Worlds

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.

The J.R.R. Tolkien Calendar 1973 contained five watercolour paintings that Tolkien produced for The Hobbit, along with some hitherto unpublished pictures that he made while writing The Lord of the Rings.

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.