Dragon Driftway
Template:Racecourse Dragon Driftway is a race course included with The Legend of Zelda × Mario Kart 8 downloadable content in Mario Kart 8, as well as the base content of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, as the third course in the Egg Cup. The course is Chinese-themed, taking place in and around a statue of Gobblegut, though it has legs. Throughout the course, various statues and murals of Lakitu appear. The dragon structure in this race course never actually ends with its tail, as it loops back to the start. This may be a reference to the ancient cultural symbol of the ouroboros, depicting a snake eating its own tail.
Similar to Mario Circuit, almost the entirety of the course is played in anti-gravity, with only the beginning and end segments near the start/finish line having normal gravity. The music for this course is included in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a track, and the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe battle course Dragon Palace uses a modified version of the music.
Course layout
At the beginning of the race, racers drive into the mouth of the dragon and go down a winding hall, modeled after Chinese temples. Throughout the tunnels, images from the original Super Mario Bros. can be seen at the top of the walls. After a set of zigzagging turns, players exit the dragon, although continue to drive on its exterior. There are some Spin Boost Pillars found here, which are similar in appearance to hyōtan gourds. After several winding turns, players will loop back and drive towards the finish line. Here several bumps work as ramps, giving racers an opportunity to perform tricks.
The track features several references to Lakitus and Chinese culture. The starting line is a paifang, a type of gate widely found in Chinese culture, with two golden Cheep Cheeps on top of it. This is also seen in the Super Mario 3D World stage Hands-On Hall. Three Chinese characters ("朱盖木 - Zhūgàimù") referencing Lakitu's name in simplified Chinese can be found on the lanterns above the starting line or on the murals. One of the Lakitu images in the tunnel depicts one holding a staff and riding a cloud. This is similar to Sun Wukong, a character who rides a cloud and uses a staff in the Chinese novel Journey to the West. Before a part with multiple Spin Boost Pillars, there are six unique lanterns with the design of the Lakitu Card from the Club Nintendo Hanafuda Cards reward.[1]
Staff ghost
The staff ghost for this track is Lakitu on the Varmint. The time is 2:05.487 in Mario Kart 8. In Mario Kart 8 Deluxe 200cc, the staff ghost is an Inkling Boy.
Mario Kart 8 Original Soundtrack liner notes
"We used a Chinese stringed instrument known as an erhu for this track. The contrast between this instrument and the same melody played on an electric guitar works really well. Underpinning this, you have the slap bass and the four-to-the-floor beat. When you add that forceful melody, it somehow sounds like a shamisen."
Gallery
The track's icon.
Link at the starting line, waiting for the green light.
An anti-gravity section of the track with hanging lanterns.
Baby Luigi on a portion of the track.
Baby Luigi about to drop a banana before the anti-gravity spinners.
Baby Luigi performing a trick above the start/finish line.
Baby Luigi performing a trick before crossing the finish line.
Baby Luigi about to enter the dragon's mouth.
A Lakitu in a Kung Fu pose in the background.
A Lakitu mural in the background.
The stamp for this course.
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese (simplified) | 龙盘之路[?] Lóngpán zhī Lù |
Dragon Spiral Road | |
| Chinese (traditional) | 龍盤之路[?] Lóngpán zhī Lù |
Dragon Spiral Road | |
| Dutch | Drakendreef[?] | Dragon Road | |
| German | Große Drachenmauer[?] | Great Dragonwall | |
| Italian | Muraglia del Drago[?] | Dragon Wall | |
| Korean | 드래곤 드리프트 로드[?] Deuraegon Deuripeuteu Rodeu |
Dragon Drift Road | |
| Portuguese | Estrada do Dragão[?] | Dragon's Road | |
| Russian | Дорога дракона[?] Doroga drakona |
Dragon Road | |
| Spanish | Ruta Dragón[?] | Dragon Road |
Trivia
- The various poses of the Lakitu statues on this course match that on the Kung Fu Lakitu poster seen in Template:Classic-link, which in turn, is a reference to Kung Fu Panda.
- The course has a unique sound effect during the opening sequence; high-pitched Chinese gongs can be heard after the introduction fanfare ends.
- This is one of two courses in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe to have a unique fanfare, alongside Ninja Hideaway.
