N64 Luigi Raceway
- This article is about the race course from Mario Kart 64 and retro course in Mario Kart 7. For other race tracks with similar names, see Luigi Circuit.
| Luigi Raceway | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Information | |||
| Appears in | Mario Kart 64 (1996) Mario Kart 7 (2011) Mario Kart Tour (2022) | ||
| Cup(s) | Mushroom Cup (64) Shell Cup (7) | ||
| Tour(s) | |||
| Distance | 717 m | ||
| Online play | Available (3DS) | ||
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Luigi Raceway, alternatively named Luigi Circuit[1][2] (which is also its Japanese name) or Luigi's Circuit,[1] is a race course in Mario Kart 64 as the first race of the Mushroom Cup.
The music of this course is shared with Mario Raceway, Wario Stadium, and Royal Raceway in the game, and is used as an arrangement for the Mario Circuit stage in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. The course is reminiscent of various NASCAR-style speedway tracks with large, broad corners allowing for high-speed racing.
Luigi Raceway returns as the first course of the Shell Cup in Mario Kart 7 and also reappears in Mario Kart Tour starting with the 2022 Mario vs. Luigi Tour.
Mario Kart 64
Course layout
This is the first course of the Mushroom Cup and the whole game. The course features no hazards, save for small rough terrain areas that are located all over the track. The course is long and simple, featuring open turns through which the player may employ powersliding to accelerate faster. The race begins near a grand stand full of cheering audience, atop which is a large model of the Luigi Cap. Following a long straightway and a wide banked turn to the left is a long road to a long overhang, followed by another long curve to the left and a short straightway leading back to the starting line, which happens to be part of the longest straightway in the course. During the race, a balloon depicting Luigi's head dips onto the course at the end of the first straightway, hanging an Item Box beneath. The item is always a Spiny Shell and may be obtained if a racer hops at the right time just as the balloon reaches its lowest point of descent. The course does not have any notable shortcut, but it is possible to save few seconds by cutting across the grass and sand on the turns while using a Mushroom or a Star.
Staff ghost
If a player beats the time of 1:52:00 on this course in Time Trial mode, they unlock a Luigi staff ghost.
Mario Kart 7
Luigi Raceway reappears in Mario Kart 7 as the first race of the Shell Cup. It is mostly unchanged, except the hot air balloon has been moved and a Mii character is inside the basket, and the item box hanging below it that always gave out a Spiny Shell has been replaced with a regular item box. An alternate way has also been added on the platforms next to the curves that were inaccessible in Mario Kart 64, and it has Dash Panels on them. This is one of two Luigi courses that appear in the Shell Cup, the other being Template:Classic-link from Mario Kart DS.
When the player crosses the finish line to start another lap, Lakitu is shown on the right side of the player, holding the lap count signs.
The music used on this course in this game is an source quality version of the original in Mario Kart 64.[3]
This course and Template:Classic-link are the only courses not to use either gliding or underwater driving features in Mario Kart 7.
Mario Kart Tour
Luigi Raceway appears in Mario Kart Tour, starting from the 2022 Mario vs. Luigi Tour, where it debuted alongside SNES Ghost Valley 2. Prior to the course's introduction, two badges were released featuring the name of the track. The Luigi Parafoil also contains a Luigi Raceway logo. Luigi Raceway is the last classic course from Mario Kart 7 to return in Mario Kart Tour.
The course’s background now features hills similar to the ones seen in 3DS Mario Circuit and 3DS Rock Rock Mountain. The markings now split the road in two lanes instead of three, and curbs line the corners. The platforms next to the curves are now striped, and the second had its color changed to yellow. The hill where the tunnel passes is higher. The grandstand was slightly redesigned. Much like N64 Koopa Troopa Beach, the starting banner uses the updated version of the classic Mario Kart logo, but remains unchanged from its original design, unlike a majority of the other Mario Kart 64 tracks. Like N64 Royal Raceway, the course uses the source quality arrangement from Mario Kart 7 in this game, being the first non-numbered course since the introduction of 3DS Mario Circuit in the Tokyo Tour seventy-six tours prior to share its music with another track.
The course is a favorite of Luigi (Vacation), Luigi (Golf), Rosalina (Volendam), Cat Mario, Rosalina (Chef), Toadette (Sailor), Luigi (Knight), and the Goomba Mii Racing Suit. As with other courses in the game, Luigi Raceway has an R variant and a T variant referred to as Luigi Raceway R and Luigi Raceway T respectively.
For this course's tour appearances, see List of N64 Luigi Raceway tour appearances in Mario Kart Tour.
Profiles
Mario Kart 64
- Instruction booklet bio: Long straightaways and easy corners -- the perfect course for beginners to practice their sliding.
- Webpage bio: A fine track for beginners.[4]
- Nintendo Magazine System (Australia) issue 49 (page 40): "The first course in the game is reminiscent of an IndyCar track, with banked turns and long straights for acceleration."
Sponsors
Mario Kart 64
- Koopa Air (Trackside banners)
- Luigi's (Trackside banners)
- Mario Star (Trackside banners)
- Nintendo (Trackside banners)
- Shot! (Trackside banners)
- Yoshi (Trackside banners)
Mario Kart 7
- KoopaKart (Trackside banners)
- Luigi Grand Prix (Trackside banners)
- Nintendo (Trackside banners)
- Shoot! (Trackside banners)
- Super Mario (Trackside banners)
- Yoshi (Trackside banners)
Mario Kart Tour
- KoopaKart (Trackside banners)
- Launch! (Trackside banners)
- Luigi Raceway (Trackside banners, signs)
- Super Mario (Trackside banners)
- Yoshi (Trackside banners)
Gallery
Mario Kart 64
The icon from the menu
The starting line
The long turns on the ends of the course
The Luigi balloon
The tunnel
The course in the Japanese staff credits
An overview of the map from the official Mario Kart 64 website
Mario Kart 7
Koopa Troopa racing on the course with a Super Leaf behind his kart
The big screen by the tunnel
Inside the tunnel
Luigi on one of the platforms along the bend
The new balloon
Mario Kart Tour
Course icons
The course icon with Daisy (Yukata)
The course icon with Luigi (Knight)
The course icon of the Reverse variant with Toadette (Explorer)
The course icon of the Reverse variant with Dr. Luigi
The course icon of the Trick variant with Luigi (Knight)
The course icon of the Trick variant with Builder Mario
The course icon of the Ring Race challenge held on this course
The course icon of the Take them out quick! challenge held on this course
Sprites
The animation of gameplay with Mario that plays on the TV screen
Screenshots
Luigi (Knight) and Mario (Samurai) driving on the course
Other
A badge with a Luigi Raceway logo
Another badge with a Luigi Raceway logo
A parafoil with the Luigi Raceway logo
Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese (simplified) | 路易吉赛道[?] Lùyìjí Sàidào |
Luigi Speedway | |
| Chinese (traditional) | 路易吉賽道[?] Lùyìjí Sàidào |
Luigi Speedway | |
| Dutch | Luigi's Circuit[?] | Luigi's Circuit | |
| French | Autodrome Luigi[?] | Luigi Motordrome | |
| German | Luigis Rennpiste[?] | Luigi's Racetrack | |
| Italian | Pista di Luigi[?] | Luigi's Track | |
| Korean | 루이지 서킷[?] Ruiji Seokit |
Luigi Circuit | |
| Portuguese (NOA) | Pista Luigi[?] | Luigi Track | |
| Portuguese (NOE) | Pista do Luigi[?] | Luigi's Track | |
| Russian | Трасса Луиджи[?] Trassa Luidzhi |
Luigi's Track | |
| Spanish | Pista Luigi[?] | Luigi Track |
Trivia
- This is the only starting course up until Mario Kart DS to not make an appearance in that game. Template:Classic-link appeared alongside the other games' starting courses instead. It is also the only Luigi-themed course in the series up until that point to not appear in said game, as Template:Classic-link, Template:Classic-link and Luigi's Mansion were all present in Mario Kart DS.
References
- ^ a b Nintendo Magazine System (UK) issue 51, page 28.
- ^ Nintendo Magazine System (Australia) issue 49, page 40.
- ^ Kenta Nagata Every Credit Profile Map Discography
- ^ https://web.archive.org/web/19980205065149/http://www.nintendo.com:80/n64/mario_kart64/mushcup.html
