Classic course
- Not to be confused with Nitro Course or Extra Course.
A Retro Course is a past Mario Kart game's nitro course, not counting the extra courses from Mario Kart: Super Circuit. They appear in Mario Kart DS, Mario Kart Wii, Mario Kart 7, and Mario Kart 8. They come in the Shell Cup, Banana Cup, Leaf Cup, and Lightning Cup. A Mario Kart course has rarely returned as a Retro Course more than once; until Mario Kart 8, Retro Courses were identical to their original counterparts, receiving only graphical updates. For example, in Mario Kart 7, courses appear almost identical to the originals, the only differences being the added underwater and gliding sections, while in Mario Kart DS, most Retro Courses appear to be scaled down in graphics due to system limitations of the Nintendo DS. In Mario Kart 8 most of the retro courses are completely redesigned for HD graphics. They usually include new mechanics, new details for the race tracks, and completely new backgrounds, and also support the anti-gravity, underwater, and gliding mechanics. Also new to Mario Kart 8, most Retro Courses have new remixed and/or remastered music. However, GBA and DS courses are an exception. In Mario Kart: Super Circuit, all songs were in 8-Bit. In the retro courses (i.e. Mario Kart Wii's GBA Bowser Castle 3), the music was remastered to remove the 8-Bit sound, although some courses, like GBA Shy Guy Beach, do have a touch of 8-Bit. In Mario Kart DS, all the retro courses have their music redone to support the small speakers of the console, with the SNES and GBA courses having the biggest changes to music.
Courses
Shell Cup
Banana Cup
Leaf Cup
Lightning Cup
DLC Cups
Egg Cup
Game | Course 1 | Course 2 | Course 3 | Course 4 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Mario Kart 8 | GCN Yoshi Circuit Retro |
Excitebike Arena Nitro |
File:MK8-DLC-Course-DragonDriftway.jpg Dragon Driftway Nitro |
Mute City Nitro |
Triforce Cup
Game | Course 1 | Course 2 | Course 3 | Course 4 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Mario Kart 8 | Wii Wario's Gold Mine Retro |
SNES Rainbow Road Retro |
Ice Ice Outpost Nitro |
Hyrule Circuit Nitro |
Crossing Cup
Game | Course 1 | Course 2 | Course 3 | Course 4 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Mario Kart 8 | GCN Baby Park Retro |
GBA Cheese Land Retro |
Wild Woods Nitro |
File:MK8-DLC-Course-AnimalCrossing.jpg Animal Crossing Nitro |
Bell Cup
Game | Course 1 | Course 2 | Course 3 | Course 4 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Mario Kart 8 | 3DS Neo Bowser City Koopa City Retro |
GBA Ribbon Road white Retro |
Super Bell Subway white Nitro |
Big Blue white Nitro |
Gallery
Cups emblems
- MKDS-ShellCup.png
Shell Cup icon from Mario Kart DS
- MKDS-BananaCup.png
Banana Cup icon from Mario Kart DS
- MKDS-LeafCup.png
Leaf Cup icon from Mario Kart DS
- MKDS-LightningCup.png
Lightning Cup icon from Mario Kart DS
- File-SuperLeaf.png
Leaf Cup icon in Mario Kart Wii
- MK7-ShellCup.png
Shell Cup icon from Mario Kart 7
- MK7-BananaCup.png
Banana Cup icon from Mario Kart 7
- MK7-LeafCup.png
Leaf Cup icon from Mario Kart 7
- MK7-LightningCup.png
Lightning Cup icon from Mario Kart 7
- MK8 ShellCup.png
Shell Cup emblem in Mario Kart 8
- MK8 BananaCup.png
Banana Cup emblem in Mario Kart 8
- MK8 LeafCup.png
Leaf Cup emblem in Mario Kart 8
- MK8 LightningCup.png
Lightning Cup emblem in Mario Kart 8
Cups trophies
- DSshell cup.PNG
The golden Shell Cup trophy as it appears in the Spanish version of Mario Kart DS.
- MKwii-shellcup.jpg
The golden Shell Cup trophy as it appears in Mario Kart Wii.
- ShellcupMK7.png
The golden Shell Cup trophy as it appears in Mario Kart 7.
- Shellcup mk8.jpg
The golden Shell Cup trophy as it appears in Mario Kart 8.
- MKDSBananacup.png
The golden Banana Cup trophy as it appears in Mario Kart DS.
- MKwii-Bananacup.jpg
The golden Banana Cup trophy as it appears in Mario Kart Wii.
- BananacupMK7.png
The golden Banana Cup trophy as it appears in Mario Kart 7.
- BananaCup MK8.jpg
The golden Banana Cup trophy as it appears in Mario Kart 8.
- Leaf Cup.PNG
The golden Leaf Cup trophy as it appears in the Spanish version of Mario Kart DS.
- MKwii-leafcup.jpg
The golden Leaf Cup trophy as it appears in Mario Kart Wii.
- LeafcupMK7.png
The golden Leaf Cup trophy as it appears in Mario Kart 7.
- LeafCup MK8.jpg
The golden Leaf Cup trophy as it appears in Mario Kart 8.
- MKDSlightcup.png
The golden Lightning Cup trophy as it appears in Mario Kart DS.
- MKwii lightcup.jpg
The golden Lightning Cup trophy as it appears in Mario Kart Wii.
- LightningcupMK7.png
The golden Lightning Cup trophy as it appears in Mario Kart 7.
- LightningCup MK8.jpg
The golden Lightning Cup trophy as it appears in Mario Kart 8.
Trivia
- Mario Circuit, snow or ice-themed, and beach-themed retro courses have appeared in all Mario Kart games that have retro courses.
- In all of the Mario Kart games, Mario Kart Wii has the most retro Mario Circuit, Peach-themed, beach themed, DK-themed, and Bowser's Castle courses.
- Mario Kart 8 is the only game with retro tracks in the series that does not feature a retro Bowser's Castle
- All of the Mushroom Cup courses from Mario Kart 64 have reappeared in handheld Mario Kart games.
- Mario Kart DS has one of them while Mario Kart 7 has all the remaining of them.
- N64 Wario Stadium is the only track from Mario Kart 64 that has not been remade into a Retro Course as of Mario Kart 8.