Mario Kart 8

No prizes for guessing the Nintendo game that inspired this tropical track. That’s right, Sunshine Airport is themed – and named after – Super Mario Sunshine, and there are lots of references to that game in this course. For a start, it is located in an airport on Isle Delfino, where Super Mario Sunshine took place – and, as such, the track sports vivid blue skies, palm trees, and gorgeous ocean views, evoking the holiday vibes of a sunny resort destination. Shine Sprites – Super Mario Sunshine‘s equivalent to Super Mario 64‘s Power Stars – can also be seen throughout the course. In addition, Piantas – the island-dwelling people that debuted in Sunshine – act as this track’s spectators.

You’ll start in the airport terminal, but there’s no waiting around – soon you’ll be outside, racing around, under, and even through aeroplanes. The layout is very nice, cleverly working runways into its design without getting boring. There are luggage belts, aeroplane landing gear, and boarding platforms to break up what could have been just some wide, straight roads in a less creative environment. There are also two extended gliding segments in this race, and while crossing the second one, a jumbo jet is sometimes in the process of taking off, passing perilously close overhead. Certain racers and vehicle configurations can get a lot of altitude, so watch out!

Conveyor belts are moving crates through key locations on this track, which can really slow you down if you’re not heavy enough or fast enough to smash through them. Some of the crates on the conveyor belts have panels that resemble ‘?’ Blocks, Empty Blocks, and Brick Blocks.

The terminal is chock full of references and callbacks. Ads for exotic destinations, such as Water Park, Dry Dry Desert, and Sweet Sweet Canyon, can be seen scattered around. There are also posters for various airlines, such as BBIA (Boomarang Bros International Airlines) and PAL (possibly Paratroopa Air Lines). There is a logo for PTT, or ‘Propeller Toad Transport’, but I don’t think this is another travel company. There’s only one plane at the airport bearing the PTT name and logo (it’s actually the plane you can race through), and it seems to be only for cargo, so this company might be for transporting freight rather than people.

There is also an intercom in the airport that occasionally says things like, ‘This is the final boarding call for Boomerang Bros. International Airline, Flight 117a to Sweet Sweet Canyon, departing from Gate 3’ and ‘Passengers departing on Galaxy Airlines, Flight 2580, bound for Dolphin Shoals, should proceed to customs and immigration at this time.’

At the finishing line, a departure board on the right-hand side lists the names of various other tracks. The closest location on the board is Cheep Cheep Beach, since it’s only a 30-minute flight. That makes sense, since both Sunshine Airport and Cheep Cheep Beach are tropical environments. The furthest destination is Sherbet Land, since it’s a seven-hour-and-10-minute flight. Being located in a snowy region, it makes sense that Sherbet Land is far away from the hot, exotic Sunshine Airport.

Next time, we’re sticking with the tropical theme and heading to the warm, shallow waters of Dolphin Shoals.