiful autumn foliage. The enormous Wigglers that like to walk on the course are pretty memorable, too! The route itself has many narrow points and sharp curves, rewarding contenders with good drifting skills. And finally, if you find yourself wanting to plough straight through the many leaf piles littering the track... Well, no need to fight it - some of them may even be hiding useful items!
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