Dragon Driftway

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Dragon Driftway
An overview of Dragon Driftway from Mario Kart 8
Information
Appears in Mario Kart 8 (DLC Pack 1) (2014)
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (2017)
Cup(s) Egg Cup
Based on Gobblegut
Online play Available (Wii U until April 8, 2024, Switch)
Music sample
Atsuko Asahi

Frontrunning
Course map
Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Map of Dragon Driftway in Mario Kart 8.Map of Dragon Driftway in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.
Staff ghost(s)
8 Nin★Kaori
2:05.487 Lakitu's head icon in Mario Kart 8Varmint body from Mario Kart 8MonsterCloud Glider from Mario Kart 8
8DX 150cc Nin★Mitsu
2:05.957 Lakitu's head icon in Mario Kart 8Varmint body from Mario Kart 8MonsterCloud Glider from Mario Kart 8
8DX 200cc Nin★Aracel
1:34.873 Inkling BoyPurple Inkling Boy's Splat Buggy body from Mario Kart 8 DeluxeBlue Standard tires from Mario Kart 8Thumbnail of Inkling Boy's Super Glider (with 8 icon), in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

Dragon Driftway is a race course included with The Legend of Zelda × Mario Kart 8 downloadable content in Mario Kart 8, as well as the base content of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, as the third course of the Egg Cup. The course is Chinese-themed, taking place in and around a statue of a dragon that is based on Gobblegut, though it has legs. Throughout the course, various statues and murals of Lakitu appear. The dragon structure in this race course never actually ends with its tail, as it loops back to the start. This may be a reference to the ancient cultural symbol of the ouroboros, depicting a snake eating its own tail.

Similar to Mario Circuit, almost the entirety of the course is played in anti-gravity, with only the beginning and end segments near the start/finish line having normal gravity. The music for this course is included in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a track, and the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe battle course Dragon Palace uses a modified version of the music. The second part of the song has a melody that resembles the theme for the Chai Kingdom from Super Mario Land.

Course layout[edit]

The course as seen from the starting line

At the beginning of the race, racers drive into the mouth of the dragon and go down a winding hall, modeled after Chinese temples. Throughout the tunnels, images from the original Super Mario Bros. can be seen at the top of the walls. After a set of zigzagging turns, players exit the dragon, although they continue to drive on its exterior. Following this is another series of winding turns, though there are shortcuts placed between them (one acting as an offroad ramp and the other serving as a patch of offroad). After this is a bridge twisting racers fully upside-down, before a prolonged left turn followed by a right turn. There are some Spin Boost Pillars found here, which have a unique design resembling hyōtan gourds. Then, racers are faced with a series of descending bumps in the road that function as ramps, giving racers an opportunity to perform tricks. There is then one final turn with another patch of offroad taking up the track to the right (forcing racers without speed items to go to the left) before a final dropoff ramp, ending the anti-gravity section and leading towards the finish line.

The track features several references to Lakitus and Chinese culture. The starting line is a paifang, a type of gate widely found in Chinese culture, with two golden Cheep Cheeps on top of it. This is also seen in the Super Mario 3D World stage Hands-On Hall. Three Chinese characters ("朱盖木 - Zhūgàimù") referencing Lakitu's name in simplified Chinese can be found on the lanterns above the starting line or on the murals. One of the Lakitu images in the tunnel depicts one holding a staff and riding a cloud. This is similar to Sun Wukong, a character who rides a cloud and uses a staff in the Chinese novel Journey to the West. Before a part with multiple Spin Boost Pillars, there are six unique lanterns with the design of the Lakitu Card from the Club Nintendo Hanafuda Cards reward.[1]

Mario Kart 8 Original Soundtrack liner notes[edit]

"We used a Chinese stringed instrument known as an erhu for this track. The contrast between this instrument and the same melody played on an electric guitar works really well. Underpinning this, you have the slap bass and the four-to-the-floor beat. When you add that forceful melody, it somehow sounds like a shamisen."

Gallery[edit]

Names in other languages[edit]

Language Name Meaning
Japanese ドラゴンロード
Doragon Rōdo
Dragon Road

Chinese (simplified) 龙盘之路
Lóngpán Zhī Lù
Dragon Spiral Road

Chinese (traditional) 龍盤之路
Lóngpán Zhī Lù
Dragon Spiral Road

Dutch Drakendreef
Dragon Road
French Route du dragon
Dragon Road
German Große Drachenmauer
Great Dragonwall
Italian Muraglia del Drago
Dragon Wall
Korean 드래곤 드리프트 로드
Deuraegon Deuripeuteu Rodeu
Dragon Drift Road

Portuguese Estrada do Dragão
Dragon's Road
Russian Дорога дракона
Doroga drakona
Dragon Road

Spanish Ruta Dragón
Dragon Route

Trivia[edit]

  • The various poses of the Lakitu statues on this course match that on the Kung Fu Lakitu poster seen in GBA Ribbon Road, which in turn, is a reference to Kung Fu Panda.
  • The course has a unique sound effect during the opening sequence; high-pitched Chinese gongs can be heard after the introduction fanfare ends.

References[edit]

  1. ^ [1]