Sunshine Airport
Sunshine Airport is themed – and named after – Super Mario Sunshine. It is located on Isle Delfino, where Super Mario Sunshine took place, and Shrine Sprites can be seen throughout the course.
3DS DK Jungle
One of only a small number of Donkey Kong-themed tracks in Mario Kart 8, DK Jungle feels like you’re going on a jungle adventure, as you zoom through deep underbrush, past huge waterfalls, and into an ancient temple.
N64 Royal Raceway
Royal Raceway exudes a rather peaceful aura. Bells gently toll in the background and confetti litters the track. Pink-tinged clouds can be seen in the sky and gorgeous cherry blossom trees line certain sections of the road.
Cascade Kingdom
The first world that Mario and Cappy visit after the grey, London-esque Cap Kingdom is the lush, colourful Cascade Kingdom. This is the greater location of Fossil Falls, which is a prehistoric dinosaur-themed area – a wild, vibrant, grass-covered mountainside nestled in a basin surrounded by towering waterfalls.
SNES Donut Plains 3
One of the few retro tracks from Super Mario Kart to make a reappearance in Mario Kart 8, Donut Plains 3 has received a huge graphical overhaul. It’s a beautiful HD interpretation of a classic Mario World 1 motif.
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GCN Dry Dry Desert
Dry Dry Desert is an Egyptian-themed track, with lots of pyramids, obelisks, and large stone statues of Hammer Bros. to see in the background. There’s even a huge Hammer Bros. Sphinx (based on the Great Sphinx of Giza), which is rumoured to be cursed.
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Twisted Mansion
Over the years, the Mario Kart series has had its fair share of spooky-themed tracks, from haunted bridges to scary forests. But many of them involve driving through haunted houses. The latest is called Twisted Mansion. The track’s environment, music, and background characters all fit the spooky aesthetic perfectly.
Toad Harbour
Toad Harbour takes place in and around a picturesque seaside town, complete with a shopping centre, a tram station, and a marina filled with sailboats. There are multiple routes to take, and racers will tear through the docks, markets, and side streets as they jockey for first place.
Mario Circuit
Mario Circuit is a twisting road suspended above a grassy canyon, carved into the shape of a Möbius strip. This is not only a unique and clever way to show off the new anti-gravity mechanic, but, as a bonus, since it looks like the number ‘8’, it also ties into the game’s numeric title very nicely.
N64 Toad’s Turnpike
Toad’s Turnpike is less of a racetrack and more of a busy highway. Karts probably shouldn’t drive on a public road at night, but that hasn’t stopped Mario and his pals.
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