GCN Mushroom Bridge
Template:Racecourse Mushroom Bridge is a racecourse from the Mario Kart series. Its first appearance is in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! as the first racecourse of the Flower Cup. Later, the course makes a reappearance in Mario Kart DS as a retro racecourse of the Leaf Cup. The course takes place on a one-way highway near the coast, and the racers have to share the track with slower vehicles that almost always damage the player when struck. The highway runs over the large red Mushroom Bridge that gives the course its name. The bridge can be seen in the Mushroom City course and the city itself is visible in the distance from Mushroom Bridge.
Layout
The track starts out just before the first left-hand curve. Players can take a path leading off of the main course to the right shortly after the starting line, which goes down a slope to a Warp Pipe leading to the only Double Item Box found in the course as it blasts the player back onto the track. The course then heads into a curving tunnel lit up with blue lights. The players catch up to the cars they share the track with in the tunnel, and after clearing the curve, they encounter three item boxes.
After leaving the tunnel, the track curves between the coast and some hills topped with mushroom-like huts. A path leads over the hill, but if the player does not have a speed-boosting Mushroom or Invincibility Star, their kart will be slowed down substantially by the dirt. Another alternate route exists in this section of track: there is a sidewalk on the left hand side of the track, and while its usually separated from the road by fencing, there are open sections granting the players access. There are item blocks in the sidewalks, and the fence protects players from projectiles thrown by the other racers, such as Red Shells; they can also avoid the traffic on the main road using this route.
After curving past the hills, there is a short straightaway; the sidewalk empties back into the road, and the racers all pass through a row of three item blocks before entering the second tunnel of the track. The tunnel curves around to the left, opening up on a straightaway leading to the bridge that gives the course its name. Halfway along the bridge are three more item blocks. There are two more item blocks on the tops of the bridge's beams, which are also inlaid with Dash Panels, meaning players who attempt to cross the bridge that way run the risk of losing control and falling off (either onto the track below, which wastes time, or into the water which means they need to be rescued by Lakitu, which takes even longer). After the bridge is the finish line and the start of the next lap.
In Mario Kart DS, the course underwent considerable changes. It is simpler, and doesn't have as many obstacles as in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! All the alternate ways were removed, excluding the shortcut over the hills. This version of Mushroom Bridge now features vehicles from Shroom Ridge.
Other Vehicles
In addition to a hazardous Wiggler Bus, a mushroom-dispensing Mushroom Car and an explosive Bob-omb Car, there are various vehicles travelling through the course with the racers.
- There are two buses; one says "Star Travel" and has "STR" on its license plate, the other says "Peach Beach" and says "SUN" on its license plate.
- The are two factory trucks; one says "Moo Moo Farm" and has "1UP" on its license plate, the other says "Express" and has a P-Wing, a Yoshi Cookie, and a letter under it and has "SMB3" on its license plate.
- Regular red, blue, and yellow cars have "POW" on their license plate.
Official descriptions
Mario Kart: Double Dash!!
- Instruction Booklet: “One of the Mushroom Kingdom’s most famous landmarks. This bridge is well traveled, so be careful not to run into any commuters. The car carrying all the mushrooms looks strangely inviting, though…”
- Official Website: “There’s more than just other karts on Mushroom Bridge – a lot more. Dodge traffic as you race across the bridge, or just go over it!”
- Official European Website: “This race takes place on a real road, so watch out for the kart-crushin cars. Skilled players can even drive across the bridge’s girders.”
Trivia
- The whirlpools below the bridge are a sort of reference of the whirlpools that commonly appear in Japanese seas.
- The music that plays while racing is the same as the music that plays during racing on Mushroom City.
- Unlike Toad's Turnpike, the cars will not change direction in Mirror Mode; they'll continue to follow the same direction as the racers themselves.
- In Mario Kart Wii, there is a smaller, similar bridge like Mushroom Bridge in the course Moonview Highway.
- In the GameCube version, the first tunnel is lit green and the second tunnel is lit red. But in the DS version, both tunnels are lit green on the left side and lit red on the right side.
- The track has almost the same shape as Mario Circuit 1.
