The Tracks of Mario Kart Wii
What's new this time around? We profile Mushroom and Flower Cup, complete with impressions, strategy, videos, and screens.
March 7, 2008 - Over the last few days the IGN office has been abuzz about the recent arrival of Mario Kart Wii. Everything from motion control to the inclusion of retro levels, removal of the "left/right" power slide boost, character roster, multiplayer options and more have been up for debate, as people at the LA office (both gamer and casual alike) are sitting down with the latest in Nintendo racing.
We spent our initial hours detailing the game's basic points in our most recent hands-on, and since then we've been honing our skills, trying our hand at each control type, and generally warming up to this admittedly different offering of Kart. Moving away from the main control and options, however, a good Mario Kart can be judged on its track design, with strong offerings echoing forever in the memories of a dedicated fanbase, and weaker levels cast quickly to the wayside to make way for the more enjoyable experiences. Every hardcore Mario Kart fan remembers cashing in a jump feather to take the last-minute shortcut on the original Super NES ghost house track, or boosting off Rainbow Road in N64 to take flight and skip half the track. Does Mario Kart Wii have those timeless additions as well? Take a look, as we explore the first eight original tracks from the game, complete with new screens, descriptions, and video montages of each cup.
Enjoy.
Mushroom Cup Being the entry-level group of levels, you won't find much in the Mushroom Cup that's totally mind-blowing. Like previous Kart experiences, the 16 new tracks increase not only in difficulty, but also in outlandish design as you move from open roads and laid back environments to intense, event-filled finales.
Luigi Circuit
Baby Mario cuts off Yoshi. Snap!
A classic circuit race in every regard, Luigi Circuit is a relatively short track, with lap times sitting at 29 seconds flat. In time trial mode, Nintendo President Saturo Iwata's Mii clocked a 1:29 time for all three laps with Luigi; not a bad run. The stadium track is lined with onlooking Mii characters pulled from your Wii, and only a few quick shortcuts. Use a mushroom to boost over a small jump located in the high grass, but be sure to get back on the track in time to take the final turn in a full power slide, hitting a line of a dozen or so boost pads.
Moo Moo Meadows
Moo.
It's a new take on Moo Moo farm, but this early track doesn't have much going on. Use power slides to navigate the varying hills and curved roads, but be sure to avoid the devastating high grass that lines this countryside. Also, there are cows. Don't hit cows. Cows hit back. A trip around this track takes a cool 30 seconds, just as long as you don't get stuck running face to face with a Monty Mole in the process.
Mushroom Gorge
This is a Goomba-free zone.
The first of the more inspired levels in Mario Kart Wii, Mushroom Gorge is a slightly larger racing arena complete with huge mushroom jump-pads, a beautiful cave section, and roaming Goombas. Take the first section of the course as fast as possible, using the outside corner of the first jump section to avoid the mushrooms altogether and instead make use of the boost pads. Once inside the cave, however, lay off the speed boosts, and take the bounce section safely. One mistake here can leave you in 12th place. All in all the track takes about 45 seconds to cruise though.
Toad's Factory
Catching a little air.
Easily the best track in the Musroom Cup (and one of the best in the starting eight), Toad's Factory is packed with tricks and traps though a minute-long stretch of road. After turn one you'll come to a main steel press room, complete with conveyer belts running both with you, and against. Spot the lines that are scrolling forward for a boost in speed, but watch out for smashing pistons. The next set of opposition comes with the loading dock, where scrolling treads again try to throw you off-course. Each alternates between scrolling left and right, so get in a good rhythm and use the speed to your advantage. A final quick treadmill area will segue into a final off-road section, complete with one main jump for tricking, and then a pit of boost pads and mud. Hit the pads for a boost (minding that the whole area will shift on lap two and three, actually morphing the layout of the boost pads), and hit the final jump before heading across the finish line.
Flower Cup
While still not as impressive as the last eight tracks in the game, Flower Cup has some strong versatility to its racing. You get a circuit race, prop-heavy mall level, snow section, and underground mine environments.
Mario Circuit
Fast, but simple.
This 30 second lap race is another traditional circuit-style track, complete with wide blacktop, high grass, and open roads. The only real threat around Mario Circuit is the guarding chain-chomp that patrols a boost ramp shortcut. Cut to the inside if you see him attacking other racers, or steer clear of this lumbering monstrosity at all costs. All in all this is one of the more uneventful tracks in the game, but it's short, and obviously meant as a warm-up compared to some of the other Flower Cup offerings.
Coconut Mall
Git-adda-tha-way!
It isn't the most visually stunning map out there, but Coconut Mall has a lot going on. From the start of the lap you'll see escalators that alternate up and down each lap (take it the right way for a speed boost), and varying levels of height throughout the mall itself, each giving way to alternate routes. Pop off the fountain to grab a quick power-up box, and then take the high road up to the biggest freefall we've seen in Kart thus far, complete with two boost pads and another set of items. Trick off this, and you'll have enough speed to take you to a few Mii-driven cars that are attempting to parallel park outside the mall itself. Boost off the pads at your own risk, and you'll hit the finish line in about 50 seconds.
DK Summit
Bowser take the easy way up.
As Mario Kart's take on the world of downhill skiing, DK Summit is an extremely unconventional track filled with hazards and snowboard lines. The track begins with a boost cannon that takes shoots racers up to the top of the summit side-by-side with a chairlift, and the remainder of the track is about finding your way down safely. Upon your arrival at the peak, use as much trick work and boosting as you'd like to work the initial bowl section, which then feeds into a jump-filled mogul run. Gain speed here to dump into a quarter pipe with items at the peak of the jump, and then round a broken out area and drop into the main half pipe itself. Once in the pipe, follow the arrows for the best takeoff and landing lines, boosting and tricking with every jump and grabbing items when possible. Avoid the Shyguy group you share the hill with, and you'll dump back out at the bottom of the hill safely. The whole run should take just under a minute, provided you don't cut a corner too sharp and end up at the bottom prematurely with a broken kart.
Wario's Gold Mine
The track is thinner, but still pretty wide.
With most of the tracks being a bit wider than expected due to the 12-racer design of
Mario Kart Wii (and the more casual audience of the console in general), it's a nice breath of fresh air to run through Wario's Gold Mine. Complete with narrow bridges lacking rails or safeguards, Wario's Gold Mine is a more laid back, darker alternative to rainbow road. Use the wider bowled sections to trick and grab a fast boost, and stay along the straight and narrow while sharing track with gold-filled mine carts, being sure to grab power-ups that trail the bins. Run this track well and you can find the end within a cool 45 seconds or less.
That does it for the first half of newly-created levels on Mario Kart Wii. We'll be back next week with details on the returning tracks, including a head-to-head feature where we pit the overall designs against their original offerings on DS and GCN, and of course add to our growing stash of video content. Be sure to check out our other media below, and we'll see you next week after Brawl's US launch party.
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