Worlds

Arcanine is bigger, fluffier, and more wild-looking than Growlithe, conveying the idea that, whereas its pre-evolved form is commonly kept as a pet in the Pokémon world, Arcanine is truly a creature of the wilderness.

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…

Growlithe is a cute, hard-working little pup and it is commonly seen as a pet and police dog. But its mane-like tufts of fur and tiger-like stripes hint at more interesting inspirations.

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.

The door-opening animation ends and you find yourself in a corridor you haven’t been to before. Like most parts of the Spencer Mansion, it’s dimly lit. The fixed camera prevents you from seeing further down the shadowy hallway, so you can’t tell if something is waiting for you, just slightly…

Upon evolving into Gengar, this Pokémon finally stops levitating all the time. Has it finally finished forming out of gas? Or maybe it has fully transitioned from the spiritual plane to the physical one? Even if that’s the case, Gengar can still revert to a non-physical form if it wishes.