Mario Kart 8

Welcome back to our nostalgic journey through all the tracks in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe! We’ve already covered all the courses that shipped with the base game, all the way back in May 2014, and now we’re moving on to the tracks that were part of the game’s first downloadable content, Legend of Zelda x Mario Kart 8, which was released around six months later. We start with Yoshi Circuit, which first appeared in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! for the GameCube, before returning as a retro track in Mario Kart DS and then for a second time in Mario Kart 8.

Yoshi Circuit takes place on a gorgeous, sunny island with bright blue seas, lush greenery, and idyllic tropical vibes. If you glance at the track outline in the bottom-right of your screen while you’re racing (or simply look at the image above), you’ll see that this course is literally shaped like the lovable green dinosaur himself. From a bird’s-eye view, the circuit traces Yoshi’s body – head, arms, tail and all – which creates some dangerous curves and high ocean cliffs. The tunnel that you race through on this track is actually Yoshi’s nose. The small town near the starting line acts as Yoshi’s shoe. The little red shell on Yoshi’s back is a spectator stand. You’re basically racing inside a giant Yoshi outline – it’s a tribute to one of the franchise’s most beloved characters.

If you take the time to look around Yoshi Circuit, you will find lots of detailed Yoshi-themed props. Some of the lights around the Mario Motors garage, for example, are shaped and coloured like Yoshi eggs. There’s even a Yoshi Bike – an unlockable sports bike body in Mario Kart 8 – in a workshop next to the finish line.

The rocky landmarks that made up Yoshi’s feet in the track’s original appearance in Mario Kart: Double Dash!! have been replaced with a small town and harbour, which give the track a sense of habitation – that people actually live and work on this island. Toads and Yoshis can be seen as spectators in this town, waving and jumping excitedly.

There are a few other things to look out for on this track as you’re trying to drift around the corners. For example, some trees have hanging fruit on them, which are a mainstay in the Yoshi games – they’re the dinosaur’s favourite food. And there are several vicious Piranha Plants at the sides of the roads, ready to nip at racers who get too close.

Next time, we’ll be heading to Excitebike Arena, a throwback to a classic NES game that features plenty of ramps, jumps, and mud puddles.